One Pot Rice and Beans

•  2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped (about 1 ¼ cups)
• 1¾ cups chicken or vegetable stock or water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can black or pinto beans

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, cover and bring to a boil.

Add the salt, rice and beans (including the liquid). Stir just to combine, then cover.

Turn the heat down as low as it will go, then let simmer, undisturbed, for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 4 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, then garnish with lime or cilantro as you wish.

Chokecherry jelly

 

Ingredients

• 4 cups chokecherry juice (See chokecherry syrup recipe for method to get juice.)
• ¼ cup lemon juice bottled
• 4 teaspoons calcium water see step #1
• 1.75 cups sugar (original recipe offers a range)
• 4 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin powder mixed with sweetener

Instructions

• Before you begin, prepare calcium water. 

  To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well.

  Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
• Wash jars, lids, and bands. Place jars in canner, fill canner 2/3 full with water, bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover, and keep jars in hot canner water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small saucepan; cover and heat to a low boil. Turn off heat and keep lids in hot water until ready to use.
• Prepare chokecherry juice.
• Measure juice into saucepan.
• Add calcium water and lemon juice and mix well.
• Measure sugar or room temperature honey into a bowl. Thoroughly mix pectin powder into sweetener. Set aside.
• Bring fruit mixture to a full boil. Add pectin-sweetener mixture, stirring vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin while the jam comes back up to a boil. Once the jam returns to a full boil, remove it from the heat.
• Fill hot jars to ¼” of top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2-piece lids. Put filled jars in boiling water to cover. Boil 10 minutes (add 1 minute more for every 1,000 ft. above sea level). Remove from water. Let jars cool. Check seals; lids should be sucked down. Eat within 1 year. Lasts 3 weeks once opened.
  
  
  Credit: https://pomonapectin.com/chokecherry-jelly-2/

Chokecherry Syrup

 For the first year ever, we have a ton of chokecherries and beat the backyard creatures to them.

Ingredients

• 8 cups chokecherry juice (extracted from about 1 1/2 gallons of chokecherries)*
• 1 package pectin
• 10 cups sugar

Equipment:

• 7 pint jars
• 7 rings
• 7 lids
• canning equipment (funnel, pot, rack, jar grabber)

Instructions

1. To extract the juice, place the cleaned chokecherries in a large pot and add enough water to just barely cover them. Put them on the stove and allow to come to a boil, then reduce to simmer.  After about 30 minutes, the berries will have released their juice. The liquid in the pot will be opaque and a dark mauve color.

2. After the chokecherries are finished cooking, strain them and the juice through a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl. Gently press on the chokecherries in the sieve to get out any of the liquid, but be careful not to mash it too much. Give your pot a rinse and a quick scrub to remove any bits left. Measure the juice after it has been strained; you should have about eight cups. If you have less, you can half this recipe or you can cook more chokecherries to get the right amount of juice.

3. Sterilize 7 pint jars.

4. Place the juice back into the stockpot. It should still be a little warm. If, for some reason it’s not, warm it up, but don’t let it boil. Gently sprinkle the pectin into the juice while stirring, then allow to boil.  Add the sugar while you stir to help it dissolve. Keep stirring and allow the mixture to come to a boil again. Stir constantly and let it boil for one minute, then remove from heat and let it settle a bit. Skim off any foam and discard.

5. Pour the syrup into the pint jars, giving about an inch of headspace. Wipe the lip of the jars with a clean, damp towel (this removes any syrup that was spilled in the process) and place a lid on top. Seal it with the ring.

6. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

NOTES:

• Instead of a sieve or cheesecloth, I mashed the juice out using the food mill and medium disc.  
• Maybe because of this method, I ended up with 12 cups of juice instead of 8.  The rest is in a quart jar, maybe to be turned into jelly.
• I added about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice per another recipe.  (It actually called for lemon and orange juice to be added, but I didn't have any orange.)
• I also added about 1 tsp. of almond extract to this 8 cup recipe.  (I don't think Dad would add almond extract to his, but I thought I'd try it.)

 

Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450g) strawberries, fresh or frozen (cleaned and hulled if fresh)
• 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
• 2 tbsp vodka or kirsch
• 1 cup (240g) sour cream
• 1 cup (250ml) heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• If you are using frozen berries, place them in a bowl and cover with the sugar and vodka. Let them sit until the sugar mostly dissolves, you’ll want to toss them a few times as they sit. By the time they thaw and the sugar dissolves the fruit will have released much of its juices.
• For fresh berries, slice them before you toss them with the sugar and vodka.
• David says to cook the berries and sugar, but I skipped this step because I used frozen berries. If you are using fresh strawberries it is a good idea to break them down a bit by cooking them for a few minutes. if you do, you’ll need to let it cool before proceeding.
• Place the strawberries in a blender or food processor with the sour cream. Pulse until they are combined and the strawberries are broken up, but not pureed, you want some small chunks left in the mix.
• Remove from the food processor and whisk in the cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Refrigerate the ice cream mixture for an hour before freezing.
• Follow your machine’s instructions for freezing the ice cream.
• It will be frozen, but still soft and not at all grainy, just beyond soft serve.

Delicious and easy.  I used an immersion blender in the kettle and it eliminated some of the mess.

From Zoebakes

Warm German Potato Salad

This was a huge hit with everyone in our family!

•  2 pounds red or gold potatoes
• 8 oz bacon
• 1/4 c chopped onion
• 1/3 c vinegar (original recipe called for apple cider vinegar; I used white)
• 1-3 T sugar (I used 2 and liked it)
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pepper, to taste
• 1/2 c chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Cut large potatoes in half so all are the same size.  Place in large pot, cover with water, and boil until soft (15-20 minutes).  Drain and return potatoes to empty pot over hot (but turned-off) burner.  Leave the lid off and allow the potatoes to steam dry for a couple minutes.

In another pot, cut bacon into small pieces and cook.  While the bacon is cooking, cut the potatoes into 1/2" slices.  Once the bacon is done, remove it from the pan and cook the onion until soft.  Into the same pan, whisk the vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a simmer and whisk for a couple minutes.

Toss together the dressing, potatoes, and bacon.  Add parsley (if using).  Serve warm.

Seven Layer Cookies

Easier than they look, and very festive!  

My few notes:

• Emily has an easy homemade almond paste recipe
• These would be great tea cakes (especially in theme colors)
• It's January 21 and I still have some in the freezer (an uncut slab) and they're still perfect.

Recipe and notes from Smitten Kitchen:

I have so many extra hints/notes on these, I’ve moved them to the bottom. Read on!

Makes about 5 dozen cookies (or more, if you cut them as small as I did)

Time: These take at least 11 hours from beginning to end, most of it inactive, but make sure you have a good 2 to 3 hour window

• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 (8-ounce or 225-gram) can almond paste
• 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces, 285 grams, or 2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) almond extract
• 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 25 drops red food coloring
• 25 drops green food coloring
• 1 (12-ounce or 340-gram) jar apricot preserves, heated and strained
• 7 ounces (200 grams) bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan and line bottom with wax paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 ends, then butter paper.

Beat whites in mixer fitted with whisk attachment at medium-high speed until they just hold stiff peaks. Add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating at high speed until whites hold stiff, slightly glossy peaks. Transfer to another bowl.

Switch to paddle attachment, then beat together almond paste and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add butter and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks and almond extract and beat until combined well, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, then add flour and salt and mix until just combined.

Fold half of egg white mixture into almond mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

Divide batter among 3 bowls. Stir red food coloring into one and green food coloring into another, leaving the third batch plain. Set white batter aside. Chill green batter, covered. Pour red batter into prepared pan and spread evenly with offset spatula (layer will be about 1/4 inch thick).

Bake red layer 8 to 10 minutes, until just set. (It is important to undercook. They’ll look like they’re not done, but a tester does come out clean.)

Using paper overhang, transfer layer to a rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Clean pan, then line with parchment or wax paper and butter paper in same manner as above. Bake white layer in prepared pan until just set. As white layer bakes, bring green batter to room temperature. Transfer white layer to a rack. Prepare pan as above, then bake green layer in same manner as before. Transfer to a rack to cool.

When all layers are cool, invert green onto a parchment or wax-paper-lined large baking sheet. Discard paper from layer and spread with half of preserves. Invert white on top of green layer, discarding paper. Spread with remaining preserves. Invert red layer on top of white layer and discard wax or parchment paper.

Cover with plastic wrap and weight with a large baking pan. Chill at least 8 hours.

Remove weight and plastic wrap. Bring layers to room temperature. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Keep chocolate over water. (Alternately, you can do what I did: melt the chocolate 3.5 ounces at a time just to make sure it doesn’t seize up between steps, though that shouldn’t be a problem if you only let it set for 15.)

Trim edges of assembled layers with a long serrated knife. Quickly spread half of chocolate in a thin layer on top of cake. Chill, uncovered, until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes. Cover with another sheet of wax paper and place another baking sheet on top, then invert cake onto sheet and remove paper. Quickly spread with remaining chocolate. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Cut lengthwise into 4 strips (I cut them into more, because I wanted them 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide, as I remember them). Cut strips crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide cookies.

Do ahead: Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 2 weeks. They’ll keep even longer in the freezer.

Three important notes:

I struggled with three things in this recipe (the first two were mistakes, and both came back to bite me in the tuchus) so you won’t have to:

1. Don’t stack cooled cakes: Once my first two cake layers were cool (and still on their parchment liners) and I needed to make room on the cooling rack for the third one, I went ahead and stacked them, their liners between them. DON’T DO THIS. Not because they crush each other (they won’t) or because they’ll stick (they don’t) but because that paper liner is greased on both sides from baking and the chocolate shell never quite stuck right to the pink cake because of the grease accidentally left on it. I can’t tell you how many cookies were rejected because their chocolate fell off. It is too sad to discuss.

2. Be careful dividing your jam: I mindlessly divided the jam wrong/unevenly and ended up with too much between one layer and too little between another. Too little was no biggie, but where there was too much it oozed out and was particularly difficult to keep stacked when sawing through with a serrated knife. So, if you’re using a scale to make two six-ounce divisions of jam, remember that you’ve probably strained out a good ounce or so of jam solids, or in other words DUH. Your divided amounts will be less than six ounces each.

3. They’re easier to cut when frozen: Nevertheless, they tasted amazingly and I was all ready to do a victory lap around my wee kitchen counter, however, when I got to cutting them up and then it all went south. People, these were trying to cut. The problem lies within the differing textures of the layers — the top hard chocolate shell more benefits from a sharp serrated knife (a regular, even very sharp knife will crack the edges when you press down on it), the same serrated knife that gets gummed with jam and tries to pull the soft cake layers in between apart. It was exasperating. It didn’t go well. I packed up some for a party and stuffed the rest in the freezer, only to discover the next day that these cut fantastically when frozen. Seriously. Trust me. I have the gummy floor and gray hairs to prove it.

Rosemary Thyme Spiced Nuts

 

INGREDIENTS
3 c. large whole nuts - I like to use 1 c. cashews, 1 c. pecans, and 1 c. almonds (I usually buy nuts at Trader Joe's)
2 T. olive oil
2 T. coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 300° F. Place nuts in a medium heatproof bowl.

Pour oil into a small heavy saucepan and place over medium-low heat until warm. Do not let it get too hot – the oil will burn. Add rosemary and thyme and stir until aromatic, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and stir in cumin and cayenne pepper. Pour the flavored oil over the nuts and stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle with sugar, salt, and black pepper. Stir again. Transfer to a jelly roll pan or a baking pan with sides. Bake for about 15 minutes total, stirring after the first 10 minutes. Let cool. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

JEN'S NOTES:

• Very tasty and simple! A nice break from all the sweet snacks this time of year.
• I made a double batch and divided them into little mason jars as St. Nicholas day gifts for co-workers.
• I used half oven-roasted, salted almonds and half unsalted, chopped pecans, which was a good mix for flavor and texture.
• I didn't have fresh herbs, so I used dried rosemary and thyme, and changed the proportions accordingly.
• I added a little garlic powder because, you know, garlic.

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