Pesto

 Posting here so I can easily find it again.

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (can sub half the basil leaves with baby spinach)

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese (about 2-3 ounces)

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/3 cup pine nuts 

• 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste


Pulse the basil and nuts in the food processor.

Add garlic and cheese.

Drizzle in olive oil. Finish with salt and pepper.

It made enough for the pesto Cavatappi recipe with a little left over. 

If you want to freeze the pesto, omit the cheese (it doesn't freeze well). Line an ice cube tray with plastic wrap, and fill each cube with the pesto sauce. Freeze and then remove from the ice tray and store in a freezer safe, zip-top bag. When you want to use it, defrost and add the grated Parmesan or Romano.

Pesto Cavatappi

 An awesome copycat of my Noodles and Company favorite.

• ▢ 1 tablespoon Salt
• ▢ 1 pound cavatappi pasta
• ▢ 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 large tomato cored and diced
• ▢ 4 ounces mushrooms sliced (optional, see note 2)
• ▢ 1/4 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
• ▢ 1/4 cup dry white wine (see note 3)
• ▢ ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 1 cup homemade pesto or store-bought (see note 4)
• ▢ 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese




• In a large saucepan or stock pot, bring 4 quarts of water and salt to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add tomatoes and mushrooms (if using) and cook for about 5 minutes, until some of the liquid has been released and the tomatoes are heated through.
• Stir in the broth, wine, and cream and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
• Add pesto and stir until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add pasta and toss until uniformly coated in the sauce. Transfer to a serving dish or individual plates and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

• NOTES
  Excellent! 
  I didn’t have mushrooms but did have peppers.
  Didn’t have white wine on hand but that would be good.
  I added a bunch of rotisserie chicken. Shrimp would also be good.

Dill Pickles

 Excellent recipe shared by Caroline Langfeld.

12 lb 3-5 inch pickling cucumbers

Salt Water Soak:

2 gallons water

3/4 C pickling salt

Brine:

2 quarts water

7 1/3 C vinegar
3/4 C pickling salt

1/4 C sugar

Per Quart:

3-4 garlic cloves

2-3 dill heads (I also add some of the dill 'stalk')

6-8 black peppercorns

1 small dried Chile pepper - optional - I usually do a few jars with these, but I don't like the extra zip so leave it out of most jars.

4-6 grape leaves - optional - I've never tried these; I'm a creature of the familiar and I like the recipe without, so why mess with something I know I like.

Makes about 8 quarts

  

1. Gently wash the cucumbers, and remove the blossom ends.  Halve or quarter lengthwise, if you choose, or leave them whole.  In a large bowl or crock, dissolve 3/4 C pickling salt in 2 gallons water.  Add the cucumbers.  Let them stand in the brine 8-12 hours. 
2. Bring to a boil the 3/4 C salt, 2 quarts water, the vinegar and sugar, stirring to dissolve.  While the mixture heats, divide the garlic, dill and peppercorns, and the pepper and leaves if you're using them, among 8 quart jars.  Pack a portion of the cucumbers into each jar.
3. Pour the hot liquid over the cucumbers, leaving 1/2 inch head space.  Close the jars with hot two-piece caps.  In a boiling water bath, process pint jars for 10 minutes and quart jars for 15 minutes.
4. Store the cooled jars in a cool, dry dark place for at least 1 month before eating the pickles.

NOTES:

I'm going to make a much small batch this evening.  Notes are coming soon.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

 

• 
  
• 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 cup (41g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch process)*
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder*
• 3/4 cup (135g) semi-sweet chocolate chips*
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
• 1/3 cup (80g) plain Greek yogurt or sour cream*
• 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar*
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) shredded zucchini (no need to blot)*

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or 8×4-inch loaf pan (for a taller loaf) with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2.  In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder together until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, yogurt, granulated sugar, and vanilla together until combined. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently whisk to combine. Fold in the zucchini. The batter is very thick.
4. Bake for 45–55 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from over-cooking. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. The 9×5-inch pan takes closer to 45 minutes, and the 8×4-inch pan takes closer to 55 minutes. All ovens vary, so begin checking around the 45-minute mark.
5. Remove bread from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 1 hour. While it’s still warm, I gently press a few more chocolate chips into the top; this is optional and only for looks.
6. Remove bread from the pan and place the loaf directly on the wire rack to cool completely.

NOTES:

I used mini chocolate chips but otherwise made it as written. Easy and excellent!

Hat tip to the ever-excellent Sally’s Baking Addiction

Sour Cherry Jam (low sugar)

 

Ingredients

• 5 pounds sour cherries pitted
• 1 pound 3 ounces granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon calcium water
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Pomona's Pectin

Instructions

• Prepare a boiling water bath canner and enough jars to hold 4 pints.
• In a low, wide, non-reactive pot, combine the pitted cherries, 1 pound of sugar, and all the calcium water.
• Set pot over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook at a vigorous boil for 20 to 25 minutes, until the volume has reduced by at least one-third.
• Stir pectin into the remaining sugar and stream it into the cooking jam, using a whisk to stir to help prevent clumps.
• Return the contents of the pot to an active boil and cook for an additional 2 minutes and then start looking for signs of thickening (it should be pretty clear as Pomona's pectin sets quickly). Once you see some thickening, remove the pot from the heat.
• Funnel the jam into the prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe the rims, apply lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.
• When the time is up, remove the jars and set them on a folded kitchen towel to cool. When the jars have cooled enough that you can comfortably handle them, check the seals. Sealed jars can be stored at room temperature for up to a year. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly.

NOTES:

• From the Food in Jars site: Now, for the pectin. I like to use less pectin that the Pomona’s packet instructions call for. Typically, I use between 1/2 and 3/4 teaspoon calcium water and pectin for every pound of fruit. Use less for a soft set and a bit more for a firmer set.
• The cherries were easy to pit and that worked better than the food mill.
• I made a half batch from cherries on our backyard tree.

Patriotic Jello Jigglers

 Ingredients
2 3-ounce boxes strawberry Jello
2 3-ounce boxes berry blue Jello
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
4 0.25-ounce envelopes unflavored gelatin (i.e. Knox)
Boiling water

Instructions

• Spray an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a small bowl, stir together 1 box of the strawberry Jello, ½ an envelope of the Knox gelatin and 1 cup of the boiling water, ensuring everything has dissolved. Pour into the prepared pan and place in the refrigerator to set, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk and 1 cup boiling water. In a separate small bowl, sprinkle 2 envelopes of the unflavored gelatin over ½ cup cold water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Add ½ cup boiling water to the unflavored gelatin mixture and stir to dissolve. Pour into the sweetened condensed milk mixture and stir to combine.
• Once the red layer is set, pour 1 cup of the milk mixture over the red layer. Place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
• Repeat the layers, alternating the red and blue between the white layers, with blue being your last layer. Ensure that the colored Jello mixtures cool to room temperature before pouring over the previous set layer.
• Once all of the layers have been poured, refrigerate for at least 4 hours. When ready to serve, run a thin knife around the edges of the pan and turn the Jello out onto a cutting board. Cut into squares and serve, refrigerating any leftovers.

NOTES:

• A 1/2 pack of knox gelatin is about 1.25 teaspoons
• This goes quicker than it looks.  As soon as one layer goes in the fridge, make the next one, and it's cooled off a bit by the time you add it. (15 minutes or so).
• I made it my square rubbermaid container (a little bigger than 9"). Photo as a reminder for next time.
• Having a level shelf in your fridge is helpful.

Steak Marinade

 Marinade steaks between 2 hours and overnight.

• ▢ 1/3 cup soy sauce
• ▢ 1/3 cup lemon juice
• ▢ 1/2 cup olive oil
• ▢ 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ pinch of red pepper