Homemade Salsa

Homemade salsa, one of the best ways to use all those delicious veggies that have been growing in the garden all summer. I put 2 jalapeno peppers in, including seeds, hoping for a bit of zip, but the jalapenos were pretty mild. So this version isn't very hot, but the flavour is still great. I think next summer I'll have to grow my own hot peppers.

8 cups chopped tomatoes, peeled (about 1 ice cream pail whole tomatoes)
2 chopped green peppers
2-3 jalapeno peppers (or more if you like it HOT)
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp crushed garlic
a couple sprigs of parsley, chopped
2 tbsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup vinegar

Combine all ingredients in large pot. Bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes. Add one small tin of tomato paste. Mix together 4 tbsp cornstarch with 4 tbsp water. Add to salsa and cook five minutes. Put into jars and steam 10 minutes.

I used the oven canning method for my salsa. To do this, put the empty clean jars in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 275F. To sterilize the lids, put in a pot of water, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. I try to time this so my salsa is ready when the jars have been in the oven for about 10 minutes. Carefully remove the jars from the oven, place on a tea towel and fill with salsa. Using tongs, remove the lids from the hot water and screw onto jars (make sure the jar rims are clean or they won't seal). Then put the filled jars back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove to tea towel and wait for the pops of the lids sealing. :)

This recipe will make about 3 jars (large pasta sauce size jars).

Mom's Freezer Pizza Sauce

It's that time of year, tomato season! I love tomatoes and nothing compares to tomatoes fresh from the garden. After numerous toasted tomatoes sandwiches, I couldn't keep up so it was time to do something with them. This year I decided I'd try making my Mom's pizza sauce. She's made this sauce or a variation of it for as long as I can remember. It's  probably more of a tomato sauce than a pizza sauce as it tends to be fairly runny, but its packed with delicious ingredients and you can freeze it!

1 ice cream pail full of tomatoes, quartered (scald & peel if you like)
1-2 large onions, chopped
1-2 peppers, green or red chopped
4 large carrots, grated
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
Optional seasonings (see below)
Boil 1 1/2 hours and then either blend with an immersion blender or let cool slightly and blend in batches.

Then add
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. pickling salt
3/4 tbsp. pepper
Bring to a boil and pour into margarine tubs. Makes about 5-6 tubs full. Cool and  store these in the freezer.

Optional seasonings:
1/2 hot chili pepper shredded
or
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tbsp. oregano

Spicy Orange-Ginger Chicken

Here's a sort-of Chinese recipe with a bit of a kick to it, depending on how much hot sauce you add... Feel free to adapt. It was delicious and not very hard to make at all.

1 1/4 cups orange juice
2 tsp orange zest
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, shredded
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp hot sauce
1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 medium chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp water
green onions or chives, sliced
sesame seeds

In a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, zest, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, hot sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and black pepper. Place cut up chicken in a large ziploc bag and pour in 1/3 of the marinade. Seal the bag and let marinade for 1 hour.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken (in 2 batches) in frying pan until lightly browned. Discard used marinade. Once chicken is cooked, remove from pan.

In the same frying pan add the reserved marinade and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, mix together the corn starch and water. Whisk into the marinade, making sure it doesn't clump. Let boil for a minute to thicken.

Return chicken to the pan and heat through. Serve over cooked rice. Garnish with green onions or chives and sesame seeds.

*Adapted from http://www.foolproofliving.com/spicy-orange-ginger-chicken/

Creamy Pasta Salad

So despite the cool and rainy spring we are having, which followed a horribly cold winter, I have to believe that summer is coming! I really, really hope... And summer means BBQs and a staple at summer BBQs is the pasta salad. I tried this recipe with high expectations as it was billed as "The Best Macaroni Salad Ever" and it doesn't disappoint. Enjoy!

3 cups dry pasta (shell, macaroni, etc)
2 cups mayonnaise
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tsps sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup pickle juice
3 whole roasted bell peppers, chopped* (you can also use the jarred kind if you prefer)
3/4 cup dill pickles, diced
6 whole green onions, sliced

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Set aside and let cool completely.

In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt & pepper. Add milk and pickle juice, just enough to make the dressing pourable. Add the chopped roasted peppers, pickles and green onions. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Chill dressing while macaroni cools.

Add cooled macaroni to bowl with dressing and toss. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

* To Roast Peppers: Place washed & dried whole peppers on baking sheet and broil until skin is charred. Occasionally turn peppers so all sides start turning black. Place the charred peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow peppers to steam for 20 minutes. Remove from bowl and place on cutting board. Using a paring knife, peel away the skin and chop.

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Cheesy Shells & Broccoli

Wonderfully gooey & cheesy! Homemade mac & cheese with some broccoli to make you feel like its at least a little healthy.

8 oz shell pasta
1 large crown broccoli, cut into small florets
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add shell pasta and set a timer for 8 minutes. At that point, add the broccoli florets to the pasta and cook pasta and broccoli for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Cook onion in butter over medium heat until onion has softened (about 2-3 minutes). Whisk in the flour to create a roux. Continue whisking the roux for about 2 minutes. Add the milk and whisk well to ensure there are no clumps. Add some pepper and bring the sauce up to a simmer.When sauce begins to thicken, its time to add the cheese. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese until smooth. Taste the cheese sauce to see if it needs some salt & pepper. You can also add some hot sauce to give it a little zip. Stir the broccoli and pasta into the cheese sauce. Voila! Dinner is served. Enjoy!

*From http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/02/broccoli-shells-n-cheese/

Homemade Pizza

What's for dinner tonight? Homemade pizza! Can't beat it, yum! I'm always up for homemade pizza; and I'm not talking about heating up a frozen pizza either. Gotta make the crust from scratch. In summer I'll grill my pizza on the BBQ, which is amazing and I highly recommend trying that, but the rest of the time I use my pizza stone. You get such a nice crisp crust. Here's a very basic pizza crust recipe that you can make within half an hour (plus baking time).

1 1/2 tsp dry yeast
1 tsp brown sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tbsps olive oil
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 450 F (see note below if using a pizza stone). In a medium bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Stir in flour, salt and oil. You can use regular all-purpose or a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat. I have a multi-grain flour I used this time. Mix together until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a 12 inch circle. Transfer crust to greased pan or a pizza stone dusted with cornmeal. Spread crust with sauce and your desired toppings. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Note: If using a pizza stone you should either put the empty stone in the cold oven and heat it up with the oven, using a pizza peel to transfer the pizza to the hot stone. Or don't preheat the oven and instead put the assembled pizza on the cold pizza stone and put in the cold oven (start timing once oven has heated to desired temperature).

Chili Cornbread Bake

Here's a great variation on the usual chili dish. It's great because it combines the chili and a delicious cornbread, all in one dish!

Chili
1 lb ground beef
1 cup onions, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning mix

Cornbread
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tbsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 (10 oz) can cream style corn
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. While oven is heating, brown ground beef, onion, green pepper and garlic over medium-high heat. Stir in the kidney beans, tomato sauce and taco seasoning mix. Reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, combine the creamed corn, milk and egg; beat well. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.

Grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Spoon 1/2 the cornbread mixture into the greased casserole; sprinkle with 1/2 the cheese. Spoon the chili mixture over the cheese; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Spoon the remaining cornbread mixture over the cheese and spread gently to cover.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.