Jicama and a Summer Salad Recipe

 

 

Jimaca (pronounced he-ka-ma) is a root vegetable found in the cuisines of Mexico to Asia.  It may be cooked, but is usually eaten raw. Jimaca has a firm, papery outside that is easily peeled off. The inside is white and firm.

 

 The taste is often describe as a cross between apples and green beans. It is crunchy, sweet, and starchy. Jicama is high in fiber and vitamins C, A and B, along with calcium and phosphorus. I found jimaca in the produce section of our local grocery store, next to the yams. It should NOT be refrigerated and will keep about a month.

 

 

I got this recipe from my daughter. It has become one of our summer favorites. The barbeque sauce adds a delicious zippiness, and we love the crunchy texture of the jicama.

BBQ Chicken Salad

 

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded fine
1/2 head romaine lettuce leaves, shredded fine
1 pound jicama, cut into thin strips
2 cups Monterey Jack (or any) cheese, shredded
1 cup black beans - rinsed and drained (canned works)
1 cup corn kernels
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (or fresh parsley, if you don't like cilantro)
2 pounds tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup green onions, thinly slice

1-2 pounds shredded chicken
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
Ranch dressing
wontons, cut into strips and salted, or baked or fried tortilla strips
lime (optional, to squeeze on top)
Combine all ingredients and serve

Take the time to cut your jicama into thin strips. When eaten this way, jicama adds much to the salad. Big chucks are not as tasty.

Greek Yogurt and a Recipe

Have you discovered Greek yogurt?Greek yogurt has become extremely popular in the last few years--for good reason! Compared to regular yogurt, Greek yogurt is creamier and tangier. Greek yogurt contains twice as much protein as regular yogurt, one third the amount of carbs, and half the sodium. But be warned: it also has less calcium and more fat (which you can avoid by buying low fat or no fat varieties). I still love my regular yogurt, and regular yogurt is a healthy food choice, but Greek yogurt is increasingly my go-to food as a sour cream and mayo substitute, a base for sauces, and as an ingredient in many dishes.

Recently my daughter shared this quick and easy recipe with me:

Shrimp Tacos

1 lb frozen shrimp, defrosted, peeled, and deveined

6 oz fat free Greek yogurt

1/4 cup chopped cilantro (substitute parsley if you don't like the taste of cilantro)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced-about 5 cups (I used bagged coleslaw for this)

8 corn tortillas

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Heat tortillas over medium heat in a dry skillet until warm and starting to form small brown spots.  Set aside on a plate. Mix yogurt, cayenne, lime juice, cilantro, and salt in a small bowl, set aside. Heat two teaspoons of olive oil in a medium non-stick skillet and add cabbage. Cook for about 4 minutes or until the cabbage is just barely wilted. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Cut shrimp into thirds, so you have little bite size pieces. Saute shrimp in two teaspoons of olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and a dash of cayenne pepper over medium heat just until done. They cook fast-be sure to watch them. Build your taco: place a scoop of cabbage on the warmed tortillas, top with shrimp and yogurt sauce----yum!

I made this a second time, using leftover fish sticks I had made for the grandkids. This time I made the sauce with no cayenne pepper and I used parsley in place of the cilantro. I just chopped up the fish sticks, warmed them, and added them to the taco like the shrimp. My grandkids liked the fish sticks better this way.

Slow Cooker Cranberry Roast

After the holidays, I'm always left with a can or two of cranberries. I can pretty much be sure I will not touch these cans until next Thanksgiving and Christmas.

My sister-in-law recommend a great recipe from allrecipes.com, and it uses just a few ingredients along with those leftover cranberries and a slow cooker. What could be better?

 Slow Cooker Cranberry Roast

 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 (3 lb) beef chuck roast (my sister-in-law used a pork roast instead, and I did too)
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour

 Put the dry soup mix in the bottom of your crock pot. Place the roast on top, and add the can of cranberry sauce. I sliced my cranberries up a bit so that I could get the lid on, but it melts as it cooks and you don't need to cut it up.

 

 Cover, cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.

Remove meat from crock pot and set aside.  Turn slow cooker to high and whisk in butter and flour until thickened. Serve sauce with roast.

This was so good--it has become an instant favorite at our house. It has a delicious tang to it, but you'd never guess the secret ingredient is cranberries!

Brining Turkey

I've heard a lot about brining turkeys and decided to try it this year. Brining makes poultry moister and more flavorful. It takes a little more time, but it's worth it. If you want to know why brining improves quality, read Here.

Although turkey is a little more expense this year, it's still an economical meat, and great for leftovers.

Start with a completely thawed turkey. If your turkey is frozen, you need to let it defrost in your fridge for 3-5 days, depending on the size of your turkey. Leave it in the original package to defrost. When your turkey is completely thawed, remove giblets.

Prepare your brine. I'm cooking a large (22 lb) turkey, so I needed a total of 2 gallons of brine. Brine is salt water, usually with some sweetener and some seasonings added.

The basic recipe is one gallon of water or broth (I used broth) and one cup of coarse or Kosher salt.  You can look up many good brining recipes online. A good brining recipe usually includes 1/2 to 1 cup of sugar and a few tablespoons of whole spices. Bring the water, salt, and sugar to boil in a large pot on the stove, then add whole spices as desired. I used 1 tablespoon whole allspice and 1 tablespoon whole black pepper. Boil for a minute or two, or until salt and sugar are completely dissolved.. Add one gallon of ice water with lots of ice to cool water.

The hardest part of brining is finding a container big enough to immerse a turkey in. I own a extra large stockpot, but you could also use a bucket or watertight cooler. It needs to be something that fits into your fridge. If the weather is right you could also use your back porch or garage. Just be sure to monitor the temperature carefully to avoid freezing or over-warming the brining turkey.  Your turkey needs to be completely immersed--you may need to weigh down the turkey to keep it under water.  Put the whole thing into your fridge for 8-10 hours.  

Do not leave your turkey in brine longer than 10 hours, as quality begins to decline after too long in brine water.

 After 8 to 10 hours, remove turkey from brine, rinse very well, and brush with canola oil or melted butter. Fill turkey cavity with diced onions, carrots, celery, spices, oranges, apples, or leave empty.

Cook on the bottom rack of your oven for time and temperature appropriate to turkey size. I cooked my 22 lb turkey for 3 1/2 hours at 325 as my turkey packaging suggested.  I like to cook with a foil tent for the first 2 hours, then remove the last hour or more to brown.

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Use a meat thermometer in the deepest part of the turkey to reach the perfect doneness--around 165 degrees.

The brined turkey was noticeably moister--a little more effort and a little more time was well worth the effort!

Acorn Squash Soup

This is the time of year to enjoy winter squashes.  This recipe calls for acorn squash, but any winter squash would work.  I got this recipe from my brother, and it's quick, easy, and delicious!

Acorn Squash Soup

3 cups mashed, cooked acorn squash (about one medium squash)

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 cup chopped celery

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1/4 teaspoon curry powder (or more if you like spicier soup)

dash cayenne pepper (or more)

2 cups chicken broth

12 oz fat-free half and half

4 oz cream cheese, softened

salt and pepper to taste

Cook and mash acorn squash. One method: microwave the full, uncut squash on high for 5 minutes. Cut in half, remove seeds and strings with large spoon. Place halves face down on plate, microwave 6-8 minutes more (or until you see it wilt). Let cool, scoop out squash. Mash to smooth consistency with a hand mixer. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, saute celery and onion in butter. Stir in bouillon, dill, curry, and cayenne pepper until blended. Gradually add broth, half and half, and softened cream cheese. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the squash, salt and pepper; heat through, stirring constantly.

In a blender, process soup in batches until smooth. Or use an immersion blender.  Pour into bowls and serve immediately, or return to pot to keep warm (stir frequently-it will bake onto the pot easily.).  Garnish each bowl with crumbled bacon--optional.





Recipes From the Relief Society Broadcast Dinner

Jeannie's Strawberry Cake

Cake:
Mix one package Pillsbury yellow cake mix according to package directions.  Bake using the guidelines for your pan size (Lasagna pan size is best, measuring 10-1/2 X 14-3/4 inches.

Cream Topping:
One pint whipping cream, very chilled
One 8 oz package cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
Just whip this all together and chill.  I promise, it will work!

Fruit Topping:
Mix one package Danish Dessert - strawberry flavored - according to directions on box for pudding.
Rinse, hull and slice 1 pint fresh strawberries.

Assembling it all:
Spread cream topping on cooled cake.  Arrange sliced strawberries over top of cream filling.  Carefully spoon, then spread cooled Danish Dessert over the top.  Chill until serving time.


Chicken Gravy

1 quart chicken broth (no salt added)
1/4 cup butter
5 Tblsp flour
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
4 oz cream cheese

Melt butter in large skillet over medium high heat.  Add flour, salt, garlic powder and thyme.  Whisk until flour is lightly browned.  Pour in the stock and whisk until thickened.  A general rule of thumb is that when the gravy comes to a boil it has thickened as much as it's going to.  Reduce heat to low.  Add the cream cheese and let it soften, still gently whisking the gravy.  When cream cheese is fully melted, whisk more vigorously to combine well.  Serve hot.


Sweet and Sour Sauce - mild

I used Emeril Lagasse's recipe for Sweet and Sour Sauce.  You can find the recipe here.  It's a little over halfway down the page.  The only modification is I left out the chili-garlic sauce so it would be mild.  If you like it hot, do add that.  :)


Thai Spicy Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 cup rice (or white) vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp chili-garlic sauce
1 Tbsp chopped garlic

Heat the vinegar and sugar in a saucepan on high heat for 3-4 minutes, until the sugar dissolves.  Add soy sauce and salt and stir.  Continue cooking at moderately high heat for 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens somewhat.  Remove from the heat*.  Add chili-garlic sauce and the garlic.  Stir to blend and let cool.  Serve.

*I actually cooked my sauce for a minute or two after I added the chili-garlic sauce and the garlic.  This tempered that hot, raw garlic taste a bit. 


Thai Peanut Sauce

5 oz roasted unsalted peanuts
4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
2 Tblsp red curry paste
2 Tblsp sugar
3 Tblsp lemon juice
3 tsp fish sauce

Blend or process the peanuts until they are fine meal.  Reserve.

Heat half the coconut milk in a saucepan at high heat and add the red curry paste.  Stir to dissolve and continue cooking at high heat for 10-12 minutes, until the oil from the coconut has risen to the surface.

Lower the heat to medium-high and add processed peanuts.  Stir and add the rest of the coconut milk.  Bring to bubbling boil.  Lower heat to medium and add sugar, lemon juice, and fish sauce.  Cook stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened somewhat and the oil has returned to the surface.

Take off the heat and let rest for a half hour.  Stir to blend oil that has risen to the surface.  It should be the consistency of thick cream.  If thicker than that, add a cuople of tablespoons of water or coconut milk and blend.

The sauce can be served lukewarm or reheated to piping hot.  Leftover sauce can be refrigerated (where it will solidify) and then reheated on a low heat, thinned down with some water or coconut milk.  It can also be frozen and reheated another day the same way.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

Have you ever run out of dishwasher detergent at a bad time?  Did you know that you can easily store all the ingredients you need to make more?  It's true!  I've been using homemade dishwasher degergent for a few weeks, and the only difference I see between the commercial detergent is that mine doesn't have those food eating enzymes so I have to rinse my dishes.  Big deal, right?  You probably rinse your dishes anyway. 

Ingredients

1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup citric acid*

Directions
Mix together and store in an air-tight container.  It may clump up due to the citric acid, but no worries!  Just scoop it out and use it anyway.

To Use
Use 1-2 tablespoons per load.

*Double the citric acid if you have really hard water (you'll notice a white film on your dishes if you need to do this).  You can find this in the canning section of your grocery store or hardware store.  You can substitute LemiShine or 10-15 packets of lemonade Koolaid (make sure it's regular and not presweetened).  DO use lemonade and not other flavors, as they will stain your dishes.

Interesting facts about the ingredients
Washing soda - also called soda ash and sodium carbonate.  You can find soda ash at swimming pool cleaning supply stores.  It is also used as a mordant in tie dye (the mordant is what sets the color in the fiber so it won't bleed out).  I found mine (washing soda) in the cleaning supplies section of a local hardware store.

Borax - also called sodium tetraborate.

Kosher salt - also called pickling salt. This is basically salt with no iodine. 

I find it interesting that three of the four ingredients here are sodium.  Anybody out there who studied chemistry and can tell me why?

Canning Chicken

Are you intimidated by pressure canning?  I know I am!  My little sister has recently been canning meat, though, and I'm starting to think maybe I can do it too.  One reason my sister likes to can meat is that they often have ice storms where she lives and they can be without power for a week or more at a time.  Canned meat won't go bad if your freezer defrosts!  Here's a link she posted to a YouTube video that makes it all look so easy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fINnsFJGyKU

My niece also recently posted a recipe on facebook that she uses to can pork.  She calls it Chili Verde.  She just opens a bottle and uses it as enchilada filling.  How cool is that?!?  Homemade taste, health benefits, and economy with store bought convenience! 

Chili Verde
3 lbs boneless pork – cubed
1 Tbsp oil
1 onion – chopped
6 cloves garlic –chopped
1 Tbsp fresh oregano
2 jalapeños – chopped
8 oz whole green chilies – chopped (I have used up to 4 whole chilies per batch)
3 c beef stock

Sautee onion, garlic, and jalapeños in the oil till onion melts. In a stock pot brown the pork with a splash of oil. Once it is browned on all sides add sautéed mixture. Add green chilies and beef stock. Bring to boil. Reduce to lowest setting and simmer, partially covered for 2 ½ hours. Add water if needed as it evaporates. Simmer till it reduces and pork easily breaks apart.

Process jars in small pints at 15 pounds of pressure for 1 hour and 15 min or 1 hour 30 min for quarts. When ready, open the jar and use as filling for tamales, enchiladas, tacos, salad, quesadillas or serve with beans and rice on the side. Amazing!

WHEN TO PRESSURE CAN
You should use a pressure canner whenever what you're preserving is low in acid.  Fruit and tomatoes are high in acid and so can be done in a water bath canner.  Always be sure to add all acid (lemon juice or vinegar) your recipe calls for.  You can do vegetables in a water bath canner if they are pickled. 

Things you can do in a pressuer canner:
Beans (legumes)
Meat
All vegetables

SAFETY FIRST!
You should take your pressure canner lid (they only need the lid) down to the County Extension Office once a year to have the pressure guage tested.  You can also pick up charts of processing times for your elevation.  They're phone number is 256-2828.

Here's a link to the chart on their website: (scroll down to pages 3 & 4 for processing times and elevation by county seat for Montana)

http://msuextension.org/publications/HomeHealthandFamily/MT200905HR.pdf

Here's a good one on canning meat, fish, and poultry:

http://msuextension.org/publications/HomeHealthandFamily/MT200903HR.pdf

Here's their page that has tons of useful home canning links:

http://www.msuextension.org/nutrition/Food%20Pres.html

Happy canning!!

Couscous

Couscous is a common ingredient in North African and Middle East cooking. It is made from semolina and is considered neither a pasta nor a grain. It has more riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, thiamine and pantothenic acid than pasta and more protein than rice.  Couscous available locally has been parboiled, meaning it has been steamed and dried, making cooking time for you at home very short. Couscous needs only 5 minutes to cook, making it perfect for a quick meal.  Couscous is good hot or cold, and can be substituted for quinoa, rice, or pasta in a variety of dishes.  It keeps well for at least a year in your pantry.

I tried couscous in this summer salad recipe:

 Chicken Quinoa (or Couscous) Salad

2 cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained (or couscous)
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken breast
1/2 cup diced yellow or red sweet peppers or bell peppers
1/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 avocado, diced
1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Transfer to a large bowl, stirring every 5 minutes to break up. Let cool for 15 minutes. Or use couscous, cooked according to package directions and cooled.
2. Place broccoli, chicken, peppers, and Parmesan cheese into a large bowl. Add quinoa and stir to combine.
3. To prepare dressing, place olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper into a medium bowl, whisking to combine. Pour over quinoa, stirring then gently stir in cubed avocado.
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes 8 servings

Summer Salads

Nothing says summer like salads. I recently found this recipe on http://www.ourbestbites.com.

Berry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 c. white wine vinegar
1/2 c. honey (or sugar)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tsp. kosher or other coarse salt
About 10 cracks of freshly ground black pepper
1 c. raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries
2/3 c. canola oil
1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

Combine the vinegar, honey, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and berries in the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth and then, with the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream.

 Turn off the blender and whisk in the poppy seeds. If possible, refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.  Store in fridge for up to a week.

This recipe made a little over 2 cups of dressing.

I made a "clean out the fridge" salad--leftover chicken, leftover spinach, mandarin oranges, coconut flakes, raspberries (I also used raspberries in my dressing), and pecans.

So good and so pretty!

Fourth of July Cupcakes

Do you need a quick and easy idea for your fourth of July celebration? This is a dessert that comes together in a flash.

Start with white cupcakes.

I like this recipe because it makes delicious cupcakes with flat tops.

Yield: 36 cupcakes

Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 18 min

1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix (Duncan Heins)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups water
2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of almond extract
1 cup sour cream
4 large egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended.

3. Use ice cream scoop to fill prepared cupcake tins- fill about 3/4 full. Bake about 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool completely, then cut in half with a sharp knife like this:

 Wash berries and drain well on paper towel. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries and strawberries or raspberries for a red, white, and blue theme.

Put a dollop of cool whip on your split cupcake and arrange berries on whip cream.

Put the two halves together, top with a dollop of cool whip and garnish with berries.

See? Quick, easy, and so good!

Mini Meat Loaves in Onion Gravy

I love to watch the cooking channel and I get inspired to "spin off" my own versions of their recipes, so I do not have to run to the store. I made these last week and it was a great meal.

                                          Mini Meat Loaves in Onion Gravy

Mix:
    #1 ground beef
      6 oz. sausage (I used Italian sausage)
Soak 2/3 cup oatmeal in 2/3 milk for 10 minutes
Mix oatmeal mixture into meat mixture and form into oval shapes like a mini meatloaf. I made mine about the size of a large hamburger patty. Cook these in a small amount of oil, making sure to get some good browned color on each side. ( I didn't use any other seasoning)

Gravy:
   Slice 2 onions rather thinly and saute in olive oil and a little butter on moderately low heat until  caramelized. Add salt and pepper as desired. Sprinkle with 2-3 Tb. flour, stirring it in.  Add 2 cups chicken or beef stock. Cook until it thickens, then add the mini meat loaves and simmer gently for just a few minutes.

This was such a great meal. The cook on the TV show was Rachel Ray and she said it tastes like you're having french onion soup with a fantastic meat loaf. It is easy to make and oh, so tasty!

The Misunderstood Aubergine

Eggplant is such a beautiful vegetable!  It's got that beautiful, glossy, royal purple color!  Too bad it's so bitter, right?  Wrong!  If prepared and cooked properly, eggplant is quite delicious.  First, wash and slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch discs.

Lay these out on your cutting board and sprinkle with salt on both sides.

Stack them in a colander to drain.  You can see the water beginning to be drawn out of them. 

After about 20 minutes, gently squeeze with your palms to remove excess liquid.  Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. 

Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350°.  You can keep the baked eggplant in the refrigerator for two weeks in a tightly sealed container.

The baked eggplant can be used in a stacked sandwich or you can make Ratatouille.  Little children might be tempted to eat their vegetables if they like the movie.  :)

Here's a stacked sandwich on whole wheat artisan bread.  Toast the bread and drizzle with olive oil.  Layer on baked eggplant, sliced tomatoes, fresh basil, and cheese.  (I used Gouda.)  Put under the broiler until cheese is melted.  Oh, my!  It was delicious!

 
Ratatouille Provencal
(Eggplant Casserole)
 
2-1/2 cups diced eggplant
1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 cups thinly sliced onions
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup pitted black olives (whole)
4 small julienned green peppers (2 large)
   seeds and membrane removed
3 cups zucchini in 1/2 inch slices
2 cups canned tomatoes (or fresh, peeled)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil OR oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
 
Garnish:  Cultured sour cream or freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
 
 
 

Heat a deep skillet and add olive oil and onions.  Saute until onions are golden.
 
 

Meanwhile, prepare the rest of your vegetables.  To easily peel garlic, place garlic on cutting board.

Place wide chef's type knife flat on garlic with sharp edge pointing away from you.

Whack the knife with the heal of your hand to crush the garlic.

 
This will "pop" the skin on the garlic and it can be easily removed. 
 
 

The garlic itself is still in pretty good shape, but ready for a rough chop for our Ratatouille!

Slice the green pepper and zucchini.

Stir it all into the pot with the sauteed onions. 

Roughly chop your roasted eggplant.

Chop your basil or oregano (I've tried this recipe with each and both are yummy.)  Dried oregano can be used if you don't have fresh, but basil just has to be fresh. 

Stir in the eggplant and herbs.  Add about a half teaspoon of salt (remember there was salt on the eggplant, so go easy) and some freshly ground black pepper.  Drizzle on a little more olive oil.  Bring to a simmer.

At this point your Ratatouille will smell awful.  I don't know how else to put it.  You will wonder why you thought it would be good. You will wonder if you've done something terribly wrong.  Your family may start surreptitiously looking for pizza coupons.  I can tell you from experience that you just have to trust centuries of French chefs.  This stuff will be transformed by the cooking process!  Simmer for 45 minutes with a lid on.  Remove the lid and simmer for an additional 15 minutes to reduce the liquid.  At this point you can taste for seasoning and add a little more salt if needed.

Just like magic, everything will have melded together into a pot of creamy, fabulous yumminess.  Now your Ratatouille smells like it should!  Serve with a dollop of sour cream, or with a generous grating of Parmesan cheese.  I like to have the leftovers piled on top of toasted bruschetta, with parmesan grated over it all.  :)