Cooking with Chef Jo: Mandarin Butter Toffee Candy

 It's been quite warm here for a couple weeks, and then a cold snap hit us again. While I'm working in the garden, I like to have a sweet to suck on. It keeps me hydrated so I don't have to stop so often and get a drink. This cooler weather was the perfect opportunity to make one of my favorite hard candies, Mandarin Butter Toffees. I reduce the sugar so they are tart to promote your own saliva glands to kick in but not overly sour. They are rich and creamy. The tangerine extract and dehydrate zest of all those Mandarin oranges I put up in January will work nicely in this recipe too. Tangerine extract settles you to focus internally and encourages mental alertness by way of the offactory nerves.

Mandarin Butter Toffees

Makes 2 1/2 pounds. How many candies depends on how big you cut them.

What you'll need

1 TBS plus 1 cup butter, divided

1 1/2 cups sugar or sugar substitute equivalent

1 cup light corn syrup

1- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp Mandarin orange extract

2 TBS Mandarin zest

1 tsp vanilla extract

Putting it together

• Line an 9x11 pan with buttered parchment or waxed paper. Make sure you have a 3"-4" paper edge to lift the candy from the pan.
• In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, add sugar, zest, butter, and corn syrup.
• Stirring constantly over medium heat bring mixture to a boil.
• Continue cooking without stirring for 4 minutes.
• Remove from heat and gradually pour in milk. The mixture will foam up drastically.
• Once all the milk is added and the foam dies down, return pot to the stove over medium heat.
• Cook and stir until candy thermometer reads 244℉ hard ball stage.
• Add extracts and stir well.
• Pour candy into prepared pan.
• Let set until cooled.
• Lift candy from the pan and cut with a uttered knife into 2"x 1" rectangles. You may roll the edges slightly.
• 
  Wrap each piece in 1 1/2"x 3" cut waxed paper rectangles. Store in cool, air tight container. 

I ended up with about 75 pieces of wrapped candy. Of course, we had to do quality control checks while wrapping the pieces.😁 For a variation of this, you can melt 6oz of chocolate chips in the microwave and spread it on top of the flattened candy. Everything is better with chocolate. Am I right, or I am right. Try different flavored citrus extracts and zests.  By  the way, they are only about 60 calories a piece. You'll burn that off in no time. Less with sugar free ingredients. Bring on the gardening. I'm prepared!

Y'all have a blessed day!

Chef Jo

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Cooking with Chef Jo: When is Cooking NOT Cooking?

You might be wondering why I haven't posted a recipe for y'all in a couple of weeks. Well, it's like this. I ain't been cooking much. Sure I'm cooking each night, sort of, but not really cooking anything exciting to talk about. So when is cooking Not cooking? when you are opening up jars of leftovers and reheating them.  And, that's all I've done for the past couple weeks.

I've been so busy tweaking the cookbook, doing crafty stuff to replenish inventory, and just trying to figure out my next move that 5 PM sneaks up on me most nights. So, it's open a jar of soup/stews/chili from the pantry and make some cheese toast to go with it. I did make some tuna salad to use up a half dozen eggs last week. On the few warmer nights, we enjoyed it for dinner with some homemade, air fried tortilla crisps and salsa. But that's just cutting up some hard boiled eggs, some onions and celery, and some seasonings. Not much special about that. Even the bread was store bought. 😮

It's even going to be worse next week with garden planting starting. We finally have a few days in a row with no rain. There just are not enough hours in the day to do it all. The Velcro strap, one of three broke,

so I'm sitting more now too until I can get in to the orthotics' place to get it fixed next week. I kind of have-to-have that brace to stand and walk. We brought in the wheelchair from the barn only to find the rats had chewed and dry rot had taken care of the wheels. GRRR! The new pair of tires were $42 through Amazon.  We finally got all the house and food stores building to have them take up residence in the barn. We need a barn cat to adopt us.

The nighttime lows are still in the forties and there us a definite chill in the air after sun down so for now my pantry/food stores works. It's a good thing too. Soon the fresh greens will be big enough to cut for fresh salads again. I can't hardly wait. I'm so tired of store bought salad mixes. Of course, recently I've been boosting them up with fresh micro greens. Oh to have the high tunnel greenhouse Mel talked about building for year around growing, but that's still in the to-do folder. .

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo

 

Cooking with Chef Jo: Cooking While Recovering

 I recently got some bad news or maybe good news depending on how you look at it. My right carotid artery was clogged so it had to have the similar procedure on my right paralyze/spastic side as I did with my left last year. I thought I was done with this but I'm not. It means cutting my throat cut again. If it's not one thing, it's another.

Canned soup and sandwiches will only get you so far. But rolling out doughs will be a no-no with surgery. What does rolling out doughs (think breads, pastries, dumplings, noodles, pizza crusts, cookies... to name a few) have to do with neck surgeries? Well, you lean forward and stretch with you shoulders that in turns pulls your neck muscles. The same thing goes for a lot of movements you do while cooking. I'll have a weight lifting restriction of ten pounds for the first two weeks, and then twenty for the next six weeks. Anything that involve bending forward and backwards, shaking seasoning on meats or in a bag (anything that jars the neck and may put tension on the internal stitches) is prohibited. I must admit it was harder to do when my left carotid was done. I mean, I wouldn't want to bust a major artery open in my neck or leg and bleed to death in minutes. I don't push these doctor's orders.

So what's on the menu when you take canned beef stew, canned chili, and soups off the menu for easy to fix dinners? That usually makes up about half of our wintertime cuisine. I could throw lightly seasoned meat into the air fryer instead of man handling the cast iron skillets. The skillets hang behind the stove (stretching-not allowed) lifting the weight of the skillet (5-7 lbs) above my head (weight lifting and stretching- not allowed). But, I've got four pans of lasagna in the freezer from batch cooking it. The same goes for spaghetti, and a few other dishes I make in bulk, but that will only carry me so far before my palate fatigue sets in. I decided on a simple meat and two vegetables for dinners. It suits Mel just fine because that's how she always used to eat. But the chef in me wants to do better than that, but in a pinch it will nourish the body without any fuss. 

It's not forever, I keep telling myself. It's only until I heal. The idea of buying bread and all the rest just rubs me raw. Once a scratch cook, always a scratch cook. Nothing else satisfies you or as good as you can make it. I do know going back into commercially prepared products will make my allergies worse again. Sigh! But at least the quail and vegies are mine, and most of the meats are farm raised.

One dish comes to mind,.. Shepherd's Pie.  Of course mine is not the Shepherd's pie you usually get. I don't use wine, I use dark Guiness and I don't top mine with white mashed potato either, I use sweet potato for a nutritional punch. These ain't yo' momma's mashed sweet potatoes neither. I'll make these up in 3x5 foil tins (2 servings) and put them in the freezer as well. Don't y'all love cooking once and eating many times. Did you know shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb or mutton? When it's made with ground beef it's called "Cottage Pie."

Jo's Shepherd Pie

Serves 4

What you'll need

1 lb ground lamb or mutton

2 medium carrots, scrubbed and diced small

1 small onion, diced small

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 ribs of celery, diced small

1 lb mushrooms, chopped crimini or portabellas work best

1/2 cup peas

1/4 tsp cayenne powder, more to taste

1 tsp fresh rosemary, if using dried decrease amount to 1/2 tsp

1 tsp fresh thyme, if using dried decrease amount to 1/2 tsp

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

                                                  1 bay leaf

                                                  3 oz tomato paste

                                                  1 TBS Worcestershire sauce                                                                                                                  12 oz bottle of Guiness Draught

                                                 3 TBS flour or corn starch

                                                2 large sweet potatoes

                                                1 TBS butter

                                                1/4 tsp cayenne powder

                                                1/4 tsp salt

                                                1 TBS heavy cream

Putting it all together

• Bake sweet potatoes in 350℉ oven until until soft and fork tender. 
• In a skillet, add meat, onion, celery, carrots, rosemary, cayenne, thyme, bay leaf and garlic, and cook over medium heat.
• When onions are translucent and the meat is no longer pink, add tomato paste, salt and pepper, and flour/corn starch. Stir well to coat everything.
• Add Guiness. Stir well and reduce heat to low. Stir occasionally.
• It will thicken into a thick gravy and coat the lamb/mutton.
• Making the topping- the sweet potatoes should be cool enough to touch. Peel them and chop them up in a bowl.
• Add butter, cream and salt.
• Mash sweet potatoes until smooth.
• Spread the meat mixture evenly into a buttered casserole dish, soufflé cups or ramekins for serving size you desire.* 
• Top with dollops of mashed sweet potato.
• Spread sweet potato mash so the meat mixture is covered.
• Sprinkle cayenne pepper and sea salt on top of the mash.*
• Bake 375℉ for 10 minutes.

*For just us, I divide it in half at this point.

* For the pan going to the freezer, I'll cover it and mark what it is, and baking instructions before I put this into the freezer.

Now, when I make this I'll double the recipe so I end up with three meals going into the freezer and have one for dinner. It's a yummy break from the ordinary. Next time I want this dish, it's just a thaw and bake meal ready super quick. Enjoy!

Y'all have a blessed day!

Chef Jo 

Canning with Chef Jo: Does Canning Season Ever Stop? Nope!

 It's January! Canning season on our homestead slows but never stops entirely. This week, I've canned dry beans and beef stew. It's an ongoing process to fill and refill my larder. In the winter, fruits like citrus goes on sale. This month, I'm focusing my canning on these fruits. My pantry was lacking orange marmalade, citrus salad (navel & blood oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit combo), and I also can fruits singly like mandarin or clementine, lemons and limes, oranges, etc. I usually do this in November, but I was still finding last year's harvest in the grocery stores so I delayed purchasing those citrus fruits until now. I can them in 5 lb batches. I can my citrus salad without grapefruit and add it separately. It interferes with my blood thinners, although I do love grapefruit too.

So I thought I'd share how I can these fruits with you.

Canning Citrus Salad

Makes 12+ pint jars

 

What you'll need

5 lb bag of pink and/or white grapefruit

5 lb bag navel oranges

2 lb bag blood oranges

5 lb bag mandarins/ tangerines/clementines

3 lb bag limes

3 lb bag lemons

4 Pomegranates, seeded (if desired)

1 TBS honey

Boiling water

Putting it all together

• Zest all fruits. Combine all zests in a bowl and set aside. This is easier to do if the fruit is at room temperature.
• Peel the fruits. Mandarin/tangerines/clementine are the easiest just destring and pull off any pith left after peeling them as much as possible.
• Slice the fruits 1/2" thick as shown in the picture. For large slices you may half or quarter each slice as necessary to fit in the jars. Remove seeds as you find them.
• Place fruit into sterilized  jars with equal portions of each fruit.
• Add honey.
• Pour boiling water to 1/2" head space.
• Wipe rims, lid, and ring jars.
• Water bath can for 15 minutes.

To prepare Citrus Salad

Dressing

What you'll need

2TBS orange juice

1 TBS lemon juice

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp honey

2 TBS canning liquid

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c extra virgin olive oil 

Putting it all together

• In a small bowl, whisk juices, mustard, honey, canning liquid, salt, and pepper together until thickened and combined.
• Drizzle in olive oil slowly while whisking.
• Continue whisking until olive and juices are emulsified.
• Pour over salad.

Building the Salad

• Thinly slice a red onion and separate into ringlets. Slice a cucumber if desired.
• Arrange fruit and onion ringlets on a platter.
• Pour dressing on top and let stand up to 30 minutes before serving.

This dish goes well with any meat, but especially well as a side for roast pork. Or, add canned chick peas for a light refreshing lunch. It's yummy in all seasons. And now by canning it in the winter while the fruits are in season and cheaper, you can enjoy it year around. Enjoy!

Y'all have a blessed day! 

Chef Jo

Cooking with Chef Jo: Thanksgiving Dinner Revisited

 We enjoy turkey many times during the year (on average of once a month). It's not just at Thanksgiving. But I do make my cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving and can it for the rest of the year. With just the two of us, there was no need for a whole turkey. Besides, we like the dark meat so the hugest portion of meat is the white meat breast. It's far easier to buy legs and thighs for us. We also don't have months of leftovers to go through. Once a year, I'll take all the leg and thigh bones and make several pints of broth with it.

Now this year, having no propane for our oven, posed a problem. I couldn't roast my bird, or could I? There was a plan brewing in my head. 

I have a Coleman oven in my collection of gadgets I brought with me. This thing was old. It was bought in the 1960s, but still works as advertised.  You can't say that about many products you buy today. Now the 1 lb propane cylinder wouldn't roast the legs and thighs by itself, but it would put a nice color on the meat. The fact that it was chilly outside, we had our wood stove cranked up to a roaring blaze. Why couldn't I put the portable oven on it to heat up and roast the meat? I actually got the internal temperature of the oven up to 300 degrees! But it would be hard to maintain that heat over the two hours for the meat to cook through so I'd just brown the pieces in the oven on the wood stove. I could also use the oven for dinner rolls later. 

I made a key lime pie for dessert. Untraditional, but I had the limes and they had to be used. I also made some cheesecake for later in the week. I baked off the shortbread and the lard pie crusts in the oven on Wednesday so I could fill them and let them cool. Did I tell you that I bake my pies in muffin tins? They are perfect single serving size.

I decided to make most of Thanksgiving dinner a hands off affair. Instead of breaking out my slow cooker, I'd use a modernized hay box to finish the cooking for me. You don't know what a hay box cooker is? Let me explain the concept to you. You have a box stuffed with hay or other materials that insulates and retains the heat to continue the cooking process. It was our pioneer forefather's version of an electric slow cooker. Neat, huh?

Now my modernized version of a hay box (my foremothers used wooden boxes or hay bales) uses an old Coleman, metal ice chest. It has rusted out in spots and the liner is cracked in various spots so it can no longer be used as an ice chest. This was another item bought in the 60s, and still useful today. Remember, we recycle and repurpose everything on this homestead. It ain't discarded unless we can't use it anymore. Think very tiny bits and pieces.

Now, normally when I use the hay box, I'll use my cast iron Dutch oven, but this time I was using my Crockpot insert. Both materials are conducive holding heat for a long time. But I was concerned whether my oyster cornbread dressing would take on a metallic taste so I opted for the insert. I put the insert on top of the oven to heat while I browned off the turkey pieces.

I crumbled the dried cornbread and whole wheat bread (fresh made a few days earlier), spices, herbs, and sautéed in butter vegetables, in the bottom leaving one side clear for green beans. I poured enough broth to moisten the dressing knowing the turkey juices would add their own moist yumminess as it cooked. I put the turkey pieces on top of the dressing, added the green beans in their spot. Lastly, I poured a cup of my homemade cream of mushroom soup over the green beans. I snuggled two small, foil wrapped sweet potatoes around the edges. Finally, the lid went on and it was placed in the hole dug out in the center of the hay. More hay was added on top. It had 3"-6" of hay all around the liner. The lid was closed and latched. We left it alone to do it's thing for four hours.

As tempting as it was to peek, I didn't. Opening the hay box to peek would have meant a loss of heat. A big no-no with this type of cooking. Our foremothers carried these boxes of food to barn raisings and get togethers. They were ideal for traveling and cooking at the same time. It could take hours until it was meal time and hot foods were served hot or at least very warm.

So when it comes to cooking things without propane or electricity, I return to my grandma's journals for stories from her mother's time. I remember being a pre-teen listening to the old stories around a quilt frame. That's what the wives would do while the men folk built a barn. The younger women and older girls usually took care of the children playing games with them in the fields. But me, I knew my way around a quilt frame from a very young age so I was tolerated to either quilt along with them, or be allowed to sit nearby embroidering sheets and pillow cases. I kept in mind that children should be seen and not heard, so I quietly listened soaking in all the stories of how things used to be.

I continue keeping the old ways still alive. I taught my children and grandchildren in turn so that the knowledge wouldn't be lost. Of course, I'll use modern conveniences and gadgets when I can, but it's nice also practicing doing without. Not that I believe it will happen in what's left of my lifetime, but just in case it does, I'm prepared. Knowledge is never lost if you take the time to listen.

It's Wednesday, I'll bet you are wondering where your recipe is, aren't you? I've talked about tons of food and how I cooked it this year. Or, I'll betcha thought I forgot. I didn't. I made it in half pint jars this year. It's just enough for one meal for two. Here it is.

Chef Jo's Cranberry Sauce Jelly/Jam

It's pulpy like a jam, but it sets like jelly. It is also a no pectin set.

8 half pint jars plus 1 cup for instant service

What you'll need

24 oz fresh cranberries, whole washed

1 1/2 cups orange juice, freshly squeezed

1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 TBS lemon zest, finely grated

3 cups sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground

1/8 tsp nutmeg, ground

1/8 tsp cloves, ground

Putting it all together

• Place juices and zest in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan.
• Add sugar and spices.
• Stir over medium heat until sugar is melted. Do not scorch the sugar.
• Add cranberries and continue to stir.
• The cranberries will pop releasing their juices.
• Bring mixture to a boil.
• Reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
• Pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve crushing pulp through it but catching most of the seeds and skin of the cranberries. do not be concerned if most of the spices are caught by the sieve. They've done their job.
• Pour strained liquid into hot, sterilized jars leaving 1/4" headspace, wipe, lid, and ring them. 
• Water bath for 10 minutes.

Think three cups of sugar is too much? You can reduce it to 1 cup and have a 

reduce yield. It will still set. I haven't tried this recipe with a sugar substitute, nor no sugar although I've read it can be done. The combination of lemon juice and cranberries is just too tart for me. You are welcome to try it if you like. Enjoy!

Y'all have a blessed day!

Chef Jo

Christmas Goodies Tasting and Making Shortbread Cookies

 Since I had to mail my fruitcake to my family this year, I checked on their basting progress. Usually I don't do this until two weeks before Christmas... not the week of Thanksgiving. The question in my mind was did it have enough baste/soaking time to be my fruitcake. I was pleasantly surprised that the nonalcoholic version was just as moist and tasty without the additional final baste and soak time. Now whether or not the alcoholic version fared as well...I dunno. I'll have to make some phone calls this week and find out. 

No, I don't randomly send out or take my fruitcakes to everyone. These are friends and family who request them--all eleven of the families. The same went for my grandmother's oatmeal raisin, molasses, gingersnap, and peppernut cookies, and my mother's sharp cheddar cheese cookies. They are a dyed in the wool requests because they are too labor, cost, and ingredient intensive to mass produce for anyone who won't eat and enjoy them. Each box that went out was personalized to that person's/family's likes and dislikes so nobody got anything they didn't want.

For decades, I've done this for my huge family of 4 generations and have 7 siblings instead of buying them commercial gifts. For brothers, sisters, and my children, and grands there would be special handmade Christmas ornaments and a little something extra...also handmade. Being the oldest of them all and having five children, I set the example. It made Christmas more enjoyable and financially easier on everyone. 

This year I made shortbread and butter cookies for everyone. This included my neighbors and friends here next week.  I personally love both cookies. They are relatively low in sugar but huge in taste. A shortbread crust bases all my cheesecakes, not the cream cheese and whipped cream version, but the real cheese cheese cakes made with ricotta cheese. It's the way I learned to make cheesecakes decades ago. 

I always have ricotta cheese around from making mozzarella or hard cheeses during the year. I never let a good whey go down the drain, and it freezes wonderfully. I extract every gram of protein out of it now that I don't have medium to large livestock that enjoy it. I do save the whey for baking and give to the chickens during the winter months. The chickens thoroughly enjoy the warm whey in the winter. The extra protein in the absence of bugs is good for them.  With all this chatter about cheesecake it almost sounds as if I'd follow up with my baked cheesecake recipe if you didn't read the title of this post, doesn't it? But it's all about my husband's great grandma's shortbread cookies. I used to listen to stories about her at family get togethers. If I remember the stories correctly, she was still living when my beloved was born. So to me, this was one of those stories recanted in a time when I was alive which makes it part of living history for me. She died in 1963 at age 105 years young and my husband was 15 so he had lots of memories of her.

According to the family, she had an German embossed rolling pin that she used just for these cookies at Christmas similar to the one pictured left. I don't have one of those so I substituted my own version pictured below. Where she got the recipe from I don't know. But, it became part of my dearly departed husband's memories and family legacy. No one other than I successfully replicated the taste of her cookies according to the family. I guess it was the honor, respect, and the love that I put into making her recipe. The pictured version is my decorating this 4 ingredient cookie, but I made it five for added flavor. Grinning

Great Grandmother Havers' Shortbread Cookies

Makes 8 dozen

What you'll need

3 cups unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted twice*

4 1/2 cups twice ground all purpose flour, sifted*

1 1/2 cups corn starch, sifted *

1 tsp vanilla (not in original recipe)

Note- * General instruction for all sifted ingredients- measure after sifting. If you do not, there will be too much of the ingredient in the recipe.

* Firmly pack flour into measuring cup. Add it to a blender and pulse it until ground again. Sift contents of the blender onto parchment paper. I believe this is now called pastry flour. Spoon into measuring cup and measure out 4 1/2 cups for this recipe. My husband's great grandmother used a hand powered flour mill to grind the flour again.

Putting it all together

• Sift flour and corn starch together.
• Place sugar and butter in a mixing bowl.
• Beat on high until the mixture is fluffy and light (of course, Great Grandmother did this by hand)
• Add the flour mixture in 1/2 cup increments beating well between additions. Continue until the all the flour mixture is fully incorporated.
• (Great Grandmother's instructions) Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness using the imprint rolling pin on the last roll to get the impression to cut the cookie. Cut cookies apart.
• (My version) Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a round ball. Flatten it to form 1/4" thick circle. Or, press in center like the mini Hershey Kiss and strawberry jam variations above, and then, flatten slightly. Like thumb print cookies.
• Fill the thumb print cookies with strawberry jam, lemon curd, chocolate, or fig preserves as I did.
• Place cookies on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake 300 degrees for 20 minutes.
• Let cool on the pan before removing.
• Decorate as desired.

Warning-It's very important not to remove the cookies from the pan before it's cooled or it will crumble in hundreds of pieces if you do.

You must work quickly when rolling out the balls. The heat of your hands will melt then butter too quickly. You need the butter to be in the semi solid state to have the fine crumble that is classic to shortbread. You may put the dough in the refrigerator and bring it out to room temperature(between 60-72 degrees) before rolling the balls if it gets too warm. This is why I never make her shortbread in the summer time in Georgia. I'll make the bases of cheesecakes in the winter or springtime and freeze them until I need them.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Chef Jo

Cooking with Chef Jo: Seasoned, Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

My goodness it's September already! I'm on the lookout for little pie pumpkins. Mine didn't grow well. Tis the season and all that. The days are cooler with all the rain we've had, but the highs are still in the 80s. So my sweet potatoes still have a chance.

I don't about you, but I'd rather eat sweet potato pie than pumpkin. In fact, if it not for family, Mel, or the dogs, I would not grow nor put up pumpkin at all. But I do like roasted pumpkin seeds to munch on. There never seems to be enough seeds to last a year. Even when I used to get those huge Jack-o-lantern pumpkins (at least 2) when my children were little. Of course, they loved pumpkin seeds too.

I'll take around half of the seeds and roast them plain and I'll coat the remainder in assorted flavors like ranch, Italian, seasoned salt, and taco seasoning mixes. Don't worry. I'll include the dry mix recipes here too as an added bonus. Of course, you could always buy the commercial mixes in those little packets, and spend an arm and a leg for them. But, this is homestead cooking from scratch version so you can make it up into larger batches to have it on hand for other recipes and dressings. You can use them on any nut or seeds you want. I'll keep the seed count low by using only 2 cups of seeds. You can double, triple, or how ever many times the recipe for the seeds. Store seeds in an air tight container in a cool, dark place. It should keep all winter long.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
2 cups of seeds

What you'll need
2 cups pumpkin seeds
3TBS butter, melted
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce



Putting it all together

• Wash the seeds well removing all traces of pulp.
• Pat dry.
• In a bag mix melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, and salt.
• Add the seeds and toss until well coated.
• Spread seeds on a foil lined baking sheet.
• Bake 250 degrees for 45 minutes stirring the seeds occasionally.
• Increase temperature to 350 degrees and bake until dry and golden (about 7-10 minutes).
• Salt again, if desired. 
• Let cool. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

The seasonings are added when the seeds are removed from the oven. Place 1/8-1/4 cup of seasoning mix in paper bag, add the seeds, and shake to coat. Spread seeds back on baking sheet and allow to cool.

Dry Ranch Seasoning Mix
4 1/2 cups

What you'll need
1 cup dried parsley, crushed
3/4 cup dried garlic salt*
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup onion salt*
1/2 cup dried onion flakes, crushed
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup garlic powder
1 TBS dried thyme
1 TBS dried oregano
1TBS dried basil
2 TBS black pepper
3 TBS dill weed
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk powder

*Note-To make your own garlic or onion salt, blend 3 TBS salt and 1 TBS garlic or onion powder. Mix well. Store in air tight container

Putting it all together

• Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
• Pour into the blender or coffee mill. Pulse until mixture is a coarse powder.
• Store in and air tight container.
• For salad dressing-Add 2 TBS of mix to 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup milk or water. Refrigerate 4 hours prior to serving.

Taco Seasoning Mix
Makes 1/2 cup

What you'll need

1/2 TBS chili powder
1 1/2 TBS cumin
1 TBS paprika
4 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper*
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed fine

* Note-Add more or less cayenne pepper to adjust the heat. At 1/2 tsp to heat is a mild medium to Mel's taste buds...a slight tingling to the back of the throat.

Putting it all together

• Mix all ingredients.
• Store in air tight container.
• For taco sauce- Add 3 TBS mix to 1TBS tomato paste and 1/2 cup of water

Italian Seasoning
Makes 1/2 cup

What you'll need

2 TBS dried parsley
2 TBS  garlic salt
2 TBS onion powder
2 TBS sugar
4 TBS dried oregano, crushed fine
2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed fine
                                                            2 tsp dried basil, crushed fine
                                                            1/2 tsp celery salt
                                                            1 TBS salt
                                                            1 tsp dried bell pepper, minced
                                                            1/8 tsp dry mustard powder
Putting it all together

• Mix all ingredients.
• Store in air tight container.
• For salad dressing- Add 3 TBS mix to 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 4 TBS water, and 1/2 cup oil of your choosing. I use olive oil. Shake hard until the salt is dissolved. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Shake well before serving.
• For a yummy alternative-Add 2 TBS of Parmesan cheese to the spice blend before shaking the pumpkin seeds.

Seasoned Salt
Choose your favorite seasoned salt or use mine.

There you have it. Pumpkin seeds and 4 variations. I hope you enjoy them over the winter months.

You might be wondering what I'll do with the plain salted pumpkin seeds. Well I'll chop them u for an added crunch to the tops of breads and muffins, and toss them into salads to name a few. Or, whenever I feel my body needs the extra boost of protein, iron, magnesium, copper, zinc, fiber, or an immuno-booster.

Y'all have a blessed day!

                                                               Chef Jo                                                     

Cooking with Chef Jo: Christmas Goodies #1

The Christmas Parties!!!

Yes, it's that time of year again. Many will be going to parties and get-togethers, and will have to take food along with you. It's this time of year most diabetics hate because of all those sweet temptations available to them. So my Christmas goodies are sweet and/or savory selections keeping them in mind. Until 2012, I was an insulin dependent diabetic too and I haven't forgotten. My youngest daughter being a pastry chef hasn't forgotten either. She goes out of her way to make healthy goodies too.

Yes, some of my recipes will be death by sugar sweet, but I'll include some alternatives that are lower on the glycemic index, and healthy to boot. Ugh! Who wants to think healthy at holidays! It's the time to overindulge in everything, right? Uh, no, not when we're talking about dying. I'm talking about really dying from what you eat as in 6' underground. I've spent decades altering recipes to take everyone's health issues into consideration. Bad hearts, high blood pressures, gall bladder issues, kidney disease, strokes, cancer, diabetes, and about every medical problem you can name runs in my kin. But with a gene pool of 652 folks, it was bound to happen, right? I'd rather keep them around to live, laugh, and enjoy their company for as long as possible. Honestly only about 75 heads will attend the Christmas festivities at my father's and sister's.

But let's get started. For the next couple of weeks, I'll post a decadent sweet and a savory alternative recipe for each week so you'll get a twofer. You've already gotten two sweets under your belt with my fruitcake and my SF/GF/NF Mexican Wedding cookies recipes. So this week I'll add three more to your repertoire collection of my recipes.

Snacking Platter

Everyone knows how to put together a vegetable platter, right? Just add  add some uncured turkey pepperoni, some whole wheat crackers or use my GF flour to make your own crackers (my recipe to follow), some low fat cheese chunks and my dipping sauce (recipe to follow) to complete the platter. Notice I said low-fat cheese. The nonfat cheeses tastes yucky!

I'll include a best use date for optimum yumminess so you can make it ahead of time and know how long it keeps for. Everyone is so busy this time of year, so getting a jump start is helpful.

GF Crackers
Approx 48 crackers

What you'll need

2 egg, beaten
2 cups my GF flour, sifted
1/2 cup roasted & unsalted sunflower seeds, ground to coarse meal like corn meal
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon ground rosemary powder
1/8 tsp ground sage or rubbed sage 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 black pepper
1 tablespoon my bagel seasoning 

Recipe for my yummy sprinkles-

1 TBS  of each dehydrated peppers-red and green for Christmas (blended coarse), dehydrated onions (blended coarse), garlic granules, coarse sea salt, coarse black pepper, white and black toasted sesame seeds, flax seeds, toasted nori/seaweed (blended coarse), dry grated Parmesan cheese, and poppy seeds. Mix well and store in air tight container. You'll only need 1 TBS for this recipe. Can be used in salad dressing, topping for breads, rolls, or bagels, or in any recipe for an extra punch of flavor. In the refrigerator, it can be stored for a month! But on the shelf, I wouldn't push it more than two weeks.

Putting it together

•  For the dry ingredients- In a large bowl whisk the GF flour, ground sunflower seeds, rosemary, sage, salt, pepper together.
• For the wet ingredients- add the olive oil to a small bowl with the eggs, mix well and add that to the dry ingredients. Mix well until the dough comes together, this will take a few minutes.
• Add a few drops of oil to your hands and spread the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a large rectangle. Sprinkle the seasoning mix on top and continue to roll out the dough. The thinner the better to about 1/8" or 1/16".
•  Use a pizza cutter or a knife to cut the dough into 2x2 inch cracker shapes. Carefully dock the top of the cracker with a fork.
• Move squares to a sheet pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until the crackers are slightly golden, making sure not to burn them.
•  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes and enjoy! Store at room temperature in an air tight container for up to 5 days.

Savory Heart Smart Ranch Horseradish Dipping Sauce
About 1 1/2 cups

What you'll need

1/2 to 3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk, depending how thick you want your sauce to be*
1/4 cup Duke's Mayonnaise
1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese, blended smooth
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp prepared horseradish
Juice of 1/2 a large lemon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 TBS fresh dill, minced or 1 tsp dried
                                                             1TBS fresh parsley, minced or 1 tsp dried
                                                             1 TBS fresh chives, minced or 1 tsp dried
                                                             1 TBS fresh dill weed or 1 tsp dried
                                                             1/4 tsp garlic granules
                                                             1/4 tsp onion granules


*Notes- Start with the lowest amount of buttermilk. Let rest in the refrigerator to let rhe flavors blend. Of the dipping sauce is too thick, add more buttermilk in 1 TBS increments until the finished dipping sauce is the way you like it. It should coat the vegetables or cracker and not scooped onto them.  It can be stored covered in your refrigerator for a week. Stir it well before pouring it into your dip bowl.


Now for the sweet recipe. It's fitting that the sweet comes last, isn't it? Unless you are like my father in law who always ate dessert first so he'd have room for it. I really miss that old coot. On platters, nothing should be sized more than a bite or two. So I shrank my tiramisu recipe down to that. Although I wasn't the first one to do it and won't be the last. This sweet is labor and time intensive, but well worth it.

Tiramisu Bites

Circa 1980

with semi diabetic alternatives

Servings 36 

 

What you'll need

12 lady fingers cut into thirds

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules

1 1/2 teaspoons amaretto, divided into 1 tsp and 1/2 tsp
1 container (8 oz )mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar(1/4 cup Splenda & 1 tsp cornstarch blended until fine) 

3/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 oz semisweet baking chocolate, shaved or grated

1-2 bags Dark chocolate Candy Melts, melt one bag at a time as needed

Putting it all together

• Heat chocolate candy melts according to the instruction.
• Lightly spray each mini muffin compartment with vegetable oil spray.
• Brush the candy melts to each mini muffin compartment about 1/8" to 1/4" thick around the bottoms and sides. Put in the refrigerator to chill. While combining the rest of the tiramisu.
• In small bowl, mix water, coffee granules and 1/2 teaspoon of the amaretto. Dip each lady finger into the coffee-amaretto mixture.  Set on a plate to until all liquid is absorbed (about 10 minutes).
• Loosen each chocolate cup. If they break, respray after removing broken cup, remold a new one and return to refrigerator for 10 minutes. You want pretty bites.
• Place each dipped lady finger into a muffin compartment gently pressing down lightly. The lady finger should fill about half the tin.
• In medium bowl, beat cheese, powdered sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon amaretto with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. 
• In another medium bowl, beat whipping cream on high speed until soft peaks form. 
• Fold cheese mixture into whipped cream. 
• Spoon or pipe (with a #18 star tip) a rounded tablespoon whipped cream mixture into each cup, covering each lady finger.  
• Grate semisweet chocolate over each cup. 
• Place cups into a covered container.
• Refrigerate at least 4 hours to blend flavors. Overnight is better
• Store covered in refrigerator for up to two days

(Pictured) I decorated these with mini swirled chocolate straws, but you don't have to get that fancy with them. I

found them in a specialty catalog only available to restaurant purchasers. I also used a round tip #2A to fill them, but to me the star tip makes for a prettier presentation. I've made them both ways.

So now you have three more recipes to wow your guests with during this holiday season. It's still 14 days until the big day and a lot of partying preps to do. So stay tuned for next Wednesday's party recipe selection. Need a hint? It involves a little bird we'll be raising on our homestead next year. You ponder on that. Aren't I wicked? Wearing my best wicked evil grin. The Grinch has nothing on me.

 

Y'all have a blessed day!

Chef Jo

Cooking with Chef Jo: YouTube- Canning Desserts

You should know by now that YouTube is one of my favorite hangouts online. Under the recommended section I ran across canning cakes and quick breads for long term storage. Now there's only two of us on this homestead. So the idea of making something with a large amount of portions means cooking once and eating many times. So the idea of cooking or baking once and preserving the rest for a later date is an attractive proposition. But, to can quick breads and desserts never occurred to me before.

I watched several videos and all but two used little Jiffy or prepackaged mixes, not cooking from scratch like I do. These two content provider were who I focused on. I mean anybody can go out and buy Jiffy or packaged mixes, right? What I wanted to do was take my own banana, zucchini, blueberry, etc bread dough and can it. Cake recipes like carrot, angel food, and chocolate that would ordinarily feed 8-16 portions pared down to one or two servings. With just two here eating it, normal sized portioned desserts and breads goes stale or moldy before we can finish it, and that's just wasteful. Just something sweet for a couple of mouthfuls is enough for us. Any more than that is a huge temptation for me to overeat. I do it for meals like spaghetti, chili, meatloaf, etc. Why not desserts too?

Now, I have various options of wide mouth jars to pick from since I canned so little this year. To keep it simple, I chose 1/2 pint jars. It's just enough for 1 large serving or two small servings. I tried  my Quadruple Chocolate Cake and cream cheese raspberry swirled brownies because almost everyone can use some chocolate in their lives, right? Why do normal stuff when you're a chef who likes to play with her food (like me)?

I mixed up my quadruple chocolate cake recipe. Now, normally my recipe would make 4- 8" layers of cake so I cut the recipe into quarters. After all, I was just trying it out to see how it turned out and stored. If we liked it, I could always make more. This is one of my most expensive cake recipes, but ooh so rich and chocolaty! It's so-o-o good, it'll make you wanna slap yo mama. I can say this now because my mama isn't on this Earth anymore. Otherwise, I'd be picking myself up from the far wall if I ever tried.

Jo's Quadruple Chocolate Cake
Makes 6-7 1/2 pint jars

Just because it's tiny doesn't mean it can't be  pretty

What you'll need
1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/3 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder, spooned and leveled
1/8 cup Hershey's mini chocolate chips, semi-sweet
1/2- 3.5 oz  Ghiradelli Twilight Delight Intense Dark Chocolate, grated 
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp espresso powder
                                                                                   3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
                                                                                   1 large egg
                                                                                   1/4 cup buttermilk
                                                                                   1/2 vanilla bean (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
                                                                                   1/3 cup hot boiling water
                                                                                   2 TBS sour cream 

Putting it all together

• Sterilized your jars. Wash your lids and rings.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. 
• Grease inside of the jars with butter and dust with some extra cocoa powder.
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder together in a large bowl. Stir in chocolate chips and grated chocolate bar into the flour mixture. Set aside. 
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or you can use a whisk) mix the oil, eggs, and vanilla together on medium-high speed until combined. 
• Mix the buttermilk and sour cream, and mix until combined.
• Add the buttermilk mixture to the wet mixture and mix until combined.
• Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, add the hot water/coffee, and whisk or beat on low speed until the batter is completely combined. 
• Batter is will be lumpy because of the grated chocolate and chocolate chips.
• Fill each jar halfway.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
• Turn your oven off and leave the door open.
• Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• As you immediately remove your jars, one at a time, from the oven wipe/clean each rim with a paper towel dipped the 1/2 vinegar and water solution. If the cake has risen above the rim of the jar trim the cake down with a knife a little ways below the rim of the jar before you clean the rim.
• Place the lid and ring tightly on each jar. The jars will be very hot so protect your hands.
• Remove the cakes from the oven and set on several layers of toweling to protect your jars and surface. 
• Allow to cool completely and check your seals.
• Place sealed jars in your pantry after labeling.

For serve- You don't have to do the elaborate decorations with tempered chocolate and whipped cream like I did. I'm showing off and showing the possibilities. Simply frost with your best cream cheese chocolate frosting or favorite frosting. With the effort and ingredients you've put into making this cake, please don't ruin it with those tubs of frostings from the grocery store.

To serve just slice the cake down the middle. It's too rich, moist, and calorie potent to eat as a single serving, but if you really wanted to you could. 😲 This recipe is sure to satisfy the robust chocolate craving and with one small piece. I have to say, for the first timer the results were fabulous. Enjoy!

Y'all have a blessed day!

Cockeyed Jo

Cooking with Chef Jo: Making My Fruitcakes

For decades now, I always do my baking of my fruitcakes on Halloween. It takes a month and a half months worth of basting and turning weekly to have it come out moist and tasty. I use two separate basting liquids. One is alcohol free and the other is for those who enjoy the alcoholic kick. My next older sister and I are former alcoholics so we refrain. So three of these cakes get the simple syrup cakes. Notice the difference in the count? We also have a friend who receives a cake who refrains from alcohol.

Jo's Fruitcake
9 1-lb loaves or 18 mini loaf pans (I do a combination of pans)

Slice of finished fruitcake

What you'll need
1 cup dehydrated grapes, or golden raisins, chopped

1-1/2 cups shortening

2-1/4 cups sugar

8 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

                                                             1 teaspoon salt

                                                             1/2 teaspoon baking soda

                                                             1/2 cup milk, soured with 1 tsp lemon juice

                                                             2-1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

                                                             1/3 cups diced dehydrated pineapple 

                                                             1/3 cup chopped maraschino cherries

                                                             1/3 cup chopped dehydrated peaches

                                                             1/3 cup chopped dehydrated figs

Simple Sugar Syrup

2 cup of water

1 cup sugar

Alcoholic Sugar Syrup

1 cup water

1/2 cup good rum like Jameson's or Bacardi

1 cup sugar

Putting it all together

• Place raisins and dehydrated fruit besides the cherries in a large bowl; cover with boiling water, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain well reserving the liquid, and set aside.
• In another large bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
• Mix  in 1/2 a cup of cooled reserved liquid from the fruit and soured milk together.
• Beat in vanilla. 
• Combine the flour, cream of tartar, salt and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. 
• Dust rehydrated fruits and nuts with flour.
• Fold fruit and nuts into the batter until well incorporated. 
• Spoon into nine greased 5-3/4x3x2-in. loaf pans. Bake at 300° for large loaf pans65-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
• While the cakes cool, prepare the syrups.

                     The simple sugar syrup-

                     Place sugar and water into saucepan, and stir over medium heat until all sugar
                     is dissolved. Set aside.

                    For the alcohol sugar syrup-

                    Place water and sugar into a saucepan, and stir over medium heat until all
                   sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the rum. Set aside.

•  When the cakes have cooled enough the remove them from the pans, brush all sides heavily with either syrup. 
• When completely cooled, wrap each one in several layers of cheesecloth. 
• Brush the cheesecloths with remainder of the syrup. They will be sopping wet.
• Wrap each loaf in aluminum foil and place the loaves in the refrigerator. Make a note as to which has which syrup. I use my vegetable bins.

Do this weekly for the next five weeks- remove the aluminum foil, brush cheesecloth heavily with the syrups, rewrap them in foil, and place back in the refrigerator.

When gifting this fruitcake find an appropriate lined tin or box, remove the foil and cheesecloth, and gift away. When using it for your own entertaining, slice it, and serve on a festive platter. Enjoy!

Y'all have a blessed day!
Cockeyed Jo