3 Quarters Today

My Life, my photography, my passions

kitchen

Homemade Sweet Pickles

by

Our cucumber crop tends to be pretty amazing and after I’ve had my fill of cucumber sandwiches I turn making homemade pickles.  For the first time I tried refrigerator pickles instead of canned. I’ve always avoided refrigerator pickles due to the lack of refrigerator space. But, we’re eating them so fast it doesn’t make a difference.

Homemade sweet pickles

Even my daughter who only likes dill pickles likes these. She said they are sweet, but different.

The recipe is very easy and fast.

Ball Pickle Crisp 5.5 oz. JarSpicely Organic Pickling Seasoning – CompactTwang Pickle Salt, 1.15-Ounce Shakers (Pack of 20)

Homemade Sweet Pickles

Ingredients

  • Sliced cucumbers (about 4 large)
  • Sliced sweet peppers
  • Sliced onion
  • 2 cups vinegar
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 TBSP salt
  • Ground Garlic and pepper seasoning. (to taste about 1 TBSP)

Directions

  1. Pack cucumbers, peppers and onions tightly  into jars. Mix all ingredients into saucepan and bring to a boil until sugar dissolves and liquid is clear (about 10 min)
  2. Pour into packed jars, seal and store in refrigerator.
  3. Let soak for 24 hours before eating to let the vinegar and flavors combine.
  4. Store up to three months (but they won’t last that long)

You can easily make hamburger relish by using a handy chopper and processing the finished pickles into cucumber relish for macaroni salad, burgers or hot dogs.

Canning Supplies

I have purchased my canning supplies a little bit over the years and love my canning funnel and lid magnet. Seriously, the right tools make the job faster and easier. My Mom made jelly, canned tomatoes, and put corn and strawberries in the freezer.

Ball Mason Jars Wide-Mouth Can or Freeze – 16 oz 12pkTattler Reusable Wide Mouth Canning Lids & Rubber Rings – 12/pkgOrchard Road Regular Mason Jar Canning Lids, Full Case! 360 Lids (30 dozen), (Lids Only; No Rings), BPA FREE!Norpro 605 Canning Lid RackJarden Home Brands Ball Secure Grip Hot Jar Handle (Discontinued by Manufacturer)Back to Basics 400A 7-Quart Aluminum Home Steam Canner

I guess I have continued the tradition and during the summer my big canning pots and supplies pretty much stay out on the cabinets all week for a quick batch of pickles, jelly, or jam.

 

More Homemade Pickle Recipes

It’s time to make the pickles … or jelly … or …

The enhanced flavor of potato salad, chicken or tuna salad sandwiches and other dishes from using homemade pickles and juice is undeniable. And, there’s nothing like opening a steaming hot biscuit and dousing it with a spoonful of fresh, preservative …

Pack pickled peppers and other fun foods for your picnic

The other thing, she noted, is fresh homemade pickles. “You get some fresh pickling cucumbers, throw them in a jar with water, salt, pickling spice, garlic and dill,” she said. “Give them at least three days in the refrigerator and they’re just fresh …

Easy Homemade Dill Pickles – Heavenly Homemakers

Filed Under: Canning and Preserving, Recipes, Side Dishes and Snacks Tagged With: canning, dill pickles, easy pickle recipe, homemade pickles, preserving. Hi! I’m Laura and it is so nice to have you here. Really. You have …

Ridiculously Easy Homemade Dill Pickles | Organic Health

This recipe only takes about fifteen minutes to complete and will leave you with the best homemade pickles in town. They also contain probiotics that help produce better digestion and strengthens our immune systems!

Homemade Pickles | A Fat Girl’s Food Guide to Eating in …

Until recently the joy of a good pickled cucumber eluded me. I just never quite understood their allure until I went to New York and had the cream of the crop pickle wise at the famed Katz Deli, and I’ve not looked back since.

Homemade Pickles – Instructables

This instructable will teach you how to make homemade pickles using cucumbers, mason jars, brine, and any extra flavorings. The whole process requires about 6 steps. 1. Purchasing Supplies. 2. Sterilizing Equipment. 3. Making the brine. 4.

 

Chinese Anyone?

by

Homemade Chinese Food
Chinese Anyone?

My version of  “Happy Family” Chinese at home. We were running short on rice I used spaghetti noodles for chow mein. Very easy recipe and fun at the same time. The chopsticks pictures are my favorite and it’s a requirement that I eat as much as I can with chopsticks before resorting to a fork.

I find eating with chopsticks people slow down, and I enjoy my food a whole lot more. besides, it’s fun!

Ingredients

  • Shrimp
  • Sliced chicken breast
  • Beef (or venison, I still had some from last winter)
  • Powdered Ginger
  • Garlic Powder
  • Cracked Peppercorns
  • Sea Salt
  • Sliced onion
  • Mushrooms
  • 2 TSP Sesame Oil (remember I don’t measure, I just add)
  • 2 TBSP Wok Oil
  • Sweet peppers (green, yellow and orange for color)
  • 2 TSP Soy Sauce
  • 1/4 Cup Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing (French dressing will work too)
  •  1 TBSP Cornstarch

Wow, I guess that’s a lot of ingredients. As far as vegetables you can use anything you have handy, broccoli, slivered carrots. REMEMBER: Measurements are not important, you add to your taste and desire.

Directions

  1. Season meats with spices and toss to coat
  2. Prepare rice ahead of time according to directions.
  3. Heat a combination of above oils in wok on high
  4. Add chopped or sliced onions and cook until clear
  5. Add chicken and beef (in my case venison)
  6. Cook and stir on high until cooked through
  7. Push ingredients to the side of the wok away from the center and direct heat
  8. Add vegetables and shrimp on top of the cooked meat on the side
  9. There should be some liquid in the bottom of the wok, add soy sauce and  salad dressing. Then add water  until total liquid amount is approximately 3/4 cup.
  10. Cover with lid and let liquid boil and steam cook the vegetables.
  11. Mix a tablespoon (or so) of cornstarch with 1/4 cup water until creamy
  12. When vegetables are tender pour cornstarch mixture into the liquid and stir. Liquid should thicken slightly.
  13. Quickly stir the liquid and all ingredients until coated in the sauce.

Eat and Enjoy!

Tis the Season, for Fried Zucchini

by

Soon your neighbors will be trying to pawn excess zucchini off on whomever will be gullible enough to say yes.  My husband loves fried zucchini and would eat it  every night. For me, I’m still learning to like it and wanting a few more ways to use this abundant vegetable that will stretch our food budget. It’s part of the squash family which I’m really trying to like.

This years first zucchini actually came from the produce stand in the parking lot at work.

Fried Zucchini Recipe

Fried Zucchini is simple to make, it’s stopping that is the hard part.

Ingredients:

  • Flour
  • Egg
  • Milk
  • Vegetable Oil (1/8-1/4 inch in frying pan)
  • Salt (I use ground sea salt)
  • Pepper (again freshly ground is best)
Directions:
  1. Slice into 1/8″ slices
  2. Mix cup of milk and one egg
  3. Soak slices in milk mixture for 30 minutes (flour sticks better)
  4. Dip slices in flour and coat well.
  5. Heat oil on medium high. Check temperature by sprinkling a “dusting” of flour in oil. If it sizzles oil is ready.
  6. Place coated flour pieces in oil and cook until underside is lightly brown.
  7. Season with salt and pepper before turning.
  8. Turn and brown.
  9. Drain in paper towels
  10. Eat and enjoy

I’m all about fast and easy so when I’m slicing a lot for the freezer I use a mandolin slicer for my veggies. Comes in handy for pickles, squash, and of course zucchini.

HomeNative® Adjustable Mandoline Slicer (Orange) – Comes with 4 Interchangeable Stainless Steel Blades – Vegetable Cutter, Peeler, Slicer, Grater and Julienne Slicer all in 1 – Plus 3 Bonus Gifts:

Last year I sliced and froze zucchini to put in soups which really added color and texture to my soups. I’ll probably try the old stand by, zucchini bread and muffins, but those get tiring after a while. I found the following zucchini recipes which sound very interesting and a little different. This may be a new segment, my zucchini adventure, so stay tuned for more recipes.

I do want to try and make zucchini spaghetti out of spirals, from what I’ve heard you just have to quickly dip the veggie noodles in boiling water, then top with pasta sauce.  A lot of people eat them raw, but first I need to get a spiral slicer.

Spiral Slicer Spiralizer Complete Bundle – Vegetable Cutter – Zucchini Pasta Noodle Spaghetti Maker

BTW, my husband said I he will be frying zucchini every night, so I WON’T have enough to pickle etc…soooo neighbors and friends bring me your large green veggies, and I’ll share my cooking experiments. Below are a few I’m going to try.

Pickled Zucchini-refrigerator variety
Bread and Butter Zucchini Pickles-cooked and canned
Breaded Zucchini Fries
Fried Zucchini Patties

Zucchini Recipe Books

The Last Zucchini Cookie: Customizable Zucchini Cookie Recipes andEverything Zucchini Recipes Cookbook: Zucchini Breads, Muffins, Main Dishes,Fast And Easy Zucchini RecipesZucchini – The Ultimate Recipe GuideSpiralizer Cookbook: Top 49 Veggie Friendly Spiralizer Recipes-From SweetZucchini Recipes: A Collection of Raw Food Recipes

More Healthy Zucchini Recipes

Top 5 Reasons to Eat a Plant-Based Diet

Eating more plants and less meat is becoming more popular than ever thanks to ex-presidents, celebrities, best-selling books, and movies such as Forks Over Knives. While vegetarian and vegan diets are defined by what they exclude, a plant-based diet is …

Zucchini Recipes – Healthy Recipes | HGTV Design …

Substitute your carbohydrates for something healthier and straight from the garden, like these guilt-free zucchini recipes.

25 Gluten & Sugar- Free Zucchini Recipes – Sugar-Free Mom

… {No Sugar Added} · Gluten Free Zucchini Fritters · « · ». Filed Under: gluten free, low carb, sides Tagged With: clean eating zucchini recipes, gluten free zucchini recipes, healthy zucchini recipes, sugar free zucchini recipes …

Quick Zucchini Recipes, Healthy Zucchini Cookie Bars

Zucchini: the bane and blessing of many a home gardener. They grow in such prolific quantities that it practically takes a village to consume all the bounty. Okay, perhaps that’s an exaggeration, but you get the idea.

Healthy recipes | Zucchini recipes healthy, Healthy recipes

Are Zucchini recipes healthy if I am a diabetic and eat chips alongside? Are Zucchini recipes healthy if I eat hidden calories as well?

Easy healthy zucchini recipes – Healthyappetizers

Tags: easy zucchini recipes, healthy recipes with zucchini, healthy zucchini recipes, stuffed zucchini recipes zucchini, zucchini bread recipe courtesy, zucchini bread recipes fried. By nguyenquangbach|Website|Other Articles …

 

#6/62: Venison Stew Recipe

by

My husband was a very successful deer hunter this past fall/winter and as a result we have venison in the freezer. I’ve never cooked venison before and was a little hesitant. Always heard venison tastes “gamey”. So I started off with venison stew, figured all the flavors and vegetables would cover any gamey taste. To my surprise it taste identical to beef stew!

Venison Stew recipe
Venison Stew

We are a big fan of  jerky and the dehydrator has been going pretty much non-stop. ( I love deer jerky, but that’s another post) With so much meat, and beef prices going through the roof, I thought venison would be better used to stretch our meat budget.

I’m pretty confident with soup and stews, so it was a natural transition. Was it a success? Would I be posting it here if it wasn’t? My daughter loved it so much she would eat two bowls at each sitting. Needless to say there was no left overs. Venison stew really tastes like beef stew.

Venison Stew recipe
Venison Stew recipe

The following recipe is a guideline. I’m a dash of this and a dash of that type of cook. Pour some of this in, a little of this, a little more, and…that looks good. So use your own judgement, get creative and feel free to substitute.

Venison Stew Recipe

  • 3-4 lbs venison (cubed into 1/2-1″ pieces)
  • 32 oz beef stock (homemade from shank leg bones)
  • 16 oz potato stock (water left over from boiling potatoes)
  • 20 oz can tomato sauce
  • Olive oil for browning
  • 1 large onion
  • 3 stalks celery
  • 1 frozen bag mixed soup vegetables
  • 3 potatoes peeled and cubed
  • 1 cup corn
  • 1 cup sliced carrots
  • 5 bay leaves
  • 3 TBSP dried parsley
  • 1 tsp seasoning salt
  • 1 TBSP black pepper

Directions

1. Cube the venison, season well with seasoning salt and pepper

2. Pour 2 TBSP olive oil in skillet, sear & brown venison, do not cook all the way through.

3. Place browned venison in large stock pot

4. Alternate placing venison, vegetables, and seasonings in stock pot.

5. Add liquids and stir thoroughly

6. Heat to boiling

7. Set to LOW and simmer for 3-4 hours and stir occasionally.

8. The venison stew can be cooked, or left on low for many more hours as the flavors continue to blend. In only improves with time.

In the past few years I have learned to love the taste of deer meat. In Eastern Nebraska corn fed whitetail tastes just like Angus beef. Western Nebraska mule deer fed on sage need a little different seasonings and preparation. So my mother-in-law bought me a wild game cookbook.

If you don’t have home grown venison harvested by your favorite hunter with a rifle, muzzle loader, or bow then you can order venison or other wild game online.

The Sporting Chef’s Better Venison CookbookReal Meat Venison Jerky Dog Treats (12 oz)Buffalo Bills 10oz 100% Farm Raised 7Gourmet Game Steaks – Avg 2 LB Case (all sizes are approximate)Venison Medallions – 3 pieces, 4 oz eaVenison Ground Meat – 1 lb

More Soup and Stew Recipes

Day 206/365: Garlic and Parsley New Potatoes

by

Garlic New Potatoes
Garlic New Potatoes

Produce Stand Recipe #1 (Nelson Produce Stand, Omaha NE)

I love new potatoes, they are so much more tender and fresh than those Russets that sit in burlap bags and plastic sacks in the store. The skin on new potatoes are clean, tender, and delicious.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Red new potatoes
  • 1- 2 cloves fresh garlic
  • 4 TBSP Butter
  • 1 TBSP dried parsley
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Cut potatoes into 2-4 pieces depending on size
  2. Cover with water in a small sauce pan
  3. Crush 1-2 cloves of garlic into water
  4. Boil until tender. Drain (can save potato water for soup stock)
  5. Add butter to taste, I like butter so I used a lot. Sprinkle with parsley.
  6. Cover and let flavors meld together