I hate waste and relish creativity.These are some little condiments I’ve made with some leftovers, or produce that needed to be used immediately.By making these I’ve preserved some great flavors.
I bought a beautiful pineapple last week that has been sitting on my kitchen counter waiting for me. I didn’t feel I’d get around to it and the word chutney came to mind. Chutneys are great strong flavored relishes that can used as condiment with all sorts of meats and fishes. I chopped up the pineapple, some ginger,large bulbed green onion, red onion,curry,rice vinegar, red chili flakes, cayenne pepper, garlic, and raw sugar. I cooked it down until the liquid turned syrupy. The end result is a fantastic , if not really spicy condiment that I will pair with salmon, chicken, or just plain meatballs. That’s the beautiful thing about Chutneys, just throwing things together.
I had purchased some Meyer Lemons for a another recipe I had made. They are quite costly and I didn’t want to waste a drop. I peeled the zest and followed this recipe.I cant stop nibbling on these. In this bleak Chicago winter they are a burst of sunshine!
I felt it was shame to waste that nice sugar syrup that had been infused with the Meyer Lemon peels. I had some SENCE rose nectar in the fridge that I added it to, boiled it down more and Voila!I can imagine adding this to a Champagne cocktail, soaking a pound cake, and incorporating it any other dessert.The possibilities are endless. Rose and lemon are major components to Middle Eastern food.
So for not a lot of money, I have three great condiments to add to my pantry.
Category: Fruit
German Retro Cusine…Toast Hawaii
My Certain Someone introduced me to this retro dish back in Essen this past summer.I immediately thought “that’s so 50’s”. Its a favorite of his because its easy to cook/assemble and tastes pretty good. I even had it here as a appetizer at Chicago Brauhaus . It lives on, and on…Toast Hawaii is a typical open faced sandwich one finds in Germany( great on the carb cutting) and has a fascinating creator and history.So if you have some ham lying around , put it on some toast, add a pineapple ring or two, some Gouda, and melt away.
Aloha kãkou und Auf Wiedersehen!
Apple Fritters
I have few days off to do absolutely nothing with Certain Someone home. Today in our shopping we bought a ham among other things. With ham I thought of apples. I love my fruits and veggies , unlike my big baby. With it being cold and homey, a craving entered my head. Apple fritters. These are really easy to make , simple, satisfying, and fattening. I couldn’t stop at one. Even Certain Someone came up to kitchen counter to have one after I offered some to my neighbor. He said they taste like apple pancakes, and they do. You can dice the apples or batter up apple rings. The choice is yours. Here’s the recipe I used.
Spoonful Of Christmas Event/ Coco’s Brew
There are so many blogging events out there that I really want to participate in. But time and money are always a question. There has been a project I’ve been toying with in my mind that fit in perfectly with this Event . Fruit Brandies. Zlamuska created this event to get us thinking about our holiday giving.Now’s the time to start the prepping and planning. My project takes 3 months and I should have started it earlier. However it would be a great gift in a decorative bottle or even in the ‘moonshine’ containers like a Mason Jar. Certain Someones mother makes great brandy concoction out of berries and other fruits from her garden. She told me its very simple and just takes vodka, fruit sugar,and a jar.Oh, and time! My intention was to do a apricot brandy, but I couldn’t find any. So I settled one a plum brandy, and another interesting fruit I came across called Cactus Pear. Imagine tropical a Cactus pear martini in the dead cold Chicago winter! And the inside color is gorgeous. A bright fuchsia. I used this link from Canadian Crafter as a guide. She emphasises any fruit would do. The comments have great tips on filtering the brew with a Brita filter when done. Also , the vodka doesn’t have to be the best. I used the cheaper Smirnoff rather than a Belvedere, Kettle One , or Grey Goose. They were some really cheap ones , but I was afraid to go there!
So essentially Its just covering your washed fruit ( no peeling or pitting necessary)with sugar. The recipe I referred to said 3 cups sugar for a one Gallon jar. I just winged it to saturate the fruit and probably used about 1 1/2 cups of sugar for the half gallon Mason Jars I used. I made one entirely plum( about 8 plums fit in). The other was the Cactus Pear( this one I cut the ends off to release the color ). The fruit didn’t reach the top so I added 2 more plums for contrast in flavors.Then I covered with vodka and shook it up to dissolve the sugar. Your supposed to turn it over each day for the next three months. Plums are so appropriate for Christmas. I cant wait to make my summer fruit concoctions. I can even see toying with pepper/ vodka infusions. The choice is yours. Imagine your holiday party serving cocktails made from own brew.
*I will follow up around Christmas on the Brews progress.