Hot And Spicy In The Kitchen: Making Horseradish

At the farmer’s market this morning, I bought a large root of horseradish. Actually, I only bought half of the piece, because it didn’t smell that spicy, and I was worried it would be too mild. Isn’t it lovely?

Making ground horseradish is pretty important for our winter’s diet. The spicy oomph that it brings to the heavier dishes, can’t be beat. Even the kids like it mixed with mashed potatoes or to make a spicy dip for fries. For our family, having 4 jars of this condiment is a must have.

The strange thing about horseradish, is that it loses its flavor when cooked, so I can’t seal the jars. Although they are not sealed, it stays fresh and delicious just sitting in the back of my fridge.

To make horseradish yourself, find a fat root of it at the market:

 

 

After washing (it can be pretty dirty), peel the skin and ends.

Chunk it up and place into a food processor, with a pinch of salt and 1/8 cup of white vinegar.

Blend until smooth.

 

WARNING: After blending, keep your face away from the top as you open it. The fumes are very strong. Then, place in your canning jar with a lid and band. Place in fridge to store.

 

For more info on horseradish,

Horseradish also makes a fantastic flu tonic

A post I did for EarthEats.org

 

 

Late Summer Rhubarb Crisp

If you shop with a tight budget, and only go once or twice a month to the store, there are inevitably going to be times when the larder is becoming bare and still it isn’t Grocery Day. With experience, these times become a day or two at most, but it is always nice to have someone up the proverbial apron sleeve, to make a meal feel special, without a lot of extras that you may be out of.

Tonight, I made rhubarb crisp for just that reason. It was served with homemade whipped cream, and was a big hit all around. There are fancier versions (like the photo of Raspberry Rhubarb Crisp above, by Vegan Feast Catering)  But I am a huge fan of the Dump and Pray Philosophy. I know how it is supposed to look in the pan, and sprinkle or add, until I get there. Fortunately for this blog post, I measured just for you. Here is my recipe:

Simple Rhubarb Crisp

4-6 cups chopped rhubarb-measured loosely, it doesn’t matter as long as your baking pan is 1 inch full of pieces.

1 box red jello -raspberry, strawberry, it doesn’t matter

1 stick butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 cup whole oats

cinnamon/nutmeg if desired

 

In a baking pan (I use 9X 13 inch cake pan) add the rhubarb. I like to do this with frozen rhubarb, partially thawed. The rhubarb will be juicy as it thaws. Break it up, so it evenly covers the pan.

Sprinkle sugars/jello powder/flour/oats over all.

Sprinkle with cinn/nutmeg

Place pats of butter evenly over the entire pan.

Bake 375 for 30-45 minutes, or until hot in the center and topping is slightly browned and bubbling on the edges.

Serve over ice cream or with whipped cream. Delish!!

 

Crockpot Summer Supper

Today’s crockpot summer supper, is a recipe that came about in a convoluted fashion, as so many scratch recipes do.
My garlic cloves were overpowering the rest of the fridge contents, and it is so hot, that heating the oven just seemed wrong.
I came up with this recipe originally as a way to eat wild game that was too gamey on its own. It is a wonderful base for beef as well, and tonight’s dinner proves it.
Quick and easy, place your ingredients in the crockpot and walk away. No miss, no fuss.
Crockpot Beef
1 frozen beef roast 3-4 lbs
1 pkg onion soup mix or your favorite seasoning
1 can tomato paste
Garlic cloves (use plenty, they sweeten as they cook)

I start with a frozen roast and cook it all day on high. If hubs is late, I turn it off and keep it covered.

Serve with greens from the garden and a crusty bread. Leftovers are even better!

Warm Pasta Salad With Mushrooms and Sausage

When all else fails, make pasta! I often cook a meal, knowing there will be leftovers. Pasta salad is a great recipe to make a nice dinner and at least one lunch for everyone, and I can put all the vegetables into it that I have on hand.
This salad was served warm, and included:

• 2lbs pasta
• 5 links Italian sausage, frozen and sliced thinly
• 1 bunch green onions(I used walking onions from the garden)
• 1/2 red onion, chopped fine
• 8 ounce pkg sliced mushrooms
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1Tbsp olive oil, to sauté veg
• 2 (or more) Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• chopped basil, other herbs as desired
• salt/pepper (the sausage is salty, so use caution)

In a cast iron pan, sauté onion, garlic and any other vegetables until almost cooked through.
Meanwhile boil pasta in salted water, until al dente.
Combine pasta, meat and veg, additional olive oil and vinegar.
Taste and adjust salt/ pepper.
Serve with a garden salad and bread.

Leftovers of this salad, are delicious when server cold. Enjoy!

Dusting Off The Blog To Talk Crepes

Rebekah’s First Christmas

So sorry! December gets away from me every year. . I admit that the holidays get me really stressed out. It all starts with making lists of things to make, then I have to make them. With all the kids on the list, it becomes more work and less fun as the days pass by.

Now that the new year is here, I will be able to focus more on sharing my kitchen and finding more frugal bloggers to read. I have been up to a lot of fun stuff in the kitchen lately!

First off, I jumped back into the Weight Watcher band wagon. I was on it before and liked it, but as you know, I don’t believe in that sugar substitute and fat free garbage. The old diet was just not sustainable for my lifestyle.

Now, WW has introduced a new Points Plus system and it rocks! I can, once again eat all my fruits and veggies and other normal foods. I am not affiliated with WW other than a true fan. There ya go.

So, how did everyone’s thrifty gift-giving work out this year? Mine was a hit, and they are still using the things they were given, two weeks later. That might be because I put them up in the closet after each use. Mean mommy..

So, what’s for dinner? We have been enjoying crepes. They are surprisingly easy to make. All these years I felt that it was some sort of tricky food, better left for the expert chef, than for a farm wife to tackle. Not so!! Crepes are nothing more than a paper thin, egg based pancake. The crepes cook lightning fast, so I get to sit and eat with the family at the same time. Pancake night can be a little like I am a short order cook.

Here is the recipe I have been using:

I feed 7 with enough left for breakfast using

2 cups flour
4 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar(can omit if desired)
Butter for the pan

• Blend the flour/milk/salt and sugar until smooth and thin. 
• Coat a small skillet with butter and heat on medium high
• Place about 2 Tablespoons of batter(I use my gravy ladle) in the pan, while tilting the pan as you pour, to create a thin layer on the bottom as you go. The crepe will almost cook as soon as it touches the pan. 
• When the crepe firms up on the bottom(mere seconds), carefully use a thin spatula to start the edge peeling. You can flip the whole thing with a spatula, but I have much better luck pinching the lifted edge and flipping it. Just practice until you do what works best for you. 
• I rest each crepe on a platter as I go, no layering or doing anything fancy, but I don’t stack them evenly on top of one another. You need to be able to peel off each crepe by the edge in order to keep them from ripping. 
• A serving is 2 for the kids and 3 for my husband, that is filled with anything you desire. It is fun to load the table with jams and jellies, applesauce and rhubarb sauce, sour cream and sugars..Let everyone choose their own toppings. Here is what we have been using:

• Strawberries, cooked and  mashed with a dollop of Greek style yogurt on top
• Bananas cooked in brown sugar and butter, dust the filled crepe with powdered sugar
• Plain rolled crepe, dipped in warm syrup – this is great for the littlest kids

No matter how you serve them, crepes are fancy but simple and everyone loves them.