Giftable Granola
December 20, 2012
Granola is a hot item in our house these days. Though its name may be the butt of jokes in some circles, granola deserves credit for being not only full of healthy whole foods, but also incredibly tasty. Perhaps if Santa had to choose, granola might end up on the nice AND the naughty list.
Giftable Granola is my favorite granola recipe. It is sweet with a touch of salt and packs an endearing crunch. It tempts as a mid-day snack and turns a bowl of fruit and yogurt into a great morning. The recipe is incredibly flexible, so feel free to add your own favorite nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. The granola keeps for weeks in a sealed container, but not at our house. This batch is mostly being bagged up and given to friends, an antidote to the ever-present indulgence that is December. Make a batch of this now for gifts, or save the recipe as a kick-off to your New Year’s resolution. I think you will love it.
Habañero Pepper Jelly
October 27, 2012
The rains came this week and called the official end to summer. The cool weather came a bit late if you ask me, our sweaters and socks, not to mention our umbrellas, were looking mighty lonely. We picked our last lug of peppers just in time, hauling in a respectable bounty before the soaking. Our pepper plants have nearly given us more peppers than we know what to do with, or than we would know if we were not busy making all sorts of yummy pepper dishes every few days. There was no question of how to prepare this last harvest of peppers. For the last year there has been a habañero pepper-sized hole on my pantry shelf (and in my heart- sigh). Before you jump to judgement and label me as a dramatic preserved foodaphile, let me explain. I started making a version of this jelly years ago. In the early days of our relationship, my husband and I would make whole meals out of Swedish crisp bread topped with cream cheese and pepper jelly. It was so good, we dubbed it “THE snack”. It became a staple in our pantry and our diet. For some reason, I never got around to making it last summer, so there was sweet relief in filling the pantry void with this jeweled treat.
Sweet, tart, and spicy, Habañero Pepper Jelly is nearly irresistible. Habañero peppers have a robust flavor that infuses the jelly, but they are very spicy. For this batch, I used a combination of semi-hot Hungarian wax peppers and a handful of habañeros. There is a serious kick. More often I pair the spicy habañeros with sweet bell peppers. Of course, you can add whichever kinds of peppers you wish. Not a fan of the heat? It is fine to use only sweet peppers. The only guideline is to try to use peppers that are in the same color range. I once tried to use green, yellow, and red peppers and the result was a murky brown jelly. Serve this jelly with a cheese course (great with goat cheese, brie, or cream cheese- a sharp cheddar is good too). The jelly adds a serious kick to a simple grilled cheese or spread it on a turkey sandwich. Come to think of it, this would be a wonderful hostess gift for Thanksgiving. This recipe is all the reason you need to run out to the Farmers’ Market today to snatch up the last of the fall peppers. You will not be disappointed.
Char-Roasted Pickled Peppers
August 12, 2012
I am back. This last month I took an unexpected, but much needed break from many of the details of my life, including keeping My Pantry Shelf full of new pictures and recipes. After many anxious months, I finally had my chance at desperately needed back surgery. The weeks that followed proved that I am not very good at resting (big surprise). Luckily my incredibly generous and talented friends stepped in to make sure that my family and I were eating in style. They dropped off pot pies and meatloafs, quiches and casseroles, salads and a notable tub of pad thai from my friend at Make Room. It felt so indulgent to lie around while others fed me, but I could not be more grateful for the support. The flip side of course was that I was hardly cooking at all and certainly nothing “blog-worthy”. Then we took off for a couple of weeks of true rejuvenation in the best place on earth (no- not Disneyland, how could that be rejuvenating?). Now I am back. Back to my energetic, pain-free, and most importantly happy self. It is good to be me…again. Read the rest of this entry »
Cherry Rhubarb Jam (Low-Sugar)
June 13, 2012
School has been out for two weeks now, the sun is blazing, and the canning pot has reasserted its dominance on my stove top. Hello summer! Canning is usually a solitary sport for me, squeezed in the early hours of the morning or late at night when the kids have finally succumbed to sleep. While the bubbling caldron of jam is still a bit much for my youngsters, they are quite capable of helping me to process the fruit. My son found the cherry pitter to be quite a lot of fun and was thrilled when I handed him the knife to cut the cherries. Who needs summer camp when you can enlist your kids in practical life skills at home? (Of course, give me a few weeks and I may be screaming for them to go to any sort of camp that will take them!)
Cherry Rhubarb Jam is a delightful balance of sweet and tart with a rich background note of vanilla. The color is absolutely divine. This is my second attempt at this type of jam and it is an absolute hit. There is a relatively small amount of sugar added. Cherries are so naturally sweet that it is very easy to over-sweeten them. The fruit macerates for an extended time before cooking. This reduces the overall cooking time, since the fruit has already given up its juice. Shorter cooking times mean fresher tasting jam and more vibrant colors. This jam is sure to a new June tradition in our house. Absolutely delicious!
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Cranberry Cashew Granola Bars
December 1, 2011
The holidays are upon us. Anticipating a busy couple of weeks, we have transformed our home into a full-fledged Christmas scene. The tree is up, Santa Lucia is perched on the buffet, and the winter mugs in the morning coffee rotation. While trying to convince the over-eager children that it is too early to start hanging ornaments on the advent calendar (whose idea was it anyway to decorate for Christmas in November?), we have been brainstorming ideas for edible holiday gifts.
I love making edible gifts for just about any occasion. Cooking for others is a way to treat those we appreciate with a delicious treat and share a bit of ourselves in the process. It is best to plan ahead and start cooking early so that the making and giving does not become a stressful burden. Riding the food hangover following Thanksgiving, our first foodie gift to make was Cranberry Cashew Granola Bars.
These granola bars are just sweet enough to count as a treat, but full of wholesome ingredients so they are also right at home in your little one’s school lunch bag. The bars hold together pretty well, better than other granola bars I have tried. Any crumbly bits taste tremendous sprinkled atop yogurt and fruit for breakfast. Feel free to change up the types of nuts and dried fruit, just be sure to use equal quantities. If you are using roasted nuts or toasted wheat germ, do not toast them again in the oven, instead add those items to the bowl with the cranberries.
My Pantry Shelf 