Apple Pie Jam

 There’s a local farm whose apple jam is so good, I want to try and replicate it. This version is nice but it’s spicy. 

• 6 cups peeled and diced granny smith apples (between 6-7 apples)
• 2 cups apple cider
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1.75 oz package powdered pectin
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ginger
• ½ teaspoon vanilla bean powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar

1. Add the chopped apples, apple juice, and lemon juice to a large pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until the apples become soft. Stir occasionally.
2. Blend slightly if desired. Optional step: Immersion blend the mixture to break up the chunks of apples 4 or 5 times. If you want a chunkier textured jam, you can skip this step.
3. Add pectin and spices. Whisk in the pectin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, vanilla bean powder, and salt.
4. Bring to a boil. Turn heat up to medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, stirring constantly.
5. Add sugar and boil again. Add the sugar, stirring to fully incorporate the sugar into the apple mixture.
   Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute stirring constantly (the mixture can burn so don't leave unattended).
6. Ladle into jars. Carefully fill jars with jam.
7. Wipe rims and fasten lids. Wipe down the jar rims with a damp towel. Place the lid and ring on the jars.
   Tightening the rings so they're fingertip-tight.
8. Process in canner. Transfer the jars to the water bath canner. Cover and bring the water to a boil. Once the water is fully boiling, set a timer for 10 minutes.
9. Rest briefly in canner. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat, remove the lid, and allow the jars to sit in the water bath canner for 5 minutes.

Lacto Fermented Mustard

 Lacto-Fermented Mustard (Unlike Any Mustard You've Had!) Shelf life: Like other fermented foods kept in refrigeration, this mustard can potentially last for years. The addition of vinegar at processing will further ensure shelf life. This recipe yields about two quarts (a half gallon) of mustard.

You will need:

• Half gallon jar with a fermentation lid

Ingredients: 

• 2.5 cups mustard seeds 

1.25 cups yellow & 1.25 brown; using a 50/50 ratio is popular but more brown will make a hotter mustard)

• 4 cups filtered or distilled water

• 2 TBSP additive-free salt

• 150g pineapple (fresh, canned or frozen)

 • 10-15 cloves garlic (or a full head) (40g), quartered

• 40g ginger, thin-sliced

 • 1/2 large yellow bell pepper, seeded & cored

 • Hot peppers as desired ( a couple orange habaneros and a bit of ghost pepper; if you want a very spicy mustard use more)

After the ferment:

 • Up to 2 cups white wine vinegar at blending, or to desired taste & consistency (may substitute fully or partly with white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or other clear/light-colored vinegar).

• 1 tsp salt per each cup of vinegar

 • To increase mustard heat: 1-2 TBSP of pure ground mustard powder, yellow or brown, at the final blending. 

• For a true spicy mustard: add 1-2 TBSP cayenne powder at the final blending, to taste. 

Optional: consider adding other fermented items at blending; for example, 1/2 cup fermented horseradish or honey fermented garlic 

Optional: instead of adding those fermented items, for a sweet or honey mustard, you can add sugar or honey (blend in a TBSP at a time to taste). Honey fermented garlic is not very sweet after it has aged but you could also consider mixing it together with fresh honey or other sweetener.

Directions:

 1.) Add all the mustard seeds and prepared produce to the jar, placing the seeds in first. Add increasingly larger components, ending with the pepper half. Use the pepper half as a covering so as to prevent any floaters.

 2.) Prepare the brine by mixing the water and salt in a sealed container and shaking it vigorously. (Or combine warm water with salt and allow to cool.) 

3.) Once the pepper half is securely holding everything down (and/or using a fermentation weight), gently pour the brine over to prevent dislodging the mustard seeds & pausing periodically to allow time for the water to seep down. Use all the brine and be aware that over the next few days, the mustard seeds will absorb much of the brine and they will swell quite a bit. (The recipe includes enough brine to account for this and still allow for all veggies to be submerged.)

 4.) All veggies including the pepper should be submerged. As an added precaution, adding a fermentation weight on top of the pepper is advised. Then apply the fermentation airlock (or use the burp method) and allow at least one month at room temperature to ferment (longer is fine). 

5.) At the end of the allotted time, strain out any excess brine (if present) and blend all solids until you reach the desired consistency. 

6.) Add up to two cups of white wine vinegar and other additions for the final blending (this will also make the mustard suitable for a squeeze bottle).

Notes: For this mustard, I add around 1.75 cups white wine vinegar but it can also be a mix of vinegar and any reserved ferment brine, and blend for 5-10 minutes on high, to achieve the desired consistency. For each cup of liquid added, you can add up to 1 tsp of salt if you want to maintain the level of saltiness. See the ingredients list above for ideas of what to add at blending. You're recommended to place and keep the jar in a larger bowl, as the seeds will roughly double in size. Although they're absorbing brine, you may find that everything in the jar gets pushed upwards, so a glass weight is a good addition if you can fit it. Otherwise, the yellow pepper should be cut large enough to remain firmly in place. For the batch of mustard featured in this post, I made half with added fermented horseradish (about 1/4 cup), and one with added honey fermented garlic (1/3 cup). Note that these quantities were for half the mustard; you could double the amount (to a 1/2 cup) if it's to blend into the entire batch of mustard. Alternately, you could consider dividing into several small variations from your main batch as well.

www.insaneinthebrine.com

Bread & Butter Pickles

Sweet and Tangy Bread and Butter Pickles 🥒

Ingredients

For the Pickles:

6 cups thinly sliced cucumbers (about 4-5 medium cucumbers)

1 cup thinly sliced onions

1/4 cup kosher salt

Ice cubes

For the Brine:

2 cups white vinegar

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon celery seeds

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

1. Prepare the Cucumbers and Onions:

In a large bowl, combine the sliced cucumbers and onions.

Sprinkle with kosher salt and toss to combine.

Cover with ice cubes and let sit for 1-2 hours. This helps to crisp up the cucumbers.

2. Make the Brine:

In a large pot, combine the white vinegar, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, ground turmeric, and ground cloves.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugars dissolve. Remove from heat.

3. Prepare the Jars:

Drain and rinse the cucumber and onion slices well under cold water to remove excess salt.

Pack the cucumbers and onions into sterilized mason jars (quart-size), leaving about 1/2 inch of headspace at the top.

4. Add the Brine:

Carefully pour the hot brine over the cucumbers and onions in the jars, ensuring they are fully submerged.

Tap the jars gently to remove any air bubbles and add more brine if needed.

5. Seal and Refrigerate or WB 10 mins

Let the pickles sit for at least 24 hours before tasting, but they are best after 1 week.

6. Enjoy:

Store the pickles in the refrigerator and enjoy within 2-3 months for the best flavor.

Herbal Spread

 This is so delicious. Think of it as a base for all your herbal dip imagination. I fresh picked the herbs from the garden. I had it on olive crackers from Trader Joe’s and an everything bagel. 

I made 1/4 this recipe and mixed it by hand. 

8 ounces plain cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup fresh goat cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino cheese

1 garlic clove, finely minced

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

IN THE BOWL OF a stand mixer fitted with the paddle

attachment, combine the cream cheese,

goat cheese, and sour cream. Beat on

medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the pecorino and garlic and beat for 1 minute, just to combine. Add the dill, mint, basil, chives, and pepper and beat to combine.

Vietnamese Chicken Salad with Sweet Lime-Garlic Dressing (GOI GÀ)

 “The taster” took this photograph of dinner tonight. Green are all from the garden. They were meant to be edible decorations and we ate them all! I’m only missing the jalapeño and cilantro but it was fine. 

	INGREDIENTS
	1/3 CUP LIME JUICE, PLUS LIME WEDGES, TO SERVE
3.5	TABLESPOONS FISH SAUCE
1½	TEASPOONS WHITE SUGAR
2	MEDIUM GARLIC CLOVES, FINELY GRATED
1	SMALL RED ONION, QUARTERED LENGTHWISE AND THINLY SLICED
3	CUPS SHREDDED COOKED CHICKEN
	MEDIUM HEAD GREEN OR RED CABBAGE (14 OUNCES), CORED AND SHREDDED (ABOUT 4 CUPS)
4	MEDIUM CARROTS, PEELED AND SHREDDED ON THE LARGE HOLES OF A BOX GRATER (ABOUT 2 CUPS
3	MEDIUM JALAPEÑO CHILIES, STEMMED, HALVED LENGTHWISE AND THINLY SLICED
1	CUP LIGHTLY PACKED FRESH BASIL, TORN
1	CUP LIGHTLY PACKED FRESH CILANTRO LEAVES AND TENDER STEMS, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
1½2	Cups ROASTED, SALTED PEANUTS, ROUGHLY CHOPPED

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, stir together the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and garlic, until the sugar dissolves. Add the onion and let stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, cabbage, carrots, chilies, basil and cilantro. Pour on the red onion-dressing mixture and toss. Toss in half of the peanuts, then transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining peanuts and serve with lime wedges on the side.

Lilac Syrup

It’s delicious, tastes just like lilacs smell. 

Use it in drinks like a lilac blueberry lemonade. Maybe try it in baklava? 

2 cups of lilac flowers (no green) 4 cups of water, 2 cups of sugar, splash of lemon and a few blueberries for color. I made a half recipe, omitted the lemon and blueberry and added a dash of maple syrup. 

Simmer sugar water for 10-15 mins, let sit 5 min to cool. Pour onto flowers/ blueberries/lemon juice in a jar. Let sit for 6 hours then strain. 

Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze! 

Shrub Vinaigrette

 Shrub Vinaigrette

I cut this recipe in half and still have leftovers. It’s super delicious, great with greens. I added crumbled blue cheese, craisins and candied pecans (Trader Joe's). 

2 Tbs. Raspberry Shrub 

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 small clove garlic, finely minced

6 Tbs. oil, safflower, canola or light olive

Whisk all the ingredients together until emulsified.

Serve over your choice of greens and other veggies.

Add cheese and nuts for a variety of flavors

This recipe came on a card from my Etsy shop shrub order from Finger Lakes Harvest. 

Gnocchi with Sausage

 This recipe is inspiration from Blue Apron. 

16 oz package of sweet Italian sausage

1 package gnocchi 

1 Tb Calabrian chili paste 

Package of mozzarella pearls

1/2 package grape tomatoes (ok to omit) 

2 8oz cans tomato sauce

1 Tb Italian seasoning

450 oven

Add all ingredients except mozzarella to a baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake 30 minutes. 

Uncover, add mozzarella and bake 7-10 minutes more until nicely browned. 

Thai Chicken Stir-Fry

I was looking for a new cookbook with healthy meals and have been enjoying Well Plated by Erin Clarke. The homemade Pad Thai sauce is really good. I added fish sauce to the recipe and would try tamarind in it too. I used 1 tsp red pepper flakes not 2 and the heat was just fine. 

For the Sauce:

½ cup creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, plus additional to taste 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, plus additional to taste

1/2 teaspoon fish sauce 

For the Stir-Fry:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1½ cups)

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into ½-inch dice

6 cups chopped vegetables of choice (about 1.5 pounds, peppers, broccoli, shiitake mushroom slices)

½ cup chopped dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts, plus additional to taste

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus additional to taste

Prepared brown rice or rice noodles for serving

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients until smooth: the peanut butter, water, honey, soy sauce, red curry paste, vinegar, ginger, garlic, fish sauce and red pepper flakes.

Set aside.

2. Make the stir-fry: In a deep, large nonstick skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot but not yet smoking, add the onion and cook until fragrant and beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken and sauté, stirring occasionally, until fully cooked through, about 4 minutes. The centers of the pieces will no longer be pink and the juices should run clear when a piece is cut. Remove the chicken and onion from the skillet and set aside.

1. With a paper towel, carefully wipe the skillet clean. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, then the mixed vegetables. Sauté until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 7 to 8 minutes, depending on the vegetables selectea.
2. Return the chicken and onion to the skillet.

Add the peanut sauce. Toss to coat evenly, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle peanuts and cilantro on top. 

Sourdough Cheez Its

 

Sourdough Cheez Its

Time:

5 minutes prep 

40 min cook time 

Ingredients

• 1 cup sourdough discard 
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1/2 cup finely shredded cheese
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt + some to top 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325*
2. Mix all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. 
3. Pour onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Spread out evenly and thin! The thinner you go the more thoroughly it will cook. 
4. Sprinkle desired amount of salt on top before placing into the over. Coarse is best but any salt is fine.
5. Cook for 7 minutes.
6. Take out of the oven and score a grid of lines with a sharp knife to create the shapes of the cracker, they don’t need to be perfectly cut or cut 100% through, you will break apart after cooking.
7. Place back into the oven for 20 minutes or until the crackers are cooked through. Depending on thickness of the crackers and your specific oven you may need more time. Check every few minutes until sides are golden brown. 
8. Once cooked thoroughly let them cool a bit, then break apart any that are stuck together and enjoy!

Toffee Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup salted butter, softened (227g)
• 1½ cups light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1¾ cup all-purpose flour (247g)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal (240g)
• 1½ cups toffee bits
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again, scraping sides of bowl as needed, until combined.
3. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, stirring just to combine. Mix in oatmeal, toffee bits, and milk chocolate chips.
4. Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. I prefer making these cookies extra large with my cookie scoop, which is about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie.
5. Bake for 12-14 minutes (if making large cookies) or 8-10 minutes (if you are making smaller ones, just until light golden brown around the edges. I prefer to underbake slightly for a chewier, softer cookie.
6. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Soft-Baked M & M Cookies

 

Ingredients

2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (265g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature

1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup mini M&Ms (plus 2 Tablespoons for topping, optional)

Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat softened butter for about 1 minute on medium speed until creamy. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar, then beat on medium-high speed until creamy and combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. 

Beat in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. 

With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.

Pour in 1 cup M&Ms and beat on low speed for 20 seconds or until combined. You may want to do this by hand, M & Ms will break. Once completely combined, cover cookie dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to 5 days.

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

Roll cookie dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie, and arrange 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. I like to use a medium cookie scoop here. Bake for 11-12 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look soft.

Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. While the cookies are still warm, press the remaining 2 Tablespoons of M&Ms into the tops of the cookies. This is optional and just for looks. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.