Ghee…That’s Simple

Like my new look?

I’m in a quandary about what to post over the next two weeks. Certain Someone and I are getting serious about our ‘nesting weight’ . He’ll be leaving for Stockholm next week on his birthday, and I will meet him there the following week. We have a wedding to attend and I will assist him as he moves into his new summer home he purchased a few hours away from Stockholm. It will be a whirlwind week. I tried on my dress for the wedding and it “Just” fit. The dress was way roomier when I purchased it a few years back. It cost about 2 weeks salary so I am determined to loose some weight. So the next few weeks will be a lot of vegetables, fish, and chicken with maybe a end of week reward.
Today I want to talk about Ghee. Ghee has been around for forever in Indian cookery. It has many Arurvedic benefits.They say it stimulates the digestive tract, therefore aiding weight loss,enhanced glow, fries foods with less oil use, promotes general well health and being. I first was turned onto it when reading about blood type diets. Rather than buy Ghee, I make mine because its so simple.

Ghee

1 lb of unsalted butter

Heat the butter very slowly in a heavy bottomed pan. When butter has melted turn up to a medium heat. It will start to boil, bubble and spurt. This is the liquids evaporating and solids separating. Do not cover the pot.Stir occasionally and reduce heat. The ghee will turn to a clear golden color. Skim off any foam . When mixture has cooled down pour into a airtight jar . Some solids may sink to the bottom. Some people discard it and some use it . Ghee has along shelf life and can stores at room temp. However to err on the cautious side store in the refrigerator. Store up to a few months.

So what did I make with Ghee tonight? I mashed a head of boiled cauliflower and garlic ( 3 cloves) with a tablespoon of ghee and 2 teaspoons of green curry paste. It was actually pretty tasty. served up alongside some boring steamed Tilapia and veggies. I drizzled a bit more ghee on top.

Toasted Pecan Chipolte Pesto….A Taste of the Mediterranean Event

OK, so this is not so Mediterranean. Antonio is hosting a monthly event devoted to all things of a Mediterranean influence. And he has some great prizes. This months theme was to create a Pesto. The only rules were that it have ground nuts,oil, and cheese. Now this is affordable event for me. With the change of seasons a lot of Bloggers are taking breaks or focusing on lighter foods. If you have noticed I have been a canning binge. I can still cook , but don’t have to eat it all at once. Along this line,condiments fascinate me. So with my pantry ingredients I created this powerful, fragrant pesto that’s burst with flavor!I can also store it the fridge for a few weeks, but by that time it will be gone.I served my pesto up with a simple pan fried chicken breast light;y seasoned, as the pesto would would be the focus. Boy was it good.I’m not a huge nut fan, but I have come to love pecans used in crusts for savory dishes.When you examine the benefits of this nut you can see why Glamah is in love. Vitamin E and anti oxidants! I could double this as facial mask(you can tell I have been in the Cosmetics industry too long).And the big fat cloves of garlic used are known as a antibiotic . So here it is quick and simple.

Toasted Pecan Chipolte Pesto

 

3 oz pecans halves( half a 6 oz bag)
3 large cloves of garlic
1 dried chipolte pepper
4 tablespoons Reggiano cheese
Sea Salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil ( about 1/4-1/2 cup depending on texture)

 

Lightly toast your pecans in a dry saucepan. Because of the high oil content , toss frequently and do not burn.In a spice grinder , grind the chipolte pepper.Add pecans and pulse . Do not turn to a butter. Add Chipoltes and pecan mixture to your blender of food processor. Add cheese and salt to taste. Pour in olive oil gradually and blend, occasionally scrapping down sides, until all is incorporated.Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
A few side notes…

 

Marie over at Proud Italian Cook asked me for my watermelon martini recipe. I made a lot of these last summer for a family party. Due to large size of guests it was the perfect drink as I could pre make my ‘watermelon juice’. The trick is to strain it so your shaker doesn’t get all clogged up. I also used frozen bits to keep it cold. As I have a freezer bag of watermelon this week( also makes great smoothies people!) I came up with this for Marie.This is based for 1 drink.
2 parts frozen or non frozen watermelon
1 part citrus flavored vodka
1 part pomegranate juice( optional or lemon juice if you use regular vodka)
1 part triple sec or Cointreau.
Blend all the ingredients in a blender. Pour in Shaker to strain as you pour into chilled martini glasses.
And last but not least…

Swati of Sugar Craft India gave me this award. I admit I’m horrible with the award and meme thing. I know I have let some go unanswered ,but I truly appreciated it. I’m more of a voyeur than doer. If you haven’t seen Swati’s blog check her out. Shes amazing and I wish Certain Someone would suggest we fly to India to visit this amazing woman so I can take some classes from the Sugar Craft Master!Please honey? Anyway Swati says I make her day and I just want all of you to know you make Mine!So consider this award passed on to all of you fun, bright , creative people.

I’m Jammin


I’m obsessed with canning. I admit it. For the Putting Up Event I made the most unusual Watermelon Rind Preserves. I was rather surprised that most of my commenter’s had not heard of this specialty. But that’s whats blogging is for, to learn new things. This time I wanted to do something a little sweeter and more traditional. I was worried that I would need massive quantities to make fruit preserves. Actually you don’t need so much and its recommended you make small batches. I purchased about 8 apricots and a pound of cherries. I envisioned these two together in a yummy preserve. As I prepped and stoned the fruit I had the sudden inspiration to add a vanilla bean. A lot of the seeds got caught up in the foam but the vanilla flavor shined through. I added a tad of butter to decrease foaming but I still got some. Foaming , experts believe. adds to spoilage. Another thing you have to worry about is the pectin setting. I need to stock up on pectin! I processed this and found after 24 hours the jam didn’t set. The instructions on the pectin box said how you can redo the jam.The only thing wasted is the lids and bands.So I redid the batch to much better results.I’m wondering if I did add enough sugar. I ended up adding a cup more sugar than was previously used.The taste of the unset jam was fantastic!I was almost tempted to use it just as a fruit syrup. I’m just be going to be handing out these as gifts to friends and coworkers while keeping a few for us. I asked Certain Someone to give a jar of Watermelon rinds to his golf buddy and co worker. They had to call me to explain why it wasn’t pink and what it actually was.I’m sure these fruity preserves wont be met with confusion.

Apricot Cherry Preserves with Vanilla Bean

1 pond of cherries
1 1/2 pounds of apricots ( about 8 or so)
6 cups natural cane sugar *I ended adding another cut when redoing the batch.
1 vanilla bean
1/4 cup water
1 package of Pectin

Wash and stone fruit. Cut vanilla bean down the middle and scrape seeds. Add fruit and vanilla bean pulp with pod to heavy pan. Add sugar , water , and pectin. Bring to rolling boil as you stir. Scrape off any foam that rises. Take of heat and stir more. Laddle into sterilised jars, place lids, on , and process according to instructions. I used the pressure canner with a weight of 5 lbs and a process time of 10 minutes. Take out canner and let and set 24 hours. I f the jam doesnt set, redo as instructed on the package of pectin. If you choose to use no sugar or sugar substitutes use a pectin brand for less sugar.
Makes 8 half pints

Certain Someone…Guest Blogger Round Two

Certain Someone’s Spicy Noodle( noodles,green pepper,red pepper, jalapeno,leeks,carrots, and chicken with his secret marinade)

Yesterday my honey decided to cook for his possible future Baby’s Mama.No I’m not pregnant but it was Mothers Day! He got up early to start to prep for a feast later. Certain Someone had plotted out a nice spicy marinade for the chicken made with or finds from last week. The day turned out longer than I expected , but I made it home in time for him to get started. Now I get a little anxious when he starts puttering around in my kitchen ,like he gets anxious when I start messing with his complex entertainment/gaming center.Nevertheless I offered to assist by slicing and wasking the leeks. We disagreed on the best methods for this but I differed to him.I was impressed with his use of a paring device for paper thin carrot slices.I didn’t teach him that. At times I couldn’t help but offer some slight suggestions. This was the first time he used his WOK. I had done all the cooking in it. I cautioned him to heat it right before adding the oil. We knew he run into trouble with the addition of the noodles. They didn’t require cooking and were supposed to be tossed into soups or the WOK immediately. He had them soaking in water to loosen. The smells were fantastic but Certain Someone was disappointed that the noodle were sticky and starchy. They didn’t brown like he wanted them too. Nevertheless it tasted great and was quite filling. We had plenty of leftovers. I had awoke with a cold and decided to stay home. I took the fry pan out as I was ravenous and heated up his noodles with some oil. Can I just say they were even better the day after.I like it that Certain Someone is taking a slight interest in cooking with his busy schedule and I look forward to the expansion of his repertoire. Thank You honey for feeding your sick girlfriend. Kiss.

Putting Up Event…Watermelon Rind Preserves

I think in my past life I was a Farmers wife or something. Or maybe my Blackberry loving self deep down inside yearns for simpler non Glamah-rous life. OK, I take that back.I can see myself as a Zsa Zsa Gabor(or was it Eva) type on Green Acres.Anyway the swell duo of Rosie and Pixie have come up with a fantastic event called Putting Up. They are calling on us to use our canning skills.

A long time ago my mother and I purchased a pressure cooker/canner. We had a blast trying to make Chow Chow and pickled okra and peppers.We managed to make tons of food and oddly never went back to it again. Each summer I vowed to do something. Jams were a particular interest.With this event I have seen a lot of excellent jams. So as I always walk to a different drummer, I decided to make another item my Mommy always waxed nostalgic on. Watermelon Rinds Preserves. I used to shudder when I heard of this.I had never tasted it. But economy and time dictated that I use what I have. My Fruit and Vegetable Box yielded 2 small seedless watermelons amongst other things to bountiful to mention here. There was no way Certain Someone and I would finish these organic treats. So I dug out my pressure canner and searched for the instruction book. I then took all the watermelon meat and placed it a Gallon bag to freeze. Now that’s the way I prefer to eat it! Plus would be awesome in martinis. Then I got into the long process. Not to long, but a lot of prep.

Why would anyone want to preserve Watermelon Rind? Well my research shows that this is Asian,Southern, and Polish specialty. You associate it with the Deep South. In the Depression , one looked for ways to use every bit of food you could. Rinds are edible and can be a tasty treat cooked down with spices and sugar.Asian cookery makes their own versions as well and just the not pickled rind but used fresh in stir frys , etc.I have also seen recipes from as far away as South Africa and Australia.Seems everyone is on to something.I read they are healthy too. I found the rind, once peeled of the green skin and pink flesh , took on characteristics of cucumber. Most of the recipes in the Internet are similar. I used a combo of recipes as a guide, and added a combo of both brown and white sugar.Next time I want try try more variations. I have seen recipes call for a little spice.I’m glad I forced myself to do this and you all will be seeing more preserves from this summer.If my mother was alive she would get a kick out these if I presented it to her in a gift basket for Mothers Day. Its not only economical but fun and novel. Maybe I need to rent a table at the Farmers Market? “Glamah Rinds Anyone? They’re so cheap darlings it’s chic! “
Glamah Rinds aka Watermelon Rind Preserves
Ingredients :
1 -2 lbs prepared watermelon rind * if you have more rind adjust to levels of sweetness and spice you prefer
1/2 cup salt
6 cup water
1 1/2 cup sugar (I combined brown and white sugars)
1 1/2 cup white vinegar
1 lemon sliced thin
1/2 tsp whole cloves * was thinking of using star anise next time.
1/2 tsp whole allspice
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp of minced ginger
Method :
Prepare the watermelon rind, and remove any pink flesh and green skin. Cut the rind into pieces about 1 inch. Mix the salt and water in a large bowl, and add the rind. Let stand overnight. Drain thoroughly and rinse. Drain and rinse again. Place in a non reactive pot or kettle, cover with cold water, and cook, about 30 minutes, until the rind becomes tender and translucent, but still firm. Drain again. Place the sugar, vinegar, and lemon in the pot. Tie the spices in a cheesecloth bag and add to mixture. Bring to a boil, then cook 2 minutes. Add the rind, and cook, uncovered, over medium heat, for 15 minutes after it comes to a boil. Remove the rind with a slotted spoon and place in hot, sterilized jars. Boil the syrup 5 minutes longer, remove the spice bag, and pour the syrup over the rind till filled. Process in your canner according to your instructions. I used a pressure of 5 lbs and cooked for approx 10-15 in the pressure canner.
Seal at once. If a sweeter preserve is preferred, increase sugar to 2 cups. This made 4 half pints.
Serve with breads, ice creams, grilled chicken, etc.

Update! We have a winner of the the Tamale Open. Congratulations Megan . I sent you a email to claim your prize.