Black Pepper Almonds

I keep a small container of raw, unsalted almonds in my desk at work, they are a healthy snack, a naturally high source of vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.  They are also a natural source of fiber and protein and low in sugar.  That is their sugar content is low until you add sugar as I have done with this recipe.

These black pepper almonds are just for special occasions, when company is coming and you will not be eating them all yourself.  They are very peppery and sweet at the same time, you think a few nuts is plenty, but find yourself going back to the dish for some more, be warned, they are additive.

These almonds are quick to make and excellent with a glass of wine.  A sparkling wine or champaign would be perfect, but the glass of Pinot Noir that I have in the photo above was also very good.

Black Pepper Almonds
~Makes 2 2/3 cups~

1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
4 teaspoons water
2 2/3 cup whole almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a large baking sheet with foil.  Lightly butter foil.  Mix pepper and salt in a small bowl.  Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.  Add sugar and 4 teaspoons of water; stir until sugar dissolves.  Add almonds; toss to coat.  Cook over medium heat until syrup thickens and almonds are well coated, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle half of the pepper mixture over the almonds.  Transfer almonds to baking sheet.  Using a spatula and working quickly, separate almonds.  Sprinkle remaining pepper mixture over.  Bake until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Transfer sheet to rack; cool.  (Can be made 4 days ahead.  Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

Sense of Home / Recipes / Appetizers and Snacks

Homegrown and Preserved Benefits

I have defined my sense of home through homemade living.  Growing, harvesting, foraging, preserving, and cooking our own food gives me a true sense of home.  This is where I want to spend my free time, I enjoy gardening and putting food by, and I enjoy preparing meals from the foods we have grown.  The enjoyment of homegrown and preserved is just one of the benefits.

 Last night on the news they were talking about how the cold weather has hurt several crops in the south, doubling the price of some of the fresh produce in our stores and they said they don't know how high the prices will get.  I hadn't noticed the spike in produce at the store, we are still eating the produce we preserved last summer/fall.  We buy some fresh produce, oranges, grapefruit and lemons have been very good lately and we cannot grow those locally.  So far the price I paid has been good, according to the news, that will soon change. For the most part though we have been eating the vegetables and fruit we preserved.  We have plenty of potatoes and squash in cold storage, several jars of canned fruit, tomato sauce, and apple sauce, a bag of homegrown carrots in the refrigerator and several containers of vegetables and fruit in the freezer, there is no need to purchase these items.  Putting up all this produce is a lot of work, but the money saved is another benefit of homegrown and home-preserved foods.

Another benefit to homegrown and home-preserved foods is the nutritional value.  I don't have all the nutritional information on the foods I have grown, gathered, or foraged and preserved, but I do know that the foods I grow have never been sprayed with chemicals.  I have harvested when they are ripe and preserved the food at their peak.  I do not add preservatives or artificial flavoring (or the so-called "natural" flavoring) to my food before it is canned. The flavor is also a huge benefit, you just can't beat homegrown, home preserved and homemade food.

Sense of Home / Homemade Living



This post is listed with Real Food Deals and Simple Lives Thursday.

Shoveling the Roof

With approximately two feet of snow on the roof and another foot forecast to arrive over the next two days my husband is shoveling the roof.

Almond Pine Cones

When invited to a hors d'oeuvre and dessert party recently I brought the dip. Formed into a teardrop shape, covered with almonds, and with rosemary sprigs at one end this dip looks similar to pine cones.  With so much cold and snow outside a platter of pine cones seemed appropriate.

I've brought this appetizer to gatherings several times and it has always been well received, I mean who doesn't like the smoky flavor of bacon combined with green onion and cream cheese.  I personally like the toasted almond topping.

I've hosted hors d'oeuvre and dessert parties before, they are a lot of fun; snack foods, drinks, games, casual atmosphere.  However, I have also gone to a lot of work preparing several kinds of hors d'oeuvres such as Cheese Boergs, Stuffed Dates, Curried Beef Wontons, Pork Wontons, Snow Peas with Crabmeat Filling, and desserts such as Madelines and Baklava.  These Almond Pine Cones are really very simple, but that does not mean they are not delicious.

Almond Pine Cones
1 1/4 cup whole almonds
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
5 crisply cooked bacon slices, crumbled
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/8 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground

Spread almonds in a single layer in a shallow pan.  Bake at 300 degrees F. for 15 minutes, stirring often, until almonds just begin to turn color.

Combine softened cream cheese and mayonnaise, mix well.  Add bacon, onion, dill and pepper; mix well.  Cover, chill overnight.  Form cheese mixture into shapes of two pine cones on a serving patter.  Beginning at narrow end press almonds at slight angle into cheese mixture in rows.  Continue until cheese is covered.  Garnish with sprigs of rosemary.  Serve with crackers.  Makes about 1 1/2 cups of dip.

Sense of Home / Recipes / Appetizers

Salmon Piccata

Once or twice a year my daughter and I head to what the local news stations now call the "Metro" (an amalgamation of 3 cities), for a day that begins with coffee and pastries at a French Bakery, involves shopping and ends with a nice dinner.  The first time I had chicken piccata was on one of these excursions, we ended our day at a very fine Italian restaurant and I ordered the special, chicken piccata.  It turned out to be one of the best chicken dishes I have ever had.  Ever since then I have been searching for a recipe that could compare, I have tried a few but until now I have been disappointed.

We recently spent a wonderful weekend with my son and his wife.  My talented daughter-in-law knits, sews, makes jewelry, is an artistic photographer and an amazing cook.  While we were there she made us this delicious salmon piccata, substituting salmon for chicken in the recipe she was using.  This was the piccata recipe I had been searching for, it had just the right amount of lemon and capers.

The beauty of this recipe is in its simplicity, only a few ingredients so it is not complicated by a lot of flavors.  This recipe uses more lemon and capers than other piccata recipes so the sauce is full of bold flavor.  The original recipe from Cook's Illustrated uses chicken, however replacing the chicken with salmon turned out to be a brilliant idea.  The salmon was moist and delicious with this sauce.  I think chicken, salmon, or another meaty fish would be equally delicious.

We made a salad of greens, onion, blackberries and crumbled blue cheese to go with the dish, it was a very good combination and nothing more was needed.

Salmon Piccata
(adapted from a Cooks' Illustrated recipe)

2 large lemons
4 salmon fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons drained small capers
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, set large heatproof plate on rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees.

2. Halve 1 lemon pole to pole.  Trim ends from one half and cut crosswise into slices 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick; set aside.  Juice remaining half and whole lemon to obtain 1/4 cup juice; reserve.

3. Sprinkle both sides of fillets with salt and pepper.  Measure flour into pie tin or shallow baking dish.  Working 1 fillet at a time, coat with flour, and shake to remove excess.

4. Heat heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 2 minutes; add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl pan to coat.  Lay half of the salmon fillets in the skillet.  Saute, without moving them, until lightly browned on first side, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.  Turn fillets and cook until second side is lightly browned, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes longer.  Remove pan from heat and transfer fillets to plate in oven.  Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to now-empty skillet and heat until shimmering.  Add remaining fillets and repeat.

5. Add onion to now-empty skillet and return skillet to medium heat.  Saute until translucent, add broth and lemon slices, increase heat to high, and scrape skillet bottom with wooden spoon or spatula to loosen browned bits.  Simmer until liquid reduces to about 1/3 cup, about 4 minutes.  Add lemon juice and capers and simmer until sauce reduces again to 1/3 cup, about 1 minute.  Remove pan from heat and swirl in butter until butter melts and thickens sauce; swirl in parsley.  Spoon sauce over fillets and serve immediately.


Sense of Home / Recipes / Main Dishes

This post is linked to Delicious Dishes and Tuesday Twister.

Sunday Stills

                                         Night Driving

Lemon Balm Leaf

I enjoy a good cup of tea year round, but especially in the winter months.  When it is cold outside a warm cup of tea feels cozy and comforting.  I drink a variety of teas; green, black, ginger, chamomile, mint, olive leaf, to name a few.  I usually start my day at work with a cup of green or black tea, after lunch and often again in the evening I enjoy a cup mint, chamomile, ginger or one of the many others I have on hand.  Lately I have been enjoying lemon balm leaf tea. 

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) is a lemon scented member of the mint family.  It has a delicate fresh green flavor and makes a refreshing tea.  It has been used throughout history as a medicinal herb, lemon balm has mild sedative properties and has been used for digestive problems, to reduce fever, and to relieve headaches or menstrual cramps.  Both oil and hot water extracts of the leaves have strong antibacterial and antiviral qualities.  Lemon balm tea was used as far back as the Middle Ages to reduce stress and anxiety, promote sleep, improve appetite, and ease pain and discomfort from indigestion.  Some say the tea improves memory and lemon balm oils have been used as aromatherapy for Alzheimer's patients.  It is also said to lower blood pressure.

Lemon balm is a perennial that grows well in zones 4 through 9, though in zone 4 it will need to be mulched to survive the winter.  It prefers full-sun, but is moderately shade tolerant and as with most herbs, prefers well-drained soil.  The plant will spread and in some areas is considered a noxious weed, so plant in an area where it can spread and not become a problem.

Young leaves can be harvested during the growing season. Harvesting is best done by cutting the leaves early in the morning following then evaporation of the dew on the leaves. The best lemon balm leaves are the ones that grow early in the season. The fragrance may deteriorate as the leaves age and this will effect the taste.  The plants should be pruned regularly so that fresh shoots will appear. A shady and airy location is ideal to hang the harvested plants to dry. Airtight jars must be used for storage once the leaves are crisply dry.

Lemon balm can be used in cooking, adding the leaves to marinades, sauces, soups and stews.  Fresh leaves make a good addition to salads.  The flavor pairs well with fish, chicken and vegetables.

Although lemon balm is considered a safe herb, if you plan to take large doses of the herb in capsule form the University of Maryland cautions that pregnant and nursing women should not take lemon balm and it also cautions that it may interact with sedatives and thyroid medications.

Lemon balm can be used topically on cold sores for both adults and children.  Steep 2 to 4 teaspoons of crushed leaf in 1 cup of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes.  Cool.  Apply with cotton balls to the sores throughout the day.

Lemon Balm Tea for Cold Relief
½ cup dried basil
½ cup dried lemon balm
Whiskey or brandy, optional
Honey, for taste
Hot water

In a bowl, mix the dried basil leaves with the dried lemon balm leaves. Take a tea ball and place the mixed leaves inside as you would for brewing black tea. Boil water. Place the tea ball inside a pot filled with boiled water. Let the leaves steep for about 5 to 7 minutes. If you have a head cold, it's traditional to add a shot of whiskey or brandy in the tea. But if you have been prescribed or are taking over-the-counter cold medicine, then don't add whiskey or brandy to your tea. Add honey to the hot lemon balm tea and drink it immediately.

Lemon Balm Astringent
1 tablespoon fresh lemon balm
1 cup witch hazel

Combine the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.  Allow to steep for 1 week.  Strain.  Use 1 teaspoon per application with a cotton ball.  Refrigerate if you wish.


Sense of Home / Homemade Living / Healthy Living

This post is listed on Simple Lives Thursday.

Homemade Barbecue Sauce

Wish it was warm enough for an outdoor barbecue, but no matter, I mixed up some sauce and poured a little over some shortribs in a slow cooker and we came home to a delicious smell and tasty dinner.  Like several others who commented on my Home Cooking post, I make good use of the crock pot or slow cooker.

Not only is this a handy way to make a homemade meal while away from the house, it slowly cooks the food on a very low temperature and the result is a very tender, falling off the bone piece of meat.  Or in the case of stew or soup, very well blended flavors.

There are many brands and flavors of barbecue sauce that can be purchased, but it is so easy to make at home with ingredients that are in most everyone's pantry and refrigerator that purchasing a separate product is just not necessary.  I included an even simpler version of barbecue sauce with my recipe for Hot and Smoky Baked Beans.  After taking the ribs out of the crock pot I placed them under the broiler for a couple of minutes to caramelize the sugars in the sauce.  Remember, with tumeric in the recipe this sauce will stain, so be careful and use old cloth napkins.

Barbecue Sauce

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons butter

8 ounces tomato sauce (home canned, if available)

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

1/8 teaspoon ground tumeric

Combine onion, garlic and butter in a 2-quart pan and cook on medium-high heat until softened.  Stir in remaining ingredients and continue cooking until sauce is heated through.

Sense of Home / Recipes

This post is linked to Real Food Wednesday and Real Food Deals.

Scenes From Western North Dakota

As seen from the car on a trip to visit my son and daughter-in-law.

Potato Frittata

This isn't the most attractive photo, food rarely looks good on a yellow plate, but this was the only plate I had that was large enough to hold this frittata.  Plus I used a pan that was larger than I needed so my frittata was not as thick as it should have been, things to remember the next time I make a frittata.  Despite these failures this is a very good tasting frittata and it is quick to make.

I had a stressful week last week.  It started with a dentist appointment on Monday to have a tooth ground down and a temporary cap put on, not a good way to start the week.  On Wednesday I took my mother 90 miles in snowy weather and on questionable roads to a doctor's appointment we were both  nervous about, and to top it off I needed to be back to work in time for a 5pm board meeting.  The test results were good, her health is fine, and the visibility on the 90 miles home was better...relief on both counts.  Thursday we woke to 8 inches of fresh snow and started our day with shoveling.  I was thrilled to be taking the 4-wheel drive truck in for an appointment before work, my husband could fight the snow filled streets with the Prius.  By the time I made it home in late afternoon I needed some cooking therapy.

We have lots of potatoes in cold storage, eggs in our refrigerator, and I have been looking for ways to make use of the food we already have in our pantry, so a potato frittata seemed like just the thing.  I shredded potatoes, whisked eggs, chopped onions, crushed garlic, sprinkled dried parsley from our summer garden, and felt the stress of the week melt away.  My family was healthy, I was home, cooking in my kitchen, life slowed down and the week came into balance. 

Potato Frittata

(adapted from a December 2005 Gourmet recipe)

4 servings

8 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cups shredded potatoes

1 medium onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

3/4 cup shredded soft cheese, such as fontina or havarti

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 heaping teaspoon dried parsley, or 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, plus a little for garnish

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Whisk together eggs, salt and pepper until just combined.

Heat oil in an ovenproof 9- to 10-inch heavy nonstick skillet over high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add potatoes and onions to oil, stirring once, then cover and cook until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Stir potato mixture once, then cover and cook 3 minutes more.
Pour beaten eggs evenly over potato mixture and sprinkle cheese, garlic and parsley over eggs. Transfer skillet to oven and bake frittata, uncovered, until set and just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Invert a plate over skillet and, holding them together with oven mitts, invert frittata onto plate, sprinkle with a little more parsley and serve immediately.

*This is very good served with smoked salmon and a garden salad.*

Sense of Home / Recipes / Eggs

Posted on Delicious Dishes and Tuesday Twister.

  

Sunday Stills

Many Pursuits

Socked with Snow

We have been doing a lot of shoveling this winter already, come to think of it winter has not started yet, at least according to the calendar.  Wednesday evening and into Thursday we received another 8 inches of snow, that is on top of the 14 inches we received earlier.  The pile above will be pushed back into the middle of the front yard so we have a place to put the rest of the snow that is bound to come.

Note:  Just heard from a neighbor (who heard on the radio) that we have had 38 inches so far this winter and if it keeps up at this pace we will set a record by January. 

It has been a rough winter for many areas of the midwest, Minneapolis has really been socked with snow, 18 inches in just last weekend's storm.  Areas of New York state have received over 4 feet so far. 

We have an older gentleman in our area that butchers a pig every fall and says he can tell how the winter will be based on the size of the pig's spleen.  Well, I don't put much stock in this way of predicting, though he has been right in the past, however, this year I am hoping he is right because he said it would be cold from the middle of November right up until January and then it would warm up some.  We have certainly had the cold, it has been below normal here, so I am counting on that warming up in January prediction!

The Cherry tree I planted last spring is buried up to its bottom branches.

Getting to the compost bin is more of a challenge.

The snow has been coming straight down and piling up, which for us is unusual.  We usually have plenty of wind and the snow comes sideways and blows into drifts, while leaving other areas scoured clean.  When the wind does start to blow, look out, this snow will be flying through the air.

How has your winter been so far?