Condiments

Spinach Walnut Pesto

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spinach walnut pesto

Pesto has to be one of summer’s best condiments. It’s easy to make, tastes fresh and lively, and adds pizzaz to practically any dish imaginable. This is actually my first time making pesto at home. This recipe stuck out to me and got me in the kitchen for two reasons 1) I practically always have all of these ingredients on hand at all times (i.e. no pine nuts!), so I can whip up a batch whenever I want and 2) I only ever have one basil plant which was pretty much completely bare after picking 1 cup from it. So, I love the fact that spinach makes up for half of the basil in this recipe, meaning I can actually make a decent amount of pesto without having hoards of basil around. As a result, this pesto isn’t as strong and intense as many pestos are, but it is uniquely flavourful in its own right and tastes just as pesto should – delicious! I’ll be making this often and using it in all my favourite recipes calling for pesto, because who can resist such delicious simplicity?

Need idea’s to use up that little bit of extra pesto? Spread it onto sandwiches, stir it into pasta, mix it into scrambled eggs, plop spoonfuls of it onto pizza before baking, or freeze it in ice-cube trays to use for later.

Spinach Walnut Pesto

  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 1 cup fresh basil
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • 1/4 cup walnuts
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Puree all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Adapted from Everyday Food, July/August 2012.

(Sweet Cherries!) Cherry-Berry Jam

By in Condiments, GF Sides, Gluten Free 6 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

cherry berry jam

My favourite part of food magazines has always been the articles where they choose one theme and go crazy with it. Since it’s one of my favourite things to read, I thought it would be fun to create something like that here, on the blog. So, every Wednesday this month I’ll be posting a recipe that uses sweet cherries. It’s been so much fun creating this series for you and I truly hope you enjoy the recipes as much as I do.

I think the biggest complaint I hear about cherries every year is that they’re so good fresh, they get eaten up before anything can be made with them. That’s why each of the recipes I’ll be sharing use a small amount of cherries – so you can enjoy snacking on them but also have the satisfaction of making something delicious with them.

I have a love of making jam and a special place in my heart for small batch jamming projects. Since I like trying new recipes and ideas all the time, making smaller batches of different flavours is much more my style. This recipe makes two cups of jam – one cup for now and another to throw in the freezer for later. It takes advantage of the delicious summer cherries and berries while still leaving enough to enjoy on their own.

You don’t need to reserve a whole day for this jam; in an hour or so it’ll be cooling and waiting to be popped in the fridge. And, while it’s cooking you can relax while watching the kids jump through the sprinkler – all it needs is a little stir once in while. So stress-free and the results are so satisfying!

P.S. Happy Fourth of July to all you lovely Americans! I’ve got a last-minute dessert for you today, over at Simple Bites.

Cherry-Berry Jam

  • 2 cups cherries, pitted
  • 1.5 cups blackberries
  • 1.5 cups raspberries
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1.5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 50 minutes to an hour, until reduced to 2 cups or until the mixture passes the jam test*. Allow to cool and then pour into jars or containers, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. Freeze for longer storage.

*Jam Test:

This applies to any jam that is made without using pectin.

Place a small plate in the freezer while you make your jam. Once you think the jam is ready place a dollop on the frozen plate and return to the freezer for two minutes. Remove the plate from the freezer and push through the jam with your finger, there should be a slight film on top that wrinkles as you push. If it’s not ready yet, boil it for a few more minutes and repeat the test.

Makes: 2 cups

Adapted from My Recipes.

Blueberry Streusel Scones with Sweet Lemon Butter

By in Breakfast, Condiments, Easter 4 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

blueberry streusel scones

Blueberries and lemon are such a natural pairing. And, when you fold them into flour and butter – divine. If I were going to throw an Easter brunch these would definitely be on the menu. Putting streusel topping on scones is such a brilliant idea and the lemon butter is so good I could almost eat it with a spoon. That’s saying a lot because I’m not the type of person to slather butter on things.

I know blueberries aren’t really in season right now but they were on sale and so delicious I couldn’t pass them up. If you don’t have access to fresh blueberries I’m sure you can use frozen. I use frozen blueberries often in my blueberry sour cream muffins and they turn out great every time. You’ll want to put them in frozen and work fast. If the blueberries thaw while you’re still working with the dough, the juices from the thawing berries will turn the dough an unattractive grey colour.

Scones are best served warm so you don’t want to bake them too far ahead of time. If you want to make them ahead you can get them ready for the oven and then freeze them, completely prepared on the baking sheet. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the baking time.

Happy Easter everyone!

Blueberry Streusel Scones with Sweet Lemon Butter

Blueberry Scones

Refrigerate the dough any time it has to sit and wait – this will make sure the butter stays nice and cold.

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1.5 teaspoons vanilla

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest in a large bowl. Using a cheese grater, grate half the butter into the flour mixture. Toss with fingers, to coat, then grate in remaining butter. Toss with fingers until evenly combined. Toss in blueberries.

Mix together egg, milk and vanilla. Gently stir it into flour mixture, with a fork, just until everything is moistened. Turn it out onto a well floured surface. Knead 5-6 times or until everything incorporates together. Making sure there’s a good layer of flour underneath so that the dough doesn’t stick to the surface, shape the dough into a rough ball and flatten it into a disk (I made mine about 7 inches). Brush the top of the dough with a bit of milk; sprinkle streusel topping over all. Cut the dough in 8 pieces, forming 8 triangles. Transfer pieces to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 400º for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve with lemon butter, if desired.

Streusel Topping
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch salt
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Mix together ingredients until well combined.

Lemon Butter

You can use fresh homemade butter for this recipe, if desired.

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup icing (confectioners) sugar

Beat together all ingredients until well combined. Serve immediately or make ahead and refrigerate.

If making ahead, remove from fridge 1 hour before serving to soften.

Makes: 8 scones, 1/2 cup butter

Scone recipe adapted from Running with the Devil(ed) Eggs via Tasty Kitchen Blog.

Homemade: Butter

By in Condiments, Homemade, How-to's 14 Comments Tags: , ,

OK. I can”t believe it took me this long to make butter. I knew that it was easy to make, but I think somehow in the recesses of my brain it just seemed like it had to be more difficult than it is. Now that I”ve made it, I”m wondering, why is this not a common thing? Why aren”t we all making our own butter? We make whipped cream all the time and butter is essentially over-whipped whipped cream. After you beat the cream for 10 minutes or so it separates into butter and buttermilk (not the same buttermilk that you buy from the store because this is not fermented). That”s it. Now you have butter. Does it get any simpler then that?

Now, this doesn”t mean I”m going to be making my own butter all the time. I”m still planning on using the sticks for baking and such because this is one instance where homemade is not actually cheaper. For me to buy 2 sticks of butter (1 cup) is cheaper than buying a pint of heavy cream (which makes 1 cup of butter), plus the bars are awfully handy for measuring. But, for those times when you”re wanting to use butter as a spread, I definitely think it”s worth it to make your own. The fresh taste and satisfaction of making your own butter just can”t be beat. Add herbs, spices, or citrus zest to jazz it up and give it some diversity. Just think what a star you”ll be when you whip some up for brunch to serve with scones or french toast.

Please, please do yourself a favour and don”t wait as long as I did, to make your own butter. You will not be disappointed.

Homemade Butter

  • 1 pint heavy cream (2 cups)

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste (optional)

Beat cream in a stand mixer* with the whisk attachment until solids form (butter) and separate from the liquid (buttermilk). Pour into a fine mesh sieve to strain buttermilk. Rinse with cold water. Press with a spatula (or squeeze with hands) to make it into a cohesive mass and to remove excess water. Mix in salt, if desired.

*According to other sources this can also be made in a food processor or blender but it was too thick for my cheap blender so I switched to the mixer. Also you could use hand beaters.

Makes approximately: 1 cup butter

Black Bean Salsa

By in Appetizers, Condiments, GF Sides, Gluten Free, Snacks 2 Comments Tags: , , ,

In my search for healthy snacks I came across this recipe. Now, chips and salsa are not really a “healthy” snack but, I am a fan of the fact that this healthy salsa makes for a more filling and nutritious alternative when you get a salty craving. And, depending on what you serve it with, it may just turn into a healthy snack after all.

Tomatoes this time of year tend to be pretty tasteless, so this a great winter salsa since it uses only one small tomato. This type of recipe is highly adaptable. If you don”t like cilantro, leave it out. Throw in some red peppers, if you like. Or use red onions instead of green. Really, it”s not a science. You can literally chuck in whatever suites your fancy. Next time I”ll probably add some chopped avocado and amp up the spiciness by leaving in the jalapeño seeds.

I”m also planning on taking this out of the snack realm by making some to serve at our next taco night. It takes no time to prep and every bit of homemade goodness turns a good meal into a great one.

Black Bean Salsa

For a spicier salsa leave the seeds in the jalapeño pepper.

  • 1 small tomato, seeded and diced

  • 2 green onions, finely chopped

  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and membranes removed, minced

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

  • 1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Toss ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Refrigerate until serving.

Adapted from Whole Living.

(Small Batch) Mixed Berry Jam

By in Condiments, GF Sides 6 Comments Tags: , , , ,

mixed berry jam

Making jam seems to be my preferred Sunday afternoon activity. There’s something relaxing and comforting about getting a pot of fruit bubbling on the stove and relaxing on the couch while it fills your house with the scent of berries and maple. This recipe especially, is so simple. No slicing and dicing, just a quick rinse and a toss in the pot, and you let your stove top do the rest.

This recipe calls for fresh berries and I already had some (surprisingly) delicious fresh blueberries in my fridge (thanks to an awesome sale from my grocer) but since I didn’t have any fresh strawberries I used a bag of frozen ones instead. To my delight the frozen ones worked great, I just needed to add a few minutes to the simmering time. I imagine you could use all frozen berries and have it turn out, as long as you feel comfortable going by sight rather than cooking time. Allow them to thaw first and don’t drain away any of the tasty juices.

One of the big draws to me for this jam was that it uses maple to sweeten it, instead of sugar. By now I’m sure you’ve noticed my love of anything maple. It adds just a little something extra to the jam and it’s not overly sweet like some homemade pectin-free jams seem to be. I also love that it makes such a small amount. It feels like no work and you get delicious results in no time.

We enjoyed it while it was still warm, wrapped up in fresh crepes with a side of bacon. Mmm.

Mixed Berry Jam

  • 2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered (about 4 cups)
  • 1 cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Place berries in a medium-sized saucepan, lightly mash berries. Add remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 50-55 minutes or until the mixture passes the jam test (below). Cool completely before storing, covered, in the fridge for up to 1 month. Freeze for longer storage.

Jam Test:

This applies to any jam that is made without using pectin.

Place a small plate in the freezer while you make your jam. Once you think the jam is ready place a dollop on the frozen plate and return to the freezer for two minutes. Remove the plate from the freezer and push through the jam with your finger, there should be a slight film on top that wrinkles as you push. If it’s not ready yet, boil it for a few more minutes and repeat the test.

Makes approximately: 1 1/2 cups

Adapted from Giada at Home.

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