Saturday, July 23, 2016

Easy Blueberry Freezer Jam

withinthekitchen.blogspot.com

Anyone with a free 20 minutes can make freezer jam. What's so great about freezer jam?
- quick
- easy
- tastes fresher and fruity than regular jam
- freezes well
- makes great gifts
- less sugar than traditional jam
- great activity for kids

Right now is blueberry season in Vancouver - I picked up 20lbs (that's right 20lbs!) of these plump and delicious berries last week. We froze a few pounds for winter smoothies and then went into cook/bake mode - sweet fruity, and buttery aromas were filling our kitchen thanks to hours of making  jams, crumbles, pies and cakes.

Today, I'm sharing the freezer jam the kids and I mixed up. Normally, I don't cook the fruit I use in freezer jam but in the case of blueberries a little bit of cooking softens the berry skins and brightens the flavour of the blueberries. Luckily, it only adds a few minutes to the process. 

If you don't like the spices I used or even the lime, just leave them out and you'll have pure, unadulterated blueberry flavour. The jams will last in the fridge for 3 or 4 weeks or place them in the freezer for up to a year.

To crush the berries, I pulse them a few times in my food processor - you want them chunky but broken down a bit.

Special equipment: 4 - 1 cup glass or plastic jars.

Ingredients

4 cups crushed blueberries (about 4-1/2 cups before crushing)
1 package freezer pectin (I use Bernadin pectin)
1-1/2 cup granulated sugar
zest of half a lime
juice of half a lime
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

  1. Place berries in pan over medium heat.
  2. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together pectin, sugar and spices.
  4. Add berries and lime juice and zest and stir for 3 minutes.
  5. Divide among containers and let sit for 30 minutes to thicken.
  6. Cover and refrigerate or freeze.

withinthekitchen.blogspot.com

withinthekitchen.blogspot.com

Monday, July 11, 2016

Beef Chili Cobbler



Beef Chili Cobbler

This dish is a huge hit in my house. The chili is delicious and, of course, can be tweaked to whatever you like - more spices, different spices, heck even taco seasoning tastes great in it. The biscuits are from Greg Henry's 'Savory Pies' which I reviewed here. You can substitute a different cheese if you like. As you can see, this is quite a versatile dish. 

You can make this dish ahead of time (in the morning or a day ahead). Make the chili, cool and refrigerate (I usually place it in another dish). Make the biscuit dough and refrigerate. I warm the chili first in the pan and continue as directed. 

Special Equipment: 12-inch cast iron pan

Ingredients


Chili
2 lbs ground beef
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 medium onion, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1/2 jalapeno, diced
6 white mushrooms, diced
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 red pepper
1 14 oz can black beans, drained
2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce


Cobbler
1-1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup grated parmesan
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into on inch pieces
1-1/4 cups 2% milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Chili

  1. In the 12-inch cast iron pan, sautee ground beef with salt and pepper over medium-high heat to brown meat. This will take 7-10 minutes.
  2. Add onions, poblano, jalapeno, pepper, mushrooms, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and garlic. Sautee for about 5 minutes.
  3. Add beans, beef broth and tomato sauce.
  4. Simmer for 15 minutes.


Cobbler
  1. Add flour cornmeal, salt, and baking powder to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 10 times to combine.
  2. Add butter, a piece at a time, and pulse until mixture has a sandy appearance.
  3. Add parmesan and pulse another few times to combine.
  4. Add milk and combine on medium-low speed until  coarse dough forms.


Putting it together
  1. Drop batter by the tablespoon or from an 2 inch ice cream scoop onto the chili (about 14 drops).
  2. Place the pan on a baking sheet to catch any overflow and insert into the oven for approximately 25 minutes (mixture is bubbly and cobbler is golden brown).