CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

This is a POSITIVELY DELICIOUS frosting recipe. What a nice variation from classic chocolate frosting!! It has a smooth, thick texture and tastes great by the spoonful!!

 

This is my new "go to" recipe for frosting snack cakes, brownies and cupcakes, it is quick, easy to make and tastes great!!

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (I used Jiff)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 - 3/4  cup half and half (see note)
2  2/3 cup confectioners sugar

Mix the peanut butter, cocoa powder, vanilla and a few tablespoons of the half and half until it is smooth and creamy.  Add the sugar, salt and the rest of the half and half (*see note below).   Beat with electric mixer until smooth and shiny.

That's it... what could be easier?!?  We LOVED this frosting!!

NOTE: The recipe said to start with half cup of the half and half and if you want it thinner, add the remaining 1/4 cup of half and half (one tablespoon at time)...beating until smooth.

ZUCCHINI PICKLE RELISH

This time of year, there is an overabundance of zucchini, so I've been making relish out of it. A friend kindly gave me a wonderful recipe last year and I was thrilled with the outcome of my first pickling adventure. Unfortunately, I only made half of the recipe and we ran out quickly because we used it in EVERYTHING from tuna fish, to potato salad, to hot dogs, to you name it... you would NEVER guess it was made out of zucchini.

This season, I'm making TWO batches. I also (nervously) tweaked last years recipe a little with amazing results; we love this recipe, it has a perfect bread and butter pickle flavor.

12 cups unpeeled zucchini (chopped small)
3 cups sweet onion (chopped small)
1 cup celery (chopped small)
2 large red bell peppers (chopped small)
2 cups peeled carrots (chopped small)
1 cup pickling salt (see important note)
3 cups white vinegar
3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons DRY mustard powder
1 tablespoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon corn starch

Wash and dry the vegetables before cutting them (the only one you should peel is the carrot).  Coarsely chop the vegetables, then put them in the food processor (2 or 3 cups at a time) and pulse them a few times to get them small enough for a good relish (but not too small). The chop size should look like the next photo.

CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE

Measure the vegetables AFTER you chop them in the food processor.

Mix the small chopped vegetables and 1 cup of pickling salt. Place this mixture (covered) in fridge overnight (The salt will draw excess moisture out of the veggies).

IMPORTANT NOTE: After the vegetables have chilled overnight, it is VERY IMPORTANT that you rinse the salt off of them.  I used a colander and rinsed the veggies three times (in small batches). Whatever method you choose to rinse the salt off, just make sure you rinse, rinse, rinse then squeeze as much water out of the chopped veggies (with your hands) as you can. Set aside.

In a large, non-aluminum, pot, mix the vinegar, sugar, celery seed, spices and corn starch. Bring to a boil (to dissolve the sugar). Add all of the rinsed vegetables to the pot and bring BACK to a boil. Once it is boiling well, turn heat to medium low and gently boil everything for 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so.

While the relish is simmering, sterilize 7 pint jars and 7 (two piece) screw on lids. I do this by putting the jars through a hot cycle in my dishwasher (but I don't put the lids in there). Keep the jars in the (unopened) hot dishwasher after the last cycle.

For the lids, I just wash them with hot soapy water, rinse them well and then pour boiling water over them in a large saucepan which I keep warm on a burner.

Also, while the relish is simmering, bring your  hot water bath to a boil, here's how: Place a rack on the bottom of a large stock pot (or something to keep the jars up off of the bottom of the pan) and fill the pot with water (water should be deep enough to cover the jars by 2". Bring to full boil.

Now that your relish has boiled for 20 minutes, remove it from the heat and place it in the hot jars, leaving 1/4" space at the top of the jars (make sure there are no air pockets in the relish). Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, hot, wet kitchen towel and screw on the two-piece lids fairly tight. Lower the jars into the already boiling water and keep them in there  10 minutes for half pint jars and 15 minutes for pint jars.

Remove from boiling water and let cool to room temperature on your kitchen counter. As they cool on your counter, you will hear the lids "pop" when they make the correct seal.  If they don't "pop", just keep them in the fridge.

NOTE: Do not use regular table salt for this recipe because the anti-caking agents in table salt cause the relish to discolor.  If you don't have pickling salt, the next best thing to use is kosher salt (but I highly recommend pickling salt).

NOTE: This recipe makes 7 pints of relish.

QUICK and EASY STICKY CHICKEN WINGS

This is one of picky-picky hubbies all time favorite things to eat (hands down!!). Wing sections baked in a soy sauce, brown sugar and pineapple mixture, this recipe is  super simple and always a hit at parties. I've been asked for this recipe countless times and people are always surprised how few ingredients (simple) the recipe is.

CLICK ON THIS PICTURE

2 pounds of chicken wing sections
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon black pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
20 ounce can of pineapple chunks (drained well)

Cut the wings into sections, discarding the wing tip (or buy already cut up party wings) and place in a 9" x 13" (greased) baking dish.  Mix everything else together and spoon over the wings.

Bake in a 350 oven (uncovered) for 1½ hours, turning everything over every 30 minutes or so. Now I know that seems like a LONG time for chicken wings, but trust me, it does takes that long for the wings to "break down" and be super tender, sweet and juicy and sticky!!

Remove the wings and pineapple from the sauce and serve  (discard the sauce). Hubby likes the pineapple chunks, but I don't care for them...your choice.

NOTE: Do not omit the pineapple, the flavor and moisture content of the fruit is important to the cooking process.

NOTE:  The last 30 minutes of bake time, the chicken wings will get shiney and sticky!!

NOTE: If you are still in doubt about the 1½ hour cooking time, click on the above photo and you will get a better look at the wings themselves and you will see they are juicy and not overcooked.

RED CURRANT and RASPBERRY JAM

It's been gloomy, rainy and chilly all week; fall is right around the corner here in Alaska; that also means it is berry picking time!!

Today I whipped up a batch of red currant - raspberry jam which is picky-picky husbands all time favorite. Lucky for us, these berries grow in the woods around our house and I've been using them to make this jam for over 35 years now.  Hubby likes this recipe so much that HE picks the berries without me asking him to!!

The red currants really brighten up the raspberries and the combination is simply delicious (and gorgeous)!!

3 cups of crushed red currants (measure after crushing)
3/4 cup water
4 cups raspberries (frozen berries are OK)
7 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup liquid pectin (I use Certo)

Crush the red currants (I use a potato masher) and measure three cups into a heavy pan. Add 3/4 cup of water and boil for 10 minutes.  Strain the mixture with a sieve and return the juice to the pan (throw away the solids)

Add the raspberries and sugar to the currant juice and bring to a hard rolling boil (one that can not be stirred down); boil for one full minute minute exactly (stirring constantly).

Remove from heat and stir in liquid pectin until well mixed; skim off any pinkish foam (throw the foam away). 

Pour the hot jam into clean and sterilized jam jars, wipe the rims clean with a clean wet
towel and put on the lids. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Makes 8 cups of jam

A NOTE  ABOUT  RED  CURRANTS

In the woods around our house, we have raspberries, red currants and high bush cranberries. My first jelly making "adventure" (a million years ago) involved high bush cranberries (they grow in profusion around here and they are a lot of fun to pick).

Thinking that I had hit the "berry mother lode", I was so proud of my huge harvest. It wasn't until I started cooking them that I realized they weren't red currants (high bush cranberries smell like dirty gym socks when you cook them). 

 A lot of people DO eat high bush cranberries, but they usually mix them with other fruit to help mask the strong "sock taste".  Let's just say I didn't make that mistake again, lol !!

So..... for my young Alaskan friends who are beginning to make jam, don't make that same mistake. This is what a high bush cranberry looks like:

A red currant is very different... they look like this:

NOTE: It is always a race between us and the birds for these red gems. If I wait until they are ALL ripe, the birds usually win, so I pick and freeze....pick and freeze, until I have enough for a batch of jam (these berries freeze VERY well).

NOTE: This recipe uses a liquid pectin called CERTO. I'm guessing that a powdered pectin would work well, but I've never tried it with this recipe. It takes 1½ pouches of liquid pectin (1½ pouches = 1/2 cup). If you use the powdered pectin, make sure you follow the cooking instructions on the box.

NOTE: If you've never processed jam in a hot water bath (it is super simple), go to this web site for some specific instructions:   http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/waterbath-canning-highacid-foods.html

PERFECT FRENCH FRIES

We don't eat homemade french fries very often because they don't turn out very well. I've tried many potato varieties; I've tried various oils and temperatures; I've tried double frying them (what a hassle that was!) and I've tried baking them... they all come out of the oil LOOKING great but turn limp and greasy in a matter of minutes.

Then, recently, I came across this very simple recipe.  Assuming this technique was just too easy to produce great results, I didn't even mention the recipe "experiment" before I served them.

After about the third french fry, picky-picky hubby offered this unsolicited critique: "these fries are REALLY good"... I knew I had a winner.  I will definitely be using this super easy method the next time we decide to treat ourselves to some fries.

2 pounds of Russet potatoes (make sure they are Russet's)
2 tablespoons corn starch
peanut oil   (peanut oil works the best)
kosher salt

Slice the potatoes into shoestring size pieces, trying to make them as even as possible. Rinse the cut potatoes thoroughly and put them in a big bowl of plain cold water in the fridge until dinner time (at least an hour, but overnight is even better).

Take the potatoes out of the cold water and lay them on an absorbent towel, blotting most of the water off. Coat the potatoes lightly with the cornstarch and shake off the excess.  Let them air dry while the peanut oil heats up to 375 degrees.

A word about the oil:  You will get the best french fries using peanut oil; it has a high scorch level and tastes great.  You can also use regular vegetable oil, but avoid canola oil. Canola oil tastes a little "off" if you bring it up to 375 degrees. I was surprised what a difference peanut oil makes.

When the oil reaches 375, put a big handful of the coated potatoes in the oil and stir to separate them.  After they've fried for a minute or so, stir them again to make sure they aren't sticking together (don't overcrowd your pan).

When the potatoes are light golden brown, take them out of the oil and put them on paper towels to wick away some of the oil. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt (it tastes so much better than regular table salt on the french fries).

That's it!! No more limp, greasy french fries (and NO more double frying!!). Who knew that Russet potatoes, a little soak time, a little corn starch and some peanut oil would make such a great french fry?!?!

NOTE ABOUT CUTTING THE POTATOES: Peel (or wash) the potatoes and cut the sides of the potatoes off (making sort of a rectangle). This will give your potato flat sides to rest on while you slice through the potato.  Stack the potato "slabs" and cut into shoestring size potatoes.

Russet's are those big baking potatoes.

SHRIMP FRIED RICE

This recipe is light, flavorful, versatile and most of it can be made ahead and just heated together at meal time. It is one of our favorite's (summer AND winter) and double or tripled, it is great for a crowd!! 

 

3 cups of cold COOKED rice (day old rice is best)
5 slices of bacon (save 2 tablespoons bacon fat )
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1/4 cup sliced green onion tops
1 pound of  large shrimp
2 eggs beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
dry crushed red pepper flakes to taste
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
Sliced cherry tomatoes for decoration
Any veggies you want to add (cooked and chopped)


Spray your largest frying pan with vegetable spray and heat to medium high. Beat 2 eggs and pour them into the pan, tilting the pan so the eggs spread out nice and thin. When the eggs are starting to "set", sprinkle lightly with a few crushed red pepper flakes. Flip the eggs over and remove from heat. If the eggs don't flip over in one piece, that's ok, just keep the pieces as large and thin as you can. Remove from pan.

When the eggs are cool enough to handle, roll them up and slice thinly (to get thin strips of egg). This sounds like a hassle, but it is an important part of the dish; set aside.


Fry 5 slices of bacon until crispy, remove and drain on paper towels set aside (reserve some bacon fat).

Put 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat in a wok or large frying pan, add 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion and saute until tender; add 3 cups of COLD cooked rice, the crumbled bacon, 1/4 cup sliced green onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and any other chopped (cooked) vegetables you want to include; gently mix over medium heat.

Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil and one pound of COOKED shrimp (see note). Gently toss, and heat through; gently stir in egg strips just before serving. Decorate with sliced cherry tomatoes.

NOTE: If you are using precooked shrimp, just stir them in at the end of the recipe.

NOTE: If you are using raw shrimp (which I highly recommend), CLICK HERE for my easy cooking method.

NOTE: If you are using  frozen raw shrimp, make sure they are completely thawed and drained and patted dry before you cook them (or they will boil as they defrost and get rubbery).

NOTE: It is important that the rice used in this recipe be made ahead of time and chilled in the fridge. It is a great use for leftover rice. 

NOTE: You will not be happy with the outcome of this recipe  if you use freshly made rice.

PAUL PRUDHOMME SEASONING MIX CLONE

I've thought about trying commercial dry rubs for a long time, but I have trouble spending several dollars on them since the ingredient list tells me I have those same spices at home!! So...... I've been experimenting with my own spice rack (with picky-picky husband's timid pallet in mind of course). He is (has always been) a meat and potatoes...salt and pepper...mild barbecue sauce kind of guy, so I've had to introduce these dry spice rubs "subtly" (snicker).

Today's post was a big hit. I found it during one of my "2 AM can't sleep" Internet sessions and I failed to write down it's source, I apologize. The spice combo is just right for our taste..... not too spicy, but VERY flavorful and it goes well with just about any meat, even seafood.

PAUL PRUDHOMME (style) SEASONING MIX

1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon DRY mustard powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Mix everything (makes about 1/4 cup) and rub, liberally, onto raw meat about an hour before grilling.