CRUSHED PINEAPPLE JAM

CRUSHED PINEAPPLE JAM Food Recipes, There are a thousand uses for a good pineapple jam: toast, muffins, ham glaze, roast chicken glaze, pork roast glaze, cookie fillings and many more. My first attempt at making fresh pineapple jam was not totally successful since it never really "set" and I ended up using it as ice cream topping. I think the acidity or sugar level in any given pineapple varies greatly, so it was hard to get the right pectin ratio, but that's just a guess.
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Now I use this excellent, super quick and super tasty recipe for pineapple jam that calls for canned crushed pineapple. I'd like to say that I, normally, would never consider making jam from a canned fruit (I make jam from berries that grow around the house); but, pineapple jam is the exception and this one gets five stars from Hubby.

(1) 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple (sweetened)
unsweetened pineapple juice (see note)
3 cups white sugar
(1) 1.75 ounce box Sure Jell pectin powder
(or the equivalent of liquid pectin)

GET READY
1. Wash your jam jars and rinse well (dishwasher works well) keep jars hot.
2. Place your 2 piece jar lids in boiling water, then turn the heat to low and let
them sit in the hot water till you need them.
3. Measure 3 cups of sugar and set it aside.
4. Add enough pineapple juice to the crushed pineapple, to equal 3¼ cups. One 20 ounce can of un-drained crushed pineapple and one six ounce can of unsweetened pineapple juice equals 3¼ cups.
TIME TO MAKE JAM
Place the fruit + juice + pectin in a six quart, heavy bottomed saucepan and bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the sugar, all at once, and bring back to a full rolling boil (one that can not be stirred down) stirring constantly. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat and skim off (and discard) any foam that is on the surface of the hot jam. Ladle hot jam into jars, filling to within ¼" of the top.
With a clean, warm, damp cloth, quickly wipe off the rims of the full jars and put the two piece lids on. Process the jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Remove and cool on the counter.
NOTE: If you have concerns about the hot water bath step, check out the simple step-by-step instructions at: PICKYOUROWN.ORG
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NOTE: Recipe makes five cups of jam.
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NOTE: I keep individual (6 ounce) cans of unsweetened pineapple juice in the pantry for cooking, rather than a big jug that spoils before it gets used up.
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NOTE: We don't care for jam that has big (unspreadable) chunks of fruit in it, so I pulsed the pineapple in the food processor a few times before I started cooking the jam. The final product still had a pineapple texture, but no hard chunks. I think next time I make this, I will put in a few chopped maraschino cherries for fun & color.
CRUSHED PINEAPPLE JAM FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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CHOCOLATE WAFFLES THIS WEEKEND!!

CHOCOLATE WAFFLES THIS WEEKEND!! Food Recipes, There is no earthly justification for chocolate waffles, except to have fun!! You won't find these on any weight watchers menu, nor are they as easy as "instant" waffle mix. However, they are delicious and a fun weekend treat for the "kids". Hot chocolate waffles with a scoop of vanilla ice cream...or hot chocolate waffles with whipped cream & sprinkles...better yet, hot chocolate waffles with peanut butter? I figure if you are going to "go for it" you might as well do it right with chocolate waffles.

1½ cups all purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs, beaten
¼ cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk (see note)
¾ cup miniature chocolate chips
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Whisk first 6 ingredients together in large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, melted (& cooled) butter, vanilla and buttermilk. Add this wet mixture to the dry mixture, then stir in chocolate chips. Let this batter rest for about 5 minutes while you heat up your waffle iron. (Batter needs to rest a little before use).
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Spray your waffle iron with a little vegetable spray (you only need to spray it that first time). Cook waffles as you would any other waffle. Serve hot.
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NOTE: For those occasions when I want to bake something, at the last minute, and I'm out of buttermilk, I use a product called SACO Cultured Buttermilk powder; you can find it in the baking section of any grocery store. Its strictly for baking, but it works wonderfully and I can't really tell the difference in baked goods. It worked great in these chocolate waffles, just make sure you follow the directions on the SACO can and add the right amount of water. It is a good thing to have on hand (make sure you keep it in the fridge).


CHOCOLATE WAFFLES THIS WEEKEND!! FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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BAKED CHICKEN 101

BAKED CHICKEN 101 Food Recipes, It seems there are two camps of thought when it comes to baking a chicken. Either you are an old hand at it (if so, today's post will be "old hat") or... the chicken carcass freaks you out; if you are in the second camp, this post is for you. It really is easy to do and opens up a whole world of recipes.


First of all, I'd like to say it is hard to beat a deli made rotisserie chicken for convenience (and they taste pretty good), but with the price of raw chicken coming down (I found whole chickens at our local FM for 89 cents a pound which is a good price here in Alaska) it only makes sense to bake the chicken at home. There are no magic tricks for baking a chicken; stick to a couple of simple rules and you've got it made. Also, if you have a large roasting pan, you can bake a couple of these fat hens at the same time and you'll have enough chicken on hand (for sandwiches, salads, quick dinners, etc.) for the whole week.

I used to bake chickens whole (like you would a turkey), but was grossed out by the empty chicken cavity that filled with unappetizing-colored juices as it baked. To remedy that, I split the chicken open, removing the backbone and baked it flat. Now those mystery juices turn into a wonderful golden broth in the bottom of the pan and the whole dinner looks so much more appetizing.


First start off with whole chickens that are 3 to 4 pounds each. Remove them from their wrapper and sit the chickens, one at a time, in your kitchen sink. Steady the chickens in the upright position, with legs pointing down. Using a sharp knife, remove the backbone. Starting at the neck and slice down, along side of the backbone, all the way down to the tail section; repeat on the other side. Remove the backbone and discard (or see note). Removal of the backbone can also be done easily if you have a pair of very sharp kitchen scissors.


Once the backbone is removed, rinse the chicken thoroughly in running cold water, rubbing down all parts of the meat (see note); dry with paper towels. Because you will want this chicken to lay out flat in the roasting pan, crack (or cut) the breastbone but don't cut down into the meat. Once you crack the breastbone, you should be able to open the chicken and lay it down flat in a roasting pan like this:

Any surface with chicken skin should be facing towards you.

Brush the chicken skin, lightly, with butter and sprinkle lightly (about ½ teaspoon) of onion powder then generously with salt and pepper. Surround with favorite veggies if you like.

Bake, uncovered, at 375F for 1½ hours (for 4 pound chicken). Remove from oven and cover loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. This produces a very tender and juicy chicken.
NOTE: It doesn't matter where you get your chicken from or what brand you buy; you still need to be very careful about cross-contamination when it comes to chicken.

ANYTHING that touches raw chicken (from your hands to utensils, to cutting boards,
to dish towels and sinks) needs to be washed thoroughly with warm soapy water before you touch anything else. I go a step farther and use a bleach based kitchen cleaner on all surfaces after preparing chicken.
NOTE: The backbone that you removed makes great chicken stock. Keep a resealable bag in the freezer and throw the backbones in there. When you get half dozen or so, you can make a fantastic chicken stock by throwing them in a pot of water (2 quarts) and adding onion, celery, carrots and peppercorns; simmer it all for a couple of hours then strain it. The crockpot is also excellent for making chicken stock.
BAKED CHICKEN 101 FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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CROCKPOT SWISS STEAK

CROCKPOT SWISS STEAK Food Recipes, Super easy, super flavorful, super leftovers...what more can I say? This is comfort food at its best. For the richest flavor, brown the meat and veggies before they go into the crockpot, but that isn't absolutely necessary if you are in a rush. This recipe will fill your kitchen with nostalgic aromas from your childhood and leftovers make the best panini sandwiches for tomorrow nights dinner.


¼ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons dry basil leaves
2 pounds round steak (about ¾" thick) see note
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 stalks celery chopped (see note)
small chopped onion
3 carrots chopped (see note)
(2) 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes (see note)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
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Cut the meat into serving size pieces and coat it with the flour (save any flour that doesn't stick to the meat). Brown the meat in the vegetable oil then put it into the crockpot. In the same pan, saute the onion, celery and carrot until tender. Stir in the diced tomatoes, salt & pepper, basil, Worcestershire, brown sugar and the rest of the flour. Mix well and pour over the meat in the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until the meat is very tender (my crockpot cooks hot, so it was tender in 6 hours); the sauce/gravy thickens as it cooks.
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NOTE: The recipe calls for round steak, but I thought that would taste a little dry because its so lean, so I used lean chuck steak and trimmed all the fat away.
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NOTE: I chopped the veggies in the food processor to get them small enough. I also used canned diced tomatoes that had basil and oregano in them and I put the tomatoes in the food processor because Hubby doesn't like to "see" chunks of tomatoes in the sauce.
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NOTE: If you like mushrooms, add them the last half hour of cooking, or serve them on the side.

CROCKPOT SWISS STEAK FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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CHOCOLATE-PECAN ICE CREAM CUPS

CHOCOLATE-PECAN ICE CREAM CUPS Food Recipes, I tried this recipe for the first time, this week, and it has a lot of potential. I think it will take another time (or two) to get the upper edge thick enough to hold its shape perfectly, but other than that, the chocolate cups are really delicious. You have to keep them in the freezer, but even frozen solid, they are the consistency of a good fudge. They are super simple to make and fun to have on hand in the freezer.

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 cup finely ground pecans (I used the food processor)

In a heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk. Stir until very smooth then stir in finely chopped pecans. Insert paper liners into cupcake tins; spread about 2 tablespoons of this mixture on the bottom and up the sides of the paper liners. Freeze for at least 2 hours. Remove paper liners and fill with a scoop of your favorite ice cream. Makes about 18 cups.

NOTE: I melted my chocolate with the sweetened condensed milk in the microwave (on high); it took about 30 seconds, stirring half way through.

NOTE: Recipe calls for finely ground pecans. I used the food processor to chop the nuts super fine.

NOTE: Make sure you leave the chocolate at the top edge of the cupcake paper nice and thick, so it doesn't break/tear when you remove the paper. Chocolate cups are not super hard/brittle like other chocolate cups.

NOTE: Letting the chocolate cups sit at room temperature for about 3 or 4 minutes before removing the paper liner, makes it easier.

CHOCOLATE-PECAN ICE CREAM CUPS FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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KID FRIENDLY CHILI

KID FRIENDLY CHILI Food Recipes, Because this recipe doesn't really have a name, I'm calling it "kid friendly chili" because it is very mild. There are several people in our family that prefer this mild chili as opposed to more traditional chili. The tomato acids are offset by grated carrot and a little white sugar, and there is very little "heat", but lots of flavor from the beef broth & long cooking time.

1 pound lean ground beef
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
1 cup grated carrot
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 scant tablespoon white sugar
(1) 12 ounce can tomato paste
(2) 15 ounce cans kidney beans
4 cups beef broth
corn chips

Brown ground beef and onions until there is no more pink in the meat then drain well. Return the meat-onions to the pan and add everything else. Simmer slowly for a couple hours if you have the time (at least one hour). If the chili gets too thick, add a little water. You can put it in the crockpot at this stage.

Throw a handful of broken corn chips into the bottom of each bowl and top with the chili and chopped avocado, tomato and cheese.

KID FRIENDLY CHILI FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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FIVE STAR CHOCOLATE FUDGE GLAZE

FIVE STAR CHOCOLATE FUDGE GLAZE Food Recipes, Once you try this very simple, chocolate fudge glaze, you will be sold on it. I use it for a wide variety of things because it just takes a minute to whip up, it is delicious and provides a thick shiny glaze. I pour it on brownies while they are still hot & in the pan. You can dip cupcakes or cookies into it or pour it over a cake. It is thick, sweet, super smooth and even stays shiny after it dries (very pretty). I hope you try it. If you find some new, unique use for this glaze, please let me know. Sorry about todays poor photo quality, these photos were taken in a hurry.
½ cup light corn syrup (like Karo)
5 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons butter

Bring these three ingredients to a full boil, and boil for 20 seconds. Remove from heat and add: 12 ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Stir until melted and smooth. Cool to room temperature before you use it.

NOTE: I have not tried it, but I do not see any reason that you could not use ANY flavor baking chips for this recipe...I believe white chocolate would be very pretty.

NOTE: This glaze does not dry to the touch until the next day, so I wouldn't use this on anything that you have to pack for shipping.

FIVE STAR CHOCOLATE FUDGE GLAZE FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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LEMON MERINGUE BITES

LEMON MERINGUE BITES Food Recipes, I am a new convert for the little pre-made phyllo cups made by Athens (found in the frozen foods section). I have found many sweet and savory uses for the little time savers.

These sweet little beauties went together in (literally) minutes, thanks to the phyllo cups.
This filling recipe will fill two packages of phyllo cups and since they are so small, they chill quickly and will be ready to serve in short order. Two packages sounds like a lot of lemon pies, but it really isn't (the filling recipe was originally for an 8" pie). Hubby ate four of these after a big meal, so keep that in mind.
2 packages of phyllo cups

LEMON FILLING
1 cup white sugar
¼ cup corn starch
1 cup water
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest
2 drops yellow food color (optional)

MERINGUE TOPPING
2 egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ cup white sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For filling, mix sugar, cornstarch and water in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil; boil and stir for one minute. Stir half of this mixture into the beaten egg yolks (whisking like crazy to keep the mixture moving). After well mixed, pour the whole thing back into the original pan and boil (and stir) for one more minute. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest and butter. Spoon hot lemon mixture into phyllo cups.
For the meringue topping, beat (with electric mixer) the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy then sprinkle in the sugar, a little at a time, while you are beating; add the vanilla and continue to beat until stiff peaks form when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.
Top the hot lemon filling with a spoonful of meringue. Bake in a 400F oven for about 10 minutes or until the meringue becomes golden and shiny (watch carefully). Cool on the counter until they are room temperature THEN put them in the fridge to chill. NOTE: Be careful when you separate the eggs; even just a speck of yolk in the egg whites will stop them from whipping correctly. Also, make sure you do NOT whip the egg whites in anything plastic. Any traces of grease or oil in the bowl or on the beaters will stop your egg whites from whipping properly.
Thank you all for your well wishes, regarding our cat Tabitha. She is walking around today and even has found her kitty voice again!! Thanks to lots of "ear licks" from our dog Chloe, Tabitha is well on her way to a full recovery.
LEMON MERINGUE BITES FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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GREEN CHILE PORK LOIN ROAST

GREEN CHILE PORK LOIN ROAST Food Recipes, We love this recipe, not only because it is easy and tasty, but because of it's excellent leftover possibilities. Green chile roast leftovers make great cold sandwiches or it can be torn apart and tucked (hot) into warm tortillas (with a little bit of the chile gravy & some pepperjack cheese) for a great leftover transformation (it is one of those recipes that tastes even better on day two).


4 pound boneless pork loin roast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 ounce can of Ortega fire roasted green chiles
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon dry red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder (not salt)
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 Reynolds roasting bag + 1 tablespoon flour
Place the tablespoon of flour in the roasting bag and shake it around (per roasting bag instructions). Place the bag in a roasting pan (set aside).

Mix all of the dry ingredients and rub it all onto the surface of the pork roast. Brown the roast in the vegetable oil (both sides). Place the browned roast into the roasting bag and put half of the green chiles on top of the roast and the other half under the roast.

Seal the bag tightly and make a few small holes in the top of the bag to let steam escape. Bake in preheated 325F oven for 2 hours (see note). Thicken juices and serve over pork slices.

NOTE: I have not tried it, but I see no reason why you could not use a roasting pan that has a tight lid instead of the plastic roasting bag.

NOTE: Most recipes tell you took cook a boneless pork roast like this for 20 minutes per pound, however, we like our pork cooked longer than that. Thirty minutes per pound will give you very tender pork but still slice-able (not quite to pulled pork tenderness). If you don't care for pork done this way, figure 20 minutes per pound.

GREEN CHILE PORK LOIN ROAST FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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THE BEST BANANA-PINEAPPLE BREAD I'VE EVER EATEN!!

THE BEST BANANA-PINEAPPLE BREAD I'VE EVER EATEN!! Food Recipes, I've tried, literally, dozens of banana bread recipes, over the years, and this one is, by far, the BEST I've ever eaten. It is quick and easy (one bowl); it is moist from the 2 cups of mashed bananas and some crushed pineapple, it is sweet from brown sugar & has just a hint of cinnamon and coconut extract. You have to try this one!!
In a large bowl, whisk together:
3 large eggs
1¼ cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract (don't leave out)
2 cups of ripe mashed bananas
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple drained
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup white sugar

After it is well mixed, stir in:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix well with wooden spoon and pour into two greased 8" x 4" x 2" loaf pans. Bake at 350F for 60 minutes or until toothpick tests clean. Cool in pan for 20 minutes before removing to wire rack. Wrap hot banana bread in plastic wrap and let it cool.

Hubby loves this bread toasted & slathered with butter!!

THE BEST BANANA-PINEAPPLE BREAD I'VE EVER EATEN!! FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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PEANUT BUTTER-CHOCOLATE PINWHEEL COOKIES

PEANUT BUTTER-CHOCOLATE PINWHEEL COOKIES Food Recipes, This is a great cookie, but it does take a couple extra steps. Because they are so cute, they are perfect for cookie trays, bake sales, cookie exchanges or birthday cookies for a friend.

½ cup butter, room temperature
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1¼ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons baking cocoa

Cream the butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the flour, soda and salt and beat well; divide dough in half.
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Melt the chocolate chips and add the cocoa; let this cool to room temperature.
Mix the cooled chocolate into HALF of the cookie dough.
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Roll out each half of the dough to roughly 10" x 14" (roll it on waxed paper and it will "behave" better when it is time to assemble).
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Flip the chocolate cookie dough (using the waxed paper to hang on to) over on to the peanut butter dough (or vise versa) and press together lightly; peel off the top waxed paper.
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Roll the two doughs together, jelly roll style, starting with the long side and lifting the waxed paper away at every revolution. Wrap the rolled log of dough with waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for half an hour before cutting (see note).
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Slice cookies about ¼" thick and bake on ungreased baking sheet, in a 375F oven for 10-12 minutes (watch carefully after 10 minutes). Let these cookies cool on the cookie sheet for about a minute before removing them.
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NOTE: The cookie dough (just before putting in the fridge) will be a little soft from all of the handling, and it will try and flatten itself into an oval. To keep the dough log round, place the wrapped logs of dough inside a tall drinking glass and lay the glass on its side in the fridge (this will help the log keep its round shape while it chills).
PEANUT BUTTER-CHOCOLATE PINWHEEL COOKIES FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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STUFFED MUSHROOMS

STUFFED MUSHROOMS Food Recipes, I made this recipe, for the first time, on Christmas Eve and they were a big hit. I put the recipe together, early in the day and just popped them in the oven for 25 minutes just before dinner. Super simple and absolutely delicious.

12 whole (large) fresh mushrooms

Clean mushrooms and carefully break off stems and reserve. Using a melon baller, scoop the rest of the stem and gills out, making a nice big pocket in the mushroom.

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 large clove garlic minced (more if you like)

(1) 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (not powdered kind)

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Trim off any hardened parts of the mushroom stems and chop the good part of the stems (and gill trimmings) very fine, using a food processor.

Saute the finely chopped stems and pieces in canola oil until all moisture has evaporated (add the garlic to the pan about half way through this step so you don't burn it). Set this aside to cool a little.

When the mushroom-garlic mixture has cooled, mix in the cream cheese, Parmesan, black pepper, onion powder and cayenne pepper; mix very well (it will be very thick). Fill the mushroom caps generously, piling it high on each cap. Place the stuffed mushrooms on a lightly sprayed baking dish (don't let them touch each other) and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes depending on how large your mushrooms are. Let them sit for a few minutes before serving.

NOTE: I made a double batch (24) of 2½" wide mushrooms (as a side dish) and served it to 8 adults and had no leftovers...so make plenty...they are really good.

Happy New Year!!!

Thank you very much for your kind words of encouragement and support; it means the world to me. Coleen

STUFFED MUSHROOMS FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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