Canning Tomatoes

With the abundance of tomatoes from our garden, I canned tomatoes for the first time this summer! I have always wanted to, but thought that I needed a pressure cooker for tomatoes, and I only have a hot water bath canner. After reading through the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving, however, I realized that I was mistaken. I gave it a try, and it's really easy! I was able to process one batch (10 pints) in just a couple hours, doing other things during the 40 minutes they were boiling.


I even felt the freedom to forego some of the instructions and just do what was easiest. I did not blanche the tomatoes first (as recommended in the book, for ease in peeling the skins off) because I did not take the skins off. I didn't even cook them. I just cut them up and plopped the pieces into a pan with a tiny bit of water to warm them up a little. Then I spooned them into warm jars. As with all canning, it is very important that the jars, lids, and food and/or liquid going into the jars is all warm, or the lids may not seal properly. Here are some of the jars keeping hot in a kettle of simmering water.


Before spooning the tomatoes into the jars, I added 1 T of vinegar to each jar. This increases the acidity of the tomatoes. If the acid content is too low, they will not preserve well by this hot water bath method. Foods that are naturally low in acid must have their acidity increased for the hot water bath method, or canned using a pressure cooker. For increasing acidity you can use either 1 T of vinegar or 1 T of bottled lemon juice (not fresh) per pint jar. If you are using quart jars, increase this amount to 2 T.

Then I added the tomatoes and poured some of the juicy water that the tomatoes were keeping warm in, over the tomatoes to within 1/2 inch of the top of the jar. Next I added 1/2 tsp of salt to each jar (this is optional).


I put the jars into my large canning kettle, brought it to a boil, covered the kettle and let them boil for 40 minutes.

Voila!


I was not happy with all the liquid at the bottom of the jars. Obviously I could have packed them a little tighter with tomatoes. But all in all I was pleased with how easy this was and I can't wait to add jars of our own garden-fresh tomatoes to some soup recipes this winter!

Potato Slices on the Grill

At votemom's request, here is a new recipe. ;-) (finally!)

We frequently grill during the summer, as I'm sure you do too. These potato slices on the grill are a bit tedious to prepare, but they are sooooo worth it after they are cooked!

Slice up several potatoes. Stand them one slice at a time on a large piece of foil, and sprinkle each side with a bit of garlic powder and parsley flakes (or any kind of specialty spice or rub ~ I have two spices from Two Sisters Gourmet called over the edge herbed spinach and outrageously garlic blend that are perfect for this!).


Add a few small dollops of butter to the package. You don't want to add too much, but just enough to add a hint of the yummy butter taste, and to prevent sticking. Seal foil tightly. I usually double wrap so the butter doesn't all leak out. Grill as desired.


Unwrap and enjoy!

Linguine in Clam Sauce

This is a yummy recipe my family has enjoyed for a long time, from the cookbook The Gradual Vegetarian by Lisa Tracy. Easy to prepare, and takes about the same time as spaghetti, but with a delightful clam and garlic flavor! The original recipe as listed below serves 2 very generously. I add slightly more of everything for our family and we usually even have leftovers for one lunch the next day.

Linguine in Clam Sauce

2 T olive oil
1 can chopped clams (I use 3 cans for our family of 7)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Large pinch of oregano
1 T fresh chopped parsley (I usually don't have fresh so I use dried)
2 T lemon juice (whenever I don't have this ingredient I just leave out and it still turns out great!)
1 T yogurt (I add a bit more since I am using more clams and more clam juice)
1/2 pound linguine noodles, cooked
1 T butter (I usually leave out this step)
Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a skillet. Drain clams and reserve liquid. Saute garlic in olive oil for one minute. Add clams, oregano, and parsley. Saute for one minute more. Add lemon juice and juice from clams. Simmer for a few minutes and then add yogurt. Stir in and remove pan from heat.

After linguine noodles are cooked, toss with butter. Serve topped with clam sauce and parmesan cheese.

Our whole family loves this and it's a nice variation on an Italian dinner!

Cranberry Chicken

I got this recipe from my friend Carissa on the Tapestry of Grace "Loose Threads" yahoo group, and it was absolutely delicious! A winner!

Cranberry Chicken

Spread boneless, skinless chicken breasts in 9x13 pan. Mix together and pour over top:

1 can whole cranberry sauce
8 oz bottle of French salad dressing
1 envelope french onion soup mix

She suggested covering pan with foil and baking for 90 minutes, but I wanted it to bake faster so I left the pan uncovered. I baked them for about 25 minutes and then turned the chicken breasts over and baked on the other side for another 25 minutes.

Verdict: I was skeptical about mixing the onion soup mix with french dressing and cranberries, but the blending of the flavors was really, really good. A sweet yet tangy flavor. Loved by the whole fam and will definitely make again!

Beef and Rice Burrito Filling

I found this recipe at Kate's Cooking During Stolen Moments blog, and since my family loves mexican food, I knew immediately that I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did! It's a variation on the taco/burrito theme, and it's super easy to make the filling and then freeze for later, or pull out just the amount you need.

Beef and Rice Burrito Filling

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 1/2 cups cooked rice, white or brown
1 15oz can diced or crushed tomatoes (I started leaving this out at the request of my boys)
2 tsp chili powder (I add heaping teaspoons)
2 tsp cumin (again, heaping )
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder (I add about 1 tsp)

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Cool completely and store in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.



To serve, spoon filling down the center of a tortilla. Top with shredded cheese. Roll up and repeat until casserole dish is full.


Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or until heated through. Add desired toppings and enjoy!

Verdict: my whole family loved this dish, with the small exception of the tomatoes. I have made this several times already and will definitely make again!

Tomato Curry Lentil Stew

I was searching for another good recipe that uses lentils, as I have lots of them, and found this one at allrecipes.com. I made a few changes to it and it turned out very well! I served it with applesauce bread topped with honey.


Tomato Curry Lentil Stew

1/2 cup dry lentils (I used one full cup)
1 cup water (I used much more, about 6 cups, and could have added even more)
6 oz stewed tomatoes (I used one regular sized can which was 14.5 oz)
1/8 cup chopped onion
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 tsp curry powder (I used one T)
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

I also added:

2 potatoes, diced
1 T beef soup base
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

Combine lentils, rice and water. Bring to boil. Lower heat to simmer and add tomatoes, potatoes, onion and celery. Cover and let simmer 45 minutes. Check every 15 minutes to stir and add water if necessary. Add spices and let simmer 15 minutes more for flavors to meld.

Verdict: Very, very good! Hearty AND tasty. Everyone liked it and my husband loved it. Will definitely make again!

Breakfast Menus

I made a small goal last weekend to not have cereal for breakfast once this week. Cereal is quick and easy, and there's nothing horribly wrong with it (we rarely buy the sugary kind), but with 5 children we can go through a LOT of cereal in a very short time. I figured that I could probably make healthier breakfasts more cheaply, and a bonus is that we could save money on milk too. Hence, the goal. Here are my breakfast menus for the week:

Monday

Chocolate Chip Pancakes, bananas



Tuesday

Applesauce Bread, yogurt, sausage

Wednesday

Oatmeal, sausage

Thursday

French toast sticks

Friday

Breakfast pizzas

Saturday

Cereal!! The children now have a new appreciation for cereal. :-)