Admit it. When you think of canning what comes to mind? That suspicious looking jar of chow chow your Aunt Edna gave you three years ago that you haven’t had the courage to open?   

I confess I was one of those people who thought canning was so, well, old school. You would think as someone who loves to cook I would have discovered the joys of this art sooner but it wasn’t until last year that a chance program on the Cooking Channel ignited my interest in canning. 

I’ve been obsessed ever since and now twice a year, I get together with D2′s godmother and a few friends to can summer and fall fruit. This year we made peach, peach bourbon and strawberry-lemon marmelade jam along with maple Vidalia onion conserve. To say they are delicious is an understatement. There is nothing like getting the best fruit(or veggies) from your local farmer’s market and turning it into lovely jam you made yourself.  

In this day and age of processed food and expendable knick knacks,  a jar of homemade jam makes a perfect gift.   

While canning can certainly be done solo, it’s so much more fun with a group of friends. This past June we canned over 50 jars. It’s now apple and pear season so we are now gearing up for our fall session. The cookbook I use is the Better Homes and Garden cookbook on canning. It has dozens of recipes along with everything you need to know about safely canning fruits and vegetables. 

This peach bourbon jam recipe has been such  big hit with my friends and family I can’t keep it on my pantry shelf.  If you are not a fan of bourbon, simply leave it out. Try this recipe out for yourself and let me know what you think.

Prep: 30 minutes  Process: 5 minutes 

7 cups of sugar
4 cups of finally chopped, peeled ripe peaches (about three pounds fresh)
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1/2 cup of bourbon
1/2 of a 6-oz package (1 foil pouch) liquid fruit pectin 

Step 1
In a 6-8 quart heavy pot, combine sugar, peaches, lemon juice and bourbon. Bring to boil, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Quickly stir in pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Quickly skim off foam with a metal spoon. 

Step 2
Ladle hot jam into, sterilized jars half-pint canning jars leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids.  

 

 Cook’s Notes: 1) Like baking, canning is a very precise process. It’s critical to follow the directions exactly as written and not deviate to ensure you are preserving your fruit safely and preventing harmful bacteria from forming. 2) Can only what’s in season and buy from your local farmer’s market where fruit and veggies are far more superior to conventionally grown grocery store produce. 3) Be patient! Your jam should rest for at least three weeks before eating but waiting two months or more is even better. It gives the flavors more time to meld. 4) Enjoy on pancakes, steel cut oats, Greek yogurt or fresh bread. 

Give canning a go and I promise you’ll never buy a jar of store bought jam again. It’s that good. Enjoy!

You’ve heard the complaints. The whining. The faux hunger strikes. Chicken again?! I’m sprouting feathers! Chants of  “No More Chicken! No More Chicken!” ring in your ears.  Your family is officially OVER chicken. How could such an innocent little bird conjure up so much dread? Well, the average American eats nearly 200 pounds of meat a year and sixty of it is poultry. No wonder chicken gets such a bad rap.

Chicken: The Perfect Protein

But if you are a busy mom, you know that chicken is healthy, economical, and cooks up quick. We definitely had chicken fatigue at my house, so I was thrilled to find these two recipes that were so good that picky D2 and Dr. D. gobbled them up. The first recipe comes from one of my favorite food blogs Mom’s Kitchen Handbook.  This recipe for Vietnamese Slow Cooker Chicken with Vegetables combines everything I like: complex flavors, the cruch of baby bok choy and meaty, iron-rich chicken thighs. Everything cooks up right in your slow cooker so it’s super fast and easy to make. I’ve made this recipe twice and the family just loves it. We serve it with brown rice but you can go low-carb and eat as is or serve it with basmati or fragrant jasmine rice. This recipe comes directly from Mom’s Kitchen Handbook so do pop over there to check out author Katie Morford’s fabulous site.

Vietnamese Slow Cooker Chicken with Baby Bok Choy

• 6 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar. divided
• 1 ½ pounds baby bok choy

Lay the chicken thighs in the slow cooker with the fleshier side facing down. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, fish sauce, black pepper, garlic, canola oil, and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar. Pour over the chicken, put on the lid, and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours. The time may vary a depending on the size of the chicken thighs.

When the chicken is nearly done, cut the heads of baby bok choy in half down the center and remove the little wedge of core. Roughly chop the bok choy and wash thoroughly. Five or 10 minutes before the cooking time is up, remove the chicken from the pot. Stir the second tablespoon of brown sugar into the sauce and add the bok choy, immersing it in the cooking liquid. Set the chicken back in the pot on top of the bok choy and replace the lid. Set the pot to high and cook until the bok choy is tender (about 8 minutes or so).

Cook’s Note: Fish sauce  (nam pla) is an essential ingredient to this and other South East Asian-inspired dishes. It’s what gives Thai and Vietnamese food its earthy flavor. You may be tempted to leave it out but don’t. The best varieties can be found in Asian and other speciality food markets but your larger grocery store will also carry fish sauce. Also, I like to add just a couple more tablespoons of brown sugar to the recipe as I find it really brightens up the other flavors. Finally, I’m a big fan of organic meats. Yes, they cost a bit more but if you can find locally raised organic chicken, I think you’ll find the flavor far superior to that produced by Big Poultry.

Next up is the insanely delicious Morraccan Chicken and Lentils from the Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook. This cookbook is a must for your collection if you are trying to eat healthily. This recipe is full of earthy flavors of cumin, chili powder and onion.  Even if you never eat beans, give this recipe as try as the flavors are just outstanding.

Morroccan Chicken and Lentils

1. Combine water and 1 tsp sea salt in stock pot over high heat. Add lentils. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 20-25 minutes. Drain well. Rinse under cold water and drain well. Place in large bowl and set aside.

2. In small bowl, mix 1/4 C olive oil, vinegar, 2 Tbsp cumin, 2 Tbsp chili powder, garlic, and 1 tsp sea salt. Pour this dressing over lentils. Toss gently and let cool.

3. In large skillet heat 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add onion and saute until well cooked, about 5 minutes. Onions should appear dark brown and soft. Add chicken and saute 2 minutes more. Add 1 tsp sea salt, 1 Tbsp cumin, 2 tsp chili powder, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Saute until chicken is cooked through.

4. Arrange lentils on a large serving platter. Place sliced chicken on top of lentils. Use remaining dressing and pour over chicken. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve at room temperature. Serves 8.

Voila! I hope these recipes will reignite your faith in the lowly yard bird. Have a favorite chicken recipe? Do share.