Sausage Balls

I think every family has a lot of food traditions associated with Christmas. Sausage Balls come from our southern family tradition. They are often made at other occasions because everyone loves them so much, but they ALWAYS show up during the holidays. This is one of the recipes that made it into the family tome I was gifted when I married Keith, and we have definately assimilated it into our Boston Christmastime. 

Everyone gets in on the cooking at Christmas. The cousins made Chex Mix 

The recipe is very simple and it is great for involving the little family members because you have to use your hands to get it right. (also a good time to teach about not eating raw meat, handwashing etc...) We usually use hot sausage but you can use any sausage you enjoy. Traditionally, this recipe is made with Bisquick, but it works fine with any all-purpose baking mix. I recently used the Trader Joe's all-purpose pancake and waffle mix. It worked great. 

Sausage Balls

Ingredients:

1 pound of hot ground pork sausage

2 cups baking mix (pancake or biscuit)

1 pound sharp shredded cheddar cheese 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl combine all ingredients. Knead everything together until it is fully incorporated. When you start there will be a collection of mix and cheese that rests in the bottom of the bowl. Keep turning the sausage, pressing it into the mix and kneading until all of it is combined into one large sausagey dough.

3. roll the dough into one-inch balls, and arrange on a baking tray. 

4. Bake 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the sausage is cooked through.

5. Try to let them cool before everyone eats them all. 

Berry Pie

This is a blueberry pie I made on vacation in Colorado

 I have made a lot of berry pies. Keith is not fan of cake, so he always gets blueberry pie for his birthday. Some of the birthday pies have gone well and some have been terrible. For years I have searched for the recipe that will give me a berry pie that slices and when you lift it up all the filling does not fall out, but stays in a perfect purple wedge. I have finally found a recipe that works really well. Depending on the berries, some juicier varieties take a little longer to cook, but this recipe works EVERY TIME.

Thanksgiving pies 2021: Black Raspberry pie

There are two key secrets to a good berry pie:

1. Frozen berries

2. Grated apples

The frozen berries seem to keep the pie from going to watery syrup too fast. And I have learned that with berries, frozen does not have to mean processed or sub-par quality. We pick our black raspberries from the yard and put them directly in the freezer until we have enough to make a pie. If you are not freezing your own berries, just make sure you are purchasing organic, good quality berries. If you use strawberries (which you can) you do need to cut them up a bit. The huge frozen ones will give you trouble whole

fresh picked black raspberries (and some peas) on their way to the freezer awaiting their pie debut

The grated apple is a wonderful trick. The pectin in the apple works as a binder for the pie, and it helps with sweetness and consistency. Genius!

Check out that clean cut! That is what you want

This Pie uses two pie crusts. You can find a pie crust recipe HERE. The top crust is going to need vent holes. I latticed my top, but you can just cut slits to vent the steam too.

Berry Pie

Ingredients:

For the Filling:

• 1 small golden delicious apple (shredded on the side of a box grater)
• 5 cups berries (frozen)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• pinch of ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For Finishing:

• 1 large egg white
• 1 teaspoon water
• 2 tablespoons raw coarse sugar

Directions:

or the Filling:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place a foil lined sheet pan in the oven as it preheats. Combine the apple, blackberries, blueberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and salt.
• Pour the filling into a chilled pie crust.
• Place the pie into the freezer while rolling out the top pastry. Keeping everything cold is key!
• Roll out the second piece of dough so it fits the cover of the pie.
• Cover the filling with the second piece of pastry.
• Cut slits into the pie for venting. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake on the pre-heated baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.
• Lower the oven to 375 degrees. Bake for another 35 to 40 minutes or until the pastry it a golden brown.
• Remove from oven and allow it to cool for 2 to 3 hours to allow the pie filling to thicken.

Nasturteum Compound Butter

 

If you have not discovered compound butters you should try them. They are a thing of magic. You can just spread them on bread to make a savory toast, or you can put them on top of hot cooked steaks and fish. The herbs and garlic are activated by the heat as the butter melts, it is amazing. We have used this recipe on fresh baked bread when we were having soup, and we put it on Salmon tonight which was amazing.

I have been experimenting with cooking Nasturteums this fall. Our first frost is coming soon, and I am trying to use as many of the plants I have grown as possible. This recipe is relatively easy, and uses a good mix of herbs and plants that need to be harvested right now. The beauty of this recipe is that you can freeze the butter, and it keeps the herbs fresh. So in the middle of winter when you are craving some fresh herbs you can whip out your compound butter!

Nasturteum Compound Butter

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup nasturteum flowers, devided

1 cup mixed fresh herbs, finely chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1 clove garlic diced

1. Take 1/3 of the flowers and muddle them with the salt in a mortar & pestle. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can use a bowl and a wooden spoon. You want to create a paste to distribute the flower essence. Finely chop the remaining flowers.

2. Combine the butter, flowers, herbs & garlic. Mash all the ingredients. Knead the mixture together well to evenly distribute the falvoring agents. 

3. You can use it right away, place in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a week, or wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for later.

Suga-Plumb Jam

 

There are plumb trees in my neighborhood. This year they were laiden with plumbs, more than the owner could pick, and neighbors were invited to come and pick. We went and picked a basket full of plumbs, and you never would have known that we picked any. SO MANY PLUMBS. 

Beautiful neighbors picking plumbs

I was excited to get plumbs because an abundance of plumbs because lots of plumbs means PLUMB JAM! This recipe is spiced plumb jam, a.k.a Suga-Plumb Jam. It tastes like spicy sweet Christmas, and is one of my favorite jams to make. If this is your first time trying jam, be sure to familiarize yourself with the safe procedures for preserving. More info HERE

Suga-Plumb Jam

Ingredients:

4 pounds plumbs pitted & diced

4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons powdered pectin

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon alspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 lemon juiced and zested

Directions:

1. Heap the plumbs in a non-reactive pot, add the sugar, pectin, and spices. Stir the mixture until everything is combined and the plumbs are juicy. Add the juice and zest from the lemon and heat the pot on high heat.

2. Bring the fruit to a boil and then reduce to medium heat.

3. Cook the fruit on a low boil for 25-30 minutes until the plumbs soften and the syrup thickens. You will know when the jam is done when it becomes more resistant to stirring, and when you pull the spoon out of the pan the droplets will be thick and slow moving.

4. Remove the pot from the heat. Funnel the hot jam into serrilized, hot jars. Wipe the rims, and seal with sterilized, hot lids. 

Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes, then let the jars sit until the lids pop and seal. This recipe makes 7-8 half pint jars.

Spooky Shortbreads

 

I am thoroughly enjoying having capable kids who bake and cook. Tim wanted to bring a treat for his advisory group at school the week. He found this Jamie Oliver recipe and put his own twist on it. He did a great job, so I am blogging his creation 😊

Spooky Shortbreads

Ingredients:

11 tablespoons butter at room temperature, cut into tablespoons

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 lemon zested

icing & melted chocolate for decoration

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare an 8x8 pan with parchment. In a medium bowl combine the butter, flour sugar and zest by pinching it together with your fingers until the mix is crumbly and the butter is in small pieces. 

2. Press the crumbly mix into the bottom of the pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork and bake for 20 minutes until golden.

3. When the dough has cooled cut it and decorate. For these shortbreads, we made a spiderweb with white icing and a little chocolate spider on each.

Nasturtium Pesto

 

Nasturtiums are one of my favorite things to grow. I just love their vibrance and how full they grow as the summer progresses. Their flowers are lovely and the round lilly-pad-like leaves are unique in the garden.  I regularly plant nasturtiums around my vegetables because they attract polinators and keep harmful pests from the veggies. I have always knows that the flowers were edible, and I have been known to throw a couple on a salad every once in a while. But this year I have been experimenting with using the whole plant more. I found this recipe for nasturtium pesto and it is really tasty! It did not last more than a week in the refrigerator, so I am going to try freezing another batch. 

We used this with pasta and grilled veggies and it was delightful. The Nasturtium pesto has a slightly earthy and more peppery taste than basil-only pesto but it deliveres the same bright fresh addition to any recipe.

Nasturtium Pesto

Ingredients:

• 2 cups packed nasturtium leaves
• 1 cup nasturtium flowers
• 1 cup fresh basil
• 3/4 cup quality olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2/3 cup nuts (I used Brazil nuts, Walnuts or Almonds work well too)
• 3/4 cup shredded  Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Add all the ingredients in a food processor or or blender. I usually process the garlic nuts and cheese first, then add the leafy greens, lemon and oil.  Add more oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency. Salt to taste.

2. Store in the refrigerator (or freezer) for up to one week. Use as you would any other pesto.

Catherine's Cookies

 

It is amazing how tastes, smells and sounds can bring us back to specific moments in our childhood. This cookie recipe is one of those for me. My grandmother used to make these cookies for us a lot when I was growing up. I don't know who Catherine is, or why this recipe is named after her, but I like her cookies.

They are a simple cookie, but they are unusual. They are light and crispy, while still having a satisfying chewy texture because it has some surprises. This recipe incorporates oats and Rice Krispies! We had a box of Rice Krispies given to us recently. No one in this house will actually eat them for breakfast because they taste like air, so I needed something to do with the cereal. We made Rice Krispy treats and still had most of the box left. Then I remembered these cookies. I have the recipe in a frame, which I love because it is one of my favorite things my grandmother would make, and it is in her handwriting. I did have to make some tweaks to the recipe. Margarine is not an item that I keep on hand. I substituted butter just fine, and I am sure you could use coconut oil too witout any trouble. I also added cinnamon, because cinnamon is awesome and I like it.

It was fun to share these with my own kids. They liked them a lot, and they were a welcome change from the normal cookie roster. The recipe does make A LOT of cookies though. They lasted us for over 2 weeks. Plus side: they still tasted good after two weeks. 😆I hope you try them with your own left over Rice Krispies and enjoy.

Catherine's Cookies

Ingredients:

1 Cup white sugar

1 Cup brown sugar

1 Cup oil

2 sticks of margarine (or butter or coconut oil)

1 egg

2 Teaspoons vanilla

3 1/2 Cups flour

1 Teaspoon salt

1 Teaspoon baking soda

1 Teaspoon cream of tartar

1 Teaspoon of cinnamon

1 1/3 Cups oatmeal

1 1/3 Cups Rice Krispies

1 1/3 Cups finely chopped nuts 

(I have a nut adverse eater in my house, I just compensated with an additiona 2/3 cups of both oatmeal and Rice Krispies)

Directions:

1. Cream together sugars, oil and margarine or butter.

2. When the mix is light and fluffy, add the egg and vanilla.

3. Add the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar and cinnamon.

4. When the dry ingredients are completely incorporated, fold in the oatmeal, Rice Krispies and nuts. The batter will be very light and fluffy

5. Drop by teaspoonfulls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Flatten the batter balls with your hand or a glass. 

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies). They are done when the edges are golden. Yeilds 8 dozen

Tomatillo Crudo

 

Tomatillos I picked today!

October has brought a bumper harvest of tomatillos. I love their fresh and slightly tangy taste, but this is the first year I have ever grown tomatillos and I have very little experience cooking with them. Thankfully, I have some fancy friends who passed along a recipe they use for Tomatillo Crudo. I love this recipe. It is easy, delicious and never lasts long in our house. But I also love the recipe because it is from Kate and Omar Ortiz. They are fantastic friends who recently relocated to San Diego. Our family misses their family very much, but making this recipe and enjoying its deliciousness reminds me of them, and makes me happy. 

I don't always have cilantro, but I have had a bumper crop of Italian parsley. That has worked well, and I sometimes add lime or lemon. 

Boston misses you Ortiz family!

Cardamom Applesauce Cake

Two out of three boys are back in school. Aaron has been back for a few months now. One interesting element of being back in school is school lunches. 

Aaron is fed lunch at school, and frequently sent home with a bag of food to eat over the weekend. The food is surprisingly good and well balanced, but we have been introduced to a few items that we don't usually have in our pantry, individual applesauce cups being one. I saw all these apple sauce cups and remembered this Martha Stewart recipe that I had enjoyed previously. We tried it with the applesauce cups, mixed with some chopped apples and it was an instant hit. We also up the spices because we like it spicy in the Riddlehaus. This cake is a great dessert, but it also works beautifully toasted for breakfast.

Cardamom Apple Sauce Cake 

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups chunky applesauce (I also mix smooth apple sauce with chopped fresh apples)
• Nonstick cooking spray
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Set aside.

• Step 2

  In another bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and honey until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat just until combined. Beat in applesauce.

• Step 3

  Generously coat a nonstick 9-inch tube pan with cooking spray. Spoon batter into pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (but slightly wet), 50 to 60 minutes.

• Step 4

  Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Turn out of pan onto a cutting board or baking sheet; invert cake onto rack, top side up. Cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving, if desired.

Great-Grandmama Long's Russian Tea

 

Our house has a very eclectic mix of Anglo traditions around Christmas. There is German stolen, English roast beef, Yorkshire pudding and Christmas crackers. We hide a pickle in the tree, read Luke 2 before presents and always make a big bunch of good old American Chex mix. But one traditional Christmas drink that everyone waits for is Russian Tea. This recipe is handed down from my husband's Great-Grandmama Long. As far as I know she wasn't Russian, she was Southern, from North Carolina. So that got me wondering..."Where did Russian tea come from?"

I did some digging, and it is true...Russian tea, is a Southern thing. It is modeled after the hot tea with sugar and lemon sipped by upper class Russians, but Southern ladies took it and ran with it. Since it is warm in the Southern U.S. most of the time, traditional "Sweet Tea" is the #1 drink of choice. Russian tea was deligated to a winter drink, always served hot, which is why our family brings it out for Christmas. 

The earliest recipes are very much like Great-Grandmama Long's: tea, sugar, spices, and citrus. As technology, convenience and church cookbooks progressed, Southern Russian tea eveoved into an instant mix of Tang, instant tea, and powdered lemonaid with spices mixed in. This is traditionally given as gifts in mason jars. It is quick and tasty with some hot water. For this recipe and some historical reference see this article in Garden & Gun

 My family has again, morphed the recipe a bit to suit our tastes. We decided that Russian tea is good enough for more than just Christmas, we have made it a habbit to brew a pot Russian tea on very cold dark days. The spicy, warm, sweet tea makes even the gloomiest days brighter. I like to add star anise and allspice berries or slices of ginger to this recipe, depending on how spicy I am feeling.  We slice the skins off the lemons and oranges and steep them with the spices, and tend to reduce the sugar too. The tradition is a good one, but feel free to play around with the recipe and see what you like best. 

Russian Tea (Great Grandmama Long)

Boil together: (simmer 20 min)

8 cups Water

5-8 Cloves

1 Stick Cinnamon

Add:

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

4 Oranges, juiced

2 Lemons, juiced

(I like to leave the orange and lemon halves in the tea while the tea bags brew)

4 black tea bags

Remove from heat and steem for 15-20 minutes, then remove the teabags. Serve warm.