Spicy Pickled Green Beans

I've been patiently waiting to post this recipe, because I wanted to taste the green beans to be sure they were as wonderful as they looked, but after canning them - you have to wait a month. 

I must confess, I only waited three weeks.  Curiosity got the better of me, and I thought they would be delicious with the Bloody Mary's we are enjoying as I type this.  I can confirm - they are FAB-U-LOUS!

The recipe can be found here:

http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/127963/spicy-pickled-green-beans

I slightly changed the recipe in the following ways:

Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to each jar

Instead of fresh dill, add 1/2 tsp dried dill weed to each jar - along with a dill head

Other than the above alterations - I followed the instructions on the website. 

FYI - My friend and I canned the beans together.  We got 12 pounds of beans - they made 19 pint jars.

Ginger Beef with Broccoli Stir Fry

My son loves beef and broccoli. Those are his two favorite foods. Throw in some tomatoes and he’s a happy boy. I made this on the spur of the moment one night – and he LOVED it. He likes the spicy combination of the ginger along with the Garlic Chili Sauce. Be careful with that sauce though. Too much and your mouth will be ON FIRE! You can always add more… so take it easy.

Sauce Ingredients:

3 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated with a microplane. Or, 3 Tbls fresh minced ginger from a jar
Soy Sauce
Sesame Oil
1 tsp of garlic chili sauce
2 Tbls. Sake or Dry Vermouth
Chicken broth
1 ½ Tbls Cornstarch

Directions for sauce:

Place the garlic in a 2 cup measuring cup. Add soy sauce to the ½ cup mark. Add sesame oil to the 2/3 cup mark. Add sake or dry vermouth. Add teaspoon of garlic chili sauce. This red sauce is very spicy – add more or less depending upon your taste, but be careful. It’s crazy powerful!

In a separate bowl combine the cornstarch with some chicken broth. This should be a very thin pourable liquid. Add to the measuring cup. Now add enough chicken broth to bring liquid to the 2 cup mark.

Other Ingredients:

1 lb. sirloin steak, sliced across grain very thin
1 white onion sliced thin
2 – 3 stalks of broccoli, cleaned and cut into florets

Directions:

Drizzle some sesame oil into a hot skillet or wok. Add the onions and stir fry for a minute or two.

Add the steak to the skillet and stir fry until it begins to brown. Add the broccoli and continue to stir fry for another few minutes. I use a skillet that has a lid and put the lid on at this point so that the broccoli steams.

Add the sauce and cook until it thickens.

Serve over rice and enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe

Tomatillo Salsa for Canning

Here is a GREAT recipe for canning.  A Green Salsa that is tart, has a good heat to it, and is so very tasty.  I will say it is a bit of work, between all the chopping and the roasting of the peppers.  But the taste proves to be so completely worth the extra effort!

Ingredients:

8 cups rough chopped tomatillos (about 2.75 lbs)

5 chopped long green chiles - I use poblano or pasilla.  Follow directions below to roast and skin.

3 seeded, finely chopped jalapeño peppers

2 white onions, chopped

1 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

3 tablespoons dried oregano leaves

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Caution: Wear plastic or rubber gloves and do not touch your face while handling or cutting hot peppers. If you do not wear gloves, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your face or eyes.

Procedure: Wash and rinse canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturer’s directions.

Preparing Tomatillos: Remove the dry outer husks; wash thoroughly. They do not need to be peeled or seeded.

Preparing Peppers: The jalapeño peppers do not need to be peeled. The skin of long green chiles may be tough. If you choose to peel chiles, peel using one of these two methods to blister skins:

Oven or broiler method to blister skins – Place chiles in a hot oven (400°F) or broiler for 6 to 8 minutes until skins blister.

Range-top method to blister skins – Cover hot burner (either gas or electric) with heavy wire mesh. Place peppers on burner for several minutes until skins blister.

To peel, after blistering skins, place peppers in a pan and cover with a damp cloth. (This will make peeling the peppers easier.) Cool several minutes; slip off skins. Discard seeds and chop.

Hot Pack:Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and stir frequently over high heat until mixture begins to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a potato masher to mash the ingredients together. 
Laddle into hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids.

Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.

click here for printable recipe

Sunday Scramble

This is a little Sunday morning breakfast creation that I came up with one day. I’m sure there are a million variations of this dish. Use this as a basic dish, and add whatever other yummy ingredients you like!

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 egg whites

1 ½ cups frozen southern hash browns (the square chunky kind, not the shredded)

½ white onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Salsa & fresh parsley to garnish

Directions:

Drizzle olive oil in a heated non-stick pan. Add onions and garlic; sauté for about 5 minutes.

Add the hash browns to the onions. Cook until potatoes begin to brown. Salt & Pepper.

Whisk the eggs and egg whites together. Pour over the cooked hash browns. Scramble together until cooked.

Serve in two bowls; garnish with salsa and fresh chopped parsley.

Variations: Add mushrooms, bell pepper, bacon bits, green chilies or zucchini. You could also garnish with the cheese of your choice.

Click here for printable recipe.