Frozen Food Friday

Blackberry Sorbet

I have some leftover blackberries in the freezer from when we picked them a couple of weeks ago, so I'm looking for recipes so I can use them up and make more room in the freezer. Many people like blackberries but can't get past the seeds. I'll admit that they are annoying at times, but not enough to make me stop eating them. If you are one of those people that loves the flavor but can't get past the seeds, this sorbet will be perfect for you. The seeds are strained out leaving you with a creamy texture and the tart flavor of the blackberries.

Ingredients:
4 cups blackberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
Puree the blackberries in a blender with the water and sugar. Press the mixture through a strainer to remove the seeds. Stir in the lemon juice.
Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Makes about 1 quart

Source: The Perfect Scoop

Frijoles de la Olla (Pot Beans)

You can use either black beans or pinto beans for this recipe. I made black beans since they are Aubrey's favorite. These are perfect to cook for a crowd because they can be prepared up to 4 days before. The flavors have a chance to marry together the longer they sit in the fridge. I added lots of cumin to these beans, but I didn't measure the amount. I kept putting more and more in the beans, and I lost count.
The epazote sprigs were almost impossible to find. I finally found dried epazote leaves at a local Mexican grocery store. I'll omit them next time because I don't think they really added any flavor. I read somewhere that they may reduce the gas that beans may cause, but that may be an old wives tale. On the other hand, I'll definitely buy the queso fresco again. It's very mild, but each crumble had a creamy texture to it.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups dried beans
2 Tablespoons safflower or canola oil, flavorful lard, or rendered bacon fat (I used bacon fat)
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 fresh epazote sprigs (optional)
about 1 rounded teaspoon sea salt, or to taste (I added much more)
Cumin, to taste
Crumbled queso fresco (optional)

Directions:
Pick over the beans and discard any broken beans or small rocks or other debris. Rinse well, place in a large pot, and add water to cover by several inches. Bring to a boil, then remove the pot from the heat and let stand for 1-2 hours. Drain off the water, replace with the same amount of cold water, and return to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat until the water is barely simmering.

Meanwhile, in a small frying pan over medium heat, warm the oil, lard, or bacon fat. Add the onion and saute until dark yellow, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the onion and garlic to the beans, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook, partially covered, until the beans are just tender, about 3-4 hours. **This is when I tasted the beans and decided to add cumin, to taste.** The timing will depend on the age of the beans. Stir the beans from time to time and, if necessary, pour in enough hot water to keep the water level at 1 inch above the beans.

Add the epazote, if using, and salt and continue to cook until the beans are quite soft, about 1 hour longer. Again, the timing may vary. If time allows, let the beans cool in the broth. The earthy flavor will intensify if the beans are stored, covered, in the refrigerator for at least overnight, then slowly reheated. They will keep for up to 4 days.

If serving the beans as they are, ladle the broth and beans into warmed bowls and garnish with the crumbled cheese, if desired.

Makes about 8 cups; serves 4 as a main course.

Source: Savoring Mexico

Birthday Fiesta

Last Thursday I had a Fiesta at our house for Aubrey's 30th birthday. We had 21 friends and family members over for supper and dessert. I tried to make the menu as authentic as possible and even ordered certain ingredients from the internet. I also shopped at the local Mexican grocery store to buy perishables as well as Mexican sodas.
I've never prepared food for so many people in my life, so it was quite an experience. My motto was, "better to have too much food than too little." This held true because we ate leftovers for several days after the party, and I also have another pan of enchiladas in the freezer.

I think everyone enjoyed the food and hanging out. Overall, it was a good night. Below are pictures of our humble abode before the party as well as the food I served.

I placed a few of these Gerbera Daisies in Corona bottles around the house and on a couple of tables.

This is an antique table that has been passed down for a few generations in Aubrey's family. I think it's really rustic and cute.

I borrowed a card table from my mom and used a round table top to place on it. The red and white table cloth was a wedding gift. A sweet lady that lives in Mexico made it for us. I wonder how long it took her to crochet.


And now for the food:

Salsa

Chicken Enchiladas

Black Beans topped with Queso Fresco



Mexican Rice



Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

Tres Leches Cake

Frozen Food Friday

Grape Granita

There isn't a recipe that gets any easier than this one. This will definitely be one that I repeat over and over. It makes for a great snack and a light dessert.
This is the perfect frozen treat to make if you don't want to mess with an ice cream maker. All you need is a freezer.
One of my favorite things about granitas is the tiny little ice bits throughout, and when it melts down, it turns into a slushy.
The taste of this brings me back to my college days when my BFF, Meredith and I used to buy the Welch's frozen pops. I've looked everywhere for them since then and can't find them, but I guess it doesn't matter now.... I have this recipe!


Ingredients:
2 cups grape juice
1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups cold water

Directions:
Combine grape juice with sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 8 to 9 minutes, or until mixture is slightly syrupy.

Turn off heat and pour in cold water, then pour into a freezer-safe container with a lid. I used a flat long tuperware. Wait 2 hours, then remove container from freezer and stir gently, being careful to loosen any of the mixture that has stuck to the sides. Put lid back on, then return container to the freezer. Repeat an hour later, then another hour later. When you're finished, the mixture should be totally frozen and broken up. Keep sealed tightly in the freezer until ready to serve.

Source: Pioneer Woman

Mixed Berry Syrup

When my mom came to visit, we had so much fun picking blackberries from a U-Pick garden. My mother-in-law went with us, and we came away with so many blackberries. They are much cheaper when you pick them yourself as opposed to buying them in the grocery store. Not to mention, it's much more fun picking them when you have someone to pick with.
I wish we could have picked all of the fruits in this recipe, but I couldn't find a U-Pick strawberry place this late in the season, and we just didn't have enough time to pick blueberries. We got the rest of the berries from a local farmer's market.


This recipe was supposed to be a jam recipe. The fruit has a natural pectin in it that should thicken up with the help of sugar, but it never thickened. Aubrey's grandmother said that there should be a 2:1 ratio of fruit and pectin, but this recipe doesn't give that ratio. Next time I'll try adding more sugar to see if that helps. Just because it didn't thicken doesn't mean that it tasted any worse. It tastes phenomenal! It's a good mix between tart and sweet. I've been enjoying this on top of ice cream, and I can't wait to put it on top of biscuits and pancakes, as well. I'm also really enjoying Greek yogurt these days, and I think it would be great mixed in plain yogurt. The possibilities are endless.

Ingredients:
2 cups raspberries
2 cups strawberries, quartered and hulled
4 cups blackberries
4 cups blueberries
3 cups sugar (I'll try 6 cups next time for making jam)
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Have ready hot, sterilized jars and their lids.

In a large nonreactive saucepan, gently toss together the berries, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the jam has thickened, about 15 minutes. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

Ladle the hot jam into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles and adjust the headspace, if necessary. Wipe the rims clean and seal tightly with the lids.

Process the jars for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. The sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. If a seal has failed, store the jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Makes 6 half-pint jars.

Source: The Art of Preserving

Frozen Food Friday

Vanilla Ice Cream, Philadelphia-Style

During my mom's visit last weekend, we decided to make ice cream. My mom has a phobia of eggs (I still love you, Mama), so we had to find a recipe sans eggs. Philadelphia-style ice cream just means that it is made without eggs. It's also a little faster to make because you don't have to make the custard base like you do with the French-style ice cream.
Since we had some juicy Chilton County peaches on hand, I chopped a couple and threw them in the ice cream right before it was ready. We also made some mixed berry syrup during her visit last weekend, so that's what you see on top of the ice cream in the picture below.

Ingredients:
3 cups heavy cream, or 2 cups heavy cream and 1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Pour 1 cup of the cream into a medium saucepan and add the sugar and salt. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the saucepan and add the pod to the pot. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved.

Remove from the heat and add the remaining 2 cups cream (or the remaining 1 cup cream and the milk) and the vanilla extract.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator. When ready to churn, remove the vanilla bean, rinsing and reserving it for another use, and then freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Makes about 1 quart

Source: The Perfect Scoop

Stuffed Pattypan Squash

My mom came to visit this past weekend and brought lots of vegetables from my grandfather's garden. I had never seen these white squash before, but we did some research and found out that they are called "pattypan squash." They are interesting little things, and they taste wonderful. Pattypan squash are a type of summer squash. The smaller greenish ones are the most tender, and that is when they should be picked.

Ingredients:
6 pattypan squash, stems and blossoms removed
6 slices bacon
1/2 cup diced onion
1 1/2 cups soft breadcrumbs
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste



Directions:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
Bring one inch of water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, or until a fork can pierce through the stem with little resistance. Drain, and slice off the top stem of the squash. Use a melon baller to carefully scoop out the centers of the squash. Reserve all of the bits of squash.

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Remove bacon to paper towels, and set aside. Saute the onion in the bacon drippings. Chop the reserved squash pieces, and saute them with the onion for 1 minute.

Remove the skillet from heat, and stir in the breadcrumbs. Crumble the bacon, and stir into the stuffing along with the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stuff each squash to overflowing with the stuffing, and place them in a baking dish. Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil.

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until squash are heated through.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Frozen Food Friday

Lemonade Iced Tea Sorbet

I've had my eye on this southern sorbet recipe for a good while. I was waiting for the perfect summer day to make it. Sweet tea is something that you will find in most houses around the south (at least in Alabama). My personal favorite is the Milo's sweet tea. I always buy the one with the yellow top because it's made with Splenda... it seems to help with the waist line.
Many people like to squeeze a slice of a lemon in their tea. I personally like my tea without lemon, but I think it adds a good flavor to the sorbet.
I think this recipe was a success, and I'll definitely make it again. I may even try using Splenda instead of sugar.
Before serving, let the sorbet soften up a few minutes on the counter to make scooping easier.

Ingredients:
2 cups boiling water
4 regular-sized English Breakfast tea bags
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4-5 lemons)
1 cup ice water
Mint sprigs (optional)

Directions:
Combine 2 cups boiling water and tea bags in a large bowl; steep 5 minutes. Discard the tea bags. Add sugar to tea mixture, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cool completely. Stir in juice and 1 cup ice water; chill 1 hour.

Pour tea mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon sorbet into a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze 1 hour or until firm. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

Nutritional Info: 78 calories; 0g fat; 0mg iron; 0mg cholesterol; 2mg calcium; 20.7g carbs; 0mg sodium; 0.1g protein; 0.1g fiber.

Source: Cooking Light

Eggplant Gratin

We have eggplant coming out the wazoo in our garden, and I've been trying to make different recipes so we don't get board with the same ones. I thought this gratin was so good... sinfully good. Unfortunately Aubrey realized he doesn't like the seeds in the eggplants. Otherwise, he said he would have liked the dish (::sigh::). So far the only way he likes eggplants is fried. I'll work on that. :)

Ingredients:
Olive oil, for frying
3/4 pound eggplant, unpeeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 extra large egg
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt
Black pepper
1/2 cup good bottled marinara sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
Heat about 1/8-inch of olive oil in a very large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is almost smoking, add several slices of eggplant and cook, turning once, until they are evenly browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Be careful, it splatters! Transfer the cooked eggplant slices to paper towels to drain. Add more oil, heat, and add more eggplant until all the slices are cooked.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, half-and-half, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

In a pie dish, place a layer of eggplant slices, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan, salt and pepper and spoon 1/2 of the marinara sauce and 1/2 of the ricotta mixture. Next, add a second layer of eggplant, more salt and pepper, the rest of the marinara sauce, the rest of the ricotta mixture, and the rest of the Parmesan.

Source: Food Network

Frozen Food Friday

Orange Popsicle Ice Cream and Tartufi

I've decided to make a challenge for myself. Every Friday until the end of the summer, I'm going to do my best to post some sort of frozen food recipe. I'm calling it "Frozen Food Friday."

This week I made Orange Popsicle Ice Cream. One of my favorite treats are those orange pops with the white creamy stuff in the center. I was expecting this ice cream to taste like those pops, but it was lacking the flavor of the cream. No doubt, it was great. Aubrey even said it's one of his favorites. It has a light and summery (is that a word) taste, but I wanted something more. There is also a recipe for Tartufi in this cookbook. Tartufi is basically an ice cream truffle. I really had to work quickly when dipping the ice cream balls into the melted white chocolate. Some turned out pretty, and others not-so-pretty. But they all tasted good. The white chocolate still didn't give the white cream flavor like the orange pops, but it definitely worked really well with the orange flavor.

Above is a picture of the finished Tartufi. I cut one in half so you could see the center. I love how the orange zest shows off in this ice cream.

Below is a picture of the ice cream balls before they are dipped in chocolate. I scooped these out onto wax paper and froze overnight to make sure they got nice and hard.


Ingredients:
2/3 cup sugar
Grated zest of 3 oranges
1 1/4 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (from 4 or 5 oranges)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup half-and-half
2 teaspoons orange liqueur (I used Triple Sec)

Directions:
In a blender, pulverize the sugar and orange zest until the zest is very fine. Add the orange juice, sour cream, half-and-half, and orange liqueur and blend until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.


To make the Tartufi:

Ingredients:
2 cups orange popsicle ice cream
6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 Tablespoons light corn syrup

Directions:
Line two large dinner plates with plastic wrap or parchment paper and put them in the freezer. Once the plates are chilled, use an ice cream scoop to make balls of your favorite ice cream, setting them on one of the plates. Take care that the scoops are solid and well formed, with no dangling bits of ice cream; use your hands if necessary. Freeze the ice cream scoops thoroughly.

To dip the Tartufi, melt the chocolate, butter, and corn syrup in a medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Once the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth, remove the bowl of chocolate from the improvised double boiler. Remove the ice cream balls from the freezer, and the second plate as well.

Here the trick is going to be to try to get as thin a shell as possible around the ice cream. Using two soup spoons, drop a frozen scoop of ice cream into the melted chocolate mixture and toss it quickly until it's coated. Transfer it onto the unused dinner plate. Repeat with the remaining scoops of ice cream, then return the scoops to the freezer until ready to serve.

Source: The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovits