Crock pot Apple Butter

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Submitted by Mandy Mills, who writes:  “Here is my pseudo-recipe for apple butter. I assume a certain level of proficiency with home canning procedures. This is what I like to do with extra apples that I always buy this time of year because they are so inexpensive and good in the fall, then I don’t eat them all and they get kind of soft and aren’t really good for eating anymore. They still make good apple butter, and the beauty of using the crock pot is that they don’t burn, and you don’t have to watch it all the time like you do on the stovetop (if you’ve ever made it, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, trust me, you have to watch the stuff like a hawk because of all the sugar in it!) Enjoy!”

  • Approximately 5-6 lbs. apples, sliced (not peeled) – I use a variety (enough to fill a standard 5-quart crock pot to the top)
  • Approximately 3 cups sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Place everything in the crock pot, stir, cover, and turn it on “high” for 1 hour. Turn the temperature down to “low” and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 hours.

At this point, the apples should be very soft, and there will be quite a lot of liquid. I puree everything using an immersion blender, and then continue to cook on “low” for another 3-4 hours or until it is as thick as you want it (remove a spoonful to a plate and let it cool to check consistency).

Meanwhile, wash your canning jars (I use ½ pint jelly jars) and lids, and place the lids in hot (not boiling) water. Fill a boiling-water bath canner with water and heat it up. Jars should be hot, so they don’t crack when you pour hot apple butter into them.

Fill jars to within ½” of rim, wipe rim and threads with a damp cloth or paper towel, put on lid and ring and hand tighten. Place in canner. Once all the jars are filled, make sure the water in the canner covers the jars by 1-2”, bring to a boil, and process for 10 minutes. Remove jars from canner and place them on a dry towel to cool. Refrigerate any that don’t seal and use those first. Sealed jars should keep for one year.

This recipe should make 8 half-pint jars of apple butter.

Lawry’s Day Before Beef Brisket

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Submitted by Julie Lichtenberg Stern, who got it from her friend Linda Hahn, who got it from from Lawry’s The Great California Lifestyle Cookbook.

  • 1 Tablespoon liquid smoke
  • Seasoned salt
  • Garlic powder
  • 6-7 lb. brisket of beef, unseasoned
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1-1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoon liquid smoke
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

Rub liquid smoke, seasoned salt, and garlic powder on both sides of meat. Place in baking dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for at least eight hours (I skip this step). Add onion, re-cover and bake in 325 degree oven for two hours. Cool and slice in ¼ inch thick slices. Combine remaining ingredients and heat. Pour sauce over meat slices. Re-cover and refrigerate for four hours or overnight (I skip this step, too). Bake in a 325 degree oven for one hour to heat through.

Makes 8-10 servings

Polish Beets

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Submitted by Julie Lichtenberg Stern, who got it from her friend Linda Hahn, who got it from from Mary Kramer’s Illustrated Guide to Foreign and Fancy Foods.

  • 1 bunch beets, cooked (I cut the leaves from the beets, leaving about two inches of stems on the beets. Then, I cook these in boiling water until done. Depending on the age and size of the beets, this can be anywhere from 20-40 minutes. If you want to use the leaves in Spinach/Chard Sauté, cook them separately in a couple inches of boiling water for 10-12 minutes and then add them when you would add the chard.)
  • 3 Tablespoons margarine
  • 1 Tablespoon flour
  • 1 Tablespoon regular vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 1/3 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Grate the cooked beets coarsely. Melt butter in skillet and add the flour and stir. Remove from heat and add vinegar and sugar to flour mixture. Add the beets and return to moderate heat. Stir while simmering for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Can serve warm, hot, or cold.

Spinach/Chard Sauté

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Submitted by Julie Lichtenberg Stern, who got it from her friend Linda Hahn, who got it from from Mary Kramer’s Illustrated Guide to Foreign and Fancy Foods.

  • 2 bunches of spinach, leaves only (or you can use two bags of pre-washed spinach – a lot easier. Last night, I combined some chard with this. I cooked about 8 leaves (minus the stems) in about two inches of water for 4 minutes after cutting the chard into 2 inch pieces. Then I drained the water, which is rich in nutrients, and put it in the freezer to use later as soup stock)
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon salad oil
  • ½ cup to 1 cup of chopped onion
  • 1 clove of garlic, or more
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • salt to taste

In a large skillet melt the butter and oil. Sauté the onions, caramelizing them, for about 20 minutes. During the last five minutes, add the garlic. Then, add the spinach a handful at a time and stir-fry until wilted. If you have used chard, add it now. Combine lemon juice, sour cream, and salt in a separate bowl. Stir sour cream mixture through spinach. Heat but do not boil.

 

Serves 4.

Corn and Basil Salad

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Submitted by Julie Lichtenberg Stern, who got it from her friend Linda Hahn, who got it from from Lauren O’Connor, CSULA dietetic intern.

  • 2-1/2 cups of corn (I cook mine for 3 minutes, but I know some people who don’t even bother to do that)
  • ½ cup of red onion, diced (I used mild, sweet Walla Wallas in ours last night)
  • 1-1/2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup fresh basil, cut into thin strips (or chopped)

In a large bowl, combine everything except the fresh basil. Add this right before serving.

Makes 5-6 ½ cup servings.

Willy’s BBQ

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Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper, who writes:  “This is Willy Dreuth’s (husband of Linda Caylor Dreuth) recipe.  He would always make BBQ on one of the days we visited. When I asked him for the recipe he said that it was in his head. One day I picked his brain as he made it and wrote it down. It is delicious!”

  • 1 onion
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • garlic to taste
  • 2 pounds pre-cooked, cubed meat.

Combine ingredients in a sauce pan.  Using medium heat, stir until sauce bubbles.  Add meat.  Cover and simmer until meat breaks down (a couple of hours ? depending on the size of the pieces and the type of meat used).

Hank’s Fudge Sauce

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Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper, who writes:  “It takes a little work but it is the best chocolate sauce I have ever had. [My husband] Hank makes this every winter. He gives small jelly jars of it away as gifts. If your a chocolaholic you’ll love this!”

  • 8 squares unsweetened chocolate (If you like it less sweet add a little more chocolate)
  • 1/2 lb. butter
  • 1 1/2 sugar
  • 2 cans sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 teaspoons real vanilla

Melt butter & chocolate over low heat; add sugar, milk, water and salt; Stir constantly until thick and well blended.  Add vanilla.
Pour into jars.

The sauce can be frozen when cooled.

Steep and Brew Scones

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Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper, who writes:  “This recipe is from one of our favorite coffee houses in Madison, Wisconsin.”

  • 5 cup flour
  • 6 cups oats
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 Tablespoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup currants
  • 11 ounces melted butter
  • 1 1/3 cups half and half
  • 4 eggs

Combine dry ingredients and currants. Melt butter in oven, remove and mix in half and half. Return to oven until mixture is warmed. Crack eggs into a separate bowl and mix to a uniform consistency. Add to warmed butter and milk mixture, whisking continuously. Add to dry ingredients and combine thoroughly. Do not overwork. Turn onto very lightly floured surface, and, with floured hands, flatten dough to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 15 pieces. Place on parchment paper or lightly greased baking trays and bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees, then turn trays and bake for an additional 10 minutes at 385 degrees.

 

Makes 15 scones.

Cauliflower Northern Italian Style

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Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper, who writes:  “I got this recipe from my good friend, Margit Rezabek.  My kids never used to like cauliflower until I made this recipe. Maggie would eat a whole head of cauliflower if I made it this way.”

  • 1 small head cauliflower

  • 2Tabelspoons olive oil or butter
  • 4 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2Tablespoons water

Separate cauliflower(florets). Heat wok or fry pan for 30 seconds. Add oil (butter) and garlic; Sauté garlic until slightly brown.  Add cauliflower; stir fry for 2-3 minutes.  Add pepper, vinegar and water.
Cover, turn heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes.

4 one cup servings
5 grams fat
78 calories per serving