Sweet Pepper Jelly Recipe

May 14, 2013 By

 

Pepper jelly by Matthews Puzzle-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been on a jam and jelly making kick lately. Last week I posted about my Strawberry Vanilla Brown Sugar Jam and today I’m giving your my recipe for Sweet Pepper Jelly or Jam – I don’t really know which, all I do know is that is is delicious. I like it right on top of a gluten free cracker or you can mix it with some cream cheese if you aren’t dairy free. But I think one of the best things you can do with it is use it to jazz up some more traditional foods. I added some to our homemade BBQ sauce and it was brilliant. I also put it in our homemade baked beans. It added a sweetness and a little zing that was the perfect compliment to the beans. You can add it to almost anything that you would put peppers and sugar. I hope you love this as much as I do.

 

5.0 from 5 reviews
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Sweet Pepper Jelly Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: Jam
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • 5 medium red bell peppers (can also use yellow or orange)
  • 2 to 3 red cherry peppers (can substitute jalapenos if necessary)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1½ cups apple juice (organic and unsweetened)
  • ½ cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 package regular pectin
  • 3¼ cups sugar
Instructions
  1. Prepare your canner and jars.
  2. In a food processor puree the peppers and garlic.
  3. In a large pot add the pepper mixture, the apple juice, vinegars and lemon juice.
  4. Whisk in pectin until it dissolves.
  5. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat.
  6. Add the sugar and return to a full boil, constantly stirring.
  7. Pour into jars and can as normal (10 minutes in boiling water).
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Paleo Chocolate Coconut Milk Panna Cotta

May 9, 2013 By

 

Paleo Chocolate Coconut Milk Panna Cotta

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you probably know by now, I love desserts.  I like to bake desserts, to make desserts and especially to eat desserts. Hence why I am also on Weight Watchers – trying to lose all these desserts! But we are also trying to live a healthier lifestyle – whatever that is supposed to mean anymore. I don’t really know. I no longer try to label us. I guess if  you have to give us a name or label, then we probably follow the Weston A. Price Foundation principles of eating more than any other. But we also dabble in the Paleo or Primal lifestyle, so whenever I cook or bake I try to make it as REAL as possible with the least amount of “junk”.

Paleo Chocolate Coconut Milk Panna Cotta

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My boys LOVE having dessert and even though we don’t have it daily, I don like to have it for them on the weekends. Especially when I have time to make something yummy and delicious and of course HOMEMADE. This time I decided to make Paleo Chocolate Coconut Milk Panna Cotta. The boys gave it a bazillion thumbs up, especially on the batch I made with less gelatin. They seemed to prefer it a little softer. So when you read the recipe below you will see it calls for 2.5 to 3 teaspoons of gelatin. My boys liked it with the 2.5 teaspoons better than the one with the 3 teaspoons. It is really up to your preference. I hope you enjoy my Paleo Chocolate Coconut Milk Panna Cotta and let me know which way you prefer yours.

Paleo Chocolate Coconut Milk Panna Cotta Recipe

3 cups Coconut Milk
1/3 cup Pure Organic Maple Syrup
2.5 to 3 teaspoons Unflavored Gelatin
3 to 5 tablespoons Cocoa Powder
dash of sea salt

In a medium Stainless Steel Sauce Pan combine the coconut milk and maple syrup.

Sprinkle the gelatin over the coconut milk mixture and allow it to bloom for a moment.

Turn the heat to medium and add the cocoa powder and salt.
Stir constantly to combine the ingredients and bring the mixture to a scald.

Do not let the mixture boil, but allow small bubbles to begin to form around the edge of the pan.

Pour through a strainer to remove any cocoa powder that did not dissolve.

Pour mixture into ramekins, coffee cups or mold and refrigerate for several hours to allow it to set.

Serve in containers or unmold for presentation.

 

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Strawberry Vanilla Brown Sugar Jam Recipe

May 2, 2013 By

 

Strawberry vanilla bean brown sugar jam-1-2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a recipe that comes from necessity. I had a bunch of strawberries that were turning and I needed to do something with them. Larry suggested that I turn them into jam. I pulled out my Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving and found a recipe for strawberry jam. It has a variation that suggested using vanilla bean. Luckily I had some vanilla beans around so I decided this would make a lovely addition. As I began to get everything together I realized that I was almost out of sugar. I couldn’t find anything in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving talking about substitutes for sugar, at least nothing I was OK with. So I did a quick search on line to see if you could use brown sugar in jam. I had plenty of that on hand. I found a recipe that mentioned using brown sugar with blueberries so I figured I’d give it a go and that is how I came up with this recipe.

5.0 from 9 reviews
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Strawberry Vanilla Brown Sugar Jam Recipe
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 7 jars
 
Ingredients
  • 7 cups of washed, hulled and mashed strawberries
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 4 cups brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons or 1 package pectin
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 vanilla bean, split
Instructions
  1. Prepare your water canner or large pot filled with water and brought to a boil.
  2. Warm your canning jar.
  3. Have your lids and rings ready.
  4. Have your canning funnel ready.
  5. In an large pot add the strawberries and pectin, mix, add vanilla bean and bring to a boil.
  6. Add sugars all at once, add butter and return to a boil.
  7. Once the mixture reaches a boil that can not be stirred down cook for 1 minute longer.
  8. Quickly fill jars, screw on tops and process in water bath for 10 minutes or per your canners instructions.
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This makes the perfect jam for fresh bread, is delicious over vanilla ice cream and it makes every peanut butter and jelly sandwich special. My boys love it and ask for it on their toast for breakfast. It is also perfect as a gift.

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Gluten Free Carrot Cake

April 12, 2013 By

For this past Easter I decided to make a gluten free carrot cake. I adore a moist cake and carrot cakes never fail to provide a delicious end to any meal. My favorite carrot cake is full of coconut, pineapple, walnuts and cinnamon. I wanted to recreate that with a gluten free cake, so I of course opted to use King Arthur Gluten Free Flour. To me, this makes the best cakes. We have found that if we take very simple precautions our cake will stay moist and delicious for days, unlike most other cakes made with someone else’s flour blends.

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5.0 from 9 reviews
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Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • 3 cups King Arthur gluten free flour mix
  • 1½ teaspoons xanthan gum
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1½ cups vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups grated peeled carrots
  • 1 can crushed pineapple, drained
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and cut parchment paper rounds to fit the bottom of pans.
  3. Butter the parchment rounds and set pans aside.
  4. In a separate bowl combine gluten-free flour mix, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  5. To the bowl of your mixer add sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla, and beat until creamy.
  6. Add ⅓ of the flour mixture, and combine.
  7. Repeat until all flour mixture has been combines and beat at medium-low speed for 1 minute.
  8. Fold in carrots, pineapple ,walnuts, and coconut with a spatula.
  9. Mixture will be very thick.
  10. Divide mixture evenly between the two cake pans.
  11. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.
  12. Do not over bake as cake can become dry.
  13. Remove from oven when toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
  14. Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack.
  15. Cool cakes completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting.
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