Monthly Archives: September 2008

herbs and spices, main course, recipes

Bison And Vegetable Kabobs

Leave a comment

Have you tried bison? It is a wonderful, delicious and healthy alternative to beef. Here’s a great video showing you how to make Bison and Vegetable Kabobs with Cous Cous Salad. I written out the recipe for you as best as I could.

Ingredients for Kabob Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil or Watkins grapeseed oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Watkins garlic granules
1 tablespoon Watkins basil
1 tablespoon Watkins oregano
1 teaspoon Watkins thyme
2 teaspoons Watkins sea salt
1 teaspoon Watkins cracked black pepper Continue reading Bison And Vegetable Kabobs →

desserts, recipes

Easy Apple Crisp Recipe

Leave a comment

It’s apple season, so I’m busy picking, using and putting away the bounty from my trees. You probably don’t have an orchard so check out your local farmers market for apples at their peak of fresh picked goodness. This is our favorite easy, apple crisp recipe as it makes a quick dessert.

Ingredients:apples and cinnamon
4-5 medium sized apples, peeled and cored
1/3 -1/2 cup /75-125 ml sugar, depending on tartness of apples
1 teaspoon/5 ml Watkins cinnamon

Ingredients for topping:
2/3 cup /150 ml flour, all purpose or whole wheat
2/3 cup /150 ml oatmeal
1/2 cup/125 ml brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon/1 ml Watkins nutmeg
1/2 cup/125 ml butter, softened

Directions: Continue reading Easy Apple Crisp Recipe →

home canning

Sweet and Sour Refrigerator Pickles

Leave a comment

These sweet and sour refrigerator pickles are nice and crisp because the vegetables aren’t cooked. This recipe is very easy and great for anyone who is new to home canning. Making a batch or two is a good way to use up some of your extra garden produce, if you don’t have your own garden pick up some fresh produce at your local farm market. Your delicious homemade pickles would also make a welcome gift for someone special.

Ingredients for pickles:
4-6 cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 medium green or red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup pickling or kosher salt
4-5 glass pint jars and lids

Directions: Wash vegetables with Watkins Fresh Wash and slice. Place prepared vegetables in a large nonmetal bowl, add pickling salt, mix well and let stand for 2 hours. Prepare syrup while cucumbers, onions and pepper are sitting in the brine. Drain vegetables well and pack loosely into sterilized glass jars. Read how to sterilize canning jars, if you are new to home canning or need a refresher. Pour the following syrup over top making sure to cover vegetables.

Ingredients for syrup:
2 cups sugar
2 cups white vinegar
1 Tbsp. Watkins Pickling Spices
1-1/2 tsp. Watkins Celery Seed
1-1/2 tsp. Watkins Garlic Flakes, optional

Directions: Combine syrup ingredients, let stand for 2 hours or until sugar dissolves. Keep refrigerated. Turn the jars occasionally to mix spices. Your pickles will be ready to eat in 3 days, flavor improves after a week. Makes 4 pints. Keeps well for 6 – 9 months but I’m sure they won’t last that long!

Watkins Pickling Spices is a traditional mixture of whole and broken spices, herbs and seeds, it’s a pantry basic used for pickles, corned beef brisket, seafood, marinades and other dishes. This seasonal spice is generally available from March to October. You can order it and your other spices in the Watkins US catalog or the Canadian catalog.

main course, organic food, recipes, vegetarian

Vegetarian Chili with Black Beans and Corn

Leave a comment

Hubs is a meat and potato man but I like to sneak in some vegetarian meals every week because I think they are healthier. I’m making this delicious vegetarian chili with black beans and corn today, using seasonal, organic produce I picked up at our local farm market. The combination of beans and corn makes a complete protein which is important if you are following a vegetarian diet.

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Watkins grapeseed oil, original unflavored, garlic and parsley or citrus and cilantro
2 organic red bell peppers, diced
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, mined or pressed or 2 teaspoons Watkins organic garlic granules
2 teaspoons Watkins organic chili powder
2 cups organic tomatoes, peeled or 2 cups canned tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups organic corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1/2 teaspoon Watkins sea salt, or to taste
1 teaspoons Watkins organic black pepper, or to taste

Garnish with: Continue reading Vegetarian Chili with Black Beans and Corn →

cooking quick tips, home canning

How To Sterilize Canning Jars

Leave a comment

If you are making homemade jams, jellies or pickles you’ll need to sterilize your jars before you fill them with your preserves. To sterilize jars, place them in a large pot or canner, cover them with hot water, bring water to a boil and leave jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Then, place jars upside down on a clean towel or rack to drain.

If you are sealing your preserves you’ll need to sterilize the lids as well. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for sterilizing these, they are usually placed in boiling water as well.

I also sterilize my utensils as well; this includes the ladle, spoon and funnel for filling jars and the tongs or magnetic wand used for picking up hot lids and jars out of the water.

Although this is no longer recommended, jars may also be sterilized in the oven. I prefer this method for jams and jellies as it ensures the jars are dry, so there is no added moisture. However please note, I sterilize everything in boiling water first so I’m basically just keeping the jars hot and sterile. I highly recommend that you do the same.

So, after you remove your jars from the boiling water… Place the jars in the oven, I put them on a clean cookie sheet, turn the heat to 200 deg. F, once the oven has reached temperature, heat jars for 10 minutes. Then, turn off the oven leaving the jars inside until ready to fill.

cakes, recipes

Fruit Coffee Cake With Cinnamon Topping

Leave a comment

This fruit coffee cake is low fat and not too sweet, if you want to reduce the sugar more use unsweetened apricots, peaches, or applesauce and use only 1/4 cup of sugar in the topping. You can use any kind of fruit you have on hand, I’ve made this recipe with frozen raspberries or blueberries as well. Watkins cinnamon

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons sugar
1 egg or 2 egg whites
1 2/3 cups flour (sifted)
3 teaspoons Watkins Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla
1 cup sweetened cooked apricots, peaches, diced or applesauce
1/4 teaspoon Watkins lemon Extract

Directions: Continue reading Fruit Coffee Cake With Cinnamon Topping →

how to cook

How To Cook Salmon

2 Comments

We had a lovely salmon dinner last night, my Mother always called it brain food and she was pretty close. It’s a good source of protein that’s low in saturated fat and cholesterol and it contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Here’s how to cook salmon.

Watkins Lemon PepperThe easiest method of cooking salmon is to simply season it with a little lemon pepper or fish and seafood seasoning; pan fry the steaks or fillets at medium-high heat in a little grapeseed oil. Cook for about 5 minutes per side or until the flesh has changed a lighter color and no longer looks opaque. The flesh is very delicate so take care when turning the pieces so the fish doesn’t break or fall apart.

As a general rule for each inch (2.5 cm) thickness it takes 10 minutes to cook fresh salmon, you’ll need to allow 12-15 minutes per inch if it’s partially thawed and 20 minutes per inch if the fish is frozen. You’ll need to add 5 minutes to total cooking time if salmon is wrapped in foil (see below).

How to Cook a Whole Salmon Continue reading How To Cook Salmon →