Pickled Cherries in Red Wine Vinegar with Cinnamon

The first day of fall is officially around the corner! I thought I'd take the opportunity to try pickling for the first time, using fresh summer cherries that will last me for the next few months.

Since this is the first time I've ever pickled anything, it was also the first time I needed to sterilize hot jars. The easiest method I found online was to submerge your jars and lids (separately) in a pot of water. Bring the water to a rolling boil, then turn off the heat and let the jars continue to sit in the water until you've prepared the rest of the ingredients below - I was nervous about boiling glass jars, but it turned out to be simple enough!

Meanwhile, pour 1 and 3/4 cups red wine vinegar into a saucepan. Combine with 3/4 cup raw sugar, 1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns, 2 whole cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, and 1 (5-inch) strip of lemon rind. I didn't have any lemons on hand, so simply omitted that last ingredient.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring so the sugar dissolves. Once boiling, reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the burner and let stand for 30 minutes, then drain the mixture through a sieve over a bowl.

Discard the solids, and return the vinegar to the saucepan; return to a boil.

While the vinegar mixture stands, wash and pat dry 1 and 1/4 pounds of sweet cherries. Prick each cherry a few times with a fork.

Spoon the cherries into the sterilized hot jars (remove the jars from the pot of water with tongs, so you don't burn yourself, and make sure that there is no water left inside them!).

Pour the hot vinegar over the cherries, leaving at least 1/4-inch room at the top. Close the lids of the jars tightly, then cool. Once cool, refrigerate for at least 2 weeks before serving. Here are the cherries in the jars just before going into the fridge:

You'll have 10 servings of about 5-6 cherries, depending on how big the cherries are. These cherries are great as part of an appetizer plate! Thick crackers and sliced vegan cheese and rolls of vegan deli ham!

Cost:
sweet cherries $9.37
red wine vinegar $3.50

Homemade Curry Powder

Making spice blends at home is a great way to take advantage of a well-stocked spice cabinet! This curry blend goes great anywhere you would use commercial curry powder. I plan to use it in a few Indian recipes in the upcoming week, but for tonight, I'm keeping it simple with the spice blend alone.

In a bowl, mix together 1 and 1/2 tablespoons paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed, 1 teaspoon ground mustard, 1 teaspoon ground red pepper, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric, 1/2 tsp. ground coriander, 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp. ground gloves.

The blend will keep in a cool, dark place for up to 2 months. My before photo shows all the lovely spices before blending, so you can get a sense of the wonderful colors involved! One they're all mixed together, they'll look like this:

Cost:
ground fennel seed $3.50

Preserved Lemons

These lemons make a beautiful gift around the holidays. Just be aware you need to start them about a week in advance. Tell the gift recipient that they are great stirred into just about anything - salads, soups and stews, cooked rice, or stir-fried veggies. And don't forget to save a batch for yourself!

At least one week before gifting, combine 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron threads - I only had about 1/4 tsp. saffron left at home, but my lemons still developed a beautiful orange-y/golden color.

Slice 2 cups of thinly sliced lemons (my slices were about 1/8-inch thick). Place one lemon slice in the bottom of a wide-mouth glass container or jar. Sprinkle with a dash of the salt mixture. Repeat with the rest of your lemons and salt until you have used up both. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 3 days.



3 days later, press the lemon slices down with a spoon. Pour 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil over the lemons. Place a ramekin, custard cup, or other weight (such as a decorative stone) on the lemons, to weigh them down. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 5 days. Try to make sure that all of the lemons are covered by the liquid - I had one corner protruding up, which developed a tiny bit of mold! Luckily I could discard that one lemon slice, and the rest were just fine.



You'll wind up with about 1 cup of preserved lemons - 1 tablespoon is a mere 15 calories. Use any of the culinary suggestions I listed above, or come up with your own! These will keep for 1 month at room temperature, or up to 6 months in the fridge.

Here they are stirred into rice and stir-fried veggies:



Cost:
kosher salt $6.99
lemons $3.16

Caramelized Cayenne Almonds

Make a batch of these almonds - or several batches! - and keep on hand for family and friends to nibble over the holidays. They're the perfect nosh with an aperatif before dinner.

In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup raw sugar, 3 tablespoons water, 1/2 tsp. to 3/4 tsp. ground red pepper (depending how spicy you like things!), 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. ground cumin. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, then stir in 1 cup blanched almonds.

Continue to cook until the sugar mixture thickens and the nuts are coated, stirring occasionally. The original recipe said this would take 22 minutes, and I was perplexed as to why mine took exactly half. It may be because I halved the original recipe, but it maybe I was supposed to turn the heat down a notch; I can't be sure. So watch your pot carefully to see when things seem done.

Immediately transfer the nut mixture to a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, arranging in a single layer. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.

Once out of the oven, separate the nuts using two forks - they will definitely stick together, and I chipped the nuts a bit during this process, as you can see in the photo. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. 2 tablespoons is 160 calories.

Cost:
blanched almonds $5.99

Oven-Dried Figs

Try this method for drying figs at home and they will be much softer and moister than any dried figs you can purchase at the grocery store. The method is quite simple:

Cut 10 medium-sized figs in half (I used adorable little Brown Turkey figs - the total weight of all 10 should be about 1 pound).

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat the foil with cooking spray. Arrange the fig halves in a single layer, and bake at 250 degrees anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours, judging when the figs are almost dry but still soft.

A 1/4 cup of dried figs is 60 calories. Snack on them plain, or you can chop them up and toss in a salad, or sprinkle over vegan ice cream.

Cost:
figs $6.98

Tomatoes Roasted with Rosemary and Lemon

These fresh-cooked tomatoes just scream out Italy - yum yum. Serve over any kind of pasta you like, or just spoon some onto each plate as a side dish.

In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 2 small minced garlic cloves and 2 pounds of plum tomatoes, each quartered lengthwise. Toss well to coat, and then transfer to an 8x8-inch baking dish.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, but stir every 10 minutes or so.

Remove the tomatoes from the oven while you increase the oven heat to 'broil'. Return the tomatoes to the oven and broil for 10 minutes - they should be just starting to brown.

Stir gently to combine once out of the oven. 1/2 a cup is 60 calories.

(Note: these will also freeze really well in zip-top bags for up to 3 months, so double the recipe now and save half for later if you like!)

Cost:
flat-leaf parsley $1.69
rosemary $2.49
lemon $0.99
plum tomatoes $3.96

Pizza Dough

This easy homemade dough can be made ahead of time, so that the next time you want pizza, you have a faster start. You can also double the recipe now, use half tonight and freeze the other half just before kneading, so that the next time you want pizza it comes together even faster. Just place in the fridge first until completely thawed - about 8 hours.

In the next couple days, I'll give you a few recipe ideas for toppings, but for tonight, make this crust and top any way you like - then crack a beer and enjoy the Superbowl!

In a large bowl, dissolve 1/2 tsp. sugar and one packet of yeast in 2/3 cup warm water (between 100 and 110 degrees). Let stand 5 minutes.

Spoon out 1 and 1/2 cups bread flour into measuring cups, leveling with a knife. Add to the yeast mixture, along with 1 and 1/2 tablespoons cornmeal, 2 teaspoons olive oil and 1/2 tsp. salt. Stir until a dough forms - it will be very tacky! - and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes, adding 2 tablespoons more bread flour a bit at a time so the dough doesn't stick to your hands.

Place in a bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat the top, then cover and let rise for 45 minutes, until doubled in size. Punch down and shape into a ball. Lightly respray the bowl with cooking spray, and place your dough in it, once more turning to coat the top. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Now shape on a lightly floured surface and top according to taste!

1/6 of the dough without any topping is 140 calories.



Here's the dough just before rolling.

Cost:
everything was in my pantry!

Which I guess begs the line: Pizza during the Superbowl... priceless

Candied Hazelnut Brittle

I had some hazelnuts on hand, and this candy seemed a delicious way to use them up!

First, roast the hazelnuts. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet at 275 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes. It takes a bit longer than if you roast them at a higher temperature, but then you would risk burning them. Place on paper towels and rub off the skins, then chop to equal 1/3 a cup. Set aside.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a saucepan, combine 1/2 a cup raw sugar, 3 tablespoons water and 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. (Don't forget, cream of tartar has nothing to do with dairy cream! It is just the common name for potassium hydrogen tartrate). Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and stir in the hazelnuts and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and cool completely before breaking into pieces. Roughly a tablespoon-worth is 60 calories (you'll have about 11 pieces of that size).

Cost:
hazelnuts $6.99

Pistachio Granola

This granola is delicious for breakfast in the morning with either soy milk or vanilla soy yogurt - or just eat it by the handful as a snack!

In a medium skillet, combine 1/3 cup organic brown sugar and 2 tablespoons apple cider over medium-high heat. Cook for about 2 minutes until the sugar dissolves, stirring frequently.

Add one cup regular oats, 1/3 cup chopped pistachios, 1/3 cup dried cherries, 1/3 cup cereal nuggets (the kind you're probably most familiar with are Grape Nuts, but I prefer the organic version by Kashi called 7 Whole Grain Nuggets), 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and 1/8 tsp. salt.

Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Let cool completely. You can store this in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container. 1/2 a cup is 240 calories.

Cost: (note: the cost is so high because I bought a lot of the items in bulk - almost every ingredient makes for a great snack to have on hand).
apple cider $4.99
pistachios $7.99
cereal nuggets $6.78
dried cherries $6.99
sunflower seeds $1.50

Poached Quinces

Quinces are also just now in season, and get them while they're good because the season is fleeting - October-December. Serve these over toast for breakfast, or over vegan vanilla ice cream for dessert. You could also chop up the quinces and get creative - use them as a pie filling, or for a quince crumble.

This recipe called for four quinces (or 1 and 3/4 pounds total), each peeled, cored, and cut into quarters. However, the quinces at my grocer were enormous, so only two of them equaled the suggested weight! Therefore, I cut each of my 2 quinces into 8 wedges, instead of cutting 4 quinces into 4 wedges. Either way works just as well.

Combine 4 cups of water, one cup of raw sugar, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, one cinnamon stick, and one (1-inch) piece of lemon rind in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil and cook for two minutes at that heat.

Add the quinces, reduce heat, and let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool to room temperature.

Remove the quinces from the liquid with a slotted spoon or a fork. Drain the liquid through a sieve over a bowl, and discard the solids. Pour the reserved liquid back over the quinces.

One quince quarter (or "eighth" in my case) plus one tablespoon of liquid is 70 calories. These will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Cost:
sugar $3.19
lemon $0.99
quinces $3.00

Spicy Pickled Beans

These pickled beans make for a great snack to have on hand during the summer – just keep in an airtight jar in the fridge and pick out a few every once in a while! They’re also great on a platter of appetizers during cocktail hour.

Make this at least the day before you want them ready. Bring 2 quarts (8 cups) of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Add half a cup trimmed green beans and half a cup trimmed wax beans, and cook for four minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

In a medium saucepan, combine one and a quarter cups red wine vinegar, half a cup raw sugar, half a cup sherry (or cider) vinegar, half a cup vodka (I used Absolut), 2 tablespoons whole mustard seeds, one tablespoon black peppercorns, 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 4 whole garlic cloves, 4 dill sprigs and 2 bay leaves.

Bring to a boil, then cook for one minute, until the sugar dissolves.

Pour over the beans. Cover and let marinate in the fridge at least 24 hours. Remove the dill and the bay leaves (the recipe didn’t specify to remove the garlic cloves, but I discarded those , too). You can drain the beans if desired, or store them in a jar with the liquid.

One ounce of beans is 30 calories.

Cost:

green beans $0.70

wax beans $1.29

mustard seeds $2.25

dill $1.99

'Yogurt Cheese'

Today's recipe is entirely an experiment, I repeat, an experiment. I need this "yogurt cheese" for a dip that I want to make tomorrow, but I was curious to see if it worked as well with soy yogurt as it does with cow's milk yogurt. My hunch was yes; let's find out the results...

The night before needed, line a colander with 4 layers of cheesecloth (a fine mesh cloth available at food stores - Whole Foods carries it right by the baking section). Place the colander in a medium bowl. Spoon 1 quart (4 cups) plain soy yogurt into the colander, refrigerate and let stand 8 hours or overnight.

The result is... well the result is so perplexing I don't quite know how to blog about it! Measurement-wise, this worked exactly as it was supposed to. After eight hours in the fridge, the soy yogurt had reduced from 4 cups to 2. However, the next step of the recipe said to "discard the liquid" which would have drained out. Only I had almost no liquid! So where did it go? How did it reduce? Did it evaporate away? This is two cups of soy yogurt we're talking about here!

Some things, I suppose, should not be questioned, since, heck, I got the result I wanted. Wow.

So now you have two cups of a thicker, cream-cheese-y consistency, at 150 calories per cup. Save one cup for the recipe I'm going to post tomorrow! But here are some fun suggestions for ways to use the other cup:

- spread thinly on whole wheat crackers and top with parsley
- serve on toasted bread with tomato slices
- spice with any mixture you like - such as cumin, pepper, and mint - and serve as a dip
- make a spread with herbs like dill and oregano
- use as the base of a dressing for fruit salad

Cost:
plain soy yogurt $2.69

Here's a finished cup:

Spicy Pickled Okra

I'm not even sure how to categorize this recipe! A condiment, a side dish? Either way it looked so interesting that I had to give it a try.

In a saucepan, combine 1 cup white wine vinegar, 1 1/4 cups water, one and a half tablespoons sugar, one tablespoon salt, 1/2 tsp. white peppercorns, 1/2 tsp. whole coriander seeds, 1/2 tsp. whole fennel seeds and 1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds. Bring to a boil, then cook one minute stirring frequently.

Remove from heat and add two sprigs of fresh dill, one jalapeno pepper, sliced in half (red or green, your choice), and 3/4 lb. whole fresh okra pods. Cool completely to room temperature, then pour into an airtight container, cover and chill. They'll keep for up to two weeks in the fridge.

Here are a few serving suggestions:
- use anywhere you'd normally put pickles - on sandwiches, chopped up in potato salad etc.
- eat whole as a side dish
- make a part of an antipasti plate alongside artichoke hearts, olives etc.

Either way, 1/4 cup of okra pods is only 30 calories.

Cost: (it looks high because of all the spices, but those will hang around in my spice cabinet and come in use in many future recipes...)
white peppercorn $5.99
coriander seeds $1.95
cumin seeds $3.99
fresh dill $1.99
okra $2.55

A note of caution that applies to all recipes - check your pantry before you shop! The original recipe called for one and a quarter cups white wine vinegar, and I just assumed I had enough. When I found myself 1/4 cup short, I switched the ratio, ergo 1 cup vinegar to 1 1/4 cups water instead of 1 1/4 cups vinegar to 1 cup water. I hope this didn't overly affect the pickling process. I also assumed I had enough salt, but only came up with about 3/4 tablespoon left in my shaker. Oops! Lesson learned.

Vegetable Stock

This is one of those recipes that I consider therapeutic and almost meditative to make - lots of chopping, lots of different ingredients, but no rushed pace so very relaxing. It takes a little while, but if you have a just-still-too-chilly early spring afternoon like this one, it is an absolutely perfect recipe to make.

On a more practical note, I'm preparing this stock ahead of time to use in a recipe tomorrow night (check back for more details!) but with the leftovers, the possibilities are endless. Make any variation of delicious vegan soups by adding grains such as rice or lentils or beans, other cooked vegetables like potatoes or squash, or anything else that strikes your fancy. You could even add slices of French bread and soy cheese for a makeshift French onion soup!

To make the stock, combine in a large stockpot: 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage, 1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped fennel, 1 cup coarsely chopped celery, 1/2 cup chopped carrot, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, one onion (peeled and halved), 4-oz sliced button mushrooms, 6 whole black peppercorns, 5 sprigs of flat leaf parsley, 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, 3 peeled garlic gloves and 1 bay leaf.

Pour 8 cups of water over the vegetables. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Pour the broth through a sieve into a large bowl, discarding the solids. The yield is just over 6 cups. It should be a beautiful, almost amber color. Cool it completely and store it up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Cost:
cabbage $1.25
fennel $1.97
celery $2.99
carrots $0.93
tomato paste $0.79
onion $1.39
mushrooms $4.00
parsley $1.49
thyme $1.49