How to Make Kiwi Jam

Kiwi Jam

Kiwi Jam

Kiwi Jam is one of my favorite jams. This sweet chunky spread is wonderful on toast, waffles, and pancakes. I've had people make thumb print cookies with it, pour it over ice cream (hot or cold) and even top a pork roast with it.

 Kiwis typically ripen in the fall. I'm fortunate to live in an area where Kiwis are grown so I can buy 'seconds' at a Farmer's market to make my Jam. 'Seconds' are the imperfect ones that don't make it to the store - typically they're doubles or triples - the ugly ones - looks don't matter, because we're going to make Kiwi Jam.

I also make Pomegranate Jelly. Both Pomegranates and Kiwi ripen in the Fall, the Green Kiwi Jam and Red Pomegranate Jelly make a wonderful Christmas pair to give as gifts.

Ingredients:

3 Cups peeled & cut up Kiwi
5 cups sugar
3 drops green food coloring
1 pat of butter (eyeball it)
1 pkg dry pectin

Makes a little over 5 - 8oz Jars

Directions;

Add Kiwi, Pectin & butter to pan on med/high heat - stir often and bring to a good boil,
add 3 drops food coloring to sugar - add sugar, stirring into boiling kiwi mixture - stir & bring to boil for 2 minutes. Once it's brought to a boil take pan off heat and let cool for 3-5 minutes. Allowing the jam to cool will thicken the jam, which keeps the chunks of fruit from floating to the top of the jar. Ladle the hot jam into the jars to within 1/4" of the lip - this is known as head space.

Canning Instructions:

There are a few tools you may want to buy, some places sell them as a kit
Wide mouth funnel
Lid lifter (stick with magnet on end) lift hot lids out of water
Jar lifter (lower & lift jars in & out of hot water) the straight plastic parts are the handles - the curved pieces fit around the jar
there's a clear stick that may come in the kit for knocking bubbles out of pickle jars - you don't need it for Jelly/Jam)
Timer - or a watch

I start with 3 pans:
1 REALLY big deep one with enough water to cover the jars with at least 1" of water (be mindful not to put so much water that it would overflow if you add 6 full jars to it, bring to a boil then turn the heat down to just under a boil.
1 large shallow frying pan with about 1" of water - put 6 empty jars and the flat lids in it and put on med/low heat don't boil - the sealing compound on the lid could get damaged if you boil it.
1 3 or 4 quat or so pot for making the jelly.

Follow the directions above to make the Kiwi Jam.Once you've allowed the completed Jam to cool for 5 minutes and thicken, ladle the hot jam into the jars within 1/4" of the lip try to ladle an even amount of juice and fruit into each jar. Use a napkin with the corner wet from your boiling water to wipe the mouth rim of the jar (to remove any jelly that might keep it from sealing properly). Using your lid lifter, retrieve a flat lid from the heated water and place the lid on the jar, then screw on the ring band - only lightly  finger tight. Set the jar aside and fill another until you've put all the Jam into your jars. Any leftover jam can be put in the refrigerator and eaten soon, or if you're going to make another batch of Kiwi Jam immediately, put the jam in a clean canning jar and place that jar in your warming pan, ready to be filled with the hot jam from your next batch.

Place all jars in the big pot of water, it's best if you have some sort of rack for the jars to sit on, I've heard that some folks place a towel in the bottom, the jars are tempered which makes them strong but brittle, so there is the posability that they could crack if they bounce on the bottom of the pot - you could risk it if you cn't find a suitable rack - I use a round cookie cooling rack. Jars stay in the water bath for 10 minutes. With Lids on finger tight the hot water forces air out and creates a vacuum when it cools.

Place hot jars on a towel, or a wooden or plastic cutting board - NOT cold Tile, Granite or Marble counters! (again to prevent risk of jars cracking when hot meets cold). As they cool - you may hear 'pop' - that's the jars sealing. The next day check to see that jars sealed properly -the flat lid should be concave (sucked down). Pushing on the lid should make no movement - if lid pops up & down with finger pushing - you can just refrigerate and eat soon or remove lid, clean lid and jar rim, replace lid & band ring and try putting in waterbath for 10 minutes.

Store the filled jars in a cool dark place. They will typically keep for up to two years.

Fred McMuffin

Fred McMuffin with chicken.

The Fred McMuffin should NEVER be confused with the breakfast sandwich that that Clown makes!
A healthy delicious breakfast to go in less time than it would take to drive to your nearest fast food stop.
These can also be made ahead of time and frozen - they reheat in a microwave well.
When there's no time for a relaxing weekend breakfast - this is our go-to breakfast meal.

Ingredients
1 fresh egg per sandwich or an equivalent of egg substitute
salt and pepper to taste
any leftover meat or lunch meat - vegetables make a great substitute

non-stick spray
I like to add some chopped green onion
English Muffin, Bagle or Skinny Bun

Place the English muffin in the toaster
Start with a small bowl, spray the inside with non-stick spray.
Crack the egg into the bowl, salt & pepper - use a fork to scramble the egg.
Add chopped onion and meat to the egg mixture - pressing it into the scrambled egg.
Microwaves vary in power so you'll have to adjust to yours I set mine for 1min 20 seconds to 1min 40 seconds depending on how much meat and the temperature of the meat. If it's not done, raw egg tends to work it's way to the top, you'll see it, just microwave for another 10-20 seconds.

When done - it's gonna be hot - If it's going to be several minutes before eating, I'll put it immediately in the English Muffin, wrap in a paper towel, flip it over so that the weight of the sandwich holds the ends of the paper towel from unwrapping. Otherwise I'll flip the cooked egg mixture out on the cutting board to cool off a bit before placing it in the muffin, and eating.
You can prepare several sandwiches in a matter of minutes. Spray the bowl with non-stick spray before each sandwich. The cooked egg mixture can be placed in plastic wrap or sandwich bags for freezing.

For Taste Sake

A squirt of hot sauce can be added to the mixture if you like a little spice.
Chicken or Turkey goes very well with egg
Leftover meat is oftem easier to work with if it's been warmed up a bit in a microwave.
When seasoning, take into account the meat - has it been seasoned already or could it use a little more and also the bread - I tend to add a little bit extra salt & pepper than normal so I can taste it past the muffin.

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Breakfast Scramble

Chicken Breakfast Scramble served with English Muffins

This is a trick that I pull out of my hat from time to time. Sometimes in desperation (there's no Bacon, sausage or ham in the house for breakfast, or there's not enough eggs to go around) and sometimes as a treat - ohh there's that leftover prime rib or corned beef! Typically this is a breakfast dish, but it's a strong candidate as "Breakfast for Dinner'
This is typically a one pan dish, it's very flexible with what you can put in it. The basic ingredients are potatoes, onion, meat and eggs - of course vegetarians can substitute vegetables for the meat.
1 Large potato per 2 people (cubed)
1 or 2 eggs per person
maybe some mushrooms
Vegetable oil
any leftover meat and even seafood (cubed)

Chopped Chicken, Cubed Potatoes, Green Onion

The potatoes can make or break the whole dish. They must be thoroughly cooked, very few people enjoy a raw potato. The first key to cooking the potatoes is cutting them into uniform size, this ensures they will cook through at the same time. It's all a matter of preference how thick you cut the potatoes - that's how you make this recipe yours - just do it uniformly. For your first cut a 'stabilizer' cut. Slice a small piece off of the long side of the potato, then place the exposed portion of the potato down on the gutting board, this will keep the potato from rocking around as you slice it. Next cut the potatoes in 1/2" or what ever width you prefer, slices. Now stack 2 or three slices on top of each other and cut the rounds into strips (french fries) the same width as the first slices (ie. 1/2"). Next turn those strips crosswise on the cutting board and cut the strips into cubes - again paying attention the the width (1/2"). There's bound to be 'ends' that are not uniform - if their size is significantly smaller than the rest of the cubes (ie. 60% or smaller), either discard them or set them aside to be added later. The small ends will cook that much faster than the others and by time the large pieces are done - the small pieces are burnt. The only thing worse than raw potatoes, are burnt potatoes.

Browned Potatoes

If you're not using a non-stick pan, a helpful tip is to allow the potatoes to approach room temperature and add them to hot oil. Allow the potatoes to brown on a side before turning, be sure to turn all the potatoes so some of the don't burn. If you're adding minced round onion (brown, red, yellow, white) you can add it about 1/2 way through the potato cooking - if you're using chopped green onion - wait for now. Mushrooms can be added now.

Once the potatoes are cooked through, add the meat - you're basically just reheating the meat, if  you're adding green onion, now is the time.

Potatoes, Chicken, Green Onion - ready for the eggs!

Now it's time for the eggs! If you're confident with your egg cracking ability - you can crack them directly into the scramble. If you're not so confident, break them into a bowl, making sure there's no shell fragments then you can use a fork or a wisk to scramble them or pour them directly into the pan and the eggs will scramble as you stir/turn the mixture.

When the eggs are to your desired doneness salt and pepper to taste - serve and enjoy!



For Taste Sake.

It's easier to remove chicken from the bone if you microwave it for a minute or so before removing the meat from the bone.

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Homemade Corned Beef Hash

Homemade Corned Beef Hash

If you like Corned Beef Hash from a can, or what they serve in a restaurant (which is probably from a can) then You'll LOVE fresh homemade Corned Beef Hash.


Ingredients
Leftover Corned Beef cubed
Potatoes the amount depends on your preference I like a 50/50 mix or even a 60/40 of Corned beef to potato ratio.
Green onion about 1/4 cup sliced (including the green portion)


The potatoes can make or break the dish

Potatoes being browned for Homemade Corned Beef Hash

The potatoes must be thoroughly cooked, very few people enjoy a raw potato. The first key to cooking the potatoes is cutting them into uniform size, this ensures they will cook through at the same time. It's all a matter of preference how thick you cut the potatoes - that's how you make this recipe yours - just do it uniformly. Make your first cut a 'stabilizer' cut. Slice a small piece off of the long side of the potato, then place the exposed portion of the potato down on the gutting board, this will keep the potato from rocking around as you slice it. Next cut the potatoes in 1/2" or what ever width you prefer, slices. Now stack 2 or three slices on top of each other and cut the rounds into strips (french fries) the same width as the first slices (ie. 1/2"). Next turn those strips crosswise on the cutting board and cut the strips into cubes - again paying attention the the width (1/2"). There's bound to be 'ends' that are not uniform - if their size is significantly smaller than the rest of the cubes (ie. 60% or smaller), either discard them or set them aside to be added later. The small ends will cook that much faster than the others and by time the large pieces are done - the small pieces are burnt. The only thing worse than raw potatoes, are burnt potatoes.

In a large skillet, put enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom with a bit of extra - enough to give you a puddle. Set the heat to medium high and wait till it comes up to temperature - you should be able to put your hand over the oil and feel the heat coming off of it. I wet a finger from the sink faucet and flick a small amount of water into the oil - it'll snap and dance. Use caution when doing that. Now dump all your cubed potatoes into the hot oil. It's best if you try to spread them as evenly as possible. This is a trick part - the starch in the potatoes tend to stick, use a good spatula and stir/turn over the potatoes using a scraping motion to the bottom of the pan. Give the potatoes a bit of rest in between each stir/turn over. When the potatoes start getting crispy - taste test them to be sure they are cooked all the way through.

Homemade Corned Beef Hash with two eggs over easy

Add your corned beef to the skillet, and stir into the potatoes. The potatoes shouldn't be as sticky now and the corned beef should mix in easily. Once the corned beef starts to get crispy, add the green onion and finish cooking the hash to your preference of crispness. I like to serve Corned Beef Hash with eggs over easy. Either beside the hash or right on top of the hash.

Salmon Hash

For Taste Sake
Hash can be made from just about anything - my second choice is canned corned beef, roast beef, pork, ham. I've even made Salmon Hash that was wonderful. If you don't have any leftover pre-cooked meat then cook what ever raw meat you have on hand, once it's cooked, then proceed with the recipe.

Some tips to reduce the sticking of the potatoes: Room temperature potatoes will stick less. A cast Iron skillet is nice because the thickness of the cast iron holds it's heat better than other pans - adding the potatoes to hot oil lowers the cooking temperature of the oil which makes them stick.

If you're just coming off of St. Patrick's Day - and have left over potatoes - they are perfectly fine to use. Cube them up and add them to the hot oil, they're already cooked through, so you just cook them till they're visually done.