Blood Orange Marmalade(Freezer Preserved)

Last year I ventured into the world of orange marmalade and attempted to make some with a box of Florida Navel Oranges I bought from our local High School color guard fundraiser.  As instructed I used the peel, white pith and all and I couldn't get past the bitterness of it.  My husband enjoyed it.  Recently I bought six pounds of blood oranges to add to a fruit salad and decided instead to forgo adding them.   That left me with six pounds of blood oranges to use somehow.  My children aren't big on fruit that requires a lot of effort to eat and that meant these oranges were still hanging around in my refrigerator when my husband left to work in Manhattan for a week.  While he was away I did some searching and found a wonderful recipe for blood orange marmalade that was minimally cooked and preserved in the freezer.  I'm a big fan of freezer jam, it maintains the freshness of the jam and it requires only a freezer to preserve instead of canning essentials.  My first batch set up so nicely and tasted amazing that I gave away two of the four pints I made, to friends.  My friend Jennifer liked it so much we made two batches together.  Yesterday was a particularly nice day so she brought her three children over to play and we made marmalade together.  Her hand and arm modeling are in the photos I took for this post.  This marmalade has been enjoyed on toast, biscuits, and Challah french toast and I'm sure you will find many more ways to enjoy it.  Blood Oranges are originally from Italy and Sicily but now Sunkist in Florida has been growing the Moro Blood Oranges and those are what I found in our local Walmart Grocery and Food Lion Grocery stores.  Blood Oranges are available December through May.  

 The deep red and pieces of orange really produce a beautiful marmalade.  

Ingredients:

6 lbs Moro Blood Oranges
3 boxes Pectin
2 1/4 cups Water
8 1/2 cups White Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Citric Acid or juice of 1 Lemon

Soak oranges in the sink with cool water and a splash of white vinegar for a few minutes to remove any residue.  Scrub the oranges and rinse the thoroughly.  

Using a microplane remove the outer layer of the oranges into a large bowl, do not remove any white pith.  The pith is bitter.

 Cut the peel off and slice the orange segments into small pieces.

 Mix the cut up oranges and oranges zest with the sugar until mostly dissolved.  

 Microwave the fruit for three minutes and stir until the graininess is gone.

Pour water and the pectin into a small sauce pan over medium high heat.  Stir and dissolve pectin, when the mixture begins to boil set a timer for one minute and continuously stir till.

 Add the hot pectin liquid to the fruit and stir continuously for three minutes. 

Be sure to sterilize your jars, lids, and seals, before filling.  Either fill with boiling water and pour out or clean in the dishwasher.  Carefully pour your marmalade in the jars and secure the lids.

This recipes makes close to seven pints.  Leave the marmalade to set on the kitchen counter for 24 hours before freezing.  After the twenty-fours you are ready to enjoy your delicious marmalade.  

Enjoy!

Blood Orange Marmalade(Freezer Preserved)

Ingredients:

6 lbs Moro Blood Oranges
3 boxes Pectin
2 1/4 cups Water
8 1/2 cups White Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Citric Acid or juice of 1 Lemon

Process:

Soak oranges in the sink with cool water and a splash of white vinegar for a few minutes to remove any residue.  Scrub the oranges and rinse the thoroughly.  

Using a microplane remove the outer layer of the oranges into a large bowl, do not remove any white pith.  The pith is bitter.

Cut the peel off and slice the orange segments into small pieces.

Mix the cut up oranges and oranges zest with the sugar until mostly dissolved.  

Microwave the fruit for three minutes and stir until the graininess is gone.

Pour water and the pectin into a small sauce pan over medium high heat.  Stir and dissolve pectin, when the mixture begins to boil set a timer for one minute and continuously stir till.

Add the hot pectin liquid to the fruit and stir continuously for three minutes. 

Be sure to sterilize your jars, lids, and seals, before filling.  Either fill with boiling water and pour out or clean in the dishwasher.  Carefully pour your marmalade in the jars and secure the lids.

This recipes makes close to seven pints.  Leave the marmalade to set on the kitchen counter for 24 hours before freezing.  After the twenty-fours you are ready to enjoy your delicious marmalade.  

Enjoy!

Salmon Croquettes & Avocado Cream Sauce

On Monday night I broiled a lot of salmon, a Costco sized package.  In a trick of fate my husband wasn't home, my son's don't like what I make anyways, my Chinese teenager decided just before dinner he was now a vegetarian,  my daughters and I don't eat very much and well that left A LOT of leftover broiled salmon.  Since I had left-over salmon I decided to try my hands at croquettes.  I don't have any bread or bread crumbs in my home right now so I went a more southern route and used cornmeal.  The cream sauce was a recipe I found an amended.  This time my husband was home and we ate some of them, my daughters both tried them too.  We still have left-overs though.  I'm thinking maybe tacos, maybe?  You can use canned salmon for this recipe by the way.

 Golden crust and moist interior.  With the sauce it's over the top.

Ingredients for Salmon Croquettes:

2 lbs pre-cooked Salmon
3 Eggs
1 cup Cornmeal
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 a Lemon

Ingredients for Avocado Cream Sauce:

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1/2 cup Mayonnaise

1 cup Avocado Oil
1 Avocado
1/2 a Lemon
2 teaspoons Lime Hot Sauce

 Remove the salmon from the skin and place in bowl.  Using a fork, gently flake the salmon.

 Add 1/2 cup cornmeal, eggs, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and half a lemon squeezed.

 Mix together.

 Using a 1/4 cup portion the salmon mixture.

Press the salmon into a patty and dip in the remaining cornmeal on both sides.  Place on a dish.  When all the patties have been formed refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Heat 1 inch of olive oil in a large 12 inch cast iron skillet or other pan over medium-high heat.

When a drop of water hits the oil and bubbles at enough croquettes to the pan without crowding them.

 Cook croquettes until golden brown and flip, 3-4 minutes.

Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate.

Place avocado, mayonaise, avocado oil, hot sauce, sea salt, garlic powder, and 1/2 lemon squeezed into a blender.  Blend until smooth.

 Serve the sauce alongside the croquettes.

Enjoy!

Salmon Croquettes & Avocado Cream Sauce

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients for Salmon Croquettes:

2 lbs pre-cooked Salmon
3 Eggs
1 cup Cornmeal
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 a Lemon

Ingredients for Avocado Cream Sauce:

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1/2 cup Mayonnaise

1 cup Avocado Oil
1 Avocado
1/2 a Lemon
2 teaspoons Lime Hot Sauce

Process for Salmon Croquettes:

 Remove the salmon from the skin and place in bowl.  Using a fork, gently flake the salmon.

Add 1/2 cup cornmeal, eggs, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and half a lemon squeezed.

Mix together.

Using a 1/4 cup portion the salmon mixture.

Press the salmon into a patty and dip in the remaining cornmeal on both sides.  Place on a dish.  When all the patties have been formed refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Heat 1 inch of olive oil in a large 12 inch cast iron skillet or other pan over medium-high heat.

When a drop of water hits the oil and bubbles at enough croquettes to the pan without crowding them.

Cook croquettes until golden brown and flip, 3-4 minutes.

Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate.

Process for Avocado Cream Sauce:

Place avocado, mayonaise, avocado oil, hot sauce, sea salt, garlic powder, and 1/2 lemon squeezed into a blender.  Blend until smooth.

Serve the sauce alongside the croquettes.

Enjoy!

Blackened Catfish

While doing my weekly grocery shopping, the catfish was calling my name, and I decided it was time to try and prepare it myself.  I have eaten catfish once in my lifetime I think, and since I have been preparing a different fish every week, this was the week for catfish.  Fried catfish seemed a little too much frying for me, so I decided to make blackened catfish.  My fish didn't turn out very blackened, most likely because I used fresh ingredients rather then dried.  Dried spices do blacken, hence the name. This is my personal experience speaking.  In no way am I able to accurately tell you why blackened catfish is called that, but I'm guessing it is because the spice rubbed on the catfish blackens when it is pan fried. 

 Flavorful exterior, flaky moist inside.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons softened Butter
1 small Yellow Onion
4 cloves Garlic
1 Lemon
1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 lbs. Catfish fillets

 Peel and finely dice 1/2 of the onion.

If you have a molcajete or a mortar and pestle, bring them out, otherwise process this in a
blender or food processor.

Place onion, garlic and salt in molcajete or blender.  Grind or blend into a paste.

 Look at my paste, cool.

 Add paprika and red pepper flakes.  Grind or blend until smooth.

 Squeeze lemon juice and add olive oil.  Stir or blend until smooth.

 Brush paste onto both sides of catfish filets, allow to marinate for 15 minutes.

 Add 4 tablespoons of butter to large sauté pan over medium heat.

 Fry catfish filets until interior flesh is opaque and flaky,  3-5 minutes on each side.

Remove from pan and place on serving platter or plate.

Enjoy!

Blackened Catfish

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons softened Butter

1 small Yellow Onion

4 cloves Garlic

1 Lemon

1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika

1 1/2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 lbs. Catfish fillets

Process:

Peel and finely dice 1/2 of the onion.

If you have a molcajete or a mortar and pestle bring them out, otherwise process this in a blender or food processor.

Place onion, garlic and salt in molcajete or blender.  Grind or blend into a paste.

Add paprika and red pepper flakes.  Grind or blend until smooth.

Squeeze lemon juice and add olive oil.  Stir or blend until smooth.

Brush paste onto both sides of catfish filets, allow to marinate for 15 minutes.

Add 4 tablespoons of butter to large sauté pan over medium heat.

Fry catfish filets until interior flesh is opaque and flaky,  3-5 minutes on each side.

Enjoy!

Cajun Coleslaw

I really like coleslaw.  I'm not sure what it is about crunchy cabbage in sauce, but it is so yummy to me. Our friend's in Maryland introduced us to Duck Dynasty.  I have heard of it, but had never had a reason to watch it truthfully.  I tend to swear off all reality TV.  We watched with them and we were hooked. I love the funny antics in each episode and the redneck premise of the show.  For dinner I decided to channel my inner Southern and cook a Louisiana inspired meal to eat while we watched Duck Dynasty for our Friday night movie.  The first part of our Louisiana feast was coleslaw, not just your average sweet coleslaw from KFC, I chose a spicy Cajun coleslaw instead.  My husband and I love flavor, and he agreed this was a very good coleslaw.  This recipe is best served the next day.  If you give the flavors a day to really develop, your tatse-buds will be rewarded I promise.  Our dinner also included biscuits and blackened catfish, so stay tuned for the catfish in the next post.

 This is what coleslaw should be.

Ingredients:

1 small head of Cabbage
1 small head of Red Cabbage
2 Yellow Onions
1 Lemon
5 tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Spicy Brown Mustard
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Louisiana Hot Sauce
2 tablespoons Ketchup
3 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar

 Whisk mustard and mayonnaise together in a very large bowl.

 Add hot sauce and whisk until thickened. 

 Add ketchup and whisk until thickened.

 Add salt and and garlic powder, whisk.

 Add red wine vinegar, juice the lemon into sauce and whisk.

 This beautiful sauce will accompany the cabbage and bring it to perfection.

 Peel, cut onions in half, and slice thinly.

Remove outer leaves of cabbage, rinse, cut in half, and cut the core out.

 Slice cabbage thinly.

 Repeat process with the red cabbage.

 Add cabbage, and onions to large bowl with sauce.  Stir and refrigerate for at least a day.

Enjoy!

Cajun Coleslaw

Printable Recipe Found Here

Ingredients:

1 small head of Cabbage

1 small head of Red Cabbage

2 Yellow Onions

1 Lemon

5 tablespoons Mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Spicy Brown Mustard

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Louisiana Hot Sauce

2 tablespoons Ketchup

3 teaspoons Kosher Salt

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar

Process:

Whisk mustard and mayonnaise together in a very large bowl.

Add hot sauce and whisk until thickened. 

Add ketchup and whisk until thickened.

Add salt and and garlic powder, whisk.

Add red wine vinegar, juice the lemon into sauce and whisk.

This beautiful sauce will accompany the cabbage and bring it to perfection.

Peel, cut onions in half, and slice thinly.

Remove outer leaves of cabbage, rinse, cut in half, and cut the core out.

Slice cabbage thinly.

Repeat process with the red cabbage.

Add cabbage, and onions to large bowl with sauce.  Stir and refrigerate for at least a day.

Enjoy!