Candied Jalapenos

 

These are soooo delicious and make great gifts because everyone seems to love them! You can make them and enjoy right away or you can let them sit a while before you open them. If you wait a few weeks the flavors mellow and blend really well but sometimes around here that's isn't possible because people are anxiously awaiting. We use them in so much around here. My daughter puts them in her cold pasta salad, my significant other puts them on his sandwiches and burgers, you can eat them on wheat crackers with cream cheese or poured over warm Brie (as pictured below) and I have even made a WONDERFUL brittle with them! Right now I am in the process of making and canning them for Christmas gifts because they should be perfect by that time.

 

                                                                                                            

*2 Produce bags of fresh Jalapenos (basically this recipe makes lots of great syrup so you could do more or less depending on how much syrup you want to have leftover for other stuff). You can use green and red if you want added color and if you like extra hot you can even add Habaneros or Serranos.



*Salt
*4 cups Apple Cider Vinegar
*12 cups Granulated Sugar
*Vanilla- About 4 Tbsp
*1 tsp Ground Chipotle Chile Pepper
*1/2 tsp Celery Seed
*3 tsp Garlic Salt

If you are going to can and process them be sure to have all your jars and lids out and ready. You will also need a chopstick or similar tool to pack your Peppers in the jars tightly.
 
Slice all the Jalapenos into 1/4 inch rounds. If you want to make them milder you can use a paring knife to clean out the inside after you cut off the stem and before you slice them. Another thing some people do is just put your slices in a bowl of water with a lid and give it a shake. A lot of the seeds will separate and rise to the surface and you can just pour them out with water and rinse your slices. Place your slices in a bowl and pour in the Vanilla and a few pinches of salt. Give it a stir and set it aside while you make the syrup.

In a large pot bring the Vinegar, Granulated Sugar, Ground Chipotle, Celery Seed and Garlic Salt to a boil. Be extra careful here because it goes quickly from bubbling to boiling over! Its better to heat it more slowly. Once it gets to a strong bubble reduce the heat to simmer for about 10 minutes. I usually use a candy thermometer just to be sure the temp is rising nicely. I go for about 240 degrees or "soft ball" stage. It usually hits here right at the 10 minute mark. Reduce the heat to medium and add all the Peppers. I continue to cook about 4 minutes then remove from the heat.

To can these use a slotted spoon and your canning tools or a chopstick to stuff them as tightly as you can. Be sure to occasionally move them around to get out a lot of air pockets. I usually get enough syrup that comes along with mine to also fill my jar almost all the way but if you get to the top and realize you need more just add some in. In the sitting process, and especially the canning, the jalapenos will shrivel a bit and settle so you just want to be sure you have plenty in there for a nice full beautiful jar. Fill to 1/4 inch of the top of your jar rim and use your chopstick to release any trapped air. Put your lids and rings on and place in your water bath. Bring to a boil. When I do quart jars, which I usually do, I process for 20 minutes. Turn off the water and let them cool in the pot. And there you have it! A delicious treat that you can do TONS of stuff with!

.........And I almost forgot! Be sure and keep all the rest of that delicious syrup. I can it also and use it in my Homemade Barbecue Sauce Recipe and put it on Baked Pork Chops and Chicken!

Pork Tenderloin

 

2-2 1/2 lb Pork Loin roasts
2 cups Apple Juice or Apple Cider
1 cup Cabernet (I used Murphy Goode)
3/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar ( You can also use Apple Cider Vinegar if you aren't a fan of  the Balsamic)
6 Tbsp Soy Sauce
4 Tbsp Garlic Cloves- minced or chopped
Fresh Ground Pepper ( I almost always use 'Hot Shot', a black and red pepper blend.
3 Tbsp Worstershire Sauce

Mix all ingredients in your crock pot and turn on low. After a couple of hours turn your roasts over and cook another couple of hours. If you want to make lunchmeat from the roasts remove them from the liquid and let them cool enough to refrigerate. Once they have chilled slice them to the desired thickness with a meat slicer or Mandolin.

This is the chilled Pork Loin with one already sliced. It makes a lot of meat so I usually Foodsaver pack one whole and put it in the freezer for later. I also boil the leftover juice and use it like an Au Jus.

We all know one of the healthiest meats we can eat is chicken. Whenever we have a period of feeling like we may have splurged a little bit too much or maybe indulged for a day or two, we will stick to roasted chicken breasts and veggies for dinner for a couple of days. It helps us get back on track and be more aware of what we are consuming daily. But I will be the first to admit that gets boring after awhile so I have started something new that works out really well for our family and keeps our fridge stocked with healthy meals ready to eat for the entire week. Ive found that being able to grab something healthy quickly, cuts down on the snacking. The following is just a simple roasted chicken and vegetables that is super healthy, delicious and I can easily make a few different meals out of it. I prepare 2 chickens at least every two weeks. Some I roast like this, others I put in the slow cooker. For these I only use Organic chicken. Yes, they are a tad pricier but are well worth it for the health benefits and the taste. I dont splurge on the higher priced meats always but because I use the meat in so many ways, and more importantly, I use the bones for my Healing Bone Broth, I believe these should be Organic. If you are not familiar with all the FDA food labels, here is a chart you can have a look at. They can be overwhelming and deceiving. http://www.greenerchoices.org/eco-labels/reportChickenLabels.cfm

Best Healthy Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

2 whole Organic chickens

Carrots- One bag ready to use or chop them yourself.

 Sweet Potatoes- About 3, I use actual sweet potatoes, not Yams. I  know alot of people think are almost the same but Sweet Potatoes  are white inside and look enough like a Baking Potato that no one  seems to think about the difference. Its an easier switch for  people that are used to White Potatoes.

Celery- About 3 stalks

Onions- 2 medium

Olive Oil

Garlic salt

Onion powder

Hot shot or pepper

Nonstick baking rack

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Clean you chickens well and be sure to get all the innards from your chicken cavity. You can save them for another use or, like me, just feed them to your dogs. They love it and it is a healthy treat for them.

Place the chickens each in a 13x9in baking dish. I pull the end of the skin up and place a few pats of butter under the skin. Spread a bit more over the top of the skin. When I say butter, I mean real butter! NOT MARGARINE! And when I say a few pats, I mean small amounts! Sprinkle your seasonings of choice (I use basically the same I use on the veggies with maybe an addition of Seasoned Salt if I feel like it) all over the chickens.

Place in the oven for about 40 minutes. Chop your Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Celery and Onion. Place them in a large bowl and pour a few tablespoons of Olive Oil and season to taste. I use Garlic salt, Onion salt and Hot Shot. Hot Shot is a product that is a mixture of Black Pepper and Red Pepper. I dont use too much because I have infants eating also but I like the extra flavor and the added health benefits of the Red Pepper. Mix in your oil and seasonings well. Your looking for your chickens to get started roasting but still about 30 minutes from being done. Pull them out and carefully remove them from their baking dish. I find the easiest way is to stick tongs inside and lift them. Set them aside on a baking sheet and divide your seasoned veggies between the two baking dishes. Stir them well into the juices of your chicken that have already puddled in the bottom. Place your baking rack over the top and spray with some Olive Oil. Place your chickens on top and carefully put it all back in the oven. I use one rack across both pans so I find it easier to place the dishes of veggies back on the oven rack and then placed the baking rack and chickens. Turn the oven temperature down to 400 degrees. Cook about another 25 minutes. 

Your looking for an internal temperature of about 165-170. I always use a meat thermometer for this. There is not much worse than cooking a great meal only to have someone cut into it and its raw. You also want your veggies where they can just be punctured by a fork. 

When everything is done I lift the rack with chickens off the top of the veggies and place them on a baking sheet then remove my veggies from the oven. You can also do this if your chickens happen to get to temp before your veggies are as tender as you would like them. This chicken is so tender I just break it apart with my hands. We will usually eat about half of one the same day I cook them and refrigerate the rest. I will add a few of the other recipes that I make from them and be sure to save ALL the bones for a Healing Bone Broth, another recipe I will be adding in the next day.