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3 Citrus Marmalade

UPDATED Jan 2014! This is my spin on a marmalade recipe from a book. Even my mother likes it!

Angela's Marmalade
Angela’s Marmalade

4 pink grapefruits
6 Valencia oranges
3 lemons
7 cups sugar
7 Tbl low sugar Ball pectin
2 cups zest cooking water
3 cups orange juice

You’ll also need a canner w/ rack, 8 12oz jelly jars (or 12 half pints) w/ lids+rings, jar tongs, ladle, wide mouth funnel and a large non reactive pot (an enameled dutch oven is great). Here are the basics for canning if you’re new. You don’t need a thermometer here because I use pectin.

Use a veg peeler to take the zest from the fruit. Put zest strips 1.5 quart of water (in a nonreactive pot) and boil for 30 mins.

While that is boiling, supreme your fruit. To supreme, you cut off all the rind (yes, down to the pulp) then cut out the sections between the membranes, removing all seeds and membranes. These pulpy sections are ‘supremes’. Squeeze the juice from the remains into the supremes, you should have about 6 cups or so. Double check for seeds and crush up the supremes with your hands. Get them consistent. I don’t mind a chunkier marmalade, so if you want it less chunky, you can take a masher to the pulp to make it finer.

Once the zest has cooked, skim out the cooked strips (don’t dump water) and slice very finely into strips, then cut the strips in half crosswise to make confetti. You should have about 1.5 cups of confetti. Add zest to fruit and 2 cups zest water and 3 cups OJ. You should have about 10 cups. If not, add more zest water to bring to 10 cups.

Put all the pulp, juice and confetti zest into a large non-reactive dutch oven or similar heavy pot. Add sugar and pectin, stir, put the heat on high and bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Let it boil hard for 10 minutes. Pull from heat and keep stirring to make sure the zest distributes properly. You may want to stir the individual jars with a chopstick to make sure the zest doesn’t float to the top.

The jars must be sterilised for this recipe, so just chuck ’em in the canner and bring them to a boil with the canning water. Start the canner up first thing and it should be boiling by the time the marmalade is done. Also, don’t forget to put the lids in simmering water to soften the gaskets.

This recipe gave me 8 12oz jelly jars filled to .5″ from the top (w/ a tiny bit left over for me) – your mileage may vary. I always prepare at least one or two extra jars just in case. Process the filled jars for 10 minutes at the boil. Let stand on the counter and wait for the POPs that indicated the jars are sealed. This is my favourite part!

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Beef Tenderloin w/ Mushroom Sauce (aka Steak Diane)

This is one of my go to meals that I make when I come across beef tenderloin on sale. It’s quick and very delicious! Who knew Steak Diane was this simple? We tried this with thin sliced chicken breast and it’s DEELISH! It’s just a good sauce all round.

4 thin beef tenderloin steaks (buy 2 and cut in half laterally to make them thin)
1/2 small package cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbl butter
olive oil
1 Tbl L&P (worcestershire sauce)
1/4 cup dry sherry (Use cognac and flame it if you want to do traditional Steak Diane)
1/2 cup chicken stock (or veal if you have it)
1/2 cup heavy cream (if you want traditional Diane)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbl chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
s/p to taste
cornstarch on hand to tighten up the sauce if it’s too thin for you

Set out the tenderloins at least half an hour before you cook them. Coat in olive oil and season with s/p. In a stainless (NOT nonstick) pan, lightly coated w/ olive oil, heated to the smoke point, sear your tenderloins. Leave them pretty rare, as they will get cooked briefly again. I like my steak rare to midrare, you can cook yours as much as you like. Set aside.

Rinse pan if you have any burnt bits. Put a couple of turns olive oil and butter in pan, heat to med hi and saute onions and garlic. When they have softened (not browned), add in shrooms – watch the heat, you don’t want anything to burn. Add pepper flakes, L&P and s/p to taste. Once shrooms are softened, add chicken stock, turn up heat to HI. Add cream if you’re using it. Once the sauce has tightened up (use some cornstarch slurry if it’s too thin for you), add back in your tenderloins and coat thoroughly. Now add the sherry or cognac, flame it and cook for a couple of minutes to get rid of the alcohol. Add in green onions and parsley. Check your seasonings. Kill the heat and let it sit while you get the plates ready.

I like this with smashed garlic potatoes and green beans, but it’s good with anything, really.

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Angela’s Ribollita

Angela's Ribollita
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Angela's Ribollita

**Recipe still under revision** This is traditionally an Italian soup with bread as a main component. Since we do low carb, I modified the recipe and added ceci (chick peas) rather than bread. (You can make this vegetarian by using veg stock and skipping pancetta.) I added smoky paprika, which gives the dish a really nice flavor.
Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean
Keyword low carb ribollita, ribollita
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 10 servings
Author misangela

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbl olive oil
  • 2 Tbl diced pancetta or bacon saute until crispy
  • 1 Med white onion, diced about a cup
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 red peppers, diced about 3/4 cup
  • 2 Tbl tomato paste
  • 2 tsp DRY basil
  • 1 tsp DRY marjoram or oregano
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 Cup spinach frozen, whole bag
  • 1 can white beans drained
  • 1 can ceci chickpeas, drained
  • 1 large can whole Italian plum tomatoes in juice crushed by hand into soup
  • 2 C chicken stock
  • 2 Tbl red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbl L&P worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tbl capers
  • 15 brine cured olives either green or black, chopped
  • 1 Tbl ketchup or sugar to offset acidity in tomatoes, to taste
  • S/P, equal parts to taste
  • 2 Tbl fresh basil chiffonade
  • grated parmesan and olive oil to dress

Instructions

  • Put olive oil and pancetta in a large stock pot over med flame. Render the pancetta. Turn up the heat to med hi and add in garlic, peppers, onions and tomato paste. Saute for a couple of minutes then reduce heat to Medium.
  • Add dry basil and oregano, paprika and red pepper flakes and let veg sweat to get a little colour - about 3-4 mins.
  • Add spinach, beans and ceci. Add in the Italian tomatoes by hand, crushing each one as you go. Remove any skins that may be on them. Add chicken stock – use more or less to your liking. Keep at a slow simmer for about 8-10 mins.
  • Add red wine vinegar, L&P, capers and olives. If needed for balance, add ketchup or sugar.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat for about 15 more mins.
  • Add in fresh basil in last 5 mins of simmer. Check your seasonings again.
  • Serve in a big bowl with a turn of olive oil and a bit of parmesan. If you are not doing low carb, serve with a big chunk of toasted crusty bread.
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Angela’s BBQ Stuffed Meatloaf

This is a derivative of my original stuffed meatloaf recipe, here.

BBQ Meatloaf w/ spaghetti squash
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Angela's BBQ Stuffed Meatloaf

This is a delicious meatloaf with show stopping looks, but it's EASY to make! I use a mix of ground chicken and beef, but any combo of meat is fine. Meatball (or meatloaf) mix is excellent if you can find it. It's shown with spaghetti squash on the side (recipe in notes). Leftovers are amazing, too!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword bbq meatloaf, beef and chicken meatloaf, meatloaf, stuffed meatloaf
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Resting time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Author misangela

Equipment

  • 9x9 square baking dish, sprayed with food release (PAM)

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg ground chicken (about 1#) preferably not just breast, which is very dry
  • 1 pkg ground beef (about 1#) I like no more than 10% fat
  • 1 med shallot, minced about 1-2 Tbl
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced about 2 Tbl
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs any type is fine
  • 2 Tbl tomato sauce or ketchup is fine
  • 2 Tbl BBQ sauce any kind is fine, plus more for topping later
  • 2 tsp L&P Worcestershire
  • 2 tsp dried marjoram sub ONE tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 Tbl dried mustard sub 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp white pepper optional
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten

Stuffing

  • 4 slices thin sliced deli ham any flavor
  • 3 oz sliced cheese, any cheddar blend is good about 3-4 slices or equivalent shredded
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Mix meatloaf ingredients together in a large bowl. Use your hands and DO NOT overmix or your meatloaf will be very dense and dry. As soon as the meat is evenly mixed, stop. Divide meat into two equal portions.
  • Form first portion into a flat oval-shaped loaf and place in the baking dish. It should be about an inch or so thick. Make a 2" ditch in the center for the stuffing, keeping at least 1" from the edge of the meat.
  • Put a layer of dijon in the ditch. Place ham slices, with enough to overlap the cheese. I use a couple of layers of sliced honey ham. Proscuitto would work here, too. Next, place the cheese on ham, drizzle with more dijon and wrap ham over cheese. Try to keep the layered items within the ditch you made.
  • Form second portion of meat into another flat oval to match the first and place on top of filled section. Pinch together the layers and make the loaf whole. Decorate with some BBQ sauce on top.
    BBQ meatloaf before cooking
  • Bake for about 40 minutes or until meat is 165F at center. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before you slice.

Notes

Spaghetti squash side is simply steamed squash separated into strands then quickly sautéed with butter, salt and lots of black pepper.  Finish with parmesan. 
This meatloaf makes great leftovers and will freeze well. 
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Pork and Fennel Stew

This is an odd recipe I found on AP of all places. It is an oddly satisfying stew. It’s also VERY low fat and of course you can make it in about 30 minutes. Yield is about 3.5 quarts or 8 servings.

Pork and Fennel Stew
Pork and Fennel Stew

1# pork, bite sized pcs (I get “pork for stew” at the grocery; if not, use chops)
1 Tbl olive oil
1 bulb fennel (med), thinly sliced on a mandolin (about 1.5 cup)
1.5-2 cups finely sliced cabbage (I used .5 a savoy head)
.75 cup sliced carrots
.75 cup sliced celery
1 med diced onion (OR use frozen mirepoix, about 2 cups for carrots celery and onion)
3 cloves minced garlic (or use Indian garlic paste, 2Tbl)
1 bay leaf
1.5 Tbl crushed dried tarragon
.5 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbl dijon
zest and juice of one lemon (or lime or orange)
1 Tbl cider vinegar
about a quart of chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream for garnish
flour for dredging

Trim pork and dredge in flour + s/p. Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven with olive oil to med high and brown pork. When the pork has browned on all sides, turn down the heat to med and add all the veg except the cabbage. Let the veg begin to get soft (about 5-6 mins) and add garlic, bay, tarragon, red pepper and dijon. Stir and coat the meat and veg. Turn up the heat to high and add lemon zest/juice and vinegar. Keep everything moving so as not to burn. Add in enough stock to cover meat/veg and bring to boil. Add in cabbage and add the rest of the stock to barely cover the cabbage. Stir cabbage in thoroughly and bring back to boil, then turn down to simmer. Let simmer 20-30 mins. Check s/p levels. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top.