Some Green Sauce #AbramsDinnerParty

So, I was browsing through my most recent acquisition from #AbramsDinnerParty (where I get free cookbooks) and I ran across a recipe for a green sauce that's supposed to be much like That Green Sauce sold by the HEB food stores.

Wait, let me back up a bit.

The cookbook is The Austin Cookbook by Paula Forbes. It's all about recipes "from deep in the heart of Texas," so of course I expected a lot of beef, and some Tex-Mex. But when I saw that sauce recipe ... I kind of swooned.

You see, a while back, someone sent me a jar of That Green Sauce, and I put it on everything until the jar was empty. And then I kind of whimpered because that sauce isn't available here. Waaaah!

So I was pretty excited to see that recipe. And I was stunned to see how easy it is. Apparently this type of sauce is pretty popular around Austin, and the one sold by HEB is just one of many versions of that type of green sauce. But ... the HEB version was the first one of its kind that I tried, so it's the one that I wanted to find a recipe for.

Now that I've made it, I have a feeling I'll be making it again.

With variations. Many variations. Because now that I know how it's made, I can adjust the heat, add spices or herbs, and just generally mess around with the recipe. I might even order some of That Green Sauce so I can do some taste tests and see how close I can get to the original.

And now you can make it, too!

The Green Sauce
Adapted from The Austin Cookbook by Paula Forbes

Store-bought green salsa or Salsa Macha Verde (recipe follows)
Vegetable oil
Yeah, that's it. Just two ingredients.

Puree the salsa in a food processor or blender until it's almost completely smooth, then start slowly drizzling vegetable oil into the salsa while the processor is running.

You'll add about one cup of oil for the Salsa Macha Verde, which made just about a pint of salsa.

Continue adding the oil until you have a creamy but runny sauce - it should not be as thick as mayonnaise. And it will thicken just a little when you refrigerate it. Not a lot, but a little.

And there ya go. The oil makes the sauce creamy, which is why a lot of people think it has avocado in it.

Needless to say, the sauce will taste like your salsa, except creamier and perhaps a little milder.

Salsa Macha Verde
Adapted from The Austin Cookbook by Paula Forbes

6 large jalapenos
2 garlic cloves
Salt
Juice of 1 large lime

Grill, roast, or toast the jalapenos until you have grill marks or they've acquired some black spots (I used a roti grill). Remove the stems and put the jalapenos in a food processor or blender.

Add the garlic, a couple pinches of salt, 1 tablespoon of water, and the lime juice. Process or blend until it's as smooth as you like.

Now just carry on to make THE GREEN SAUCE.

Note: Since I used my Vitamix blender, the jalapeno seeds were blended to smithereens ... and this also helped to make the sauce rather spicy. If you prefer a less spicy version, remove the seeds - some or all - along with the inside ribs. This will help to make the sauce less spicy.

Another recipe that I thought was interesting - and that wasn't at all Tex-Mex - was the mustard and brown sugar crusted steak that was first cooked, then rubbed with a butter and mustard mixture, and then sprinkled with brown sugar, and then broiled to get the sugar caramelized. I've never had a steak quite like it. And then I made another one just like it the next day.

I'll just leave this here for you.

In case my statement at the top wasn't totally clear, I got this cookbook for free from the publisher.

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Black Bean, Sweet Pepper, and Citrus Salad

This salad was from a cookbook I recently received - more on that later - and I thought it was really different.

Well, black bean salad isn't exactly earth-shaking, but this one - even though it was from a Latin cookbook - wasn't spicy at all. And it didn't have cilantro.

But it did have basil. I thought that was an unusual ingredient for a Latin American recipe, but it worked really, really well.

I ate this salad as a side dish with a cuban chicken recipe from another book. Then I ate it all by itself as snack. Then I added some diced avocado to some of it.

When I got to the very last bit of salad, I added a little bit of Tabanero hot sauce, and it was good that way, too. To be clear, Tabanero sent me some samples, and I've been pretty much putting it on everything but I wasn't required to post about it.

This would be the perfect side dish if you're feeding people who aren't super-crazy about spicy food, because it's got great flavor. And of anyone wants more heat ... well, you can always have diced peppers or hot sauce standing by to make it hotter.

Or not.

If you're serving it with spicy food, it's nice to have something not-spicy as a side dish.

Like all salads of this type, the flavors mingle nicely after the salad sits for a while, so I suggest making this the day before you want to serve it - which is great if you've got lots of prep work to do on the say when you want to serve it - this can be in the refrigerator waiting for you.

For more about the book itself, check out my book blog.

Black Bean, Citrus, and Sweet Pepper Salad
Adapted from Mi Comida Latina by Marcella Kriebel

1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 16-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 handful fresh basil, chopped
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon orange zest
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine everything in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper and give it a stir.

Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper, if desired. Or perhaps a little more vinegar, if you want something just a little more tart.

Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving. Overnight is even better.

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Enchiladas Suisas and a #giveaway

I love enchiladas, so the fact that there's an entire book about them makes me just a little giddy. I was invited to participate in a book tour for the book and I got the chance to make some amazing enchiladas.

Enchiladas suizas were one of my favorites, dating way back to when Bob and I were dating. Suizas, I was told, meant that the enchiladas were Swiss-style, which refers to the dairy products used. These enchiladas have a creamy green sauce and are topped with cheese.

Mmmm. Cheese.

The instructions are long, but that's because they're detailed. These are actually very easy to make, and you can make some of it ahead of time, like the sauce that can be made and refrigerated until you need it, and the chicken that can be cooked, shredded, and refrigerated until you're ready to assemble.

I had more sauce than I thought I needed, but when I reheated, I added more sauce, because it's really good. I've also used some on tacos. Next time I make these, I might mix some sauce into the shredded chicken. It's a really good sauce. I can see using it for a LOT of things.

Here's what you can WIN in the Giveaway (see the entry at the end of the post):

Enchiladas Suizas
Reprinted from Enchiladas: Aztec to Tex-Mex Copyright © 2015 by Cappy Lawton and Chris Waters Dunn. published by Trinity University Press.
Makes 12 enchiladas

Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1 pound (454 grams) tomatillos, husks removed, cored
1–2 serrano chiles, destemmed
1⁄2 medium white onion, peeled, coarsely chopped, and root end removed
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3⁄4 bunch cilantro
Chicken broth as needed for thinning sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
1 cup (237 ml) crema Mexicana
Kosher salt to taste

For the filling:
2 cups (260 grams) poached and shredded chicken

For the assembly:
12 white corn tortillas
Vegetable oil as needed for softening tortillas
2 cups (240 grams) queso asadero, queso Chihuahua, or Emmentaler Swiss, grated

For the garnish:
1 cup (237 ml) crema Mexicana, or to taste
1 medium white onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Cilantro leaves to taste

Directions:
Start with the sauce:
Place the tomatillos, chiles, onion, and garlic in a saucepan, cover with water, and
bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer and gently cook until the tomatillos change color but
do not burst.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a blender.

Blend the vegetables until smooth, adding chicken broth as needed to achieve a
medium sauce consistency.

Add cilantro and process for a few seconds more.

In a saucepan over medium heat, place 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil.

When it is hot, add the sauce and cook for a few minutes until warmed through
and slightly thickened.

Reduce to a bare simmer and stir in crema Mexicana. Heat the sauce through,
but do not let it boil.

Remove from heat and season with salt to taste. Cover, set aside, and keep warm.

Assemble the enchiladas:

The authors.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).

Pour oil to a depth of 1⁄2 inch (12 mm) in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Heat to low frying temperature, about 300°F (150°C).

Place each tortilla in the oil and fry for a few seconds, just long enough to soften.
Drain on paper towels.

Fill the lower third of a tortilla with 2 tablespoons shredded chicken, roll, and
place seam side down in an ovenproof baking dish large enough to accommodate
the enchiladas in a single layer.

Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Generously cover with the sauce, making sure the edges of the enchiladas are
well covered.

Sprinkle queso asadero or queso Chihuahua on top.

Bake in a preheated oven until the enchiladas are heated through and the cheese
is melted and brown in spots, about 15 minutes.

Garnish with crema Mexicana, onion slices, and cilantro leaves.

Note: These enchiladas are intended to be flavorful but not spicy hot, so use chiles accordingly.

I used purchased tortillas (we have some good ones out here) but there's a recipe for homemade tortillas in the book, and the authors created an awesome video as well. Check it out!

For more information, check out the book's website, Pinterest, and Facebook.

Giveaway has ended.

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Idaho Home Fry Potato Salad with Poblano Mayonnaise

Potato salad is a welcome guest at pretty much every party, and for sure it plays well at tailgating parties along with all the typical grilled foods. Keep it chilled in your cooler until serving, then just bust out the bowl and serve - no muss, no fuss.

But of course, you don't want to make the same old potato salad that everyone's mom and grandmother has hauled to every picnic and potluck since the dawn of time. This one includes zucchini for a little extra crunch and a fire-roasted poblano pepper for a mild heat.

The last twist is that the potatoes are cooked twice - first boiled and then lightly pan-fried to add a rich, savory, roasted flavor to the potato salad.

Idaho® Home Fry Potato Salad with Poblano Mayonnaise

For the potato salad:
2 pounds Idaho® potatoes (smaller ones; not bakers), boiled in their skins until done, then cooled
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 scallions
2 celery stalks
1 small zucchini
6 eggs, hard boiled and peeled
1/4 cup parsley
For the poblano mayonnaise:
1 poblano* pepper, roasted, peeled, and cored
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Greek yogurt, sour cream, or a mix
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

The potatoes can be cooked a day ahead and refrigerated, if it's more convenient. They slice best when they're fully chilled, but it's fine if they're still a little warm after cooking.

Peel the potatoes, then slice into 1/4 inch rounds.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and brown the potato slices on both sides. You can cook in batches, if necessary, or just add all the slices to the pan and flip occasionally. If you need a more oil to get the potatoes browned, add it as needed. If a few potatoes don't brown during the flipping, it's not a big deal.

While the potatoes are cooking, you can make the mayonnaise. Add the poblano pepper, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and salt to a blender or food processor and blend until it's as smooth as you can get it.

Meanwhile, slice the scallions into thin rings and add to a large bowl. Slice the celery stalks lengthwise, then slice thinly and add them to the bowl. Slice the zucchini into thin rounds and add them to the bowl. Chop the parsley and add it to the bowl - save some for garnish, if you like. Peel and chop the eggs roughly and add them to the bowl.

Add about half of the mayonnaise to the vegetables in the bowl and stir. When the potatoes are done, add them to the the bowl, add the remaining mayonnaise, and stir gently, trying not to break up the potatoes.

Refrigerate the potato salad until chilled. Garish with the reserved parsley before serving, if desired.

*Poblano peppers aren't super-spicy, so this isn't going to set your hair on fire - it just adds a mild hint of heat.

This post was sponsored by Idaho® Potatoes.

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Quick and Easy Chicken with Hatch Chiles

Don't get me wrong. This isn't fancy food. This isn't something you'd serve the Queen when she showed up. What this is, very frankly, it the meal you make when you want an hour before dinner to just sit and chill.

Or maybe an hour to help problem child with homework.

This uses (gasp) a can of soup. Yes, there I said it. I was inspired (and possibly frightened) by a recent cookbook that passed this way. It was written by Coolio.

Yes, that Coolio.

He's not a cook, but he wrote a cookbook called Cooking with Coolio, and it's a little weird. He has an odd love for balsamic vinegar, and canned soup made its way into a whole lot of recipes.

So I tried one of the canned-soup concoctions. And you know what? I liked it. It was comfort food. He was also pretty heavy-handed on the salt. Just so you know.

Anyway, this is not one of his recipes; not even adapted. The book is now long gone, so I couldn't peek if I wanted to.

I made this in my slow cooker, which is my usual set-it-and-forget-it cooking tool, but you could also make this in a heavy-bottomed pot, like a Dutch oven, either on the stove or in the oven.

Chicken with Hatch Chile

1 tablespoon olive oil
3-4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs*
1 red bell pepper
2 fire-roasted and cleaned Hatch** chiles (hot or mild, your choice)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 can cream-of-something** soup
1/2 teaspoon salt
Chives or the green part of a scallion, for garnish (optional)

Heat the oil in your slow cooker (if it's got a stovetop/browning function) or in a pan on the stove. Or in your Dutch oven, if that's what you're using. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook until nicely browned. Flip the chicken over and cook the same way on the other side.

You can prep the vegetables while the chicken is browning.

Core the bell pepper and cut into a large dice. It doesn't need to be pretty. This is rustic food. Add to the pot when the chicken is browning on that second side.

Combine the peppers, balsamic vinegar, and water in a blender. Or you can use a stick blender or food processor. No tools like that? Just chop the peppers as finely as you can. Otherwise, blend the pepper mixture until it's as smooth as it can get.

Add the soup, pepper mixture, and salt to the chicken in the slow cooker and give it a stir. Cook on high for 60-90 minutes, depending on how much down time you need before dinner.

I served this with rice - made in my rice cooker. The rice was great for sopping up the extra sauce. Easy peasy.

Garnish the chicken with a few snips of chives or scallion, if desired.

* Of course, you can use other parts. Whatever you like. Cooking time might be different, though. I like thighs for the slow cooker because they're so forgiving as far as overcooking is concerned.

** If you don't happen to have freshly fire-roasted Hatch chiles waiting to be used, you can substitute with whatever you happen to have, or that you like.

*** I used cream of chicken, but you could use cream of mushroom, cream of celery, or even cheddar cheese soup.

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Watermelon and Peach Salsa

Oh my gosh, this salsa is good. You need to try it!

This started as a what-if, and I have to admit that I was a little bit skeptical of my own idea. I've made fruit salsas before, usually with mango or peach. But ... watermelon?

It totally worked.

Not only did it work but it was oh-my-gosh amazing.

The interesting thing was that as the mixture sat, it exuded a bit of liquid and the watermelon seemed to get a little denser, in a very good way.

I just can't say enough about how ridiculously good this is.

I made a pretty small batch because there are only two of us, but this could easily be doubled or tripled or quadrupled for a party.

And of course, adjust the heat to your liking. If you want to add more heat right off the bat, leave the seeds and ribs in the jalapeno. Or just add the other half of the pepper.

Watermelon Peach Salsa

1 tablespoon finely diced onion
1/2 jalapeno cored, seeded, and finely diced
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cubed watermelon (about 1/4-inch pieces)
1 peach, peeled, pitted, and cut in bits about the same size as the watermelon
1/4 of a red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut a little smaller than the watermelon

Put the onion, jalapeno, lime juice, and salt in a small bowl while you prep the rest. The lime helps mute the sharpness of the onion and at the same time it picks up some of the heat of the jalapeno so it can mingle better with the fruits.

Add the watermelon, peach and bell pepper (I used red, but yellow or orange would look nice as well).

Stir to combine.

You can certainly serve this right away, but I think it improves with a little time to rest and let the flavors mingle - at least an hour, if possible.

The fruit exudes quite a bit of juice, so you can drain some of it before serving - but don't get rid of all of it, since there's a lot of flavor in that juice.

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Frito Pie - It was never pie, and now it's a dip!

Last night I was watching a re-run of Hawaii 5-0 and the plot revolved around a surfer who was murdered. At the end of the show, a bunch of surfers paddled out into the ocean and formed a circle and spread the ashes of their deceased friend.

For me, it was a completely foreign ritual, and also very moving.

Particularly because a friend of mine had died suddenly, and I've been a bit weepy.

I started thinking about the rituals we have in our different cultures. Our religions and our ethnic groups and even our geographical locations dictate what sort of things we do when a friend or loved one dies, ranging from the mournful playing of a bagpipe, to a 21-gun salute at a military funeral, to the joyous celebration of life as it's done in New Orleans.

In those instances, mourners gather together to comfort each other in a way that is familiar to them. Different cultures have developed different rituals, but the purpose is the same. They help people move beyond the grieving to the point where they can think of their loved one with a smile and a fond memory.

Besides the usual geographic and familial cultural groups I'm a part of, I also belong to relatively new and unique culture. It spans many religions and nationalities and pays no attention to geography. We're a loosely connected and firmly knotted group of people who go online and bond over food and fun. We talk every day. We laugh, celebrate, kvetch, and sometimes cry. We are close friends, even though many of us have never met in person.

But when one of us dies, the rest of us can't hug or hold hands or perform rituals together. We can't eat funeral potatoes or hot dish or go to that one restaurant where everyone goes after a funeral. We're a new sort of tribe, we don't have those generations-old traditions, and we're not geographically close enough to get together for happy or sad events.

The funny thing is that new rituals have emerged, all by themselves. I guess people need a way to bond and celebrate the lives of those who have touched us. With our group, we talk about our friend's favorite food or their signature recipe. We choose a time to raise a glass in a tearful toast. We make their recipes. We post photos. And we are comforted because we know that despite the distance between us, we have a bond.

Don't those Fritos look happy in their chili and cheese spa?

My friend Chris Hughes, who recently died, was from Texas and one of her favorite foods was Frito Pie. So when we started talking about her recipes, people suggested that we make Frito Pie in her honor. I said, "Sure, I'll make it." Then I said, "What's Frito Pie?"

And I got a dozen or so answers. I looked it up on the Frito website. I asked more people. The only constants in the recipes were Fritos, chili, and cheese. Canned chili was a popular choice, with Wolf brand being a favorite among the Texans in the group, since it's a Texas product.

Some people put the chips on the chili, other people put the chili on the chips. Some people mixed it all up in a small bag of Fritos and ate it straight from the bag, and others put it in a casserole dish. Some people ate it with a fork or spoon. Some people layered it. Others mixed it. Some baked it and some didn't. And then there were toppings.

I was confused. It sounded like a cross between nachos and chilaquiles, but with chili and Fritos.

And then someone said that it doesn't matter - just make it the way you like it.

That totally sounded like what Chris would say, because she really liked to change or modify recipes to make them her own. When presented with the challenge to make a recipe from my cookbook, she turned blueberry and cream cheese sweet rolls into candied jalapeno and cream cheese rolls. I was totally impressed.

So I embarked on my Frito Pie adventure knowing that whatever I did would be okay.

My first attempt was with Fritos on the bottom, chili on top, followed by cheese. I baked it to melt the cheese, and topped it with onion, tomato, sour cream, and jalapenos. It was good, but I had leftover chili, so I decided to try something different for lunch the next day.

I didn't want to turn the oven on for a lunch portion, so I turned Frito Pie into a dip. I used a mini pie plate - hey, it's called pie, so why not - and put the chili and cheese in the microwave to warm them. And I scooped it up with crisp Fritos. Totally not like what anyone else told me to do.

Oh, and since I'm a midwesterner rather than a Texan, I used chili with beans. Apparently Chris was okay with that, too.

This one's for Chris!

Frito Pie

Wolf brand chili
Shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped onions
Chopped tomatoes
Pickled jalapenos
Sour cream
Fritos

For a single serving, put the chili (as much as you think is one serving!) in a microwave-safe bowl, and add the cheese. As much cheese as you like. If you want to take a little of the "bite" out of the onions, you can add them as well.

Microwave on high for 30 to 60 seconds, until the chili is hot and the cheese is melted.

Add onions (if you didn't add them before cooking) tomatoes, jalapenos, and sour cream.

Use Fritos to scoop up the chili. I nestled three into the dish for photos, but grabbed chips from the bag for the rest of the scooping. Remember, there's no wrong way to do it!

Have you had Frito Pie? How do you like yours?

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Roasted Red Pepper Spread for Can-It-Forward Day

I'm by no means an expert canner, but I'm pretty adept with pickles and jams and things involving tomatoes.

But I don't fly solo - canning is a science, and you need the right level of acid and salt so the canned products don't go bad.

My go-to book for most recipes is the Ball Blue Book. And this year, there's a new version (the 37th edition!), with a whole new section called Meal Creations as well as individual new and updated recipes.

It's worth looking into if you plan on doing any canning. And, I have a copy of the newest book for one lucky reader, plus an extra bonus!

Giveaway is over.

Here are the covers from all 37 issues - the large one at the bottom is the new edition.

I actually have a few different editions, and I still use them. How many do you have?

So the point of this post - besides sharing a delicious recipe, is to let you know that for the fifth year in a row, Jarden Home Brands will host Can-It-Forward Day, this year on August 1, broadcast live at FreshPreserving.com from 11am to 4pm EST.

AND - If all goes well, technically, I'll be hosting the webcast here, as well. So you don't need to wander too far!

This is what Ball says about Can-It-Forward Day:

Can-It-Forward Day encourages gardeners & food enthusiasts across the country to celebrate what “Made From Here” means to them by fresh preserving their favorite local ingredients in peak season. The webcast will have an integrated chat function where consumers can submit their home canning questions to be answered in real time. New this year, there will also be an exciting celebrity mason jar auction unveiled during the webcast!

But enough about that. Let's get to the recipe!

As I was paging through the book, I spotted a recipe for a roasted red pepper spread that sounded perfect. I love roasted red peppers on sandwiches and in recipes, so I figured the spread would be just as good.

But of course, I can't leave things be. I decided that I didn't want to make a full recipe, and I decided not to can it at all. The original recipe made 5 half-pints of spread, or about a quart-and-a-half. I figured that if I made half of a batch, I'd have no trouble using it in a short time.

So far, I've used it as a sauce on chicken ... in the place of tomato sauce for a chicken parmigiana dish. You can find the recipe for the chicken here.

And on a sandwich. This was Italian sausage, mushrooms, and onions on a soft bun.

I'm planning on using it as a sauce on pizza, and I'm thinking about making red pepper soup. And about that time, I'll need to make more.

Besides cutting the recipe in half, I made a few other adjustments. I accidentally used 1/4 cup of onions, but it really should have been just 2 tablespoons for half of the recipe. And the original recipe called for basil, which I didn't use. I knew that I could easily add basil later, and wanted the peppers to be star of the show.

If you make this from the book, I suggest weighing the peppers and tomatoes to make sure you have the right amounts, since product sizes can vary a lot. The book estimated 12 red peppers for 6 pounds, but I only needed 5 for 3 pounds. It estimated 10 roma tomatoes for one pound, but mine were pretty huge, so I only needed 2 for half of the recipe.

Roasted Red Pepper Spread
Adapted from the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving

3 pounds red bell peppers
1/2 pound Roma tomatoes
1 large clove garlic, not peeled
1/4 tablespoons onion (after roasting)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more, to taste, if needed)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Wash the bell peppers and tomatoes. put the peppers on a baking sheet. Place them under your broiler, and cook, turning as needed until the skins are blackened in spots on all sides. When the peppers are done, place them in a paper bag and close it or put them in a large bowl and cover the bowl. The steam from the peppers will make the skins easy to remove. Let them rest until they're cool enough to handle, then peel them, remove the cores and seeds, and put them in your food processor.

Meanwhile, place the tomatoes, garlic, and onion (you'll need about 1/2 of a medium onion) on another baking sheet and broil, turning as needed, until the tomato skins split and the garlic and onion have brown or black spots on the skin.

Place the tomatoes in a bag or bowl as you did with the peppers and let them cool until you can handle them.

Peel the garlic and chop it roughly and place the pieces in the food processor. Peel the onion, chop, and measure 1/4 to add to the food processor.

When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them, remove the core chop them roughly and add to the food processor.

Puree the ingredients in the food processor, then transfer the mixture to a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the sugar, salt, and vinegar.

Heat on medium until the mixture comes to a simmer and continue cooking until the mixture thickens. It needs to reduce a lot to become a spread. Taste for seasoning and add more salt. I thought it needed just a tiny bit more.

I stopped when I had 1 1/2 pints of product, and it was a thick sauce rather than a spread, but it was really tasty. Based on the original recipe amounts, I should have continued reducing until I had 1 1/4 pints. But then again, it was really good as a sauce, so I'm fine with it as it is. Next time I might continue reducing further.

Transfer to jars, cover, let them cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.

Thanks to Jarden for sponsoring this post! I will be mailing the cookbook to the winner; Ball will mail a coupon for the canning jars.

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Artichoke Heart and Red Pepper Salad

I adore artichokes. I like them stuffed, and plain and I like the hearts in recipes or pickled or in salads.

In this case the artichoke hearts are totally the star of the show. The lemon juice adds brightness, the olive oil adds richness, and the Italian seasoning adds .... well, seasoning.

This isn't as tart or as oily as marinated artichoke hearts, but it's got some of the same flavors. If you prefer a more tart, pickled flavor, add more lemon until it suits your taste.

You can use this on its own as a pre-dinner nibble, a side dish, or on a salad. Or, if you're me, a snack.

Melissa's Produce sent me several of their seasonings along with a cookbook that I'll be reviewing later. I wasn't required to write about the seasonings or other items they sent. The seasonings come in grinder containers and include salt along with herbs and spices. I thought the Italian one would be a good choice with these artichokes.

If you don't have exactly this seasoning, use your favorite Italian blend along with some salt. No seasoning blend? I've made similar salads with just dried oregano.

Artichoke Heart and Red Pepper Salad

1 tablespoon olive oil (plus more as needed)
1 12-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, halved or quartered
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon Melissa's Organic Italian Seasoning
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan.

Add the artichoke hearts, bell pepper, and seasoning. Cook, stirring or flipping as needed, until the peppers are cooked but still crisp and the artichokes are browned in spots.

Add the lemon juice and stir. Cook for a few seconds more then remove it from the heat.

Taste for seasoning and add more lemon juice or a pinch of salt, if needed

This can be served hot, warm, or cold. If you like, you can drizzle it with more olive oil and lemon juice before serving.

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