Category: Meal Planning

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Blackberry Catsup

Blackberry Catsup | Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

Catsup or Ketchup, either way this Blackberry Catsup is so simple & delicious you will never want to buy ketchup again. Blackberry Catsup the newest Little Jewel from the Membership Recipe Collection.

RECIPE NO. 551

The Membership Recipe Collection keeps growing. With full access to over 550 recipes, with NO ADS, NO POPUPS no tracking. Nothing to interrupt your cooking mojo. I have created the Recipe Membership with a very low yearly subscription rate, less than $2.00 per month! Fully searchable with a PRINT RECIPE tab that allows you to easily print recipes. Plus, you have access via your phone or any device, perfect for pulling up  ingredients for a recipe. Oh, and lastly beautiful simple photography and cookbooks to order as well. I have got you cooking covered!

Blackberry Catsup | Bijouxs Little Jewels

CATSUP OR KETCHUP

Checking into this issue it seems either title is correct for this beloved condiment. My search unearthed an interesting fact. Both names are Westernized terms for a condiment that has origins in China: fish sauce. Who knew? I love these little known facts about recipes.

Blackberry Catsup | Bijouxs Little Jewels

SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

The ingredients are simple, you may have most of them on hand except the fresh blackberries. The recipe comes from my all-time favorite chef-designer, Lee Bailey. An immense talent, he contributed food, tabletop, garden and design books. I met Lee at a local book signing for Cooking with Friends. Great recipes for guests and simple home style meals. Lee was never fussy. Many of his books contain the tabletop items he designed and sold. This from Saveur Magazine, tells you he was at the beginning of the taste movement. His shop in Henri Bendel NYC was fabulous.

Blackberry Catsup | Bijouxs Little Jewels

I like to make my own dips, dressings etc. and there are a bounty of them to choose from in the Recipe Membership Collection. This way you know what is in them, control the ingredients and avoid all the nasty additives in processed food. Never a better case for creating your own condiments.

 

 

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Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Grated Romano Cheese

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Grated Romano Cheese |Bijouxs Little Jewels

Crispy sweet and salty fries what is not to love? Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Grated Romano Cheese another little jewel recipe from the Recipe Membership Collection.

GOING GREEN

This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite new cookbooks. In my search for all-things plant based I saw incredible burgers from Martin Nortin’s book, Green Burgers.The Zucchini with Grilled Green Onions and Garlic is wonderful. I have cooked the recipe but my burgers do not look at gourgous as the photos in the book. I really respect the author, he photograped and created the book by himself, I know about that gig myself with my cookbooks.

ALL ABOUT THE SIDES

The sides are almost as important as the burgers, after all are not fries required with a burger? I love potatoes, all varieties. In the above mentioned book, I love that the author has provided a generous selection of sides. I have not been doing as much frying lately, so the Bake Sweet Potato Fries caught my eye. These fries are made with Japanese sweet potatoes.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Grated Romano Cheese | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Grated Romano Cheese | Bijouxs Little Jewels

JAPANESE SWEET POTATOES

Japanes sweet potatoes vary from our American sweet potatoes. With a red skin, pale interior and fluffy texture the Japanese Murasaki variety are a bit creamier. They can be roasted at high heats, 425-450 degrees F. They work wonderfully for sweet potato oven fries. They can take the heat to develop a brown crust and stay soft. One of the best potatoes for oven sweet potato fries.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Grated Romano Cheese | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Grated Romano Cheese Recipe No. 550 from the Recipe Membership.

 

 

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Martha’s Bottom-Crust Apple Pie

Martha’s Bottom-Crust Apple Pie | Bijouxs Little Jewels

The All-American Apple pie, with a just a bit of a flavor twist. This pie is an old-fashioned Bottom-Crust Apple Pie I have been making for years, but the apples are flavored with a Winter Spice Blend. The cinnamon, allspice, anise seeds, black pepper and nutmeg create a one-of-a-kind spice blend that complements the apples. A Little Jewel from the Bijouxs Little Jewels Kitchen – Fall Forward.

Martha’s Bottom-Crust Apple Pie | Bijouxs Little Jewels

MARTHA MY DEAR

I always think of the Beatles song, Martha My Dear, which was composed for Paul’s sheepdog Martha. This recipe comes from a heritage cook from my vast collection, Martha Stewart’s Quick Cook, still a favorite in the Bijouxs Kitchen. There are many great recipes and you can still find used versions of this book on Amazon. This has worked to help me find many out-of-print cookbooks, many times available through thrift shops such as Goodwill.

OLD-FASHIONED BOTTOM CRUST APPLE PIE

This pie recipe is not common, yet omitting the top crust and replacing it with sugar, spices and butter it really allows the apple flavor to come through. Deeper than a tart it has been my go-to apple pie to make with my yearly bounty of over 100+ Anna Apples on my tree again this year. This apple tree variety really likes the coastal influence vs the hot interior valley. Yet, the Anna variety grows fabulous in Southern California, and bears a boatload of fruit. Check your local garden stores, this is one apple variety that bears fruit in warm California weather. More about Anna Apple Trees here.

Martha’s Bottom-Crust Apple Pie | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Martha’s Bottom-Crust Apple Pie | Bijouxs Little Jewels

WINTER SPICE BLEND

The Winter Spice Blend originated at March SF. This is one of my favorite stores to visit when in the beautiful city by the bay. As we all know, cities have changed since the downturn from COVID and other factors. The images from our cities are not dissimilar to the Great Depression, so sad for everyone. Their Winter Spice Blend contained allspice, anise seed, black pepper and nutmeg it remains a favorite, yet it is no longer available via the store.

So, I have tried here to recreate the blend to season this apple pie. The spice blend has a unique peppery finish. It is perfect for fall cooking, so make up a batch. Using a small coffee grinder dedicated to spices makes creating your own spice bends easy, as well, pie. Little Jewel No. 549 in the Recipe Collection.

 

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Poached Chicken and Mushroom Bowl

Poached Chicken and Mushroom Bowl | Bijouxs Little Jewels

A recipe of simple comfort for trying times. Poached Chicken and Mushroom Bowl is a fresh and healthy bowl, another Little Jewel from the Bijouxs Kitchen Recipe Collection.

POACHED CHICKEN SOUP

Soups feel both cleansing and comforting. A warm bowl that makes the meal, with perhaps a glass of wine?
This soup starts with a chicken in a pot, nothing fancy. Added to flavor the broth are fresh ginger, onion, garlic and carrot –all are left unpeeled and cooked along with the chicken. In about an hour you have delicately poached chicken and a clear and flavorful broth for the soup and more.

COMFORT BOWL

After removing and shredding the chicken, add it back briefly in the stock, in which you have cooked the mushrooms and scallions. The soup is now created. Prepare your serving bowl by placing a scoop of cooked brown rice, top with shredded chicken. Next add the hot stock along with the mushrooms and green onions.

oached Chicken and Mushrooms Bowl | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Add a tablespoon or so of Bragg Liquid Aminos if you want a bit more umami flavor to the soup. Voilà, Poached Chicken and Mushroom Bowl is served.

 

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Instant Pot Canyon Bistro French Onion Soup

Instant Pot Canyon Bistro French Onion Soup | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Classic French Onion Soup is a perfect candidate for the Instant Pot. The actual soup cooking time is only 5 minutes in the Instant Pot, but the real key is the caramelization of the onions, don’t skip and don’t rush this for a completely authentic French Onion Soup, which is a true little jewel.

CANYON BISTRO’S  FRENCH ONION SOUP

For years I have used Julia Child’s classic recipe for French Onion Soup from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Many times over, with diversions to try other recipes over the years. One diversion was the Canyon Bistro’s French Onion Soup. I sampled the soup at the restaurant back in my LA-life days. The classic white lion’s head bowl was served bubbling and dripping with melted with cheese, really what is not to love?

Perched up at the top of Topanga Canyon, between Malibu and the Palisades, it was a destination restaurant for me.

Instant Pot Canyon Bistro French Onion Soup | Bijouxs Little Jewels

GROUND THYME

I discovered a reprint of the restaurant recipe online, and I could see what I tasted that had made the soup different. A touch of garlic and ground thyme are both part of the recipe. Ground thyme has NOT been one of my on hand spices, but I now see the value of the ground version of the spice. When added to the soup. it imparts a herbal note, without adding any leaves to the soup. I tried grinding my own, but it was not fine enough. Ground Thyme, what a cooking revelation.

CARMALIZED ONIONS

One important step that cannot be rushed is the caramelization of the onions. The ’sauté’ mode of the Instant Pot works perfectly. It defaults to 30 minutes which is exactly the time it takes to render the onions a dark golden brown. Covering the pot with a tempered glass cover at the beginning of the process softens the onions. Uncover, then it’s on to browning, stirring every couple of minutes. Stay focused on this step and you will be rewarded with golden brown onions, ready for soup.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

The first step after browning the onions is to deglaze the pan with the vermouth, scraping to loosen all the brown bits for the soup. 

Next steps are quick and simple, add the broth, Worcestershire, ground thyme, and white pepper.

Set the pressure lid to ‘seal’ and set pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. It takes a few minutes to come to pressure, then the 5 minute timer will start.  At the end of cooking allow the pressure to release naturally, about 15 minutes. Move the valve to ‘venting’ to check for any remaining steam. 

SOUP’S ON

Preheat the broiler. To serve, ladle hot soup into oven proof bowls leaving about 1/2” from the top. Add 2 slices of toasted baguette and a 2-3 thick slices of Gruyere cheese to each bowl. Place bowls on a sheet pan, broil for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and running down the sides of the bowls.

Instant Pot Canyon Bistro French Onion Soup | Bijouxs Litle Jewels

Carefully remove from the broiler and allow soup to set for a few minutes before serving. It is nice to present the soup bowl on a plate to catch the running cheese.

French Onion Soup, another little jewel from the Bijouxs Kitchen.

 

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