Homemade Raspberry Jam

So Easy!

When Dave and I got married, a kind soul gave us a beautiful raspberry bush. That one bush turned into dozens of raspberry bushes with incredibly delicious raspberries.

Today I picked 6 cups of raspberries and made this fabulous jam.

What you’ll need:
- 6 cups of washed raspberries
- 3 cups of sugar
- 1.5 oz. lemon juice (not quite a quarter cup)

That’s it!!!

Combine sugar, raspberries, and lemon juice in a stainless steel pot.
Squish raspberries with a fork.

Bring to a roiling boil and stir frequently.
Remove foam as it forms with a spoon.

Removing foam from boiling raspberry jam

Meanwhile sterilize jars and lids in boiling water. Remove with tongs and set aside.

Place two small plates in the freezer to test the jam to make sure it is set properly.

Boil jam for 20 minutes or until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Place a teaspoon of jam onto a plate that was in the freezer and put it in the freezer for 2 minutes. Remove from freezer and press your finger into the puddle of jam. If it is thickened and wrinkles a bit, it is set. If not, try again until it’s ready.

When ready, pour into sterilized jars. Wipe off any jam from the outside of the jars and screw on the lids.

Submerse jars in boiling water for 5 minutes.

Remove with tongs and let cool.

Check seal by pressing down on the center of the lid. If it doesn’t move it is sealed!

Voila! All done!

Spring Asparagus Lemon Risotto

Asparagus is in season, and oh my, this risotto is delicious!

A few years ago, I planted an asparagus bed and wanted to celebrate this year’s harvest with something special.

What you’ll need:
10 fresh asparagus spears chopped into one inch pieces
4 cups of vegetable broth
1 finely diced small onion
1 stalk of celery diced
1/4 cup of peas
a few shakes of Herbare seasoning - or pinch of salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1 clove of garlic, minced
half cup of Chardonnay
quarter cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice
half teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Add a little oil and a pat of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. I like avocado oil, but use what you like.

Add onion and celery and stir until tender. Add asparagus, garlic, Arborio rice, salt and pepper (or Herbamare) and sir until rice is lightly toasted - about 5 minutes.

Stir in Chardonnay and simmer until it is mostly evaporated, then stir in one-third of the hot vegetable broth (make sure it is pre-heated). Stir until rice has absorbed most of the liquid and turned creamy.

Repeat this process with the broth twice more, stirring regularly.

When finished the rice should be tender yet a bit firm to the bite.

Add peas and stir in.

Remove from heat and mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately and garnish with chopped parsley.

Enjoy! I hope you like it as much as I do!

Delicious and Simple Fresh Fig Appetizer

My friend Joyce makes these all the time in late summer. They are amazing and couldn’t be easier!

What you’ll need:
Fresh ripe figs
Goat cheese
Honey

Wash the figs and slice a tiny bit off the top. Then score the top with a knife in an X pattern. Squeeze the bottom third of the fig until the top blossoms open. Add a blob of goat cheese in the centre. Drizzle honey from a spoon onto the figs.

That’s it. Serve room temperature. For a delicious twist, warm them in the oven or in foil on the BBQ.

If you like figs, you’ll love this! It’s such a beautiful, fresh starter to wet your appetite without being heavy.

Carolyn's Killer Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

You are going to love it!

You will need:

1​ cup of butter

1 and 1/2 cups of sugar

6 ripe bananas

4 eggs

2 and 1/2 cups of unbleached flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp nutmeg

3/4 cup of chocolate chips (optional... but why wouldn't you?)

Makes two loaves. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees C) and lightly grease two loaf pans (I use a bit of butter). Melt butter in large mixing bowl in the microwave for one minute. Add sugar, bananas and eggs. Use a hand-blender to mix to a silky liquid. Add salt, baking soda and nutmeg and blend again. Add flour and mix until all lumps are gone. Swirl in chocolate chips with a spoon and pour into two loaf pans. Bake for one hour. Let it cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pans. Try not to eat it all at once.​

Enjoy!

Amazing 20 Minute Vegetarian Butter Chicken

I've been making this family favourite for my meat-loving family for years and they LOVE it! 

You'll need:

2 cups of basmati rice

3 tablespoons of salted butter

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

1 finely diced Vidalia onion

2 finely diced jalapeno peppers (with seeds if you like it spicy)

4 inches of grated ginger (I love ginger-you can use less)

2 jars of favourite marinara sauce (Victoria White Linen Collection is my top choice)

1/2 litre of 18% table cream

Lots of baby spinach (add to your preference)

1 and 1/2 cup of chickpeas

1/2 cup of cashew nuts

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Gently fry onon in 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablepoon of oil until soft.  Add jalapeno and ginger. Stir for 2 mnutes over medium heat. Add marinara sauce, chickpeas, cashews and cumin. Simmer on medium/low heat.

Meanwhile, rinse basmati rice and add to 4 cups of lightly salted water and 1 tablespoon of butter. Bring to boil. Stir until water is almost at the same level as the rice. Cover and let sit over lowest heat for 15 minutes.

When rice is ready, finish the sauce by stirring in spinach, table cream and salt to taste, if needed. Serve in bowls over rice. Leftover sauce is even better the next day!

Enjoy!