This Meatloaf is not Just a Meatloaf

This meatloaf is excellently flavored - with Gorgonzola! Not just your everyday meatloaf, for sure. Diverse flavors all blended together become an intriguing and evocative combo.

Meatloaf has always been just "bleh" for me. I surely have never ordered it in a restaurant, as does my husband. Even worse, if it has had raw onion added in before baking. I love onions, but not raw. I prefer instead to caramelize onions before adding them to a meatloaf mixture, which, to me, provides a lot more depth of flavor. 

Gorgonzola Meatloaf

Trying out different flavor combinations, on the very occasional meatloaf, has been due to that need of mine to make things taste better. Especially if it is something I find so unappealing in general. I know there are many meatloaf lovers who will vehemently disagree with me, my own husband included. But if you want something a little different, then look no further. 

It also is not easy to take an enticing photo of meatloaf - of any sort. My photos leave much to be desired, I admit. You'll have to just go on my word here, that this is one truly delicious dinner item. When I made this originally, cherry preserves were mixed with ketchup to spread over the top. Currant jelly would work as well, though the jelly would have to be melted in order to mix with the ketchup. In looking back at this recipe, a new idea popped into my head. I never, ever, stop tweaking recipes, even my own. I rarely make a recipe the same way twice, even when it was fabulous the first time. I believe that when I make this for dinner tonight, I am going to add in some soaked and softened dried blueberries as well. 😁 That, and I am planning on using half ground beef and half ground turkey.

Gorgonzola Meatloaf

Makes 2 meat loaves; serves about 6 to 8

Gorgonzola Meatloaf

2 pounds lean hamburger
1 cup applesauce
¼ cup A-1 Sauce®
2 teaspoons salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
3 eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup rolled oats
2.5 ounces Gorgonzola crumbles
½ cup ketchup
½ cup cherry preserves (or use melted red currant jelly)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Have two 4 x 8-inch loaf pans sprayed with cooking spray; set aside.

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together all ingredients except the ketchup and preserves. Divide the mixture into two equal portions and pat them into the prepared loaf pans.

Combine the ketchup and cherry preserves. Divide this mixture to spread over each of the meatloaves. Bake them for approximately 1 hour. Slice and serve.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UPDATE: I did make this meatloaf the day I wrote this blog, and used the changes I noted above, namely using half ground chicken and half ground beef, and adding 4 (or 5) ounces of dried blueberries, which I soaked briefly (then drained before adding to the mix of ingredients) while I was getting the rest of the ingredients in the bowl to mix.

 

Revised Gorgonzola Meatloaf with half ground chicken and dried blueberries

There are many people who do not appreciate the addition of sweet into a savory application. Some consider their own meatloaf recipes canon, and any additions or subtractions near sacrilege. I understand. Truly. If however, you do love the occasional addition of the less common ingredient, then this was a fabulously flavored meatloaf. The original was great, and this just took a couple more steps upward in my humble opinion! 

I mentioned at the beginning of this blog about onion in meatloaf. I did not use onion in this particular one, and had a question from a friend on that in Facebook. While I did not add onion in this recipe, if I were to do so, I would chop a medium onion and saute in oil until well caramelized before adding. 

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Hamburger Elegance

Anything with hamburger might be questionable in the "elegant" department, but I truly think this dish makes that leap. My husband's teeth have trouble chewing fibrous meats, of late, so most great meats are now off the list and I have been making as many hamburger dishes as I can think of, to make his eating process work for him.

Teeth totally aside, I can't believe I never thought to try this out before. Anyone who reads my blogs would know that I prefer never to use shortcuts. As it happened, when I thought of making a Stroganoff out of hamburger meat, all the recipes I saw online started off with a can of cream of mushroom (or other creamy) soup. Yikes! I prefer to deal with salt on my own terms, so canned soups are definitely out. I like creating my own flavors. I came then to this list of ingredients that made a dish so elegant in its flavors that we both nearly cried. 
 

Hamburger Stroganoff

Usually, a Beef Stroganoff is made with a kind of steak that will cook quickly. It is sliced thinly to this effect. The creamy sauce can be given all sorts of great flavors. Some years ago I created a Beef Stroganoff with Sirloin steak, and it was totally delightful. I will post that recipe here first, so you can see that flavor comes from great ingredients in either case, and none of them are so "out there" that the ingredients are difficult to find or buy. Maybe Sherry wine is not in everyone's household, and I do admit, it gives amazing flavor. But it is not essential, and the rest of the ingredients are simple.

Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff

Serves 4

½ - 1 pound of sliced fresh mushrooms, OR 2 ounces of dried, OR 1 - 2 small cans sliced mushrooms, drained
1 pound sirloin steak, partially frozen
1 large onion, sliced thinly, rings quartered
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons olive oil or other cooking oil
½ cup dry Sherry (not "cooking Sherry"), or white wine
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons paprika
3 cups water, stock or mushroom water (from soaking)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons double concentrated tomato paste
1½ teaspoons salt
few grinds of the pepper mill
¾ cup sour cream
 
If using dried mushrooms, place them in a bowl and cover them with boiling water and allow to reconstitute while continuing on with the recipe. Once softened, slice and set aside. Strain the liquid through a coffee filter and reserve as part of the cooking liquid.) If using fresh mushrooms, slice and set aside. If using canned mushrooms, drain and set aside.

Partial freezing makes for easy work slicing the meat thinly. Slice the steak thinly and across the grain. Cut each slice into 2 to 3-inch lengths and set on paper toweling to dry.

In a large skillet over medium high heat saute the onion in the 2 tablespoons each of butter and oil. Do not brown the onions. When the onions are limp, add the garlic and continue to saute until very fragrant. Remove onions and garlic to a large plate, reserving as much of the butter and oil as possible in the pan. Return to heat and fry the meat in 2 or 3 batches, browning well on both sides. As meat is browned, remove it to the plate with the onions.

Once meat is done, add the mushrooms to the pan with more butter and oil if needed and saute until browned. Add the Sherry and cook until it evaporates. Return the meat and onions to the pan. Sprinkle the flour and paprika over the mixture and toss to combine. Add in 3 cups of water, stock or mushroom water (if you are using soaked dried mushrooms) and stir, bringing to a boil, until the mixture has thickened. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper and add the Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste, stirring to combine. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Serve over egg noodles. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Beef Stroganoff recipe and the new Hamburger Stroganoff recipe are quite similar. I rearranged the ingredient order a bit, but the outcome was amazing.

Hamburger Stroganoff

Hamburger Stroganoff

Serves 4 to 6

6 dried shiitake mushrooms or 1 - 2 cans sliced mushrooms, drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, halved and sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups unsalted beef broth
------
2 tablespoons dry Sherry wine (not "cooking Sherry")
2 teaspoons sweet  Hungarian paprika
¾ cup sour cream

If using dried mushrooms, set them in a bowl or measuring cup and cover them with boiling water. Set another bowl on top of the mushrooms to keep them submerged. Meanwhile, begin with the recipe:

Heat a large skillet and add in the olive oil. Brown the hamburger meat thoroughly on medium to medium high heat, ensuring it does actually get browned and not just lose its pinkness. Once browned, remove the meat to a plate. Lower heat to medium low and add in the butter to the skillet and begin cooking the onions, tossing often until they are soft and translucent.

While onions are cooking, mash the garlic and salt together until it becomes a paste, then add to the cooked onions and stir for a few minutes. If using canned mushrooms, drain and add them to the skillet. If using soaked dry mushrooms, remove the mushrooms from their soaking water and remove tough stems to discard. Slice the mushroom caps into thin strips, adding them to the skillet. Return the meat and any juices to the skillet and in the flour, stirring until all the white flour is absorbed. Stir in the mustard powder, Worcestershire, tomato paste and pepper, then stir in the 2 cups of beef broth, substituting some of the broth with strained mushroom soaking liquid if desired. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the skillet where it will have left lots of browned bits. Bring to boiling, stirring, then lower heat to low and cook the mixture for about 15 minutes to meld flavors and cook out any raw flour taste. Add in the Sherry and paprika and stir well. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the sour cream and serve, preferably over egg noodles. Enjoy!



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Cod on the Menu

I like fish. At least, most fish. My husband, on the other hand, does not. On very extremely rare occasions, we have gone for "fish & chips" together, and while he will eat the hugely battered piece of fish, he will opt to leave some fish and eat all the fried batter. So, we come down to the fact that I rarely eat fish, because if I am to cook a whole dinner for us both, I really hate to have to make two separate dinners.
 

Cod Fish Stew

And so, we come to the fact that after his latest hospital scare, he is willing to go some lengths to prevent any more of what got him there in the first place. With that, diet is very important. And while he is hugely overweight, he has, until now, been unwilling to do anything about it. Food is his pleasure. Unfortunately, the range of foods he normally eats is very, very small. Since he came home from the hospital, he has been eating (mostly) what I give him to eat and has even consented to eat half an acorn squash (generally a complete no-no), and even a piece of salmon (an absolute no-no), though he didn't care for it. (Truth be told, salmon is one kind of fish that I, myself, have to be in just the right "mood" to eat with any joy.)

Thinking about new ways to get something other than beef, pork, chicken or lamb into him, I remembered this fish stew recipe. It came, originally, from a book called "The F-Plan Diet," back in the early 1980s. I like white fish. I love cabbage and carrots. And that is what makes up the bulk of this recipe. I made it for myself way back then and have made it only a very few times in the nearly 30 years with my husband. My reasoning was that if he doesn't like "fishy" fish, and while cabbage and carrots are not his favorites, as long as they're cooked, it might be acceptable, then he might just like this dish.

Unfortunately, I was wrong. 😒 

Cod Fish Stew

I made the dish, and the smell is (to me) just heavenly while it is cooking. I looked forward to dinner with relish. He took two bites and said, sorry, but he just could not eat it. Drat!

All that aside, it is still a most excellent dish. The flavors are really wonderful. The use of cloves and honey in this stew made me curious the first time I ever made it, but it just truly makes an excellent meal, if you happen to like white fish, cabbage and carrots. I used cod, because I love cod, but you could substitute any white fish that flakes easily. Haddock would be great. Sole, halibut or grouper can work. You choose.

Originally the recipe is called "Cold Fish Casserole." And while it is very tasty when cold, especially with a nice chunk of buttered French bread, we are not eating breads at this point in time, so that was not an option. Plus, I don't see much of "casserole" about this dish. It is cooked in a skillet. I see a casserole as something in a pot that generally goes in the oven. Semantics, maybe? To me, it is a stew. And so, I am renaming the dish. It is simple and goes together in no time. And, obviously, the fish cooks through in short order as well, so altogether, it can be served from start to finish in 30 to 40 minutes, max, depending on your speed in assembling and chopping vegetables.

Cod Fish Stew

Cod Fish Stew

Serves 2 to 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 or 2 carrots, shredded
½ small cabbage (4 - 5 cups), thinly sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ cup fish or chicken stock, or water
1½ tablespoons honey
½ to 1 teaspoon ground cloves (truly!)
½ teaspoon sea salt
1-pound white fish filet: cod, halibut, haddock
parsley for garnish

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onion and garlic. Cook lightly for about 3 to 5 minutes, until wilted. Add in the carrots, cabbage, tomatoes and dill and using tongs preferable, toss the mixture to combine and continue tossing until the cabbage softens slightly, about 2 more minutes. Mix together the vinegar, stock and honey and pour this mixture over the cabbage mixture. Stir a bit, then nestle the fish filet(s) into the cabbage mixture and sprinkle the salt over all. Cover the skillet and cook on a low simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the fish easily flakes apart. Serve in bowls and garnish with parsley leaves. 



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Another Use for Lentils

A week or so ago, I came across a recipe while perusing Facebook. I clicked on the link and found it to sound quite interesting. I love lentils, with their earthy flavor and texture. The fact that the recipe also called for walnuts just made it all that much better. The recipe itself came from Vegetarian Times, and I printed it off to try it out. 

Lentil, Arugula and Walnut Side Dish

Baby Arugula

We were having pork chops for dinner that day, and since my husband has not seemed to want to eat any dish with lentils as the main ingredient, along with the fact that he hates walnuts made me figure this side would be just for me alone. The recipe as it was written was to be used as a spread, meant for baguette slices, crostini or pita breads. To me, it sounded like those options would be lovely, but I was thinking more on the lines of a side dish. I happened to have lentils, walnuts and even baby arugula, so I went for it.  

Brown Lentils

I changed a few things as I went along, mostly in the method. The recipe called for "3 tablespoons vegetable broth", which I found slightly ludicrous. I added a little more salt, instead. My tolerance for cumin is low. While the amounts called for in the recipe were ¼ teaspoon of ground cumin, and ⅛ teaspoon ground coriander, both of which are quite tiny amounts - still, I switched the amounts, instead using ¼ teaspoon coriander and ⅛ teaspoon cumin. I always prefer to use whole spices, so this is another place where I changed the instructions. I also added ¼ teaspoon of Aleppo pepper. I have not had much experience using Aleppo pepper so far, and my knowledge of amounts to use is minimal. I found that ¼ teaspoon was not even detectable, so next time I will use ½ teaspoon. 

In all, I feel I streamlined the recipe quite a bit, using the food processor to do all the work outside of cooking the lentils. I really love the recipe. I love all the ingredients, so that is a plus. If you choose to use this on bread slices as an appetizer portion, please feel free. It was wonderful as a side dish. Obviously, the recipe is vegetarian and gluten free, so it fits with most diets. If you wish to see the original recipe at Vegetarian Times, please click on the link above in the first paragraph. This is what I did:

Lentil, Arugula and Walnut Side Dish

Lentil, Arugula and Walnut Side Dish

Serves 3 - 4

¾ cup lentils
1½ cups water
¼ cup shelled walnuts
1 teaspoon Fleur de Sel (or other coarser sea salt)
¼ teaspoon coriander seed (or ground)
¼ to ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or other pepper
⅛ teaspoon cumin seed (or ground)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small clove garlic
3 cups baby arugula leaves

In a medium saucepan bring to boil the lentils and water, reduce heat and cover. Cook the lentils for about 35 to 40 minutes, until tender. If a small amount of water remains in the pan, drain and set this cooking liquid aside.

While the lentils cook, place the walnuts, salt, coriander seeds (or ground), cumin seeds (or ground) and Aleppo pepper in the bowl of a food processor and process until fine. Add in the garlic and olive oil and process until somewhat smooth, scraping sides as necessary. Once the mixture is fine, add in the arugula leaves and pulse to chop finely, but not puree. Add this mixture to the drained lentils in a bowl and toss to mix completely. If the mixture is too dry, add in some of the reserved cooking liquid, or water, if necessary. Serve tepid.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Quick Anyday Taco Pasta Skillet

Let's face it. There are days when even the most accomplished cook wants something easy. Simple. No hassle. I had one of those days a couple of days ago. I just plain did not feel like inventing something lengthy or complicated. I had some hamburger thawed, so that was going to be the main event. I was tired of Sloppy Joes or my One-Skillet Hamburger Meal (which I made last week).

My Taco Pasta Skillet

So I went online. I am sure, if you are looking at this blog post, that you have been in this same boat, and found literally hundreds of hamburger skillets, along with ones for chicken and pork and any number of other things. Some with pasta, some with rice, and some with no carb component. This is what influenced me: my husband likes his carbs. If I served him a hamburger skillet that contained no rice or pasta, he would want it on a bun. So - since I had just made the rice skillet recently, I was looking for something with pasta. 

I found lots and lots and lots of recipes. As usual, none of them - quite - suited me. A Taco Skillet sounded good, but required a packet of Taco Seasoning. I do not buy packets of pre-mixed seasonings. They most often contain MSG, and at the very least contain a slew of ingredients that make me wonder if there is truly anything at all real in the mixture! One commonly known brand contains 6 identifiable ingredients. The remainder of the ingredient list states:

"Contains Less than 2% of: Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Silicon Dioxide (Anticaking Agent), Sunflower and/or Cottonseed Oil, Natural Flavor, Ethoxyquin (Preservative)."

Taco Seasoning

I don't know about you, but for me, this is not desirable. So, my next step was to try and cobble together a recipe for Taco Seasoning. Most recipes found online are quite similar. Most have identical ingredients, but with differing amounts. Some few have a couple of extra things. You get the picture. So again I set pen to paper and made a list of what I thought should go into a Taco Seasoning. Here is what I created:

Taco Seasoning

Taco Seasoning

• 2 tablespoons = one "packet"
• 2 tablespoons seasons 1 pound hamburger
• makes five (2-tablespoon) servings

3 tablespoons commercial chili powder
2½ tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons powdered oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
1½ teaspoons cornstarch

Mix all ingredients together and store in a jar with tight fitting lid, away from light and heat.

If more heat is desired, add in cayenne powder to your desired heat tolerance.

What is a Taco, Anyway?

I guess the next step in my creation of a recipe is to ask "What is a Taco?" I think that all depends on who you ask. Almost anything can go into a taco. Any kind of meat. Cheese or no cheese. Vegetables: most often fresh tomatoes, or salsa, avocado, and many other possibilities - or no vegetables. Tortillas: corn or wheat. What goes in is at the discretion of the cook, the country and the day of the week. I am being a little facetious, but really, tacos consist of something to hold and something to fill. 

With this much leeway, most anything can be done, but obviously making something in a skillet has nothing to do with a "taco". So I am going on the idea that because it is flavored with "taco seasoning" (I'm betting tacos in Mexico do not use "taco seasoning"), and some of the things that might go into a taco are in this one-dish meal, that this constitutes a "taco" skillet. For sure, the ingredient list can be diverse. 

Taco Pasta Skillet

When I approached this concept, I started thinking about things that might be thought of as "Tex-Mex" and so corn and beans were two things right off the bat. The taco seasoning I created, at least had no untoward ingredients, and gave flavors that lean in that direction. Cheese strewn over top would be the cheese component. The pasta component is the one, glaring, outside-the-box ingredient. 

Ultimately, my husband loved it, and so did I. I served it with sour cream and I ate mine with avocado cubes. It is delicious. My husband's only commentary was that some kind of tortilla chips, maybe crumbled over top, would have given that crunchy aspect he was missing. Ultimately, I think this will be added to the small list (in my cooking repertoire) of things that can be put together in a jiffy. And, that my husband loves.

Taco Pasta Skillet

Taco Pasta Skillet

Serves at least 8 hungry people

1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 commercial packet of Taco Seasoning, OR 2 tablespoons of my Taco Seasoning,
recipe above
1 teaspoon salt (if using my seasoning)
2 cups tomato salsa
1 small can corn kernels, drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups elbow macaroni
¾ cup taco sauce + ¾ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar / jack)
2 - 4 scallions, chopped

In a very large skillet (preferably non-stick, and with a tight fitting lid) brown the ground beef until all the liquid evaporates, and the meat is browned, about 7 - 8 minutes. Add in the onion, garlic, bell pepper, Taco Seasoning and the 1 teaspoon of salt (if using commercial Taco Seasoning, it will already contain salt, so be aware and eliminate or reduce the salt) and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the salsa and the pasta, with the taco sauce and water and another 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir the mixture well and cover. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 7 minutes. Uncover and stir well, then cover and cook for another 7 to 10 minutes, until the pasta is cooked al dente. Sprinkle on the scallions, and top with the shredded cheese. Replace the lid, remove the skillet from the heat and let stand while the cheese melts, another 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve the skillet meal with sour cream, avocado (plain or as guacamole), chopped tomatoes, cilantro, or salsa on the side.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A New and Delightful Cranberry Relish

I had guests with us for much of November, with only a brief hiatus between. While I cooked a lot, I went for the tried and true recipes, rather than invent new ones. Still, in planning for Thanksgiving dinner I was thinking ahead. I wanted to try a type of fermented food I hadn't yet gotten to, namely a Cranberry and Honey Ferment.
 

Honey Fermented Cran-Blueberry Relish

Cardamom pods and seeds

I had seen things fermented with honey, though adding honey to most ferments will stop any fermentation from occurring. Honey is antibacterial, after all. Still, I know that Mead is made with honey, so obviously it will ferment. My understanding is that some sort of water-based food needs to be added to get the fermenting action started, but once started, it does ferment well. Getting the fermentation started takes a little while, so I started it out in October, giving my cranberry ferment a little over 6 weeks fermentation time. I read that in this type of ferment, one should stir the mixture daily until the fermentation begins. Even still, and with the use of an airlock valve, it started to develop Kahm yeast. I intensely dislike the flavor this yeast gives the foods, so I meticulously wiped off the inside jar and carefully skimmed off the white yeast from the top of the ferment. After a couple more days, fermentation took over and there was no more yeast problem.

I happened to have some fresh blueberries on hand when I started this ferment, so I opted to add some in with the cranberries. I also used fresh ginger, which became a quite prominent flavor, so if you really love ginger (which I do), then the recipe will be just fine. If you do not care for ginger, lessen the amount used in this recipe, or omit it altogether.

Honey Fermented Cran-Blueberry Relish

Other flavors I used were whole cardamom seeds, pecans and orange peel. I always add orange peel and orange juice to my cooked cranberry sauce, and I love that mixture, so I kept it in this recipe also. It took no time at all to combine these ingredients, and outside of the Kahm yeast developing, with the need for a little cleanup, it sat happily bubbling on the counter for 6 weeks. I bottled it and refrigerated it the Friday before Thanksgiving.

I absolutely love, love, love this particular ferment! It was well worth the wait. I would have given it more time to ferment (it was till bubbling actively) if I'd had more time, but it got started late, so I live with these results, which are spectacular. The outcome is plenty sweet, despite the fact that no cooking took place. The main difference is that the fermented cranberries are not thickened. Cranberries have natural pectin, so cooking them and with the berries bursting in the pan, the pectin goes to work and this thickens a cooked cranberry sauce. Not so here. This fermented sauce is a bit runnier, but just as sweet.

Honey Fermented Cran-Blueberry Sauce 

Makes about 4 cups

Honey Fermented Cran-Blueberry Relish

4 cups fresh cranberries (about 14 ounces)
4 ounces fresh blueberries 
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, in thin matchsticks
1 teaspoon whole cardamom seeds
½ teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
1 tablespoon dried orange peel
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (2.25 ounces)
1¼ cups raw, organic honey

freshly mixed and set to ferment

In a food processor, pulse the cranberries and blueberries to roughly chop. Pour into a bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour the mixture into one large (1.5 - 2 liter) wire bail jar (Fido) with an airlock in place. Open the jar once a day and stir down the mixture, for about a week. Once it begins to bubble on its own, leave off stirring and allow the fermentation to run its course. This will take a minimum of 6 weeks and up to 3 months. Once fermented, pour into smaller jars and refrigerate.




While on the topic of cranberry relish, this is the recipe I use every year for Thanksgiving, and I also made it this year, for those who preferred a more traditional taste and feel. Last year I altered it slightly, using Port wine and dried cherries and it was also spectacular, but this one has been my preferred recipe for many many years now.

Cranberry Orange Relish

Cranberry Orange Relish

Makes about 4 cups

10 - 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
1¾ cups white sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest, freshly grated
½ cup slivered almonds, optional

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered for about 10 to 20 minutes or until the berries have popped and thickened. The mixture will thicken more as it cools. If desired, mash the berries while they cook, to release the insides, which thickens even more. If desired, add in the almonds. Remove from heat and cool before storing in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.