Food Thursday 05.24.12

Perhaps you can tell that I was very pleased indeed with my pickles.  The three jars you see here were made last Sunday and turned out wonderful.  Today I will share the recipe.  Why?  Because it's Thursday and Thursday is all about the grub, Bub.  Say it with me, people...
 "If you want to lose weight and stay healthy, you need to make the majority of your meals at home."  You, there on the couch!  I couldn't hear you.


I got a weird notion on the weekend that I needed to pickle something.  Let Peter Piper keep his pickled peppers.  I had a large bag of carrots and thought that would be a good start.  But why stop there?  Get some cukes and cauliflower and celery and get picklin'.  Of course honesty is the main core of what we do here, so I have to give a special nod to Alton Brown who inspired the carrots.  He gave me the idea for the carrot sticks, but the riff is all moi.  This couldn't be easier and I hope you will try them out for your Memorial Day BBQ.


These pickled treats are a great way to get a daily serving or three of your veggies.  The first thing you will need is either spring latched jars or Ball jars.  I used the latter.  They were picked up at Walmart for around $11 a dozen.  They are only sold by the dozen, but if you don't use them all for pickling, you can always use them for storing your corn holder thingies, nails, left over soup or the spleen your kid had removed.  On with the recipes...


Mike's Sweet Fire Sticks
Ingredients:
8-10 carrots cut into 1/2" x 4" sticks
1/4-1/2 habanero pepper
1 cup water
1.5 cups cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp mustard seeds
4-6 large fresh basil leaves


Method:
 These are meant to be eaten within 2-3 weeks of making and not sitting on a shelf for months at a time, so the traditional boiling of jars and lids for sterility isn't necessary.  Besides, sterility scares us dudes.  

1. Place the carrot sticks and the habanero pepper in the clean jar.  Please be careful handling the habanero and wash your hands thoroughly when done or wear gloves.
2. In a saucepan, bring the rest of the ingredients, except the basil to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes, making sure the sugar and salt are all disolved.
3. Using a wide funnel, fill the carrot filled jar, almost to the top, with the pickling liquid.  Be sure to get the mustard seeds in there.
4. Place the basil leaves down between the carrots. I used a chop stick.
5. Fill the jar the rest of the way.
6. Allow to cool for several minutes before tightly sealing.
7. Leave in the refrigerator for two days.
8. Carefully drain off half the liquid and replace it with cold water.  
9. Remove and discard the habanero, using the same care as before.  Get it in your eye and it WILL hurt BAD.
10. These are ready to enjoy immediately.  After resealing tightly, turn the jar back and forth to mix the water with the remaining brine.  Keep up to 3 weeks, but I don't think they will last that long.

Pickle Spears
You can purchase "Gourmet Cucumbers" at your grocer.  You will recognize them because they are just long enough to resemble, well...pickles.  Quarter them into spears and place in the jar.  Use the same brine and method from above to make your pickles.  Instead of habaneros and basil use 4-5 cloves of garlic.  Everything else is the same as above.  Crunchy, slightly sweet and deeeelicious!


Gardiniera
Pronounced: "Jar-Din-Air-Ah".  This pickled salad can be found in any Italian specialty store and most grocers.  It is also a staple in Chicago on classics like Italian beef sandwiches.  Make it yourself!  It's easy!


To prepare your Gardiniera,  you will need to have about 2 cups of cauliflower florets, 1 stalk of celery, sliced into 1/4" cross sections and 1 cup of 1/4" carrot chips, cut on the bias.  Layer them in the jar making distinct lines of color.  Everything is the same as above including half a habanero and the basil, plus add 5 cloves of garlic and 1 tsp of dried oregano.  Use the same process as the above recipes by refrigerating for 2 days, replacing half the brine with water and removing the habanero.  


*Don't worry if your garlic turns blue.  Mine did and I researched it; perfectly normal.


Cya tomorrow,
M


What I ate today and how I exercised:
Breakfast ~ Kashi 7 Grain Nuggets w/banana, toasted pecans and unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Lunch ~ Finally the last of the mammoth turkey sandwich on pumpernickel and my pickled veggies from above 
Snack ~ After walking I felt kinda crashy.  Had a bottle of Zero Water and some beef jerky.
Dinner ~ 1 prepackaged chicken burger on a whole grain sandwich round, w/mustard and lite mayo and more of my pickles, of course!
Exercise ~ After beautifying myself with a haircut, 20 minutes of mall walking