Pickled Golden Beets

I absolutely love beets, especially pickled ones.  I have been canning beets for a few years, but I always use the regular purple ones.  This year I thought I would change it up and make some golden beets too, just for something a little different.  I only bought a small bag from St. Jacobs Farmers Market, just enough to make 3 jars.  I will keep two of them and give one away to someone special:)  I also bought a big bag of purple beets, which I still have to get around to pickling.  I think I will also try to make a borscht with some of them.
Making pickled beets is really easy.  The only time-consuming part is waiting for the beets to cook and waiting for the pot of water for processing the jars in to boil.  I was overwhelmed by canning when I first started to do it, mostly because every recipe I looked at had an insane amount of information in it.  But as long as you use the same ratio of ingredients in the recipe, use hot, sterilized jars and lids, and process the filled jars for the specified amount of time, it really is simple.  This recipe is enough to make 3 half-pint jars of beets.  For more canning information see the other recipes I have written on canning here. 



3 jars of golden pickled beets and 6 jars of purple pickled beets

Pickled Beets

5 cups of prepared beets*
3 cups vinegar
1 1/4 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 tbsp pickling spice

3 half-pint jars
3 rings for lids
3 lids (must be new!)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil to sterilize the jars and rings in.  Place lids in a small bowl and cover with hot water to soften rubber seal.
Meanwhile, bring vinegar, water, sugar, and pickling spice to a boil in a large pot.  Let boil for 15 minutes.  Add the prepared beets and return to a boil.
Remove sterilized jars from boiling water bath.  Fill each jar tightly with beets and top off with the liquid, leaving 1/4" space at the top.  Slide a butter knife around the inside of the jar to remove air bubbles. 
Wipe rims clean with a damp paper towel.  Place lids and rings on the jars, do not over-tighten.  Place the filled jars back into the boiling water bath and process for 30 minutes. (The jars must be upright and completely covered with the water.)
Remove and place on a clean tea towel, do not move for 24 hours.  Listen for the sound of the lids sealing...best sound in the world.  Store the beets in a cool place for at least 8 weeks before opening.

*Scrub the beets well and then place in a pot and cover with water.  Boil for 30-40 minutes, until cooked through.  Run under cold water.  Skins will easily come off by rubbing them.  Slice or cube the beets into desired size.

Fresh Mango Spring Rolls

Clockwise: Mango, endive, cilantro, red pepper,
green onion, ginger, jalapeno, carrot, and broccoli

When I was visiting my mom over the summer she made some fresh spring rolls and it was the first time I realized how easy they were to make.  And they were fun to make too.  My mom had a bunch of different vegetables, etc. to put in them and everyone could just make their own.  I think it would be a great way to get kids involved in making dinner, because they could pick whatever they wanted to be in them.  There are so many different combinations to be made.  Pork, chicken, and shrimp are good meat additions, and there are tons of vegetables that would go well in them.
For my first time making them at home I decided on using mango as my flavour base.  I added red and jalapeno peppers for some spice, and ginger because I think it compliments mango nicely.  I used broccoli stems and carrots for some crunch and lots of cilantro because I just love cilantro.  I made these as an appetizer for my General Tao Chicken and I had some leftover that I had for lunch the next day.  They were delicious!

Fresh Mango Spring Rolls

4 sheets of rice paper
1 small Belgium endive, sliced into thin pieces
1/2 cup cilantro
1 broccoli stem, peeled and julienned
1/2 red pepper, julienned
1 jalapeno, julienned
1 tbsp fresh ginger, julienned
3 green onions, sliced
1 small carrot, julienned
1 mango, peeled and cut into strips

Dipping Sauce
1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1/4 lime, juiced
2 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp+ water

Mix together all of the dipping sauce ingredients, adding water until at desired consistency.  Set aside.
Prepare rice papers one at a time.  Fill a large plate with hot water and set one of the dry rice papers in it until it becomes soft and transparent.  Carefully take it out of the water and place on a dry plate.  Put the vegetables in a pile in the middle of the paper.  Fold the 2 outer edges in, then fold the back edge over the vegetables.  Roll it tightly the rest of the way.  Cut in half and serve with the dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Soba Noodle Stir Fry

I used to make stir-frys for dinner all the time.  They are fast and easy and can be made so many different ways; they were my go-to meal.  But I would always buy the jarred sauces from the grocery store and after a while I got tired of all of them.  They started to all taste the same to me and I found they over-powered the taste of the vegetables. So I started to stock up on different oils and sauces so I could make my own stir-fry flavourings.  I bought sesame oil, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha hot sauce, etc. and just experimented with them by using other recipes as guidance.  This recipe was inspired by satay dipping sauce and I think it's amazing.  I had a huge bowl for dinner, and then ate it for lunch the next 2 days and I haven't stopped craving it since.  It was my first time cooking with Soba noodles, and I loved the taste of them.  And once all the vegetables were cut it only took 10 minutes to cook everything.  I used the vegetables I like in this dish, but any combination will do.  I do really love the crunch that the water chestnuts add though. 

Soba Noodle Stir Fry

250g Soba Noodles
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh chopped vegetables (broccoli, carrots, peppers)
1 398g can whole baby corn, drained
1 227g can water chestnuts, drained
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup vegetarian Hoisin Sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce
Sliced green onions

 



Whisk together the peanut butter, Hoisin sauce, water, and hot sauce.  Set aside.  Cook Soba Noodles according to package directions.  Do not over cook.
Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok over med-high heat.  Add garlic and ginger, stir for 1 minute.  Add the 2 cups of chopped vegetables, stir-fry for 5 minutes.  (If you find the garlic is burning add some water to the pan.)  Mix in the baby corn and water chestnuts, cook for an additional minute or two.  The vegetables should be tender-crisp.  Add the sauce and cooked, drained noodles to the pan.  Mix together and serve with a sprinkling of green onion slices.