Keeping With The Times

living, learning, and keeping with the times

Roasted Garlic, Onion, Raspberry, Rosemary Jam

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Roasted Garlic, Caramelized Onion, Raspberry, Rosemary Jam… now that’s a mouthful!

Roasted Onion Garlic Raspberry Rosemary Jam

There are lots of recipes for roasted garlic and onion jams, but this one has a twist that I haven’t seen before.

We were on holidays and I was trying to make this when I realized I didn’t have any sugar. As I rummaged through the cupboard I found a jar of (seedless) raspberry jelly… hmmmm… I wonder how that would taste….

Well, delicious, that’s how! The raspberry jelly makes this tasty treat go right off the charts.

Once I start eating it, quite honestly I can’t stop. Hubby and I have spent quite a bit of time debating as to how best to serve it.

Roasted Onion Garlic Raspberry Rosemary Jam

We came up with quite a few suggestions…

1. With a spoon (me)

2. With meat (he)

3. With crackers and brie (me, he)

4. On a whole baked brie (me, he)

5. With crackers and cream cheese (me)

6. With a fork, or even a knife if needs be (me)

So I thought I’d share my super not so secret recipe here with you, and for me, when next I go to make it and can’t remember what I did.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

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Roasted Garlic, Caramelized Onion, Raspberry, Rosemary Jam
 
Ingredients
  • 3-4 large onions, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 2 heads garlic (roasted)
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp water
  • 1 jar seedless red raspberry jelly
  • 4 garlic cloves - sliced
  • 3 - 4 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
Instructions
  1. Cut the top off of the garlic heads and cover in foil. Roast in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.
  2. In a heavy skillet, slowly saute onions in butter until they have turned a light caramel colour. It may take up to half an hour. Add the balsamic vinegar and water as needed to keep them from drying out. You can't really walk away from this task - you don't want to burn them, so stay close by, and stir often.
  3. Squeeze the roasted garlic into the onions.
  4. In another skillet, saute the garlic slices in butter until lightly browned - this will take about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the raspberry jelly to the onion, roasted garlic mixture and cook and heat until the jelly has melted. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  6. Add the garlic slices, and the fresh rosemary.
  7. Heat gently for about 5 minutes, and ladle into jars. Store in refrigerator.

Roasted-Garlic-Onion-Rosemary-Jam-Collage

Don’t forget the fresh rosemary!

Roasted Onion Garlic Raspberry Rosemary Jam

Halloween horror d’oeuvres

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Looking for Halloween party ideas? When we hosted a Halloween dinner party for our friends, one of the things I served was this HEAD cheese. Seriously? you ask. Well, yes I did.

I found the mold at Michaels so it can’t be that bizarre can it? OK, maybe it is… and it was a little hard to make that first cut into it. No one wanted to do it so I had to take matters into my own hands and I chopped off a cheek.

I would have chopped off the nose but wait… there was no nose…

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resting in a bed of lettuce…

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chin up…

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serious set of choppers going on here…

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RIP Mr. Head Cheese
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I will stand by the recipe though – I’ve made it several times and if you like head cheese, this is pretty darn good!
bwahahahahaha!!
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Head Cheese
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed and cubed
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons dried parsley
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
  • 3 cups water
  • 4-5 envelopes unflavored gelatin
  • 1 cup boiling water
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a 4 quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the cubed pork, and brown on all sides.
  2. Reduce heat to medium, and add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic.
  3. Season with parsley, basil, salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning. Pour in 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer over medium heat for 2 hours, stirring vigorously every 15 minutes. When the pork is ready, it should be completely shredded and reduced to a stringy consistency.
  4. Dissolve the gelatin in 1 cup of boiling water, then stir into the pork mixture very well. Pour into a mold or casserole dish, and chill until set, about 8 hours. To unmold, dip the bottom of the mold in hot tap water for about 1 minute, then invert onto a serving tray. If it doesn't seem to be setting - reheat and add more gelatin.
  5. Serve with your favourite crackers.
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Nuts and bolts – with a twist!

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I have been making Nuts and Bolts at Christmas forevah! and I still use my Mom’s original recipe with just a few different cereals.

However, this year I made it with a twist . . . hmmmm, an accidental twist. I bought the wrong Cheerios! Blasphemous! I thought multi grain Cheerios meant ordinary whole grain . . . not sweet!

Imagine my horror after mixing up all the cereals together when I popped a Cheerio in my mouth and it was sweet! Oh No! What to do? I certainly wasn’t going to pick out every single Cheerio and start over.

The only thing to do was to go with it . . . and make another regular batch later.

Well, I have to tell you – it turned out to be delicious – sweet and salty – yeeeummmy! Really, truly. The Cheerios are the best part in my opinion and I always pick them out and eat them before anyone else gets a chance.

I have eaten nuts and bolts for dinner, and I have eaten them for lunch, and now that they are sweet I may be eating them for breakfast . . . gotta get a spoon . . .

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They also make a great little gift to take when you are out and about visiting family and friends at Christmas. I put some in cellophane bags (available at most craft/baking stores) and stapled them shut with a piece of pretty scrapbook paper.

Nuts and Bolts Snacks

A homemade gift at the ready!

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Nuts and bolts - with a twist!
 
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs salted mixed nuts
  • 345 gram box Life Brand cereal
  • 280 gram box Cheerios (original or multi grain - they're both delicious) (insert smile)
  • 180 gram box Crispix
  • 140 gram box pretzels
  • 2 cups salad oil
  • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
Instructions
  1. Mix all cereals, nuts, and pretzels in large roaster (should just about fill it up).
  2. Whirl oil, sauce and salts in a blender.
  3. Drizzle over cereal and bake in a slow oven - 250 degrees for 2 hours turning and stirring every 15 minutes.