Do It Gorgeously: How to Make Less Toxic, Less Expensive, and More Beautiful Products (33 page)

2.
Turn down the heat, cover, and simmer very gently for 30 minutes.

3.
Uncover and continue to simmer until any excess liquid is eliminated.

4.
Spoon into a glass jar and allow to cool before screwing on the lid. It will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

If you want to store your jars for longer or give them as gifts, you’ll need to go through the following canning steps once you’ve completed step 3.

1.
Sterilize your mason jars by running them through the hot cycle of the dishwasher or boiling them for a couple of minutes in a pot of boiling water. Thoroughly wash and dry the lids.

2.
Spoon the warm apple mixture into the sterilized jars, leaving a ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the rims with a clean rag and screw on the lids tightly.

3.
Place the jars in your canner or a large pot of boiling water. Have a teakettle of boiling water at hand.

4.
Make sure the jars are fully submerged; the water needs to be 2 inches above the jars (you may need to top up with water from the kettle). Bring the water back to a boil and boil for exactly 10 minutes.

5.
Carefully remove the jars from the water with a pair of canning tongs and set them on a dish towel to cool.

6.
When completely cool, label and store the jars in a cool, dark spot. They will last for up to a year. Once opened, the chutney should be refrigerated and eaten within 3 weeks.

Mint Jelly

The bright green mint jelly that you may have seen at the store is made that emerald green color by adding food dye. As I don’t like to use dye, I’m happy with the natural golden color that mint jelly is supposed to be. It is the perfect accompaniment for any lamb dish and makes a wonderful gift. Mint is also one of the easiest and most resilient herbs to grow.

Yields:
1 ½-qt. mason jar

1.
Place apples, mint, and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

2.
Add the vinegar and cover the saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes.

3.
Smoosh up the apples with a potato masher.

4.
Place a large piece of cheesecloth (doubled up) over a large measuring cup (tuck the edges of the cheesecloth under the cup). Carefully pour the apple mush mixture into the cheesecloth and leave it to strain, without squeezing, for 4 to 5 hours. Put a saucer in the fridge to chill.

5.
Discard the cheesecloth (into your compost bin, if you have one) and combine the strained juice and the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly.

6.
Bring the mixture to a boil. Continue to boil for 15 minutes while you skim the scum off the top with a metal spoon.

7.
Take your chilled saucer out of the fridge and drop ½ tsp. of the boiling mixture onto it. Put it back in the fridge for a minute. If the jelly wrinkles up when you touch it, that means it’s done. If not, continue to boil for another 5 minutes and repeat the test.

8.
Pour the jelly into sterilized jars (the hot cycle in the dishwasher will do it), leaving a ¼-inch space at the top of each jar. Screw lids on tightly. Keep the jelly in your fridge for up to 3 months.

Pickles

It’s so satisfying making your own pickles. These are the kind that you’ll want to eat with sandwiches and salads, and even add to chicken or tuna salads.

1.
Set a large colander over a large bowl and fill the colander with the cucumbers, onions, and peppers.

2.
Cover the veggies with the salt.

3.
Cover the salt with a 2-inch layer of crushed ice and set in the fridge for at least 4 hours (if the ice melts, add more to make sure there’s always a 2-inch layer).

4.
In a large saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, turmeric, and ginger. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to boil for 10 minutes.

5.
Rinse the salt off the chilled veggies. Stir in the chilled cucumbers, onions, and peppers and bring back to a boil, then remove from the heat.

6.
Ladle the vegetables and the liquid into sterilized jars (put them through a hot cycle in your dishwasher prior to using), leaving ¼-inch head room.

7.
Run a spatula or spoon around the insides of the jars to release any air bubbles.

8.
Wipe the rims of the jars dry and screw on the lids.

9.
Carefully place the jars in a canner or a large pot of boiling water. When the water is boiling, boil for exactly 10 minutes.

10.
Use canning tongs to remove the jars from the water and set them aside to cool.

11.
Check that the seals around the lids are airtight. Set aside for 24 hours before you label and date the jars.

12.
Store in a cool, dark cupboard to up to 1 year. Once opened, they must stay in the fridge.

Homemade Instead of Deli-made

Every grocery store now boasts an enormous refrigerated case containing platters that are groaning with salads, pasta dishes, meats, cheeses, dips, and sal
sas. The premade sandwiches, resembling colorful door stops, are packed with enough sliced meat to feed a family of five, and the muffins on the adjoining coffee counter are not only way too big to finish, but they’re typically dry and have that made-from-a-mix taste. All in all, these deli counters can be a little off-putting, especially once you realize that you can make every single item at home—and make them far more delicious for half the price.

If you work in an office and run to the deli every day to grab your lunch, you won’t believe how easy it is to make your own deli-style lunch. It’ll be better quality, less expensive, and won’t involve packaging that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

Old-Fashioned Egg Salad

I just adore homemade egg salad. It’s a delicious way to make sure you get your protein quota for the day.

Yields:
2 servings

1.
Boil the eggs for 6 to 7 minutes, remove from the water with a spoon, and run cold water over them as you remove their shells.

2.
Place them in a small bowl and mash well with a fork.

3.
Add the other ingredients and allow the salad to cool before storing in a sealed container in the fridge. It’ll keep for up to 3 days.

Tuna Salad

Mercury is a very serious concern in tuna, especially for children and women of childbearing age. If you do eat tuna, make sure it’s
canned light
, as opposed to
albacore
. Albacore is a larger, fleshier fish and contains much more mercury. Better still, substitute canned salmon for tuna. It’s a really healthy choice because salmon contains very little mercury and has the healthy omega-3s that we need for brain function. If you and your family are used to the taste of tuna, you can gradually make the switch by making your salad with half tuna and half salmon. After a while, no one will notice.

Yields:
2 servings

1.
Mash up the tuna, salmon, or both in a small bowl. Mix in the rest of the ingredients.

2.
Transfer to a storage container with a lid and store for up to 3 days in the fridge.

For variety, try adding one of these:

½ tbsp. dried cranberries

½ cup diced apple

½ cup red onion, diced

Greek Salad

Yield:
2 servings

1.
Mix the oil, vinegar, and seasonings in a medium bowl.

2.
Add the rest of the ingredients and toss gently.

3.
Transfer to a container with a lid and allow to chill in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Tabbouleh

This is a traditional Lebanese recipe that couldn’t be easier. The common mistake is that not enough parsley is used. Make sure you use flat-leaf parsley, also called Italian parsley.

Yields:
2 servings

1.
Prepare the bulgur wheat or couscous according to the directions on the box.

2.
Add the tomatoes, scallions, parsley, and mint, and combine well.

3.
To make the dressing, add the garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, salt, and pepper to the lemon juice and stir. Then slowly add the olive oil.

4.
Combine the dressing with the salad and enjoy with some beautiful black olives.

Waldorf Salad

Every time I make this salad, I wonder why I don’t eat it more often. It’s crunchy, refreshing, and really satisfying. It’s a salad to make in the winter, when you can’t face out-of-season hothouse tomatoes and cucumbers.

Yields:
4 servings

1.
Whisk together the yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, and agave syrup in a small bowl.

2.
Place the fruits, nuts, and veggies in a large bowl and toss in the dressing—simple and delicious!

White Bean and Edamame Hummus

This is an incredible dip for crackers, toasted pita bread, and crunchy veggies. It makes a great alternative to the regular chickpea hummus.

Yields:
4 servings as a dip or small appetizer

1.
Place beans, garlic, lemon juice, and tahini in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.

2.
With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified.

3.
Season with sea salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with paprika.

Classic Three-Bean Salad

A three-bean salad is very easy to prepare and is packed full of protein. I love to eat mine with a warm whole-wheat tortilla.

Yields:
4 servings

1.
Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl or container with a lid.