Blueberry Jam

Blueberries again!!! You can't blame me, its blueberry season!!!! You just have to pay 20% of the price that they are used to be, so I grabbed so much of it and freeze them. You may see few more blueberry recipes posted on my blog in the next couple of weeks :-p.



I promised my friend that I would post my blueberry jam recipe last time when I posted my blueberry scones recipe. I think this is the easiest jam to make, you don't have to add too much sugar in it as blueberry is not that sour like raspberry and blackberry.

Here's my simple blueberry jam making :

1. 1 kg blueberry
2. 1 tbsp brown sugar
3. 1 tbsp maltose (麦牙糖) - can be omitted if it is not available, but have to cook about 20mins longer to thicken the jam.
5. 1~2 tbsp honey or as needed to your preferred sweetness.

Steps :

1. In a non stick sauce pan, simmer the blueberries for 30~40 minutes, smash the raspberries with a wooden spatula or potato masher while cooking.
2. Add in ingredient # 2 and #3, stir until dissolved.
3. Simmer for another 20 minutes, stir occasionally.
4. Remove from heat, leave to cool for 2~3 minutes.
5. Stir in honey, mix well.
6. When the sauce is completely cool, storage in a clean jar, cover tight and refrigerate.

Guacamole Salsa Dip

I never liked avocado. Didn't know how to prepare it. I have seen it been served in salad bars, but never had much because I thought it tasted bland. But I got to change my mind now. I had some tortilla chips dipped with guacamole in a pot luck party, it was tasty and refreshing, I couldn't stop eating it! LOl!!




Guacamole is an avocado based dip/sauce. Other major ingredients are lime juice, onion or garlic, and salt. Sometime, tomato cubes, cilantro, chili pepper are added to. It is really nothing complicated, you can adjust the amount of the ingredients according to you desired taste.

Here's my version of guacamole.

1. 3 ripe avocados - cut to half, remove the seed, scoop out the flesh to a mixing bowl and mash with a fork.
2. 1/4 cup tomato cubes
3. 1~2 tbsp fresh lime juice to taste
4. 3~4 cloves garlic - finely chopped
5. 1/8 cup chopped onion
6. Some cilantro (optional)
7. Some salt to taste


Steps:

1. Mix all ingredients above and refrigerate for an hour before serving.
2. Can serve with tortilla chips, cracker...etc.

I serve this with chicken fajita too, stay tuned and check it out later! :-)

Chunky Salsa

Once, we were doing the grocery shopping as usual. Tom, my super sexy husband, wanted to buy a jar of salsa. I looked at the ingredients label and found that it is actually not hard to make. In America, salsa is normally refers to Mexican tomato based sauce that serve as dip for the chips or sauce for variety of Mexican wraps like burrito, taco..etc. The others ingredients are lime juice, jalapeno pepper, onion, garlic, cilantro...etc. These are all can be easily obtained in any supermarket. So, why spend more money for a jar of salsa? Isn't that healthier to have the fresh homemade food?




You may also add some salsa when seafood dishes are served, this refreshing sauce will improve the freshness and taste of the seafood.

Ingredients and Steps :

1. 2 medium size tomatoes
- halve, remove the inner juicy flesh and place in a blender container to make tomato juice. Cut the remaining outside flesh and skin into to chunks.
2. 1 jalapeno pepper (Malaysian can use chili padi) - finely chop
3. 2 tbsp chopped onion
4. 1 clove minced garlic
5. 1 tsp fresh chopped cilantro
6. 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
7. a little bit grated lime zest
8. salt to taste
9. white vinegar to taste (optional)

Mix all the ingredients in a container, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.