Author: Suze

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Move Over Mint Jelly!

Meyer Lemon

Meatย โ™ฅ’r I’m not, but my dear, sweet friend Virginia keeps saying, “move over mint jelly” when she thinks of serving her favorite Jelly with Lamb- Ojai Jalapeรฑo Jelly that is!

Make lamb the way you โ™ฅ it & try this recipe for your eyebrow-raising sauce!

It’s sure to stir conversation-

Move Over Mint Jelly Sauce

One 11-ounce jar of Ojai Jalapeรฑo Jelly
15-20 fresh mint leaves
1 lemon- zested
about 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

Whisk all ingredients in Cuisinart or blender. Scrape down sides, then pulse a few times.

Pour mixture into individual ramekins. Serve at room temperature.

Garnish each dinner plate with a sprig of rosemary & mint leaf.

If you have any left over, refrigerate. It will last about 3 days.
This sauce is quite tasty on Indian food too- Fresh & delicious!

Excellent served with Zaca Mesa Winery 2011 Chapel G Syrah

enjoy!

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Year of the Horse Salad

Katie Upton Local Santa Barbara Artist

A special THANK YOU to local Santa Barbara artist; Katie Upton.
I โ™ฅ her work!

Wine Pairing; Zaca Mesa Winery 2011 Viognier

Toss together;
2 c. organic beets, spiralized, then lightly steamed, or microโ€™d ‘al dente’
2 c. organic Granny Smith Apples, spiralized or sliced thin
1/2 c. organic kale, or a handful of fresh parsley- chopped
1/2 c. organic celery root, (anise root, or jicama are also delicious)- chopped

Dressing;
(heat & mix over low heat, do not boil)
1/2 c. olive oil
2-3 t. Ojai Jalapeรฑo Jelly

Once it’s cooled, complete by adding;
1/2 c. “White Apple Balsamic Vinegar“
1/2 c. White Stilton Mango & Ginger Cheese
squeeze of lemon (โ™ฅ Meyers)

At the last moment throw in
a handful of “NutC” Sweet n’ Spicy Walnuts– broken up, irregularly
Toss & serve-

enjoy!

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Ojai “Pixie” Tangerine Chicken

Tangerine Man Ojai Pixie Tangerines
Jim Churchill’s Ojai “Pixies”

Use organic, local ingredients whenever possible-
Ojai’s Tangerine Man; Jim Churchill grows the best tangerines I’ve ever had-
they’re way better than candy!

Tip; have everything prepped & ready to go. Don’t have hot oil waiting- it’s a recipe for disaster…
Serves about 6

2 pounds free range Chicken- (boned, white meat)
2 t. salt
oil for frying (about 2″ deep in a frying pan)

Batter:
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. cornstarch
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 c. cold water

Sauce:
3 T. apple cider vinegar
1/3- 1/2 c. Ojai Habanero Jelly
1 or 2 fresh squeezed Mexican limes
1 1/2 c. “Pixie” Tangerine Juice or orange juice
4 T. cornstarch

Garnish:
1 1/2 – 2 c. fresh, sweet pineapple chunks- cut in bite size pieces
(Pixie tangerines or Orange can replace pineapple)
3 carrots- cut in circles
1 1/2ย  c. sugar snap peas- (or green beans)
1/2 c. sesame seeds- dry roast in frying pan until golden brown & beginning to “pop”

1.
Rinse then pat dry chicken. Cut into bite size pieces. Be SURE to remove all bones.
Sprinkleย  with salt.

2.
Toss chicken into medium size plastic bag with
3/4 c. flour.
Shake. Remove excess flour & set aside.

3.
In a big bowl; prepare batter by mixing dry ingredients, then whisk in cold water. Set aside.

4.
In a medium size saucepan prepare sauce over low-medium heat. Add vinegar & Ojai Habanero Jelly, & & lime juice.
In a separate small bowl mix; cornstarch & Pixie (or orange) juice. Drizzle & whisk juice/cornstarch mixture into saucepan with the
Jelly mixture. Stir until thickenedย  & somewhat translucent.
Keep slightly warm until you’re ready to serve.

5.
Dip chicken in batter mixture.

6.
Heat oil in deep frying pan, wok or deep fryer (about 375โ€ข)
Cook chicken 3-5 minutes (golden brown or a tad more). Drain off excess oil. Set aside in a warming dish until all fish is prepared.

7.
I suggest you serve the sauce on the side & let your guests add sauce to their liking.
Top with sesame seeds.
This dish is excellent served with rice.

enjoy!

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Sweet & Sour Fish (chicken or pork)

Ojai Pepper Jelly
Sweet & Sour Fish

Baja CA Sur, Mexico
Sea of Corteo- Woo Hoo!

 

Dorado on the Sea of Cortez
Ruby’s first Dorado! ยกsi!

 

 

Use organic, local ingredients whenever possible-
On the Sea of Cortez Dorado & Wahoo are plenty- Tonight’s dinner: “Ruby’s Sweet & Sour Dorado”.
Tip; have everything prepped & ready to go. Don’t have hot oil waiting- it’s a recipe for disaster…
Serves about 6

2 pounds fresh fish (Dorado, Halibut, Sea Bass, Wahoo- any mild white fish, chicken or pork is excellent)
2-3 t. salt
oil for frying (about 2″ deep in a frying pan)

Batter:
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. cornstarch
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 c. cold water

Sauce:
3 T. apple cider vinegar
1/3- 1/2 c. Ojai Habanero Jelly (I prefer the flavor & color)
3-4 fresh squeezed Mexican limes
1 1/2 c. pineapple juice
4 T. cornstarch

Garnish:
1 1/2 – 2 c. fresh, sweet pineapple chunks- cut in bite size pieces
1-2 carrots- cut in circles
1 c. sugar snap peas- tips cut off
1/2 c. sesame seeds- dry roast in frying pan until golden brown & beginning to “pop”

1.
Rinse then pat dry fish. Cut into bite size pieces. Be SURE to remove all bones.
Sprinkleย  salt over fish.

2.
Toss fish into medium size plastic bag with
3/4 c. flour.
Shake. Remove excess flour & set aside.

3.
In a big bowl; prepare batter by mixing dry ingredients, then whisk in cold water. Set aside.

4.
In a medium size saucepan prepare sauce over low-medium heat. Add vinegar & Ojai Habanero Jelly, & lime juice.
In a separate small bowl mix; cornstarch & pineapple juice. Drizzle & whisk juice/cornstarch mixture into saucepan with the
Jelly mixture. Stir until thickenedย  & somewhat translucent. Keep slightly warm until you’re ready to serve.

5.
Dip fish in batter mixture.

6.
Heat oil in deep frying pan, wok or deep fryer (about 375โ€ข)
Cook fish about 3 minutes- until golden brown. Drain off excess oil. Set aside in a warming dish until all fish is prepared.

7.
I suggest you serve the sauce on the side & let your guests add sauce to their liking.
Top with sesame seeds.
This dish is excellent served with rice.

enjoy!

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Ojai Habanero Jelly + Mango Fruit Roll-Ups

Delicious & easy to make!
I throw it together & toss it in the oven when I have a few hours of paperwork to catch up on at home-

2 ripe mangos (about 2.5 c. pureed mango)
1/3 c. Ojai Habanero Jelly (play around with this & add the heat/sweet level you prefer, could be 1 T. or 1/3 c.)
1/4 t. xantham gum (gingerly sprinkle into blender so it doesn’t lump)
1 T. Canola oil

Score mango in fourths. Peel. Using a serrated knife, scrape inside of peel for every last bit of juicy content.
Cut chunks directly into blender, then use your hands to extract remaining pulp & juice from pit.

Blend; chop, pulse, puree.

Pour onto silpat or parchment paper & spread thin, & as even as you can (about 1/16″)0.

Bake for 2-3 hours @ 170โ€ข

Lay on racks to cool.

Peel fruit leather off silpat (or parchment paper), & lay on wax paper, then cover with another piece of wax paper.

Roll it up & cut with kitchen shears, into single portions. Store in snack bags. I keep them in the refrigerator.

Warning; they don’t last long because they’re tastier (& healthier) than candy!

enjoy!

OJAI HABANERO JELLY
OHJ + Mango
OJAI HABANERO JELLY
End result!
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Plum-Apricot-Habanero Fruit Leather

Ojai Jelly Fruit Leather
photo 2

If you have a food “dehydrator” set it to 150โ€ข or set your oven to 150โ€ข
The lowest my oven sets to is 170โ€ข & it worked out just fine
Use “convection” setting if you have it-

Time to prepare; about 20 minutes
Time to cook; about 3 hours

What you’ll need:
Blender
Silpat (nonstick silicone mat), or in a pinch parchment paper works too!
Rimmed baking sheet; 11×17 (+/-)
Wax paper
Plastic bags
Kitchen shears

Ripe Plums- you’ll need 2 c. (I started with about 2 lbs.) Pit + remove any questionable bits, I kept skins on
Apricots- a handful of dried apricots (I prefer Mariani Mediterranean Apricots)
1 T. cooking oil (I used Canola- olive oil is not suggested for this recipe)
1 heaping T. Ojai Habanero Jelly
1/4 t. xanthan gum (a little hard to find- check your local heath food store or order online here)

Lay the Silpat on your rimmed baking sheet

Blend:
All but the xanthan gum in blender. Blend for about 1 minute.
With blender still on, remove peelightly sprinkle in xanthan gum through the fill cap, to assure even distribution.
Working quickly, pour the puree over the Silpat & with an offset spatula, spread to about 1/16″ thick (this was the hardest part).
If your puree sits too long in the blender & gets too thick, blend it again & then spread it out as even & as thin as you can, but not less than 1/16″.
Bake for 2 1/2 – 3 hours
For the last 30-45 minutes I put the mat directly on the oven racks.
Check occasionally to see if it’s tacky to the touch- you don’t want it gooey–

Once it’s cooked, remove from oven, & place on a cooling rack.
When it’s completely cooled, peel off mat & lay it on a large piece of wax paper.
Cover it with another piece of wax paper & roll it up like a cigar.
Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator over night.
With kitchen shears, cut into portions the next morning & put in snack-size plastic bags.

It will last a few weeks if refrigerated.

p.s. if you like my recipes, have a specific recipe request, or a question please let me know!
Like me on Facebook too! “Ojai Jelly”

enjoy!

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Local Sea Bass

Santa Barbara Channel Sea Bass + Ojai Pepper Jelly Fan
Local Sea Bass

Easy to make. Mild, white fish.
Serves 4-6
Preheat oven to 350ยบ
Cooking time; about 30-35 minutes

4-6 fresh Sea Bass steaks, boned
1 large brown onion, sliced in 1/2″ thick discs
2-3 Fresh Lemons- 1 sliced in discs & seeded (cook with), 1 or 2 cut in wedges (garnish with)
1/2 c. Asiago or Parmesan Cheese- grated
1/2 c. Sharp White Cheddar Cheese- grated
1/3 c. Safflower Mayonnaise
1/3 c. Dill Pickle juice
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 t. fresh or dried dill
splash of caper or green olive brine
Garnish: sprig of fresh fresh dill & serve with fresh lemon wedges

Place enough foil on a 2โ€ณ deep (or larger) baking dish to enclose the finished product
(about 10โ€ณx12โ€ณ).
Drizzle foil with a little olive oil.
Place the sliced onion discs on the foil, enough to cover the bottom of the dish.
Lay Sea Bass steaks on top of the onion.
Mix the grated cheeses, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, dill, & pickle juice.
Cover Sea Bass with cheese mixture.
Place a few thin lemon slices on top of cheese mixture.
Bring together sides of the foil & seal into a tent, leaving a small air space on top.
Bake until the fish is white throughout- 30-35 minutes.
Unwrap. While it rests a moment, freshen it up by removing the baked lemon slices.
Garnish each individual plate with a fresh sprig of dill & a lemon wedge.
Serve immediately.

Delicious with rice, white wine risotto + fresh vegetable & a light green salad.

enjoy!

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Heatwave Chicken

When it gets too hot to be creative in the kitchen I say “lets take this outside“-
I fire up the BBQ & stick everything on it-

In a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil add;
La-Yu’s “Chili Oil”
Trader Joe’s “21 Seasoning Salute”
(It’s my new favorite spice mix- NO SODIUM, NO CALORIES, NO FAT & NO CARBS!)

IMG_0731 IMG_0732

 

 

 

 

 

Boneless skinless chicken breasts, but on the bone is fine too- more flavor.
Salt & pepper
Sprig of fresh rosemary on each piece of chicken
Lemon zest & a big squeeze of lemon juice

IMG_0733

 

 

 

 

 

Wrap up this mixture then add another layer of heavy duty aluminum foil
My BBQ is gas & it’s so easy to cook with-
I had 2 burners on low & still got the beautiful grill marks through the foil
(chicken cook time; about 30 minutes)

IMG_0736

 

 

 

 

 

I later added fresh corn that I’d previously soaked in water
(corn cook time; about 20 minutes)
Potatoes with a dash of olive oil & salt, cooked in foil
(potato cook time about 25 minutes)

IMG_0739

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little 25 year-old Balsamic Vinegar from il fustino added to some freshly picked watermelon;
A refreshing summertime dessert!

IMG_0741

 

 

 

 

 

enjoy!

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Death by Chocolate…

Death by Chocolate...

Preheat oven to 350*

Iโ€™ve experimented with this RICH yet surprisingly light cake for many years-
Itโ€™s my favorite & regardless of friends & families dietary restrictions
they LOVE it too-

No flour, oil or leavening.
Rich coffee flavor runs throughout both cake & frosting.

Serve with freshly churned vanilla ice cream & espresso.

Cake;
1 packet of Starbucks Italian roast โ€œViaโ€ plus 1/3 c. water
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 c. chocolate chips (1- 11 ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips)
1 1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
1/2 c. butter
12 egg yolks (keep egg whites for later)
1 3/4 c. organic walnuts, ground (food processor, ground like coffee grounds)

In a medium size saucepan, over low heat;
Coffee, water & sugar. Mix then add chocolate chips & stir.
Once mixed add vanilla & remove from heat.  Let cool 5-10 minutes.

With an electric mixer;
Cream butter, add egg yolks & mix. Add ground walnuts, then chocolate mixture.

In a separate (metal) mixing bowl;
Beat egg whites until firm but not dry-  Fold whites into the chocolate batter-

Place 3 layers of parchment paper on counter top, draw around the cake pan with a pencil then cut out with scissors- Cut some straight pieces to use for the pan sides. Line pans.

Evenly distribute the batter into cake pans. I add 1 or 2 scoops of cake batter to each cake pan until all three are evenly filled.

They will look a bit empty- but donโ€™t worry-

Bake @ 350 for 25 minutes (a little less time in a convection oven).

Frosting;
2 c. chocolate chips (1 11-ounce bag of semisweet chocolate chips)
1 packet of Starbucks Italian roast instant โ€œViaโ€ plus 1/3 c. water
1 c. + 2. T. butter
4 egg yolks
2 c. powdered sugar + a little for dusting the finished cake.

In a medium size saucepan, over low heat;
Slowly melt the coffee, water & chocolate chips.
Once smooth & blended; remove from heat.
Cool for about 7-10 minutes.

In a separate bowl;
Cream the butter, add egg yolks, then sprinkle in the powdered sugar.
Once smooth & well mixed, add in the chocolate mixture.

note; make sure when adding something hot to eggs that you donโ€™t accidentally cook the eggs- add a little at a time & keep stirring because you donโ€™t want it lumpy-

enjoy!

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Summertime Carrots

Summertime Carrots

In a saucepan lightly steam;
5 medium size carrots- peeled
Drain well & transfer to a serving bowl

In the same saucepan heat;

2-3 T. Ojai Habanero Jelly
Heat till it sizzles for about 45 seconds
Add 1 T. Molasses
3 T. Lemon Balsamic Vinegar (Robbins Family Farm)

Stir for just a moment & remove from heat.

Pour sauce over carrots,
add 1 finely chopped green onion

Toss & serve-

Delicious warm or cold

enjoy!

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Vegan Sushi Roll

VeganSushi

served with a Savory Peanut Sauce

Ingredients;

10โ€“12 Spring Roll Skins
1 small Red or Yellow Bell Pepper
7 Asparagus spears
1/3 of a Fennel Root
3 small Carrots
1 medium Haas Avocado. cubed
about 1 c. Wild (or brown) rice, cooked
1-3 T. Robbins Family Farm Lemon Balsamic
Squeeze of fresh lemon
I add a little lemon zest occasionally

Cilantro
Nasturtium Flowers
1-3 T. Black sesame seeds
fresh rosemary

Instructions;

Gently wash & air dry;
Cilantro
Nasturtium flowers (separate petals) for color & a little spice to the roll. Set aside.

Itโ€™s only fair to WARN you that it would be best if you practice with the rice wraps a few times. Theyโ€™re a bit temperamental, but worth the trouble. ONLY rinse ONE AT A TIME- & DO NOT lay them together. Iโ€™m convinced that laying them together inadvertently created the โ€˜super ballโ€™. :/

Chop, grate, mince & julienne vegetables of your choice, considering size, texture & variety.
Place all vegetables, cooked rice & vinegar in a bowl-
Toss & set aside. Cilantro & Nasturtiums are not in the mix.

Next, run the rice paper under warm tap water until it changes from hard to malleable & use right away.
One at a time, lay on a very thin (NOT fuzzy) kitchen cloth.
Lightly dab off excess water.ย  Lightly spray โ€œPamโ€ olive oil on an olive serving dish. The indentation of the dish will assist you in forming the โ€˜cavityโ€™ needed for the rolls.ย Lay the damp rice paper across the olive oil tray & push in the center to fill.

For flavor & a splash of color, lay a few nasturtium flower petals, &/or a cilantro leaf or two on the center of your rice paper. If you serve your rolls whole they will be seen first.

Next add about 3 T. of the โ€˜saladโ€™ like mixture to the rice paper.โ€จPull up ends at the 6 oโ€™clock & 12 oโ€™clock position of your rice paper, then left to right. As you continue it will be more uniform to create sushi-looking rolls.
Aim for rolls that are about 1.5โ€ณ x 5โ€ณ

Lightly sprinkle sesame seeds on top of each roll.
These wraps are translucent & make very attractive finger-food.

 

SushiSauce

Savory Dipping Sauce

Ingredients;

3/4 c. Peanut Butter (I like fresh ground, organic)
3/4 c. Ojai Jalapeรฑo Jelly or Ojai Habanero Jelly

Instructions;

Mix the peanut butter with Ojai Pepper Jelly.
Serve sauce in individual ramekins &/or with a small serving spoon- guests like to add sauce as they eat their roll.

Serve on a plain platter, so you & your guests can enjoy the natural colors of the ingredients. Garnish serving dish with a few Cilantro leaves & Nasturtium Flowers.

enjoy!