Candied Apple Jelly: Toast Topper #45 #SundaySupper

The best things in life are often the simplest. A sunny Summer day out in the backyard, a letter from a penpal and spending time re-living your childhood vicariously through the little ones around you are treasures that don't require fuss and bother to be special, and in fact are cheapened by pomp and circumstance. I am much happier with a good song coming on the radio at the right time than schlepping out to an expensive concert, or watching the kids at school make their crafts rather than staring at canvasses in a gallery. While fancy and complex has it's place in life (I mean, would you really just want a "simple" rocket design or brain surgery?), generally the less stuff you throw in the more honest and familiar it is.

The same thing translates to food. Now, I'm more than guilty of adding 10+ ingredients to a recipe, even if they are only spices, and it's something I do often as a matter of course. I use a multitude of ingredients both for taste and nutrition in my more "decadent" recipes, but I understand at the same time that mom's chocolate chip cookies, a mayo-tomato sandwich or my grandpa's cheesy scrambled eggs are irreplaceable and cannot be gussied up without losing their integrity. For dietary restrictions, sadly, a lot of the simple classics require more items and enhancements to create passable mock-ups, but the goal of a simple, clean flavour never changes.

It's simplicity - specifically, 5 ingredients and less - that is behind this week's #SundaySupper roundup. Being one to elaborate on the spartan, this was looking to be a challenge for me until it hit me - look in my mom's recipe box. There are a ton of recipes in that black metal cube that have at least less than 8 ingredients, and considering for today water, salt, pepper, and oil are counted as "freebies" most of her cherished, hand-written cards were fair game.

It so happened that this Sunday corresponded with the end of a jar of homemade jam, which never bodes well with a loaf of fresh bread kicking around the house! Mom's "preserves" section of the box was relatively paltry though, since she was never one to make jam or jelly at home. Of the 4 condiments she had, one caught my eye because it was so unlike my mom yet at the same time totally spoke of her penchant for simple, quick and people-pleasing food. Using candy along with the apple juice, sugar and pectin was a twist I didn't expect (especially since she doesn't like candy at all), but after finding countless versions of this so called "Candy Apple Jelly"online I became convinced that it could work. I have no idea how long the original idea to cook cinnamon hearts in juice before jelling the works has been around, and based on what I had on hand I did have to make some changes (using no-sugar-needed pectin and subsequently less added sugar, not to mention cooking and straining Hot Tamales candy instead of the suspiciously absent-from-the-store cinnamon hearts). Even with my changes, the jelly remained essentially the same flavour-wise - not to mention still under 5 ingredients!

This week's roundup is being hosted by Alice of Hip Foodie Mom. Thanks Alice! Check out what all our other #SundaySupper contributors are sharing below.

Appetizers, Salads and Starters

• Chicken and Spring Greens Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette from Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Tuna, Burrata and Black Olive Salad from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Salmon and Cucumber “Noodle” Salad from girlichef
• Yogurt Dill Vegetable Dip from Melanie Makes
• Tomato, Avocado, and Cucumber Summer Salad from My Healthy Eating Habits
• Fennel Citrus Salad from An Appealing Plan
• Kale-Had-a-Hard-Day Salad from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Guacamole Deviled Eggs from Ruffles and Truffles
• Tomato Soup from Run DMT
• Wasabi Cream Cheese Ham Salad from Neighborfood
• Latkes with Smoked Salmon and Caviar from Confessions of a Culinary Diva

Side and Accompaniments

• Candied Apple Jelly from What Smells So Good?
• Homemade Ricotta from Seduction in the Kitchen
• Indian-style Roasted Cauliflower from kimchi MOM
• 3-Ingredient Beer Bread from Take A Bite Out of Boca

Main Dishes

• Grilled Steak with Garlic Cumin Rub from Cooking Chat
• Smoked Turkey Panini with Roasted Red Peppers and Basil Pesto from La Bella Vita
• Slow Cooker Turkey Breast from Nosh My Way
• Easy Crock Pot Pulled Chicken from Flour On My Face
• Lemon Basil Carbonara from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Garlic Butter Shrimp from Savvy Eats
• Easy Beef Stroganoff from Hot Momma’s Kitchen Chaos
• Smothered Pork Chop Cups from Having Fun Saving
• Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas from Supper for a Steal
• Chicken with Olives from Noshing With The Nolands
• Salmon with Tiger Dill Sauce from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Greek Chicken Burgers from Country Girl In The Village
• Potato Pancakes (Reibekuchen) from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Crock Pot Beer Chicken from Our Table for Seven
• Chorizo and Potato Frittata from Small Wallet Big Appetite
• Chicken and Potato Bake with Meyer Lemons from Cravings of a Lunatic
• Chicken Asparagus Roll-ups from The Dinner-Mom
• Spaghetti Squash with Simple Red Sauce from Momma’s Meals
• Tropical Salsa Chicken from Kudos Kitchen By Renee
• Strawberry Red Wine Glazed Salmon from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Baked Asparagus and Eggs from Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Grilled Caprese Salad Sandwich from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
• Beef Short Rib Bourguignon from Food Lust People Love
• Beans and Egg Sandwich from Basic N Delicious
• Honey Almond Salmon from Family Foodie
• BBQ Foiled Chicken from Meal Diva

Dessert and Beverages

• Flourless Chocolate Cake from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• 4-Ingredient Butterscotch Peanut Butter Marshmallow Sweets from Shockingly Delicious
• Vanilla Bean Honey Ice Cream from The Foodie Army Wife
• Coconut Crusted Chocolate Ganache Pie from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• 3-Ingredient Nutella Truffles from URBAN BAKES
• Chocolate & Peanut Butter Squares from Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Nutella Ferrero Cupcakes from Brunch with Joy
• 5-Minute Strawberry Sherbet from The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Best Ever Coconut Macaroons from Hip Foodie Mom
• Chocolate Orange Ice Cream from Gluten Free Crumbley
• Orchid Panna Cotta from Manu’s Menu
• Oreo Cookies and Cream Fudge from Alida’s Kitchen
• Golden Oreo Rice Krispies Treats from Pies and Plots
• Vanilla Pudding from Magnolia Days
• Sopapilla Cheesecake Bites from The Weekend Gourmet
• Coconut Cream Mango Mousse from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Peanut Butter Buckeyes from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cherry Chip Cookies from Ninja Baking
• Raspberry Pina Colada Ice Cream from Try Anything Once Culinary
• Avocado Milkshakes from The Texan New Yorker
• The Ginger Sass Cocktail from Nik Snacks
• Baked Custard Cups from Soni’s Food

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy! You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Turkey Taco Stew

Spring cleaning in an interesting animal. On one hand, you get that sense of satisfaction out of a job well done and there's a pristine slate for the rest of the year. On the other, there is always a twinge of guilt when you come across those items you bought (either deliberately or on impulse) and then squirreled away for that day that never came around. Cleaning out the pantry every few months is no different. I'm always amazed at the vast quantity of stuff that our deep cabinets can hold, but when I see the small pile of items that have passed their expiry or have absolutely no use to our household I feel awful for wasting food that other deserving people could have eaten instead. Granted, if I do come across cans, boxes or bottles that are still within their dates, they go into a donation box - but still, the spirit of frugality that was drilled into me from day one takes a hit.

The reason I bring this up is not only because we're in the throes of Spring itself, but because I went on a massive pantry-cleaning spree last week and came up with 4 cans of salsa. For a family who doesn't currently thrive on tortilla chips or tacos, it was a revelation as to just what "jags" we go on. Two of the jars were homemade - my Medium-Hot Chunky Salsa in fact - and the other two were an organic black bean variety I bought on sale downtown a few months back during a "salsa on everything" kick. I wasn't about to throw any of those out, but couldn't think of a good use for all of them until I came across a bag of chopped turkey meat and a container of homemade roasted tomatoes in the freezer. I hit the store for a few fresh ingredients, whipped up a batch of salt-free taco seasoning, and tossed everything into a pot. In under an hour, a chunky, thick and filling pot of goodness was ready for the bowl - and no waste!

Shared with Gluten Free Fridays

Homemade Roasted Peabutter (Toast Topper #44)

My school, like the majority of elementary institutions out there, is a strictly peanut free zone. Nothing that's processed can come into the common areas without a "nut-free" label slapped on the front of it, and even staff are strongly encouraged to avoid bringing nut products in their lunches or purses due to the risk of cross contamination. Not a problem... unless like a significant portion of school age children (and their parents) you love a good ol' PB&J sandwich at your midday meal. I'll admit, if I had to give up peanut butter entirely as a kid, I would not have been a happy camper, but at least I liked enough other brown-baggable foods to get through to highschool. A few of the children under my watch are so fussy, though, that without the invention of peanut-free butters like NoNuts Golden Peabutter and WOWbutter, they'd never eat at all.

If you've never heard of either of these items, rest assured that neither of them is a strange chemical and gum product flavoured to resemble your longtime friend. WOWbutter is a "peanut butter replacement" made from roasted soybeans, while NoNuts is a similarly made item with roasted yellow peas. The major difference between the two is the one allergen they do contain. WOWbutter, obviously, contains a large amount of soy - adding to it's protein content but poses a danger to those with a soy sensitivity (something that can also happen to those with peanut reactions). Peabutter is soy-free, but the commercial variety sweetens it's product with cornstarch-containing icing sugar. Since I know both children and adults with allergies to both peanuts and one (or both) of these other major problem ingredients, I wanted to see if I could make my own. This way, I could not only have something to cook with at school in my classes, but I'd also have a recipe to give to the parents who are shelling out big time for the specialty products.

It's a lot easier (and cheaper) to make peabutter at home than you may think, since all you need is an oven and a food processor or blender to get you going. Once you get the basic recipe down pat, the variations are as endless and delectable as you care to make them. Add a banana or your favourite jam to the mixture as it blends for an all-in-one healthy spread, try a few spoonfuls of Egg White Mallow Fluff for a mock fluffernutter, or pump up the decadence with homemade caramel or chocolate syrup. It's up to you!

So, if you (or your kids) want the PB&J sandwiches - without any of the Top 9 allergens - give this recipe a whirl. It has all the delicious roasted flavour of the original, no weird stuff, less cost and even less fat and calories than your standard jarred spread.

Shared with Waste Not Want Not Wednesday

Multigrain Spelt and Blueberry Sourdough (#RecipeRedux)

If there's one piece of equipment that exemplifies our kitchen, it's our ancient, enameled aluminum bowl. Deemed "the bread bowl" by my mom and I, it's been in the family at least as far back as my grandfather, who would churn out a minimum of 4 loaves a week by hand for their household. The finish is nowhere near as white as it used to be, and even the stamped name of the manufacturer has been worn off with decades of loving use and washing, but it is still sturdy and watertight and the cradle for our yearly batches of pie dough, challah, brioche and chocolate chip cookies. It's funny that I feel so strongly about a bowl, but I've actually asked my mom to will it to me so that I can keep our traditions alive.

One of the uses for the bread bowl that my mom never capitalized on was it's perfect boule-forming capabilities. A sourdough on a floured towel flips out into a perfect round dome, ready for baking, and the lightweight material of the bowl itself makes for easy transfer. To me, it only seemed natural that for this month's "Treasured Cookware" #RecipeRedux I focus on the bowl's old and new uses, and share a recipe I designed for my mom to enjoy after we returned from a trip to the Evergreen Brickworks Farmer's Market last Summer.

Alli's Bread was carrying a wild blueberry and walnut loaf that caught our attention - with a thick crust, the promise of sourdough tang and hearty whole grains supporting fresh local blueberries and walnuts, it was definitely a showstopper. We only wound up taking home a demi-boule, though, since mom isn't too fussy about walnuts in general. Sliced and toasted with a smear of honey, the loaf was deemed passable, but mom did mention wanting a different nut of some kind - preferably one that was crunchier. When I suggested the combination of hazelnuts and blueberries, her eyes lit up and I knew we had a jumping off point.

A little Googling later found me on The Fresh Loaf, where I found a perfect looking recipe by txfarmer for Blueberry Sourdough with Hazelnuts. I played around with it slightly, adding allspice, spelt flour and multigrain cereal for extra flavour and texture. Like all good sourdoughs, this one took a while to get to the final baking stage, but it was worth it - and the trusty bread bowl made just as good of a banneton as the traditional wicker baskets. The finished bread was moist, crusty, just dense enough to be substantial, and filled to the brim with fruit and nuts. Slices soon began disappearing, topped with creamy butter, peanut butter, jam and honey, and it was definitely one of my mom's favourites to date!

Also shared with YeastSpotting.

Check out the #RecipeRedux Link-up

Medium-Hot Chunky Salsa

I've made it my goal to finish all the canned goods I put up last year before I start on this year's preserving. It's not difficult - I was lucky enough to give away a good portion of them at Christmas, and since most of my family are condiment-philes like me they're certainly being enjoyed! Because we grow so many tomatoes in our backyard every year, we have a lot of sauces and salsas to get through (some I haven't even written about yet - bad blogger!), but each taste of the homemade stuff reminds us that Summer is coming, and that for the time being we can at least get a hint of sunshine from the pantry.

When it comes to salsas, my mom and I are of the mind that the chunkier it is, the better. Ironically, we don't usually eat salsa with tortilla chips - in fact, our favourite dipper is carrot sticks (but fajitas and tacos get a good dollop too!). Like most things, I favour a good dose of spice in my dip, as long as the peppers aren't so overpowering that I can't taste it! This particular batch really played to my personal tastes, blending fresh Summer tomatoes, four types of pepper and a good whack of garlic into a dippable but still chunky mixture. Not only have we been loving it on our Tex-Mex dinners, but I even incorporated some of it into soup - stay tuned for that one!


Shared with Shaina's "Let's Burn This Candle" and Beat Cancer Recipe Roundup