Homemade Strawberry Jam

Quick & Easy Freezer Strawberry Jam(recipe paraphrased from the Sure-Jell Fruit Pectin box)

2 pints of strawberries (cored)

4 cups sugar

1.75 oz box Sure-Jell Fruit Pectin

3/4 cup water

containers with tight fitting lids for storing jam

Wash and rinse your storage containers.

Smash the cored strawberries with a potato masher, until you have exactly 2 cups of crushed strawberries. Pour the crushed berries into a large bowl and mix in the 4 cups of sugar (it has to be exactly 4 cups*). Let berry/sugar mixture sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir 1 box of pectin and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir the pectin mixture into the fruit mixture. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved (about 3 minutes).

Pour the jam into the prepared containers. Leave 1/2″ of space at the top of each container to allow room for the jam to expand in the freezer.

Seal the containers and let the jam sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Then store the jam the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 1 year.

* There’s a version of Sure-Jell fruit pectin that’s designed for reduced sugar and sugar free recipes. I’ll probably try one of those recipes next time. It seems silly to add so much sugar to strawberries that are already perfectly sweet!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easy Blueberry Jam

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

20 min

Ingredients

1. 2 cups fresh organic blueberries
2. 2 tbsp raw honey
3. 2 tbsp lemon juice
4. 2 tbsp chia seeds



Blueberry Jam

Instructions

1. 1. Coat blueberries with raw honey
2. 2. Transfer coated blueberries to a pot and add lemon juice
3. 3. Heat over medium/low heat until blueberries are soft and bubbling (5 minutes)
4. 4. Lightly smash blueberries and reduce heat slightly
5. 5. Add in chia seeds and mix to combine
6. 6. Bring heat back to medium/low and let bubble (but not burn) until jam thickens (another 5 or so minutes)
7. 7. Turn heat off and let cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring to jars
8. 8. Store in fridge for up to 2 weeks

Kitchen Tricks and Tips

Reviving Crystallized Honey

Try this trick to bring honey back to a luscious, drizzly state: Place the container in a bowl of hot water until the honey is smooth and runny, 5 to 10 minutes. (Alternatively, remove the lid, then microwave the jar in 30-second intervals.) To prevent crystals from forming again, store the honey in a cool, dry place (not the refrigerator) and avoid introducing moisture. So no double-dipping once your spoon hits your tea.

Cutting Roly-Poly Vegetables Safely

To keep your fingers safe from nicks, use the following technique on wobbly vegetables (such as potatoes, squash, and beets).

Step 1: With a sharp knife, cut a thin slice along the length of the potato (or another vegetable) to create a flat side.

Step 2: Turn the potato cut-side down on the cutting board. This will ensure that the potato is stable and won’t roll away. Slice as desired, stopping when the potato becomes unsteady and difficult to grip.

Step 3: Turn the potato so that the broad, flat side from which you made the last cut is facedown on the cutting board. Continue to slice as desired.

How to Make Simple Syrup

Want to sweeten your lemonade or iced tea? Don’t reach for the sugar bowl. You’ll get a better result—no sandy granules at the bottom of the glass—if you mix up a batch of simple syrup instead. Just combine 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar has completely dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Let it cool and add to beverages as needed. (Use 1½ teaspoons of simple syrup for every teaspoon of sugar you would usually use.) Store the syrup in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is a food item that you can easily and inexpensively make in your own kitchen. Making your own peanut butter will also provide a healthier alternative to the commercial, store-bought kind, as homemade peanut butter will be free from preservatives. 

Peanut Butter

Ingredients

• 2 cups (470 ml) peanuts
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons (7 ml) peanut oil or vegetable oil (optional)
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon (2 ml) sugar (optional)
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons (7 ml) molasses, honey, or brown sugar (optional)
• pinch of salt (optional)

Makes about 1 ¹⁄₂ cups (350 ml) of peanut butter

DIRECTIONS:

1

Prepare your peanuts. Before you use your peanuts to make peanut butter, you should rinse them under cool water to get rid of any excess dirt. You can then pat them dry. If they're unshelled, then you should shell them by hand, which is a bit easier when they're dry; they don't have to be perfectly shelled, either.^[1]

• If you're using peanuts right from the shell, then use Valencia or Virginia peanuts for best results. If you're going to roast them first, then use Spanish peanuts because they have a higher oil content.

2

Roast the peanuts (optional). Some people prefer to roast their peanuts before processing them, to give them that additional crispy, crunchy flavor. However, this is completely optional and does make the process take quite a bit longer, so it's up to you to decide whether or not you want to roast them; you can also buy pre-toasted peanuts. If you do decide to roast them, however, then here is what you'll need to do:^[2]

• Place the peanuts in a bowl and lightly toss them with the peanut or vegetable oil.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C).
• Spread the peanuts on a single layer on a baking pan. You want to make sure they aren't on top of each other so they are fairly evenly cooked.
• Cook them for about 10 minutes, until they're lightly covered in oil and are golden brown.
• If you'd like, you can gently shake the pan they're in every 2 minutes or so to take extra precautions against burning.

1. 3
   Pulse your peanuts in a food processor until they are ground. This should take just a few pulses. For best results, do this while the peanuts are still warm.
2. 4
   Process your peanuts for 1 minute. The mixture should begin to look more creamy and more like that peanut butter you've been craving.
3. 5
   Scrape peanuts down from the food processor bowl into the bottom, as needed, when processing the peanuts. Continue processing the mixture, processing for 1 minute, scraping it off the sides of the processor, and repeating, until it is of your desired consistency. At least 3 minutes of processing should do the trick.
• Just remember that this peanut butter will never look as creamy as the kind you may be used to from Jiffy. That's because it's more natural. Don't expect that it will ever look as creamy as it can from the jar—though it will taste more delicious!

NOTE: 

Taste your peanut butter and see if it needs a bit more salt and sugar. If it tastes the way you like it, then there's no need to add salt or sugar!

Simple Tomato and Avocado Salad

Prep:   10 mins                                         Method:  Easy

Cook:  0 mins                                         Serves: 4

 

INGREDIENTS

:

• 2medium vine ripetomatoes, chopped
• 1avocado, chopped
• 1⁄4cup diced red onion
• 1tablespoon olive oil
• 1tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1teaspoon lemon juice
• salt and fresh pepper
• DIRECTIONS
• Combine all ingredients in small bowl and toss together.
• Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Top 10 Healthy Soups For Weight Loss

Bulking your meals with low calorie soups is a great way to lose weight. Soups are low in fat and calories, making them a perfect addition to your weight loss diet. Vegetable soups are ideal for weight loss as we get our daily dose of vitamins and minerals with relatively low calories. These are also fiber and water rich, which prevents you from overeating.

Soups improve satiety, so that we consume less the rest of the day. You can also add lean white meat to your soup to increase the protein content. There are several varieties of soups to choose from, ranging from rich creamy ones to slimming soups. Here are 10 easy and healthy recipes of diet soups for weight loss for you to try for dinner tonight.

Low Calorie Soups for Weight Loss

1. Broccoli and Cannellini Bean Soup:

 

Serves: 6

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of vegetable broth
• 1 cup of water
• ½ kg of broccoli
• 1 cup of cannellini beans
• ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon of ground pepper
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

Take a medium saucepan, and bring water and broth to boil. Add chopped broccoli and cook until it tenderizes. Add beans, salt, pepper and cook until the beans turn soft. Transfer the mixture into the blender and puree it. Pour it in a bowl and serve warm.

Nutritional value:

One serving provides 7 grams fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 15 grams carbohydrates, 558 mg sodium, 11 grams of protein and 150 calories.

2. Carrot Soup:

 

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons of canola oil
• 2 teaspoons of curry powder
• 8 medium carrots, chopped
• 4 celery stalks
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup of vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

Take a large saucepan, add oil and curry powder to it. Stir for 2 minutes and add carrots, celery and onion. Cook for 10 minutes and stir in the broth. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables turn soft. Remove from the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes. Lay a paper towel over the soup to blot the excess oil that has risen to the top. Transfer the soup into the blender and pour the puree in the pan. Simmer it on medium flame and serve hot. One of the best soups for weight loss!

Nutritional value:

One serving of soup provides you with 133 calories, 4 mg of cholesterol, 390 mg sodium and 5 grams of protein.

3. Squash & Corn Soup:

 

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, chopped
• 2 medium squash, chopped
• 3 teaspoon of oregano
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• ¼ salt
• 1 cup of sweet corn
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

Preparation:

Heat oil in a saucepan, add shallot and cook for 1 minute. Add squash and herbs, and keep stirring until the vegetables soften. Add vegetable broth and bring it to boil. Simmer for 5 minutes until the soup turns translucent. Puree the soup in a blender and blend till it acquires a smooth consistency. Transfer it to the saucepan, add sweet corn and cook until the corns soften. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Garnish with herbs and serve.

Nutritional value:

One serving of this soup provides 111 calories, 6 mg cholesterol, 13 grams of calories, 5 grams of protein, and 500 mg of potassium.

4. Tomato Soup:

 

Serves: 8

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon of butter
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 cups of tomato juice
• 4 cups of vegetable stock
• 2 teaspoons of chopped thyme
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of pepper

Preparation:

Heat butter and oil in a saucepan, and add garlic, onion and celery. Cook until the vegetables soften. Add tomato juice, thyme and cook on high heat for 10 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender and transfer to a bowl. Top it with salt and pepper.

Nutritional value:

One serving provides 70 calories, 3 grams of fat, 4 mg cholesterol, 3 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and 420 mg of potassium.

5. Creamy Cucumber Soup:

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 4 cups of peeled and chopped cucumber
• 1 ½ cup of vegetable broth
• ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
• ½ cup low fat yoghurt
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

Heat oil in a saucepan, and add garlic and onion to it. Cook, stirring continuously until this turns tender. Add lemon juice and cook for another 1 minute. Add cucumber, vegetable broth, salt, pepper, cayenne and simmer on medium heat until the cucumber turns soft. Transfer the soup into the blender and add herbs to it. Blend until the soup acquires a smooth consistency. Pour into a serving bowl and stir in the yoghurt. Garnish with parsley and serve the soup, or serve it chilled.

Nutritional value:

One serving provides 173 calories, 5 grams of fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 4 grams of protein, and 550 mg of potassium.

6. Cabbage Soup:

 

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• ½ head of cabbage
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 cup carrot, diced
• 1 capsicum, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 4 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
• 1 teaspoon of basil
• ½ cayenne peppers
• ¼ teaspoon of black pepper powder
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a saucepan and add celery, bell peppers, onion, garlic and carrot to it. Sauté until the vegetables tenderize. Pour in the vegetable broth and then add cabbage. Cook until the cabbage tenderizes. Stir in oregano, basil, cayenne pepper and salt. Serve and enjoy.

7. Oats and Vegetable Soup:

 

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of oil
• ½ cup of carrot, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/4th cup of mint leaves
• ½ cup of oats
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
• 3 cups of vegetable broth
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper

Preparation:

Heat oil in a deep pan and add garlic, ginger, green chilies and sauté on medium flame for a few minutes. Add carrots and sauté for 2 minutes. Finally, add the oats and sauté for 2 minutes. Then stir in soy sauce, vegetable broth and mix well. Bring it to boil and add salt, pepper, mint leaves and lemon juice. Mix well and cook on medium flame for 1 minute. Serve hot. This is another best low calorie soups for weight loss you can easily prepare!

Nutritional value:

One serving provides 2 grams of protein, 3 grams of fat, fiber 2 grams and 18 grams of Vitamin C.

8. Chicken Soup:

 

Serves: 8

Preparation time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of curry powder
• 8 cups of chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups of diced chicken
• 1/4th teaspoon of red pepper
• ½ teaspoon of thyme
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
• Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

In a large saucepan, add coconut oil, onion, celery, chicken cubes, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder and garlic, and cook again for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, bay leaf, pepper, thyme, lemon juice and stir well. Finally add the salt, remove the bay leaf, and serve.

Nutritional value:

One serving provides 180 calories, 135 mg of sodium. 11 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber, 22 grams of protein and 70 mg of calcium.

9. Black-Eyed Pea and Collard Greens Soup:

Serves: 6

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 3 medium red potatoes, chopped
• 3 cups of collard greens
• 3 cups of black-eyed peas
• 1 tablespoon of dried basil
• 1 tablespoon of oregano
• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• 1/4th spoon of pepper
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

Pour olive oil in a saucepan, and add onion and garlic. Sauté until the onion turns translucent. Add carrots, potatoes, collard, black-eyed peas, basil, stock and oregano. Turn the heat to high and simmer for 20 minutes or till the vegetables turn tender. Stir in apple cider vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Nutritional value:

One serving provides 11 grams of fiber, 50 carbohydrates, calories 180, protein 11 grams, calcium 125 mg, iron 4 mg.

10. Pumpkin Soup:

 

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 650 grams pumpkin, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 potato, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of cumin powder
• 2 cups of vegetable stock
• 1 cup of water
• Salt to taste
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

In a saucepan, pour olive oil and sauté the onion until it turns golden brown. Add cumin powder and cook for another five minutes. Now add pumpkin, potato, pepper and salt, and cook for a while. Turn up the heat, and add stock and water. Cook for 20 minutes or until the vegetables turn soft. Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Serve warm.

Nutritional Value:

One serving provides 6 grams of protein, 180 mg sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates.

Here is how to make soups for weight loss. Hope you will certainly try them and remember to share your feedback with us below.

Big-batch Bolognese

Prep:   25 mins                                         Method:  Easy

Cook:  1 hr 30 mins                                 Serves: 12

Whip up a huge batch of bolognese that's fit to feed a hungry crowd, or freeze half for a speedy midweek meal

Big-batch Bolognese

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 6 smoked bacon rashers, chopped
• 4 onions, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, finely chopped
• 4 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp dried mixed herbs
• 2 bay leaves
• 500g mushrooms, sliced
• 1½ kg lean minced beef (or use half beef, half pork mince)
• 6 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 6 tbsp tomato purée
• large glass red wine (optional)
• 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• parmesan, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a very large saucepan. Gently cook the bacon, onions, carrots and celery for 20 mins until golden. Add the garlic, herbs, bay and mushrooms, then cook for 2 mins more.
2. Heat a large frying pan until really hot. Crumble in just enough mince to cover the pan, cook until brown, then tip in with the veg. Continue to fry the mince in batches until used up. Tip the tomatoes and purée in with the mince and veg. Rinse the cans out with the red wine, if you have some, or with a little water, then add to the pan with the vinegar and sugar. Season generously and bring to a simmer. Simmer slowly for 1 hr until thick and saucy and the mince is tender. Serve with pasta and Parmesan.

Additional info: Easily halved.