Stewed Cherries Food

STEWED FRESH BERRIES

Steps:

• Combine a half-pint of raspberries, all the blueberries, sugar, zest and 1/3 cup water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. The juice will become a syrup and the berries will be slightly cooked. Off the heat, stir in the remaining raspberries and the framboise, if desired.

STEWED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Wash, stem and pit cherries over a saucepan to catch juice; there will be about 2 1/2 cups pitted fruit. Drop directly into saucepan, add water, cover, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the sugar and continue heating for a minute or two until sugar is entirely dissolved. Stir in a few drops of almond extract, if desired. Serve warm or cold with plain or whipped cream.

MOROCCAN LAMB STEW WITH DRIED CHERRIES AND LEMON

Steps:

• Rehydrate the cherries in a bowl with about a cup of warmed stock. Let soak until needed.
• In a large, heavy saute pan, heat 2 T olive oil with 2 T butter over high heat. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and saute in batches, not overcrowding the pan, so all sides are browned. Transfer to a large saucepan or casserole. Continue this process until allo the lamb is well browned.
• Reheat the saute pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and saute the onions to translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the spices and cook until the aromas start to come up, 2-3 minutes. Deglaze with some of the stock and add this to the pan with the lamb. Add the remaining stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the rehydrated cherries with their soaking liquid and the preserved lemon (or lemon zest). Continue cooking for about 15-20 minutes more, or until the lamb is very tender. Add the honey and season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
• Serve over couscous, mixed with a few chopped Kalamata olives. Top with toasted sesame seeds and enjoy with a glass of Cabernet Franc.
• Notes:
• This dish has A LOT of butter. By mistake, I only used 2 T, in stead of ½ cup Next time, I wouldn't use any at all. There is enough olive oil & liquid from the lamb to sufficiently cook the lamb without the butter. This will cut calories by A LOT, too!
• I toasted the ground coriander in a frying pan until it was smoky & fragrant.
• I used beef broth, and lemon zest.

SKILLET CORN CAKE WITH STEWED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the cornmeal.
• In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, milk, olive oil, and lemon zest until frothy. Add 3/4 cup of the sugar, and whisk to combine. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix just until the batter is smooth.
• Swirl the butter in the hot cast-iron skillet until it has melted, and then pour the batter into the skillet. Return the skillet to the oven and cook until the center is set, about 25 minutes.
• While the cake is baking, set a 10-inch skillet over high heat, and add the cherries, lemon juice, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar. Cook until the cherries have released most of their juice, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to use.
• Allow the cake to cool in the skillet for 5 minutes. Then slice it into wedges and serve with the stewed cherries spooned over the top.

SPICED BRANDIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine sugar and spices with a cup of water. Bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
• Turn off heat and add cherries and brandy to pot. Let cool, then store mixture in a jar in refrigerator for at least 2 days before eating, and up to several months. These are great over ice cream.

SAUTEED CHERRY TOMATOES WITH GARLIC AND BASIL

Steps:

• Heat 1 Tb. olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high flame until it just starts to smoke. Add tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Saute, shaking pan frequently, until tomatoes soften and skins just begin to wrinkle, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue to shake the pan until garlic is fragrant. Off heat, stir in the basil and remaining 1 Tb. olive oil, then serve.

SKILLET CORN CAKE WITH STEWED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the cornmeal.
• In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, milk, olive oil, and lemon zest until frothy. Add 3/4 cup of the sugar, and whisk to combine. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix just until the batter is smooth.
• Swirl the butter in the hot cast-iron skillet until it has melted, and then pour the batter into the skillet. Return the skillet to the oven and cook until the center is set, about 25 minutes.
• While the cake is baking, set a 10-inch skillet over high heat, and add the cherries, lemon juice, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar. Cook until the cherries have released most of their juice, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to use.
• Allow the cake to cool in the skillet for 5 minutes. Then slice it into wedges and serve with the stewed cherries spooned over the top.

BEEF STEW WITH DRIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut beef into 1 inch cubes. Combine flour, salt, allspice, cinnamon and pepper in a plastic bag. Add beef cubes to bag and shake, coating pieces evenly. Spray a heavy nonstick skillet with nonstick vegetable spray and heat over medium high heat. Add 1/3 of the beef cubes and cook until browned on all sides, stirring frequently (about 5 minutes). Don't crowd the skillet. Transfer meat to a heavy Dutch oven. Repeat with remaining meat in two more batches, ending with all of the browned meat in the Dutch oven.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add oil to skillet. Add onions and cherries. Cook over medium heat until onions are soft and light brown, about 10 minutes (you are basically making caramelized onions). Stir frequently, scraping up all the browned bits from the meat and incorporating into the onions. Mix in the sugar, vinegar and water. Increase heat to medium high and cook until onions brown, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
• Add onion mixture to the beef in the Dutch oven. Mix in wine, stock and mushrooms. Cover and bake until the beef is tender, about 2 hours. Uncover stew during last 30 minutes of baking if the liquid is still too thin. Add a small amount of beef stock or red wine is it is too dry.
• Serve with rice or noodles to sop up the great sauce.
• Can be made ahead and reheated before serving.

QUICK "STEWED" TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add celery, onion, and 1/2 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until water has evaporated and celery is tender, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Add tomatoes; cook until tomatoes are soft and juicy, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in basil; season with salt and pepper.