Cook it up, wrap it up

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BY KIM ODE/Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

Homemade gifts are an easy way to lend a personal touch to holiday giving. They show you’ve taken the time to fuss a bit, as well as give special consideration to the recipient’s desires. A loved one with high blood pressure may appreciate a no-salt seasoning. A gourmet cook will enjoy exploring uses for preserved lemons, while a family could dig into a selection of flavored popcorn. A jar of gemlike pomegranate jelly makes an easy hostess gift. The lemons need some curing time, while the popcorn is best delivered soon after you make it. The jelly and seasoning mix can be made now, easing the holiday rush.

No-salt seasoning mix

The recipient: Someone who is watching their salt intake, or a cook who enjoys a fresh take on flavors. If you know that your giftee loves the kick of smoked paprika or the zestiness of lemon pepper, boost those proportions. It’s all about making it healthful and personal.

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Making something in your own kitchen offers a more personalized approach to gift-giving this holiday season. A no-salt seasoning would be perfect for someone with high blood pressure.

Making something in your own kitchen offers a more personalized approach to gift-giving this holiday season. A no-salt seasoning would be perfect for someone with high blood pressure.

The gear: A selection of herbs and spices.

The final touch: Place in a pretty jar or pot; tuck into a napkin-lined basket with a few favorite recipes. Decorate with a few sprigs of rosemary or sage leaves.

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Dukkah

The recipient: This is an Egyptian spice, nut and seed blend, so give it to someone who enjoys Mediterranean or Egyptian cuisines, or who likes to serve unusual appetizers, or who is always on the lookout for a different blend of seasoning and texture for chicken or fish.

The gear: A selection of nuts, seeds and spices; check bulk sections for best prices.

The final touch: Arrange in a basket with a loaf of crusty bread and a bottle of olive oil.

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A trio of flavored popcorns

The recipient: This is an all-ages gift, easily personalized by the combo of flavors. Kids appreciate the bounty, while adults may like some unexpected seasonings.

The gear: Popcorn and whatever flavor combos you choose; check Internet recipe sites for additional ideas.

The final touch: Arrange in a cookie tin with paper dividers. Use the newspaper movie or TV listings for wrapping.

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Preserved lemons

The recipient: For the gourmet on your gift list, preserved lemons are a staple of Moroccan cuisines, but also inspire creative uses in salads, stews and sauces.

The gear: Lemons, salt and canning jars.

The final touch: Tie a ribbon around jars and accompany with several handwritten recipes using these lemons.

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Pomegranate jelly

The recipient: Someone who appreciates flavors that are a little off the beaten path. This also is a welcomed hostess gift, or good for those moments when you’d like to respond to an unexpected gift.

The gear: Juice, sugar, pectin and canning jars.

The final touch: Tie with a beautiful ribbon and give as is, or with a loaf of bread.

RECIPES

No-Salt Seasoning Mix

Makes 1/3 cup

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoons celery seed

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 tablespoon ground mustard

2 teaspoons lemon pepper

Combine all ingredients, then pour into a container. Keep in a dry place and use within 3 months.

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DukkahMakes about 2 ½ cups

Note: Use dukkah as an appetizer by dipping crusty bread in olive oil, then in the nut mixture. Or use it as a seasoning mix for fish or chicken.

1 cup shelled pistachio nuts

1 cup shelled hazelnuts

1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds

1 tablespoon whole fennel seeds

1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds

¼ cup toasted sesame seeds

¼ teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika, optional

1 tablespoon coarse salt or sea salt

1 to 2 teaspoons coarsely crushed black peppercorns

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toast pistachios on shallow pan for about 10 minutes, watching so they don’t burn. Stir frequently.

Toast hazelnuts on a shallow pan for about 10 minutes, then pour into kitchen towel, using it to rub off the husks.

Toast coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds and sesame seeds for 5 to 8 minutes, watching so they do not burn.

In a blender or food processor, grind the toasted nuts until the mixture resembles small breadcrumbs. The mixture should be very dry and crumbly, not a paste. Be careful as over- processing can release the oils in the nuts and turn the mixture into a nut spread such as peanut butter.

With a mortar and pestle, grind the coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds and sesame seeds. In a bowl, combine the crushed nuts, crushed seeds, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Store mixture in a covered container in the refrigerator.

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Microwave Caramel Corn

Makes 4 quarts

1 cup  brown sugar

½ cup butter

¼ cup white corn syrup

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

4 quarts popped corn

Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt in a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 1 minute. Stir. Microwave on high 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave on high 2 minutes. Stir. Add baking soda and stir well.

Put popcorn in a large paper bag and pour syrup over popcorn. Close and shake. Place bag in microwave and microwave on high 1½ minutes. Shake. Microwave on high 30 seconds. Shake.

Repeat twice more. (Shake carefully; syrup gets hot.) Spread out on jelly roll pan to dry.

Lemon-Dill Popcorn

Makes 2 quarts

Note: The lemon flavor intensifies with time.

2 quarts popped corn

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons grated fresh lemon peel

2 teaspoons dried dill

Salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Melt butter and pour over popped corn, tossing until evenly coated. Add lemon peel, dill and salt, and mix well.

Spread in jellyroll pan and place on upper rack of oven for 20 minutes to dry.

Bacon Parmesan Popcorn

Makes 2 quarts

2 quarts popped corn

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon bacon salt, or hickory-flavored salt

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Melt butter and pour over popped corn, tossing until evenly coated. Add salt and cheese and mix well. Spread in jellyroll pan and place on upper rack of oven for 20 minutes to dry.

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Preserved Lemons

Makes 9 lemons

Note: Preserved lemons are a staple of Moroccan cuisine. Rinsed clean of the salt brine and chopped, they add a pleasantly salty and pungent flavor to salads and stews.

½ cup kosher salt, more if needed, divided

9 lemons, scrubbed clean

Extra fresh-squeezed lemon juice, as needed

3 sterilized wide-mouthed pint canning jars

Put 1 tablespoon salt into each jar. For each lemon, cut off any protruding stem knobs and about ¼ inch from the tip. Cut crosses in the lemons to within ½ inch of the bottom so that they are still joined as one, but quartered. Gently open them and sprinkle generously with salt.

Pack into sterilized jars, 3 to a jar, squishing them down so that juice is extracted. Add more lemon juice as needed to cover the lemons, leaving very little air space at the top and seal the jar.

Let the jars rest for 30 days, shaking them each day to distribute the juices throughout the jar. They don’t need to be refrigerated until they are opened. Use within 6 months.

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Pomegranate Jelly

Makes enough for 6 to 7 (8-ounce) jars.

4 cups pomegranate juice

1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1 (6 fluid ounces) container liquid pectin

7½ cups white sugar

6 to 7 sterilized 8-ounce canning jars

Combine pomegranate juice and lemon juice in a 6-quart pan. Add pectin, stir and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Reach a full rolling boil, that cannot be stirred down, and add sugar. Boil hard for exactly 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand for a minute and skim off foam.

Fill jars to ½-inch of the top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2-piece lids.

You can refrigerate these immediately, or water-bathe them for unrefrigerated shelf life.

For water bath: Place the filled jelly jars, not touching, on a rack in a tall pot of boiling water that covers the top of the jars by at least an inch. Boil for 5 minutes and then remove from the water.

Let the jars cool. Check seals, the lids should be sucked down (you’ll hear a popping noise as the jelly cools).

Once the jars reach room temperature, put them in the refrigerator for a few hours to complete the jellying. Lasts about 3 weeks once opened.