Bison and Pasta

Last night I had about 5 tomatoes on the counter that were reaching the end of their counter life and would soon be delegated to the compost pile or to the freezer for stock. I used them to make a base for a great tomato stock last night.

I cut off the tops, cleaned out the seeds, roughly chopped them and threw them into the cast iron pan. Drizzled with a bit of olive oil, a tablespoon or two of chopped garlic, some salt (kosher) and pepper. I let this start to brown and carmelize, breaking down the tomato flesh, separating the skin off the rest of the tomato (remove, it's bitter ya know). When everything started looking nice and dark brown I added about 1/2 a cup of merlot and let it bubble up. I added a can of Organic crushed tomatoes and basil at this point and the Bison Meatballs Pamela had made earlier in the day.

The boys stood around at my feet waiting for their opportunity to "ok" the sauce. They said (in order of age) it was 'great' and 'mmmmm'.

Now, I wasn't in charge of the Bison Meatballs but I assume they went something like this.

• 1 lb Bison (lean, and better than old Bossy)
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (make your own!)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon Garlic
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• couple of grinds of black pepper

Mix and shape into small balls (tad smaller than a Ping-Pong ball)
Brown in skillet with a touch of olive oil
Cool on wire-rack.

I just let this simmer on the back of the stove while I waited for the pasta (plain, carrot and spinach bow-ties this time) to cook.

Once the pasta was ready we smothered it in the sauce and some shredded mozzarella.

Voila!

Both boys ate their plates (ok Cub ate his plate, and Thumper ate off mine and Pamela's) and asked for more. I would have to say it was a success.

We had leftovers because it's always too much sauce, and you should always make more pasta than needed, just so you can treat yourself at 11:30 when the house is quiet and everyone else except you and the dog are fast asleep.

So, tonight it'll be a game of make something new with the leftovers.

Saturday Night Mexican Fiesta part 2

OK, Now on to the tacos.

I heard somewhere recently that hard shelled tacos are not native to Mexican Cooking and were actually invented by the guy who opened up Taco Bell. I don't know whether it is true or not, but honestly unless I am eating AT an restaurant I'd rather have soft shell tacos anyway.

Saturday however I tried something new, and think its my new way to eat tacos. We bought some corn tortillas and used them for the tacos. Here is how it works.

Take your skillet (cast iron right?) and get it heating up, medium heat.

Lightly (I do mean lightly) butter one side of the tortilla.

Drop it butter side down on the skillet.

Wait 5 seconds and flip it. Wait another 30 and flip it back. See that nice brown color?

When you start seeing air bubbles add your filling on ½ of the tortilla. Fold.

Move over to the side of the skillet and start a new one.

When the cheese looks all melty and you can't stand it any longer take it off and eat it! (you're the cook, you're allowed to do that)

Fillings:

• Shredded Organic cheese (I like Monterey Jack or Cheddar)
• Ground beef/bison/turkey (brown, drain the fat, add seasonings, a bit of tomato paste)
• Salsa
• Guacamole
• Lettuce? Nonono Add something with a bit more oomph .. fresh spinach, Kale, heck even “Spring Mix” will do.

Dave

Saturday Night Mexican Fiesta

Saturday night we made "“Mexican Food"” for dinner. This means tacos, refried beans and rice. This time I thought I'd mix it up a bit.
I got some soft corn tortillas for the tacos instead of the regular hard shells. And I tried a new recipe for the rice. The refried beans? Well, I was slack .They came right out of a can.

So, lets talk about the NON-Slack parts of the dinner. And what we could do to make it healthier, with more FOOD in it.

First the rice.
For Saturday nights dinner I used my favorite Jasmine Rice. Let me give you my basic recipe and then we can talk about what to do to make it better.

• 1 cup rice
• 2 ¾ cups water
• 2 cloves garlic
• Spices to taste (Cumin, chile, onion)
• Olive oil

Brown the rice and garlic in oil in a skillet over medium high heat. The rice will become sort of translucent. When you get that nutty aroma rising from the skillet its time to add the water and bring to a boil. When it hits the boil, lid it, turn it down as low as possible and don't disturb it for 20 minutes. Then take it off the heat and let it 'rest' for 5. When you finally unlid the pot don't stir the rice, unless of course you LIKE sticky rice.

Many people I know have a problem with this one little piece of the 'Rice puzzle', so let me repeat it. Don't disturb the rice after you have lidded it. Don't even take the lid off to 'check it'. Face it, if its going bad there is nothing you can do to salvage the rice. You'll just have to restart it. So just lid it and forget it.

Ok, now for suggestions to make it more FOOD.

• Use Brown rice, it's better for you
• Add a cup of diced tomatoes.
• Add a handful of chopped spinach.
• Add an onion chopped with the garlic and rice during the browning process.
• Use Chicken or vegetable stock in place of the water
  

Saturday night I used my normal Jasmine White rice, but I did add a cup of chopped tomatoes, and 2 tblsp of Cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp yellow curry powder.

When I opened the lid it was fragrant and colorful. The rice had adopted the colors of the spices.
We all took deep breaths of the goodness and then dug in.


Dave

Let's talk dips

Yes, my children are dips, in every sense of the word. But that’s not what I mean. I mean the yummy food that you use as condiments and as full meals.

The Boys love dip, and if you do it correctly it's healthy for them also.

Dip doesn't have to mean creamy ranch dressing (although its mighty mighty good). There are plenty of alternatives, salsa, yogurt dip, hummus, guacamole and much more. One great thing about most of these dips is that the kids can help in the preparation of most of them.

Ranch Dip -
First let’s look at the traditional ranch dip. While most of our kids can surely afford the calories and fat associated with the sour cream, we as parents (who eat after and with our children) sometimes can't. So how do we lower the guilt without lowering the nutrition? One way is to use Silken Tofu instead of sour cream, just replace it ounce for ounce with the sour cream. You'll need to blend it up a bit to break it down some and give it the proper consistency. Then add the ranch mixture. The kids won't know the difference and will be getting a big dose of protein in the dip.

Hummus -
It’s a wonderful treat that is easy to make and is a different consistency than creamy dips. Hummus lends itself well to things like pita bread (whole wheat, homemade), sliced veggies or even just by the spoonful! We add agar flakes for an extra bit of nutrition.

Guacamole -
This creamy goodness is full of food and flavor. Guacamole is easy, quick and can be adjusted to suit your tastes depending on the situation. It's a great place to add some 'other ingredients' that will boost the food content without changing the flavor. Mix in homemade salsa.

Salsa -
Fresh and full of flavor, make it yourself and watch the nutritional benefits rise. Fresh tomatoes, cilantro and onions do alot for the food content; add to that content by adding some chopped veggies into the salsa.
Substitute salsa for ketchup on Burger and Hotdogs, mix it into meatloaf. Instead of deep fried tortilla chips, buy some baked ones, or make your own. Wedge up some flour or corn tortilla's lightly brush with olive or Canola oil and bake in the oven. When they come out and are still hot sprinkle with spices to your taste.

Dave

Hiding Food Part 1

• Protein Powder blends into milkshakes, fruit smoothies, yogurts, puddings
• Agar Flakes can be slipped in judicious amount into mac&cheese, pasta salad
• Raw Vegetables can be run through the food processor add to muffins, hamburgers, tomato sauce.
• Blackstrap Molasses as sweetener, in cookies
• Add a box of frozen spinach to a devil’s food cake! Thaw, drain/press then run the spinach through a food processor until there are no large chunks. Add this puree to the cake batter and bake as usual. It adds moistness as well as nutrition, and I would never believe how good it is until I tried it.
• Substitute “good” pasta for “empty” pasta – whole wheat, spelt, Barilla Plus
• Substitute brown rice for white rice, cook in vegetable broth or low sodium chicken broth rather than water.
• Substitute whole wheat flour for bleached
• Pancakes, Waffles – add mashed banana, oats, Protein Powder, Wheat Germ
• Substitute avocado for butter, sour cream or cream cheese. It adds flavor and is a monounsaturated fat.

Dave

FarFar's Oatmeal Pudding

• 2 ¼ - 2 ¾ cups oats (less for quick-cooking, more for old fashioned. I like multi-grain, but you can use any kind)


• ½- ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar


• ¾ cup raisins, craisins, cranberries, dates, etc.


• 1 teaspoon cinnamon


• ½ teaspoon salt (optional)


• 3 1/3 cups milk (2% or full-fat works fine)


• 4 egg whites, beaten OR ½ cup egg substitute


• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil


• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Combine dry, mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine wet, mix well.
Add wet to dry, (you guessed it!) mix well!
Pour into 8x8 glass baking dish that’s been buttered, oiled, or sprayed w/ cooking spray.

Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes.

Good warm or cold, plain or topped with yogurt. I often pour milk over a warmed bowl of it – yum!


Dave

Pancakes

Sunday mornings, I get up early, forgo checking my email and stumble into the kitchen to make breakfast. One of the boys' favorites is pancakes. Once we eat our fill there is always a few left over. I just let them cool completly (keeping the dog away) and then chuck them in a freezer bag. They heat up wonderfully in a toaster or the oven.

Sift together –

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup All Purpose flour
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt,
• 2 Tbs. sugar.

When you're ready to cook, mix in

• 2 cups water
• 3 Tbs. canola oil
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla,
• 2 Tbs. applesauce (or 1 ripe banana)

Heat your griddle until a drop of water dances across the top. Lightly wipe with oil (just a very very light sheen). Pour the size pancakes you feel, when the bubbles start breaking in the pancake its time to flip.

Serve HOT!

I will also sometimes add some of the following:

• ½ cup of oatmeal
• ¼ cup wheat germ
• 2 Tbs. ground Flax seed
• 2 Tbs. Agar flakes

Dave

Chocolate Tofu Pie

In a blender or food processor, puree until smooth:

• 1 block soft tofu, drained
• a couple of tablespoons of honey
• a glug of liquid (cold coffee, chai, Irish cream, coffee liqueur)

Melt 1 12 oz bag of chocolate chips or the equivalent amount of chocolate. Microwave or double-boiler works fine.

Gradually add to tofu mixture as blender runs, Mix until smooth and uniform in color.

Pour into graham cracker crust, chill until firm.

Variations:
By substituting Silken Tofu for the soft you have an easy and Quick Chocolate pudding/mousse.

We often like to melt raspberry jam or nut butter and add a layer of it in the crust before pouring the tofu mix. Make sure it’s cooled before adding the tofu mix! We also vary the types of chocolate and the type of crumb-crust.

I’ve had numerous people who are FIRMLY anti-tofu scarf up this pie without question. A good treat for the kids, since there is actual Food involved.

Dave

Auntie Helene's Post-Birth Pasta

But you can have it anytime. Freezes very well)

Blend:

• ¼ cup honey


• ¼ cup oil (vegetable or olive)


• ¼ teaspoon cayenne

mix with 1 cup pecans, spread on baking sheet at 300° for 7-10 minutes.
WATCH CLOSELY – it goes from brown to burned like lightning!

Sauté 4 cloves diced garlic and 1 large sliced onion.
Add 1-2 bunches kale, spinach, any dark leafy green you like.
Cook until just wilted.

Add:

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar


• 2 large chopped tomatoes


• 1 can blackeye peas (drained)


• 1 can whole-kernel corn (drained)*


• red pepper flakes to taste


• salt to taste (may not be necessary at all)

Blend vegetable mixture with cooked pasta (Rotini, Bowties, Fusilli, darn near anything sturdy enough)

Blend pecans with package of goat cheese, use to top the mixture.This pasta freezes well, just let it thaw in the 'fridge and away you go.

*I like to cut the kernels off two fresh ears instead

Dave