Feed Your Kids

Figs coming in

2008-07-14T13:25:00.003-04:00

I know, I know ... it's been a long time since I last posted ..

What excuse do I have? None .. slackness .. evil wow

But on to other things.

The year before last I received a fig tree for fathers day from the boys. We planted it out back and there it grew .. slowly .. not making friends with the Lemons or the Satusma. I'd watch it and for the past two years there would be a few figs and they'd always disappear rapidly before I could get to them.

Yesterday I was mowing and as I circled the fig tree I could see some ripe figs. Purple brown bags of yumminess. Being the geek that I am I went inside after finishing the mow and looked up how to tell when figs are ripe.

Turns out when they hang vertically they are ready. They'll be colorful and look 'full' . So I went back out to the little bush and sure enough there were four that were ready to be eaten. Now, to be honest with you, this was my first experience eating a fresh fig. I've just never had the opportunity. I have eaten plenty of fig preserves, dried figs and whatnot. But never an honest to goodness fresh fig.

So, I decided to take advantage of being the one that picked them and tried one right there behind the bush, in the sun. The heat of the day just starting to build up.

It was wonderful, what a flavor, unique ... There was a light sweetness, like a honey, then a 'summer' sort of flavor, like a watermelon almost.

Sitting here now, writing this post a day later, I can feel the sun on my shoulders and taste the fruit in my mouth.

I'll be watching this bush everyday for the next few weeks as the rest of th fruit ripens. Will Pamela and the boys enjoy them? Maybe .. if they make it to the house.

Dave

Easy Spring-Loaded Chopsticks

2007-09-11T15:06:00.001-04:00

Cub loves Sushi; it's his favorite food in the world. He will sit down and eat it until he's like a beached whale. Then he'll run around a bit outside the restaurant and by the time we get home he's hungry again.

One of his favorite treats is stopping by the Sushi counter at Publix when he goes grocery shopping with Pamela. I think he might even prefer to get sushi over getting ice cream.

He doesn't quite have the hang of chopsticks yet though. These might just do the trick.

When I get home tonight we'll be trying a pair, and running down the road to pick up some Sushi.

Dave

Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Cookies

2007-08-19T22:20:00.000-04:00

Pamela made some deeelicious cookies this weekend.
Cub and I tried to stay out of the kitchen as much as possible just so we wouldn't eat the cookie dough before they were baked.

Preheat oven 350

Cream together ---
1 1/4 cups Peanut Butter (Sesame/Cashew ... whatever)
1/2 cup Butter

Then add ---
1 cup Brown sugar
1 cup plain sugar

Once this is all incorporated, stick your finger in and taste ... mmm , maybe we should just stop here and get out the spoons ... nonono .. must continue.

Ok , add ---
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

In a separate container mix ---
1 cup WW pastry flour (dont have it? Me neither, use AP flour instead)
1/4 cup Wheat Germ (it's in the back of your fridge, behind the milk)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 cups oats (regular, quick, just not instant)

Pour the dry into the wet and stir for a few secs. Get everything wet. Roll into balls (a bit smaller than Ping-Pong Balls), put on the tray and impress with a fork.

Bake for about 10 minutes.

Be sure to send the kids outside before the first batch comes out. Eat those quickly, with a glass of milk hunched over the hot tray ... Hey! It's only fair! You baked! All the kids did was eat the dough and try to pour all the vanilla in.

Dave

Fridge Curry

2007-08-18T17:39:00.000-04:00

It's a lazy Saturday afternoon and I am tired of watching the weather channel for updates on Hurricane Dean...And I am hungry.

I go scrounging in the fridge, and I see the package of sausage I had pulled for breakfast in the morning. It's not going to last. I pull it, two heads of broccoli, some Greek yogurt, one half of an onion left over from earlier in the week and the last of the diced garlic.

Off the produce counter get that paper bag that may or may not have good potatoes in it. (close your eyes, say a little prayer to your kitchen gods .... peek in the bag .. yes! still good!) Get about six good sized Yukon golds out and grab a green apple. Peel all of the above, leave the taters whole, dice the apple into big chunks and cut the broccoli into florets (make sure to cut the stem up also .. lots of yummy goodness there as well).

I fill a pot with water, salted to sea like and put my trusty cast iron skillet on the burner , both of them set to high. Drizzle some olive oil in the skillet and when its hot drop the sausage in. When the sausage is nice and brown add your rough chopped onion and the last of the pre-chopped garlic. (Yes, I buy the big jugs of pre-chopped garlic, it makes life easier.)

Turn the heat down a bit, add some salt and pepper, rummage above the stove in your spice cabinet. Pull down some red curry, yellow curry, a cardamom pod or two and some cumin. When the onions have started to brown and wilt pour in two shots of bourbon to de-glaze and then add the spices. To this add about three-quarters of a cup of water and a can of diced tomatoes to help make the sauce.

By now the water should be close to boiling, add the whole potatoes and let them start. Keep the water boiling for about twelve minutes. When the potatoes are almost done drop the broccoli in for a quick blanch. We hate soggy broccoli.

As you add the potatoes to the water be sure to add the apples to the sauce so they can have a bit of time to tenderize.

OK, the potatoes are done, cut them into chunks, and then its time to plate. Take the sauce off the heat and right before pouring some over your potatoes and broccoli mix in some of that Greek Yogurt. It'll brighten the the sauce with the tartness of the yogurt and give it some body.

I recommend a nice cold Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout for yourself, and a big glass of homemade lemonade for the kids.

---
Dave

Mango-Banana Bread

2007-05-15T11:18:00.000-04:00

So, It's vacation, and you promise to yourself that you'll get to the beach with all the intentions of eating good. You bring bananas and mangos and somehow on the trip from Tallahassee to St. George Island the fruit goes from beautiful specimens to Quasimodo.

Will your six year old eat a banana with more blemishes on it than a Daughters of the Confederacy meeting has liver spots? Not bloody likely ....

So what are you going to do with all that mangled fruit? Sweet bread of course.

Turn your oven on to 350 degrees, and grease your favorite loaf pan.

Dry ingredients -

2 cups of AP flour
2 tblsp Cardamom
1 tblsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Wet ingredients -

1 1/2 cups mashed fruit
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup sugar (or honey for a moist cake)
1/3 cup buttermilk (or milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice mixed in)

Mix the dry, mix the wet, combine the two, pour into the pan

Bake for an hour or so , until the tothpick comes out clean.

Dave

Beach Style Tunafish

2007-05-12T17:51:00.001-04:00

Cub and I came in after playing hard out in the pool at the beach house. Both of us were starving and so Cub decided he wanted tunafish.

We got out the makings and worked together to create our masterpiece.

1 can of tuna
2 tablespoons of sweet relish
2 tablespoons of mayo
1 chopped hard boiled egg

Mix all together thoroughly and crunch up a few saltines into the bowl.

Let the boy eat it directly out of the bowl, getting it finished before he even gets to the table.

Whats the difference between this and everyday tunafish? .... We are at the beach, thats the difference.

Dave

Pork Curry

2007-05-12T17:21:00.000-04:00

Easter dinner was one of my favorites, pork medallions with sage and ham.

I was in charge of dinner this year and we were expecting a big crowd so I ended up slicing up about 3 tenderloins worth of medallions. With the slices I ended up with about 6 inches on each tenderloin that wasn't really big enough to slice. These I ended up cutting into chunks sprinkling with sea salt and stowing in the fridge for a day to two.

The Wednesday after Easter it was time to put those chunks to use. I quickly pan-fried the pork pieces until they were juuuuust done, brown marks on the outside but still pink on the inside. I transferred them to a covered bowl and went on with the rest of the meal.

A quarter cup of bourbon went into the pan to deglaze. Along with that went half an onion, two stalks celery and a pinch of salt to draw out the water. Once that had begun to brown and the liquids began reducing I added two tbsp of chopped garlic and 3 tomatoes cut into quarters from our freezer.

These tomatoes were from our crop last year, I am finally getting close to finishing off all the freezer stock. This year I am really thinking about learning to can them instead just to save freezer room.

Once the tomatoes broke down and released their summery liquids I fished out the skins and stuck an immersion blender in the mix. A few seconds later I had blended up the onions, celery, garlic and tomato into something a bit more like a sauce. It still had quite a few chunks but looked to homogenized.

I dropped a bay leaf in and 2 tablespoons of Yellow Curry powder. I also added half a teaspoon of Garam Masala and a shake or two of white pepper. I mixed all the spices in and then put a two pats of unsalted butter on top and the pork cubes back in to finish cooking and heat back up. Put a lid on the pot (I use my cast Iron 13" skillet for this dish) and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

While the sauce was being prepared I had a pot of vegetables boiling, I had a couple of chopped carrots and probably 2 pounds of red potatoes. The size of the potatoes and carrots were approximately the size of something you'd want on your plate. Cut them the way you feel comfortable. If you want carrots cut on the bias, then by all means cut on the bias.

Once the carrots and potatoes are fork tender drain them and then put them back in the pot over the heat for a few seconds shaking constantly to dry them out a bit.

Unlid the curry and add a cup of frozen green peas into the golden yellow curry. Let that sauce warm the peas through and then you are ready to eat.

Put the vegetables on the plate, pour sauce over and then add a dollop of Greek Style yogurt (or strained yogurt or sour cream).

Variations include added cashews and raisins at the table to the curry. You could also substitute brown rice or couscous instead of the vegetables.

Dave

Ice Cream MADNESS!

2007-04-15T10:21:00.000-04:00

We made the first Ice Cream of the season last night. Cub declared it 'the best ice cream ever!'.

It's a pretty simple recipe -

2 cups whole milk
1 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk

The original recipe called for heavy cream, but I am getting old I don't need that extra fat. I wouldn't suggest going down to 2% or Skim milk, it just won't have that mouth feel.

That's it .. for the base. Now you add what you want for flavoring and chunks.

I decided to raid the secret stash of Thin mint cookies in the freezer. We used a whole sleeve but I think you could cut back if you wanted to (YEA RIGHT!). I put them in the blender and ground them up for a second or two, it left some chunks and pulverized a bit.Of course there were a few cookies a piece that we had to 'test' for freshness. They were A-OK.

So make your base, and put it in the fridge and let it cool down. I recommend making it the night before. The colder the mix is the quicker and thicker the ice cream will be initially. It will look and feel like Ice Cream and not frozen milk right out of the mixer.

Really that's what it is all about,that first taste you get right out of the mixer. Standing around the island scooping some into the bowls, some into the container, more into the bowls, less into the container .. so on and so forth.

Our directions on our ice cream maker indicate to start the machine and then add the mix, please be sure to consult your instructions to get the highest satisfaction. Cub and I let it run for about 15 minutes and then added the crumbled thin mints. Let this go for another 5 minutes or so.

Use this time wisely. Get your bowls out, your favorite ice cream spoons, and a container to use for the rest of the ice cream. This one will need to be a freezer proof container. Try to make sure that it wont be too big for the remainders. When you put the ice cream in that container take a piece of plastic wrap and push it down on top. That will help guard against freezer burn and those ugly freezer smells.

I think next time we are going to try a sorbet, or my favorite ... sherbet!

Enjoy!
Dave

Easter Eggs

2007-04-08T22:27:00.000-04:00

And the great chicken egg massacre of 2007 begins.

Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

2007-03-29T20:49:00.000-04:00

Chocolate Hazelnut cake! mmm what a great great great birthday cake ... Thanks to Pamela

Thumper Cakes

2007-01-30T20:13:00.000-05:00

Thumper and I decided we needed cupcakes this weekend. So I looked at a few recipes, got the general jist and away we went into the kitchen.

These were Banana-Chocolate Chip Cupcakes we ended up with.

2 cups flour
2 bananas
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 package milk chocolate chips
3 Tbsp Cocoa

Preheat the oven to 350, spoon the batter into the paper cups, try to be neat ... but remember you have a 3 year old helping, so thats pretty much impossible.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes until done.

You can frost them if you decide to. But! remember they transport much easier without the frosting. I can give one to Thumper without worrying about stickyness everywhere in the TV room.

Thursday night Gratin

2007-01-11T21:03:00.000-05:00

Came home tonight to find Pamela greeting me at the door as she ran off to the market for essentials (dog food, milk, kitty litter), so I went searching the cabinets for dinner fixings.

On the counter was a couple of potatoes left over from baked potato/chili night on Monday. Looking in the fridge showed a 1/2 stick butter some milk and an opened bag of Mexican mix shredded cheese.

Turn the oven on ... 425 degrees ... now .. go do it, while you get the rest of the ingredients and tools necessary to do the job.

Washed the taters, and then did a quick and dirty job peeling them. Not really caring if I got it all peeled off, just .. I don't know ....60%? 75%?

I sliced them into thin slices, layering the casserole pan with a few layers, making sure to each layer (salt, black pepper, and Italian Seasoning). On the top layer after the seasoning I added the cheese and then about 3/4 of a cup of milk.

The oven was hot and ready by then, so I covered it in foil and then put it in the oven, let it bake for about an hour, then pulled the foil off and turned the broiler on and allowed the bubbly mixture to get brown on top.

Pull it from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes, then plate and enjoy! We had ours with a Kielbasa that I sliced into rounds and stir fried in the cast Iron skillet until they has nice crunchy bits.

Variations to the theme:

Add a thin layer of carrots

Add some caramelized onions

Add some browned Italian Turkey sausage

oooohhhhh some peas! for a bit of color...

This was almost as easy and pain free as making Quiche, but not quite.

Cub ate everything we put in front of him (potatoes, cheese... how can you lose?). Thumper on the other hand, ate a few pieces of kielbasa and called it good. *SIGH*

Cub's Hot Milk

2007-01-02T22:12:00.000-05:00

Cub loves hot chocolate, no doubt about it, Don't most kids (and most adults)? But what Cub really wants to drink is 'Hot Milk'. I think I made it for him the first time when he was about 2 and it's been his favorite ever since.

It's pretty simple to make, I imagine most of you have made it once or twice.

Take your nice heavy saucepan, put it on the burner over medium heat. Add the following ingredients in no particular order.

2 Cups Organic Whole Milk
1 Cinnamon Stick broken up
3 TBS Honey
1 TSP vanilla Extract
1 Cardamom Pod broken open, let the seeds float in the milk

Heat the milk to just a bare simmer, don't walk away from the stove, stir the milk, smell the delicious aromas.

Pour it into your favorite mug, the one you found, you know ... the one with the chip in it, the one you reach for on lazy Sunday mornings. Pour the milk in through a sieve to get out all the 'bits' and grate a bit of nutmeg over the top.

Enjoy ... when the others ask you what you're drinking, just point them toward the saucepan and share.

Thumper Scones

2007-01-01T15:58:00.000-05:00

So, Thumper decided he wanted to help a recent Sunday morning making Biscuits/Scones. I had been reading online about the differences between the two, and there really didn't seem like much change to the routine, so I was willing (like I had a choice) to let him help in the preparation.

We started out with the basic Biscuit recipe and then went off on a tangent from there. I pulled down the 'sweet' basket of spices and we opened jars and sniffed the products. Rolled the Nutmeg across the counter and shook the Vanilla bottle to make sure there was enough extract to be added and have enough for "Cub's Hot Milk" to go with the bread.

Finally it came down to Cinnamon, Vanilla, Freshly grated Nutmeg and a couple of handfuls (his and mine) of dried fruit - cranberries, blueberries, cherries. Coming up a close second was Cardamom, Raisins and Chocolate Chips (His momma put a kibosh on those.. darn her).

I started with the basic Biscuit recipe (at this point turn the oven on ... 450 degrees)-

1 1/2 Cup AP Flour
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Stick of Butter
1 TBS Baking Powder
1/2 TSP Salt

I chunked up the butter, threw it in with the flour mix and used the pastry knife until it was crumbly like sand. Then we added the 'new ingredients' -

3 TBS sugar (white, brown, honey, stevia, whatever ...)
1 TBS cinnamon
3/4 cup all together of dried fruit (more or less)
a couple of scrapes of Nutmeg
a splash of Vanilla

Then I realized we needed something to make it all stick together and also something to help it rise. So I added 1 TSP baking soda, and put it all in my Kitchen Aid Mixer, added the dough hook and started it swirling. Slowly I added Buttermilk until a very tender dough was in the bowl.

I pulled it out and dropped it on the Whole Wheat Flour dusted island in the middle of our Kitchen. Thumper fingers immediately went into it and started poking. I kneaded it just for a second to let my hands warm it up a bit and to shape it. I patted it out to about 2 inches thick and then I let Thumper push the cutter in and make the biscuits/scones.

We placed them on a Jellyroll pan all bunched together and pressed our thumbs down on the center of each just to create a dimple. Into the oven they went and 15 minutes later our masterpieces came out.

They had risen beautifully and were golden brown on the top. They split easily with a fork and were devoured in no time. They go really well with just plain butter (Cub's Fav), Nutella (Thumper's MUST) or Strawberry-Rhubarb Marmalade (my all time favorite)

Tomato closeup

2006-08-19T15:22:00.000-04:00

Can I just say, there is NOTHING, I repeat NOTHING, good about a store-bought tomato when you compare them to homegrown.

Technorati Tags:
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tomato

Tomato picture 1

2006-08-19T15:20:00.000-04:00

We had about 8 bowlfuls like this of tomatoes this year before we got tired of picking them ... I know , I know .. shame shame

Technorati Tags:
garden,
tomato

Tomatos fresh from the garden

2006-06-26T16:47:00.000-04:00

As the 'Aught-Six' Zucchini Invasion wound down we find ourselves caught up in a Tomato infestation of massive proportions. Going out into the garden we find it overgrown with those luscious red globules.

I admit that early on in the season I was slack about pulling the suckers off the tomato plants. I pretty much just planted them, freshened the compost and then watered them on occasion. Our dear neighbor one day asked if I'd like to borrow some of her 'tomato food' to sprinkle on the plants. I told her no, I was trying to just let them grow , no need to egg them on.

This weekend I went out to the garden and found it overgrown with Tomato vines everywhere. It looked like a jungle out there. The poor basil plants I have put in the same bed were being crowded out, luckily they were planted towards the edge of the bed and get some late afternoon sun.

The names of the bigger tomatoes escape me now, but the grape-tomatoes I planted never bushed and instead went straight to vine and spread all through the interior of the patch. I went out there and could just reach in and pull handfuls of sweet little tomatoes, bright red and bursting with goodness. I stood out there and ate them by the handful, enjoying the warm liquid as I popped each one in my mouth.

Looking out to the garden you can see patches of red everywhere. I picked a large metal bowl full of tomatoes yesterday afternoon. Some were on top, some on the outer edges of the wilderness and some, I had to get down on my knees and carefully stretch out to just barely reach some underneath and towards the center of the garden.

Cub and I sat on the steps going into the house , in the shade and pulled off the stems and tossed them into the grass. I pulled one of the baseball sized fruits out of the bowl and bit into it. The sun-warmed innards of the tomato dripping down my chin, I offered Cub a bite. He shook his head and proclaimed 'no way!' in a way only 5 year olds can. He was willing to plant and to weed, and to pick, but the only way he was going to eat one, was cooked down in a sauce over some linguini or penne pasta.

Technorati Tags: garden, grape-tomato, pasta, sun, tomato, zucchini

Fried Tilapia

2006-06-23T11:41:00.000-04:00

Last night I had a taste for a plate of pan-fried flounder. You know the type, thin, breaded, crispy with lots of remoulade on top. hmmm just typing this makes my mouth water.

But, the fish monger at Publix didn't have anygood looking flounder. So I settled instead for some Tilapia. Which is good in its own right for sure.

I ended up pan frying it also, lightly breaded in some canola oil/butter. It's an easy and quick fry. I cracked a couple of eggs in a shallow bowl, poured a bit of milk in there and whisked it together. Took another shallow bowl and filled it with homemade bread crumbs some spices/herbs out of the cabinet.

2 cups of bread crumbs
2 tblsp of Italian herbs mix
2 tsp salt
1 tblsp garlic powder
1 tblsp onion powder

Sprinkled some ground pepper on the fish, dipped it in the egg mix, then coated it in the bread and slid it gently into the pan of hot oil. Let it stay for about two minutes and then flipped it. Let it stay until brown and then off to a rack on some papertowels to wick away any oil waiting on the surface.

Cub really enjoyed the fish and ate a filet and half himself, Thumper preferred the rice. Along with this we also had a nice fresh garden salad and some really yummy baked Christmas rice.

Technorati Tags: breaded, butter, fish, Flounder, pan-fried, rice, Tilapia

Danish Economy

2006-06-16T10:13:00.000-04:00

My buddy Dave sent me this link to a discussion on the Danish Economy after the Muslim 'boycott' due to the comics that were published in the newspapers.

The net effect on the Danish economy by the Muslim boycott of products from
Denmark: The Post-Postmodernist

Let me just add to this by saying ...

So let me just encourage you all to stop at the local market tonight
and pick up a 6 pack of Tuborg or Carlsberg beer, maybe some Danish
Havarti or Blue cheese, a block of Lurpak butter, and some "Den Gamle
Fabrik" Raspberry preserves, stop in the bakery and get a good loaf of
crusty multigrain bread and have a nice meal.

Often in the mornings (especially on the weekends) the Danes will have
hard rolls or huge slabs of crusty bread, slathered with butter and
then you put a slice of cheese or some preserves on top (or my
favorite way ... BOTH). Drink some nice dark coffee or tea or if it's brunch .. The beer!

wow .. I am salivating .. I think I am most surely going to stop at
Publix on the way home for some fixin's.

Saturday Morning Biscuits

2006-06-03T09:38:00.000-04:00

Ah! The weekend, and with it comes more opportunities to cook for my family. I try at least one morning during the weekend to make breakfast.

This morning it was biscuits.

Now biscuits are a southern tradition. They are the bread of the south no doubt about it. Every restaurant you go to the main breakfast always ALWAYS comes with biscuits. I love biscuits the savory softness of the dough just makes a day perfect.

My favorite topping for a biscuit? Strawberry Rhubarb preserves , especially this Danish brand.

Biscuit ingredients are simple and putting them together is easy also. For a long time I treated the dough like I would bread dough, and lemme tell you that's wrong.

Instead treat your dough like you would with pie crust. The key is to not work your dough too much.

I mix the dry ingredients with the butter, make sure the butter is incorporated. Only after the mix looks crumbly (like that very top layer of sand down right where the tide has retreated from) do I add the milk.

I give the mixture a few quick stirs to combine it all and then I either pour it out onto my cutting board and pile it all up and press it together (no kneading! Just compression) or I pour it all into a resealable plastic bag squeeze it all down together and let it sit in the fridge for a bit. What this process does is let all the flour hydrate with the milk and what ever tiny little bit of butter has melted.

Give it all about 10 minutes to rest (clean your mixing utensils at this point) and then press it out on the cutting board to the appropriate thickness. I like thick biscuits so I go about an inch thick. Now cut it into rounds and bake.

My favorite biscuit cutter is a mushroom can that I salvaged one night. I cut both ends off (I have one of those can openers that doesn't leave an edge) and it cuts the perfect size biscuit. You know when you cut biscuits, you push straight down no twisting right? When I put the biscuits on the baking sheet I crowd them all together one right up next to each other it helps them rise up higher.

Ingredients -

2 cups sifted AP flour

1/2 stick butter (or other shortening)

1 tablespoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk (cream .. 2%, whatever)

Preheat oven to 450, bake for 10-12 minutes.

Oh! A little trick on the butter .. The night before, put the butter in the freezer for about 10 minutes and then coarsely grate it. Leave it in the freezer until you are ready to make biscuits.

This helps incorporate the dough much quicker and helps create layers in your biscuit.

Technorati Tags: baking, biscuit, biscuits, bread, breakfast, butter, recipe, southern

Tomato-Meat Sauce

2006-06-02T11:31:00.000-04:00

This is one of those tomato sauces that is labor intensive but in the end is worth the time. You'll spend an hour and a half doing nothing but working on the sauce. Once you get to the point of completion you can let it simmer while you get the rest of the dinner prepared.

This turns into a thick meaty sauce, full of flavor and goes great over fettucini, shells, or as a base for a lasagna.

1 lb meat (bison, turkey, sausage .. whatever)

1 #16 can Peeled Whole Tomatoes

1 onion chopped

4 garlic cloves

2 cups beef broth (you can substitute 1 cup of wine for 1 cup of the broth)

seasoning to your liking

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Canola Oil

Take your cast iron skillet and put it on the burner on medium heat. Let that skillet do what it's supposed to and absorb the heat.

Meanwhile, coarsely chop the onion and smash the garlic. When the skillet is ready pour a tablespoon of Canola oil in and add the onion. Hold off on the garlic, we don't want that to burn. Stir the onions a few times get them coated in oil. Then just let them go, let them simmer and brown, you want to let them get dark and sweet.

The aroma will queue you to when its done. When your mouth starts watering uncontrollably you'll know the onions are close. At that point add your garlic and add half a cup of broth. Let the broth reduce until its almost gone. Now remove that mixture to a bowl.

Now add the meat, brown it down until its done. Add a half cup of broth and again let it simmer down until its almost gone.

While the meat is browning open the can of tomatoes and drain it. Make sure you save the liquid. Take the drained tomatoes and de-seed them, break them up and get rid of any ugly chunks.

Pull the meat out of pan and de-glaze it with a half cup of broth, add the tomatoes and let them simmer down until they are dark and full of flavor. This is a good spot to add more nutrition, maybe a cup of spinach or grated zucchini. Pull it off the heat and get your handy stick blender out and grind it all down to a nice sauce.

Put it back on the heat and put back in the meat and onions. Pour in the drained tomato liquid and the rest of the broth. Let it all heat up and start bubbling at this point the sauce is ready for use, but can by all means simmer longer until you are ready to go.

Dave

Zucchini-banana bread

2006-06-01T11:07:00.000-04:00

This makes two loaves or however many cupcakes you can fit (haven't actually tried that). Let's say maybe 2 dozen?

The recipe makes a nice dense loaf very moist and it will stay that way, due to the honey in the mix which attracts moisture from the air.

You can of course adjust the spices to your own tastes, the cardamom is just what I had in the cabinet, nutmeg is alway respectable. I love the flavor of cardamom sometimes I drop a pod into my pot of coffee for that extra pop of flavor.

3 cups of AP Flour
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup honey
4 eggs
2 large banana
2 cup grated zucchini
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom

Preheat oven 350 degrees.
Lube your loaf pans.

Cream the butter, add the sugar and the honey slowly until its nice a incorporated.
Add the banana, and then the eggs one at a time until everything is mixed up.

Sift the flour, soda, salt and spices together, fold into the liquid mix.
When its starting to look like a batter then fold in the zucchini and pour into two well greased loaf pans.

Bake for about an hour, until the tops look nice and brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool for bit, then pull the loaves out of the pans and onto a cutting board. I usually put a paper towel underneath to keep them from sticking.

Once they are cool go ahead and wrap one in tinfoil and hide it in the back of the freezer so on Sunday you can pull some out for brunch. Better yet, walk next door and give it to your neighbor. You do know them don't you? If not, what's a better icebreaker than some homemade goodies.

Slice, note the warmth, and the smell of the cake, look at the texture thick dense full of expected flavor. Do you see banana chunks? Note that the zucchini completely disappears.

Can you pick out the spices? No? Then you didn't put in enough. Remember the kids are going to eat it, teach them to enjoy the spice and not accept the bland whitebread that pop culture pushes at them.

Ready for that first bite? It'll never taste as good as this first piece, you can try toasting it and it will be respectable (especially with a slather of soft lucious butter) but nothing like this piece.

This is your piece, the cooks piece.

Do you have big cold glass of milk ready?

enjoy!

Spoils from the Garden Part Deux

2006-05-07T13:27:00.000-04:00

The other part of the meal was the Chicken Scallopini. Again, another dish with an ingredient from the garden. This one was easy and very delicious, Cub ate almost 2 medallions all by himself. This is a great dish with Baked Brown Rice, or Pasta.

I took some thin-cut chicken cutlets and pounded them a bit flatter. Put some fresh ground black pepper on the

cutlet. Then I layered a slice of Proscuitto (you could use a nice thin sliced Hickory smoked ham), a few leaves of garden Sage, another layer of the ham, more pepper and the last layer of chicken. I stuck them together with toothpicks and cut them into medallions.

During the layering process I had the frying pan heating over medium heat. Once the medallions are all prepared I put a bit of Olive Oil and a pat of butter in the pan. When the butter is foamy its time for the medallions to get in the pan. Let them get all golden brown on one side, then flip 'em.

Once You remove the medallions you aren't done yet, it's time to make the sauce. I turn the heat up a bit, and add a 1/2 cup of ... whatever wine you are drinking for dinner. 'Cause this whole thing about white wine with fish, and red wine with beef is for the birds. Whatever kind of wine you like, is the kind of wine you should use.

Anyway, back to the sauce. Add the wine, and deglaze the pan, add a pat of butter and some seasonings to taste. Let it reduce for a minute or so and sauce the food.

Voila! Enjoy

Spoils from the garden

2006-05-03T14:07:00.000-04:00

Last night we had our first spoils from this years garden.

We had some pesto, made with basil from our prolific bushes and some Chicken Scaloppini with Sage from our lone sage plant.

I love the smell of fresh Pesto .. don't you? To me it fills the dinner plate with that deep rich scent of green. It makes the tummy grumble and ask for "more NOW!". I always cheat and put a bit on some bread as I am finishing up the meal, just to quiet that inner daemon that makes me want to keep it all to myself.

The Pesto was so easy and so fresh that I could probably have just had pasta and pesto if the Scaloppini didn't smell so good.

To make the pesto is easy, everyone knows how to do that right?

FRESH PESTO -
2 big handfuls of Basil (ours are Sweet and Genovese)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

1/4 cup nuts (I use roasted sunflowers this time)

Wash the freshly picked Basil and lightly shake the water off (its ok for them to have a bit of moisture).
Pull out the stems and put them in your compost bucket.
Stuff them in your food processor and pulse until ground.
Add your salt and pepper, begin to pulse again and gently pour in your Olive Oil.
Finally add your nuts and pulse once or twice to break them up (don't grind the nut to a paste)

Voila! Now open the top of your machine. Smells good doesn't it?

Many people add Parmesian or Romano cheese to their pesto, I prefer to add the cheese at the plate.
The pesto mixes better without the cheese and helps coat all the pasta.

When I drain the pasta, I always pour a bit of Olive Oil over the top to help stop sticking. To me, this also helps add a 'base' flavor for the pasta, the oil and the salt. (Salt ... from the water, you do add enough salt right? Add salt to the water, and you won't have to add as much to the final meal.)

Cub loved it so much he had second helpings of the pasta. And even Thumper ate some (one strand at a time).

Eggs once again

2006-04-25T16:15:00.000-04:00

Since we are on an egg theme (hey, it's springtime). Here we go with another egg story.

As I have mentioned earlier Cub has been intrigued by the idea of Sunny-Side up eggs.
He tried some at the Waffle House, but he wasn't too excited about it.

I spoke with the guys at work about their cooking theories on eggs. I read a bit online about cooking eggs and Saturday night decided to try cooking my first Sunny-Side Up egg.

I put my 'egg pan' on the burner, on about a 4. Just let it heat up while I got the rest of dinner ready. I put some grits in the microwave, pulled out the toaster. Pulled a few eggs out of the refrigerator.

Then it was time for the eggs. I put a small pat of butter in the bottom of the pan, Just for flavoring not for lubrication.

When the eggs started foaming I broke the first egg into a glass and then carefully poured it into a pan. Tilted the pan about a bit until the egg started to set. Then did the same with another egg. Once they looked a bit set I took 1/2 a shot glass of water, poured it in, and lidded the pan. I left it like that for a few minutes and then (with much trepidation) I pulled the cover.

There the eggs were, staring back at me, we eyed each other for a few seconds and then I announced "It's time to eat boy!"

Cub was ready, he had buttered toast, a pile of cheese grits, and an empty space for an egg.

I slid the egg out of the pan and onto his plate.

He took a bite, I took a bite, we both chewed slowly. I glanced over at the boy and he gave me a thumbs up.

Woo! Victory!

Dave ...

speaking of Eggs

2006-04-19T22:40:00.000-04:00

I learned how to make quiche this weekend, its mighty good, and mighty easy.

We had some steamed broccoli left over in the fridge and guests due to arrive soon. So I perused 'The Internets' compared recipes, and came to the conclusion that I will NEVER buy pre-made quiche again.

All you need is a standard pie crust (NOT Graham Cracker), some eggs, milk, salt, nutmeg, and your filling of choice. Throw it together and cook in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. VOILA

Tonight I took the last of the steamed broccoli (it was a BIG head of broccoli) ran it through the food processor. Pulled two eggs and a cup of milk out of the fridge. Grabbed the last few slices of sliced ham lunch meat and diced it.

Put the chopped broccoli in the bottom of the crust, sprinkled a bit of kosher salt, nutmeg,garlic powder and my favorite addition to eggs Garam Masala. Put the ham next and a handful of shredded cheddar then poured the egg/milk mixture over the top.

This all went into the oven and baked for about 45 minutes, when it came out it was still a bit jiggly in the middle, but the carryover heat quickly took care of that.

Thumper was sound asleep, but Cub ate a huge piece and stole my crust. I believe Quiche is a new dinner standard in this house.

Dave ...

Sunny-Side Up

2006-04-19T22:00:00.000-04:00

There is something about eggs. Most people have very specific ideas on what and how they like their eggs.

Cub is still trying to figure this out. Because of this he is also very willing to try pretty much any egg you set in front of him.

This morning Pamela had some errands to run, and for a bribe to get the boys in gear, she promised "Waffle House" for breakfast.

Of course this is after I am off to work, so I don't get to partake in the experience. Pamela is NOT the person to go to the Waffle House with and decide you want to have an egg Sunny-Side up. She's one of those people that cook eggs until they weep. She also won't touch grits, she's from the south, and she won't touch grits. I just don't understand.

So, at lunch when I came home, Cub said he wasn't too impressed with a Sunny-Side up egg. I asked if he had mixed it with the grits, or dipped his toast in the yolk, no to the first, yes to the second. Apparantly instead of grits, his mother ordered Hash-Browns for him. *sigh*

But he did agree that he would be willing to try them again one day. So i guess for breakfast on Saturday we'll have eggs and grits. With homemade biscuits and some bacon. Woo! I feel the arteries hardening now! hmm, maybe turkey bacon. And only a light bit of butter on the bread.

Dave ...

Dinner troubles

2006-04-18T23:31:00.000-04:00

Thumper is on his two-year fast. You know the one I am talking about, from 2-4? Where you think all they subside on is air?

As I was making dinner tonight, he came in the kitchen to investigate. He asked what I was makng and I told him

"Beans and Rice and Sausage"
"oh Beans and Rice? My favorite!"
"your favorite?" I asked.
"My Favorite!" He exclaimed.

So, I put some in his penguin bowl, put some grapes on the table and some veggies and dip. He took his bowl and proudly went to the table, climbed up in his chair ... and proceded to NOT eat the bean and rice.

"But Thumper! you said you loved Beans and rice!"
"uhhhh no, Grapes instead"

And then he proceeded to eat his fill of grapes.

*sigh

If You Are, in fact, the Laziest Parent Evah,

2006-02-16T16:00:00.000-05:00

this is the soup recipe for you. I'm ashamed to post it. However, the kids inhale it and there is Actual Food in it and I can make it using only 2% of my brain. How could I not share?

Cook a couple-three chicken breasts however you like to cook them. Me, I dust them with some salt-pepper-garlic-onion-paprika, sear them on each side, and cover them until I no longer fear food poisoning. Cool til you can touch them, and chop 'em up. If you're HORRIBLY lazy, you could sub a bag of pre-cooked pre-chopped chicken bits, but even I have more self respect than that.

Add to: two boxes of chicken broth and a bag of frozen mixed veg. I use the basic carrot-corn-peas combo, but whatever suits you.

Bring to boil. Add somewhere between a half and a whole pound of egg noodles, depending on how noodley your family is and how many uninvited guests have shown up for dinner. Top off with hot tap water until the noodles are well and truly covered, set the timer for whatever the noodle package says (7 minutes, I think).

That's the basic Idiot's Version. But how to make it with More Food in it?
Make your own broth.
Pay more attention to the types of veg.
Add miso.
Use different noodles: spelt, whole wheat, or the new Barilla Plus.
Try seitan or baked tofu diced up instead of the chicken.
Add a handful of kelp flakes, or spinach or kale to wilt in at the end.

Happy Souping!

Blackberry Cobbler

2006-02-12T21:41:00.000-05:00

The back fridge apparently is going a bit wonky, so we emptied it out last night. To my surprise I found two bags of blackberries thawed and in the sink when I awoke. So I said to myself.

Hmm... I was going to make Pancakes for breakfast. But instead it shall be Cobbler!

There was much rejoicing and dancing around the kitchen at this point in the game.

So I spent a few minutes perusing the web and realized, cobbler is too darned easy.

I took the blackberries (2 12 oz bags) drained the juice from one, and put them both in a big bowl. I poured 1/2 cup of sugar over the top, 1 tblsp Vanilla and 2 tsp cinnamon. And then gently mixed.

In another bowl, I made a basic dough recipe with 1 1/2 cups AP flour, 1 tblsp baking powder, 1 stick butter and 1 tsp salt. Added 1/2 cup milk, stirred until it was all together in a ball.

Poured the blackberry mix in a round baking dish, and dropped dollops of the dough on top. Maybe in mushed up 1/2 a ping pong ball size. I took 2 tblsp butter, melted it and poured it over the top.

Put it in a 350 degreee oven for 40 minutes and voila!

Things to do different (add more food?) make the dough with some whole wheat flour, add some oatmeal, substitute the sugar for honey, omit the melted butter (gasp! heavens no!)

Dave ...

3 Bowls Oatmeal

2006-01-08T12:07:00.000-05:00

One of the presents I got for Christmas (ok, a gift to myself) was 3 Bowls : Vegetarian Recipes from an American Zen Buddhist Monastery.

It's full of great recipes and an insightful look at the daily workings of an American Zen Buddhist Monastery. The rituals and practices are thoughtfully written out and explained by the author. The recipes come from the head chef there and are very intimate give great insight. They both weave together a fine tapestry of tastes and flavors that do not leave the tongue or mind empty.

One of our favorite recipes in the book is one of the first ones in the Breakfast section. Oatmeal has been one of my favorite breakfast foods as long as I can remember. It's very versatile and can be a different meal every time depending on your condiments.

Some variations that we use to make it even more food are easy enough to incorporate and add to the meal without changing the structure too much. Substituting the dried fruit with others types is a plus, we always have dates and raisins in our cupboard. And lately I've had bags of dried cherries/cranberries/blueberries in the cupboard (I use those in the Power bars and Rice Krispy treats).

We also substitute Multi-grain Cereal for some (not all) of the Rolled Oats. Interesting about the multi-grain when you look at it up close, you see its mostly Steel Cut Oats with corn meal, wheat germ and something else unidentifiable mixed in.

For toppings we use, of course, milk or cream. We have also added toasted nuts, honey, more dried fruit (so you get two consistency's, one plumped and the other dried). Cinnamon, Fresh Nutmeg and for a really neat taste, add a Cardamom Pod or two during the cooking (make sure to fish them out before serving, OR break them open and just put the seeds in).

This morning we made the recipe with Dried Cranberries and Multi-Grain Substitutions. The boys got heavy cream and brown sugar on top. I just topped it with Milk and a bit of honey.

Here is the recipe from the book.

Oatmeal with Sweet Potato and Apricots

2 cups Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats

1 Medium Sweet Potato, Peeled and Grated (about 3 cups)

4 Dried Apricots, Chopped

¾ teaspoon Sea Salt

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Bring 5 ½ Cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in the oats, Sweet Potato, Apricots and salt and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the oats are tender and the sweet potato is cooked, about 20 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.

Mayan Chocolate Cookies

2005-12-14T15:19:00.001-05:00

I got this recipe over at StephenCooks.com , its mighty mighty tasty.

I really love the whole Spicy Chocolate idea. I got some Hot Chocolate mix from my sister-in-law in Mexico it was so spicy it brought tears to my eyes. When it was hot it was overpowering, and then as it cooled it went from outright spicy to subtle spicy. Now I usually make a cup of regular hot cocoa and stir in a tablespoon of it. Gives a little kick!

Pamela made these cookies last night, and then again last night (yes, two batches) because they were so good. Everyone is getting a bite or two of these. Yes, they have a bite, but it's subtle and the heat just enhances the flavor.

We used our 1/2 sheet baking pans and parchment instead of greased dark cookie sheets, and the time was about 14 minutes in our oven. The batter looks really runny when first combined, but let it sit for a few minutes and it thickens up to usable.

Chocolate Espresso "Mayan" Cookies

Makes about 40 cookies.

3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 C (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 stick (1/2 C) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 large eggs
1 C plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3-1/2 tsp finely ground dark-roast coffee beans, such as Italian-roast
3/4 C all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1/3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 C walnut pieces (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease 2 dark metal baking sheets.

In a double boiler -- or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water -- melt the unsweetened chocolate, 1 cup of the chocolate chips, and butter, stirring until smooth, and remove from heat. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed the eggs, sugar, cayenne and ground coffee until very thick and pale and the mixture forms a ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 3 minutes. Beat in the chocolate mixture. Sift into the mixture the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir until just combined. Stir in remaining chocolate chips and walnuts, if using.

Drop batter by heaping teaspoonsful about 2 inches apart onto baking sheets and bake in batches around 7 minutes, or until puffed and cracked on top. Cool cookies on baking sheets 1 minute and then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Chow 'zine

2005-12-14T15:19:00.000-05:00

hey .. this looks like a food magazine worth reading .. full of real recipes and article that are interesting. It's called CHOW .. never heard of it before the the other day when I found a link to it.

If you are having a hard time finding a Christmas present for your very own "foodie" might I suggest this? At $18.95 for a subscription its most definately worth it.

Cooking Brown Rice

2005-12-13T14:21:00.000-05:00

You know the secret to Brown Rice Cooking ... right?

Never cook it on the stovetop .. cook it in the oven.

Take your 1 1/2 cups of rice and wash them until it runs clear. Put it in a 8x8 baking pan (or pretty much ANY size you have handy, I like using my Pyrex bread pans.) Pour 3 cups of boiling water over it. Add a dollop (tablespoon?) of butter, stir until dissolved. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes, bring it out and let it"rest" for another 10.

Open, enjoy the aroma! Careful of the steam!

Fluff with fork and eat straight out of the container, over the sink ... and then order pizza for the rest of the family.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2005-11-10T16:02:00.000-05:00

The weekend before Halloween I decided we needed to make some cookies. Silly I know .. right before those bags of sweets come in the door. But I am a slave to my sweet tooth, what can I do...

Last year Pamela and the boys made little goody bags for the close neighbors and delivered them the day before Halloween. So this year Cub was ready to do that again. But of course we were overwhelmed with other things going on and didn't get around to it. So instead Cub and I made cookies.

During the fall we get all "pumpkinfied", and make pie (of course), muffins, cakes and this year, our first cookies. I searched around the web, found a bunch of recipes. I grabbed this one and used it as the base. I made some tweaks to the ingredients and listed them below.

* 1/2 cup shortening
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 cup canned pumpkin
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
* 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the pumpkin and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon; gradually mix into the creamed mixture. Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light brown. Cool on wire racks.

Changes I made:

Turbinado sugar instead of regular white sugar.
Substituted half of the AP flour with Whole Wheat Flour.
Substituted pecans for walnuts (this is the south!)
Substituted 1/4 cup applesauce for the egg
Added 1/2 a cup of Cinnamon chips (left over from last holiday season! Gasp!)

Oh! and I upped the spices. come on ...1 tsp of Nutmeg and Cinnamon? feh!

podcast?

2005-11-01T16:10:00.000-05:00

Gonna try podcasting this blog some, see how this works out. Will it just be the recipe? Diatribes on food? I dunno .. stay tuned. I'll put a link up to the right and announce it when it comes.

Bison and Pasta

2005-10-20T17:32:00.000-04:00

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

2005-10-10T18:44:00.000-04:00

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

2005-10-10T12:23:00.000-04:00

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

2005-10-05T17:31:00.000-04:00

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

2005-10-04T17:17:00.000-04:00

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

2005-10-04T17:04:00.000-04:00

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

2005-10-04T15:44:00.000-04:00

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

2005-10-04T15:04:00.000-04:00

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

2005-10-04T14:47:00.000-04:00

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