DITL

It's 9:30 am and things are underway to start another busy weekend. I have a meat-lovers pasta sauce cooking on the stove. My youngest wants lasagne for his birthday dinner coming up in a couple weeks so I am getting a head start. He also wants a white chocolate and key lime mousse cake (Paula Deen's) . So today I'll make a meat lasagne, later I'll make a vegetarian.

My older son was sick for a couple days so stayed home from school. He had a fever of 101. So yesterday I ended up doing some housework and making banana muffins. I may have mentioned before, I have a banana intolerance so it is the only muffin I make from a box. Of course, I bump up the nutrition by adding extra banana, ground flaxseeds and oat bran.

Now, while the sauce is simmering, am just catching up on the laundry - the job that never ends. My boys are staying for lunch, so will probably do some errands this afternoon. 

Spring fever has hit the prairie as some above average temps forecast for the weekend. We are planning to drive up to the cottage, just to see how it wintered. In the morning Danny was invited to the finals in a Knights of Columbus free throw competition. We will end up having lunch in the car, what we call a car picnic. I think I'll assemble that today. We have a very quick turnaround between basketball and road trip.

New recipe for dinner. I found it on Pinterest . Cilantro Honey Salmon with steamed broccoli and cauliflower and baked potatoes. (Mine is a sweet potato)

The Weeknight Vegetarian

I am addicted to food documentaries. It's true. I've seen HBO's Weight of the Nation, Fed Up, The Skinny on Obesity, Food Inc, Sick Fat and Nearly Dead, Supersize Me, Food Matters and countless others. The one that shook me up was Vegecated on Netflix. Be warned - not for the faint of heart.

Now armed with more information and more enlightened, and with the constant goal of lowering my family's food cost I decided we as a family would eat less meat. So for the last couple weeks our weeknight dinners have been meat free, with the exception of fish. I guess that would make us Weeknight Pesco Vegetarian. 😃

One of the first things I did was look of recipes similar to what I was already making. Cookbooks, Pinterest and a call out on social media gave me a place to start. The next thing was to arm my pantry and freezer . I made vegetable stock, cooked/ froze beans and cooked, puréed and froze sweet potatoes. I also started to integrate almond milk into our diets. 

As a life long carnivore, the concept of vegetarianism seemed foreign. The more health experts you listen to, and the more information I gather, the more I believe that the healthier way to eat is through a Whole Food Plant Based diet. I think if I never cooked meat again my family would be in an uproar. So for now, we will continue the meatless Monday to Friday and save the steaks and burgers for the weekends. 

Today I brought out the slow cooker to make a Corn and Black Bean Soup; a variation of a recipe given to me by my friend Andrea and one I found on Pinterest by theveganchef.com.

Corn and Black Bean Soup

1 onion diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 - 3 cups vegetable broth

1 28oz can diced tomatoes

1 small can diced green chilies

1 green pepper, seeded and diced

1 jalapeño, seeded and diced

1 cup cooked black beans

1 cup corn kernels

1/2 cup puréed sweet potato

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp chipotle chilli powder

(I also added finely chopped kale - but don't tell my family)

Cook on the slow cooker 6-8 hours on low. Finish with the juice and zest of a lime and chopped fresh cilantro.

Clean Eating Pumpkin Muffins... Almost

Now that Halloween is over its time to finish with that jack o'lantern that has been waiting on the front step. First of all DON'T leave it outside all night. When the trick or treaters have all gone home, put it in your fridge until you are ready. Cut into big chunks, and place on a foil tuned baking sheet. Drizzle with a little oil and place in a 300f oven. This could take a couple hours depending on the size of your chunks. Check if pumpkin is cooked by pricking with a fork. Remove from the oven allow to cool. Peel off skin and place in a food processor. Process until smooth. Transfer pureed pumpkin to the fridge  or freezer. This can be used for any number of pumpkin dishes.

Now that I have muffins fresh pumpkin puree, it's time for muffins. Today, I am making an almost 'clean' pumpkin spice muffin. Those that are following clean eating principles will enjoy these. There is no refined sugar or flour and has an extra boost with ground flaxseeds and chia seeds.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
1/4 cup ground chia seeds
2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 C fresh pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup milk



Directions:
Mix wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Don't over mix. Divide into 12 muffin tins. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds (pepitas) if desired. Bake at 325 for about 20 minutes.

So there you go, a guilt free muffin you can enjoy anytime.

Award Winning Chili

It's been an interesting summer and things are feeling like back to school time. We've had lots of time at the cottage and my foot has recovered from surgery. Last weekend we attended the Winnipeg 2nd annual Blues and Barbecue festival where I was selected to compete in the Turkey Chili Throwdown. Out of all the entries, 3 were selected. The chilies were prepared by chefs from Granny's Turkey and we're tasted and voted on by attendees of the festival. After 2 hours of tasting the votes were tallied; the winners were announced and my chili came in second place! I was (and am) very excited.

So not only is this recipe easy and delicious but it follows the principles of "Clean Eating". It has three superfoods (sweet potato, kale and flax seeds), uses a small amount of healthy oil and no added salt. This can also be made in a slow cooker.

So, as I promised to my Facebook friends, here is the recipe.

 Chipotle Sweet Potato Turkey Chili


1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground turkey breast
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
1 12oz can crushed tomatoes
3 - 4 cups chicken broth, low sodium
1 12oz jar roasted red peppers
1 cup cooked & pureed sweet potato
1 16 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 2 tbsp Chipotle in adobo sauce, pureed
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 poblano pepper, diced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 cup kale, chiffoned

Directions:
In a large pot, heat the oil and add onion and garlic. When the onions are sweating, add the ground turkey. Allow to brown breaking apart with the spatula and add flax seeds.

Add remaining ingredients and allow to simmer at least 30 minutes.

Top with sour cream and fresh cilantro if desired.

Eat and Enjoy

Homemade Skor Bars

It's been 3 weeks since my surgery. I'm supposed to stay off my feet but cabin fever has set in big time. My garden has been ignored for the most part, but the perennials are doing their job.  My youngest son has a friend over to play and I find myself with a craving for something sweet.

I remember these homemade skor bars one of the choir moms made for a Christmas party.... Perfect. They are simple, quick and delicious. It makes a big batch so I can send some home with Jack's friend. I might even make some for a little thank you gift for the crossing guards at the school.

Ingredients:
1 sleeve salted soda crackers
3/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 bag milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with nonstick spray. Line crackers in a single layer getting them as close together as possible.

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add brown sugar, corn syrup and vanilla. Bring to a boil and simmer until it starts to thicken...about 8 minutes.

Pour sugar mixture over prepared tray and spread evenly with an pallet knife. Place in the oven for 8 - 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let sit for just a minute until it stops bubbling. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Place in the oven for just a few seconds to start the chocolate melting. Spread evenly with a pallet knife.

Cool to room temperature and break into pieces.
Yum!
As a option sprinkle melted chocolate with nuts or toffee bits.

Reinventing a Diner Classic

My husband had a special request for dinner. It wasn't steak, nor was it pizza. It was a diner staple... A patty melt. Before then, I have never even eaten a patty melt but now I am hooked. It was so easy, and had rave reviews from the whole family. With a little prep during the day or the night before, you can use this diner classic on your busiest night of the week.

This is one of those meals that you don't need a recipe to make it. Just a few of your favorite toppings.

Make your burger patties about 4 oz, and cook all the way threw. In the winter, I cook them in a skillet, but in the summer cook extra patties on the weekend from the grill. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the patty melt night. ( if it's longer than 3 or 4 days, put in the freezer, but thaw before using)

You can use whatever leftovers you want. My husband likes caramelized onions and pickled jalapeño peppers. I like sautéed mushrooms and bell peppers. Add a little barbecue sauce or hot sauce or pesto and a cheese of your choice. I find shredding the cheese helps it melt easier, and it uses less cheese to save a few calories. All you do now is place your filling between two pieces of bread, buttered on the outside and cook like you would a grilled cheese sandwich. I like to use my panini maker.

How great would this be on the night where everyone is home for dinner at different times? How about on soccer practice night when you have 30 minutes to get out the door?

What I really like about this meal is the versatility. How about a chicken burger with tomato sauce and mozzarella for a Chicken Parmesan melt, or with a slice of ham and swiss cheese for a Chicken Cordon Bleu melt? Turkey burger with bacon, tomato and white cheddar for a BLT melt? Beef burger with sautéed peppers and onions and provolone cheese for a philly cheesesteak melt? Turkey burger cranberry sauce and brie?  The possibilities roll around in my mind until finally its time for dinner.

It's a Diner Classic for a reason. It's fast. It's easy. It's tasty. A virtual trifecta of suburban cuisine.

Pancake Tuesday

You've heard me talk about it before. Pancake Tuesday! The one day a year when it's okay to have pancakes for dinner without guilt. This year Pancake Tuesday happens to fall on swimming night. It seems to work out best to leave from the pool right from school. They have some tables set up where the canteen used to be. We'll sit and have a snack and the kids do some homework. We get back home where we have a quick dinner. Usually eggs. So the fact that Pancake Tuesday falls on swimming night is quite convenient.

For the last little while I've been thinking about making Pumpkin Pie Pancakes. It happens that I have one bag of pumpkin puree in the left in the freezer. Using whole wheat flour, oatmeal and flax seeds should eliminate most of the guilt of this carbohydrate laden dinner. Making healthier pancakes, you can afford a little spiced whipped cream. I only wish I had so apple syrup left. When my parents lived in Ontario, the were close to an apple orchard which made the best apple syrup. Not that there is anything wrong with maple syrup.

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats, ground
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp melted butter or canola oil
1 1/2 cup skim milk
1 cup pumpkin puree

Directions:
In a large bowl add dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix wet ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk together.

In a skillet over medium heat, melt about 1 tbsp butter and coat the pan. Pour about 1/2 cup batter into skillet. Once bubbles come through the middle and edges no longer look fluid, flip the pancake to cook on the second side. Repeat until batter is gone.

Serve with syrup, whipped cream and/ or icing sugar.

Yum!

Did you know you can freeze pancakes? If you have leftover pancakes, place on a baking sheet lined with waxed or parchment paper. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes or so, and place them in a resealable freezer bag. Reheat in the microwave for a quick weekday breakfast.

The Waiting Game

I had a busy day planned. Skating lessons in the morning, boy scout trip to the museum in the afternoon, followed by the neighbour's daughter's birthday party. That plan went out the window when we woke up to a cold house. With the two weeks of extreme cold we've been having, the furnace just couldn't take it anymore. So now I'm playing the waiting game. I put the fire on, and was looking for a reason to turn the oven on. I decided to make some muffins. I had some over ripe bananas in the freezer  so took them out to thaw. I don't cook a lot with bananas, actually it's an intolerance. I can't really be in the same room as a ripe banana, but in this case, sucked it up for my family. My husband likes banana muffins with chocolate chips, but I didn't have any. I did have some toffee bits. That sounds good. You've heard of banoffee pie? Well, here are banoffee muffins!

Banoffee Muffins

Ingredients:
3 mashed over-ripe bananas
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup English toffee bits

Directions:

In a large bowl, add bananas, sugar, egg and vanilla. Mix well.

Add dry ingredients and mix to combine. Don't over mix.

Fold in toffee bits. Spoon mixture into muffins tins that have been sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with baking liners.

Bake at 325F for 25-30 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a baking rack.

Now that I have muffins to keep me warm, I can wait a little longer for the furnace guy.

Stay warm my friends

Child's Play in the Kitchen

I don't know about you, but my kids love to help in the kitchen. I've tried from an early age to include them in many aspects of cooking and meal planning. I believe this will give them a life skill, and encourage a healthy lifestyle into adulthood. I also want my kids to try new foods all the time.

This was one my inspirations for my next little project. I'm taking my love of cooking and a child's natural love of learning and creating recipes to do in the classroom. My first "assignment" is for my son's kindergarten class. I want to keep it healthy and fun while simple enough for a 5 year old to do... With supervision. I chose Strawberry Shortcake. My mom always made strawberry shortcake with sweetened biscuits, so in my school-friendly version I'm using biscuits made with oatmeal and whole wheat flour with a little honey for sweetness. Instead of the whip cream, I'm using vanilla flavored Greek yogurt.

Now, the number of servings for this recipe is low considering it's for a classroom, but my plan is to keep the work groups to 4 or 5. This will also work perfectly for home use. In the classroom, multiple quantities accordingly.

Oatmeal Biscuits

1 cup oatmeal, ground in a food processor
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tbsp honey

In a bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add shortening and mix (with hands if you want) until it looks like coarse crumbs. Mix in milk and honey.

Turn dough out onto the table and form a flat disk. Cut out biscuits using a biscuit cutter or hand form small circles. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375F for about 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Cool slightly.

For strawberry shortcake, split in half and top with sliced strawberries and vanilla Greek yogurt.

Yum

Turn A Sick Day into a Prep Day

It's another chilly day here on Christmas vacation. Only 8 days left. My little one has had a bad cough for the last couple days so we are staying inside. But I was feeling a little like Old Mother Hubbard, and despitly needed a grocery store. All I had in my fruit & veggie drawers was half an onion, a wrinkled carrot and a very sad looking apple. My husband looked after the boys for a bit while I wandered the aisles of the grocery store.

Being stuck at home is not necessarily a bad thing. You can take the opportunity to prep the meals that are planned for the coming week. This is also a good habit to get into on shopping day. Wash and trim your fruits and vegetables, discard any questionable leftovers, blanch any vegetables you need for the next day or so, freeze meats into mealsized portions and mix any sauces you may require. Today, I made a batch of meatballs. Once they cool, place them in a freezer bag. They are now ready of a quick sauce for a quick dinner. I also cooked up a pound of bacon for our Sunday morning pancakes. You could also make a pasta sauce, cook up some meat for tacos or assemble an entire casserole (like mac & cheese) and freeze for future use.

Prep day can be an easy way to get ready an entire week of meals in just a couple hours. Prepping the night before is also an option. If you've put in the time prepping dinner before work, you'll be less likely  to choose take out or over processed meals. That's not to say you can't eat take out. But make a resolution to make it an exception, not a rule.

So, what's for dinner tonight?

Slow Cooker Arroz Con Pollo

I have some leftover rice in the fridge, so am using the slow cooker to make this Cuban classic.

Ingredients:
2 T canola oil
8 - 12 chicken legs
Salt & pepper
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 lg can diced tomatoes
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 T oregano
1/4 C sherry
1 C chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 t achoite paste (or saffron, or paprika)
2 C cooked rice

Directions:

In a skillet, heat the oil and brown the chicken legs, seasoned with salt and pepper. Transfer to slow cooker. Add onions and garlic (both minced) to the skillet and saute then transfer to the slow cooker. Add the diced tomatoes, half the peppers, celery, sherry, chicken broth, oregano and achoite paste. Cook on low 5 - 7 hours. Add remaining peppers and rice. Stir and cook for 1 hour.

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Enjoy

As Seen on TV...

Well last week I had a very unique and fantastic experience when it comes to my culinary life. I appeared on a local morning news/ magazine show called Breakfast Television.(www.btwinnipeg.ca) The segment was a holiday cookie exchange. I submitted my cookie recipe and was selected with 5 other recipes to be shared and exchanged on the air. That's me beside the cute blonde with the red t-shirt.

I didn't actually get to demonstrate my cookies, but it was so much fun.   Hey, BT: how about a segment featuring local food bloggers?!? I made 8 dozen cookies for this exchange, on top of the 12 dozen I made for my regular one. That is A LOT of cookies.  To see the segment as it aired, click here.

My recipe hasn't yet been posted on the Breakfast Television web site, but I can share it with you here. I love this recipe because it is so wonderfully simple. One of the things I look for in a cookie exchange recipe is to my egg-free, as the husband of someone in our exchange has an allergy to egg, and it is also gluten free. These are no-bake cookies - so anyone can make them, even if you don't like baking.

PEANUT BUTTER SNOWBALLS

2 cups rolled oats

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup honey

1/3 cup finely shredded sweetened coconut

In a food processor, pulse the oatmeal until a fine crumb. You should get about 1 ¼ - 1 ½ cups ground oatmeal. Place in a bowl and add peanut butter and honey. Mix well.

Form into balls and roll in coconut. To freeze, place on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper and put in the freezer. Once they are frozen, transfer to a cookie tin.

Makes about 3 dozen.

The variations for this recipe are practically endless. You can substitute 1/4 cup of the ground oatmeal for cocoa powder. You can use any nut-butter you wish, including the chocolate-hazelnut spread. You can roll in chopped nuts, chocolate shavings or sprinkles.

As an additional note, I used local honey for this recipe, from a farm near Treherne Manitoba. For more information contact: honey@trehernehoneyfarms.com

Now, its 2 days until Christmas and admittedly I'm not as organized this year as in past years. My shopping was only done last week (usually done by dec 1) and my Christmas cards are late as well. The tree is finally up and I'm about to start wrapping. This year, as with most years we are having Christmas Eve dinner at our place; my brother and his family host Christmas morning brunch and my mom cooks this big turkey dinner Christmas night. So with all this work left to do, and several big meals on the horizon, one may ask...

What's for dinner tonight?

My advice would be "Keep it Simple"; and that's just what I'm doing. I've defrosted a little ham nugget that I'll heat in the oven for 30-40 minutes; with some potatoes and green salad. No recipe needed. This should give us enough leftovers to keep my kids in ham sandwiches until after Christmas.

Time to "Wrap it up";

Happy Holidays!

Early Snow Brings Soup for Dinner

It's been an odd week for weather here on the prairie. Last week, it was 26C and sunny with no end in sight, today cold and wet; dare I say SNOW. Yes, there IS snow falling today. Needless to say the Family BBQ that was planning with the Boy Scout Group was cancelled due to the impending winter storm so I needed to come up with something using what I had on hand. We've had ground beef a couple times already this week, and I used up my leftover chicken.

This blustery day called out soup to me, which in my house means "slow cooker". But what kind of soup to make? Googled a couple things, and flipped through a couple slow cooker magazines until I came across "Sante Fe Sweet Potato Soup". I didn't have sweet potato, but I had an acorn squash. This could be good.

So, at 7:30 this morning, I'm sauteing onions and garlic, roasting peppers and peeling squash, trying to get everything in the slow cooker before getting to school as today was the day I was volunteering in Jack's kindergarten class.  Well, it seemed to have worked out, for when we came home at lunchtime, the house smelled great! I pureed and added my last few ingredients and there's nothing left to do until dinnertime, except maybe make some biscuits... and apple crisp. (I love the fall)

In the midst of this, I also made the mash potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner. Don't worry. It's the "Make Ahead" Mashed Potatoes. Not only do you make them ahead of time, but you heat them up in the slow cooker. Ingenious! The last time I made them the recipe said to heat them in the oven in a casserole dish, but who has the room in the oven when making a turkey? This will save some much work and mess.

So, what's for dinner tonight?

Sante Fe Acorn Squash Chowder

It's probably worth a note, that this would work with almost any winter squash.

Ingredients:

1 T vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
4 C chicken or vegetable broth
1 acorn squash, peeled and diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

1 T New Mexico chili powder

1 potato, peeled and diced

1/2 t ground cumin

1/2 t smoked paprika

salt and pepper to taste.

1 roasted red pepper

1/2 C pumpkin puree

1 can (approx. 10oz) evapourated milk

Directions:

In a pan, saute onion, garlic and celery in oil until softened. Transfer to a slow cooker. Place acorn squash, potato, broth, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 2-3 hours, until squash and potatoes are soft.  Add the red pepper. Using an hand held (stick) blender, puree the entire mixture. Mix int the pumpkin and milk.

Cook on low 2 -3 hours. Mix in lime juice and garnish with cilantro and sour cream.

As a note, do not use the slow cooker liners for this recipe if you are blending in the slow cooker. It WILL get chewed up. Remove the contents to blend in a traditional blender or food processor, or opt not to use the liner for this recipe.

Thanksgiving Preparations

For us Canucks, Thanksgiving is just around the corner. This year, my uncle from New Brunswick is coming for a visit so my mom is having a traditional dinner. Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce... the works. Also this year is my turn for hosting the in-laws. My husband of course wants the traditional set up as well. Being a week before his birthday, sure why not. And I never complain about having turkey leftovers. (Turkey pot pie, turkey soup, turkey BLTs....)

Being true to myself, I wanted to add something a little different this year, but still staying traditional. I picked up an Acorn Squash at the store today and thought I would test run a side dish for Thanksgiving. I threw a chicken in the slow cooker and voila! Sunday dinner on a Tuesday.

The squash I chose to make is Balsamic Glazed Acorn Squash and Carrots. I diced them (acorn squah and baby cut carrots) up and place in a bowl, then dressed them with a simple vinegarette of balsamic vinegar, rosemarry, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. (I used regular balsamic but next time I think I'll try the white balsamic) I then placed them in a baking dish (with the chicken to crisp the skin from the slow cooker) for about 40 minutes, flipping once or twice. It was easy as pie and tasted almost as good.

Now, I had offered about a month ago to make dessert for my mom's thanksgiving dinner, so I was trying to think of something I can make ahead of time and freeze. So, I think I'll double my pumpkin gingerbread swirl loaf recipe and turn it into a bundt cake and serve it the sweetened whip cream. The other dessert, I think I decided on a carrot roll cake. It will be everything we love about carrot cake rolled around cream cheese icing and topped with walnuts. I will share my recipe as soon as I work out the details. Did I mention my husband loves carrot cake?

Overall, I feel pretty organized, but will feel better once I get in the kitchen. Before you know it, we get to do it all again for Christmas.

I Love Fall

Yes, I really do love fall. I love the crispness in the morning air and the leaves when they change colour. And I love getting back into our regular routine. Admittedly, the meal planning has fall off the back burner in the lazy summer months, but no more. The kids are back at school (yeah) and the activities have started. Such is the life of a Stay-At-Home-Mom. My little one has started kindergarten and loves it. My 8-year-old can take it or leave it.

On my meal plan for tonight is written "Slow Cooker Chicken". I have a whole fryer chicken in the freezer, so I could make a roast slow cooker chicken, but was really not in the mood for that. I was pretty brisk this morning, so I knew I still wanted to dust off the slow cooker from months of neglect. I had a pound of ground chicken in the fridge, so how about.... meatballs. The kids love meatballs and I love creating something new with ground meats. (It's something about making the ordinary, extrordinary)

So, What's for dinner tonight?

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken Meatballs

I had found a recipe online, but it used chicken breasts, which from the pictures, looked like it was shredded; and there were no vegetables in it. So, in my version, I used my lean ground chicken and added a ton of vegetables. The kids loved it.

Meatballs:

1 lb ground chicken

3 tbsp ground flaxseeds (or breadcrumbs)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground ginger

salt and pepper

1/2 onion, diced

Form into balls and place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes. Transfer to slow coooker with diced onions.

Sauce:

3/4 c honey

1/3 c tamari

1/4 c ketchup

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp Asian hot sauce - or more to taste

2 tbsp corn starch mixed with 1/4 c chicken broth

Mix together and pour over chicken in the slow cooker. Cook on low 5-7 hours.

Add the vegetables:

1 green pepper, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 can baby corn, drained

3-4 oz snow peas

Give it a mix and cover for another 30-40 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

I particularly like this dish because there is so much you can make ahead of time. You can have the meatballs made and frozen in the freezer, you can make the sauce the night before and prep all the vegetables. Not only is dinner ready for you, but most of the cleanup is done too.

This would also work with ground pork, diced cooked chicken  or even browned pork chops.

Enjoy

Breaking the Picky Eating Cycle

I had a friend ask me the other day how to deal with her picky eater. Now, I am fortunate that this is not an issue I have to deal with. Both my boys are great eaters but I like to think it's because that's the way we trained them. But, I do have some tips for changing your picky eater. The quicker you catch it, the easier the transition.

I think the first thing you need to do is lead by example.It sounds simple enough, but you wouldn't believe how many adults I know that are picky eaters. If there is something you don't like, say in front of the child that you don't like it, and don't make faces. Try to keep a positive attitude. Make dinner a family event, not hitting the drive through between activities. Of course, in today's hustle and bustle lifestyle, that is not always a possibility but make dinner a priority, not an afterthought. Family dinners should be the norm, not the exception.

Another tip for picky eating is the one bite rule.In our house, when we are trying a new food, we have to have at least one bite. If you don't like it after that, then this time you don't have to eat it. The next time that dish is made, that one bite may turn into two. As an additional caveat to the rule, is always have something on the plate that they do like. If you know your child like raw carrots with dip, then you can make that part of the meal. But that meals everyone eats the carrots and dip. If after the carrots, and the one bite of the new food, they are still hungry I recommend offering them a "whole food". That is, something healthy and unprocessed. That could be an apple, glass of milk or yogurt... something along those lines. After all, I'm a mom, not a short-order cook.  If they are still hungry after that, then I hope they like breakfast. (Yes, a little old-school) I have tried to steer away from bribery and deal making. "If you eat your peas, you can have a cookie" sort of thing. As someone who deals with a weight issue, I didn't want my kids to have food as a reward.

Getting you children involved in cooking is a good idea for many reasons. When my kids were really little, we had a toy barbeque and microwave with a big box of toy food right in the kitchen. My 5-year old still loves to play with it, and will often play restaurant or create some wonderful dish and serve it to us. At the grocery store, have your children name the different items in the produce aisle. Maybe even bring one home to try. Let them know that trying new foods is fun. As the children get older they can have more input. Let them rip up the lettuce for the salad, measure the tomato sauce or crack an egg into a bowl. Let them tell everyone what "they made for dinner".You can let them pick one part of the meal... "Sally, would you like to have peas or carrots with dinner?" Older ones can start to cook. My 7-year old will make his own scrambled eggs and flip pancake. By the time they are teenagers, full responsibility for a meal could be a weekly occurance. After all, dinner is a family event.

As parents, we are always creating habits for our kids, good and bad and this is one of them. When toddlers start "terrible-twos" some of it is a control issue. Giving your child a little age-appropreate control when it comes to food will work wonders. As with everything set expectation and follow through.

Post a comment with specific questions about picky eating and I'll do my best to help.

Bring Out Your Inner Child

It all started Tuesday last week when the boys and I came in from outside to see water on the kitchen floor. The dishwasher had leaked. By Friday it was fixed (corroded coupler) and we were off to the cottage for the long weekend. Saturday was rainy but it was nice to finally be at the cabin. We built a fire in the wood stove to stay toasty warm, and watched a couple movies. My boys have taken to the movie "Caddyshack". They laugh at the gopher everytime. Sunday we spent a beautiful day landscaping and was settling in for the boys' bedtime routine. In the middle of our movie, the TV died... just died. I did what I could, but I'm afraid she's lost.

We made an early escape Monday and started the chore of unpacking, laundry and re-packing for the following week. Tuesday my youngest woke up with a sore stomache and was sick shortly thereafter. And to top things off, my van didn't start. My darling husband came to the rescue and came home from work to boost the car, then I was off to the mechanic for a new battery.

While driving with white knuckles all the way to the garage, all I could think about was all the things I needed to get done that day. Groceries, laundry, dinner and soccer snack. Luckily Jack was on the mend. So what's for dinner. I need something easy. I need something I could make with what's in my house already. But most importantly, I need something that will make me feel better. Yes, mom's need comfort food too. Today was a Mac & Cheese day!

My mom didn't make scratch Mac & Cheese. I don't know why. She just didn't. Probably because her mom didn't. So, this recipe is a variation of my mother-in-law's Mac & Cheese. I made it in the afternoon so I could just through it in the oven when it was dinner time, and I could have the mess cleaned up before we left for soccer. You can certainly make this the night before. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.

Baked Mac & Cheese with Bacon

Ingredients:

2-3 T butter

2-3 T flour

1 can evaporated milk (skim or low-fat)

2 C sharp cheddar, grated

1 T dry mustard powder

1 t smoked paprika

1 package elbow macaroni, cooked- I use whole wheat

4-5 slices cooked bacon, chopped

Directions:

In a large sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the flour and mix for a couple minutes. This creates a roux and will thinken the sauce. Add the can of milk and whisk until smooth. I like to use the canned milk because some of the liquid has already evaporated and makes the sauce that much quicker.

Once the sauce is smooth, add the cheese gradually. Add the mustard powder and paprika. I'm using smoked paprika because I am adding the bacon. It just adds to the smokiness. You could use regular paprika too. Add the cheese sauce to the cooked macaroni and stir to coat. Pour into a greased baking dish and top with chopped bacon pieces.

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until bubbly. If you are cooking it from the fridge, it may need a little longer. Serve with a salad. This isn't the healthies thing I've made, but I have made ingredient choices to make it less sinful. After all, they don't call it comfort food for nothing. This classic dish gives you a hug from the inside to make you smile on the outside. The stresses of the day (or week as it were) are melted away and replaced with cheesy goodness.

Enjoy

Iron Chef's Dinner Solution in 5 Minutes Flat

I was watching a bit of The Chew this morning and I was intrigued by Michael Symon's Italian Goulash he made during the segment "5 in 5". That is, 5 ingredients in 5 minutes. Tonight is soccer night and after homework, we have to get out the door pretty fast, so I thought I would give it a try. I have almost everything on hand, and it will be better than the chicken fingers I had planned. (Yes, even the best of us use chicken fingers on occasion)

I have a busy afternoon planned, getting ready for my sister-in-law to visit from California on the weekend. We are having a family dinner on Friday when we are planning grilled chicken, grilled asparagus, baked potatoes and spinach salad. (Strawberry Crumble Pie for dessert) More about that meal another day.

I'd been a while since I've tried a recipe from a celebrity chef, but it did look easy enough for a weekday meal and something my family would actually eat. It's based on a classic Italian dish, sausage and peppers, served over egg noodles. I think I'll add some extra vegetables to mine, like tomatoes and zucchini. Also, I don't have fresh basil at the moment - I'll probably use a bit of dried, or some pesto.

So, between loads of laundry and other chores, I'll get my prep done - chopping vegetables etc. You could do this part the night before and either wrap in plastic wrap, or place in a resealable container if you are unavailable during the day.

So, what's for dinner tonight?

Michael Symon's Italian Goulash

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Italian-Goulash-Twist-Michael-Symon

This is exactly the kind of recipe I like for those nights during the week when time is precious. I like to have my prep and clean up done in advance for easy assembly.

Planning Dinner around the Weather

It's been a busy spring so far. They boys' swimming lessons changed to Monday nights, and starting next week they both play soccer on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The weather has also been unseasonably warm for the most part. Even though it's April, we are able to use the barbeque on several occasions. I like to barbeque during the week as often as I can. So here's a quick tip to make it an easy transition.

We all like a grilled burger, but it's not an "everyday" food. If you want to switch it up and still make use for the outdoor grill throughout the week try marinating your meat. My trick takes a little planning. When the large packages of meat are on sale, I take what I am not using in the next couple days and place what I need for a meal the whole family (e.g. For 2 adults & 2 kids I use 3 skinless boneless chicken breasts) and place it in a resealable freezer bag with a marinate. You can use your own or store bought. You can even use a salad dressing. Lay it flat and remove the air. (labeling with a marker is also helpful) Place it in the freezer until the day you are ready to use it. Take it out of the freezer in the morning you are planning to use it. By the time dinnertime rolls around, the meat is thawed and full of flavour.

I do this a lot during cottage season. I'll bring up with us my frozen marinated meat. It is perfect portioned, the mess is already cleaned up since I did all the prep at home, and I don't have to stock the cottage pantry with tonnes of spices, oils and vinegars.

For a basic marinade you only need a couple key things. The first is an acid. This can be citrus juice, vinegar or even a can of ginger ale. Next you want some supporting flavours. Things like garlic, herbs, spices and/or chilies. The last thing is some liquid to allow the flavours to surround the meat. I like to use an inexpensive, neutral tasting oil, like vegetable or canola oil. Although you could use your best olive oil, it seems like a bit of a waste to me. Then like most recipes, a pinch of salt and pepper.

There are some great store bought marinades and I do use them on occasion. But the beauty of making your own is that YOU control the ingredients. You can make it just the way you want and you can control things like fat, sugar and salt.

I'll add one more tip to make dinner a little easier... grill your vegetables! Really, there is nothing better. Corn, zuchinni, peppers, asparagus all work wonderfully. A little olive oil, salt and pepper and you are ready to go. It's less dishes to clean and less running in and out of the house to make sure everything get on the table hot and at the same time.

And girls... don't be afraid of the grill! It's not just for the men. Be your own GRILL MASTER.

Need a recipe to get started? Here's what's for dinner tonight.

Grilled Tarragon Mustard Chicken
This recipe came to be because I had leftover tarragon from another recipe for a recipe contest. (Lobster Mac & Cheese made it to the finals) Doing a quick search, I found that tarragon was often paired with mustard.  I'm not a huge mustard fan; so you can add more if you like. I find that the way it is, you can taste the mustard, but it is not overpowering.

Ingredients:
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp sherry vinegar (use white wine vinegar if you don't have sherry vinegar)
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp fresh tarragon, roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large freezer bag place the chicken.

In a small bowl, add the remaining ingredients and whisk together. Pour over the chicken.

All to marinate in the fridge for at least hour.

Preheat grill to medium-high. Remove chicken from the marinade and place on the grill. Sear each side (bottom grill) 3 -4 minutes a side then most to the top rack and cook 10-15 minutes, or until the juices run clear.

The Original Mardi Gras

When planning my weekly dinners I always try to incorporate any "special days" into the schedule. Things like Sp-BOO-ghetti and meatballs for Halloween or enchiladas on Cinqo de Mayo help to create family tradition as well as learning opportunties.

This week was one of those days. Although not well known, it was always a treat in my house when I was growing up. I'm talking about Pancake Tuesday, of course.

The pancake can go by several names. Pancakes, flapjacks, hot cakes, griddle cakes, crepes. Similiarly, as you may not have heard of Pancake Tuesday, I can all but guarentee you have heard of one of it's other names... Mardi Gras!

Mardi Gras literally translates into "Fat Tuesday". It is the day before Ash Wednesday, and Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent... a period of fasting and self sacrifice to prepare the soul for Easter, as Jesus did for 40 days in the desert. In the days preceeding Mardi Gras, Christians would be trying to use up all the non-essential items so they wouldn't go to waste. By the time Fat Tuesday can, typically all that was left was flour, eggs and milk - so what they made was pancakes. I can't be certain, but I believe this started in Canada with the Acadians and followed them to Louisana when they were expelled from Canada by the British in 1755.

So I can imagine in the days preceeding Ash Wednesday, great feasts and parties being prepared to empty the cupboards for Lent. And through evolution, transformed into the New Orleans festival of Mardi Gras.

So, pancakes for dinner? Sure. Why not? It's quick, easy and kids love them. I added a little bacon and a fruit salad to round things off.

You could use a pancake mix - that is totally acceptable. In fact, most times I make pancakes that's how I do it. To add a little healthy kick to it, I'll add a little ground flax seeds and oat bran to the mix. Just adjust the water to the right consistancy. But, if you wanted to make "From Scratch" pancakes here's a recipe that was given to me by my friend's mom several years ago.

Homemade Pancakes

2 cups flour

2 cups milk

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

You can substitute different flours, use buttermilk instead of regular, even soy milk would be good. But this is a good place to get started. If you want to try a traditional Acadian pancake (ployes) here's a recipe I found. It used buckwheat flour instead of all-purpose.

http://www.recipestar.com/recipes/view/ployes-traditional-acadian-buckwheat-pancakes-8252

For something extrordinary, try this Cinnamon Bun pancakes. They are truely worth it.

http://www.howdoesshe.com/cinnamon-bun-pancakes

If you have never cooked a pancake or are unsure; here are some tips.

1. Start with a hot pan

2. Use butter or some sort of fat to coat the pan. This will help the pancake not to stick, but also help to carmelize it.

3. When adding things like bananas, chocolate chips or blueberries, I like to add them in the pan. Pour the batter to the desired size, them sprinkle your additions on top. This way you can ensure even distribution.

4. Watch for bubbles. When the bubbles come to the top, and stay; and the edges of the pancake start to look dry, it is time to flip.

Whether you call them pancakes, hot cakes, johnny cakes or flap jacks flip your family's dinner over with this original Mardi Gras tradition.

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Stepping Out of the Weekly Rut

Last spring, when my boys had swimming lessons at 5:00, we had a pretty good routine. I would pick up my son from school and we would go right to the pool. The pool had a little sitting area where we would could have a snack (I usually packed something) and do homework. We finished up around 4:30, which gave us enough time to change without rushing and maybe watch the diving team. When we got home, we would have a quick dinner, which on most nights was scrambled eggs and toast. If you ask my kids, they'll tell you that this is their favourite dinner. So, eggs for dinner became synonymous with swimming night.

This year, the lessons start a little later which allowed us to eat a light dinner (eggs, toast and raw veggies) before we left, then a piece of fruit and glass of milk when we got home. This week, I had another idea. Something I thought the kids would like, that would give them enough protein and vegetables to make it through swimming, and not be starving by breakfast. I made Sloppy Joes. Too make it even easier, I used the slow cooker but in a short time you could also make it in a skillet. Or as a faster alternative, make the meat with sauce the night before. Place in some Tupperware in the fridge. Simply toast the buns and heat up the meat mixture in the microwave. (Nice lunch idea too)

To my surprise, I only found a couple cookbooks with recipes for Sloppy Joes, none of which jumped out at me so I came up with this one. But if you have a favourite recipe, call your mom or dig it out, and reintroduce your family to a busy-night, quick dinner solution that will have them coming back for more.

So, what's for dinner tonight?

Chipotle Ranch Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

1 T vegetable or canola oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb ground beef (pref. extra lean)

1/4 C ground flaxseeds

1 pobano pepper, finely chopped

1 small can chopped green chilies

1 T chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, pureed (or more to taste)

1 C chili sauce

1 t cumin

1 T red wine vinegar

1 C coleslaw mix

1-2 T ranch dressing

butter

4 burger buns

Directions:

In a skillet, heat the oil. Add the onions and garlic. Once the onions have cooked a couple minutes, add the meat; breaking it up with a spoon or spatula. When the meat is almost completely cooked, add the flaxseeds. Mix well.

Transfer mixture to a slow cooker. Add the pepper, chilies, chipotles, chili sauce, cumin and vinegar. Mix well. Set to low, and let cook 6 - 8 hours.

In a small bowl, mix together coleslaw mix and ranch dressing.

When you are ready to serve, butter the buns and toast in a skillet. Place 1/4 of the meat mixture on the bun. Top with 1/4 of the coleslaw mixture.

As a note, if you have never bought chipotle peppers before, they are smoked jalapeno peppers in a tomato/ vinegar sauce and are usually found in the Mexican food aisle in a can. When I bring them home, I place the entire jar in the food processor and puree it, then place it in a freezer bag or container and use it as I need it. You can also substitute it for Chipotle Chili Powder.