Wow, the last meal plan I posted was in June. I have written up meal plans for myself since then, but not as regularly as I'd like. Glad I'm back to not only making them, but sharing them.
It's a quiet week, so I have a bit of time to cook. A good foodie friend gifted me with a Bon Appetit subscription for my birthday, and the first issue arrived this week. I'm definitely inspired, and one of this week's recipes is from there.
Monday
Pork chops with cabbage
Steamed barley (saving some for Wednesday's meal)
(since this meal has already happened, I have a few edits to share. The original plan assumed I had pork chops in the freezer. Sadly, I discovered only one package of two, which is nowhere near enough to feed two adults and two carnivorous children. I had just ordered a package of Boerwors (South African sausage) from Cool Springs Ranch, so I decided to add those to the recipe as well. When I read to the bottom of the recipe, I noted Martha Stewart recommended serving the chops with a side dish of carrot and parsnip puree. I have those! So I made that as well. The results blended together beautifully. Nutty barley, sweet cabbage and carrots, savoury meat...mmm. It may be a strange idiosyncrasy, but I love braised cabbage.)
Tuesday
Roast chicken
Roasted sweet potatoes and (more) parsnips
My mom's frozen bean and carrot medley
Tossed salad
Wednesday
Baked Wild West Steelhead trout (from Lucky Lake)
Warm Cauliflower and Herbed Barley Salad
The salad is from my first issue of Bon Appetit, and I was delighted to discover I have virtually all of the hard-to-find ingredients, like gigante beans (I buy them regularly from Italian Star Deli) and fresh parsley and tarragon (well...mine aren't fresh, but I froze some fresh from my garden, and that will work for my purposes)
Thursday
Ragout de Boulettes (a winter favourite that we haven't yet enjoyed...and dare I say we might be running out of winter...in the next month or so?)
Pugliese bread from Christie's Bakery
Raw veggies
By the time we get to Friday, I'm guessing we'll have leftovers, and I am scheduled for a book club event that night, so I may leave 'the boys' to fend for themselves. There you have it. Something of a plan.
Showing posts with label Saskatoon Businesses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saskatoon Businesses. Show all posts
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Thursday, August 23, 2012
A Gift of Food
My brother and his wife were recently blessed with their first baby. I think I have mentioned before that in situations where people are in need, I feel the best thing I can do for them is bring food. So, here I go.
We're going to visit them tomorrow, and while they said it is okay for us to stay with them, I insisted that I would bring food and cook meals while we're there, so they're not trying to 'entertain' while also trying to deal with the challenges of a new baby. It's enough that they are willing to tolerate my rambunctious boys while coping with baby.
I spent today doing some make-ahead ingredients to take along, as well as making a second attempt at crabapple jelly. The first attempt turned out to be crabapple syrup. I'm happy to say the second try is setting up nicely. I also made a big pot of Indonesian sweet potato and cabbage soup from Moosewood's Simple Suppers. I have delivered this to other families during major life events and it has always garnered rave reviews. It's also super healthy, vegan, and easy to throw together.
Then came a brief interlude involving an appointment with our financial planners, dinner at Thien Vietnamese Restaurant (I believe I will sing the praises of Vietnamese cabbage salads very soon), and a brief shopping trip to try to find some clothes that a)fit; b)do not have stains or holes; c)are appropriate for work in an office, since I will be starting a new contract on Monday. My hubbie and kids went to River Landing to play while I shopped. I met up with them only to discover G with a bloody nose and D with a big bruise on his knee from slipping on the wet concrete. I actually worked on the water play area when it was being designed, and it's hard not to feel responsible for slick concrete...even though all I was truly responsible for was the research and writing...
But I digress. I came home, put kids to bed, and promptly started making the ingredients for other meals:
• pizza dough, enough to make grilled pizza tomorrow night, and leave some in the freezer for them to use as needed
• pancake mix (I mixed together all the dry ingredients for my famous buckwheat pancakes, and will also bring along homemade elk breakfast sausage, enough that we can leave some behind for them to cook later). We'll be serving it all topped with crabapple syrup!
• black olive tapenade to fill a Pan Bagnat, a filled sandwich that traditionally includes tuna, black olives, and vegetables. I'm going to see what everyone is in the mood for, what is in the garden, and what I can find at the farmers' market, and go from there. Definitely goat cheese and tapenade, for starters...
Hopefully we'll all eat well while we're there, it will be one less thing for my brother and sister-in-law to worry about, and we can leave them with the makings of some great future meals...
We're going to visit them tomorrow, and while they said it is okay for us to stay with them, I insisted that I would bring food and cook meals while we're there, so they're not trying to 'entertain' while also trying to deal with the challenges of a new baby. It's enough that they are willing to tolerate my rambunctious boys while coping with baby.
I spent today doing some make-ahead ingredients to take along, as well as making a second attempt at crabapple jelly. The first attempt turned out to be crabapple syrup. I'm happy to say the second try is setting up nicely. I also made a big pot of Indonesian sweet potato and cabbage soup from Moosewood's Simple Suppers. I have delivered this to other families during major life events and it has always garnered rave reviews. It's also super healthy, vegan, and easy to throw together.
Then came a brief interlude involving an appointment with our financial planners, dinner at Thien Vietnamese Restaurant (I believe I will sing the praises of Vietnamese cabbage salads very soon), and a brief shopping trip to try to find some clothes that a)fit; b)do not have stains or holes; c)are appropriate for work in an office, since I will be starting a new contract on Monday. My hubbie and kids went to River Landing to play while I shopped. I met up with them only to discover G with a bloody nose and D with a big bruise on his knee from slipping on the wet concrete. I actually worked on the water play area when it was being designed, and it's hard not to feel responsible for slick concrete...even though all I was truly responsible for was the research and writing...
But I digress. I came home, put kids to bed, and promptly started making the ingredients for other meals:
• pizza dough, enough to make grilled pizza tomorrow night, and leave some in the freezer for them to use as needed
• pancake mix (I mixed together all the dry ingredients for my famous buckwheat pancakes, and will also bring along homemade elk breakfast sausage, enough that we can leave some behind for them to cook later). We'll be serving it all topped with crabapple syrup!
• black olive tapenade to fill a Pan Bagnat, a filled sandwich that traditionally includes tuna, black olives, and vegetables. I'm going to see what everyone is in the mood for, what is in the garden, and what I can find at the farmers' market, and go from there. Definitely goat cheese and tapenade, for starters...
Hopefully we'll all eat well while we're there, it will be one less thing for my brother and sister-in-law to worry about, and we can leave them with the makings of some great future meals...
Friday, July 6, 2012
Two Summer Party Menus
Two parties in two days, and wedding tomorrow! That's my kind of pace (truly! Okay, well at least I can handle it for about three days and then I'll need a rest for one day before diving in again).
Last night, I hosted the Sturgeon Ladies' Literary Society (that's a fancy way of saying my neighbourhood bookclub) meeting. We always put on a bit of a spread, although it's after dinner, so not a huge meal. I relied heavily on Mark Bittman's Food Matters cookbook (if I haven't convinced anyone to buy it yet, then you must not be paying attention. There are 500 recipes, so even though I use it all the time, I have barely even scratched the surface! And there are many more recipes I want to try) for this summer-themed menu. Everything was light and delicious (except for the quinoa cake, which was delicious, but not-so-light) and gluten free.
Party #1 Menu: After Dinner Summer Snack Buffet for the Bookclub
Radishes with Olive Oil and Sea Salt (that simple. Just serve radishes next to a small dish of olive oil and coarse sea salt. Barely a recipe, but I got the idea from Mark Bittman's book)
Quick-Pickled Watermelon with Feta (I'm new to pickling melon, but I definitely liked the results)
Lentil "Caviar" with All the Trimmings (recipe below)
Olives, Cucumbers and Tuna, Mediterranean Style (just a toss of olives, cucumbers, tuna, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, garlic, parsley and chile flakes)
Homemade goat cheese with herbs de Provence
Assorted crackers
Fresh strawberries and watermelon
Quinoa chocolate mini-cupcakes, inspired by the chocolate cake recipe in Quinoa 365
I was feeling kind of ambivalent about the lentil caviar when I made it the day before. It just didn't seem to be all that interesting. But it was the thing that the ladies liked best (except for maybe the cupcakes). They asked for the recipe so they could make it themselves.
Here it is:
Lentil "Caviar" with All the Trimmings
Party #2 Menu: Impromptu Vietnamese Fresh Roll Feast, or, What Would I Do Without the Internet?
The next party had a bit of a roundabout development. Earlier in the week I stopped at the Saskatoon Asian Market to get seaweed to make the lentil caviar. I couldn't just buy the one thing, and had to wander around to see what else they had of interest. What else they had was beautifully fresh bean sprouts, the cutest little mini baby bok choy, some Chinese sausage, which I bought without knowing what I was going to do with it, and a couple kinds of noodles.
When I got home, I started planning what to make with my ingredients, and thought to myself, it's hot out, and I have some greens in the garden...maybe I should make salad rolls. I wonder if there are Vietnamese salad rolls that call for Chinese sausage? Well, if you Google "Vietnamese salad roll Chinese Sausage", you will find that the answer is yes! How easy is that, and how often do I have two seemingly unrelated ingredients that I Google to come up with an amazing concoction? Almost daily. If you can conceive the combination, chances are someone else has, too, has blogged about it, and the recipe is ready and waiting.
So here is my impromptu Vietnamese Fresh Roll Feast menu, which we enjoyed with good long-time friends and their daughter. The kids mostly ate the sausage, but generally seemed to enjoy the rolls, too. Hey, this menu is almost gluten-free, too...the sausage might be questionable...
Pre-dinner cocktail (served alongside leftover lentil caviar and goat cheese on crackers): Plum wine tonic (1 part plum wine, 2 parts tonic water, and a squeeze of lime over ice)
Our friends brought a bottle of Cava, sparkling Spanish wine, which I would match with anything and drink every day if I could. Delicious!
Boa Bia, Chinese Sausage Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce (thanks to The Ravenous Couple for the recipe)
Mark Bittman's Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce (I skipped the sauce and just used the ingredient list as a guideline: lettuce, cilantro, basil, julienne cucumber, bean sprouts, shrimp)
Grilled baby bok choy with Asian marinade, inspired by Dad Cooks Dinner (this was a sleeper hit. They were a little bitter, a little sour, smoky, savoury, just a bit crunchy, and totally delicious. My baby bok choy were really tiny, so I didn't bother cutting them in half, just tossed them in the marinade and 'stir-fried' them in a grill basket).
Quinoa cupcake ice cream sandwiches (and the last of the Taylor Fladgate 20 year old tawny that I was keeping in the fridge)
I am replete. Tomorrow I take a break from cooking (except for making breakfast from the leftovers of Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, basil, carrots, and bean sprouts. Can you say "egg foo young"?) and attending my cousin's wedding. Then I'll be cooking something for my sister and her family who will be staying with us after the wedding, and thinking ahead to Tuesday when I host some local food writers for a little get-together.
I love summer entertaining. Who am I kidding? I love entertaining, period.
Last night, I hosted the Sturgeon Ladies' Literary Society (that's a fancy way of saying my neighbourhood bookclub) meeting. We always put on a bit of a spread, although it's after dinner, so not a huge meal. I relied heavily on Mark Bittman's Food Matters cookbook (if I haven't convinced anyone to buy it yet, then you must not be paying attention. There are 500 recipes, so even though I use it all the time, I have barely even scratched the surface! And there are many more recipes I want to try) for this summer-themed menu. Everything was light and delicious (except for the quinoa cake, which was delicious, but not-so-light) and gluten free.
Party #1 Menu: After Dinner Summer Snack Buffet for the Bookclub
Radishes with Olive Oil and Sea Salt (that simple. Just serve radishes next to a small dish of olive oil and coarse sea salt. Barely a recipe, but I got the idea from Mark Bittman's book)
Quick-Pickled Watermelon with Feta (I'm new to pickling melon, but I definitely liked the results)
Lentil "Caviar" with All the Trimmings (recipe below)
Olives, Cucumbers and Tuna, Mediterranean Style (just a toss of olives, cucumbers, tuna, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, garlic, parsley and chile flakes)
Homemade goat cheese with herbs de Provence
Assorted crackers
Fresh strawberries and watermelon
Quinoa chocolate mini-cupcakes, inspired by the chocolate cake recipe in Quinoa 365
I was feeling kind of ambivalent about the lentil caviar when I made it the day before. It just didn't seem to be all that interesting. But it was the thing that the ladies liked best (except for maybe the cupcakes). They asked for the recipe so they could make it themselves.
Here it is:
Lentil "Caviar" with All the Trimmings
8 oz. (about 1 1/2 cups) Le Puy or other dark green or black lentils (I used beluga lentils from Hestia Organics at the Farmers' Market)
2 T. vegetable oil
1 large shallot or small onion
1/4 c. dried dulse, arame, or hijiki
1 c. sake, brewed green tea or water (I used jasmine tea)
2 T. mirin or honey (I used mirin)
Salt and pepper
8 slices whole grain bread or crackers for serving
1/2 c. capers or chopped cornichons, for garnish, optional
1/2 c. chopped red onion, for garnish, optional
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped, for garnish, optional
1/2 c. mayonnaise, sour cream, or creme fraiche for garnish, optional (I used sour cream)
Put lentils in a pot and cover with cold water by 2-3 inches. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat so that the lentils bubble gently. Partially cover and cok, stirring occasionally, checking hte lentils for doneness every 10-15 minutes. When the lentils are tender but not falling apart, drain them.
Put the oil in a deep skillet over medium high heat. When it's hot, add the shallot and sea greens and cook, stirring constantly, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the sake and miring. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and let the mixture bubble away until it reduces and thickens to a thin syrup, 5-7 minutes. Strain.
Pour the glaze over the lentils and toss gently to coat; taste and adjust seasoning. Chill for at least 30 minutes or up to a few days (I chilled overnight). Toast the breatd if you're using and cut each slice diagonally into 4 toast points. Serve with the toast points or crackers, along with any garnishes you like.
Party #2 Menu: Impromptu Vietnamese Fresh Roll Feast, or, What Would I Do Without the Internet?
The next party had a bit of a roundabout development. Earlier in the week I stopped at the Saskatoon Asian Market to get seaweed to make the lentil caviar. I couldn't just buy the one thing, and had to wander around to see what else they had of interest. What else they had was beautifully fresh bean sprouts, the cutest little mini baby bok choy, some Chinese sausage, which I bought without knowing what I was going to do with it, and a couple kinds of noodles.
When I got home, I started planning what to make with my ingredients, and thought to myself, it's hot out, and I have some greens in the garden...maybe I should make salad rolls. I wonder if there are Vietnamese salad rolls that call for Chinese sausage? Well, if you Google "Vietnamese salad roll Chinese Sausage", you will find that the answer is yes! How easy is that, and how often do I have two seemingly unrelated ingredients that I Google to come up with an amazing concoction? Almost daily. If you can conceive the combination, chances are someone else has, too, has blogged about it, and the recipe is ready and waiting.
So here is my impromptu Vietnamese Fresh Roll Feast menu, which we enjoyed with good long-time friends and their daughter. The kids mostly ate the sausage, but generally seemed to enjoy the rolls, too. Hey, this menu is almost gluten-free, too...the sausage might be questionable...
Pre-dinner cocktail (served alongside leftover lentil caviar and goat cheese on crackers): Plum wine tonic (1 part plum wine, 2 parts tonic water, and a squeeze of lime over ice)
Our friends brought a bottle of Cava, sparkling Spanish wine, which I would match with anything and drink every day if I could. Delicious!
Boa Bia, Chinese Sausage Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce (thanks to The Ravenous Couple for the recipe)
Mark Bittman's Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce (I skipped the sauce and just used the ingredient list as a guideline: lettuce, cilantro, basil, julienne cucumber, bean sprouts, shrimp)
Grilled baby bok choy with Asian marinade, inspired by Dad Cooks Dinner (this was a sleeper hit. They were a little bitter, a little sour, smoky, savoury, just a bit crunchy, and totally delicious. My baby bok choy were really tiny, so I didn't bother cutting them in half, just tossed them in the marinade and 'stir-fried' them in a grill basket).
Quinoa cupcake ice cream sandwiches (and the last of the Taylor Fladgate 20 year old tawny that I was keeping in the fridge)
I am replete. Tomorrow I take a break from cooking (except for making breakfast from the leftovers of Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, basil, carrots, and bean sprouts. Can you say "egg foo young"?) and attending my cousin's wedding. Then I'll be cooking something for my sister and her family who will be staying with us after the wedding, and thinking ahead to Tuesday when I host some local food writers for a little get-together.
I love summer entertaining. Who am I kidding? I love entertaining, period.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Meal Plan for First Week of Hot Weather
We've had some warm days here and there, but this week's forecast is the first time that temperatures are consistently in the mid-20s. BBQ time!
Here's the plan:
Monday
Grilled bison sirloin tip roast (currently marinating in red wine, onion, bay leaves, salt and smoked black pepper, and I plan to rub it with garlic and Dijon and grill on indirect heat)
Roasted sweet potatoes
Steamed green beans (I bought a monster bag of Canadian-grown organic green beans at Costco this winter, and I need to clear it out of the freezer before my bean crop matures).
Salad with home-grown sprouts
Tuesday
Zucchini and corn frittata (I have a sudden influx of farm eggs, now that my aunt's chickens are in full production. Time to make eggs the main course of some meals...and time for some lemon curd!)
Broccoli salad
Wednesday
Crispy-skinned salmon and rice with salsa verde (not sure if I'll fry or grill the salmon, but I do know this: a trip to the Farmers' Market is in order to stock up on fresh basil, until my newly planted basil babies are ready to harvest)
Salad and/or fresh veggies
Thursday
I am enjoying a windfall of moose meat as well as wild caught fish thanks to some good friends of mine. The salmon is from them as well, and I'm going to start turning the moose hamburger into sausage patties.
Moose sausage patties
Quinoa pilaf
Broccoli and cauliflower
I won't actually be eating the meal on Thursday, but I have to have it ready to go before I leave for my editorial meeting at 5pm. I aim to make something everyone likes, and that can either be cooked ahead of time or be prepped and easily cooked by my husband. I'm thinking I'll have the pilaf cooked and the veggies in the pot ready to be steamed, and the sausages mixed and formed and ready to grill or fry.
Then I'm off to my parents' place for a quick visit and some horseback riding and fishing with the boys before coming home Sunday to cook for our Goat Curry party. I'll post that menu closer to the date. I'll be making Paneer and shopping at the Swadesh Market for some special ingredients sometime this week.
Here's the plan:
Monday
Grilled bison sirloin tip roast (currently marinating in red wine, onion, bay leaves, salt and smoked black pepper, and I plan to rub it with garlic and Dijon and grill on indirect heat)
Roasted sweet potatoes
Steamed green beans (I bought a monster bag of Canadian-grown organic green beans at Costco this winter, and I need to clear it out of the freezer before my bean crop matures).
Salad with home-grown sprouts
Tuesday
Zucchini and corn frittata (I have a sudden influx of farm eggs, now that my aunt's chickens are in full production. Time to make eggs the main course of some meals...and time for some lemon curd!)
Broccoli salad
Wednesday
Crispy-skinned salmon and rice with salsa verde (not sure if I'll fry or grill the salmon, but I do know this: a trip to the Farmers' Market is in order to stock up on fresh basil, until my newly planted basil babies are ready to harvest)
Salad and/or fresh veggies
Thursday
I am enjoying a windfall of moose meat as well as wild caught fish thanks to some good friends of mine. The salmon is from them as well, and I'm going to start turning the moose hamburger into sausage patties.
Moose sausage patties
Quinoa pilaf
Broccoli and cauliflower
I won't actually be eating the meal on Thursday, but I have to have it ready to go before I leave for my editorial meeting at 5pm. I aim to make something everyone likes, and that can either be cooked ahead of time or be prepped and easily cooked by my husband. I'm thinking I'll have the pilaf cooked and the veggies in the pot ready to be steamed, and the sausages mixed and formed and ready to grill or fry.
Then I'm off to my parents' place for a quick visit and some horseback riding and fishing with the boys before coming home Sunday to cook for our Goat Curry party. I'll post that menu closer to the date. I'll be making Paneer and shopping at the Swadesh Market for some special ingredients sometime this week.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Product Placement #6: Rozendal Vinegar
I have a new expensive habit, and strangely this one doesn't contain alcohol. I am completely enamoured with Rozendal vinegar, represented here in Saskatchewan by Doug Reichel, owner of Fine Wines Saskatchewan and importer of Rozendal wine. The wine is also excellent, but the vinegar, at $35/500 ml bottle, is even more expensive than the wine! It is also harder to find; here in Saskatoon it is only available at Cava Secreta.
I know many people are of the philosophy that expensive food items are wasted on kids. I am straying further and further from that philosophy all the time, and am constantly rewarded for it. I personally know many adults on whom expensive food items would be even more wasted than on my own children. My kids DO appreciate good food, and are far more likely to enjoy their meals if the food is real, and not what passes for food on most children's menus in restaurants.
Case in point: a recent meal that I made for a girlfriend and her kids, as well as my own family, involved a simple main course of gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches: slices of a round brioche loaf, and a melted mixture of shredded smoked Gouda, broccoli, mayonnaise and sunflower seeds as the filling. Beside that, I served a salad: spring greens, toasted almonds and craisins, simply dressed with a splash of Rozendal vinegar, a splash of olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
My kids don't normally go for salad very much, so I usually provide raw vegetables as well. There were raw veggies available that day, too, but all the kids asked for more salad, and eventually scraped the bowl clean. You might think they were going for just the craisins, but they weren't. They inhaled the entire thing. I thought to myself, if that vinegar is what inspires kids to eat salad, then it's worth the price tag. On top of that, the vinegar itself is packed with health benefits. So really, there's no reason NOT to serve it. From now on, there will always be a bottle in my cupboard (currently we're enjoying the Green Tea flavour); I'll consider it an investment in my own and my kids' health, and their palates.
I know many people are of the philosophy that expensive food items are wasted on kids. I am straying further and further from that philosophy all the time, and am constantly rewarded for it. I personally know many adults on whom expensive food items would be even more wasted than on my own children. My kids DO appreciate good food, and are far more likely to enjoy their meals if the food is real, and not what passes for food on most children's menus in restaurants.
Case in point: a recent meal that I made for a girlfriend and her kids, as well as my own family, involved a simple main course of gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches: slices of a round brioche loaf, and a melted mixture of shredded smoked Gouda, broccoli, mayonnaise and sunflower seeds as the filling. Beside that, I served a salad: spring greens, toasted almonds and craisins, simply dressed with a splash of Rozendal vinegar, a splash of olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
My kids don't normally go for salad very much, so I usually provide raw vegetables as well. There were raw veggies available that day, too, but all the kids asked for more salad, and eventually scraped the bowl clean. You might think they were going for just the craisins, but they weren't. They inhaled the entire thing. I thought to myself, if that vinegar is what inspires kids to eat salad, then it's worth the price tag. On top of that, the vinegar itself is packed with health benefits. So really, there's no reason NOT to serve it. From now on, there will always be a bottle in my cupboard (currently we're enjoying the Green Tea flavour); I'll consider it an investment in my own and my kids' health, and their palates.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
(Belated) Meal Plan #16
This week, I had the time to make my meal plan and do my shopping on Sunday, which felt very civilized. The weeks that I don't manage a meal plan, I find I run out of mental capacity to make decisions mid-week, and get stuck on what to cook. I hate that feeling, so I was relieved to get back on track.
My apologies to my readers though, that I wasn't able to post my meal plan until Thursday, in spite of writing it up Sunday. The sad truth is, I couldn't resist kissing my husband last week, in spite of knowing that he had a sore throat. The result? I spent the last three days sleeping as much as possible, and suffering from a sore throat. Still worth it, I say.
I hope you can still benefit from some of my ideas, even if they didn't arrive in real time.
Saturday:
Homemade chicken noodle soup
This is fast becoming a go-to standard, because the kids never seem to get enough chicken noodle soup. This weekend began with a trip to the Saskatoon Farmers' Market, where I purchased a small stewing hen for $3. I came home with plans to turn it into soup to soothe my boys' sore throats, and ended up with extra shredded meat for another meal as a bonus. Cheapest foundation for two meals I've had in a while!
Sunday:
Turkey with Red Wine Sauce & Chopped Dates (inspired by Rose Reisman Brings Home Light Cooking)
Baked Barley
Steamed Broccoli
Fresh green salad
The benefits of hearing my meal plan after the fact is that you get to hear the review. I used turkey because I had legs and wings from the turkey that I had dismantled and frozen before Christmas. This was a hunter-style sauce with a nice amount of vegetables, and it was DELICIOUS. It went particularly well with the baked barley (3 c. water, 1 c. barley, a pinch of salt, placed in a casserole and baked for an hour), with its homey, nutty flavours. We all enjoyed it.
Monday:
Shredded chicken soft tacos (with a mild chipotle sauce a la Rick Bayless. I used half the chipotles called for, in hopes that my kids would be okay with the mild heat. D's response: "I love it!" G's response was less verbal, and a bit more conservative, involving coughing, sticking out his tongue and shaking his head back and forth. He ate quite a bit of it, though, and washed down the heat with milk when prompted.)
Avocado, radish, cabbage, cucumber, Monterey jack and homemade ricotta salata as toppings
Tuesday:
Dal with Lots of Vegetables (from Mark Bittman's Food Matters)
Whole wheat chapatis, also from Food Matters
Raita and chutneys
Coconut brown rice pudding, also from Food Matters
We had friends over for dinner this night, and the meal, while simple, was filling and satisfying. I finished it off with the brown rice pudding, which took longer to cook than I allowed, so we lost the attention of the kids in the meantime. I liked it enough that I am thinking about dipping into the leftovers right now.
Wednesday:
Stir-fried sweet potato and beef with Vietnamese flavours (also from Food Matters. Are you sensing a theme? On Sunday night, I sat down with one cookbook and found enough recipes to last me the week. It's a really good book! And I'm not finished with it yet!)
Brown/wild rice blend
Stir-fried green beans with oyster sauce thanks to Kalyn's Kitchen Blog
My brother was in town for meetings on Wednesday, so we fed him as well. I really enjoyed the stir-fried sweet potatoes. I love sweet potatoes to begin with, and the Vietnamese combo of fish sauce and lime juice goes pretty well on just about anything. I'll be making this again.
Thursday:
Miso soup with Bok Choy, Soba Noodles and Broiled Fish (also from Food Matters)
There are times when I try to predict how a recipe will be received by my family, particularly the kids. So many of those times, I have thought, they like everything that goes into it; they're going to love this! Only to get lukewarm or worse reviews. Tonight was not like that. I had thought, D loves miso soup, and soba noodles and fish. But I won't count on him liking this recipe, because that's too much to hope for. His response? "Thanks Mom! This is SO yummy! I love Mom's food!!" Can't get much better than that, and it kind of makes up for all the times he's turned his nose up at stuff I was sure he would love. We liked it too!
The boys didn't really appreciate the small portion of fish, since I followed the recipe the letter (except for the species of fish—I used freshwater burbot instead of salmon or mackerel). It was a small portion and both boys were clamoring for more fish even after it was all gone. Note to self—two fast-growing boys don't appreciate the finer points of eating less meat for health and environmental benefits...
Salt
8 oz soba noodles
8 oz salmon, mackerel or other fish fillets
1 T. vegetable oil
1 t. five-spice or chili powder (I used five-spice)
Black pepper
1/3 c. miso (any kind)
1 lb. bok choy, stems separated and chopped, leaves cut into ribbons
2 T. sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 c. green onions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Heat the broiler at the same time. Bittman says to preheat the pan you're going to cook the fish on, but I didn't do that. Add soba to boiling water and cook until tender, but not mush, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 c. cooking liquid and rinse the noodles with cold water until cool. Put one quart of clean water in the pot with the reserved liquid and set it to boil again (don't salt).
Brush the fish lightly with oil and sprinkle with 5-spice powder and salt and pepper. Place on the pan skin side down and broil for 5 to 10 minutes without turning. When the fish flakes easily, remove from the pan, break the fillets into flakes.
When the water in the pot is almost boiling, put the miso in a small bowl, ladle in a cup of the heated water and whisk til smooth. Add the white parts of the bok choy when the water boils, cook for 1 minute, then add the greens and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Turn heat to low, pour in the miso mixture and the noodles, and heat just long enough to warm everything. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve, garnished with flaked fish, sesame seeds and green onions.
Friday:
I had hoped to do a family-style sushi night with friends tonight, but it may be postponed until Saturday, or until some later date when more friends are available to partake. I'll keep you posted on the outcome.
My apologies to my readers though, that I wasn't able to post my meal plan until Thursday, in spite of writing it up Sunday. The sad truth is, I couldn't resist kissing my husband last week, in spite of knowing that he had a sore throat. The result? I spent the last three days sleeping as much as possible, and suffering from a sore throat. Still worth it, I say.
I hope you can still benefit from some of my ideas, even if they didn't arrive in real time.
Saturday:
Homemade chicken noodle soup
This is fast becoming a go-to standard, because the kids never seem to get enough chicken noodle soup. This weekend began with a trip to the Saskatoon Farmers' Market, where I purchased a small stewing hen for $3. I came home with plans to turn it into soup to soothe my boys' sore throats, and ended up with extra shredded meat for another meal as a bonus. Cheapest foundation for two meals I've had in a while!
Sunday:
Turkey with Red Wine Sauce & Chopped Dates (inspired by Rose Reisman Brings Home Light Cooking)
Baked Barley
Steamed Broccoli
Fresh green salad
The benefits of hearing my meal plan after the fact is that you get to hear the review. I used turkey because I had legs and wings from the turkey that I had dismantled and frozen before Christmas. This was a hunter-style sauce with a nice amount of vegetables, and it was DELICIOUS. It went particularly well with the baked barley (3 c. water, 1 c. barley, a pinch of salt, placed in a casserole and baked for an hour), with its homey, nutty flavours. We all enjoyed it.
Monday:
Shredded chicken soft tacos (with a mild chipotle sauce a la Rick Bayless. I used half the chipotles called for, in hopes that my kids would be okay with the mild heat. D's response: "I love it!" G's response was less verbal, and a bit more conservative, involving coughing, sticking out his tongue and shaking his head back and forth. He ate quite a bit of it, though, and washed down the heat with milk when prompted.)
Avocado, radish, cabbage, cucumber, Monterey jack and homemade ricotta salata as toppings
Tuesday:
Dal with Lots of Vegetables (from Mark Bittman's Food Matters)
Whole wheat chapatis, also from Food Matters
Raita and chutneys
Coconut brown rice pudding, also from Food Matters
We had friends over for dinner this night, and the meal, while simple, was filling and satisfying. I finished it off with the brown rice pudding, which took longer to cook than I allowed, so we lost the attention of the kids in the meantime. I liked it enough that I am thinking about dipping into the leftovers right now.
Wednesday:
Stir-fried sweet potato and beef with Vietnamese flavours (also from Food Matters. Are you sensing a theme? On Sunday night, I sat down with one cookbook and found enough recipes to last me the week. It's a really good book! And I'm not finished with it yet!)
Brown/wild rice blend
Stir-fried green beans with oyster sauce thanks to Kalyn's Kitchen Blog
My brother was in town for meetings on Wednesday, so we fed him as well. I really enjoyed the stir-fried sweet potatoes. I love sweet potatoes to begin with, and the Vietnamese combo of fish sauce and lime juice goes pretty well on just about anything. I'll be making this again.
Thursday:
Miso soup with Bok Choy, Soba Noodles and Broiled Fish (also from Food Matters)
There are times when I try to predict how a recipe will be received by my family, particularly the kids. So many of those times, I have thought, they like everything that goes into it; they're going to love this! Only to get lukewarm or worse reviews. Tonight was not like that. I had thought, D loves miso soup, and soba noodles and fish. But I won't count on him liking this recipe, because that's too much to hope for. His response? "Thanks Mom! This is SO yummy! I love Mom's food!!" Can't get much better than that, and it kind of makes up for all the times he's turned his nose up at stuff I was sure he would love. We liked it too!
The boys didn't really appreciate the small portion of fish, since I followed the recipe the letter (except for the species of fish—I used freshwater burbot instead of salmon or mackerel). It was a small portion and both boys were clamoring for more fish even after it was all gone. Note to self—two fast-growing boys don't appreciate the finer points of eating less meat for health and environmental benefits...
Salt
8 oz soba noodles
8 oz salmon, mackerel or other fish fillets
1 T. vegetable oil
1 t. five-spice or chili powder (I used five-spice)
Black pepper
1/3 c. miso (any kind)
1 lb. bok choy, stems separated and chopped, leaves cut into ribbons
2 T. sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 c. green onions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Heat the broiler at the same time. Bittman says to preheat the pan you're going to cook the fish on, but I didn't do that. Add soba to boiling water and cook until tender, but not mush, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 c. cooking liquid and rinse the noodles with cold water until cool. Put one quart of clean water in the pot with the reserved liquid and set it to boil again (don't salt).
Brush the fish lightly with oil and sprinkle with 5-spice powder and salt and pepper. Place on the pan skin side down and broil for 5 to 10 minutes without turning. When the fish flakes easily, remove from the pan, break the fillets into flakes.
When the water in the pot is almost boiling, put the miso in a small bowl, ladle in a cup of the heated water and whisk til smooth. Add the white parts of the bok choy when the water boils, cook for 1 minute, then add the greens and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Turn heat to low, pour in the miso mixture and the noodles, and heat just long enough to warm everything. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve, garnished with flaked fish, sesame seeds and green onions.
Friday:
I had hoped to do a family-style sushi night with friends tonight, but it may be postponed until Saturday, or until some later date when more friends are available to partake. I'll keep you posted on the outcome.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy New Year!
We rang in the New Year in style, with eight parents and seven kids under the age of 5, and I counted myself lucky to have friends who love food and cooking as much as I do. I'm sorry to have posted this selection for New Years' noshing the day after, but I didn't know what my friends were bringing. I guess I did provide you with my menu a day in advance...
Besides all the food that I prepared, we also got to enjoy:
• Caesar salad devilled eggs (YUM!)
• French onion soup stuffed mushrooms (from www.pioneerwoman.com) (EXTRA YUM!)
• Crudites with Miso dip
• Roasted pepper and eggplant dip
• Assorted cheeses
• Hummous and pita
• Homemade chocolate cake (thanks to my hubbie!)
• Assorted Xmas baking and chocolates
• Butter tarts
We had one couple pull out at the last minute, and I think we would have had just about the right amount of food had they come. As it stood, there were a few left over finger foods, and far too much sweet stuff, in spite of the kids' best efforts to eat as much as they could. At the end of the evening, one little three-year-old said, "Mom, I'm still hungry." She said, "What would you like to eat?" He answered, "Hmm, I don't know. Something covered in chocolate?" He had himself a second slice of birthday cake.
Last night I had declared that I would take today "off" and not cook anything. We were planning to go to a New Years' Day open house and I had enough crackers, goat ricotta dip and beet tartare left over from the night before that even if I didn't cook anything else, I wouldn't show up empty handed.
But our plans were foiled by kids once again when Baby G woke up this morning, throwing up. We had an enforced day of rest, mostly sitting under Baby G while he slept. But that meant I had to think up something for dinner time.
I had some leftover empanada filling, and I had saved some whey from my cheese-making efforts because I hate to waste it, and I had read that you can use it in bread dough. So I made whole wheat buns, stuffed with ricotta and mozzarella. They were popular with everyone, including Baby G, who by 6:00 had rallied and ate several bites of a bun and sipped some of the goat's milk.
I am so very grateful for all my friends and family, for their love and generosity, and for the beautiful food they bring to my life. Some examples:
• Last night I found myself mentioning my mom again and again: I used her pastry dough in the butter tarts, she made the gingerbread men that the kids went crazy for, and my go-to birthday cake recipe is her Devil's food chocolate cake. We felt (and tasted) her presence very strongly last night.
• My mom's cousin very generously off-loaded dozens of litres of frozen goat's milk (and she says there is more where that came from), which all my boys drink (in fact, D refers to goat's milk as "boy milk" because only I drink cow's milk in our house. So that is "girl milk"), and which makes up a substantial portion of our grocery bills. The kids (and hubby) love it, and it tastes so fresh that I might even be convinced to start drinking it. It will also provide us cheese and possibly yogurt (more on that after tomorrow) for the next few months.
• My in-laws gifted me with Odd Bits: How to Cook the Rest of the Animal, a cookbook that I am madly in love with (and recently had to return it to the library), as well as a gift certificate to Souleio Foods. There are so many potential (and delicious) ways to spend it!
• Another good friend gifted me with Cook, Eat, Smile, a lovely seasonal cookbook
• "Santa" brought me a cast-iron frying pan, a cut glass beverage dispenser, a beautiful porcelain serving platter and bowl set, and a Le Creuset kettle.
• my neighbour brought us Cat's Claw bush honey from Arizona and some homemade rhubarb chutney.
• my freezer is full of beef, pork, and northern freshwater fish, gifted by my dad, as well as one and a half farm chickens from my mom's cousin and my mother in law.
• another good friend sold me gorgeous lamb for cost, and also brought another pint of honey from bees on her family's land.
• my birthday gift from my husband was a light garden, so I can start growing herbs and microgreens indoors during the cold months! I was so delighted to get dirt under my fingernails, even in winter, when I filled the pots with soil today!
My cup floweth over. And I am thankful.
Besides all the food that I prepared, we also got to enjoy:
• Caesar salad devilled eggs (YUM!)
• French onion soup stuffed mushrooms (from www.pioneerwoman.com) (EXTRA YUM!)
• Crudites with Miso dip
• Roasted pepper and eggplant dip
• Assorted cheeses
• Hummous and pita
• Homemade chocolate cake (thanks to my hubbie!)
• Assorted Xmas baking and chocolates
• Butter tarts
We had one couple pull out at the last minute, and I think we would have had just about the right amount of food had they come. As it stood, there were a few left over finger foods, and far too much sweet stuff, in spite of the kids' best efforts to eat as much as they could. At the end of the evening, one little three-year-old said, "Mom, I'm still hungry." She said, "What would you like to eat?" He answered, "Hmm, I don't know. Something covered in chocolate?" He had himself a second slice of birthday cake.
Last night I had declared that I would take today "off" and not cook anything. We were planning to go to a New Years' Day open house and I had enough crackers, goat ricotta dip and beet tartare left over from the night before that even if I didn't cook anything else, I wouldn't show up empty handed.
But our plans were foiled by kids once again when Baby G woke up this morning, throwing up. We had an enforced day of rest, mostly sitting under Baby G while he slept. But that meant I had to think up something for dinner time.
I had some leftover empanada filling, and I had saved some whey from my cheese-making efforts because I hate to waste it, and I had read that you can use it in bread dough. So I made whole wheat buns, stuffed with ricotta and mozzarella. They were popular with everyone, including Baby G, who by 6:00 had rallied and ate several bites of a bun and sipped some of the goat's milk.
I am so very grateful for all my friends and family, for their love and generosity, and for the beautiful food they bring to my life. Some examples:
• Last night I found myself mentioning my mom again and again: I used her pastry dough in the butter tarts, she made the gingerbread men that the kids went crazy for, and my go-to birthday cake recipe is her Devil's food chocolate cake. We felt (and tasted) her presence very strongly last night.
• My mom's cousin very generously off-loaded dozens of litres of frozen goat's milk (and she says there is more where that came from), which all my boys drink (in fact, D refers to goat's milk as "boy milk" because only I drink cow's milk in our house. So that is "girl milk"), and which makes up a substantial portion of our grocery bills. The kids (and hubby) love it, and it tastes so fresh that I might even be convinced to start drinking it. It will also provide us cheese and possibly yogurt (more on that after tomorrow) for the next few months.
• My in-laws gifted me with Odd Bits: How to Cook the Rest of the Animal, a cookbook that I am madly in love with (and recently had to return it to the library), as well as a gift certificate to Souleio Foods. There are so many potential (and delicious) ways to spend it!
• Another good friend gifted me with Cook, Eat, Smile, a lovely seasonal cookbook
• "Santa" brought me a cast-iron frying pan, a cut glass beverage dispenser, a beautiful porcelain serving platter and bowl set, and a Le Creuset kettle.
• my neighbour brought us Cat's Claw bush honey from Arizona and some homemade rhubarb chutney.
• my freezer is full of beef, pork, and northern freshwater fish, gifted by my dad, as well as one and a half farm chickens from my mom's cousin and my mother in law.
• another good friend sold me gorgeous lamb for cost, and also brought another pint of honey from bees on her family's land.
• my birthday gift from my husband was a light garden, so I can start growing herbs and microgreens indoors during the cold months! I was so delighted to get dirt under my fingernails, even in winter, when I filled the pots with soil today!
My cup floweth over. And I am thankful.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
New Years Preparation
We have two (possibly three) busy days ahead of us, first, my husband's delayed family Christmas is tomorrow. We will be spending the day at his brother's place, opening gifts, eating (more) turkey and drinking wine. I don't have to bring anything, but I will be bringing wine, chocolates, cookies and butter tarts (my mom sent me home with some wonderful things after Christmas, including a container of her most excellent pie crust, ready to be rolled and turned into a pie. I made some of it into tourtiere, which we've been eating for the last two days, and the rest of it has become butter tarts). Speaking of tourtiere, it may have something to do with my kids' French heritage, but I have to say they go crazy for meat pies.
I will be posting soon on the amazing array of food and ingredients that I have been gifted in the past while, but in the meantime I will say briefly that the other thing that I might be bringing to the party tomorrow is fresh, homemade goat cheese, because I became the bemused owner of 68L (give or take) of frozen goat's milk over the holiday.
Following Second Christmas is New Year's Eve, which also happens to be my birthday. We have started a tradition among our friends, and named it "Breeders' New Year": we invite all of our friends who have young children (and they invite some of their friends too) to come over, bring the kids, some food and wine, and have a chaotic but enjoyable New Year's Eve party which usually wraps up around 9PM.
I am blessed with several foodie friends, who will be bringing wonderful things to grace our table. For my own contribution I have settled on:
Ricotta and spinach empanadas (using the remainder of the empanada pastry in my freezer, and the freshly made goat cheese, which is very similar to ricotta)
Pork sausage with bacon and figs (from Pine View Farms), served with a fig and red wine dipping/spooning sauce (this recipe will be adapted from this recipe for spiced chorizo and figs, which we have made and enjoyed many times)
Beet Tartare from Mark Bittman's Food Matters
Marie's Rosemary Nut Crackers from Whitewater Cooks at Home
Blue Cheese and Pear Crostini
I also just bottled some apple brandy and creme de cassis, and I will be offering up my fruit brandies alongside sparkling wine for some delicious locally flavoured kir royales. (Kirs and kir royales are my favourite festive drink: just grab your favourite sparkling wine, fill up a champagne flute and finish with a tiny splash of cassis, cherry brandy, pomegranate juice, or whatever suits your fancy.)
And for any of you who need more ideas for a simple foodie New Year, a good friend sent me this link to an L.A. Times article. Some good stuff here!
I will be posting soon on the amazing array of food and ingredients that I have been gifted in the past while, but in the meantime I will say briefly that the other thing that I might be bringing to the party tomorrow is fresh, homemade goat cheese, because I became the bemused owner of 68L (give or take) of frozen goat's milk over the holiday.
Following Second Christmas is New Year's Eve, which also happens to be my birthday. We have started a tradition among our friends, and named it "Breeders' New Year": we invite all of our friends who have young children (and they invite some of their friends too) to come over, bring the kids, some food and wine, and have a chaotic but enjoyable New Year's Eve party which usually wraps up around 9PM.
I am blessed with several foodie friends, who will be bringing wonderful things to grace our table. For my own contribution I have settled on:
Ricotta and spinach empanadas (using the remainder of the empanada pastry in my freezer, and the freshly made goat cheese, which is very similar to ricotta)
Pork sausage with bacon and figs (from Pine View Farms), served with a fig and red wine dipping/spooning sauce (this recipe will be adapted from this recipe for spiced chorizo and figs, which we have made and enjoyed many times)
Beet Tartare from Mark Bittman's Food Matters
Marie's Rosemary Nut Crackers from Whitewater Cooks at Home
Blue Cheese and Pear Crostini
I also just bottled some apple brandy and creme de cassis, and I will be offering up my fruit brandies alongside sparkling wine for some delicious locally flavoured kir royales. (Kirs and kir royales are my favourite festive drink: just grab your favourite sparkling wine, fill up a champagne flute and finish with a tiny splash of cassis, cherry brandy, pomegranate juice, or whatever suits your fancy.)
And for any of you who need more ideas for a simple foodie New Year, a good friend sent me this link to an L.A. Times article. Some good stuff here!
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Nuts: I Am What I Eat
I have been neglecting my blog posts while I scramble for sleep as Baby G cuts his last one-year molar, while also trying to coordinate plans for Christmas baking and gifting. I also picked up a catering gig for the 17th of December, which I'm looking forward to, but which also requires quite intensive planning in order to pull it off without a hitch. Hence, more thinking and list-making is going on, rather than blogging.
My meal plan was created on the fly this week, hence it wasn't much of a plan. I do have a couple of recipes to share though, which have nuts in common. As long as your children don't have nut allergies, and are past the risk of choking, nuts are an excellent, energy-dense, healthy fat-filled, and filling addition to a meal. The nuts were the most popular part of these two vegetarian meals this week:
Pineapple Tofu with Cashews, from Canadian Living
Spaghetti with Cauliflower, Green Olives and Almonds
The Spaghetti with Cauliflower, Green Olives and Almonds is a particular favourite of my husband and me, served with whole grain spaghetti. It is one of the few olive oil-based sauces that I find completely satisfying. Added Parmesan helps, too.
I will post again soon with the developments of both my catering gig and Christmas baking plans. First steps are in place—I purchased the Lee Valley Gingerbread Mold and gingerbread decorating ingredients today. I can't resist anything for the kitchen made from cast iron! Excited to use it.
My meal plan was created on the fly this week, hence it wasn't much of a plan. I do have a couple of recipes to share though, which have nuts in common. As long as your children don't have nut allergies, and are past the risk of choking, nuts are an excellent, energy-dense, healthy fat-filled, and filling addition to a meal. The nuts were the most popular part of these two vegetarian meals this week:
Pineapple Tofu with Cashews, from Canadian Living
Spaghetti with Cauliflower, Green Olives and Almonds
The Spaghetti with Cauliflower, Green Olives and Almonds is a particular favourite of my husband and me, served with whole grain spaghetti. It is one of the few olive oil-based sauces that I find completely satisfying. Added Parmesan helps, too.
I will post again soon with the developments of both my catering gig and Christmas baking plans. First steps are in place—I purchased the Lee Valley Gingerbread Mold and gingerbread decorating ingredients today. I can't resist anything for the kitchen made from cast iron! Excited to use it.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Birthday Pie, Walk Down Memory Lane
"You sure know how to make a guy delirious."
It isn't every Amazon that can elicit a comment like that from her husband simply by serving mushy peas and brown gravy from a package. Perhaps it helps to provide context:
My husband loves meat in pastry. Anything remotely resembling a savoury pie gets his enthusiastic thumbs up. In our past pre-kid travels to New Zealand, we did our best to eat our weight in meat pies—evidence of this is here in a past blog.
On our more recent (two years ago recent) trip to Australia, we sampled a few pies as well, with the clear winner being a "Tiger" from Harry's Cafe de Wheels in Woolloomoolloo. This is a meat pie, topped with mashed potatoes, mushy peas and brown gravy. It was surprisingly delicious, and we still think of it fondly.
So enter hubby's true birthday, which is a bit of a let-down because we've already done the family dinner and fancy cake the previous Sunday. He has requested ground beef cooked with some kind of tomato sauce for his true birthday dinner, but what I have in the fridge are ready-made pies from The Prairie Pie Wagon. This is Saskatoon's version of Harry's Cafe de Wheels. I had four pies: pork, cherry and wild rice, turkey pot pie, steak and Guinness, and tourtiere.
I also had a good quantity of leftover buttermilk mashed potatoes. This got me thinking. Perhaps we could recreate a favourite vacation meal for his birthday? I had some green split peas, and with a quick stop at the nearby convenience store for a package of brown gravy mix (note, I NEVER buy this stuff, but in this case, it was required for authenticity's sake). I boiled up the peas, mashed them, mixed up the gravy, reheated the pies and potatoes, and voila! Nostalgic dinner extravaganza! And the resulting quote regarding delirium. Lucky me to be married to someone so easy to please. And by the way, he had the tourtiere, which I think meets his ground meat requirements. I didn't even outright ignore his request in making this dinner! A true step forward in our relationship.
Photo of the pie/peas/potatotes/gravy to come soon...promise!
It isn't every Amazon that can elicit a comment like that from her husband simply by serving mushy peas and brown gravy from a package. Perhaps it helps to provide context:
My husband loves meat in pastry. Anything remotely resembling a savoury pie gets his enthusiastic thumbs up. In our past pre-kid travels to New Zealand, we did our best to eat our weight in meat pies—evidence of this is here in a past blog.
On our more recent (two years ago recent) trip to Australia, we sampled a few pies as well, with the clear winner being a "Tiger" from Harry's Cafe de Wheels in Woolloomoolloo. This is a meat pie, topped with mashed potatoes, mushy peas and brown gravy. It was surprisingly delicious, and we still think of it fondly.
So enter hubby's true birthday, which is a bit of a let-down because we've already done the family dinner and fancy cake the previous Sunday. He has requested ground beef cooked with some kind of tomato sauce for his true birthday dinner, but what I have in the fridge are ready-made pies from The Prairie Pie Wagon. This is Saskatoon's version of Harry's Cafe de Wheels. I had four pies: pork, cherry and wild rice, turkey pot pie, steak and Guinness, and tourtiere.
I also had a good quantity of leftover buttermilk mashed potatoes. This got me thinking. Perhaps we could recreate a favourite vacation meal for his birthday? I had some green split peas, and with a quick stop at the nearby convenience store for a package of brown gravy mix (note, I NEVER buy this stuff, but in this case, it was required for authenticity's sake). I boiled up the peas, mashed them, mixed up the gravy, reheated the pies and potatoes, and voila! Nostalgic dinner extravaganza! And the resulting quote regarding delirium. Lucky me to be married to someone so easy to please. And by the way, he had the tourtiere, which I think meets his ground meat requirements. I didn't even outright ignore his request in making this dinner! A true step forward in our relationship.
Photo of the pie/peas/potatotes/gravy to come soon...promise!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Changing Menus on the Fly
My original plan for Tuesday night's dinner (meat, grain and greens loaf, grilled squash and tomatoes) got fancied up a little, thanks to Pine View Farm's suggestion to stuff pattypan squash. It was pattypans that I had, so I decided to stuff the meatloaf into the squash. The remainder of the meat mixture, I patted into muffin pans to make mini-loaves.
The tomatoes also got fancied up as well when I stumbled across an herb- and cheese-stuffed tomato recipe in The Occasional Vegetarian while looking for a tomato soup recipe. Simply toss fresh herbs (oregano, thyme and parsley) with shredded cheese, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, press over seeded tomatoes (I didn't cut the centres out, just cut them in half and gently pressed out seeds and pulp) and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 350F and then brown briefly under the broiler.
I also added fresh corn to the menu because my dad stopped by with some of the corn picked by my grandfather and uncle. It was delicious. The meal ended up being much prettier and more delicious than I had expected (although the meatloaf wasn't terribly flavourful, it was good for us, and we spiced it up with a ketchup/hot sauce combo...I NEVER use ketchup, but this dish called for it).
The tomatoes also got fancied up as well when I stumbled across an herb- and cheese-stuffed tomato recipe in The Occasional Vegetarian while looking for a tomato soup recipe. Simply toss fresh herbs (oregano, thyme and parsley) with shredded cheese, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, press over seeded tomatoes (I didn't cut the centres out, just cut them in half and gently pressed out seeds and pulp) and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 350F and then brown briefly under the broiler.
I also added fresh corn to the menu because my dad stopped by with some of the corn picked by my grandfather and uncle. It was delicious. The meal ended up being much prettier and more delicious than I had expected (although the meatloaf wasn't terribly flavourful, it was good for us, and we spiced it up with a ketchup/hot sauce combo...I NEVER use ketchup, but this dish called for it).
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Don't Mess with the Amazon's Morning Ritual
I've never really thought of myself as a creature of habit. There once was a time when my husband, then my boyfriend, would mourn the meal we just ate, because he thought it was delicious, but he knew he would never have it again. I was known for making a recipe only once, and then moving on to the next exciting possibility. I was always looking for the 'best' recipe. The best oatmeal cookies, the best way to cook salmon, the best steak marinade, the best cake.... I was also on the lookout for the 'best' ingredients: the best butter, the best coffee, and so on.
The challenge with constantly searching for the 'best' (and of course 'best' is subjective according to my own tastes, and may not be everyone's favourite or anyone else's definition of 'best') is that eventually you find it, and then everything beyond that pales in comparison. And while I love finding the pinnacle of whatever I am searching for at the time, the fact remains that from then on, unless I keep using/eating/cooking that pinnacle, I will always be disappointed.
This was brought home to me in a painful way this morning when I discovered we were out of sugar for my coffee. Over the past several years I have narrowed my requirements for coffee. After a couple of years as a graduate student where I was so addicted to coffee that I would drink a pot and then fall asleep on the couch at 10am rather than do my required reading, I entered the office environment. After a couple of years in an office with typically awful coffee, I weaned myself off it completely in favour of tea, because I couldn't bring myself to drink bad coffee. At that point, I only drank coffee I enjoyed, mostly on weekends, or purchased espresso drinks from local coffee shops.
More recently, I have honed my requirements even more. We drink a couple of blends, depending on where we can get to when we're out of coffee. I'm quite pleased with Kicking Horse coffee, and prefer the Kootenay Crossing blend. It is bold and full bodied, but not at all bitter or acidic. We also pick up a specific half and half blend of fair trade organic Sumatran/Guatemalan blend from McQuarrie's Tea and Coffee Merchants, whenever we're on Broadway. And I brew it strong. Then I add Sucanat, organic raw sugar cane, which, with the molasses still intact, offers a nice full, round, mellow sweetness that makes normal white sugar taste flat in comparison. I follow that with a large teaspoonful of the uber-rich farm cream that we have sourced and a sprinkling of cinnamon.
When we realized we were out of Sucanat, the coffee had already been poured. My husband looked at me with something akin to fear behind his eyes, and he asked, speaking rather quickly, "We'reoutofSucanatwhatareyougoingtouseinstead,honey?" (the 'honey' was referring to sweetener, not a pet name). I opted for brown sugar, and didn't freak out as much as hubbie had feared, thinking that the brown sugar would be too similar to Sucanat for me to notice the difference. Well, I was wrong. The coffee was sub-par because the sweetness was different, and I was left not only disappointed in my morning cuppa, but also wondering how/when I had become so set in my ways.
The challenge with constantly searching for the 'best' (and of course 'best' is subjective according to my own tastes, and may not be everyone's favourite or anyone else's definition of 'best') is that eventually you find it, and then everything beyond that pales in comparison. And while I love finding the pinnacle of whatever I am searching for at the time, the fact remains that from then on, unless I keep using/eating/cooking that pinnacle, I will always be disappointed.
This was brought home to me in a painful way this morning when I discovered we were out of sugar for my coffee. Over the past several years I have narrowed my requirements for coffee. After a couple of years as a graduate student where I was so addicted to coffee that I would drink a pot and then fall asleep on the couch at 10am rather than do my required reading, I entered the office environment. After a couple of years in an office with typically awful coffee, I weaned myself off it completely in favour of tea, because I couldn't bring myself to drink bad coffee. At that point, I only drank coffee I enjoyed, mostly on weekends, or purchased espresso drinks from local coffee shops.
More recently, I have honed my requirements even more. We drink a couple of blends, depending on where we can get to when we're out of coffee. I'm quite pleased with Kicking Horse coffee, and prefer the Kootenay Crossing blend. It is bold and full bodied, but not at all bitter or acidic. We also pick up a specific half and half blend of fair trade organic Sumatran/Guatemalan blend from McQuarrie's Tea and Coffee Merchants, whenever we're on Broadway. And I brew it strong. Then I add Sucanat, organic raw sugar cane, which, with the molasses still intact, offers a nice full, round, mellow sweetness that makes normal white sugar taste flat in comparison. I follow that with a large teaspoonful of the uber-rich farm cream that we have sourced and a sprinkling of cinnamon.
When we realized we were out of Sucanat, the coffee had already been poured. My husband looked at me with something akin to fear behind his eyes, and he asked, speaking rather quickly, "We'reoutofSucanatwhatareyougoingtouseinstead,honey?" (the 'honey' was referring to sweetener, not a pet name). I opted for brown sugar, and didn't freak out as much as hubbie had feared, thinking that the brown sugar would be too similar to Sucanat for me to notice the difference. Well, I was wrong. The coffee was sub-par because the sweetness was different, and I was left not only disappointed in my morning cuppa, but also wondering how/when I had become so set in my ways.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Returned from Cowpersonland
Just spent the weekend 'on the range' on our annual "Wyse Womyn's Trail Ride." It has also been known as the "Wyld Womyn's Trail Ride." I joke that whether it's "Wyse" or "Wyld" depends on the amount of gin consumed around the campfire. It is always a wonderful weekend, and always involves cooking over an open fire.
My mom and I are on supper duty, in spite of her efforts to shift to breakfast and lunch. I think we manage suppers a little too well, so we'll never get out of it. I really don't mind, though. No matter how tired I am after a day of horseback riding in the hot/wet/windy weather, I always have enough energy to pour myself a cold beer and sip it while marinating steaks and cutting up fresh veggies to feed everyone. The favourite meal this year was grilled corn in the husk, grilled steak, grilled zucchini (are you sensing a theme?) and steamed baby beets and greens. The fire was a bit cool, and so those people who really wanted their meat well done had to put it back on the grill after I thought I was done cooking; but anyone who likes their meat rare-ish thought it was perfect.
I made a popular salad recipe the next night, which is when we invite men and kids to come for a weiner roast (otherwise there are no men allowed). I was asked to post this recipe for Southwestern black bean salad:
1 19 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14 oz can corn, drained
1/2 sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1/4 c. red onion, chopped
1/2 seedless cucumber, cut in small cubes
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
Dressing
2 cloves minced garlic
1 t. seasoned salt
1/2 t. seasoned pepper
1 t. cumin
Juice of half a lime (about a tablespoon)
3 T. olive oil
Combine salad ingredients and toss gently. Pour dressing over and toss well. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow flavours to blend. Best served at room temperature.
I made the dressing ahead of time and brought the cans and veggies along with me. Pretty easy to throw together and very popular.
More to come this week--a summer supper for friends visiting from New Zealand (they've been overfed and over-holidayed till now, so I'm going to cook up something lighter and refreshing). But now I have to run out to the Eastern Market to pick up groceries for said supper. Later!
My mom and I are on supper duty, in spite of her efforts to shift to breakfast and lunch. I think we manage suppers a little too well, so we'll never get out of it. I really don't mind, though. No matter how tired I am after a day of horseback riding in the hot/wet/windy weather, I always have enough energy to pour myself a cold beer and sip it while marinating steaks and cutting up fresh veggies to feed everyone. The favourite meal this year was grilled corn in the husk, grilled steak, grilled zucchini (are you sensing a theme?) and steamed baby beets and greens. The fire was a bit cool, and so those people who really wanted their meat well done had to put it back on the grill after I thought I was done cooking; but anyone who likes their meat rare-ish thought it was perfect.
I made a popular salad recipe the next night, which is when we invite men and kids to come for a weiner roast (otherwise there are no men allowed). I was asked to post this recipe for Southwestern black bean salad:
1 19 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14 oz can corn, drained
1/2 sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1/4 c. red onion, chopped
1/2 seedless cucumber, cut in small cubes
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
Dressing
2 cloves minced garlic
1 t. seasoned salt
1/2 t. seasoned pepper
1 t. cumin
Juice of half a lime (about a tablespoon)
3 T. olive oil
Combine salad ingredients and toss gently. Pour dressing over and toss well. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow flavours to blend. Best served at room temperature.
I made the dressing ahead of time and brought the cans and veggies along with me. Pretty easy to throw together and very popular.
More to come this week--a summer supper for friends visiting from New Zealand (they've been overfed and over-holidayed till now, so I'm going to cook up something lighter and refreshing). But now I have to run out to the Eastern Market to pick up groceries for said supper. Later!
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Mini-Exodus
We spent the bulk of our day out and about while our cabinet people worked from mid-morning to 9PM trying to finish up our cabinets. We planned to be out for the morning, so we went to the Farmers' Market. Giuseppe's quiche (my two top flavours are ham-cheddar-onion and mushroom-tarragon) is my all-time favourite breakfast here in the city. Our usual routine is: drop off hubbie and the boys in front of the nearest busker. While they dance, I get in line for quiche, then get in line for coffee and a muffin (black currant and flax is my favourite) at the Prairie Pie Company, pick up quiche, scan (hopelessly) for a table, and then head to the playground with quiche, coffee and kids in tow. Baby G sits in his stroller and chows down on the quiche, D takes breaks from trying to master the monkey bars to run over to where we're sitting, grab a bite of quiche, beg for a sip of our latte, and then back to his playground antics. It's a relatively relaxing way to have breakfast.
When we arrived home just at lunch time, we discovered our kitchen in fairly major disarray. We decided for an impromptu dim sum lunch. After a quick diaper change and a minor meltdown by D who didn't want to do anything but play with his new bike, we headed back to the west side of town, only to discover that the Mandarin, our favourite dim sum place, is closed for holidays. We opted instead to head down the street to formerly Saskatoon Garden, formerly Harbour View, now (we just discovered) Good Fortune Grand Restaurant. It's amazing what ripping up the carpet will do for the looks of a dim sum place—that simple change made the newly named restaurant seem bigger and cleaner. There are new fish tanks at the front, as well as a bbq window, containing whole bbq duck and pork. When I say whole bbq duck, I mean heads and all. Very cool!
I certainly wasn't hungry enough to really go to town on dim sum, and D was punchy enough to disrupt the entire meal, but what I did taste was absolutely excellent. We had our usual favourites, rice rolls, shrimp dumplings, pork dumplings, bbq pork buns, sticky rice for the kids, bean curd pork rolls...and that pretty much was enough for me. But then they brought around the 'adventurous' cart, with beef tendon, squid, and other delights. I actually love beef tendon, but was nowhere near hungry enough to tackle an entire plate on my own (no help from hubbie on that front). I couldn't resist the squid though—these were the cutest little baby squid I'd ever seen, with little bulbous bodies and the tiniest tentacles, all bathed in a curry broth. THAT I could manage all on my own. This place is flagged for a Planet S review in the near future. YUM!
We made it back home at 2PM with exhausted kids in tow. I was also ready for a nap, so we all had a little siesta for a couple of hours, at which point we realized we were STILL not going to be able to use the kitchen. Darn! And I had come home from the Farmers' Market with fresh peas, new potatoes, and freshly cooked tortillas that I was dying to use.
We were running out of ideas for a dinner out, so we thought we would try living like the majority of Saskatonians do, and head to 8th Street. We were thinking pasta at Eastside Marios would be simple enough; little did we know that you can't just drop in to Eastside Marios at 6:30 on a Saturday night. Half hour wait! Red Lobster was walking distance, so we tried that. Longer wait! Huh. These are not places I would ever plan to visit in advance, but apparently many people do. I noticed that across the street was the Afghan place I hadn't yet tried. We left the car parked and walked across the street. Only to discover that it had since closed and was in the process of being replaced by another restaurant. Last try: Lebanese Kitchen. No high chairs, one single table, since it's primarily a take out place, but we knew they would be friendly and the food would be good. After all, they had hummous, always popular with the kids.
We completely over ordered, because by that time we were starving. No worries, though—we have no problem with having leftover Fatayer, their little delicious pastries. We ordered a mixed dozen of those, some kibbi, tabbouleh, hummous, and a Zatar pie, since it is one of the best things I've ever tasted. We visited with the guys who run the place, as well as another lady who eats there often, and left feeling nurtured and satisfied.
The kitchen renovation has advanced from 85% to 95% complete, and is looking better and better all the time. Just one last shelf, one last cupboard door, one last drawer, and kicks, crown molding and handles left to go...oh yeah...and lights, and installing the sink...maybe we're only at 92%.
When we arrived home just at lunch time, we discovered our kitchen in fairly major disarray. We decided for an impromptu dim sum lunch. After a quick diaper change and a minor meltdown by D who didn't want to do anything but play with his new bike, we headed back to the west side of town, only to discover that the Mandarin, our favourite dim sum place, is closed for holidays. We opted instead to head down the street to formerly Saskatoon Garden, formerly Harbour View, now (we just discovered) Good Fortune Grand Restaurant. It's amazing what ripping up the carpet will do for the looks of a dim sum place—that simple change made the newly named restaurant seem bigger and cleaner. There are new fish tanks at the front, as well as a bbq window, containing whole bbq duck and pork. When I say whole bbq duck, I mean heads and all. Very cool!
I certainly wasn't hungry enough to really go to town on dim sum, and D was punchy enough to disrupt the entire meal, but what I did taste was absolutely excellent. We had our usual favourites, rice rolls, shrimp dumplings, pork dumplings, bbq pork buns, sticky rice for the kids, bean curd pork rolls...and that pretty much was enough for me. But then they brought around the 'adventurous' cart, with beef tendon, squid, and other delights. I actually love beef tendon, but was nowhere near hungry enough to tackle an entire plate on my own (no help from hubbie on that front). I couldn't resist the squid though—these were the cutest little baby squid I'd ever seen, with little bulbous bodies and the tiniest tentacles, all bathed in a curry broth. THAT I could manage all on my own. This place is flagged for a Planet S review in the near future. YUM!
We made it back home at 2PM with exhausted kids in tow. I was also ready for a nap, so we all had a little siesta for a couple of hours, at which point we realized we were STILL not going to be able to use the kitchen. Darn! And I had come home from the Farmers' Market with fresh peas, new potatoes, and freshly cooked tortillas that I was dying to use.
We were running out of ideas for a dinner out, so we thought we would try living like the majority of Saskatonians do, and head to 8th Street. We were thinking pasta at Eastside Marios would be simple enough; little did we know that you can't just drop in to Eastside Marios at 6:30 on a Saturday night. Half hour wait! Red Lobster was walking distance, so we tried that. Longer wait! Huh. These are not places I would ever plan to visit in advance, but apparently many people do. I noticed that across the street was the Afghan place I hadn't yet tried. We left the car parked and walked across the street. Only to discover that it had since closed and was in the process of being replaced by another restaurant. Last try: Lebanese Kitchen. No high chairs, one single table, since it's primarily a take out place, but we knew they would be friendly and the food would be good. After all, they had hummous, always popular with the kids.
We completely over ordered, because by that time we were starving. No worries, though—we have no problem with having leftover Fatayer, their little delicious pastries. We ordered a mixed dozen of those, some kibbi, tabbouleh, hummous, and a Zatar pie, since it is one of the best things I've ever tasted. We visited with the guys who run the place, as well as another lady who eats there often, and left feeling nurtured and satisfied.
The kitchen renovation has advanced from 85% to 95% complete, and is looking better and better all the time. Just one last shelf, one last cupboard door, one last drawer, and kicks, crown molding and handles left to go...oh yeah...and lights, and installing the sink...maybe we're only at 92%.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Crispy Skin—Not Just for Chicken
Hours later, I am still relishing the memory of tonight's dinner: crispy-skinned steelhead trout with salsa verde rice. I don't know why it took me this many years to learn how to let my frying pan get hot enough to do justice to the skin.
I meant to buy salmon, because that is what the recipe called for, but when I got to Charlie's Seafood Market today, I discovered that the steelhead looked fresher, and was a full $7/kg cheaper than the wild sockeye salmon. And the trout is local. That clinched it.
This afternoon while Baby G napped, D (who is growing out of his naps...*sigh*) and I roamed the garden and collected herbs and onions for the salsa verde. I couldn't distract him from his toys until I offered to let him run the food processor, which he did with gusto. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that he couldn't stop sampling the finished salsa verde—which you'd think would be too strongly flavoured for an almost-three-year old—this kid grazes on fresh chives, sage and oregano on a daily basis, after all. I finally had to call him off and tempt him with watermelon, so that we'd have some salsa left for supper.
I used the burner on the side of my gas grill to cook the trout, since our hood fan isn't hooked up yet (arrgh) and our gas stove puts out too much heat on 30 degree days. It was a good thing, too, since the oil spatter was impressive. I let the pan get good and hot, and left the fish longer than I was comfortable, walking away so I wasn't tempted to worry them. The results were fantastic--the skin was crisp and solid, the meat had started to caramelize a bit around the edges, and with a quick flip (no sticking in my stainless steel pan), the meat was just barely cooked through and still creamy delicate.
I have never really enjoyed eating salmon or trout skin, because it is usually soft, sticky and somewhat slimy. Now I know that if I'll just give it enough heat and enough time, I'll be rewarded with a savoury, crispy, slightly greasy (but full of Omega 3s!) prize.
Crispy-skinned Steelhead Trout with Salsa Verde Rice (adapted from Ross Dobson's Kitchen Seasons)
1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup wild rice (or use another 1/2 cup brown)
2 T. peanut oil
4 trout fillets with skin on
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges, to serve
Salsa verde:
1 large handful of chopped, fresh parsley
1 large handful of chopped fresh tarragon or basil (I used tarragon)
1 large handful celery leaves
6 green onions (I used 3 that I had and topped them up with Egyptian onion from my garden)
4 salt packed anchovies (or use oil-packed)
2 T. capers (I use salt-packed)
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Put all of the ingredients, except the olive oil and lemon juice, in a food processor and coarsely chop. Add oil in a thin stream and blend until fairly smooth. Pour into a bowl and stir in lemon juice. Set aside. Cook the rice, then rinse in cold water and drain. Mix with the salsa verde.
Season skin of trout well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan over high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the fish, skin side down and cook for four minutes, until the skin is golden and crispy. Turn over and cook remove from heat. Fish will finish cooking in the hot pan while you prepare plates. Serve the fish with the rice and lemon wedges.
I also added my first fresh lettuce salad and sage flowers from my garden as a side. Fresh and delicious!
I meant to buy salmon, because that is what the recipe called for, but when I got to Charlie's Seafood Market today, I discovered that the steelhead looked fresher, and was a full $7/kg cheaper than the wild sockeye salmon. And the trout is local. That clinched it.
This afternoon while Baby G napped, D (who is growing out of his naps...*sigh*) and I roamed the garden and collected herbs and onions for the salsa verde. I couldn't distract him from his toys until I offered to let him run the food processor, which he did with gusto. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that he couldn't stop sampling the finished salsa verde—which you'd think would be too strongly flavoured for an almost-three-year old—this kid grazes on fresh chives, sage and oregano on a daily basis, after all. I finally had to call him off and tempt him with watermelon, so that we'd have some salsa left for supper.
I used the burner on the side of my gas grill to cook the trout, since our hood fan isn't hooked up yet (arrgh) and our gas stove puts out too much heat on 30 degree days. It was a good thing, too, since the oil spatter was impressive. I let the pan get good and hot, and left the fish longer than I was comfortable, walking away so I wasn't tempted to worry them. The results were fantastic--the skin was crisp and solid, the meat had started to caramelize a bit around the edges, and with a quick flip (no sticking in my stainless steel pan), the meat was just barely cooked through and still creamy delicate.
I have never really enjoyed eating salmon or trout skin, because it is usually soft, sticky and somewhat slimy. Now I know that if I'll just give it enough heat and enough time, I'll be rewarded with a savoury, crispy, slightly greasy (but full of Omega 3s!) prize.
Crispy-skinned Steelhead Trout with Salsa Verde Rice (adapted from Ross Dobson's Kitchen Seasons)
1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup wild rice (or use another 1/2 cup brown)
2 T. peanut oil
4 trout fillets with skin on
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges, to serve
Salsa verde:
1 large handful of chopped, fresh parsley
1 large handful of chopped fresh tarragon or basil (I used tarragon)
1 large handful celery leaves
6 green onions (I used 3 that I had and topped them up with Egyptian onion from my garden)
4 salt packed anchovies (or use oil-packed)
2 T. capers (I use salt-packed)
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Put all of the ingredients, except the olive oil and lemon juice, in a food processor and coarsely chop. Add oil in a thin stream and blend until fairly smooth. Pour into a bowl and stir in lemon juice. Set aside. Cook the rice, then rinse in cold water and drain. Mix with the salsa verde.
Season skin of trout well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan over high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the fish, skin side down and cook for four minutes, until the skin is golden and crispy. Turn over and cook remove from heat. Fish will finish cooking in the hot pan while you prepare plates. Serve the fish with the rice and lemon wedges.
I also added my first fresh lettuce salad and sage flowers from my garden as a side. Fresh and delicious!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Kitchen Reno Countdown
Today I entertained for the last time in my existing kitchen. Friends came over for brunch, which evolved into a snack and a beer in the backyard around 2PM, because we were still visiting. We had breakfast burritos, filled with slow cooker black beans—thanks to lennisdottir for the idea, although the aroma of simmering beans while we slept was distracting and even confusing: "Did you leave a burner on?" asked hubby at 3AM—chorizo and Monterey Jack from the Bulk Cheese Warehouse, scrambled eggs, and salsa. A lovely way to spend a lovely summer day (although I have a bit of a sunburn as a result. Those first warm days always seem to sneak up on me)!
My meal plan this week is as bare bones and simple as possible. Not much inspiration here, unless you're looking for the minimalist version of healthy family cooking. In between work, the usual childcare and keeping everyone fed, I will be hauling my stuff out of the kitchen and stashing it wherever I can find space for it in the basement. Part of me loves handling all of my wine glasses, serving platters and pottery; the other part of me marvels at how home renovations bring out the most materialistic side of me. I found I had to remind myself that it is just stuff after all. But stuff I LOVE.
I have managed to take some "before" photos, and I've included them here. I'll be sure to include "after" photos as well. The wall with the shelving and cookbooks on it is already gone, and will be replaced by an island. Just that change has made a huge difference to the feeling of openness and the light coming into the kitchen and living room. Very exciting!
My meal plan this week is as bare bones and simple as possible. Not much inspiration here, unless you're looking for the minimalist version of healthy family cooking. In between work, the usual childcare and keeping everyone fed, I will be hauling my stuff out of the kitchen and stashing it wherever I can find space for it in the basement. Part of me loves handling all of my wine glasses, serving platters and pottery; the other part of me marvels at how home renovations bring out the most materialistic side of me. I found I had to remind myself that it is just stuff after all. But stuff I LOVE.
I have managed to take some "before" photos, and I've included them here. I'll be sure to include "after" photos as well. The wall with the shelving and cookbooks on it is already gone, and will be replaced by an island. Just that change has made a huge difference to the feeling of openness and the light coming into the kitchen and living room. Very exciting!
 |
| We're building in cabinets on this wall. The buffet is for sale. Any takers? |
 |
| This wall is already gone. It opens up the view to dining room and living room. Island will go here. P.S. I really hate the blue walls. |
 |
| So looking forward to making this a functional space!! And getting rid of the temporary (plywood) casing for my dishwasher!! |
In case you're ever desperate for basic, simple food, here are the last meals I'll be making in my kitchen:
Sunday
Pan-fried pickerel
Lemon-scented rice (add zest and juice of one lemon, 2 T. butter, and salt and pepper to hot steamed rice)
Steamed peas
Fresh veggie plate
Monday
Small pork roast (delivered to my door by my lovely dairy delivery folks)
Roasted root veggies (mostly celeriac, since I have some that needs using before we leave the house for three weeks)
Simple salad
Tuesday
Broccoli cheddar melts
Wednesday
Bean and cheese quesadillas
Pacific Organic roasted pepper and tomato soup (from a carton)
Construction starts Wednesday afternoon, so the remainder of the week will be restaurant food. I've never taken D to Fuddruckers, and since he has recently developed a passion for hamburgers (I made some for Saturday's supper this week, and he was yelling, "I want one of THOSE!" the second he caught sight of me on my way to the bbq. I was hard pressed to convince him that they should be cooked first), so I was considering that as an option for Thursday. Friday and Saturday will unfold as they come.
I joked with Mike at the Bulk Cheese Warehouse that by the end of the week, we'd be down to eating bread and cheese. His face lit up, and he said, "So you'll be shopping here, then!" Could be worse.
...and somewhere in the midst of all this, there is a garden to plant...
...and somewhere in the midst of all this, there is a garden to plant...
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Easter Fallout
I ate more this weekend than I have in ages. Besides the usual yummy Easter dinner of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, cabbage rolls and all the usual trimmings, there were just so many delicious desserts! I had worked my way through apple pie, a traditional Czech lamb-shaped pound cake coated in buttercream from my sister's in-laws, almond-raspberry and peanut butter cupcakes (one of each), and a small piece of my Grandma's birthday carrot cake, before I realized I hadn't even had any chocolate!
Hence, this week, things will be on the light side (with the occasional chocolate Easter egg thrown in for good measure). On our way back to town (yesterday, due to a one-day delay while we waited for D to get over a stomach bug--YUCK.) we stopped in at Dad's Nutrition Centre to stock up on organic vegetables. I decided to just build a meal plan from what I found rather than starting out with one.
Last night I started things off using the bundles of fresh broccolette in a delicious dish of pasta with chickpeas and broccoli. It was just what the nutritionist ordered.
Another great thing about it was that Baby G could eat it as well. I pulled out some pasta and chickpeas before I made the sauce, and cooked one of the broccolettes whole instead of chopping it, and he pretty much ate what we did. In fact today I just gave him some of the leftovers, 'sauce' and all, since the sauce was just olive oil and lemon juice, really. G has moved forward in his eating by leaps and bounds since I gave in and let him have puffed wheat. Which means he can also have bread. He seems much happier now that he can eat toast with D and me in the mornings. He just wants to skip the baby food stage and move on to the real thing! It helps that, while he's only 8 months old, he has eight teeth, so he can chew as well as or better than most one year olds.
It's 4 PM and I didn't have a plan for supper tonight, until I looked at Moosewood's Simple Suppers and realized I can turn the leftover Ukrainian Easter bread (Paska, lovingly braided by my grandmother) into a savoury bread pudding. It's going to get turned into Savory Bread and Cheese Bake. The golden raisins in the bread will add just the slightest touch of sweetness. Not terribly light, but I'll keep the portions small and eat extra broccoli slaw, dressed with simple olive oil and lemon juice.
Still have Thursday and Friday to figure out...I'll get there. But it will contain one or more of the following: Swiss chard, zucchini, yellow and orange peppers, yams, potatoes or celeriac.
Hence, this week, things will be on the light side (with the occasional chocolate Easter egg thrown in for good measure). On our way back to town (yesterday, due to a one-day delay while we waited for D to get over a stomach bug--YUCK.) we stopped in at Dad's Nutrition Centre to stock up on organic vegetables. I decided to just build a meal plan from what I found rather than starting out with one.
Last night I started things off using the bundles of fresh broccolette in a delicious dish of pasta with chickpeas and broccoli. It was just what the nutritionist ordered.
Another great thing about it was that Baby G could eat it as well. I pulled out some pasta and chickpeas before I made the sauce, and cooked one of the broccolettes whole instead of chopping it, and he pretty much ate what we did. In fact today I just gave him some of the leftovers, 'sauce' and all, since the sauce was just olive oil and lemon juice, really. G has moved forward in his eating by leaps and bounds since I gave in and let him have puffed wheat. Which means he can also have bread. He seems much happier now that he can eat toast with D and me in the mornings. He just wants to skip the baby food stage and move on to the real thing! It helps that, while he's only 8 months old, he has eight teeth, so he can chew as well as or better than most one year olds.
It's 4 PM and I didn't have a plan for supper tonight, until I looked at Moosewood's Simple Suppers and realized I can turn the leftover Ukrainian Easter bread (Paska, lovingly braided by my grandmother) into a savoury bread pudding. It's going to get turned into Savory Bread and Cheese Bake. The golden raisins in the bread will add just the slightest touch of sweetness. Not terribly light, but I'll keep the portions small and eat extra broccoli slaw, dressed with simple olive oil and lemon juice.
Still have Thursday and Friday to figure out...I'll get there. But it will contain one or more of the following: Swiss chard, zucchini, yellow and orange peppers, yams, potatoes or celeriac.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
"Mmmm. This is a great supper."
Now those are words you don't hear every day from a two year old. Apparently, all it takes to sell him on a meal is oven-fried chicken (Pineview Farms thighs and drumsticks). He hadn't touched anything else on his plate, but since he had a drumstick, he was convinced the meal was great. With a bit of coaxing, he went on to note his surprise that the pale oven-fry was a sweet potato (we had a combination of sweet potato and yam fries), and once he confirmed that it was sweet potato, he proceeded to clear his plate of them: "I think this is great. This is great food!" When he announced he was finished, without having touched his asparagus, we suggested he have at least one bite of his vegetables, so that he could get the vitamins he needed. "I like vitamins!" he said, and took one bite, and then shoved half of the rather large asparagus spear in his mouth. If only he were always so agreeable.
He doesn't eat like this every day, but I do enjoy it when he does. Chicken, yam fries and asparagus. The winning combination.
It worked well for Baby G, too, who has apparently caught on to the joys of food. He demolished a slice of baked yam, half an asparagus spear, and a good tablespoon of mom-chewed chicken thigh, his first show of interest in meat since we started feeding him solids.
Coconut macaroons for dessert—we have a lot of macaroons around now, since I'm trying to use up all of the egg whites left over from the crème brulée. I have eight more egg whites to go. Any suggestions? Keep in mind I'm a bit burnt out for cooking this week...
He doesn't eat like this every day, but I do enjoy it when he does. Chicken, yam fries and asparagus. The winning combination.
It worked well for Baby G, too, who has apparently caught on to the joys of food. He demolished a slice of baked yam, half an asparagus spear, and a good tablespoon of mom-chewed chicken thigh, his first show of interest in meat since we started feeding him solids.
Coconut macaroons for dessert—we have a lot of macaroons around now, since I'm trying to use up all of the egg whites left over from the crème brulée. I have eight more egg whites to go. Any suggestions? Keep in mind I'm a bit burnt out for cooking this week...
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Meal Plan #8
My precious meal planning notebook is FULL! I'm going to have to find another one. I'm using an interim notebook for now. I love flipping back through it and remembering the menus I planned and the guests I served, since most of the time I include my guests' names in the title.
But I digress. Here's my meal plan for this week (note that ingredients are aimed towards potential finger foods for Baby G, who, at 6 and a half months, has no interest in eating foods off a spoon. If he can't hold it, he won't sample it).
Monday
"White trash" sweet and sour spareribs (I confess to a love of westernized Asian food that is made from non-Asian ingredients. Like ketchup)
Baked brown and wild rice (some formed into little finger food patties for Baby G)
Broccoli with oyster sauce (with some broccoli pulled out of the steamer for Baby G)
Tuesday (vegetarian/yoga night)
Ryan's Moroccan Yam Burgers (from my new cookbook, Whitewater Cooks at Home!). If you go to the link for the recipe, scroll down a bit in the forum, and you'll find it.
These sound awesome--grated yams, pureed chickpeas, nuts, tons of spices and more. I'll cook up some yams separately for Baby G. I think I'm also going to try stewed prunes as finger food...which might be messy, but so is everything else he eats.
Wednesday
I'm away at a meeting over the supper hour, so I'll be popping this in the oven ahead of time:
Navy bean and squash gratin with bits of sausage (from Mark Bittman's Food Matters). I'll mash up some beans and cook some separate squash chunks for Baby G.
Thursday
Oven roasted Pine View Farms chicken thighs
Sweet potato fries
Asparagus (or some other veggie if I can't find organic asparagus). Baby G will suck on asparagus, as well as sweet potato fries. He's not currently interested in meat, but I might make like a mama bird and chew some up for him to try.
Friday
Pasta with tomatoes, tuna and capers from Mark Bittman's Food Matters. There are several versions of this recipe, and I found a similar one on Epicurious, here. Mark Bittman's recipe calls for tuna packed in oil, which I will use if I can find it. Has anyone seen it anywhere in Saskatoon?
As for Baby G's meal on Friday, I'm guessing we'll have something in the fridge from earlier meals that we can use, since the pasta meal isn't terribly baby-friendly. That reminds me, though--if I pick up some rice pasta, he can have pasta as finger food, too! (he hasn't tried wheat yet)
Note on tuna: I truly don't eat tuna or serve it to my family very often at all (less than one can per month), because I do have some reservations about its mercury levels. When I was pregnant, I didn't eat it at all. But I can't seem to avoid it completely, because I discovered it so recently, and love it. I figure with the levels of healthiness we enjoy in the rest of our foods, the benefits out-weigh the costs of the occasional meal using tuna.
But I digress. Here's my meal plan for this week (note that ingredients are aimed towards potential finger foods for Baby G, who, at 6 and a half months, has no interest in eating foods off a spoon. If he can't hold it, he won't sample it).
Monday
"White trash" sweet and sour spareribs (I confess to a love of westernized Asian food that is made from non-Asian ingredients. Like ketchup)
Baked brown and wild rice (some formed into little finger food patties for Baby G)
Broccoli with oyster sauce (with some broccoli pulled out of the steamer for Baby G)
Tuesday (vegetarian/yoga night)
Ryan's Moroccan Yam Burgers (from my new cookbook, Whitewater Cooks at Home!). If you go to the link for the recipe, scroll down a bit in the forum, and you'll find it.
These sound awesome--grated yams, pureed chickpeas, nuts, tons of spices and more. I'll cook up some yams separately for Baby G. I think I'm also going to try stewed prunes as finger food...which might be messy, but so is everything else he eats.
Wednesday
I'm away at a meeting over the supper hour, so I'll be popping this in the oven ahead of time:
Navy bean and squash gratin with bits of sausage (from Mark Bittman's Food Matters). I'll mash up some beans and cook some separate squash chunks for Baby G.
Thursday
Oven roasted Pine View Farms chicken thighs
Sweet potato fries
Asparagus (or some other veggie if I can't find organic asparagus). Baby G will suck on asparagus, as well as sweet potato fries. He's not currently interested in meat, but I might make like a mama bird and chew some up for him to try.
Friday
Pasta with tomatoes, tuna and capers from Mark Bittman's Food Matters. There are several versions of this recipe, and I found a similar one on Epicurious, here. Mark Bittman's recipe calls for tuna packed in oil, which I will use if I can find it. Has anyone seen it anywhere in Saskatoon?
As for Baby G's meal on Friday, I'm guessing we'll have something in the fridge from earlier meals that we can use, since the pasta meal isn't terribly baby-friendly. That reminds me, though--if I pick up some rice pasta, he can have pasta as finger food, too! (he hasn't tried wheat yet)
Note on tuna: I truly don't eat tuna or serve it to my family very often at all (less than one can per month), because I do have some reservations about its mercury levels. When I was pregnant, I didn't eat it at all. But I can't seem to avoid it completely, because I discovered it so recently, and love it. I figure with the levels of healthiness we enjoy in the rest of our foods, the benefits out-weigh the costs of the occasional meal using tuna.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Bolognese to Believe In
Meat sauce, for me, goes right alongside lasagna and chili, in the 'I can do without it' category. But since those are some of my husband's favourite things, I still tend to make them once in a while. Tonight, I discovered a meat sauce making method that I can really get behind: roasting it in the oven!
The recipe that got me onto this method was Mark Bittman's Pasta with Roasted Eggplant and Meat Sauce, but I realize it could really be done with any collection of meat sauce ingredients. Heat the oven to quite hot (425F) and add toss finely chopped vegetables (the eggplant was excellent), including onion and garlic, with ground meat (in this case lamb). Roast for 40 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, and then add some fresh or canned tomatoes, tomato paste, spices and a splash of red wine, and return to the oven for another ten minutes or so. Thin with a bit of pasta cooking water and serve with the pasta of your choice (I chose Artesian Acres kamut garlic parsley linguine from Dad's Organic Market). The result was densely flavoured, and deliciously 'roasty'. I feel like I've discovered a whole new world of bolognese—bolognese and beyond!
The recipe that got me onto this method was Mark Bittman's Pasta with Roasted Eggplant and Meat Sauce, but I realize it could really be done with any collection of meat sauce ingredients. Heat the oven to quite hot (425F) and add toss finely chopped vegetables (the eggplant was excellent), including onion and garlic, with ground meat (in this case lamb). Roast for 40 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, and then add some fresh or canned tomatoes, tomato paste, spices and a splash of red wine, and return to the oven for another ten minutes or so. Thin with a bit of pasta cooking water and serve with the pasta of your choice (I chose Artesian Acres kamut garlic parsley linguine from Dad's Organic Market). The result was densely flavoured, and deliciously 'roasty'. I feel like I've discovered a whole new world of bolognese—bolognese and beyond!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)