Archive for March, 2008
OK, we didn’t actually eat it for dinner, but we made it, at around dinnertime, expending any energy reserves that might have been otherwise used to make dinner.
When I told the winners of the in-home cooking class we auctioned off for the Food Bank that we could make whatever they wanted, they said they wanted to make fresh mozzarella… did I know how to do that? Sure, of course we can do that! (I reply, hastily calling my Italian friend Emily Richards in Toronto.)
She had some advice, but hadn’t made it for awhile, so I dug around on the net for a formula, we did it, and it was simple. And fun. And took less than half an hour. To make cheese! Who would have thought it was so easy? All you need is good-quality milk, citric acid (available in the bulk section at Community Natural Foods) and rennet tablets, which are 10 for $2.99 and you can find beside the yogurt, also at Community. So when Emily (another one, my niece this time) was here for the day today and wanted to cook something, we made mozzarella to celebrate the fact that she’s apparently not lactose intolerant after all.
This site provides instructions along with a good series of photos that helped us along, but there were a few notable differences: first, we heated the milk to 100F rather than 90F, misunderstanding that it was supposed to start to curdle at that point. Then we had to wait for closer to 10 minutes after adding the rennet, and even then it was far from a solid mass you could slice with a knife, but you may see different results.
But here’s the gist (we halved the recipe):
Dissolve 1 tsp. citric acid into 2 L of cold milk (we used homo), briskly stirring it with a whisk in a largish pot. Set it over medium-low heat and warm until it reaches 100F, or just slightly warmer than body temperature. Remove from heat.
Crush 1/8 of a rennet tablet and dissolve into 2 Tbsp. cool water. Add this in a thin stream, whisking constantly, to the warmed milk. Stir for about a minute, then stop. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the curds into a small microwave-safe bowl, pressing out as much of the whey as you can.
Microwave for 1 minute (this will coax out a little more whey; just pour it off) and then plop it out onto a clean countertop and start to fold and stretch it. It will be almost too hot to handle, but will cool to warm quickly.
Pull and stretch it until it’s smooth, then shape into a ball and put in a bowl of cold water until firm.
Cool, huh?
Oh right, dinner. Having had our appetites for gooey cheese all worked up, we made quesadillas - really the same as grilled cheese sandwiches - with whole wheat tortillas folded over leftover shredded chicken and strips of roasted red pepper from the freezer, and whatever bits of cheese we could gather from the fridge.
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March 31 2008 | cheese and vegetarian | 6 Comments »
This afternoon was K’s baby shower, so from 2-5 W and I grazed on party snacks: crispy, deeply toasted sesame and caraway crackers with cheese, grapes and pineapple from the fruit plate, sliced sausages on little colored sticks (mostly W’s department), cookies and chocolate covered peanut butter balls. By 6 we weren’t much in the mood for dinner. By 7 I realized Mike was about to make eggs and toast for himself, and although I likely ingested enough calories to count as dinner, I still wanted something warm and dinner-like, and W probably needed a bit of a nutritional boost.
I evaluated the contents of my fridge and came up uninspired, so decided to chip away at the contents of my freezer by boldly grabbing the first frozen-solid yogurt container within reach and thawing it for dinner.
Although it was labelled ‘pesto chicken’, it was in fact antipasto.
The second, however, was marked ‘beans: march 1/08′. (Mike gets full credit for labeling it.) It went into the pot to work its way back to its former state.
I grabbed a couple of Yukon gold potatoes, still on the counter from last night’s trip to Lethbridge, diced them small (so that they would cook more quickly without boiling) and threw them in my skillet with a little olive oil. While the potatoes cooked the beans thawed, and in about 20 minutes we had something warm that resembled a meal.
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March 30 2008 | beans and leftovers and vegetarian | No Comments »
In Lethbridge, in the dark to honour Earth Hour.
It was fantastic. I was in Lethbridge to cook and eat with the wonderful folks who were the highest bidders on a private dinner/cooking class with me that was auctioned off for the CBC Petro-Canada Food Bank Drive at Christmas. I asked what they would like to make and they were interested in learning to make fresh mozzarella - something I hadn’t done before. The process was simple but we tiptoed through it, skeptical that it was actually going to turn into cheese in the end, and it did! Although we were shocked at how little 2 L of milk produced; one handful-sized ball, which we managed to squeeze enough slices out of to make this salad layered with tomatoes and fresh basil:
Here’s how you do it:
Dissolve 1 tsp. citric acid into 2 L of cold milk (we used homo), briskly stirring it with a whisk in a largish pot. Set it over medium-low heat and warm until it reaches 100F, or just slightly warmer than body temperature. Remove from heat.
Crush 1/8 of a rennet tablet and dissolve into 2 Tbsp. cool water. Add this in a thin stream, whisking constantly, to the warmed milk. Stir for about a minute, then stop. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the curds into a small microwave-safe bowl, pressing out as much of the whey as you can.
Microwave for 1 minute (this will coax out a little more whey; just pour it off) and then plop it out onto a clean countertop and start to fold and stretch it. It will be almost too hot to handle, but will cool to warm quickly. Pull and stretch it until it’s smooth, then shape into a ball and put in a bowl of cold water until firm.
Pavlova
Whether you choose one big Pavlova or individual Pavlovas, they are simpler than you’d think to make, yet elaborate enough to make an impressive dessert, if that’s the reaction you’re going for.
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
6 large egg whites
1 tsp. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup whipping cream
Fresh raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and/or sliced strawberries, peaches, plums, apricots, kiwi or whatever fruit you like
Additional sugar for tossing with fruit (optional)
Preheat oven to 250° F and line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment. Set aside about a tablespoon of the sugar, and stir the cornstarch into the rest.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar mixture, beating until the mixture holds stiff, glossy peaks. Beat in vinegar and vanilla.
To make one large Pavlova, spoon the meringue onto the baking sheet and spread out with the bottom of a spoon to form a 9”-10” circle with a slight indent in the middle and raised edges, like a nest. To make individual Pavlovas, spoon 8-10 mounds of meringue about an inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until crisp but still soft inside. If the meringues aren’t crisp, turn the oven off and leave them inside for another hour.
Transfer Pavlova(s) to a rack and cool completely. Beat the cream with the remaining tablespoon of sugar until soft peaks form. Mound into the middle of the cooled Pavlova(s) and top with fruit.
Serves 8-10.
Crème brulée has an unshakable reputation as the penultimate fancy dessert, one you can guage the quality of a restaurant based on, and one uncommonly made at home. But truly, it is one of the simplest desserts you can make. All you do is whisk together egg yolks, sugar and cream, pour it into cups, and bake it. At Williams-Sonoma they have 1 L tetra packs of crème brulée for something like $22, and I’m constantly gobsmacked every time I go in there and see people buying them by the basketload. That’s the easy part! If there’s any trick to it, it’s baking the custards in a water bath and bruléeing the surface, but even that part is easy - you don’t need to have a torch (although it is fun), all you need to do is scatter the surface with sugar and run it under the broiler for a minute or two. Because they are chilled before this part, this is the ideal make-ahead dessert if you’re making a special dinner.
Crème Brulée
6 large egg yolks
6 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream or 18% coffee cream
1/2 tsp. good-quality vanilla (I used Madagascar vanilla bean paste, in which you can see the teeny seeds from the vanilla pod)
sugar, for sprinkling on top
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk in the cream and vanilla.
Divide among 6 small ramekins, and put them into a roasting pan or 9″x13″ pan; pour water in so that the water comes about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. This will sort of insulate them so that they cook gently and evenly.
Bake for about 40 minutes, until the custards are set but still just slightly jiggly in the middle (you’ll get a feel for this!). Take them out, let them cool and then refrigerate for a few hours or overnight, until nice and cold.
Sprinkle an even layer of sugar over each dish and caramelize with a torch or transfer to a cookie sheet and place under the broiler in the oven for about 2 minutes, just until the sugar is caramelized and golden. Turn the sheet around if you need to to help them caremelize evenly. Refrigerate again, or just let them sit on the countertop while you eat dinner or make coffee, just until the sugar is set and crackly.
Serves 6.
The drive home was longer than I anticipated, having blithely missed some turn at Fort McLeod and not realized it until I reached Pincher Creek. After turning around, driving back to F.M. and then finding highway #2 North, a snowstorm hit that lasted the entire drive back (almost 2 hours) to Calgary - it was one of those storms that makes you feel like you’re driving through an asteroid field, making it impossible to tell how fast you’re going or how far away that rig is in front of you.
But totally worth it.
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March 30 2008 | cheese and dessert and lamb and leftovers and sweet stuff | 1 Comment »
Happy Food on a Stick Day! In honor of this beloved holiday (honestly, who comes up with these? and to what panel do they apply for approval?) we did all sorts of food on a stick this morning at CBC. The favorite were the lamb kebabs. (OK, the bacon wrapped peroghies on a stick were probably the favorite, but the lamb was well-received too.)
I made sure there was some left over. These are really just a meatball mixture made with ground lamb instead of beef (although you could use beef, or half and half) and spiced with cumin, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, with currants and crumbled feta stirred in. You could turn it into meatballs if you like, or take a small handful and shape it into a sort of log around a bamboo skewer. Grill them, broil them, or cook them in a skillet in a little olive oil - awkward, but the only option when you’re working on a hot plate set on a file cabinet outside a studio.
Either way, they’re perfect to dip into garlicky tzatziki, or to stuff a pita along with chopped tomato, cucumber, purple onion, and a big glop of tzatziki.
Greek Lamb Kebabs
1 lb. ground lamb or lean ground beef (or half and half)
1 small onion, peeled and grated
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs (about 1 slice of bread), bulgur or couscous
1/2 cup crumbled feta (optional)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large egg
2-4 Tbsp. currants or chopped raisins
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
olive or canola oil, for brushing
Preheat oven to 400° F. Soak some bamboo skewers in water for at least 10 minutes to prevent them from burning when you cook the kebabs.
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Shape handfuls of the meat mixture into flattened sausages about 3” long around the ends of the skewers. Place on a rimmed cookie sheet, brush with olive oil and roast, turning often, until cooked through.
Makes 12 kebabs.
Per kebab: 112 calories, 4.2 g total fat (1.4 g saturated fat, 1.6 g monounsaturated fat, 0.5 g polyunsaturated fat), 13.3 g protein, 4.5 g carbohydrate, 65 mg cholesterol, 0.2 g fiber. 34% calories from fat
Tzatziki
Regular plain yogurt, preferably thick Greek yogurt, is far superior to the runny low fat or fat free varieties, many of which depend on gelatin as a stabilizer. Even full-fat Greek yogurt is fairly low in fat, especially when compared to mayo or sour cream.
1/2 English cucumber, unpeeled
1 – 2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups good quality plain yogurt, preferably Greek or Balkan-style
salt & pepper to taste
squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
drizzle of olive oil (optional)
Grate the cucumber with a box grater onto a double thickness of paper towel. Gather up the cucumber in the towel and squeeze out as much excess water as you can. In a medium bowl, stir together the cucumber, garlic, yogurt, salt and pepper. If you like, add a squeeze of lemon and/or drizzle of olive oil. Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours or overnight; the garlic flavor will intensify the longer it sits. Makes 2 1/2 - 3 cups.
Per 1/3 cup: 45 calories, 1 g total fat (0.6 g saturated fat, 0.3 g monounsaturated fat, 0.1 g polyunsaturated fat), 3.5 g protein, 5.6 g carbohydrate, 3.7 mg cholesterol, 0.3 g fiber. 20% calories from fat
These squares I made just because I wanted to do something other than make smoothies with the bag of tiny frozen wild blueberries in the freezer, and because I have a baby shower to go to on Sunday; it’s always a good idea for me to have reason to pawn off the leftovers.
(Low Fat) Blueberry, Lemon & Coconut Squares
These are perfect to make ahead and stash in the freezer; slicing them frozen will ensure a clean cut.
Base:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 scant cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
pinch salt
Topping:
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
pinch salt
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries or cranberries
1/2 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
icing sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, stir together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add flour and salt and stir until well combined and crumbly.
Press into the bottom of an 8” x 8” pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until just barely golden around the edges.
In the same bowl (no need to wash it), combine sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Add egg, egg white and lemon juice and stir until well blended and smooth.
Sprinkle the berries and coconut evenly over the base, and pour the lemon filling over top. Bake for 40 minutes, until golden and set. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting or freezing. If you like, sprinkle with icing sugar before serving. Makes 16 squares.
Per Square: 130 calories, 3.3 g fat (1.9 g saturated fat, 1 g monounsaturated fat, 0.2 g polyunsaturated fat), 24 g carbohydrates, 21 mg cholesterol, 1.6 g protein, 0.7 g fiber. 23% calories from fat
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March 28 2008 | appetizers and cookies & squares and lamb and snacks and sweet stuff | 2 Comments »
I promised I’d take Ben and Willem to see Horton Hears a Who this week, and because it’s Easter break week and snowy and every kid in Calgary seems to love hanging out at the mall, I figured the 5pm show might be the least jammed. (It was nearly empty - phew.)
Of course, my plan landed us there right at dinnertime. We shared a popcorn, and ate pears in the car on the way home. (I have to say, I’m slightly irked that popcorn is now promoted as “whole grain”, which of course it is since corn is technically a grain, but implies that buying a tub of movie popcorn is somehow a healthy choice.)
What last resembled a meal we ate mid-afternoon in the car on the way home from Banff; I picked up two sandwiches from The Bison General Store: Piri Piri Roast Bison & Appenzeller w/ Horseradish Butter, Shaved Onions, Watercress and Oven Dried Tomatoes ($9.25) and Valbella Maple Pepper Ham & Brie w/ Pea Shoots, Fresh Tomatoes and Grainy Mustard Mayo ($8.25), both on humongous sections of crusty, grainy baguette. Pricey but tasty, not quite earth-shattering, but refreshingly real for road food. When I heard some customers discussing the roasted cauliflower, fennel and goat cheese soup, I couldn’t leave without a cup, even though I’m not much of a fennel fan. It was much closer to earth-shattering. And easy to sip out of the cup while driving, actually, as if it were a coffee. Not that I’m condoning eating while driving, of course. Ahem.
We passed the sandwiches around, and whenever W had his turn he spent it picking the meat and cheese out of the baguette and eating it. But I quite enjoyed my pea shoot sandwich, actually.
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March 27 2008 | eating out | 5 Comments »
Magpie & Stump, a weathered sort of kitschy saloon with bison heads on the wall beside a big screen TV playing the hockey game, is exactly the same as it was 20+ years ago. The dark walls are covered with stuff - old bottles, ash trays, neon signs, old bottle openers, Christmas lights, sombreros, antlers, and that was just in the few square feet beside our table.
Since driving into Banff I have had a hankering for the Gringo Salad of my youth: a utilitarian mound of chopped iceberg lettuce, green pepper, tomato, green onion, almond chicken (which was indistinguishable to me from any other chopped, skinless roasted chicken; not that there’s anything wrong with that) and (not too much) monterey Jack cheese loaded into a deep-fried tortilla shell with their own sour cream-ish, mildly ranchish dressing. This is what I used to order when we came to M&S apres-ski, or when we came to visit my mom’s artist friend who lived in Banff when I was a teenager and pretended she was really my friend. So that’s what I got, but it seems to have lost a bit of its lustre in the past couple decades. Perhaps my palate has changed since the days when I actually enjoyed Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni?
If you want to make an edible tortilla bowl at home, there’s no need to deep-fry them: take a flour tortilla and soak it for a few seconds in a pie plate full of warm water, then drape it over an empty can or inverted glass set on a cookie sheet, gently folding it with your fingers to create the shape you want. Then bake it at 400F for about 10 minutes, or until it’s golden. Kids love dishes you can eat.
I forgot my camera at the hotel, so I could not document Mike’s beef burrito extravaganza, on an oval platter loaded down with guacamole, salad, rice, refried beans, and assorted Mexican things tucked into any bits of space left in between. Upon its arrival he commented that in most countries, this would serve as a meal for an entire family. We looked around at all the other diners, each working on equally huge platters of their own, or entire pizzas. We shared both, and still came home with enough left over for another reasonably-sized meal. I used to make a habit of asking the server to pack up the rest of my meal once I had made it through half - if it stays in front of me, I’ll keep plowing through it, whether I’m full or not. Probably a good habit to pick up again.
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March 26 2008 | eating out | No Comments »
I’m just finishing up an article on the subject of picnic food for the summer issue of a Toronto kids’ magazine, and in it one of my menu suggestions is a heartier version of pasta salad - one made with stuffed tortellini instead of the usual rotini or penne or whatever. The recipe says cheese tortellini, but when I ran over to Safeway to buy some so I could take a photo, they had smoked chicken tortellini (just the Safeway brand - I’d pull out the package to refer to, but when I went to boil them I turned on a burner, changed my mind and used another burner, turned the first one off and then mindlessly set the plastic package down on top of it) so I bought that instead (it looks identical to the cheese version, so you won’t be able to tell in the photo anyway), and a package of feta. Boiled the tortellini, ran it under cold water and drained it, then tossed it in a bowl with a drained can of red kidney beans, a few chopped sun-dried tomatoes, a handful of crumbled feta and a couple spoonfuls of pesto (on account of it being W’s magic elixer; also flavorful and works instead of vinaigrette, and won’t spoil as easily as mayo-dressed pasta salads in the hot sun). I left half in the fridge to marinate, and packed the other half to bring on our impromptu road trip to Banff. It was perfect to pick at in the car, and when we got to the hotel we found it has a little fridge! So W picked at it in the bath, lining the tortellini up along the edge of the tub, I picked at it at the little hotel-room desk, and I just noticed it’s past dinnertime (the boys are at the pool) and we don’t really have a plan. Chances are, the tortellini (it’s still not finished) and assorted car snacks will suffice.
I did take photos. But it seems I can’t upload them on my laptop… you’ll have to wait!
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March 25 2008 | beans and one dish and pasta and salads | 1 Comment »
Once again I realize this sounds awfully haughty for a regular Monday night, but there were a few leftovers from a Grey Goose event with Dimitri Lezinska (here from Paris) I was cooking for over the dinner hour at Willow Park. Mike was never so glad to see me come home.
I’ve made risotto before. I’m a fan, but not devoted to the stuff; to be honest, every time I have risotto it’s just a little too much. Too starchy, too heavy, too dense. This coming from someone who could eat an entire loaf of bread with butter with absolutely no problem. Risotto is the only thing I can think of that puts me over the edge. Perhaps because restaurants tend to serve big bowls of it on its own - why is that?
But I have always wanted to make arancini - shallow-fried balls or patties of cold risotto, moulded around a chunk of mozzarella and dipped in egg and panko before frying. You just get a few bites of risotto (enforcable portion control - probably the key to enjoying the stuff), with a crispy exterior and creamy, cheesy middle. To be honest, I’ve never attempted arancini because it seemed like too much work to have to make a recipe (risotto) in preparation for another recipe (arancini).
Was I ever wrong. If you’ve never made risotto, you should give it a whirl; it’s one of those recipes that sounds fussy, but is in reality one of the toughest to screw up. It’s easier than steaming fluffy white rice. Seriously. You want it to get starchy and creamy. If you add too much liquid, you just cook it until it absorbs it. If there isn’t enough, pour in more. Stir it as much as you can - not necessarily constantly - until it’s done. It’s like making oatmeal. And if you cool it down and put it in the fridge it will congeal into this mass that can be rolled into balls with no effort. Heat about an inch of canola oil in a skillet on the stovetop, and if you don’t have panko, you can simply dip them in flour and fry them straight away, and they are every bit as good, if not quite as crunchy and impressive-looking. But we all know looks aren’t everything.
Use any kind of risotto; I made a basic lemon and Parmesan version. Perhaps too lemony? I used less than the recipe requested, but really that sort of thing is a matter of taste. Chill overnight, or up to a few days. When you’re ready to make arancini, cut some mozzarella into small (about 1/2″) cubes and shape a couple tablespoonsful of the risotto into a ball around it. I like flattening them a little into patties - this makes them easier to cook evenly all the way through, and you don’t need your oil to be quite as deep. While your canola oil is heating in a heavy skillet or shallow pot (enough to come almost halfway up the side of the risotto cakes) beat a couple eggs in a shallow bowl, and some Panko (crispy Japanese breadcrumbs) or dry breadcrumbs in another bowl. If you like, put a bit of flour in a third.
When the oil is hot but not smoking (it should sizzle around a bit of bread dropped in), dredge the risotto cakes first in flour, then in egg and Panko (or skip the flour, or just do flour), and gently drop them a few at a time into the oil. (Don’t crowd the pan, or it will cool the oil down too much.) Cook until golden on one side, then flip and cook on the other. If you’re concerned that the inner chunk of cheese won’t be sufficiently melty, put them on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or so; this is also a great way to keep the first ones warm while you cook the rest.
Beef Tataki with Ponzu Sauce
For the Beef:
2 lb. beef tenderloin
1 Tbsp. canola oil
freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sherry or mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine)
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
zest of 1 lemon
For the Ponzu Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. ginger juice (press pureed ginger through a fine sieve to extract the juice, leaving all the roughage behind)
Daikon, for garnish (optional)
Preheat the oven to 500F. Rub all sides of the beef with the oil and sprinkle with the pepper. Place in a small roasting pan and cook for about 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to about 400F and cook for another 15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees F. Set aside to cool.
In a bowl or heavy-duty resealable plastic bag large enough to hold the beef, combine the soy sauce, sherry, green onions, garlic, and lemon zest. As soon as the beef is cool enough to handle, transfer to the bag or bowl and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours, turning over occasionally.
In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, lemon and lime juices, and ginger juice to make the Ponzu sauce, whisking until the sugar dissolves.
About 45 minutes before you plan to serve, place the beef in the freezer (this will firm the beef and make it easier to cut even slices). After 20 minutes, remove the beef from the bag and discard the marinade. Slice crosswise with a very sharp knife into 1/4 inch slices. Fan the slices, overlapping, on a platter and let stand for 10 minutes. If you like, peel a daikon and then keep slicing off thin ribbons with the vegetable peeler, and use the daikon ribbons to garnish the beef. Drizzle with the Ponzu sauce and serve. (Alternatively, you could divide everything among soup spoons, as illustrated in the photo.)
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March 24 2008 | appetizers | 3 Comments »
I was chatting to some other moms yesterday while our kids scrambled for chocolate eggs; on the subject of finicky eaters it became quickly apparent that some of you may be under the misconception that what ever I make for dinner, Willem will happily eat.
Ha. Let me relieve you of that crazy notion right now.
- He will not eat a potato in any form, unless it is a French fry. He will, however, eat falafel, and adores anything containing pesto.
- Anything else that’s green is out. Unless it’s spinach, wilted onto a pizza or whizzed into tomato sauce.
- He refuses to drink juice or even accept a Freezie. Which is not really a problem, just weird.
- Nor, going against all that is sacred to most two year olds, will he eat yogurt, or applesauce, or really anything resembling baby food. He will, however, drink a smoothie.
- He adores ketchup, so I mix it half and half with tomato paste to cut back on the sugar. He never notices. (You do have to refrigerate it though, and it doesn’t last as long.)
- He won’t eat an orange (even a Mandarin) or a carrot, unless it’s to imitate Bugs Bunny (in which case he only bites off the tip anyway) or cooked into Chicken, White Bean & Pesto Stew, which is loaded with veg and was always our saviour on days when we ate Big Salads and other things he won’t touch for dinner. However, in recent weeks it seems to be going the way of Lentil Soup - something he used to adore and now gags at.
We do, however, generally insist that he at least try a bite of things. Kids love repetition in their food as much as in their Disney movies, so it’s easy to fall into the “my kid will only eat chicken fingers and hot dogs” trap. If we let him, W would live on meat, buns, peanut butter spoons and eggs and toast, unless an all-candy and ketchup diet was an option. (What’s a peanut butter spoon? It’s a small spoon, dipped in peanut butter to then be licked off like a puppy. Hey, it has protein and good fats.)
Green Eggs and Ham has actually been quite effective in convincing him to try stuff. He spent the afternoon trying to persuade our chef neighbor to taste an avocado.
Tonight we went for dinner at Mike’s mum’s house, and she made Cornish hens (teeny tiny turkeys: one each, with Stove Top and seasoning salt) and W tore the legs and wings off all of them, and that’s all he would eat. Any onlooker might have thought we were poisoning him with the two bites of peas we managed to convince him to eat by overenthusiastically quoting Green Eggs and Ham: “you will like it, you will see - you will like it in a tree!”, and so when we got home we pulled out the tomato sauced whole wheat rotini we keep in waiting for such occasions, and his beloved (poached) eggs on toast, which has become the standard fare he asks for anytime he’s hungry.
Feel better?
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March 23 2008 | leftovers | 2 Comments »
OK, so I didn’t actually make anything for dinner tonight. But I cranked out a helluva lot of waffles over the course of the day to fuel our Easter egg hunt (I think we unplugged the waffle iron at around 2:30) and munched on leftovers and peanut butter Easter eggs enough that we didn’t particularly want dinner. I think W ate the first third of about three apples, and Mike made a berry smoothie in an attempt to offset the effects of our poor grazing.
But the waffles weren’t really that unhealthy, made with whole wheat flour, an egg and canola oil. This is my favorite recipe, and one you should have if you own a waffle iron. (In fact, having this recipe easily justifies the purchase of a waffle iron.) It’s made with yeast, and stirred up the night before (the eggs are stirred in at the last minute) so it’s ready to go when you are. The resulting waffles are light and crispy, and make the house smell phenomenal on account of the yeast in the batter. I’m glad to have the opportunity to share it; being a dinner-themed blog, I sometimes wish I could report on our morning meals instead. More than once it has crossed my mind to launch Breakfast with Julie (or Breakfast at Julie’s? Like Tiffany’s?), but then I’d be documenting everything I ate every day and driving everyone crazy. Plus there are only so many ways to make a toasted bagel & peanut butter or a bowl of oatmeal interesting.
To top the waffles, I simmered some frozen wild blueberries in maple syrup until they popped, turning the syrup indigo. And sliced up strawberries to go in between the waffles and whipped cream, of course. If there’s bacon on the table, my Mom and I both like to wrap crispy slices in a wedge of soft waffle and eat it with our fingers.
Yeast-Raised Waffles
Usually I dump some ground flaxseed in these too - for some reason it’s undetectable - but I thought better of it since there were so many toddlers present (in diapers or in training)…
1/2 cup warm water
2 tsp. (or 1 pkg.) active dry yeast
2 cups warmed milk (regular or soy)
1/4 cup melted butter, non-hydrogenated margarine or canola oil
2 cups all-purpose flour (or a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat - I usually use half and half, then add some ground flax seed too)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. baking soda
In a large bowl, stir together the water and yeast - let it sit for a few minutes to make sure it’s active. If it doesn’t get foamy, toss it out. Stir in the milk, butter, flour, sugar and salt and whisk to get rid of any lumps. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter overnight (at room temp).
Just before you make your waffles, stir in the eggs and baking soda. The batter will be quite thin. Heat up your waffle iron (spray it first) and cook your waffles the way you normally do, using as much batter as the manufacturer suggests or you deem appropriate. (I use about a ladleful per waffle.)
Makes 6-8 big Belgian-style waffles (I have a machine that makes deep, round waffles).
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March 23 2008 | bread | No Comments »
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