Family Bites

Creepy Cupcakes

Happy Halloween!  Here's what accompanied my little Harry Potter to school this morning for his class party. They're made with a sweet potato cake base, iced with chocolate frosting and topped with candy to resemble some of the spooky faces I hope we might see over the next few days. 

I debated for quite a long time over how to decorate these ghoulish goodies and when it was 9pm and down to the wire I opted to use what I had on hand (after a quick trip to the 7-11).  I think it worked well, and based on the kid's reactions I would say they agreed.

 

(so serious for the camera)

 

If you aren't already in a sugar induced coma this weekend, and you're looking to bake something scary, this sweet potato cupcake recipe is quite a winner.  I used my favourite carrot cake recipe (from the Silver Palate cookbook), omitted the coconut, walnuts and pineapple and subbed sweet potato for the carrot puree (the secret to the cake's success in my opinion). A few sprinkles of nutmeg rounded out the flavour, and an incredibly moist confection was made.

Wishing you a very spook-tacular weekend!

Creepy Cupcakes, adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups canola oil
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups sweet potato puree (instructions here)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Add the oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Fold in the sweet potatoes and combine.

Pour the batter into prepared muffin cups. Set on the centre rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the centre of the cupcake has set.

Cool on a rack and ice with your favourite chocolate frosting.  Decorate with assorted candies to create your most menacing faces. 

Kitchen Tip: Frozen Pizza Dough

I think this is probably going to be the world's shortest blog post, but I wanted to let you know that freezing pizza dough is a really great idea. Triple your regular recipe, divide into eighteen individual balls and bundle each one in plastic wrap. Store the balls in the freezer and use as needed.  

This comes in handy for the following:

• Last minute dinners when you have no idea what to cook
• Family Friday pizza nights
• Entertaining - divide each dough into mini balls and make individual pizzas - Top with pesto and brie or sausage and red pepper for an easy appetizer
• Making easy cinnamon buns
• Having friends over for calzones and movies
• School lunches

Do you make your own pizza dough?  What are your favourite pizza toppings?

Salad of the Week: Mixed Baby Greens, Bosc Pear, Dried Cranberries and Walnuts

I have been devouring this salad for the past two weeks.  It couldn't be easier to assemble and it's tastes perfectly "fall" without the heaviness of the root vegetables that have been making their way onto the plates for many of our other meals of late. 

I start with a base of mixed baby greens, although any lettuce, green or salad mix will work perfectly.  Then I top with dried cranberries, crunchy whole walnuts and slivered bosc pears.  Everything is tossed together with an orange vinaigrette, which really brings the flavours together nicely.  It's a "recipe without a recipe" kind of thing; squeeze the juice of half an orange into an empty jam jar and add 1 teaspoon of grainy mustard, 1 teaspoon of Dijon, a sprinkling of kosher salt and a drizzle or two of honey.  Mix it all together and top with 3-4 tablespoons of olive or canola oil.  Serve alongside the salad and enjoy.

What salads have you been enjoying lately?  Do you find it more challenging to make them in the fall and winter months than in the summer ones?

Witchy-Finger Sandwiches

October has moved along at quite a clip and Halloween is finally just a few days away. My kids, like yours I'm sure, are filled with excitement and the countdown for costume-day has officially begun. I was never much of Halloween fan when I was younger, but I appreciate it now that I see the day through the eyes of my boys. And to tell you the truth, I love it. So much so that Rob and I are planning on surprising the kids with our own costumes this Hallows Eve. Shh...don't tell them!

In thinking of ways to inject a little spooky fun into our week, I thought these witchy sandwiches might make for some eerie edible fun. They are a wonderfully versatile Halloween treat that I think any kiddie would love to eat.  They can be made for classroom parties, school lunches or just for fun if the kids are bored and looking for something to do.  Filled with tuna, cream cheese, ham and plain old peanut butter, they are a healthy treat that will keep your kids from climbing to the top of the Glycemic Index Mountain.  

And we all know how scary that can be! 

Witchy Finger Sandwiches

• 5 slices sandwich bread, crusts removed
• 5 almonds, pained red or black with gel-colouring paste)
• Fillings of choice: peanut butter, jam, Nutella, cream cheese, tuna, etc.

Remove the crusts from each piece of bread and roll flat with the rolling pin

Spread or top each slice with your choice of filling (I used peanut butter for these) and roll lengthwise into a thin log.

Cut around the top to round the tips of the bread, then score it with a sharp knife where the "knuckles" would be.

Add the almonds (paint them first with gel colour or food colouring) and stick them into place by adding a dab of your filling to the back of the almond before placing it on the bread.

Platter the sandwiches to make a hand, and slip a spider or spooky ring onto the third "finger".

Pumpkin Pancakes

We are madly in the throes of Halloween preparations, and have been working on our costumes and trick or treat bags with eager anticipation.  Jackson is a lover of all things dress-up,  and rarely travels far without some sort of wardrobe embellishment, so this is truly his most favourite day of fun.  I mean, imagine heading off to school for an entire day of dress-up, only to be followed by an evening of everyone joining you in some masquerade fun.  For an eight year old, it just can't get any better than that.

We've been indulging the kids this week in their excitement and have injected a little wicked fun of our own into some of the food we've been eating.  Sandwiches have taken on a bewitched twist (come back next week for those) and breakfast has been a parade of pumpkin pancakes for three days running.  There is nothing extraordinarily inventive about these, except that each bite is confirmation that fall is officially here as bursts of cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin pop in your mouth. 

I used my pancake-mix-in-a-jar recipe and added 1 cup of pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground nutmeg to the prepared batter.  It worked perfectly and there was no need for me to adjust any of the ingredient quantities I use.  If you choose to go with a boxed pancake mix I think it would work the same for you, although you may need to use a little less liquid. Top with pure maple syrup and your regular pancakes are now disguised as a healthy fall food.  No costume required. 

 

 

This Week In My Kitchen (A List)

 

This week in my kitchen I have.....

.... fed the same white bean, bacon and spinach soup to my kids three times.

.... stocked the freezer with chocolate chip cookie dough balls.

.... grabbed a few frozen cookie dough balls from the freezer for late-night snacking (yum!)

.... chatted with Rob about the insane media-hype surrounding the "Double Down".  And then contemplated trying it with him.

.... discovered I'm out of tea. I have no idea how that's possible, but it is.  I must hit up the grocery store tonight.

.... mashed antibiotics into peanut butter and fed it to my sick dog, who would only eat it if I let her lick it off my finger.

.... opened a package to discover I had been sent a new cookbook.

.... made pumpkin pancakes.  And pumpkin pie yogurt.

.... read a book, while cooking, because it was too good to put down.

.... made sandwiches for three boys, one of whom told my son it was "great to come and eat sandwiches from a professional cook" (Ha -I made them ham and cheese and peanut butter with nutella - but it was fun to hear!)

.... eaten more honeycrisp apples than I count.

.... made "French fries" with butternut squash.  Then I topped them with sage and parmesan and fed them to my family (who really liked them).

.... wondered what on earth we are going to eat for dinner tonight.  Rob and I are both home late and the kids will be climbing the walls when we get there.  Any suggestions?

What is going on in your kitchen these days?

 

Slow-Cooker Chicken Stock

October is the official start of soup season for us.  It's not that we don't eat soup in the summer, because once in a while we do, but fall is really when it becomes part of our weekly meal rotation.  Almost every soup I make needs stock for the base, which means I also need to make stock in addition to the soup.  Unless I go for the boxed kind, which is fine, except that it tastes like salty, dirty socks to me.  The homemade stock also perfumes the house, meaning I can skip the cleaning for one more day because it smells so good in here, thanks to the simmering soup.  

I think I have figured out the easiest and most efficient way to make stock.  Instead of leaving it on the stove all day while I tend to other tasks, I now make it in my slow-cooker, overnight, while I sleep.

The process couldn't be easier. I toss some chicken legs or bones and skin or whatever I have on hand into the slow-cooker and cover it with a few well-scrubbed carrots, which I roughly chop.  I add 2 onions, halved with the skins on - which aids in achieving a nice golden colour - and I also include some celery, lightly washed with leaves attached.  I fill the pot with cold water, add some peppercorns and bay leaves, a few tablespoons of kosher salt, and cover.  I set the temperature to low and head off to sleep.  

In the morning, I remove the chicken - which makes for a fantastic breakfast for the dog - and separate the liquid from the remaining solids.  The stock is poured into mason jars and left to cool. I then skim the fat off the top, seal my jars and store the stock in the fridge.

Do you make your own stock?  What methods do you employ for a flavourful soup?

Slow-Cooker Chicken Stock

• 4 chicken legs or equivalent in bones, skin or other chicken meat
• 3 large carrots, well scrubbed and chopped
• 2 large onions, halved (leave skins on)
• 3-4 pieces of celery, leaves attached and chopped
• 1/4 cup peppercorns
• 2-3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 3 bay leaves

Place the chicken in the slow-cooker and cover with the vegetables.  Cover with cold water and add the seasonings.  Place the lid on the pot and turn on low.  Simmer for 6-8 hours, or even longer.  The more the soup simmers the clearer and more flavourful the stock.  

Remove the chicken from the pot and drain the liquid from the remaining solids.  Pour the liquid into mason jars and allow to cool.  Skim any fat from the top of the stock, cover with the lids and store in the fridge for a few days, or the freezer for a few months.

 

In Praise of Braise

I learned most of what I know about in-home entertaining from a woman I worked for in France. She was (and still is, I assume) a master hostess, preparing small and intimate dinner parties with the effortless ease of a ballerina. While she employed plenty of hired help to do many of her domestic duties, she insisted on preparing her food herself.  As a French woman, she had been raised to cook - and cook well - and her meals did not disappoint.

She taught me that the secret to an almost foolproof meal was to make a braise.  Unlike North American cooks, she braised all year long, including the summer months, using whatever meats and liquids were in season.  She made her braises at least one night in advance of serving them, in order to enhance their flavours, but also to keep herself calm and collected when cooking for a crowd.  Her children were inclined to do their homework naked and her husband removed his pants the minute he walked in the door, in the same manner that some might take off a jacket, so being free to keep her family clothed prior to entertaining was essential.  Whatever her reasons though, it was a totally brilliant plan.

I fell in love with the comforting taste of braised foods and often serve them now when I'm pressed for time or am looking to impress, or both. Rest assured though, we're all fully clothed.  Bon Appetit!

Red-Wine Braised Beef

• 2-3 tablespoons canola or grape seed oil
• 1 roast or sirloin tip
• 2-4 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 2-4 celery sticks, washed and cut into large chunks
• 2-4 leeks, washed, trimmed and cut into large chunks
• 750 ml red wine (shiraz works well)
• salt and pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2-3 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
• 2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 275

Heat the oil in a dutch oven set over medium high heat.  Season the beef with salt and pepper and sear  all sides until the meat is golden brown and well caramelized.  

Remove the beef from the pot and set on a plate.  Add the carrots, celery and leeks to the pot and saute until softened, 2-3 minutes.

Return the beef to the pot, placing the meat on top of the vegetables and cover with the wine.  Add the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and sage.  Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid, or aluminum foil, and bake for 4-6 hours.

Remove the beef from the pot and set aside.  Whisk the Dijon and brown sugar into the braising liquid. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper if desired.  Slice the meat and serve with the sauce.

**If you prefer to thicken the sauce, add 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch to the braising liquid to create a gravy

Freezing Rice For Winter

Each October, sometime between Thanksgiving and Halloween, I start thinking about Christmas and how I can efficiently prepare for the hustle and bustle the holiday season brings.  Like almost everyone else I know, December is a month full of extraordinarily busy days and as an event planner, I work exceptionally hard in the weeks leading up the the big celebration.

I try to prepare for this time of year by doing my Christmas shopping in November. I also stock my freezer with seasonal baked goods at the same time.  And I brainstorm for ways to keep my family well fed on the nights I'm not here, or the ones when I walk in the door late and find three hungry men climbing the walls in a starvation induced frenzy.

Last October I decided I would double one meal each week and freeze it.  I filled my freezer with ten ready-made dinners and while it was wonderful, it wasn't really enough.  This year I've decide to stock up on components for my meals as opposed to full dinners; little things that will allow me to assemble some food in a short amount of time.  I will be able to store plenty of goods and hopefully have more than ten recipes in my back pocket for those busy weeks. 

So, first up is rice.  Not everyone realizes that rice freezes really well, but guess what?  It does.  So this week I made a large 5 quart pot full of the fluffy grain and portioned it out into five resealable bags to tuck away in my freezer.  My favourite way to serve this rice is sauteed with some olive oil, frozen peas, a touch of soy and hoisin sauces and topped with a fried egg.  We then add an assortment of fresh veggies based on our individual tastes.  It's comforting, filling and good for you, but most importantly it's easy.

And in December easy reigns supreme.

Freezing Rice

Melt 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a dutch oven set over medium high heat.  Add 6 cups of rice and stir until well coated in the butter mixture.  Cover with 12 cups of water or chicken stock and season with salt if necessary (it's not if you're using stock).  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook the rice until all of the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and allow the rice to cool completely.  Divide evenly between five resealable bags and lay flat.  Write the date on the bag and freeze.

 

Hoisin Fried Rice with Egg

• 1-2 tablespoons olive or sesame oil
• 6 cups frozen rice, thawed
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon chili sauce or hot sauce
• 4 eggs, fried
• Assorted fresh veggies (carrots, snap peas, cabbage, sprouts, green beans, peppers etc)

Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet set over medium high heat.  Add the peas and saute until thawed, about 2 minutes.  While the peas are cooking combine the soy, hoisin, oyster and chili sauces. Add the rice to the pan and top with the sauce.  Stir well and cook until the rice is warmed through.

While the rice is cooking use a second pan to fry the eggs.  Scoop the rice into bowls, top with a fried egg and serve with assorted fresh vegetables.  Each family member can customize their rice bowl with the veggies they like.

 

Harvest Focaccia

   

The minute I saw this recipe I knew I would love it.  Rustic foods tend to be the most appealing to our palates, and nothing says simple and charming quite like homemade bread infused with sweet grapes, in both their fresh and dried forms.

Sort of a sophisticated version of raisin bread, harvest focaccia has graced the table of many an Italian in honor of the official start of wine making season.   While I don't feel compelled to stomp on the grapes anytime soon, I'm happy to drink a few glasses of vino while noshing on this bread.  

 If you have plans to host a harvest or holiday dinner this fall, I can't imagine a better bread for your table.  And if not, make it anyways.  I know from experience that it's a crowd pleaser and if a hunk of crumbly aged cheddar made it's way on to the plate with the bread, I wouldn't mind that either.  

 

 Harvest Focaccia, adapted from Country Living

• 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2-3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons orange zest
• 1 cup red grapes (halved lengthwise)
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup green grapes (halved lengthwise)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 egg, beaten

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Combine the yeast, milk, honey and 1 cup whole wheat flour in a large bowl. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Heat the olive oil and orange zest in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir in the grapes and raisins.  Combine half of the grape mixture and the remaining whole wheat flour with the yeast mixture. Add the sea salt and 2 cups of all purpose flour and mix until a dough forms.  If the dough is sticky add more flour otherwise knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes.  Shape into a ball and place in an oiled bowl.  Cover and let rise until doubled, or about 45 minutes.

Punch the dough down and lightly knead.  Shape into a 1/2 inch thick disc.  Place on a well oiled baking pan and brush with remaining oil mixture, pressing the grapes and raisins into the dough.  Let rest for 30 minutes.

Dimple the loaf with fingers and bake for 15 minutes.  Brush on egg and bake until golden brown, another 8-10 minutes.