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Happy Halloween! I left the house this morning with a Mad Hatter and a Robot. It was quite an exciting morning getting everyone organized and out the door looking just the way they wanted to. For us, Halloween isn't so much about the candy, but rather the costumes. We opt for homemade whenever possible, and I think the boys made great choices this year.
Have a great day!
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This week's soup is courtesy of Jackson, who's been dying to make something like this ever since he saw it tucked within the pages of one of my food magazines. I was a little skeptical, as only a few days before he declared soup the worst food ever made, and begged me not to serve it to him anymore. For those of you still in the toddler or little kid phase, please note that age nine is fraught with mind-changes and personality confusion.
I could see what appealed to him about this particular soup though. It's like eating nachos in a slurpy bowl of broth. There's turkey meatballs, black beans, crisp corn, smoky chili powder and cumin, all garnished with sour cream, cheddar cheese and tortilla chips. I had a few leeks and celery ribs that were past their prime, so we tossed those in along with a few potatoes, which Jackson thought would enhance the dish. I think he's right.
Jackson's Meatball Soup (heavily adapted from Cooking Light)
Combine the ground turkey, egg yolk, panko, salt, 1/2 teaspoon each chili powder and cumin, and garlic in a mixing bowl and combine well. Shape the meat into golf ball-sized meatballs and set aside.
Heat the oil in a dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Place the meatballs in the pot and cook until browned, about 3 minutes per size. Do this in batches if necessary. When all of the meatballs have been seared, transfer them to a plate and set aside.
Add the leeks, celery, potatoes, corn and beans to pot. Season with remaining chili powder and cumin and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the stock and water and bring the pot of soup to a bowl. Turn the heat down to medium-low and partially cover the pot with a lid. Allow to cook for 20 minutes.
Add the meatballs back to the pot and cover. Cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Check the seasonings of the soup and add more chili powder, cumin or salt if desired.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream, grated cheese and tortilla chips.
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Yesterday, I felt like I was in on the biggest secret of the day. I spent my morning making the winning recipe from last night's episode of Recipe to Riches, Food Network Canada's newest competition show.
The premise of the program is simple; home cooks go up against each other with their "winning" recipe in a bid to win $25,000, and to see their product distributed by President's Choice on grocery store shelves nationwide. It's less combative then I was expecting, which is a good thing, and if it was on earlier in the evening it would be a family-friendly show I would watch with my kids (note: where did all the family programing go? We don't watch a lot of TV, but it irks me to know that there are virtually no family shows left on TV).
I was asked to be an official Recipe to Riches blogger, which means that I will get to make three of the triumphant recipes, and then write about them here the morning after the winner is announced.
Last night's episode featured cakes, which seemed like a good place for me to start seeing as I love to bake cakes, I just don't do it very often. As the recipe came through my in-box, I must admit that I was a little disheartened by the lengthy list of ingredients, not to mention the number of layers involved in producing this cake. Oh my, the layers! There were seven of them. That's a lot of cake making in my books. The good news is, I quickly realized each component wasn't as time consuming as I originally thought (but it still took a few hours to make the cake), and it was quite a treat to make something completely different than what I would normally whip up in the kitchen.
The recipe was created by Jacqui Keseluk. She hails from Nova Scotia and I was immediately a fan of hers as soon as I saw her on the screen, and not just because I had laboured over her cake yesterday. Anyone with full arm of tattoos depicting their love of baked goods is a star in my books. Her dream was to win Recipe to Riches in order to open a cake shop. I'm glad to know she's on her way.
Jacqui's cake is a multi-layer peach cake with a crunchy graham cracker crumb base. Tangy cheesecake, caramelized peaches, soft sponge cake, brandy syrup, whipped cream and brandy-infused dulce de leche round out the remaining layers of the cake. Nothing was difficult to make, and no unusual ingredients were required. But to be completely honest, I wouldn't likely make a cake this labour-intensive when I could go to Loblaws and buy it. But the taste? The flavour profile was lovely and the combination of textures incredible.
Here's the good news. Now you can try your hand at the recipe yourself. The competing recipes can be found here, or if you prefer, the Rockin' Peach Cake will be in Canadian grocery stores this coming Saturday.
Are you watching Recipe to Riches?
Full disclosure: Recipe to Riches is giving their official bloggers $100 in President's Choice gift cards to offset the time and money spent making the winning recipe. The opinions expressed here are 100% my own.
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(photo courtest of dreamtime.com)
One of the questions I'm often asked is about frozen foods, and if I ever use them. The short answer is yes, I do. The long answer is the only frozen foods I purchase are fruits, vegetables (I always have frozen spinach and sweet peas in my freezer), phllyo dough and juice from concentrate (occasionally).
I don't buy frozen fries, chicken fingers, fish, pizza or premade dinners, but once upon a time I did. My reasons for not doing it now are that I have the luxury of working from home, and therefore the time to cook from scratch, which I love to do, I believe that homemade foods are healthier for my family and I also happen to think it's more economical to make my food instead of buying it.
But back in the day, when I did by some frozen foods, I did so because it was convenient. I was a busy, working mom of two toddlers who commuted two hours a day to and from my job. Rob did this, too. Nightly homemade dinners just weren't possible for us, and therefore we defaulted to frozen. It was more important for me to spend time with my boys then it was to spend even 30 minutes making meals, and I felt that the frozen equivalent to my homemade favourites was better for family then drive-thru take-out en route to our house.
Despite going the frozen foods route, I was always concerned about healthy products (or as healthy as the products could be) and that's when I discovered Janes Family Foods. First and foremost, I liked Janes because it's a Canadian product. Next to that, I really appreciated the fact that all of their chicken products are made with all white meat from grain-fed chicken, not to mention hormone and steroid free.
Janes recently contacted me to see if I would be interested in sampling one of their new products, and providing some feedback as to what I thought of this product. In the interest of full disclosure, I let the lovely Dana know that I don't purchase frozen foods, but that I have been asked about them here (a lot) so sure, we would give it a go.
The new product is Flat Jacks; a frozen protein snack, meant to be prepared in the toaster. Essentially they are rectangular chicken fingers that are an easy snack for tweens and teens to make on their own. My boys took to the taste test, and I have to admit Jackson was a fan! Ben, a little less so, but this was more based on their size rather than their taste. At 5'4", my 11 year old is looking for quantity these days. As a mom, I can certainly appreciate how convenient these are to have on hand, and they can bridge the gap between after-school and dinner hour, maybe more so than other (sugary) packaged foods.
Now it's your turn. Janes has generously offered one Family Bites reader the chance to sample Flat Jacks for their family. You'll receive a beautiful basket of coupons for Janes products, as well as a few other treats, all retailing for about $100.
In order to enter the giveaway, please head over to the NEW (well, not new but very neglected) Family Bites Facebook page and click "like". Leave a comment there letting me know you're a fan, and you'll be enterted to win.
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The latest edition of Party Savvy went up this past weekend, and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. If you're planning a Halloween party at home, an October birthday party or if you're looking for a few ideas for classroom party snacks, this savvy theme has something for you, I'm sure of it.
I think my favourite - it was hard to choose - food item was this vegetable skeleton. It can be so hard to come up with a healthy snack option this time of year, and I know this guy will be a hit with the kids. It was with mine.
I strongly believe that every party, even if it's not a birthday party, needs a cake. Why not bake up an easy coffin cake this time of year?
As for the main meal, we put together a menacing mac and cheese (served in little pumpkins) and severed fingers with bloody dipping sauce. There was also candied apples and ghost cupcakes, not to mention maple-spiced popcorn.
Head on over to SavvyMom for all the details!
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"It is impossible to think of any good meal, no matter how plain or elegant, without soup or bread in it."
~ M.F.K. Fisher
I was recently asked by Babble.com for my thoughts on which food all moms should know how to cook. It was an easy question for me to answer, and my response was the following:
"I think every mom should know how to make a pot of homemade soup. Even if they just have one great recipe in their back pocket, they should make it often. Soup can be served all year round, it's economical, can feed a crowd if needed, and allows you to easily make a dinner (that wasn’t likely to happen otherwise) using almost nothing but vegetables."
I stand by that statement and truly believe that few foods are as versatile, and comforting, as soup. I am certain it's as close to the perfect family food as possible, and while my boys don't crave soup quite the same way I do, it is definitely a meal I know they will eat whenever it's presented to them.
Because of this, I'm launching the new Soup Sundays series. Each week, on Sunday, I will share a new recipe for a favourite soup, chowder, potage, broth or bisque. Some will be made with meat and others will be purely vegetarian. There will be chunky soups and soup purées, ethnic soups and old-fashioned soups, and there will be soup garnishes; a list of items to grace the top, or side, of your warm and fragrant slurpy dinners.
The right sidebar of the Family Bites homepage will feature links to all of the soups I've made/will make, including the story of why I started making so many soups to begin with. Let's get started, shall we? What is your favourite kind of soup?
Pumpkin, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Purée
Place the butter and the oil in a large pot or dutch oven, and melt over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent and slightly browned.
Add the sweet potato, pumpkin, black beans, salt and garam masala and stir to combine with the onion mixture.
Cover with 4 cups of stock and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer, cover and allow to cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until the beans and sweet potatoes are fork tender.
Puree using a regular or immersion blender. Add the remaining stock and stir well.
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I totally deviated from the meal plan this week. It wasn't intentional, but on Tuesday morning I decided that I needed to make sweet potato biscuits. I had a few potatoes that needed using up, and biscuits seemed to be the perfect vehicle for them. The idea quickly morphed into one that included chopped pork served with said biscuits, and before I knew it the planned chicken was out the window and a pot pie was in the oven.
It was perfectly seasonal and comforting, especially with the wild wet and windy weather we're experiencing, and it was like eating a casserole, only better.
Pork Pot Pie with Sweet Potato Biscuit Topping
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the milk in a large pot over medium-low heat and warm.
While the milk is warming, place the oil in a large dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown the sides of the meat, cooking for 2-3 minutes per side. Do this in batches if necessary and once all of the pieces have been browned remove them to a plate and set aside.
Add more oil to the pan if necessary, and add the leeks, carrots and celery. Cook 5-6 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Add the pork back to the pot and sprinkle the flour over the mixture. Stir well and cook for 3 minutes.
Pour the milk into the dutch oven, add the sage and season with salt and pepper. Stir constantly until the mixture is thickened, then remove from the stove top.
Make your sweet potato biscuit dough and cut out into 2" rounds. Place the biscuits on top of the pork mixture, covering the surface completely.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown and puffy. Remove and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
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For me, a rich caramel popcorn pairs perfectly with cool autumn days. There is something so cozy about whipping up a batch, and munching it while watching a movie, huddled under a warm knit blanket. It also happens to be the treat that always gets snatched from my hands when I bring a bag to the school yard at after-school pick up.
Did you know that caramel corn is also a great menu item to serve at a party? It pairs well with wine, beer, hard liquor and champagne. Keep your party simple and serve booze and spiced popcorn! And for the kids, it's a natural accompaniment to hot cocoa and cider, and I consider it to be a must-serve item at Halloween or fall birthday parties.
Popcorn can be served in individual paper cones, large bowls, or brown paper bags rolled over to create a rustic looking and recyclable no-dishes-to-wash vessel, like the one in the photos.
Pumpkin Pie Popcorn (adapted from Orangette)
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Coat a large mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray, and dump the popcorn into the bowl, taking care to pick out and discard any unpopped kernels.
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, salt, and 2 tablespoons of water.
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Continue to simmer, whisking often, and bring to a boil. Allow the mixture to boil for about 2 minutes, whisking occasionally. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in the baking soda and pumpkin pie spice.
Quickly pour the hot caramel over the popcorn. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the caramel into the popcorn, taking care to distribute it as evenly as you can. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 1 hour, stirring and turning the popcorn with a spatula every 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and place on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. Gently break up the popcorn, and serve.
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After attending a weekend conference, Blissdom Canada, that found me dining on two rich dinners (at LUMA and Pangaea), hotel food and not-so-great-for-you snacks, I'm planning a week of cheap, cheerful and healthy dinners.
Root vegetables are at the peak of their growing season, so it makes perfect sense to take advantage of what's available now and plan a meal accordingly. This week I have carrots, parsnips, squash, sweet potatoes, shallots, leeks and kale on my menu, meaning I'm taking full advantage of what's being sold at my market. And I'm making a few extra things, like the twice-baked butternut squash you see above.
What are you cooking up for dinner this week? Anything exciting?
Monday:: Root vegetable soup and caramelized shallot quiche
Tuesday: Dijon chicken, sweet potato fries, green bean
Wednesday:: Bowtie pasta with bolognese, mixed green salad
Thursday:: Butternut squash and barley risotto, kale chips
Friday:: Homemade pizza night with beet and goat cheese salad
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I made pasta with Brussels sprouts for dinner last night. This hardly seems newsworthy except that, in my experience, most kids aren't that fond of those tiny cruciferous orbs. Mine weren't either, until I introduced them to bacon and Brussels sprouts, which just might possibly be their most favourite vegetable yet, save for corn.
I've learned that if I title food with the tastiest bit first, it seems much less horrible then expected. Brussels sprouts with bacon hardly sounds as enticing as bacon with Brussels sprouts hash. It's exactly the same thing, but the name makes it so much more favourable. And sometimes you just do what you have to do, if it means achieving some enthusiasm at the dinner table.
Since getting the seal of approval - clean plates - for the mini cabbages, I thought it might be high time we expanded our horizons, so I left the bacon out this time. I know that everything is supposedly better with a little crispy pork fat, but this time I was hoping the salty feta cheese would compensate for the greasy protein.
The dinner was hit. For me, anyways. The kids liked it well enough, and I bet if I tossed in a few chunks of bacon next time it would go down even quicker.
Pasta with Brussels Sprouts and Feta
If you're a little leary about introducing Brussels sprouts to the kids, this is a good place to start. When chopped into a hash they resemble sliced leeks and are seemingly less offensive. Or so I'm told.
Slice Brussels sprouts in a food processor fitted with slicing disk, or alternatively chop them into a fine hash with a chef's knife. Set aside.
Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water.
While the pasta is cooking, heat butter and oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat until butter is melted. Add the Brussels sprouts and 1 teaspoon sea salt, and sauté over medium-high heat until tender and lightly browned, about 4 minutes (If you like, feel free to cook the sprouts a little longer in order to completely caramelize the outer edges of the shredded pieces).
Reserve 1/4 cup pasta-cooking water. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet, along with the cream. Add some of the reserved pasta water and toss to combine. Season well with salt and lots of fresh group pepper. Top with crumbled feta and serve hot.
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