Family Bites

Slow-Cooker Pork Ragu

When I worked full time out of the house, there is no doubt that getting a decent dinner on the table was the biggest challenge of my day. During the years in which Rob and I both commuted two hours each way to and from the office, it was downright impossible. Especially when we stopped to pick up two toddlers halfway through our drive, spending the remainder of the trip taking turns singing, telling jokes, and playing peek-a-boo in an effort to distract them from their mounting hunger, and ourselves from the sign that said home was still 39 kilometers away. 

Did we ever cave and go through a drive-thru? Of course. Wouldn't you? But we quickly learned that nothing good came of that and another solution had to be found. Thankfully, it came in the form of Sunday mornings. I would make a meal plan and grocery list, Rob would shop, and the two of us would spend naptime cooking something in the slow cooker, steaming veggies for a hurried reheat later in the week, and storing a sustainable amount of quick cooking foods in the pantry for the week ahead.

I’ve never found great success in cooking many meals in my slow cooker (this chili mac is the one exception), but anything saucy has always responded well. Now I use my countertop cooker for pulled pork, Bolognese and taco meat, and I’m adding pork ragu to my meal rotation, thanks to this flavourful make-ahead recipe. I recently put this together for SavvyMom with commuting, working-away-from-home moms in mind, but really, it's for anyone. The ingredient list is short and simple, and the preparation really only requires about 20 minutes of hands on time. It can be made on a Sunday and stored in the fridge for a few days, and the leftovers can easily be used to dress up sandwiches or pizza on another day, giving you two meals for the time it takes to make one. 

Turkey Burgers with Avocado Relish

Usually around this time of year we start to crave burgers. It's been several months since the bbq was tucked away, and while I'm not opposed to cooking them indoors, that method doesn't quite deliver the same flavour as the outdoor charcoal grilling technique.

Thankfully, there's the option of making turkey burgers and these ones just happen to be pretty perfect for winter. They actually fare far better when baked in the oven thanks to the ultra moist meat mixture, they're plenty healthy for those who are still sticking to their new year's resolutions, and they're topped with a healthy dose of avocado, which just so happens to be in season right about now. 

The kids aren't fond of the relish. Of course. In fact, neither boy is really partial to avocado, but seeing as it's loaded with healthy fats and protein I try to sneak it in whenever I can, and burgers are just as good a place as any. I find that if I process the relish to a purée and spread it over a toasted bun, the green glop is concealed by the burger, making it far less offensive to the kids. Just sayin'.

Turkey Burgers with Avocado Relish

Feel free to replace the ground turkey with ground chicken, if desired. Alternatively, grill chicken breast pieces and top with the relish before stuffing into a bun or pita. 

Serves 4

For the burgers:

• 1lb. ground turkey (or chicken)
• 1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
• 1 egg yolk
• ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 whole-grain buns, any type 

For the avocado relish:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• Suggested garnishes: lettuce, bacon, tomato, onion, and pickles 

1. Combine the panko and the buttermilk in a small bowl, and stir to combine. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are softened.

2. In a medium-size mixing bowl add the chicken, mustard, egg yolk, oregano, and garlic. Add the panko and buttermilk, and, using your hands, mix everything together until it is well combined. 

3. Divide the mixture into four, and with dampened hands, shape each section into patties. The raw meat mixture will appear softer than that of a regular hamburger. Don’t be alarmed—this is what keeps the burgers so moist. Place the burgers on a parchment-lined baking sheet and store in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes to set. 

4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and bake the chicken burgers for 15–20 minutes, or until they are cooked through completely.

5. While the chicken is cooking, place the avocado, lemon juice, garlic and mayonnaise in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined but still chunky. Alternatively, you can mash the ingredients together with the back of a fork.  

6. When the burgers are cooked, place each patty on a bun and top it with some of the avocado relish. Garnish the burger as desired.

Chocolate Chip & Guinness Chili

Please don't click away.

I know the second you spotted the words "chocolate chip" alongside "chili" up in the title of this post, you were tempted to jump ship and find somewhere else to hang out today, but I promise you this is a recipe worth sticking around for. 

Bookmarked from Aimée's site since sometime last year, this robust one pot meal - I think it's the unintentional theme of the week - took over dinner duty early this week. I tripled the recipe and was left with three Dutch ovens full of a dark and spicy cassoulet-like meal that was devoured by my hungry, hungry people.

The original recipe calls for the addition of water, but I used Guinness instead. I had it on hand and thought it would pack a punch to the already intensely flavoured dish. I'm happy to say I was right.  

Chocolate Chip and Guinness Chili

Slightly adapted from simplebites.net and Nigella Lawson

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 large sweet Italian sausages, sliced into 1/2" thick pieces
• 1kg lean ground beef
• 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 medium can tomato paste
• 3 x 400g cans red kidney beans, drained
• 3 x 400g cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 2 cups Guinness beer
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F or prepare a crock-pot.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof pot (with lid) and add the ground beef and sausage slices to the dish. Brown both meats on medium heat, using a sturdy wooden spoon to break up the beef as it cooks.
3. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes until soft and translucent. Then add the cumin, coriander, cinnamon and chili powder. Stir well to combine.
4. Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and kidney beans. Add the Guinness and bring the chili to a boil.
5. Once it’s started bubbling, add the corn and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the chili. Give it a good stir.
6. Put on the lid (or transfer the chili to a slow cooker) and cook for 3 hours in the oven or up to 7 hours in the crock-pot, stirring occasionally. 
7. Season with salt & pepper before serving. 

One Pot Pasta and Cheese

Surely we can all agree that the Internet doesn't need another recipe for mac and cheese, but this one is so unique in the preparation that I thought it necessary to share with you. Designed for kids who love to cook, this one pot dish is so innovative I can't believe I haven't come across the method before. 

If you don't know, traditional mac and cheese comes together by making a roux (equal parts fat + flour), adding milk and embellishing it with lots of sharp cheddar cheese, ground nutmeg, powdered mustard and seasonings. The gooey sauce is poured over hot cooked pasta and either served immediately, or baked in the oven with a cheesy breadcrumb topping. Not an ideal task for young kids learning to cooking, but not impossible either.

Fortunately, the Dairy Farmers of Canada recently launched a new website dedicated to getting kids in the kitchen. Their mission is to inspire families to cook together, and last week Jackson and I did a test-run of their one pot mac and cheese recipe.

The creative developers skipped the step of making a roux on the stovetop, and streamlined the process by suggesting that kid cooks purée the cheese sauce ingredients in a food processor (or blender) and add them to a pot of freshly cooked pasta. When warmed over the heat, the sauce thickens and coats the noodles, and what you're left with is a bowl of cheesy goodness that tastes as if you spent way longer preparing the dish. Genius.

As you can see from the photo below, our four-legged quality control supervisor made sure the cheese was being grated properly, but after years of helping out in the kitchen, Jack has that job down pat. 

Do you spend a lot of time cooking with your kids? If you’re interested in sharing your story about the importance of creating a family kitchen in your home, you could be eligible one of six prize packages (including the $2,500 grand prize!) from the kind folks over at Family Kitchen. 

One Pot Mac and Cheese

adapted from www.familykitchen.ca

Serves 4

• 8oz. macaroni or small pasta
• 3 cups shredded aged-cheddar cheese (or a blend of your favourite cheeses)
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder or Dijon mustard
• 1 heaping teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1. Shred cheese using a grater.

2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions until just tender, but firm.

3. While the pasta cooks, combine the cheese, milk, flour, mustard, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor, and purée until smooth. 

4. When the pasta is ready, drain well and return to the pot. Add the cheese sauce and mix it in, cooking the pasta over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until the sauce is creamy, smooth and thick. 

5. Check the seasonings, add salt or more pepper if needed, and garnish with additional cheese, if desired.

Although this post has been sponsored by the Dairy Farmers of Canada, the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

Easy Weeknight Dinner: Roasted Broccoli and Sausage Calzones

Can you hear it? It started off as a quiet whisper late last week, but I guarantee that by the time Sunday rolls around - at least here in Toronto when the man in red makes his appearance at our annual parade - the sound will be blaring, nearly bordering on boisterous, and what's it's telling you is this: Christmas is only six weeks away.

So, while you catch your breath and digest that piece of information I'll tell you a bit about our new favourite dinner. Roasted broccoli and sausage calzones are a main meal packaged up nicely in an edible, and portable, parcel. You can take them on the road with you, pack them in a lunch, serve them with salad for dinner, or eat them for a snack if you're twelve and growing nearly an INCH a month (oh please let the growing stop soon - I don't like having to tilt my head UP to give my boy a smooch). They're steamy warm when fresh out of the oven and less saucy than their popular cousin, the pizza, making them perfect for travelling. 

The filling can be made up to two days in advance and stored in the fridge for an even faster assembly on another night. Alternatively they can be pre-made and flash frozen on a cookie sheet before being stashed in the freezer (add 10 minutes to the baking time if you do this). Or they can just be served as an easy weeknight dinner before the school Christmas concert. Which you now know is only about a month away. Sorry.

Roasted Broccoli and Sausage Calzones

Feeds 4-6

• 4 sausages, sliced into 1" pieces
• 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil + extra for the calzones
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups pizza sauce or marinara sauce
• 1 ball pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Place the sliced sausages on one side of the baking sheet and the broccoli florets on the other. Coat the broccoli with the olive oil and sea salt and place the tray in the preheated oven. Cook for 15 minutes. 

While the sausages are in the oven, divide the pizza dough into 2 equal portions. Lightly dust your work surface with flour and roll each piece of dough into a 9" circle.

Spread the pizza sauce on the bottom half the circle, leaving a 1" border around the edges. Remove the sausages and broccoli from the oven, and place half the mixture over the sauce. Top with a generous amount of cheese. Fold the top half of the dough over and roll and press edges to seal. 

Carefully transfer calzones to a lined baking sheet. Lightly brush with olive oil and, season with oregano and bake for 20-25 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. 

Turkey and Kale Enchilladas

I came up with this dinner last winter for Savvy Mom, and it’s remained a favourite of ours ever since. I like to think of it as easy comfort food: hearty, cozy and reliable, or in other words, the warm wooly sweater of family dinners.

I’ve tweaked the original recipe, which now includes fibre and protein dense black beans. My kids happen to adore them, and I find it fills the family up faster, ensuring the same meal goes just a little further. If beans aren’t popular with your little people, feel free to replace them with a cup or so of cooked rice, or leave the new additions out altogether.

Turkey and Kale Enchilladas

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 4 cups kale, washed, stems and centre ribs removed and cut into thin strips
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 19oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup chopped green chilies (canned)
• 12 flour tortillas
• ½ cup light cream
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup salsa
• Sour cream, chilies and salsa for serving

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine the turkey, cumin and chili powder in a skillet set over medium high heat and cook until the meat is no longer pink.

3. Add 3 ½ cups of the kale and combine, cooking until the meat is cooked through and the kale is slightly wilted. Remove from the stovetop and transfer mixture to a medium-mixing bowl.

4. Add the corn, beans, 1 cup of cheese and the chilies; mix well.

5. Spoon some of the mixture into a flour tortilla and roll the wrap up tightly, placing seam-side down in a casserole dish. Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas.

6. Combine the light cream, sour cream and salsa and mix well. Pour the sauce over the tortillas. Top with the remaining cheddar cheese and kale. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.

7. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes. Serve hot with additional sour cream, chilies and salsa, if desired.

Beef and Bean Pies

Are you ready for Halloween? We spent the weekend sawing, cutting, taping, painting and shaping Jackson's costume and I think we just might be ready in time for the parade around the school tomorrow morning. This year's outfit requires copious amounts of spray paint, which isn't exactly ideal when you're living amongst the aftermath of stormy Sandy. What were we thinking? Here's a photo from Saturday morning where we spent a chunk of time at Home Depot buying supplies for his costume. Any guesses as to what he's being this year?

So, while I spend a bulk of my day shuttling between the house and spray paint alley the storage shed, I wanted to leave you with these beef and bean pies. They were just the thing for dinner last night, when I had exactly 30 minutes to get something on the table. Something hot and comforting, not to mention Halloween themed - this is Ben's holiday so we try to add in some spooky details wherever we can - and what could be better than a chili-eqsue concoction topped with cheddar cheese and pie crust?

When I was looking for some quick dinner inspiration, I went and checked out the Life Made Delicious website for ideas, and was completely smitten with these individual beef and bean pot pies. The tops in the original recipe were made with a Bisquick base, but since I've stocked my freezer with half a dozen pie crusts, I pulled one out for this meal instead. A bowl was used to cut circles from the pastry and it took 3 seconds and a paring knife to create some seemingly scary faces. Perfect for Halloween night dinner, don't you think?

Beef and Bean Pies

Adapted from Life Made Delicious 

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1-19oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup spaghetti sauce (or crush tomatoes)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 ball of pie dough
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for the egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place four oven-safe soup bowls on a baking sheet and set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. When it's no longer pink, add the beans, sauce, brown sugar and chili powder. Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce the heat, simmering for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. 

While the sauce simmers, lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll out the pie dough. Use a bowl that's similar in size to your soup bowls, and cut out four dough circles. Feel free to cut Jack o'lantern faces into the dough using a paring knife.

Divide the beef and bean mixture evenly between the bowls. Top each with 1/4 cup grated cheese. Cover with the pie dough circle and lightly brush with egg wash.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown.

Disclosure: I'm working with Life Made Delicious this year as part of their blogger program.

Swiss Chard, Pancetta and Aged Cheddar Quiche

The Presidential debates were on TV this week and instead of paying attention, I headed to the kitchen and made six pie crusts. I've become obsessed with stocking my freezer with pastry, and if you were to open it up this morning you'd see a towering stack of frozen dough waiting to be used.

It's not that I plan on making an abundance of pies, although, I don't think there would be anything wrong with that if I did. It's just that it's as easy to make six pie crusts as it is two, and if I'm going to go to the effort, then I may as well make a lot of them. Fortunately, at the same time I was also staring down some shaggy Swiss chard in the bottom of the fridge, a few extra eggs and some pancetta that was barely enough to feed one person, let alone four. Clearly the Universe was telling me to make quiche, and that's exactly what I did. 

Here's the thing about Swiss chard. A lot of people think they don't like it, but to be honest, when it's chopped and sautéed in a pan that's laced with rendered pancetta fat, it's pretty difficult for it to taste terrible. In fact, it almost looks exactly like spinach, so if that's what people - like the young ones in your house - want to call it, just go with it. But if you really aren't a fan feel free to swap it with the greens that you know will be met with approval. 

Swiss Chard, Pancetta and Aged Cheddar Quiche

• 1/2 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed and chopped
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 1/2 cups diced pancetta
• 1 cup grated aged cheddar cheese
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups light cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1 pie crust (enough for 9" round pie)

1. Press the pie crust into a pie plate and crimp the edges. Pop the dough back in the fridge to chill while you prepare the filling.  

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a skillet set over medium heat, cook the pancetta until it's crispy and most of the fat has been rendered. Transfer it to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and add the Swiss chard, shallots and garlic. Toss to combine and cook until the greens are wilted and the shallots are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the pancetta back to the pan and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. 

3. Whisk together the eggs, cream, salt and nutmeg. 

4. Spread the Swiss chard mixture over the dough and cover with the shredded cheese. Pour the egg mixture over top, filling the pie to just below the crimped edges of the dough. 

5. Place the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 - 10 minutes before serving. 

 

 

 

Maple and 5-spice sausage and pear kebabs

Anytime I make sausages for dinner, I know everyone who’s eating it will devour the meal effortlessly. I mean, who doesn't love a good sausage? But sometimes they just taste like, well, sausages, and it's nice to elevate them a little, which is what I did here by pairing them with crisp pear, pure maple syrup and Chinese 5-spice.

Speaking of which, I think five-spice must be one of the most underrated spices around, don't you agree? It pairs so nicely with pork, and duck, and yet it seems as though it's rarely used. Seeing that it's made from cloves, cinnamon, star anise, fennel and pepper, it's practically perfectly for fall eating, and when brushed over pears it's a seasonal flavour explosion that the kids will no doubt love. There will be no complaints from the adults either, especially the one making the meal, since this comes together in less than twenty minutes, giving you just enough time to make a pot of basmati rice and warm up some French green beans. 

Maple and 5-Spice Sausage and Pear Kebabs

• 10 wooden skewers
• 6 sausages, cut into 1" chunks
• 3 pears, cored, trimmed and cut into 1" chunks
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and soak the wooden skewers in a bowl of water for 10 minutes.

Thread the sausage and pear pieces onto the skewers and place them on the baking sheet.

Combine the maple syrup and 5-spice in a small bowl, reserve 1 tablespoon, and brush the kebabs with the remaining mixture.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the sausage is cooked through and the pears are tender. Remove from the oven, lightly brush each skewer with the remaining syrup and serve warm.

Slow Cooker Chili Mac

We're one month into the school year, and I can honestly say this is the best start we've had to date. The kids are happy; the marks are good, the friendships uncomplicated and the emotional growing pains few and far between. At least for now. I look at both of my boys and I'm so insanely proud of them, but more importantly, I really like them! They're fun and smart and such good company at this age, and it's probably the first time I can confidently say that I don't miss them being younger. 

In addition to embracing my growing kids, I'm also opening up my arms to using my slow cooker a little more. I've gathered, what I hope, are the best slow cooker cookbooks, and I'm learning how to turn out interesting, and most importantly, tasty, meals using my neglected electronic cooking device.

The problem I have with slow cooker meals is that they're often a little bland and a lot watery; not a tasty combination for even the plainest of palettes. That can all be changed though, if you're willing to spend a few minutes stove side before throwing everything into the cooker, which I totally am. And I hope you are too, because this marriage of chili and macaroni and cheese was pretty much the best thing I put on the table in the past month, according to the people I live with. It made plentiful portions, extras for lunch, and cooked while Jackson and I snuck out for a rare weekday afternoon movie. See, that's some of the fun you get to have when your kids are older.  

Chili Mac 

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Serves 8

• Olive oil or cooking spray
• 1 slice sandwich bread
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 small onions, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 4 teaspoons cumin
• 1 (540ml) can of pinto or black beans
• 1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 lb. macaroni or similar pasta
• 2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

1. Plug in the slow cooker and make an aluminum foil collar buy stacking three sheets of aluminum foil (about 16" long) on top of each other and folding the top 1/3 down and the bottom 1/3 up. Spray it lightly with cooking spray (or brush it with olive oil) and press the collar into the back side of the slow cooker. This will prevent the pasta from burning, as it's hottest at the back of the cooker. 

2. In a large bowl, mash the bread and milk into a paste using a fork (this is called a panade). Mix in the ground beef and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and mix well using your hands.

3. In a Dutch oven set over medium heat, warm the olive oil until it shimmers. Add the onion, garlic, chili powder and cumin and cook until the onions are soft and lightly browned, about 6 - 8 minutes.

4. Stir in the beef mixture and cook until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks in order to avoid large chunks. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, tomato paste and brown sugar, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pot (big flavour!), and simmer until slightly thickened about 4 minutes. 

5. Stir in the pasta, 2 1/2 cups water, the cheese and 1 teaspoon of salt; transfer to the prepared slow cooker. Cook until the pasta is tender, about 2 hours on high.

6. Remove the foil collar from the pot. Stir well and add additional hot water to loosen the sauce if desired. Season with salt and pepper, if needed, and serve with sour cream or additional cheese, if desired.