Mixing Bowl Kids

Apples!

Friends, thank you for all of your great comments over the past four weeks during the A to Z Lunch-Box feature. It was such great fun for me to work on, cook for and put together for you, but I must confess that I'm happy to be returning to more spontaneous posting now.  I'm currently working on the printable list of the feature, which will include some of your alphabetical suggestions as well, and I will upload it to the left hand column of this page sometime this week. Oh yeah, I'll also announce the randomly-drawn winners of the small foodie prize packs within the next few days and get those off to the winners very soon.

But for now, it's all about the harvest season and the apples.  Oh, the apples! We went apple picking this weekend, in the damp, dreary weather that has been blanketing Ontario for the past week or so, and it was great.  The boys, of course, had to climb the apple trees to reach the "best" ones, so a lot of exercise was incorporated into the apple picking, and for seven and nine year old boys, that's never a bad thing. My thirty-three year old self enjoyed the fresh air and active morning just as much as they did, and lugging fifteen pounds of apples in my arms was a nice little muscle-builder on it's own.

So, now that we're home with bags and baskets of the luscious apples you see above, I need to put them to use.  We're going to store some for snacking and lunch-box packing, but the rest are going to be used in some tried and true recipes, as well as some new ones I've found after a bit of on-line searching:  

Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Endive, Apple and Walnut Salad

Apple and Cranberry Chutney

Oh, and I can't stop thinking that I want to make homemade sausages....chicken or turkey with apple and sage.  Doesn't that sounds good? And how fun would it be to let the boys grind some meat and create one of their most favourite foods from scratch!

Happy Monday everyone....have a great week!

T is for Tarte Tatin

This lovely apple cake got it's name from a hotel in France, where it was created by accident when the cook left an apple, butter and sugar mixture on the stove for too long and thought it had burnt.  She quickly topped the mixture with some pastry and popped it into the oven to finish cooking.  The hotel guests devoured the dessert and Tarte Tatin was created.

My version, a quick and easy one, is made with a store-bought puff pastry. Much simpler for my boys to work with and so worth my time and effort.  For those of you who have made your own puff pastry, you know it's not always an easy task.  This version allows you to make this impressive dessert with only five ingredients and provides your family with a simple seasonal treat.

Take note though...if sugar and butter are not your thing, than neither is Tarte Tatin, as it's loaded with both ingredients.  This dessert doesn't enter our home often, but I actually made this for a friend and didn't want to skimp on the rich ingredients

If your sous-chefs decide to offer you some assistance, cutting the apples offers a wonderful opportunity to chat about fractions.  Each apple, once peeled and cored, needs to be cut into halves, then quarters and finally eights.  I love when I can incorporate learning into our cooking.

I hope you enjoy and have a wonderful day....

Easy Tarte Tatin

6 apples, peeled cored and sliced into eight pieces

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 sheet frozen puff pastry

~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees and remove puff pastry sheet from the freezer.

~ Melt the butter in an oven-safe pan.  Add the sugar and lemon juice and combine well.  Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes or until slightly golden in colour.

~ Arrange your apples in a circle around the pan, filling the entire bottom.

~Cook the apples for approx 10 - 15 minutes or until they become cooked and the sugar/butter mixture has caramelized.

~ Remove from the stove top and all to cool for five minutes.

~ Cover the apple mixture with a sheet of puff pastry.  Tuck any excess pastry under and be sure to have all of the mixture covered.

~ Bake for 35 minutes.  Remove from the oven, allow to cool and then invert onto a plate.  Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

~ Enjoy!

~ 

B is for Banana and Wild Blueberry Yogurt Smoothie

This is fun!  I'm glad to know that you're all enjoying the A to Z of cooking with and for you kids and thank you to those of you who got in touch to share your thoughts on the feature. 

 

Today's recipe is great for the school lunchbox, either as a morning snack, or something for your children to down between school and an after-school activity.  It also makes for a quick and easy breakfast, which can be essential on those first-week-back-to-school-busy mornings.  The trick to this smoothie is to add no liquid component so it will hold well while stored in a thermos or stainless steel drinking container.  A quick shake will re-jumble the ingredients and it couldn't be easier to make.  All of the ingredients (except for the sweetener) are measured in the same quantity so it's fairly easy to remember...and very easy for kids to make.

Don't forget to leave your comment with a lunchbox friendly meal or snack suggestion starting with today's letter (see here for more information)...I'm putting together some fun prize packs for the five lucky winners at the end of September!  Have a great day....

Banana and Wild Blueberry Smoothie

yield: 2 servings 

1 cup of frozen banana pieces*

1 cup of wild blueberries, fresh or frozen

1 cup plain whole milk yogurt

1 tbsp. agave syrup or honey

~ Combine all ingredients in a blender and whiz for 1-2 minutes.  

~ Pour into two glasses or thermoses.

~ Enjoy!

* I keep frozen slices of banana in my freezer at all times.  Using frozen bananas helps to keep the smoothie cool and provides a bit of extra creaminess to the drink.

A is for Apple-Cheddar Turnovers

Inspired by the September issue of Gourmet magazine, I thought it would be great to profile an A to Z of family cooking for the next 26 posts.  This seemed like a timely endeavour, with school resuming in a few weeks for us here in Canada.  Each post will (hopefully!) focus on a lunch-box friendly recipe for your young learners as well as ideas for a few quick and easy family dinners, designed to assist with those harried evenings filled with extra curricular activites and more.

So, as most A to Z lists do, we begin with the letter A.  Nothing seems more fitting than to feature some yummy goodness made with apples.  Enjoyed by most little eaters, these tree-fruits are often a staple of the mid-day meal or post-school snack, and when paired with cheddar cheese, they make the most delicious combination. 

 

The turnover you see above is no exception.  With an apple-pie like filling topped with grated sharp cheddar, this sweet treat is more of a dessert or snack than a main meal.  Easily adaptable, you could swap the brown sugar for some Dijon or apple jelly and make an apple-cheddar panini.  Or other ideas I have seen are apple cheddar scones, or apple and onion soup with a Cheddar crouton. But I like this idea best.

Made with nothing more that a peeled and sliced apple, some grated cheese, a whole wheat tortilla, a touch of butter, brown sugar and lots of cinnamon, this is a wonderfully easy food for your sous-chefs to make.  I'm certain even the youngest of children will be able to participate with this recipe and older children will have no trouble managing the apples on the stovetop.

Dear readers, let's have a little fun with this feature, shall we?  Seeing as there are 26 letters in the alphabet, I have a months worth of these fun posts to share.  I would love for you to contribute to this list as well so here is what I propose...please leave a comment on any of the A to Z posts sharing a food idea you may have for that day's letter.  At the end of this alphabetical feature I will comprise a printable list of suggested foods for each letter - for you to share and cook with your children.  I will also randomly draw the names of five commenters, who will each win a fun prize that I will put together over the next month.  Sound like fun?  I think so and I can't wait to read all of your suggestions.  Happy eating everyone! 

Apple-Cheddar Turnover, my recipe

yields 2

1 apple, peeled, cored and sliced

2 tsp butter

2 tsp brown sugar, or sweetener of your choice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

2 whole wheat tortillas

~ In a skillet set over med-high heat combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Add the apple slices and saute until soft.

~ Place half of the grated cheddar over each of the tortillas.  

~ Spoon half of the apple mixture over the cheese on each of the tortillas and fold in half.

~ Place each one back in the skillet (DO NOT wash the skillet first) and cook on each side until the tortilla is crispy.

~ Slice each turnover in half and serve with a glass of milk.

~ Enjoy!

 

Watermelon Feta Cups

I'm not sure about your children, but my boys have never been a fan of salad.  I think they are daunted by the big pile of "stuff" on the plate, and find it takes too long for them to review what's there and to decide if they'll like it or not.  To help with this "salad detest", I've started combining two or three well-liked ingredients into salads and adding more and more as we go, showing them it's okay to eat all of these foods combined...and to like it.

A classic combination, which I think is incredibly kid-friendly, is watermelon and feta salad.  I find that those who have not been exposed to these combined flavours aren't sure of them, but trust me - it tastes great and your kids will love it. Plus, it couldn't be easier for them to make on their own.  Allow your kitchen helpers to chop up slices of watermelon and pieces of feta.  Drizzle a small amount of olive oil or the combined ingredients, add a splash of balsamic vinegar and top with minced herbs..whatever you have on hand or whatever your sous chef likes.

Do your children like salad?  Do they have a favourite type of salad?  If they don't eat salad, what do you feed them instead?  I look forward to hearing your thoughts...

Watermelon Feta Cups 

8 slices watermelon, cubed

Feta cheese

Olive Oil

Balsamic vinegar

Mint, thyme, basil, or rosemary

~ Combine the watermelon and feta into a small bowl.  Top with a drizzle of olive oil, a touch of balsamic vinegar and stir to combine well.

~ Scoop into small cups and topped with minced herbs.

~ Enjoy!

A Lemon Yogurt Fool

My eldest son loves lemons.  Even more that I do, I think.  I mean, what's not to love?  Available all year round, these bright yellow tree fruits are the magic ingredient in the kitchen, in my opinion. Need to add flavour to a dish?  Grab a lemon.  Want to remove the scent of fish from your hands?  Rub them with lemon.  Out of vinegar?  Substitute lemon juice.  Looking for a refreshing dessert?  Make lemon curd.  Which is exactly what we did last night, much to my son's delight.

Requiring nothing more than four simple ingredients, we were sitting with a jar of lemon curd in our hands within 20 minutes - it's that easy.  My son LOVED it, and the wheels began turning for how we could use this treat.  Traditionally used to top scones and serve with English tea, I was hoping to think of a more refreshing use for it - something lighter for a family friendly summer dessert.  I combined a small amount of the curd with some plain yogurt, layered it in a glass with a summer berry salad and voila...a delicious, invigorating treat was made in no time at all.

I think my boys would be able to manage this with very little help from me.  All that is required for the curd is a bit of arm muscle to whisk the ingredients until they thicken.  The fool part will be fun for any child to make.  Any quantity of the curd and yogurt can be used...it's up to your/your child's taste and fresh fruit can easily be used in place of the summer berry salad...that is just what I had on hand.

Happy weekend everyone...here's hoping there's a little lemon magic in your weekend.

Lemon Yogurt Fool, my recipe

1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup lemon curd (recipe to follow)

Fresh fruit or summer berry salad (recipe to follow)

~ Combine the lemon curd and yogurt in a small bowl, and whisk together, but not completing blending, allowing some of the curd to be seen.

~ Layer in a glass or small bowl with summer berry salad, ending with the salad.

~ Enjoy!

Lemon Curd, my recipe

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

Juice and zest of three lemons

7 tbsp cold butter, diced

~ In a small mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, juice and zest and whisk until well mixed.

~ Add to small saucepan, placed over medium-high heat and whisk until thickened, approx. 6 minutes.

~ Add the butter, 1 tbsp at a time.  Do not add next tbsp. until the previous has melted and been incorporated in the mixture.  Continue until the all butter has been added.

~ Remove from heat and allow to cool.

~ Store in a lidded-glass jar, in the fridge, for up to two weeks.

Summer Berry Salad, my recipe

~ 3 cups of assorted summer fruits (I used cherries, strawberries and saskatoon berries)

~ 2 tbsp sweetener of your choice (powdered sugar, agave, honey, sugar etc)

~ 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar.

~ Combine the berries and sweetener in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.

~ Splash the mixture with the balsamic and mix well.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Fun Fresh-Fruit Kebabs

My biggest "food challenge" with my little guy is his lack of love for fruit.  This passionless relationship began before his toddler years, when he shunned my freshly made pureed apples, bananas and berries, and has continued through to the first grade where he still prefers spinach to oranges and green beans to grapes.

I have tried to sneak fruit into many a meal, and while I'm not convinced that the best way to get a food into your child is via a hiding game, it's irrelevant anyway, as he can detect the sweet taste from his first bite and turns his head in distaste immediately. (An interesting side note here is that this same child also dislikes candy, lollipops and popsicles as most of those items are fruit flavoured)

I'm happy to say that over time we have made some progress and I find his interest in fruit becomes slightly piqued when he's interested in how it's being served.  Cue the fruit kebabs...so fun for him (or any child) to assemble, they bring some simple fruit to a new level, yet provide a healthy snack that is also fun to eat.  These can be made with any assortment of firm fruits and I like to serve them with a yogurt based dipping sauce for an even yummier treat.

 

The skewers shown above are on their way to a picnic with friends...here's hoping that my son is interested in trying some of his creation...if not, I'll need to figure out a way to skewer the green beans and spinach so he can have some fun with the food he does like. 

Fresh Fruit Kebabs, my recipe

Wooden skewers

Pineapple, cut into 1" squares

Strawberries, with stems removed

Watermelon, cut into 1" squares

Blackberries or grapes

Large marshmallows

3/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp honey

1 tbsp lemon or lime zest

~ Skewer the cubed or sliced fruit onto a wooden kebab stick.

~ Combine the yogurt, honey, zest and cinnamon and mix well.

~ Serve skewers with dip.

~ Enjoy!

 

Strawberry Goat Cheese Toasts

Our strawberry season has been delayed here in Ontario due to inclement weather.  However, some parts of the province have fared a bit better, and I was able to pick up some "local" strawberries from the grocery store this past weekend.  

Aside from eating them as an accompaniment to my breakfast foods over the past few mornings, I wanted to find an inspiring recipe for a lunch or dinner menu.  A quick search through my fridge for some other ingredients led me to what I was looking for, and when combined to accomodate my tastes, I found a perfect lunch food just for me.  My children will not care much for this dish, but those young ones with a sophisticated palate may. That's okay though...I was looking for a mommy-recipe this time, and not something geared specifically to my children.  

The combination of the goat cheese and strawberries is so yummy, fresh and satisfying.  When I top this dish with some fresh basil and a bit of a ground pepper, my taste buds truly sing.  Enjoy..... 

Strawberry Goat Cheese Toasts, my recipe

2 slices of the bread of your choice, toasted

1/4 cup of goat cheese

4-6 strawberries, sliced and diced

3-4 fresh basil leaves

Balsamic vinegar

Fresh ground pepper

~ Toast you bread in a toaster or under the broiler in your oven.

~ Top each slice with equal amounts of goat cheese - top the goat cheese with the strawberries.

~ Top with one or two pieces of fresh basil, chopped.

~ Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with fresh ground pepper.

~ Enjoy!