Family Bites

Seed Bread

I spent a good part of Saturday afternoon watching PBS. 

It's quickly become a popular channel in my house with the Downton Abbey episodes, occasional Masterpiece Theater programs (did you catch Emma?), and the weekend cooking shows that are reminiscent of what used to air on the regular food channel.  

Not to get all rant-y or anything, but I am honestly so over the competition based programs that now fill up our Food Network. What used to be a brilliant blend of Canadian and International cooking shows is now battle-based entertainment fraught with teary contestants and diary room confessionals, critical judges, product placements, and very little cooking. I've been looking for another place to get my food TV fix, and PBS is the answer.

There's Jacques Pepin, Lidia Bastianich, Rachel Allen, Ming Tsai, America's Test Kitchen, and Rick Bayless just to name a few.  There's programming with Scandinavian chefs, and Italian ones. Even Julia pops up over there every once in a while. 

This newfound knowledge is all thanks to my friend, Tess, who pretty much knows what's what when it comes to this stuff. I'm so glad she's shown me the way.

Until last weekend I had never heard of Rachel Allen, but I like her!  It took one recipe for me to be hooked on her show, and less than 24 hours before I replicated it myself.  She's a little Nigella-esque in her mannerisms, and her effortless cooking style is right up my alley.   

Take for example this seed bread here. It's loaded with good for you ingredients, doesn't require kneading, and rises in the dish it bakes in.  We ate it along with a bowl of hearty sausage soup and I can't think of a more perfect pairing.   

Whole-Wheat Loaf with Oats and Seeds, from Rachel Allen 

I love that the recipe measurements are in metric.  It's such a simple and accurate way to portion out the ingredients, and I hope more recipes use this method in the future.  Grab a digital scale and bowl and leave the measuring cups and spoons behind!

• 7oz whole-wheat flour
• 3oz all-purpose flour
• 2oz oats
• 1oz wheat or oat bran
• 1 tsp salt
• 5oz mixed seeds (any combination of poppy, sesame, flax, sunflower or pumpkin seeds)
• 350-400ml warm water
• 7g yeast
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp sunflower/olive oil 

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees and liberally grease a 2lb loaf tin.

In a large bowl, mix together the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, oats, bran and 3 ounces of the seeds (reserving the rest for later). 

Combine 100ml of the warm water with the yeast and honey and allow it to stand until it turns frothy (takes about 5 minutes). When this happens add another 250ml of water and the oil, and stir well. Pour it into the dry ingredients. The mixture should be runny, and if not, add some more water.

Pour the bread into the tin and top it with the remaining seeds. Allow it to stand in a warm place until the bread mix rises to the top of the tin, about 1 hour.

Bake for 50-60 minutes – if it sounds hollow when you tap the bottom of the loaf, then it’s cooked, otherwise put back in the oven for another 5 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving. 

 

Maple Cornbread

The hockey calendar is looking a little light for this coming weekend, so I'm declaring a day of family fun. My plan is to drag bring the family North to a sugar bush for a little maple-syrup-season entertainment.  Rob and the boys are slightly less-than-enthused about this idea, but I feel that, as good Canadians, we need to get out there and harvest a little sap.  

I'm also trying to get them all to agree to a day of snowshoeing , but I'm not getting very far on that front either. It might very well be because we have no snow, but I'm convinced that a short drive will have us walking in a winter wonderland in no time. In reality, I think Rob and Ben, my sports and activity enthusiasts, fear they may fall asleep on the snowy landscape from the slow pace of the activity.  They like to move, those boys of mine, and any activity that doesn't see them chasing pucks or pigskin is often declared as boring. 

In any event, Jackson and I have paid our dues on the weekend hockey front, so off to the bush we go. I plan to bring back jugs of our local liquid gold, which I'll douse over warm cornbread served hot from the oven.  That will be enough to convince them to go, I'm sure of it.

Maple Cornbread

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 1/3 cups whole-wheat pastry or all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cornmeal (I like Bob's Red Mill)
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 375. Place the butter in the bottom of a cast-iron skillet, and set it in the oven while it's heating.  Once the butter has melted, remove the pan and set it aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cornmeal in a medium mixing bowl.

Mix together the milk, eggs, maple syrup, and melted butter and stir with a fork until blended. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. Pour it back into the cast iron skillet and bake it for 20 minutes.

Remove the cornbread from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.  Serve with a drizzle of pure maple syrup, if desired.

Harvest Focaccia

This was one of Ben's favourite things to come out of our kitchen last year, so I thought it was well worth the re-post.

 

 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.

 

French Toast Kebabs

My kids hate French toast.  But they love French toast kebabs.  Completely illogical, wouldn't you agree?

I've written before about the power of change, and I do believe it applies to all foods.  Take something the young people in your house don't like that much, change the presentation and ta-da....a meal that makes them smile.

I do realize that part of the appeal of this new offering could very well be the bacon sandwiched between the cinnamon-vanilla grilled bread.  Even the bananas and cranberries are somewhat tempting.  But isn't that the point?  Take what they don't like, add something that they do, make it look fun and no matter how old they are, they'll be more likely to eat it.

Jackson (now nine) walked into the kitchen this morning, home from school with a tummy ache, and muttered through his half-opened eyes "Oooh, what are those? Can you save me some?"  See what I mean. He even acknowledged that he liked the colour of the cranberries on the skewer.  He hates cranberries. 

But now he likes French toast.  At least if it's served on a stick.

**Complete side note:  How do you spell kebab?  Or is it kabob?  Maybe even kebob?  Please do tell because I can't figure it out.

French Toast Kebabs

• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 slices of French or Italian bread, cut into 1 inch slices
• Optional: assorted fresh and dried fruits, bacon slices

Combine the milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.  Place the bread in a shallow baking dish and pour the milk mixture over top.  Turn the bread and allow it to soak for 3-5 minutes.

Heat a pan over medium high heat, add some butter and cook the bread, 3 minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy.  Remove from the pan, cut into six pieces and skewer with other items as desired.

Heart-y Crackers and Dip

I've been sending Valentine's Day treats to school for almost seven years. If I've learned anything in that time, it's that teachers have no interest in receiving a parade of sweets for their classroom party.

Can you blame them?  Imagine witnessing  five or six parents arriving with platters of sugar-laden goodies, only to take off and leave you alone with twenty kids ready to succumb to sweet-induced mania (shudder).

As someone who often sends edible Valentines in with the kids, I feel I should counteract the sweetness with non-sugary party foods.  So we make these.  Simple crackers made from whole grain pitas and wraps, cut into heart shapes, brushed with olive oil, topped with a spice blend, and baked until crispy.  Served with a paprika-dressed tzatziki in a pretty red heart, the kids are almost always as excited about eating this as they are a plate of heart shaped cut-out cookies.

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?

Everything's Better with Cheese (Grilled Cheese Croutons)

 

Everything's better with cheese. I feel so strongly about that statement it almost seems worthy of a bumper sticker adhered to the back of my van.

Let's think about it.  Pasta topped with cheese?  Brilliant.  Bread and cheese?  An almost perfect, simple dinner.  Apple and cheddar?  Been serving pie lovers well for years.  Jam and cheese?  A favourite sandwich filling for a few kids I know.  Wine and cheese?  Too good to be true.  How about salad and cheese?  For me an almost essential component. And I know I'm not alone.

 

For my kids, cheese is a little different.  One loves it so much he was once gifted a bag of assorted cheeses for his sixth birthday (I kid you not) and the other boy can only enjoy it when it graces the top of a pizza or is stuffed in the occasional grilled cheese.

It was a recent grilled cheese lunch that inspired this salad.  If cheese tastes so good in salad and when paired in bread, wouldn't it all go well together?  And maybe, I thought, it might help me to get the boys to eat a little more salad, which still doesn't rank high on their list of preferred foods.  Guess what?  I was right. The grilled cheese salad was a success.  Well, mostly.  I used a smidgen of balsamic dressing and they gently reminded me that they don't like salad with flavour.  But they liked the salad. A lot. We added a few slices of chopped apple but I'm thinking that if this was served for a nice meal the cheese would be a creamy brie and the salad could include pancetta or grapes.  Yum.

I may just need to invest in that bumper sticker after all. 

Grilled Cheese Croutons

Make a crispy, browned grilled cheese sandwich with your favourite bread.  Allow to cool completely and cut into croutons.  Add to your favourite dressed salad and toss gently to combine.

Strawberry, Balsamic and Goat Cheese Toasts

 

I shared a small glimpse of these delicacies a few weeks back when I offered  my thoughts on bruschetta bars. I've been meaning to write about them since and now that strawberry season is here in all it's juicy glory, the time seemed right to share what I'm making for me these days.  

Yes, I do confess that sometimes I'm inclined to make foods just for me.  I hope that doesn't sound too selfish, but honestly food like this is not going to be eaten by my boys. To begin with, there's the fact that Ben thinks goat cheese tastes more like his unpleasantly aromatic running shoes than actual cheese, and there's also the small issue whereby neither of my boys enjoy or appreciate fresh, sweet berries (I could write pages about how this pains me).   So, instead of hassling them to try these toasts I refrain and enjoy them alone. In peace. And I don't have to share.

Do you have something you make for you, and you alone?  

Strawberry, Balsamic  and Goat Cheese Toasts

• 2 slices bread, toasts
• 1/4 cup goat cheese
• 6 strawberries, sliced and dices
• 3-4 fresh basil leaves
• Balsamic vinegar
• Fresh ground pepper

Toast your bread in a toaster, on the grill or until the broiler in your oven.  Top each slice with equal amount of goat cheese.  Top the goat cheese with the diced strawberries and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with a good dose of fresh ground pepper and enjoy.

Pizza Patate

I have a new best friend and his name is Jim Lahey.  We've actually become quite close over the past few months, spending plenty of time together in my kitchen perfecting the art of homemade bread and pizza dough.  My favourite thing to make and bake also happens to be his as well, so it's a friendship destined to last, I'm sure. 

Don't worry, Rob has no concerns about this new friendship.  In fact, he wholeheartedly supports it and reaps the benefits of our time together.  By the way, I don't actually know Jim, but I do know his new book and it has a permanent spot on my bookshelf filed under "new-favourite-must-cook-from-often".  I've spent so much time with it lately that it actually does feel like Jim and I are new best friends.

Aside from his fabulous no-knead bread recipe, I'm also completely smitten with the pizza patate recipe nestled about halfway into the pages of the book.  Potato-topped pizza dough embellished with onion, fresh rosemary and ground pepper makes for quite the tasty dinner.  And despite the fancy sounding title this is truly a no-fuss-no-muss recipe designed to feed the entire family.  Because I'm your good friend, I think it's only fitting I share the recipe with you - after all, isn't that what friends are for?

Pizza Patate, adapted from My Bread

• 6 litres lukewarm water
  
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
  
• 6 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
  
• 1 yellow onion, diced
  
• Fresh ground pepper (about 10 cranks of the grinder)
  
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
  
• 1 recipe pizza dough (Use your favourite recipe - here's mine)
  

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. 

In a medium bowl combine the water and salt, stirring until the salt has dissolved.  Using a mandolin, slice the potatoes very thin (1/16 inch thick) and put the slices in to the salt water.  Let soak for  1 1/2 hours or until the potatoes are no longer crisp.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.  Place in a medium bowl and toss together with onion, pepper and olive oil.

Spread the potato mixture evenly over the rolled out dough, going all the way to t edges but putting a it more of the topping around the edges as the outsides tend to cook a little more quickly.  Sprinkle with rosemary.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the topping turns golden brown.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

Summer Entertaining: The Bruschetta Bar

 

Food history is one of my secret passions.  I love delving into the past, discovering how we came to eat what we eat, and what we indulged in centuries ago.  Food has been such a prominent part of our lives for so many years and there is almost always a story somewhere along the lines.

Take bruschetta for instance.  This favoured appetizer dates back to the early 15th century (600 years ago!) when olive farmers would sample their goods on a piece of bread cooked over coals.  Over time, the olive oil was combined with garlic, eventually tomato was added and finally basil crowned it all to create a pre-dinner nibble. Many years later we are now topping grilled breads with a variety of toppings making bruschetta the most requested appetizer in modern day kitchens.  

Personally, I can't think of a single event where this toasty bread with flavourful toppings wouldn't be a welcome addition to the menu. Even better than serving pieces of these dainties would be to set-up a bruschetta bar - baskets of fresh grilled breads served with an assortment of veggies, cheese, spreads, meats etc.  A do-it-yourself food station where guests can customize their plates based on their own palates.

Here are few tips on how to organize a bruschetta bar for your summer entertaining:

• Toast slices of bread on a panini maker, indoor grill pan or bbq.  This can be done an hour or so in advance of serving.

• Remove toasts and rub both side of bread with a garlic clove.

• Set out grilled-breads in large napkin-lined wicker baskets

• Place colourful bottles of olive oil close to the baskets and include small bowls of an assortment of dressings.

• Possible topping combinations include:

Corn, tomato and avocado with lime, olive oil, salt and pepper

Mixed mushrooms with balsamic, honey and a splash of cream

White bean puree with bacon pieces

Fava beans, mint and goat cheese

Red peppers, olives, capers and feta

From bridal showers to family reunions, and neigbourhood barbecues to cocktail parties, a bruschetta bar is a winning combination for any warm-weather gathering.  And who knows, you just might make history with your fantastic approach to entertaining.