Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Little Butt Patties

Oh yes, I knew that title would catch your attention - and no, this is not a miracle diet food for the reduction of butt size!
My son, William started calling chickpeas, 'little butts', years ago and the name has stuck ever since. Seriously - look at them - they really look like little butts! That boy has such a silly sense of humour - I don't know where he gets it!




This recipe is for a good chickpea patty - I won't call it a burger, because that may make you inclined to try cooking it on the barbie and you would be very upset with me when they fall through the grills.
And they are not really meant to be put between two bums...I mean buns! O.k., o.k.... I will stop! As my brother, Harry used to say to me when I was trying to get one more laugh out of my 5 older siblings with the same joke: "Don't beat it to death, Edie" or " Don't hammer it into the ground, Edie". Hmmm I didn't know what that meant for the longest time.

                                    This patty goes really well with salsa on the side and a big salad.

 It was adapted from a recipe in Anne Lindsay's latest book:

(see how serious I am now )






I changed the name to "Little Butt Patties". I think that is what you should call them at home. Anne should change the name too - if she wants to compete with all of those sexy chefs and cooks like Nigella and Giada.

                                  

 Little Butt Patties

Heat a glug of olive oil over medium heat and add about 3 chopped green onions, 3 cloves minced
garlic, 1 - 2 tsp chili powder, and a tsp of dried oregano.

Cook and stir for about 2 minutes.
Add 1 cup diced red peppers and cook another 3 minutes.



In a food processor mix the onion / pepper mixture with 1 can (drained and rinsed little butts - chickpeas) - BUT DON'T MAKE IT PERFECTLY SMOOTH - (I have to yell for those of you that do not read the recipe in it's entirety before starting to cook grrrr) - leave the mixture a little chunky.


Transfer this to a bowl and stir in 1/3 cup fine bread crumbs, some chopped fresh cilantro (if you have it) and a little salt and pepper.



Shape into patties. Heat a little olive oil in the same pan as before, and cook patties over medium heat for 4 minutes on each side


A sprinkle of grated cheddar or monterey Jack before you take them out of the pan would not be a bad idea.


Enjoy every butt .... er...bite!


Oh, look - there is my dishwasher -


Cute.....face - ----gotcha!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Let's do the Pizza Twist!

Almost every Friday night we do something really original here at the Ewald home - we have pizza! What? You do too?? What a crazy coincidence!
Well, my friends, this recipe may change Friday Family Pizza Night in your home forever! Never again will you be satisfied with the  2 medium delivery pizzas that are too sweet, too salty and too greasy for $30 + again! Unless it is one of those Friday nights when you just feel like flopping in front of a good movie and don't give a shhhhh...........'sugar' about making sure that everyone has their veggies, (but of course, that would never happen in a dietitian's kitchen, no, no, never......)

Make this pizza twist and you will have your friends and family exclaiming," You made that! Really?!" And you will be thinking, "Oh Edie, thank you for sharing this recipe and making our Friday Family Pizza Night so wonderful!!!"

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      



Whole Wheat Pizza Crust Dough:

 This dough always works out - you can use it for a regular pizza also. I have had a Kitchen Aid Mixer for about 17 years and use it several times a week! I love it! It makes easy work of kneading dough!
KitchenAid KSM150PSWH Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer, White

Put 1 1/2 cups warm water in a large bowl (or the bowl of your KitchenAid ). Add 1 tbsp sugar, dash of salt and 1 tbsp of yeast.


When it bubbles up after a few minutes, start adding whole wheat flour by the cup- use the dough hook on your mixer, or stir (you poor soul) after every addition.


You will end up adding 3 - 4 cups of flour. When it is no longer sticky you have just about the right amount of flour in there. Keep the dough hook going for 5 - 6 minutes, or knead for about 8-10 minutes...good upper body exercise. Form the dough into a nice ball and put a little flour on the bottom of the bowl so it won't stick. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes.




 When you pat the dough after it has risen it should remind you of patting your baby's little bum...sniff, sniff...where has the time gone....



  



Filling:
 You can make the filling while the dough is rising.
 The filling can be almost anything you want. Just make sure that it is not too wet, i.e. too much tomato sauce will make a soggy mess.
 On this night, I put some antipasto, diced pepperoni, sliced mushrooms, lots of chopped fresh parsley and a little grated mozzarella.
Mix all of your chosen ingredients together.




Cut the dough in half with a sharp bread knife.
Sprinkle a cookie sheet with a little cornmeal or brush with a little olive oil.
Roll out the two dough balls into two rectangles on the sheet.

















Place half of the filling down the middle of each.












Pinch the dough together to form a long tube and roll it so that the pinched side is face down.















 Make an 'x' with the two tubes.

















Then, cross the bottom half over each other, like crossing your legs, then the top.














 Sprinkle some dried oregano, basil and freshly grated parmesan on top and put in a preheat oven (375) for about 30 minutes. When you tap on the dough it should sound a little hollow when it is done.

This can be a main course pizza to enjoy with a big salad or an appetizer to bring to a party!

Hey, maybe I exaggerated the bit about Friday Family Pizza Nights never being the same again because of this recipe - but would we really want them to change anyway?  Not on your baby's bum!!



Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Sweet (Potato) Success !!!

I am very proud of my sons' tastebuds! They like most foods and will usually try anything!!
But sweet potatoes have been a challenge. And AM I stubborn! I will not give up! I serve it approximately once a week, and always put a small portion on their plate.
You see... I believe that if one never assumes that a child STILL does not like a food, and continues to present it to them, then...eventually they will try it again .....and like it!
Call me a 'spudfast' optimist' - but I really and truly believe this.

Here is a tip: NEVER, EVER,  say this out loud:
"______________ (your child's name) , does not like__________(the offensive food)."

nor this:

"____________(your child's name)won't eat_________________(the offensive food). "

Believe me, I have been observing this for years. When a child hears these types of statements; it just affirms the belief in their mind that, in fact , they don't like that particular food and never will.

It has been shown in research that a child may have to see a food up to ten times before they may like it. I believe it can be more than 100 times in some cases! There are many strategies to getting a child, (or adult!) to accept a food.
Here's one: try the food in different forms: mashed, baked, roasted, raw -( no i have never resorted to mini marshmallows on top of sweet potatoes!) I have had some success by mashing white and sweet potato together.

So when I saw this recipe in Lucy Waverman's book "Matter of Taste", I knew this was my next strategy...the Sweet Potato Pancake.
And by the way , I just called them potato pancakes to my sons.


Sweet Potato Pancakes (adapted from "Matter of Taste", by Lucy Waverman)

Grate enough peeled sweet potato to have 6 cups of grated potato. (This amount will make quite a few, but I toasted them the next day and they were great!)
Add 3 eggs, ~ 2 tbsp grated fresh gingerroot (optional), 3/4 cup flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, a little freshly ground salt and pepper. Mix it all up really well...





Heat a tsp of olive oil over medium high heat in a cast iron or non stick pan
Form the potato mixture into patties and pan fry until golden brown on both sides -
Add more olive oil as needed...


Now, listen closely because I am whispering and this is very important...when you serve them, don't get all nervous or excited...just casually put them in front of the child and act like everything is perfectly normal....I know this is difficult, but it is very important.



Serve the food with familiar, favourite foods, I served this with roasted pork and peas.

Remain calm,,,




So far, so good.....







There you have it folks!!! Sweet Potato Success!!






Gosh, even Bella is thrilled about it...or is it the smell of roasted pork?
I believe that we owe it to our children to offer them a wide variety - to broaden their taste buds and open up their minds and bodies to the healthy foods that the earth has to offer.

Good luck with your next food adventure and remember..... never, ever give up!!

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Chicken Ragu on Polenta

During a little ski getaway to Crabbe Mountain near Fredericton, New Brunswick - I had a chance to watch a Rachel Ray show on the Food network. I don't have that channel at home - which is a good thing because I would probably watch lots of cooking shows and we would starve!
She made this Turkey Ragu on Polenta and it looked so easy and delicious. So we made an adaptation of that recipe last night.

I had picked up some free range chicken at the Mariposa Market - Owners Cait and Steve know the farmer and his farm...sure makes a person feel better about eating the poor little chicken - that it had quality of life whilst living and that it is healthier meat.


Often free range, antibiotic free, hormone free, etc., meats can cost more which brings up the quality vs quantity issue. Many people can benefit from eating less meat, so if you do decide to switch to these higher quality meats - just buy less. Choose quality.













Start by heating a glug of olive oil in a large saucepan and add the ground chicken or turkey. Here is my Sous Chef Mike, doing just that. Add some freshly ground pepper, a little salt and poultry seasoning - I like Victorian Epicure (from Victoria, B.C.) Turkey Rub, or a combination of rosemary, thyme, and summer savory.


Here is Bella with a big smile; she smells animal protein cooking!








Then finely chop up vegetables:
several stalks of celery, a couple of sweet peppers, an onion, a small zucchini, and a few cloves of minced garlic. You can use almost any veggies you have on hand: carrot, cauliflower, chopped spinach...
Add these to the browned ground chicken. Add about 1/4 cup of tomato paste and 1/2 cup red wine - shoot, we have to open up a bottle of wine...oh well, make the best of it! Then add ~ 1 1/2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth.Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.


Measure 3 cups of broth into a pot over medium high heat. When the broth comes to a boil, sprinkle 1 cup polenta cornmeal into the broth while whisking. Stir until it thickens, about 3-4 minutes.







 Spoon the hot polenta onto the plates with a little well in the centre. Spoon the ragu into the well.
Serve!!! It was 'easy peasy!!!'

This is definitely going to go into my 'favourite recipe' file!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Red Lentil Dal

You may be asking yourself,"what is with this woman and beans and lentils??  I admit it; I have a real thing for legumes...and love to try and convince 'non legume lovers' to convert.
Really... what is not to love about them??

If you are trying to slash your grocery bill, as I am always attempting to do (especially with two growing boys with growing appetites...), legumes are your answer!
They are very healthy (think: fiber and protein) , inexpensive (cents per serving), non perishable, adaptable to many recipes (soups, stews, loaves, pasta sauces etc, etc..) , environmentally friendly (less energy to produce) and delicious!



Here is a recipe that is perfect for beginner bean cooks. It is adapted from a favourite newish cookbook of mine: The Best of Chef at Home, by Michael Smith. (I am always so curious as to what chefs cook at home, aren't you?)









oooops, didn't mean to put two book links here - can't get it off!?!




Red Lentil Dal on Rice

Put 1 cup Basmati Rice and 2 cups water in the rice cooker ...or if you haven't gotten this vital kitchen tool (see past blogs) cook your rice in a pot on the stove...good luck!
For the last 10 - 12 minutes you can add cauliflower and peas on top of the rice to steam.

Dal:
Chop an onion and mince a few garlic cloves.


You may have heard the nutrition rule of thumb: don't eat anything white: not a good tip! Look at garlic, onion and cauliflower, for example: white, but verrry nutritious!

Rinse 1 cup of red lentils until the water runs clear and place the lentils, 3 cups of water, the onion, garlic and 1 tbsp Pataks mild curry paste (or curry powder) and a dash of salt in a pot. Don't you love it when a recipe says put it all in a pot?! :)

Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take the lid off and simmer, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes.
Add another pinch of salt and a little more curry if you like.

Serve over rice. We served it with cantaloupe and steamed cauliflower and peas.
Done! Easy! Deeeelentilicious!


Laptop Lunches!!

Hi Everyone,

I am thrilled to say that I have become an affiliate salesperson with Laptop Lunches!
I found these neat lunchboxes on the internet 2 years ago and bought one for William to see if it was worth the money. Well, 2 years later, we still have ALL of the pieces and William loves eating his lunch out of it! (btw, if you lose a piece, you can just order one piece to replace it).




10 REASONS WILLIAM AND EDIE LOVE LAPTOP LUNCHES:
(i will start with 10 like D. Letterman...)

10. Will says that he only has to open one container at lunchtime, instead of 3 or 4, so, he gets out to the playground faster.
9. Edie loves that he eats all of his lunch (most of the time) because as soon as he opens the laptop his lunch is all there.
8. Will thinks it is a cool lunchbox and he is the only one that has it. Edie thinks it is so cool that everyone should have one!
7. Edie loves that the investment paid off and has saved $$ on plastic containers that never make it home from school!
6. Both Will and Edie love the fact that it does not create more garbage for the landfill or litter around the schoolyard.
5. Edie loves that it is conducive to healthy, non processed lunches i.e. packaged treats, etc....Will says "yeah, sure."
4. Edie loves that it is a company owned by two moms - you know what they say: 'Necessity is the mother of invention'...or something like that.
3. Edie is thrilled that it is safe plastic and is dishwasher friendly.
2. Will loves the lunches tht fill up the colourful squares.
1. Yes, this is the big one....Edie LOVES the fact that she doesn't have to rummage through the kitchen drawer for matching tops and lids for plastic containers!!! Yeahhhh!

So, I am not much of a salesperson...but when I see a product that I believe in...I want to tell everyone about it and make sure everyone has one.

HOW TO ORDER LAPTOP LUNCHES:

go to : www.laptoplunches.com 

Click: online store
click: Product Category: Bento Sets, Systems, Sleeves, Original
click: Basic Bento Original (this is the one we have, although there are more products to see!)
Pick out your purchases and put: nutritioncoach in coupon code for your 10% off.

Order with friends and share the shipping!

Call me if you have any questions about laptoplunches!!
(902) 441-6602