I really love Shepherd's Pie. In my opinion it is the King of the Casseroles. It has everything you want: meat, veggies and starch, all in one place with a delightful gravy tying it all together. You can use any ground meat you want, and pretty much any variety of vegetables. You can top it with any kind of potato you want (wowza it's amazing with sweet potato). It's a great way to get a lot of nutrition in one easy place!
1-2lbs ground meat (beef, lamb, chicken, pork, turkey, whatever floats your boat)
1 cup stock (again, whatever kind you like)
Chopped veggies enough to fill your casserole dish
6 cooked and mashed potatoes
Grated cheese (optional)
Brown your meat in a saucepan. Add a slurry of flour and stock to build up a gravy right there in your pan. Put your meat and gravy in an rectangular oven-safe dish. Stir in your chopped up vegetables so they get nice and coated in the gravy too. Top with mashed potatoes and cheese (if desired). Cover with tin foil and bake at 400F for about 40 minutes or until it's warm all the way through. For the kids I like to take their serving and stir it up so they can't get picky and just eat the potatoes or something!
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Perfect Pancakes
On the theme of breakfast for supper comes a recipe that's now being enjoyed by the fourth generation of my husband's family. This recipe was passed down from my husband's maternal grandfather, to hubby's father, and now to me. I love this recipe as it's a snap to make and tolerates a lot of variations! My favourite is to add grated cheese (savoury pancakes!), but I also enjoy apple cinnamon nutmeg, blueberry, strawberry and chocolate chips. Let's be fair, you can put whatever you want in this sturdy yet fluffy batter! Each batch makes between 6-8 pancakes, so double as needed. We also try to make a bigger batch so we can have leftovers for the morning. You can either microwave them or, even better, pop them in your toaster!
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg (beaten)
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoon salad oil
Sift together all your dry ingredients in one bowl including any spices you want to add. In a separate bowl combine your wet ingredients. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir just until all the flour is moistened. It should look a little lumpy. If you over stir your batter won't be as fluffy when cooked. At this point you can add any other ingredients like fruits, cheese or chocolate. Fry them up on an ungreased pan or griddle. You'll know it's time to turn them when the batter starts bubbling on top. Also, a great tip I learned from baby girl's Godfather: Don't press down on the pancakes after you've turned them. If you push out all that air they won't be so light and fluffy.
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg (beaten)
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoon salad oil
Sift together all your dry ingredients in one bowl including any spices you want to add. In a separate bowl combine your wet ingredients. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir just until all the flour is moistened. It should look a little lumpy. If you over stir your batter won't be as fluffy when cooked. At this point you can add any other ingredients like fruits, cheese or chocolate. Fry them up on an ungreased pan or griddle. You'll know it's time to turn them when the batter starts bubbling on top. Also, a great tip I learned from baby girl's Godfather: Don't press down on the pancakes after you've turned them. If you push out all that air they won't be so light and fluffy.
French Toast
We're big fans of breakfast for supper in our family. It's a nice way to get a break from heavy meals and a great treat for the kids. We try to do it at least once a week. A real family favourite is French Toast, which I grew up topping with confectioner's sugar, maple syrup, table syrup, molasses, jam or even fresh fruit and whipped cream. I'm drooling just thinking about it. To make this recipe you need some bread. You can use any bread you like, but I love either Homemade White Bread or even better, my Mom's Molasses Brown Bread. I like my bread cut a little thicker because then it doesn't fall apart in the batter! We have an electric frying pan but you can do it in a regular stove-top frying pan. All you'll need to do is soak each piece of bread in the batter, making sure both sides are drenched, then fry both sides in the pan over medium heat until they're golden brown. Here's the recipe for the batter:
Beat 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, and 1 tsp sugar together. I know. Crazy how easy this is! I think I'll have to make this tonight!
Beat 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, and 1 tsp sugar together. I know. Crazy how easy this is! I think I'll have to make this tonight!
Pizza
Pizza is an easy staple in our family. We do everything from the big round pizza, to muffin cups filled with dough then topped, to personal sized pizzas to calzones. For any one of these variations, you need a good, classic dough! This is my Mom's recipe for pizza dough with yeast. When I'm making my pizza in muffin cups I actually prefer a Yeast Free Pizza Dough that won't rise too much and can be pressed into the muffin cups. My recipe makes enough for 2 medium pizzas, which is great if you're planning on making enough for two nights. For those of you shaking your heads at all the waiting for the dough to rise, I usually do all my preparation for the toppings while the dough is rising so it actually works out nicely and you can have light, fluffy dough that's easy for kids and adults to eat.
Let stand for 10 minutes:
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon dry active yeast
Sift in large bowl:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Pour yeast mixture into your flour mixture. Add 1/3 cup lukewarm water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix into a rough ball and then knead it on an oiled board for about 15 minutes (work those biceps!). Your dough should be nice and smooth, if not a little sticky from the oil. Let your kneaded dough rise in a covered bowl until it has doubled in size. (Here's your chance to get chopping on those veggies or pan-frying some bacon!) About now you should start your oven to preheat to 400F. Cut the risen dough in two and roll them out to fit in your pans. Let rise a little more in your pans. Bake just your dough in the pan for 5-10 minutes. This will allow the dough to set nicely without fully cooking it. (This will give you a sense of where air pockets will form too. I usually flatten them down so I can get my ingredients on evenly.) Top it however you like and bake for 10-15 minutes. Your crust should be a beautiful golden brown.
For calzones you'll want to roll them out into roughly the size you want, then fill on one side and fold over in half. Cut 2 or 3 slits on the top and cook on an oiled pan for 15-20 minutes or until your dough is golden and lovely.
Lastly for the muffin cups. I put some cooking spray over the whole pan (because it will bubble up) and then I press the yeast free dough firmly into the muffin cups and fill right into them. After that I simply fill them and cook them for 15-20 minutes until the crust gets lightly browned. These are a big hit with the kids! They just pick them up to eat them!
For those of you who are trying to dump canned goods out of your life, I have a nice alternative! I cut 2 tomatoes up into quarters and drop them in my blender with some spices (like basil, garlic and onion powder) and a little olive oil and blend it until it's just smooth enough. With pizza, less is more when it comes to sauce so whatever you don't use can go in the fridge for another meal. I use this same sauce over pasta took with some hand torn spinach thrown in. I hope you enjoy this meal!
Let stand for 10 minutes:
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon dry active yeast
Sift in large bowl:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Pour yeast mixture into your flour mixture. Add 1/3 cup lukewarm water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix into a rough ball and then knead it on an oiled board for about 15 minutes (work those biceps!). Your dough should be nice and smooth, if not a little sticky from the oil. Let your kneaded dough rise in a covered bowl until it has doubled in size. (Here's your chance to get chopping on those veggies or pan-frying some bacon!) About now you should start your oven to preheat to 400F. Cut the risen dough in two and roll them out to fit in your pans. Let rise a little more in your pans. Bake just your dough in the pan for 5-10 minutes. This will allow the dough to set nicely without fully cooking it. (This will give you a sense of where air pockets will form too. I usually flatten them down so I can get my ingredients on evenly.) Top it however you like and bake for 10-15 minutes. Your crust should be a beautiful golden brown.
For calzones you'll want to roll them out into roughly the size you want, then fill on one side and fold over in half. Cut 2 or 3 slits on the top and cook on an oiled pan for 15-20 minutes or until your dough is golden and lovely.
Lastly for the muffin cups. I put some cooking spray over the whole pan (because it will bubble up) and then I press the yeast free dough firmly into the muffin cups and fill right into them. After that I simply fill them and cook them for 15-20 minutes until the crust gets lightly browned. These are a big hit with the kids! They just pick them up to eat them!
For those of you who are trying to dump canned goods out of your life, I have a nice alternative! I cut 2 tomatoes up into quarters and drop them in my blender with some spices (like basil, garlic and onion powder) and a little olive oil and blend it until it's just smooth enough. With pizza, less is more when it comes to sauce so whatever you don't use can go in the fridge for another meal. I use this same sauce over pasta took with some hand torn spinach thrown in. I hope you enjoy this meal!
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
3 Week Meal Plan
There's been a lot of buzz about the 100 mile diet lately and our family has decided to do our own version of it wherever possible. With that in mind, we've developped a 3 week rotating meal plan for supper based on the local produce that's available this time of year. We will be changing our meal plan in spring and summer based on what's available then. We also hope to sign up for CSA starting in April and working around our weekly food boxes. For now, here's the bare bones of our plan. I will be elaborating with recipes and adding basic pricing as I can.
A basic element of our meal plan involves making most meals to last two nights. This is financially a lot cheaper than creating 7 unique meals. More importantly, I can make a more elaborate meal with a view that I won't have to cook the next night. Our meal plan is 3 weeks instead of 4 because we liked the idea of more rotation so that the first Monday of every month or whatnot isn't always the same thing.
Week 1
Monday & Tuesday: Stir fry (1lb pork or beef stir fry pieces, veggies in season, rice, soya sauce)
Wednesday & Thursday: Butternut Squash Soup
Friday & Saturday: Pizza (homemade pizza dough, hot house tomatoes, veggies in season, bacon and/or sausage)
Sunday: Bacon & eggs with toast (made out of Homemade Molasses Brown Bread)
Week 2
Monday & Tuesday: Beef Stew
Wednesday: French Toast (eggs, milk, sugar and Homemade Molasses Brown Bread)
Thursday & Friday: Shepherd's Pie(1lb-2lbs ground beef, pork or lamb, veggies in season, mashed potatoes on top, and gravy make from homemade beef broth)
Saturday & Sunday: Crockpot Leek and Potato Soup
Week 3
Monday: Pancakes (flour, eggs, milk, oil, sugar)
Tuesday & Wednesday: Sausage Meatballs (8 uncased sausages with seasonal veggies and potatoes)
Thursday: Muffin Pan leftovers (pizza dough pressed into 12 cup muffin pan with leftover meatballs spooned in, covered with sauces and topped with cheese and baked for 15-20 minutes at 400F)
Friday & Saturday: Mixed Veggie Egg Drop Soup
Sunday: Dijon Spice Pork Tenderloin with seasonal veggies and potatoes
That's the plan for now!
A basic element of our meal plan involves making most meals to last two nights. This is financially a lot cheaper than creating 7 unique meals. More importantly, I can make a more elaborate meal with a view that I won't have to cook the next night. Our meal plan is 3 weeks instead of 4 because we liked the idea of more rotation so that the first Monday of every month or whatnot isn't always the same thing.
Week 1
Monday & Tuesday: Stir fry (1lb pork or beef stir fry pieces, veggies in season, rice, soya sauce)
Wednesday & Thursday: Butternut Squash Soup
Friday & Saturday: Pizza (homemade pizza dough, hot house tomatoes, veggies in season, bacon and/or sausage)
Sunday: Bacon & eggs with toast (made out of Homemade Molasses Brown Bread)
Week 2
Monday & Tuesday: Beef Stew
Wednesday: French Toast (eggs, milk, sugar and Homemade Molasses Brown Bread)
Thursday & Friday: Shepherd's Pie(1lb-2lbs ground beef, pork or lamb, veggies in season, mashed potatoes on top, and gravy make from homemade beef broth)
Saturday & Sunday: Crockpot Leek and Potato Soup
Week 3
Monday: Pancakes (flour, eggs, milk, oil, sugar)
Tuesday & Wednesday: Sausage Meatballs (8 uncased sausages with seasonal veggies and potatoes)
Thursday: Muffin Pan leftovers (pizza dough pressed into 12 cup muffin pan with leftover meatballs spooned in, covered with sauces and topped with cheese and baked for 15-20 minutes at 400F)
Friday & Saturday: Mixed Veggie Egg Drop Soup
Sunday: Dijon Spice Pork Tenderloin with seasonal veggies and potatoes
That's the plan for now!
Just Another Wednesday
I can see the snow blowing around in whispy clouds out my back window. Oldest girl is drawing at the table. The boys are packing toys in their little ottoman style chairs. Baby girl is bouncing peacefully in her excersaucer. Light and cheerful music drifts through the air. The coffee is drunk. The dishwasher is full and running. (Relative) quiet. (Acceptable level of) peace. Supper is already made for tonight.
I realise that I could go down and start some more laundry. Or even fold the enormous pile of laundry in my bedroom that's growing faster than baby girl. But not yet. Not in this moment. There could be a million pressing tasks begging for my time in the moment, but I am not letting the voice of duty have a say in this moment. The only duty I have right now is to sit back and savour the miracle that is four children, existing in something that one could approximate as harmony. Everyone is clean, fed and occupied...
Oh wait, I see a brawl starting and baby girl is starting up her hungry cry... It was nice while it lasted.
I realise that I could go down and start some more laundry. Or even fold the enormous pile of laundry in my bedroom that's growing faster than baby girl. But not yet. Not in this moment. There could be a million pressing tasks begging for my time in the moment, but I am not letting the voice of duty have a say in this moment. The only duty I have right now is to sit back and savour the miracle that is four children, existing in something that one could approximate as harmony. Everyone is clean, fed and occupied...
Oh wait, I see a brawl starting and baby girl is starting up her hungry cry... It was nice while it lasted.
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup
Lately we've been going to our local farmer's market every weekend. It started when a dear friend, and our baby girl's Godfather, started a wonderful new job as the butcher for the storefront of a local farm. I could rant and rave about the glorious meat we've been blessed to eat lately (oh sweet baby Jesus, thank you for bacon), but the quality of the meat at Getaway Meat Mongers speaks for itself the moment you take your first bite. Let me just say that sustainable, local, grass fed livestock, that is lovingly cared for by a farmer and properly butchered is an experience worth trying and repeating.
But I digress. Today I want to share with you my version of Butternut squash soup made, of course, in the crockpot. The reason I mentioned the market is that all of the vegetables I used are from Noggins Corner Farm's stand at the Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market. If you find yourself there, be sure to share a smile with their funny and knowledgeable staff. They are a highlight of our weekend. Now for the recipe!
2 medium butternut squash
4 medium potatoes
6 rainbow carrots
1 can coconut milk or coconut cream
4 cups broths (veggie, chicken or beef)
4 tablespoons butter
Brown sugar to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
First up, cut those butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Put a tablespoon of butter on each of them and sprinkle some brown sugar, salt and pepper on them. Bake them in a 400F oven for 25-35 minutes or until fork tender. You can either scoop the flesh out of the skin or, like me, turn them upside down and carefully cut off the skin. Cut the squash up into chunks and drop into your crockpot. Cut up your carrots and potatoes and drop them in there too. Mix up your veggies and then add your broth and a little salt and pepper. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Your whole house is going to smell the way I imagine heaven smells! When it's all soft and cooked take the broth and veggies out in batches and blend it until smooth. When you've blended the whole thing add your coconut milk and whisk it in. Add more salt and pepper to taste. I think this would be especially tasty with some of my Mom's Molasses Brown Bread. This soup recipe had a few steps but it really was so easy, delicious and worthwhile. I can't wait to have my second bowl tomorrow!
The best part, my three older kids who are 21 months, 3 years and 4 years old all loved it. My 4 year old girl literally said "Mommy, this was the best meal ever. In the world!" I'll take that victory and run!
But I digress. Today I want to share with you my version of Butternut squash soup made, of course, in the crockpot. The reason I mentioned the market is that all of the vegetables I used are from Noggins Corner Farm's stand at the Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market. If you find yourself there, be sure to share a smile with their funny and knowledgeable staff. They are a highlight of our weekend. Now for the recipe!
2 medium butternut squash
4 medium potatoes
6 rainbow carrots
1 can coconut milk or coconut cream
4 cups broths (veggie, chicken or beef)
4 tablespoons butter
Brown sugar to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
First up, cut those butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Put a tablespoon of butter on each of them and sprinkle some brown sugar, salt and pepper on them. Bake them in a 400F oven for 25-35 minutes or until fork tender. You can either scoop the flesh out of the skin or, like me, turn them upside down and carefully cut off the skin. Cut the squash up into chunks and drop into your crockpot. Cut up your carrots and potatoes and drop them in there too. Mix up your veggies and then add your broth and a little salt and pepper. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Your whole house is going to smell the way I imagine heaven smells! When it's all soft and cooked take the broth and veggies out in batches and blend it until smooth. When you've blended the whole thing add your coconut milk and whisk it in. Add more salt and pepper to taste. I think this would be especially tasty with some of my Mom's Molasses Brown Bread. This soup recipe had a few steps but it really was so easy, delicious and worthwhile. I can't wait to have my second bowl tomorrow!
The best part, my three older kids who are 21 months, 3 years and 4 years old all loved it. My 4 year old girl literally said "Mommy, this was the best meal ever. In the world!" I'll take that victory and run!
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