You are here: Home / Archives for kids

One-Pot Bacon Pizza Pasta

June 28, 2012 by 7 Comments

The other night, a few of my teenager’s buddies came for a Minecraft party/eating festival. What that means, for those of you who aren’t don’t have teenagers or a gamer in the house, is that there were a fistful of teenage boys with laptops at my dining room table doing something on their computers that looked a whole lot like building Lego worlds full of zombies and pigs on their laptops.

The catch is that I didn’t know whether the plans were going to work until about a half an hour before they were set to arrive: right at dinner time. If that doesn’t strike fear deep into your heart, maybe this will; it was nearly 100°F out and these teenage boys that were arriving were coming straight from fencing lessons.

Let that sink in a bit.

A handful of hungry teenage boys straight from intense physical activity at my table.

The only possible answer was pasta and lots of it. Quickly.

I revamped my Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta for lack of hamburger and turned it into Bacon Pizza Pasta.  I was just stirring the last handful of cheese, pepperoni and crispy bacon into the pot when the doors opened and a bunch of young men with computers loped through. * We had a massive stockpot full of pasta that tasted for all the world like a pepperoni and bacon pizza had fallen into it; tender pasta in herby tomato sauce full of melted mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and crispy bacon.

*Can we just talk about this for a minute? First of all, I don’t even feel like an adult yet, let alone one with a teenager and CERTAINLY NOT one whose teenager and all of his friends are taller than her. I might need someone to hold my hand for a minute.

The pasta was as big a hit as I hoped it would be. The boys ate a lot. There were happy faces. And I only had one pot to clean even after feeding eight people for dinner. I washed my one pot, the boys brought their dishes for the dishwasher and I got to put my feet up. I’d call that an all around win, wouldn’t you?

The recipe as printed below yields a large pot of pasta. Not large enough to feed the crew I fed, but large nonetheless. It scales up beautifully -I made a triple batch for the wild men over here- and leftovers, should you have them, store and reheat nicely for up to four days.

 

Print
Bacon Pizza Pasta

Bacon Pizza Pasta

This one pot wonder dinner is a crowd pleaser with tender pasta covered in a pizza flavoured, herb-laden tomato sauce full of melted mozzarella cheese, crispy bacon, and pepperoni slices.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound sliced bacon
  • 1 onion, peeled and very finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and pressed or finely minced
  • 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
  • 1 cup pizza sauce
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder (preferably granulated onion)
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder (preferably granulated garlic)
  • 1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more, to taste depending on heat tolerance and preference.)
  • 1 pound dry small shell, rotini, or elbow pasta
  • 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
  • 15 slices of pepperoni, cut into quarters

Instructions

Stack the bacon strips and cut down through the stack at 1/4-inch intervals. When done, you should have a pile of thin bacon strips. Put these into a large stockpot over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Add the onion and minced or pressed garlic when the bacon is about halfway cooked. Continue frying the bacon, onions and garlic until the bacon is crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the crispy bacon with the onions and garlic to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Pour the remaining bacon grease out of the pan (and hopefully into a jar to use in tasty things later.)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the garlic, tomato paste, pizza sauce, beef broth, water, Italian seasonings, oregano, salt, and onion and garlic powders. Pour this into the pan from which you drained the bacon grease. Stir well, raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. When it is boiling, gently stir in the dry pasta, add a lid to the pan and drop the heat to low. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking. When the pasta is tender, turn off the heat, add all of the grated cheese, the crispy bacon, and the chopped pepperoni and stir gently until the cheese is melted in completely and everything is evenly distributed. Serve hot with additional grated cheese if desired.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/06/28/one-pot-bacon-pizza-pasta/

 

Filed Under: Comfort Food, kid food, Party Food, Pasta, Rebecca, Recipes, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: , , , , ,

Chocolate Covered Banana Pops and Homemade Magic Shell | Make Ahead Mondays

June 18, 2012 by 6 Comments

 

Well, hello Summer Vacation.

That snuck up on us quickly, didn’t it? (My kids would argue that it’s taken forever to get here. Ah, youth.) The boys have already thrown themselves headlong into the summer rhythm of fishing, biking, climbing trees, catching snakes, dabbling toes in brooks and lakes, snacking, and swinging in hammocks.

We spend our Saturdays at the Angelica Farmers’ Market where I am part of the management team and the boys operate their summer business of charming people into buying their hand-made garden and yard sculptures.*

*The salesmen are adorable, tis true, but so are their garden sculptures.

When we get home Saturday afternoon, we are invariably tired to the last man (or wo-man, as the case may be. That’s Woah-Man!) and hungry. We haul in the goodies we purchased from fellow vendors, stash the veggies in appropriate storage containers and collectively collapse on chairs. And then the, “I’m hungry!” chorus starts in earnest. If I haven’t thought ahead this is the moment that makes me regret that acutely.

The very best solution is having something in the freezer to take the edge off of the heat. These frozen treats -Chocolate Covered Banana Pops- or CCBPs, as the kids call them, are a steadfast favourite around here. The frozen bananas taste for all the world like vanilla ice cream pops coated in chocolate! My mom used to make them for me and my siblings when we were little (even though she hated bananas personally) and I’m carrying on the tradition. I keep it up in part because it’s a fabulously healthy snack that feels indulgent but also because I still love eating them myself.

…There is one more reason, though, and it’s a doozy. The chocolate dip for the frozen bananas makes a killer Magic Shell topping for other frozen treats. Didya freeze some strawberries? Throw a few in a bowl and drizzle a little reheated Homemade Magic Shell over the top. Bowls of ice cream cry out for a little tap-tap-tap-break chocolate shell on top. Ice cream cones never looked so good as when they’re dunked into melted chocolate and uprighted to form that little curlicue at the top.

So freeze a few bananas today. Make a double batch of the Magic Shell. Boldly dunk frozen things (or drizzle the melted Magic Shell over the aforementioned chilled goodies.) and remember what it’s like to be a kid in the summer time. This is truly a kid-tested, mother-approved recipe. If you wake up some sweltering morning, you could eat something far worse for breakfast than a CCBP. Not that I’ve done that. Today.

Print
Chocolate Covered Banana Pops and Homemade Magic Shell | Make Ahead Mondays

Chocolate Covered Banana Pops and Homemade Magic Shell | Make Ahead Mondays

There just isn't anything more reminiscent of childhood summers for me than frozen Chocolate Dipped Banana Pops. The frozen bananas taste just like ice cream pops! Kids of all ages love these.

Make a double batch of the dip to use as a healthy (and divine) Homemade Magic Shell.

Ingredients

    Homemade Magic Shell:
  • 2 cups finely chopped dark chocolate chunks
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
    • Chocolate Covered Banana Pops (CCBP's):
  • 6 ripe bananas, peeled
  • 12 wooden popsicle sticks
  • Homemade Magic Shell, reheated 'til thin
  • Optional for rolling onto the chocolate coated bananas:
  • graham cracker crumbs
  • mini M&Ms
  • sprinkles
  • jimmies
  • chopped roasted nuts (peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, etc...)
  • crushed salty pretzels

Instructions

To Make the Homemade Magic Shell:

Put the chocolate chunks into a microwave safe jar. A wide-mouthed pint jar works perfectly for this project. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove the jar from the microwave, add the coconut oil and stir until smooth. Use immediately or add a tight fitting lid and let cool to room temperature before refrigerating for up to 1 month.

To Reheat Homemade Magic Shell:

Remove lid from the jar and reheat on medium power in 30 second increments, stirring well after each burst, until smooth and thin. Pour and/or dunk as needed!

To Make Chocolate Covered Banana Pops (CCBP's):

Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Cut the bananas in half and insert a wooden popsicle stick about 2-3 inches into the cut end of each banana half, leaving enough stick outside of the banana to grip easily. Arrange the bananas so they are not touching on the baking sheet and put it, uncovered, into the freezer. Freeze until the bananas are solid all the way through.

If you want to have additional toppings to roll onto the chocolate with the bananas, pour them into pie plates or small dessert plates.

Heat your Homemade Magic Shell coating until thin. Remove the tray from the freezer and quickly dunk each banana -1 at a time- into the Homemade Magic Shell, let the excess drip from the banana and quickly roll it into any additional toppings you're using. Return the dipped banana to the spot on the tray where it was before, and repeat with the remaining bananas. When they are all dipped, you can eat them right away or transfer them to a rigid container with waxed paper or parchment between layers. Cover the container with a tight fitting lid and keep frozen up to 1 month.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/06/18/chocolate-covered-banana-pops-and-homemade-magic-shell-make-ahead-mondays/

Filed Under: Breakfast Foods, Chocolate, Comfort Food, Desserts, Freezer Pleaser, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, Ice Cream, kid food, Rebecca, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

One Ingredient Mango (or Banana) Ice Cream

June 8, 2012 by 18 Comments

Around a decade ago, my stepmom, Val,  and my dad gave us a seriously burly juicer as a gift. For those of you well-versed in juicers, I’ll name drop for a second here; it’s a Champion. That thing is jet-engine powerful. And I used that jet engine to make juice. Lots of juice. Juice is good for kids, right?* But there’s only so much juice a gal and her crew can consume.

*Well, as long as it’s real juice and not a sugar bomb. I know…

Then one day, while we were hovering around Val’s kitchen looking hungry (because if you’re smart, that is the way you’ll arrange your face in her kitchen so you can taste her food), she offered to whip up a treat for us. She fished some frozen mango strips and bananas from the freezer. She assembled her own juicer and stuffed the frozen fruit into it. The motor whirred and out of the end of the juicer came… what?… seriously???… It was ice cream. Or at least it looked it.

And oh-my-sweet-heavens it tasted like it. It tasted like the most glorious, indulgent ice cream I had ever eaten. I didn’t even wait until it made it to my own personal bowl. My spoon kept going back to the bowl sitting under the juicer. The Evil Genius’s spoon was even faster than mine. Superlatives were used folks.

That was a day that will live in our memories forever, because it was the day we discovered (I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but my kids are standing over me insisting I tell you what they call it) Fruit Poop. If I wasn’t so desensitized by being the mother of five boys, I might have died just now putting that in print for all you to read, but that’s what the kids (including the big, adult one to whom I’m married) like to call it. This name came about while watching the juicer extrude the fruit. Okay, boys. I told them. Can I go back to calling it ice cream now?

All summer long, this is our go-to dessert. And for years, I’ve kept my mango strips, bananas, and whatever other frozen fruit I wanted to use in plastic containers in the freezer. The only problem was that the lids on those dad-burned containers always shattered on me when I tried to pry them off. I tried switching to freezer bags, but those would slip down in and among rock-hard venison loins, bags of peas and corn, and white paper packages containing that half-a-pig we ordered. It drove me batty.

I recently discovered the joy that is Glad Freezerware. It’s made to go into the freezer! (Duh, right?) It’s tough stuff. It’s made to go from freezer to microwave to whatever and is dishwasher safe. SCORE. I’m still trying to figure out a way to make my kids dishwasher safe. That would so simply my life. Glad… can you get on that? Please?

Here’s how I use it for the One-Ingredient Ice Cream. Cut a large amount of ripe mangoes and bananas into strips or one-inch thick chunks. Believe me. You’re going to want this often. Lay them out -not touching- on a parchment lined baking sheet and stash them in the freezer until frozen solid all the way through. The point in freezing them like this is so you don’t have one giant lump of frozen fruit. No matter HOW burly your juicer or food processor, you cannot make something good out of lump-o-fruit.

Do your level best not to snitch them at this point. Yes, I know they’re tasty, but they’re MAGICAL when they’re frozen and turned into fruit poop, er, one-ingredient ice cream.

For best results, transfer the frozen fruit into Glad Freezerware containers, then store in the freezer until ready to use.  You’re going to be grateful those lids don’t shatter when you take them off, because you’ll be taking the lids off all. the. time. to make this ice cream.

The lid, the lid, the lid didn’t shatter!

Again, no snitching! I had to smack a hand away from these containers. Alright. I smacked my own hand away, but the point is that you want what’s coming next!

I am not engaging in hyperbole when I tell you this is some of the best tasting stuff I have ever eaten. And look at the banana “ice cream”.

I do so love this plain. I adore it. But if I was to accidentally trip and drizzle a little chocolate syrup on top, I would love it that way, too. Ahem.

We also love blends. Mango/Banana? Two thumbs up. Blueberry/Banana? Big yes! Have fun with it. You have to taste this to believe it. It tastes like soft-serve frozen custard, but it’s good for you. Holy cow. It’s really good for you. It’s FRUIT!

Print
One Ingredient Mango (or Banana) Ice Cream

One Ingredient Mango (or Banana) Ice Cream

You'll have to taste it to believe it, but this super-creamy, luscious ice cream is made from just one ingredient! Whether you choose mango or banana or another fruit entirely, you'll be blown away by how decadent frozen fruit can taste when blitzed in a food processor or a juicer with a blank plate. Summer heat doesn't stand a chance when you have this recipe under your belt!

Ingredients

    For Mango 'Ice Cream':
  • Strips or small chunks of frozen mango
  • (The equivalent of 1 to 1 1/2 mangos yields one very generous or two medium servings.)
    • For Banana 'Ice Cream' (Taste like vanilla ice cream):
  • Strips or small chunks of frozen banana
  • (1 1/2 bananas are about equal to one very generous or two smaller servings)

Instructions

For Either Flavour of 'Ice Cream' Using a Juicer:

Put the blank plate on your juicer (the one that allows you to make 'whole juice' vs. strained juice.) Add the chunks of frozen fruit to the hopper and press down gently until all the fruit has been extruded.

Either eat immediately for soft-serve texture, or pack gently into a freezerware container, cover and put in the freezer until solid. This is best served the day it is made, but can be stored longer and softened slightly at room temperature before serving later.

For Either Flavour of 'Ice Cream' Using a Food Processor:

Put the chunks of frozen fruit into a food processor work bowl that has been fitted with a metal blade. Put the lid in place and process until it is a soft-serve consistency. You may find you need to stop the food processor to scrape down the sides occasionally.

Serve immediately like soft-serve, or pack into freezerware containers, cover and put into the freezer until solid. This is best served the day it is made, but can be stored longer and softened slightly at room temperature before serving later.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/06/08/one-ingredient-mango-or-banana-ice-cream/

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received Glad Freezerware but the opinions contained in the post are entirely my own. I really do love these containers. For more information on the new Glad Freezerware containers, visit their Facebook page.

Filed Under: Comfort Food, Desserts, Freezer Pleaser, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, Holiday Food, Ice Cream, kid food, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Stretching your dollars, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

English Muffin Bread Pizzas

April 11, 2012 by 14 Comments

I’ve entered that parenting stage where I am, apparently, running a taxi service for my children. I always thought the whole “Mom’s Taxi” thing was a cliché. It isn’t. Clearly.

I mean wow. I’m still having trouble mentally adjusting to the fact that I’m a grown up, let alone that  I have an honest-to-goodness teenager and one on the cusp and three coming close behind. Eep.

Two to three days out of the week, I find myself on the campus of our local private college for various kid related activities; classes, youth group, etc… Early on in this weekly invasion schedule, I realized -in a grand shock to my system- that I was likely the oldest person in the student center and that I did. not. look. like. the. students. I got the vapours, folks.

I’m resilient though. I take one look at those five little men who keep me hopping and smiling -I know I’m living the life- grab a head and deliver a loving maternal noogie and race my kids back to the van to head home and whip up a batch of something that is going to make everyone happy in the kitchen before we’re off to our next commitment.

It’s at times like these that fancy is all wrong for all kinds of reasons. Every so often (and more often than not depending on circumstances) you just need good food good and fast. It doesn’t have to be pretty. It doesn’t have to be refined. And in fact, it’s better if it isn’t.

This is when you toss things, scatter things with abandon, pause to kiss a little one walking by, and slap something into the oven (not the kid, not the kid, I tell ya!). Life is moving fast. We need to, too.

Here’s the just the thing for it. English Muffin Bread Pizzas. This riff on one of my own childhood favourites -my Mom’s English muffin pizzas- is lightening fast and ever so satisfying. It won’t win awards for its looks or its sophistication, but that does not make it any less crave-able or smile-producing. English Muffin Bread ends up being an even better vehicle for super fast pizzas than English muffins because it lets the little bit of olive oil drizzled over the top soak down to the bottom to give you a crisp bottom crust.

A crispy crust, gooey and stretchy cheese, favourite pizza toppings… That’s good enough, right? There is just nothing better than something that tastes so good with so little effort.

Because I promise there’s almost no work to this. Here’s the thing. You put bread on the pan, drizzle with oil, toast, toss a bunch of toppings on it and bake. The messier you get with tossing on the toppings the better! Little bits of cheese and toppings that fall between the slices get crunchy and snackable. Pinky swear.

…Just when I was looking like an adult.

Print
English Muffin Bread Pizzas

English Muffin Bread Pizzas

A crispy crust, gooey and stretchy cheese, favourite pizza toppings and done in minutes to boot. Serve with a salad for a fast meal, or as a snack or part of your game day munchies. Comfort food is where it's at!

Ingredients

  • 12 slices (about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick) English Muffin Bread or 6 English muffins, split
  • 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 cup pizza sauce
  • 2-3 cups shredded mozzarella
  • Optional:
  • Diced, cooked ham
  • Pepperoni
  • Thinly sliced onions
  • Pineapple tidbits, well drained
  • Black or green olives
  • Italian sausage, cooked
  • ...Whatever floats your pizza boat!

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet (or two) with heavy duty foil or parchment paper.

Arrange the slices of English Muffin Bread (or the English muffins) closely on the lined pan. There should be just a small amount of space between the slices. Drizzle the olive oil evenly over the slices. Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 6-8 minutes, or until the olive oil is bubbly on the bread and the edges of the bread are golden brown. If you lift a piece of bread, the oil should have soaked through and be bubbly on the bottom, too.

Remove the pan from the oven and set on a heat-proof surface. Evenly divide the pizza sauce among the slices of bread and spread with the back of a spoon to the edges. Scatter the cheese over the tops of the bread, not taking too much care. There will be cheese that falls between the slices. That is not just okay; it's desirable! Scatter any additional toppings you like over the cheese and return the pan to the oven.

Bake for 10-18 minutes (depending on how browned you like your cheese). Let the pizzas cool for 3-5 minutes on the pans before using a spatula to transfer to a platter. Use the spatula to scrape up any crispy brown bits from the pan and toss those over the tops of the pizzas on the platter.

Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/04/11/english-muffin-bread-pizzas/

 

 

 

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Bread, Comfort Food, kid food, Rebecca, Recipes, Snacks, Stretching your dollars Tagged With: , , , , ,

Green Orange Julius Smoothie

March 7, 2012 by 10 Comments

This has been one seriously weird weather winter. From a green, warm Christmas to a rainy, snow-free February, I’ve been sitting around tapping my foot waiting for the weather to turn frightful. Tap tap tap. Nuttin’.

While my husband and sons have been running around outside singing rapturously about the weather and twirling with their arms à la Julie Andrews in the opening scene of “The Sound of Music”, I’ve been checking and double checking my yak trax, gloves, scarf and parka just in case I need them. Thirty something Northern Michigan and Western New York winters will do that to a girl.Instead of the clear and obvious signs of quiet -blankets of snow covering everything and icicles dangling from roofs- there has just been this kind of stasis or suspended animation. Everything looks muted and like it’s waiting on the edge of its seat for snow to fly. And hard.  I can’t seem to let go of the idea that we’re going to get slammed with the mamma jamma of all winter storms at some point.

We’re less than three weeks away from the official start to spring, though; the maple trees are flowing and there is smoke and steam rising from all the maple shacks dotting the countryside. That is an irrefutable sign that things are perking up and that even if the winter that has been hanging about at the edges of the room shows up, its life will be short. That means that even my cold, winter loving and fearing heart has to start the thaw, too.

The only thing that has been “wintery” around here is my like-clockwork-late-winter-craving; greens. I need green food and I don’t mean Shamrock Shakes faux green. (Although I’m pretty fond of one or two of those per season, too.) I mean food that looks fresh and leafy and full of life. Since I got a G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S. and super thoughtful Vitamix from my husband for Valentine’s Day, I’ve jumped onto the green smoothie bandwagon so hard I rattled the wheels.

Sidebar for those who haven’t yet tried a green smoothie: I know some of you are ready to pull a face and think I’ve jumped the shark for throwing spinach into a smoothie, let me tell you something. You don’t taste the spinach in these. I promise. It’s the wackiest thing ever. And if you’re wondering why in the world I would want to do such a thing as spinach in smoothies let me just ask this; do you get enough vegetables in your diet every day? Do your kids? Because even as a vegetable lover, I’ve had a hard time meeting my daily recommended veggie intake. When you consider my two youngest anti-veg kiddos, I know for a fact I wasn’t getting enough into them. But then came green smoothies. They love them. LOVE. My gruesome twosome is getting about two hundred percent more vegetables than they got before we started with the green smoothies. I count that a win.

I’ve blended spinach into just about every kind of smoothie I can possibly think to try, but it was just this last week that I stumbled upon our favourite. I saw someone on pinterest post a green orange julius smoothie, and I knew it was a great idea. I made a completely different green orange julius smoothie, but Green Lite Bites provided the inspiration.

So now a word to those who aren’t familiar with Orange Juliuses. Or should it be Orange Julii? Aw shoot. I don’t know. Whatever the plural of an Orange Julius is, that’s what I’m going for. Orange Julius is a mall-centric chain of beverage sellers that specializes in the most luscious thick, sweet, orange slushy/shake thingies ever. For years, I’ve been making an Orange Julius smoothie for my kids that uses frozen bananas as both a sweetener and thickener. It didn’t take a whole lot of messing with to turn it into a green smoothie. In fact, it only took the addition of a couple fists full of spinach.

These Green Orange Julius Smoothies are screaming, “SPRING YOU FOOL!!! Spring is COMING. Look alive!” These are responsible for me finally embracing the fact that spring is about to, well, spring! This is my new favourite spring recipe. It’s creamy, vibrant, sweet, vanilla-y and oh so orange even though it’s green. If you think about it, with St. Patrick’s Day next weekend, there’s no better way for this mostly Irish American girl to celebrate both the coming of spring and my heritage than to whirl together the green and the orange.

This time of year and with this recipe, I truly, deeply wish you all slàinte mhòr!

This post was sponsored by Frigidaire. When you check out Suzanne Goin’s springtime recipes at www.maketimeforchange.com, Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children’s U.S. programs. Plus, you’ll be entered for a chance to win the new Frigidaire Range with Symmetry™ Double Ovens– featuring two large ovens (that can each fit up to a 28 pound turkey!), providing the flexibility to cook multiple dishes at the same time at different temperatures, so you can get more on the table at the same time.

Print
Green Orange Julius Smoothie

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Serving Size: 2

Green Orange Julius Smoothie

This fun twist on both green smoothies and a classic Orange Julius is my new favourite spring recipe. It's creamy, vibrant, sweet, thick, vanilla-y and oh so orange even though it's green. I promise, you won't taste that spinach. Go ahead and take the plunge! To your very good health!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh baby spinach, washed
  • 1 cup 100% orange juice concentrate
  • 1 1/2 cups milk (whole, 2%, 1% or skim)
  • 1 large frozen peeled banana, broken into chunks
  • 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Instructions

Pour milk into a blender carafe first and then add the remaining ingredients. Fix the blender lid in place and blend on high until smooth*.

*If you have a less high-octane blender, you may want to stop the blender and move things around with a wooden spoon or spatula a couple of times.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/03/07/green-orange-julius-smoothie/

Filed Under: Beverages, Comfort Food, Happy Healthy and Wise, Healthy Foods, kid food, Rebecca, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , ,

Southwestern Egg Rolls | Make Ahead Mondays

March 5, 2012 by 20 Comments

My love of all foods Southwestern is deep and abiding. From tacos to burritos (breakfast and otherwise), quesadillas, nachos (grande or humble), tortilla soup and everything in between, I can’t resist. Well, maybe I can resist, but I’ve honestly never tried because I don’t want to give up any opportunity for any of those heavenly goodies.

These Southwestern Egg Rolls are currently the top of the heap of the goodness that is southwestern food for me right now. And most conveniently, they’re as easy and delicious when cooked from frozen as they are when you first roll them up. That makes them the perfect subject for today’s Make Ahead Monday feature.

I can’t think of anything I like much better than bright, festive onion, corn, red bell and jalapeno peppers, spinach, parsley or cilantro, melted pepper jack cheese, mild and moist chicken, substantial and creamy black beans and smoky spices wrapped up in a crunchy, crispy, dark brown egg roll wrapper. Hubba hubba. Or should I say ‘arriba!”? No really, should I? I have no idea if that’s even appropriate here.

All I know is this. These egg rolls make me happy. Very, very happy. They make my husband happy. Extremely happy. And they make my two eldest sons so insanely happy they’re almost weepy. The middlest son? Well, he loves the chicken, corn, black beans, spinach and cheese, but he’s on the fence over the bell peppers and onions. The gruesome-twosome anti-veg contingent? They’re not going anywhere near this many vegetables all mingled together even if it is in a deep-fried, hand-held package. Oh well. More. For. Me.

One day they will be filled with bitter regret for all the delicious vegetables they passed up at the table. In the meantime, I will continue to eat what is left on their plates, much to my waistline’s chagrin, to better absorb the unavoidable body check that will be used to knock me out of the way when they finally realize how delicious these things are.

Let’s get down to some nitty-gritty customization options in this dish, shall we?

  • Use whichever leftover chicken you have whether it’s dark or white meat. I had a combination of leftover thighs and chicken breasts, so I picked the meat off and coarsely chopped it. Rotisserie chickens, leftover roast chicken, or almost whatever you have on hand will do the job. Just try not to toss something that is too strongly flavoured or overly saucy (for instance, chicken tikka masala or some such) into the mix.
  • If you’re sensitive to spicy foods, you can omit the jalapeno pepper and swap in Monterey Jack for the pepper jack.
  • You’ll note the recipe calls for ‘cilantro ~or~ parsley’. In short, use cilantro if you like it, use parsley if you don’t!
  • You can deep-fry or bake these. It’s entirely up to you. Regarding this…

If you want that shatteringly crispy exterior, you are going to want to take the plunge and deep-fry these. There’s just no way to get the same effect from baking them. I’m not going to say don’t bake them, because they really are tasty when prepared that way, too, it’s just they’re different.

I shoved two of these under my husband’s nose; one baked, one fried. He looked at both and went for the fried one first. He gobbled that down then tried the baked one and it was gone in a trice, too. When I quizzed him afterward about which he had preferred, he said, “I don’t know! They were both good, just different!” So there you have it. Both good, just different. If it helps you to decide, he ate the fried one with his hands and the baked one with a fork.

Print
Southwestern Egg Rolls | Make Ahead Mondays

Southwestern Egg Rolls | Make Ahead Mondays

These crispy Southwestern egg rolls are filled with bright, festive onion, corn, red bell and jalapeno peppers, spinach, parsley or cilantro, melted pepper jack cheese, mild and moist chicken, substantial and creamy black beans and smoky spices.

Made and frozen in advance, these make dinners a snap on busy nights and are eagerly anticipated by all.

Ingredients

    To Make and Freeze the Egg rolls
  • 6 cups cooked, cubed chicken (or shredded chicken)
  • 2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
  • 2 cups cooked or canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 small onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 red bell pepper stemmed, seeded and diced
  • 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and minced (omit if you prefer milder, less spicy food)
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced or pressed
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
  • 12 ounces, about 2-3 cups, depending on how coarsely you grate it, pepper jack cheese (use regular Monterey Jack if you prefer less spicy food.)
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro or parsley
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 40-50 egg roll wrappers
  • water in a bowl to moisten and seal the egg roll wrappers
    • To Cook the Egg Rolls:
  • canola, peanut or vegetable oil (for deep frying)
  • ~or~
  • non-stick cooking spray or oil (for baking)

Instructions

To Make and Freeze Egg Rolls:

Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Add the green onions, onion, red bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, and garlic cloves along with a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Cook over medium high heat for about 2 minutes, or until the peppers and onions are crisp tender. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a large mixing bowl. Stir in all of the remaining ingredients except for the egg roll wrappers and water.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper.

Lay one egg roll wrapper out like a diamond with one tip pointing at your stomach. Scoop between ¼ and 1/3 cup of the filling neatly near the center of the egg roll wrapper, just a little bit closer to you than the center.

Pick up the corner closest to you and lift it, draping it over the filling. Use the wrapper to help compress the filling and distribute it so you have a tube of filling.

Fold the left corner over toward the center.

Do the same with the right corner.

Dip your fingers into the bowl of water, moisten along the edges of the top corner, then roll the bottom of the egg roll up toward the top, tightening the roll as you go.

When you roll it up and over the top corner, press lightly against the work surface to help seal it.

Place your sealed egg roll onto the lined pan. Repeat with the remaining filling and egg roll wrappers, trying to leave a little space between the egg rolls on the pan to prevent them from sticking together.

Cover the pans with plastic wrap and place in the freezer until the egg rolls are frozen through, about 4 hours. Transfer the frozen egg rolls into a re-sealable zipper-type freezer bag. Keep frozen for up to 6 months, using them as needed.

To Deep-Fry the Prepared Egg Rolls Before Freezing:

Heat about 2-inches of canola, peanut or vegetable oil in a high-sided heavy-bottomed pan until the oil is shimmery. If you have a deep-frying thermometer, you want the oil to be at 350°F. Carefully lower the desired number of egg rolls into the hot oil, taking care not to crowd the pan. If necessary, fry them in batches to avoid overcrowding. Fry the egg rolls, flipping once if necessary, for about 4 minutes, or until the egg roll wrapper is deep golden brown and the filling is hot all the way through. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate or pan and let cool for a couple of minutes before serving.

To Deep-Fry Frozen Prepared Egg Rolls:

Heat about 2-inches of canola, peanut or vegetable oil in a high-sided heavy-bottomed pan until the oil is shimmery. Preheat oven to 350°F. If you have a deep-frying thermometer, you want the oil to be at 350°F. Carefully lower the desired number of frozen egg rolls into the hot oil, taking care not to crowd the pan. If necessary, fry them in batches to avoid overcrowding. Fry the egg rolls, flipping once if necessary, for about 6 minutes, or until the egg roll wrapper is deep golden brown and the filling is hot all the way through. Transfer to a paper-towel lined pan. Cut one open to test the heat in the center. If they are not hot, you can remove the paper towels from the pan and put the pan in the oven to finish heating through. Alternatively, you can heat the fried egg rolls for 30 seconds to 1 minute after frying if the centers are not hot. When the filling is hot in the center, let cool for a couple of minutes before serving.

To Bake the Prepared Egg Rolls Before Freezing:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray the desired number of egg rolls all over nonstick cooking spray or brush with oil. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, flipping occasionally, or until the egg roll wrappers are golden brown all the way around and the filling is hot all the way through. Remove the pan from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

To Bake the Frozen Prepared Egg Rolls:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray the desired number of egg rolls all over with nonstick cooking spray or brush with oil. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping occasionally, or until the egg roll wrappers are golden brown all the way around and the filling is hot all the way through. Remove the pan from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

These are best served hot with a selection of sauces, like Ninfa’s Green Sauce , Smoked Paprika and Chipotle Sauce ,Roasted Red Pepper Sauce , or your favourite commercial or homemade salsa.
http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/03/05/southwestern-egg-rolls-make-ahead-mondays/

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Comfort Food, Freezer Pleaser, kid food, Main Dish, Make Ahead Mondays, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , ,

Pesto Pinwheel Rolls | Arugula and Walnut Pesto

February 9, 2012 by 7 Comments

There isn’t anything that is necessary to say about these rolls other than a resounding “WOW!” but not being a woman of few words, I’m going to say a bunch anyway. Once again, I break out what is now pretty firmly cemented as my best-loved bread dough of all time. But I should backtrack a bit…

Before my husband went on his mega-monster business trip, I went to the grocery store and panic purchased not just the toilet paper, paper towels and saltine crackers, but also massive cuts of meat, human-sized bags of oranges and potatoes, and food service packages of salad greens and arugula. After nearly three weeks of constant arugula consumption (not that I’m complaining) I realized I still had a large quantity of arugula that was near the end of its usefulness, and being a waste not want not sort of person, I knew there was no way it was going to be tossed. I decided to bust out the food processor and whip up a batch of arugula pesto.

Arugula pesto is one of those things I love madly but often forget to make. I think of pesto as a summer dish and spend almost the entire month of August up to my armpits in basil and olive oil and whatnot and then forget all about any pesto other than the stuff I’ve crammed into my freezer.

But really people. Have you been in Western New York in February? It’s usually awash in blinding white and gunmetal grey and various shades of brown. It’s not green. And when that third month of winter rolls in, I am so desperate for a glimpse of green, that I become a green food maniac: kale chips, spinach quiches, spanakopita, mustard greens, and so on and so forth. And arugula pesto is an uppercut of green. Every time I make it I think to myself, “WHY did I WAIT so LONG?” Just look at it.

What makes arugula pesto so special? Arugula greens are naturally peppery and bright in flavour that hold their own when combined with the earthy sweetness of toasted walnuts, salty pungency of Parmesan cheese, fragrantly kicky garlic and smooth olive oil. You’ll never miss the pine nuts with those toasted walnuts present. (And oofah! have you seen the price of those pine nuts? After tasting pesto made with walnuts you may never go back!)

After making that glorious pesto, I realized I had far, far more of it than we could possibly consume over pasta, roasted potatoes, rice, or whatever else I could rustle up and so took  inspiration from this beautiful pan of food and that brings me back to where I started…

I rolled out a double batch of my best beloved bread dough and slathered it generously with my verdant arugula pesto, rolled it up jellyroll style and cut it into rounds á la sweet rolls. I filled two cake pans and a muffin tin, just to see which we liked better, let it rise and then baked them off. Oh my. You know that magical smell that bread dough has when it’s baking? Yeah. That smell! It’s just that much more drool-inducing when it’s filled with garlic and toasted walnuts and Parmesan cheese and arugula and olive oil. Oh me.

When the rolls came out of the oven, we decided as a group that visually, the ones baked in the muffin tins were prettier with their tall, tight whorls, and smooth edges.

Texturally, though, we liked the ones in the cake pans because it was fun to unravel them (like you would a cinnamon roll. You do eat them that way, too, right?) and nibble away.

Both ways we baked them, the rolls were incredibly tender, soft, and packed with pesto flavour. The decision, therefore, is up to you. Bake them either way, just do bake them!

*You will please notice I said ‘we’. That’s right. Even the gruesome-twosome anti-vegetable contingent threw back these rolls like they hadn’t eaten in a week. In other words, THEY ATE VEGETABLES WILLINGLY. Score one for Team Big People. I’m telling you, these two honyaks WILL knowingly like vegetables if it kills me.

We made a dinner of these dinner rolls. I didn’t make another thing to serve alongside them because they were perfect on their own. Oh sure, they would’ve been grand alongside pasta, salad or soup, but I just wanted to taste them on their own. And hey, they’re chock full of arugula. That makes them healthy right?

So how would you serve these lovelies?

Print
Pesto Pinwheel Rolls | Arugula and Walnut Pesto

Yield: 24 rolls

Pesto Pinwheel Rolls | Arugula and Walnut Pesto

Fragrant, vibrant arugula pesto is rolled into tender, fine-crumbed, semolina dough to form these stunning and simple dinner rolls. Served alone or accompanying pasta, salad, or soup, they are a feast for the eyes as well as the body.

Ingredients

    For the Arugula and Walnut Pesto:
  • 4 cups baby arugula or mature arugula leaves with the stems removed, firmly packed
  • 3/4 cup walnuts
  • 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
  • 3/4 to 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
    • For the Pesto Pinwheel Rolls:
  • 1 batch Semolina Bread Dough
  • 1 1/2 cups Arugula Pesto
  • non-stick cooking spray or olive oil to brush pans

Instructions

To Make the Arugula and Walnut Pesto:

Place a heavy-bottomed skillet or frying pan over medium heat, add the walnuts and toast them, shaking the pan frequently to prevent scorching, until the nuts are shiny and fragrant. When they reach this point, immediately turn them into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.

Add the garlic and arugula leaves, fix the lid in place and turn on the food processor. With the machine running, drizzle the olive oil into the feed tube until it reaches your desired consistency.

Scrape the pesto into a bowl and stir in the grated cheese, then taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.

Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.

To Make the Pesto Pinwheel Rolls:

Use non-stick cooking spray or brush olive oil into four 8-inch round cake pans or two 12-cup muffin tins. Set them aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle that is about 24-inches by 18-inches.Spread the pesto over the surface of the bread dough, leaving about an inch of one long edge clean.

Gently but firmly roll the dough, beginning at the long edge that is spread with pesto, jelly-roll style, until you reach the clean edge. Pinch the dough together at the seam. It may not hold together completely, but that is okay. Lay the tube seam side down and cut first in half, then cut each half into 12 equally sized rounds. Put them into the prepared pans (6 rolls in each cake pan or 1 roll in each cup of the muffin tins.)

Lightly cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise until slightly puffy looking (about 30 minutes.)

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Bake the rolls for 18-24 minutes, or until completely set and rich golden brown. Allow the rolls to cool in the pans for 5 minutes before turning them out onto a rack. They can be eaten warm or cooled and stored at room temperature for 3 days in a tightly covered container.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/02/09/pesto-pinwheel-rolls-arugula-and-walnut-pesto/

 

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Bread, Comfort Food, Component Foods, kid food, Kitchen Techniques and Hints, Party Food, Rebecca, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Everything Soft Pretzels

February 2, 2012 by 28 Comments

Did you know February is National Snack Food Month? Its true.  And did you know that I am the (self-proclaimed) Queen of Snacks? It is in veritas.*

*Wanton use of Latin proves either my royalty or the fact that I’m a homeschooling mom.

I think this calls for a serious application of my snack food bonafides. (MORE LATIN!) There is no better way to kick off National Snack Food Month than with the King of All Snack Food (no relation): SOFT PRETZELS! Clearly, I’m excited here. I’m so excited I’m all capsy. Or should I say, I’M ALL CAPSY!? And exclamation marky?!?!! I’m sorry. Snack food thrills me.

Soft pretzels are one of my all-time favourite foods. On any given day at any given time any given person could walk up to me and say, “Would you like a soft pretzel?” and I would, in all likelihood, say, “Yes, please, stranger. I will eat this glorious soft pretzel you have offered to me.” (Because I’m also queeny and perpetually hungry.) I do not turn down soft pretzels.

Plain old (pshaw, plain?) soft pretzels are always acceptable and delicious, however…

…As Queen of Snacks, I feel obliged to kick off this best of months with something extra spectacular, and so, I give you: The Everything Bagel Soft Pretzel. Oh yes.

Sidebar: If anything comes close to the magical, mystical soft pretzel in the hierarchy of my snack food affection, it is most definitely the everything bagel. I love pop and crackle of the garlic flakes, onion flakes, poppy seeds, sesame seeds and coarse salt on top of the chewy brown bread in each bite. Cream cheese is not negotiable. It’d better be on there and thick, I tell you. End sidebar.

Bonus Sidebar/Confession: Every single time I attempt to type “poppy seeds” (including the one immediately preceding this parenthetical reference) I accidentally type “poopy”. Also in veritas. More Latin. End bonus sidebar.

How good are these? Let me paint you a picture… You open the oven and a blast of the scent of hot, freshly baked bread mingled with toasted garlic and onion hits you. The tray is full of deep, glossy brown soft pretzels topped with a crusty layer of garlic and onion bits, poppy and sesame seeds and crunchy salt. You force yourself to wait five minutes so you don’t burn off a layer of skin from the inside of your mouth. You smear cold cream cheese on the pretzel and some seeds and bits fall away. You don’t want to waste any of it so you touch the side of the cream cheese coated knife to them and glance around you. No one’s looking so you carefully eat it from the knife. But then you sink your teeth into that pretzel.  The cream cheese is still mostly cold, but has started melting just a bit where it is sitting on the warm pretzel. Crackle, pop, BAM, mmmmmm. This is everything a snack food should be. EVERYTHING. It’s not just an everything bagel topping pretzel it is the EVERYTHING PRETZEL.

I’m off to go rest my capsy fingers and eat another pretzel, but first, a royal poll question: What’s your favourite snack food ever? Do you tend to like savoury or sweet snacks better?

Now off with you. I declare that you shall make these Everything Pretzels and eat them.

Print
Everything Pretzels

Everything Pretzels

Deep, glossy brown soft pretzels topped with a crusty layer of garlic and onion bits, poppy and sesame seeds and crunchy salt like an everything bagel. Served warm with cold cream cheese, there is, quite simply, nothing better. What a way to kick of National Snack Food Month!

Important Note: If you do not have teflon or silicone sheets for your baking pans, be sure to generously spray them with non-stick cooking spray (even if you use parchment paper) as the pretzels WILL stick otherwise.

Ingredients

    Ingredients for dough:
  • 4 cups (1 pound 1 ounce, by weight) bread flour
  • 1 tablespoon non-diastatic malt powder (preferably) or sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup hot tap water
  • 2 teaspoons SAF or instant yeast
    • Ingredients for pretzel boil:
  • 2 quarts water
  • 2 tablespoons baking soda
    • Ingredients for toppings:
  • 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
  • 2 tablespoons dried garlic flakes
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon pretzel salt or coarse sea salt or kosher salt
  • 1 egg, whisked until evenly coloured

Instructions

To Make the Dough by Hand:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, malt powder or sugar and yeast. Set the whisk aside and switch to a sturdy wooden spoon. Stir in the milk and tap water until a soft dough forms. Turn onto a generously floured surface and knead, adding small amounts of flour as needed to keep the dough from adhering to the counter. You do not want a firm dough… it should be fairly slack, a little tacky and soft, yet smooth. Place dough in a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk and puffy, about an hour or so.

To Make the Dough by Stand Mixer:

In the work-bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, salt, malt powder or sugar and yeast. Mix on low just to combine dry ingredients. With mixer still on low, carefully pour in the milk and water. Continue mixing on low until you have a smooth, soft, slightly tacky dough. Remove bowl from the mixer, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in bulk and puffy, about an hour or so.

To Make the Dough by Bread Machine:

Add the milk, water, flour, malt powder or sugar, and yeast to the pan of your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the “Dough” or “Dough Only” cycle and hit start. Allow the cycle to complete.

To Form the Pretzels:

Line three 11×13-inch baking sheets with silicone or teflon pan liners. Set next to your work area.

Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface.

For Traditional Pretzel Shapes:

Use a bench knife to cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece like play-dough until you have a snake of dough about the circumference of a Kindergarten pencil (or your index finger.) Lay the snake of dough in a u-shape. Twist the two ends together twice, keeping the base of the "u" open, then fold the twisted ends down onto the base of the "u" and gently press in place. Transfer the pretzels onto the lined baking sheets, being sure to leave generous amounts of room between them. They will expand both as they rise and again as they boil and bake. When you have dealt with all the dough, cover the pans with tea towels and let them rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy looking, about 20 minutes.

To Form Easier Pretzel Rods:

Use a bench knife to cut the dough into 22 equal pieces. Roll each piece like play-dough until you have a snake of dough about the circumference of a Kindergarten pencil (or your index finger.) Transfer the pretzels onto the lined baking sheets, being sure to leave generous amounts of room between them. They will expand both as they rise and again as they boil and bake. When you have dealt with all the dough, cover the pans with tea towels and let them rise in a warm, draft-free place until puffy looking, about 20 minutes.

To Cook the Pretzels:

Mix all the topping ingredients together with a fork except for the egg. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a stainless steel or other non-reactive pan (enameled cast-iron, tempered glass, etc…) When water boils, add the baking soda. Gently lift the pretzels or pretzel rods one at a time into the boiling water. (You can boil more than one at a time, but be sure not to crowd the the pan as they will expand as they boil. Let simmer for about 45 seconds, flip the pieces and simmer for another 45 seconds-1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to drain and return each piece to its place on the pan. Continue until all pieces have been boiled and returned to the pan.

Brush all pieces of dough with the beaten and sprinkle the topping mixture. Place pans in oven and bake at least until golden brown (at least 18 minutes), but you can bake until they are deep brown which is my preference (closer to 22-24 minutes in my oven.)

Let stand for at least 5 minutes before eating. These are best enjoyed warm, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days. They can be quickly reheated prior to serving.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2012/02/02/everything-soft-pretzels/

P.S. Need help finding any of the seeds or flakes called for in this recipe? Go to the “Other Goodies” section of our Books, Gears and Supplies store.

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Bread, Comfort Food, kid food, Party Food, Rebecca, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
«Older Posts