Another Lisa Barnes recipe. We were so full, even days after Christmas, that we wanted to make things easy and light. This recipe took five minutes to put together. I changed up the recipe a bit, including replacing the applesauce with Pear Puree because I am trying to use up the baby food that I still have in the freezer, now that C has moved on to big kid foods! I also topped each bowl with a scoop of sour cream to make it even richer. I also doubled it so it would feed the four of us with leftovers (the recipe below makes only 2 1/2 cups.) It was fantastic. And easy. So Rachel, this one is for you :-)
You need:
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. onion, finely diced
1 c. canned pumpkin
2 c. chicken broth
1 tbsp. applesauce or Pear Puree
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 c. alphabet noodles
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add onion and cook until wilted and translucent. Add pumpkin, broth, applesauce, and spices. Bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Top with sour cream, if desired.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Gorgonzola and Porcini Mushroom Risotto
Fancy, fancy - eh? Sounds fancy, but this recipe is really easy and most of the ingredients most people have on hand. I had some gorgonzola left over, and it only had a day or two left before I'd have to chuck it, so I was looking for some inspiration. Again, another Giada recipe, and it was fantastic. All I needed to buy at the store was a package of dried porcini mushrooms. Everything else was in the pantry. And if you are looking to make this a truly vegetarian dish, replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock. And A ate it like it was going out of style. The seven year old gives it two thumbs up! We accompanied this dish with some brussell sprouts - a perfect hearty vegetable for this hearty dish. Enjoy!
You need:
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 cup Gorgonzola, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the porcini mushrooms. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside for 30 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms and set aside.
Reheat the stock to a simmer and keep warm over low heat.
In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook until the onions are tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of warm stock and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue with remaining stock, adding 1/2 cup at a time, and allowing each addition to be absorbed, until the rice is tender to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan, Gorgonzola, chives, salt and pepper. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl. Serve immediately.
You need:
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 cup Gorgonzola, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the porcini mushrooms. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside for 30 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms and set aside.
Reheat the stock to a simmer and keep warm over low heat.
In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook until the onions are tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of warm stock and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue with remaining stock, adding 1/2 cup at a time, and allowing each addition to be absorbed, until the rice is tender to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan, Gorgonzola, chives, salt and pepper. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl. Serve immediately.
Lentil Burgers with Yogurt Sauce
A is working on her "My Best Self" badge for Brownies, and one of the requirements is to try three, new, healthy foods. I decided to help her choose something out of Lisa Barnes's Cooking for Baby* so that it was something guaranteed to be healthy and delicious (and chances are that Charlie would love it, too). I didn't alter much to make it work, and it turned out to be delicious. It was a little cumbersome in terms of the amount of steps, so I certainly wouldn't recommend it for a weeknight if you are short on time. However, it's an easy weekend meal and it freezes well, so if you like it, double or triple the batch and freeze a bunch of patties to fry up later.
You need:
3/4 c. green lentils, rinsed
1/2 c. instant oats
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. mild curry powder
1 large egg, beaten slightly
1 c. plain yogurt
1/2 c. mint, minced
2 tbsp. coconut oil (or frying oil of your choice)
salt and pepper to taste
In a large saucepan, combine 2 c. water with the lentil. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, simmering until the lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well. In a food processor, grind oats. In a large bowl, mash lentils. Add 3 tbsp. oats, garlic, cumin, and curry powder. Mix well. Add egg and season with salt and pepper. Coat in remaining oats and chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together yogurt and mint to make a sauce. Season with a slight pinch of salt and pepper. When the ten minutes are up, fry patties in oil in a large frying pan, until brown and crisp.
Serve with the sauce.
Inspired by Cooking for Baby by Lisa Barnes
*You really should get this book. The recipes are fantastic. Even the ones I haven't blogged about. SO WORTH IT!
You need:
3/4 c. green lentils, rinsed
1/2 c. instant oats
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. mild curry powder
1 large egg, beaten slightly
1 c. plain yogurt
1/2 c. mint, minced
2 tbsp. coconut oil (or frying oil of your choice)
salt and pepper to taste
In a large saucepan, combine 2 c. water with the lentil. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, simmering until the lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well. In a food processor, grind oats. In a large bowl, mash lentils. Add 3 tbsp. oats, garlic, cumin, and curry powder. Mix well. Add egg and season with salt and pepper. Coat in remaining oats and chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together yogurt and mint to make a sauce. Season with a slight pinch of salt and pepper. When the ten minutes are up, fry patties in oil in a large frying pan, until brown and crisp.
Serve with the sauce.
Inspired by Cooking for Baby by Lisa Barnes
*You really should get this book. The recipes are fantastic. Even the ones I haven't blogged about. SO WORTH IT!
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Swiss-Style Scalloped Potatoes
This year we spent Christmas at home, rather than traveling, as I have done every year since 1995. Although we were able to ease into the holiday rather than jumping into it head first with a van full of kids and presents, I took over the challenge of hosting both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, celebrating with my parents, my sister, my in-laws, my sister-in-law, my niece, and of course, the lot of us. It was exhausting, yes, but I had a lot of fun pulling together two traditional dinners - an authentic Italian Christmas Eve and a traditional Scottish Christmas Day. I pulled from a variety of recipes, but none of them did I love as much as these scalloped potatoes that we served on Christmas Day. I never eat scalloped potatoes. Not because I don't love them, but because I don't particularly care for boxed meals, and I never knew before how to put together scalloped potatoes from scratch. This recipe. adapted from Wegmans, is decadent and fattening and out-of-this-world delicious. I snuck into the kitchen on Christmas night, long after the children (and my husband) were nestled snug in their beds, and ate a third of the leftovers.
You need:
2 tsp vegetable oil
4-5 shallots, minced (about 1/4 cup)
2 cups(1 pint) heavy cream
1 pkg(24 oz) Italian Classics Parmesan Cream Sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled, cut in 1/8-inch slices
1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
Fresh chopped parsley
Add vegetable oil to braising pan on MEDIUM-LOW; add shallots. Cook 3-4 min, until softened but not browned. Add heavy cream, parmesan cream sauce, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Warm 2-3 min, stirring. Remove from heat; stir in potatoes and cheese. Set aside. Grease baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; add potato mixture. Bake 60-65 min, until potatoes are tender when pierced with fork and top is light golden brown. Rest 20 min before serving. Garnish with parsley. Serve hot.
You need:
2 tsp vegetable oil
4-5 shallots, minced (about 1/4 cup)
2 cups(1 pint) heavy cream
1 pkg(24 oz) Italian Classics Parmesan Cream Sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled, cut in 1/8-inch slices
1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
Fresh chopped parsley
Add vegetable oil to braising pan on MEDIUM-LOW; add shallots. Cook 3-4 min, until softened but not browned. Add heavy cream, parmesan cream sauce, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Warm 2-3 min, stirring. Remove from heat; stir in potatoes and cheese. Set aside. Grease baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; add potato mixture. Bake 60-65 min, until potatoes are tender when pierced with fork and top is light golden brown. Rest 20 min before serving. Garnish with parsley. Serve hot.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Mom's Meat Loaf
There are some women who say that there are postpartum hormones that make you forget all about the physical pain of childbirth so that you'll want to have more children. For me, I think there is a hormone that is less talked about but it nonetheless must exist. This, of course, is the hormone that makes you forget about the difficulties 14-30 month old child - specifically, his diet. While this time is full of giggles, snuggles, and a learning curve that is fascinating to watch, it is also the time when Mr. or Mrs. Newly Independent decide that dinner time is going to be the next battle royal.
My son was an excellent eater, from the moment he crawled out of the womb to the moment he took that first bite. This blog is filled of delicious beginner recipes that he gobbled up voraciously. Over the last month, my happy, little diner has been replaced with an angry little food elf, asserting his ability to let me know that HE WILL NOT EAT that meal I have lovingly put before him and instead will use his fork to fling it against the wall or throw it to the dog. I asked a good friend of mine what could be wrong. Is he sick? Have I entered into a kitchen slump? Are we doomed to dinners of avocado slices and yogurt forever?
"No," she smirked. "He's 15-months-old."
How could I have forgotten? The toddler. Behind that toothy grin and those chubby cheeks lies a little boy who can now make decisions for himself. And he is going to show me that he can at every meal. EVERY MEAL. So, I'm forging ahead by turning back to Lisa Barnes's cookbooks, filled with recipes that are tried and tested with just my little man in mind. And the first one I tried actually worked. And my daughter loved it, too. It's easy for the entire family, and it has very little prep. Mind you, the mashed potatoes did end up on the dog's ear, but the main course was a hit.
You need:
1/4 c. diced red pepper
1/4 c. diced carrot
1/4 c. diced onion
2 eggs
1/4 c. milk
1 tbsp. fresh parsley
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 c. bread crumbs
2 lbs. lean ground beef
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a shallow baking pan (I use a loaf pan) with foil and grease with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except bee. Add beef and mix with your hands until everything is evenly distributed. Place in prepared pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes. You can also divide the meat into properly greased muffin tins and freeze the leftover meat. It will make a total of 24 "beef cakes," so you can bake 12 now and freeze the meat for 12 later!
My son was an excellent eater, from the moment he crawled out of the womb to the moment he took that first bite. This blog is filled of delicious beginner recipes that he gobbled up voraciously. Over the last month, my happy, little diner has been replaced with an angry little food elf, asserting his ability to let me know that HE WILL NOT EAT that meal I have lovingly put before him and instead will use his fork to fling it against the wall or throw it to the dog. I asked a good friend of mine what could be wrong. Is he sick? Have I entered into a kitchen slump? Are we doomed to dinners of avocado slices and yogurt forever?
"No," she smirked. "He's 15-months-old."
How could I have forgotten? The toddler. Behind that toothy grin and those chubby cheeks lies a little boy who can now make decisions for himself. And he is going to show me that he can at every meal. EVERY MEAL. So, I'm forging ahead by turning back to Lisa Barnes's cookbooks, filled with recipes that are tried and tested with just my little man in mind. And the first one I tried actually worked. And my daughter loved it, too. It's easy for the entire family, and it has very little prep. Mind you, the mashed potatoes did end up on the dog's ear, but the main course was a hit.
You need:
1/4 c. diced red pepper
1/4 c. diced carrot
1/4 c. diced onion
2 eggs
1/4 c. milk
1 tbsp. fresh parsley
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 c. bread crumbs
2 lbs. lean ground beef
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a shallow baking pan (I use a loaf pan) with foil and grease with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except bee. Add beef and mix with your hands until everything is evenly distributed. Place in prepared pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes. You can also divide the meat into properly greased muffin tins and freeze the leftover meat. It will make a total of 24 "beef cakes," so you can bake 12 now and freeze the meat for 12 later!
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Easy Risotto
If you asked most kids what they'd like for their birthday dinners, they might offer up pizza, chicken fingers, or macaroni and cheese as options. A is a little bit different. Every year, she asks for a special risotto dish. The ingredients change each year, but the base is the same. This recipe is standard and easy, and allows for all sorts of additions to change up the recipe over time. This year, she opted for red pepper and chicken sausage* (and I've included that recipe addition at the bottom). Even C gobbled it all up, but he's also a BIG fan of rice!
You need:
6 c. chicken or vegetable broth (low-sodium)
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 shallot, very finely chopped
2 c. Arborio rice
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 c. white wine
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot, bring broth to a simmer over medium heat.
In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add the shallots and saute for 3 minutes. Pour in the rice and add the garlic, stirring until the grains are translucent around the edges, about 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until absorbed. Begin adding the hot broth, one cup at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until it is absorbed, before adding the next cup. This should take about 20 minutes. The risotto is ready when it is tender but not mushy, with a bit of firmness in the center. Gently fold in the butter and Parmesan. Serve immediately.
*chop one sweet red pepper and saute with the onion. While the risotto is cooking, cook up a chicken sausage per person in a saute pan. To serve, slice the sausages into coins and place atop cooked risotto on the plate.
You need:
6 c. chicken or vegetable broth (low-sodium)
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 shallot, very finely chopped
2 c. Arborio rice
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 c. white wine
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot, bring broth to a simmer over medium heat.
In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add the shallots and saute for 3 minutes. Pour in the rice and add the garlic, stirring until the grains are translucent around the edges, about 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until absorbed. Begin adding the hot broth, one cup at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until it is absorbed, before adding the next cup. This should take about 20 minutes. The risotto is ready when it is tender but not mushy, with a bit of firmness in the center. Gently fold in the butter and Parmesan. Serve immediately.
*chop one sweet red pepper and saute with the onion. While the risotto is cooking, cook up a chicken sausage per person in a saute pan. To serve, slice the sausages into coins and place atop cooked risotto on the plate.
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