January 2007 – Page 2 – Feed Your Kids

No posts for a while….and a bagel recommendation

Sorry, no entries for a while, guys. Boy has been sick (has missed this whole week of school and tomorrow’s not looking good either) and we are leaving for a ski vacation on Friday, so I won’t be cooking anything for a while. We’ll be back next Wednesday and I’ll be ready to get cooking again. I already have some good-looking recipes picked out that I want to try.The town where we ski does have some great restaurants, though, so maybe I’ll sneak a photo or two, if I can, and let you know what kind of yummies we’re snacking on apres-ski.

Quick tip:
We used to LOVE eating at Panera (www.panerabread.com) when we lived in Northern Virginia (for those of you that don’t know, locals add the “Northern” for a reason), but when we moved back to Texas, they didn’t have them here. Well, we just got one in our neighborhood and we are thrilled. (If only we could get a Noodles & Company here now!) Panera is a great, quick, kid-friendly (and pretty healthy option) for busy nights. Their soups, served in a sourdough bread bowl, are SO yummy. All four of us LOVE the Black Bean Soup. Well, today they just came out with new “Peanut Butter Banana Crunch” bagels. Mmmmmmm……. Boy and Hubby are SO happy – two of their favorites together. Girl hates peanut butter AND bananas, so she just ignored them, but they are SO good. I like to buy different flavors of bagels: cinn. raisin (Girl’s fave), blueberry, asiago, spinach, etc, cut them in half, put the halves in a sandwich baggie and then put all of the little individual bagel-baggies in a LARGE Ziploc in the freezer. This is a tip that I got from my BF (in NoVa), Eileen. On busy mornings, the kids can pull out half a bagel by themselves and throw it in the toaster and I am free to pour myself another cup of coffee (my 5:30 am boot camp class started up again this week – ugh!). Anyway, I highly recommend trying Panera out if you haven’t been before and I VERY highly recommend the PBB Crunch bagels.

Whole Foods cooking class

The cooking class was lots of fun, but I forgot to take pictures AND I forgot to ask if it was OK to post the recipes, so you’re all out of luck – sorry! It was great, though – the enchiladas were stuffed with roasted, shredded chicken, onion, carrot and potato and then had red … Continue reading “Whole Foods cooking class”

The cooking class was lots of fun, but I forgot to take pictures AND I forgot to ask if it was OK to post the recipes, so you’re all out of luck – sorry!

It was great, though – the enchiladas were stuffed with roasted, shredded chicken, onion, carrot and potato and then had red chile sauce and queso fresco on top. The chile sauce would be FABULOUS over eggs for breakfast. Mmmmm….

The Mexican chocolate cakes were delicious – they had a touch of cinnamon and almond extract.

I would also definitely make the jicama salad again – it had some chili powder, orange juice, mandarin oranges. I might try a really mild, light vinaigrette on it next time, though, for a little more “tang”.

The kids had fun, but were really tired. Boy went upstairs to bed as soon as we got home and fell asleep before he brushed his teeth or took off his shoes. Poor guy.

Probably no new recipes tomorrow – we have lunch plans (Dim Sum here) and then will spend the rest of the afternoon taking down the last of Christmas decorations.

Revised Baked Banana French Toast – now with photos!

For Trish (and anyone else that wanted to see the French Toast photos) – We made it again for breakfast today and I actually remembered to take photos. I tried a third version with the sweetened cream cheese and it was REALLY yummy! Here’s a link that will take you there: http://www.feedyourkids.com/2006/12/baked_banana_french_toast_1.html We are going … Continue reading “Revised Baked Banana French Toast – now with photos!”

For Trish (and anyone else that wanted to see the French Toast photos) –

We made it again for breakfast today and I actually remembered to take photos. I tried a third version with the sweetened cream cheese and it was REALLY yummy!

Here’s a link that will take you there:
http://www.feedyourkids.com/2006/12/baked_banana_french_toast_1.html

We are going to a family cooking class tonight at Whole Foods. Here’s the description:

Bring the kids and join us for family cooking night at Whole Food Market, where everyone learns together. The whole family gets involved as Chefs Michael and Jamie guide the group through the preparation of a Mexican-inspired menu, including Agua Fresca; Fresh Guacamole with Toasted Corn Tortillas; Jicama Salad with Oranges and Cilantro; Red Chile Enchiladas with Chicken and Vegetables; and Mexican Chocolate Cake.

We’ve done one of these classes with the kids before (Italian-themed) and it was a lot of fun. I don’t know if I’ll be able to take pictures at class or to share recipes with you, but I’ll ask.

Hummus

Hummus, garnished with paprika and black sesame seeds Hummus (a very easy, yummy, healthy snack) 1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained (reserve the liquid) juice of 1 lemon 2 – 3 cloves garlic, cut into small chunks 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste) 2 Tbsp. olive oil tiny sprinkle of salt any other flavorings/seasonings … Continue reading “Hummus”

Hummus, garnished with paprika and black sesame seeds

Hummus
(a very easy, yummy, healthy snack)

1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained (reserve the liquid)
juice of 1 lemon
2 – 3 cloves garlic, cut into small chunks
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
tiny sprinkle of salt
any other flavorings/seasonings you might like (cumin, paprika, etc.), to sprinkle on top

Throw all of the ingredients in the blender and puree until smooth, adding some of the reserved garbanzo liquid, if necessary, to reach the right consistency.

Serve with celery sticks, bell pepper strips, cucumber rounds, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, pita chips or other dipper of your choice or spread inside half of a pita pocket for a sandwich (add sprouts or whatever else you or your little people might like).

If I’m serving this for adults at a party, I will sprinkle a few black sesame seeds (try an Asian market) over the top and garnish with a couple of Italian parsley or cilantro leaves sticking out of the dip.

Chicken a la King, or Emeril’s “Yummy Creamy Chicken”

OK, OK, so it’s not gourmet, but this is actually really tasty. It’s one of Boy and Girl’s absolute favorites. I actually get “Yay! Chicken a la King!”. Really. Hubby really likes it, too. To make it really fancy, you can add a little (1 -2 Tbsp.) finely chopped Italian parsley. It’s a recipe from … Continue reading “Chicken a la King, or Emeril’s “Yummy Creamy Chicken””

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It’s a recipe from Emeril’s There’s a Chef in My Soup cookbook for kids. This is a REALLY great cookbook. Emeril calls this “Yummy Creamy Chicken” (recipe here), but it’s really basically just a good version of Chicken a la King. This recipe is also another use for the “Baby Bam” seasoning that I mentioned that I use when I make croutons.

Cooking the veggies and chicken.

I didn’t have any frozen green peas today, so I used cut green beans, instead. I also usually use white onions, since I don’t normally keep yellow ones around. I also used the leftover Sweet Potato Biscuits from New Year’s Day, instead of making the normal Buttermilk Biscuits that I usually serve this on top of (recipe for those later).

This is one of our “tried and true” recipes. I almost always have the main ingredients around: carrot, onion, celery, bell pepper, frozen peas, chicken and chicken stock, so I can throw it together in a hurry. I already made a chicken pot pie out of tonight’s leftovers (poured the leftover Chicken a la King into a pan lined with Pillsbury pie crust); I’ll let you know how it goes.

FYI: The “Holy Trinity” of French cooking is onion, celery and carrot (mirepoix). The “Holy Trinity” of Cajun/Louisiana/Emeril-style cooking is onion, celery and bell pepper. By the way, Paul Prudhomme said that WAAAAAAY before anyone even knew who Emeril was.

Beignets/French Doughnuts

Boy and Girl started back to school today, after the Christmas holiday, so I wanted them to have a really nice breakfast. French doughnuts (beignets) are one of their favorites, although they are kind of a pain in the neck to make on a busy morning and they do make the house smell like grease for the rest of the day. We served these with some scrambled eggs and a fruit-yogurt smoothie. I must admit that I do routinely use a mix to make these, but I adapt the recipe a tad and add a little cinnamon, a little more water and cut them smaller than the mix makers recommend. I always use Cafe du Monde’s mix and generally don’t have a problem finding it here in Texas (although I did have some momentary, selfish and ultimately, unfounded, panic about this after Hurricane Katrina), but if it is hard to find in your area, you can order off Cafe du Monde’s website or try a Cost Plus World Market store.

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This is the Beignet mix that I use.

Beignets, rolled and cut, ready to be fried. I cut the rolled dough into strips about 2 inches wide, then cut across the strips to make squares/rectangles. This is a half-batch (1 cup mix to about 5 oz. of water and 1/4 tsp cinnamon). If I’m making them for company, I make more of an effort to cut them into more attractive, uniform, diamond-shaped pieces, but I was in a hurry today.

After frying, draining on paper towel. These are maybe just a TAD overdone, but still OK. I wasn’t patient enough this morning to mess with the thermometer to check the oil temperature. It’s also really important to use the right size pan and enough oil to allow the doughnuts to “float” as they cook – you don’t want to dough to be able to touch the bottom of the pan.

After being dusted with the absolutely crucial powdered sugar. The kids (OK, me, too…..) like to have an additional small mound of powdered sugar on their plates for “dipping/coating” after each bite.

I have enjoyed eating these since I was a little kid. I grew up in East Texas, just across the border from Louisiana, in an area strongly influenced by “Cajun” culture (gumbo recipe coming soon), and spent a lot of time at my grandparent’s house. My grandmother used to make these all the time. My grandfather and I would always pretend to “fight” for the last one, but, in the end, he would always let me have it. XOXO Pappaw!

New Year’s Day Menu

New Year’s Day Menu Click on names below for links to recipes. “Texas Caviar” (Black-Eyed Pea dip), served with Fritos “Scoops” chips (served as an appetizer, recipe below) Hickory Ham with Jezebel Sauce and Sweet Potato Biscuits (I made the Jezebel sauce in the blender to get it really smooth and set aside a little … Continue reading “New Year’s Day Menu”

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New Year’s Day Menu
Click on names below for links to recipes.

“Texas Caviar” (Black-Eyed Pea dip), served with Fritos “Scoops” chips
(served as an appetizer, recipe below)

Hickory Ham with Jezebel Sauce and Sweet Potato Biscuits
(I made the Jezebel sauce in the blender to get it really smooth and set aside a little bit of it, before adding the spicy hot horseradish, for the kids.)

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta

Potato Gratin with Creme Fraiche and Gruyere
(too delicious for words and VERY easy)

Winter-Spiced Molten Chocolate Cakes with Rum-Ginger Ice Cream
(Last year, my sis-in-law said this was the best dessert she’s ever eaten.)

“Big As Your Head” Cinnamon Meringues
(adapted from this recipe – I made a batch and a half, with 12 egg whites, and used 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. McCormick’s new cinnamon extract, plus a couple of shakes of ground cinnamon.)

Ever since we’ve had kids, we have preferred to stay home on New Year’s Eve and watch Dick Clark (ever tried to find a babysitter for New Year’s Eve? Impossible!). We leave the crazy partying to the youngsters and celebrate the next day. This has become our traditional family New Year’s Day meal. We also tape a dime (Boy and Girl usually do this) to the bottom of each dinner plate before we put them out on the buffet (keep reading to find out why).

I first made these chocolate cakes (cover recipe of January 2004 Bon Appetit magazine) for a potluck going-away dinner party for some friends that were moving to Hong Kong (will be great to have you back stateside soon, Neaglis!). I didn’t cook them long enough the first time and they ran all over the plates – we had to rush them out to dining room to make sure they wouldn’t drip off the edge, but they were so tasty, I knew that I had to try them again. I made them again last New Year’s and they were a huge hit. I knew then that we had a new traditional New Year’s dessert. MANY MANY MANY thanks to Hubby, who went out on New Year’s Eve at 10:00 pm to buy more chocolate, after I mistakenly bought sweet instead of bittersweet – couldn’t have done it without you, Honey! Recipe tip: You have to work REALLY quickly to get these unmolded, garnished and served. The ice cream is softer than usual (it doesn’t freeze as “hard” as regular ice cream once you add the rum) and the cake is warm, so the ice cream will melt if you don’t move fast. Definitely slice the thin pieces of crystallized ginger for garnish ahead of time. Toss them with a little bit of plain, granulated sugar to coat them so that they don’t stick together and keep them in a small, airtight container until you’re ready for them.

The meringues were an afterthought – after using all of those eggs and yolks for the cakes, I couldn’t bear to throw away 12 egg whites, so I whipped up a batch of meringues. They finished baking right as the clock was striking midnight (but, of course, had to stay in the oven overnight afterward). It turned out that I didn’t bake them QUITE long enough and they were pretty chewy, but VERY tasty. They were a big hit with Boy and Girl, so I will probably try them again. Of course, then I’ll have to throw away egg yolks…..guess I’ll have to make Hollandaise or Zabaglione.

“Texas Caviar” Black-Eyed Pea Dip
(adapted from the GREAT Junior League of Austin cookbook, Necessities and Temptations.
I forgot to take a photo of this, but it looks more like a relish or salad than a conventional, smooth dip, since the peas remain whole. It is pretty and colorful, though, and is fairly healthy.

***REQUIRES ADVANCE PREPARATION***
This warning is for my BF, Eileen, who routinely starts to prepare the evening’s dinner without reading the recipe in advance, only to find that she’s overlooked a step that says “marinate overnight” or “allow bread cubes to sit overnight to dry” or “refrigerate overnight to completely cool”. It’s a charming little quirk that has the side benefit of giving us (me, Hubby and Ei’s hubby) lots of amusement at her expense. XOXO, Ei!

2 packages fresh black-eyed peas
(don’t remember how many ounces were in the bags of peas that I bought, but I think they were each about 2 cups)
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
1 medium to large-sized white onion, finely chopped
2 green bell peppers, finely chopped
4 bay leaves, torn in half
salt and pepper to taste
a sprinkle of chopped fresh Italian parsley or cilantro, if desired

Cook peas (I cover them with water and microwave them for 20 – 30 minutes until softened, but not mushy) according to package directions. Drain. Combine all ingredients and pour into an airtight Tupperware-type container and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving, stirring once every 8 hours or so, if you think about it. Serve cold or at room temperature with Fritos “Scoops” chips.

It is also a family tradition to have someone (Girl, this year) read this as we are loading up our plates, so that we’ll remember what each item is supposed to “do”:

New Year’s Day Reading:
It is considered bad luck to wash, sign contracts or cry on January 1st. So, settle back with a serving of black-eyed peas for luck, cabbage for money, a slice of ham to look ahead (pigs root forward), and a dime under your plate for wealth and health all year long. No questions today, just answers to make the rest of the year as merry and bright as the holidays.