January 2009 – Page 2 – Feed Your Kids

Honey-Tamarind Baby Back Ribs

We tried this recipe from Food & Wine tonight. Pretty tasty. The only thing is, both kids have had their braces adjusted and amended this week and their teeth were really too sore to allow for productive gnawing of meat off of the bones. Poor kids; I ended up cutting the pork off the ribs … Continue reading “Honey-Tamarind Baby Back Ribs”

We tried this recipe from Food & Wine tonight. Pretty tasty.

The only thing is, both kids have had their braces adjusted and amended this week and their teeth were really too sore to allow for productive gnawing of meat off of the bones. Poor kids; I ended up cutting the pork off the ribs for them (Hubby was away tonight, having dinner with a work colleague). If I make this again anytime soon, I’ll buy the boneless, country-style ribs. I’m more of a knife-and-fork gal than a finger-food kinda gal, anyway, so that’s probably better for all of us.

I couldn’t find the recommended tamarind concentrate, so I ended up using the “brick” tamarind that has to be soaked and strained before use. It had to sit for a little while (I had plenty of time while the ribs were doing their first 2-hour bake), but it really wasn’t a big deal to do.

I had never used the tamarind paste before and really liked the flavor. These ribs were sweet and sticky, but also salty and savory. The tamarind has a flavor a little bit like dried figs/dates/raisins, somewhere along those lines, but the honey, soy, and chile add a really nice depth to the flavor, so don’t be scared of these ribs if you don’t like raisins (yes, Honey, I was talking to you…). I would recommend upping the amount of ginger in the sauce – it could have used a bit more “kick”. Add a bit more sambal, too, if you’re a fan of spicy foods.

Overall, pretty tasty and VERY easy. They take a long time to bake, but it’s 95% passive – not much “hands on” required, so these would be great for company or for some time when you are planning “fussy” sides.

Alton Brown’s Fromage Fort

This, my friends, is absolutely ingenious and, although I haven’t made it yet, the online reviews are overwhelmingly positive. I will be making this soon (I ALWAYS have little leftover bits and pieces of different cheeses), but I had to share with all of you first, in case you’re not an Alton fan (or, like, … Continue reading “Alton Brown’s Fromage Fort”

This, my friends, is absolutely ingenious and, although I haven’t made it yet, the online reviews are overwhelmingly positive. I will be making this soon (I ALWAYS have little leftover bits and pieces of different cheeses), but I had to share with all of you first, in case you’re not an Alton fan (or, like, live in Korea, or something) or in case you missed this episode.

Carrot Bread from Cooking Light magazine

This recipe is from July 2008 Cooking Light magazine. I prepared the batter exactly according to the recipe instructions and it was quite good, but the next time that I make it, I’ll probably substitute a little bit of the wheat flour for regular, all-purpose flour; it was just a little bit too “wheaty” for … Continue reading “Carrot Bread from Cooking Light magazine”

This recipe is from July 2008 Cooking Light magazine.

I prepared the batter exactly according to the recipe instructions and it was quite good, but the next time that I make it, I’ll probably substitute a little bit of the wheat flour for regular, all-purpose flour; it was just a little bit too “wheaty” for us. My bread didn’t turn out quite as high/tall as I would have liked it, either, but I’m pretty sure that’s because my loaf pan is a 9-inch, rather than the suggested 8-inch (that was all I had), so if you’re looking for a nice, attractive, tall loaf, the whole “8-inch pan thing” really is important.

Cooking the carrots down and pureeing them is a bit of a pain (I’ve seen other carrot breads that use grated carrots, like a carrot cake, which would be much faster), but it does give a nice texture and attractive color to have the carrots blended in.

I made a double batch and made some in a mini-loaf pan, also:

Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette (and fresh pomegranate arils)

My salad, the same but with orange supremes (I told you that it was becoming an unhealthy obsession!) This was SO yummy! A great way to take advantage of the last of the pomegranate crop and can be varied to include whatever strikes your fancy. Here’s how: Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette and Fresh Pomegranate Arils … Continue reading “Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette (and fresh pomegranate arils)”

My salad, the same but with orange supremes
(I told you that it was becoming an unhealthy obsession!)

This was SO yummy! A great way to take advantage of the last of the pomegranate crop and can be varied to include whatever strikes your fancy.

Here’s how:

Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette and Fresh Pomegranate Arils
(makes 4 small servings or 2 large-ish ones)
(adapted from this recipe by Earthbound Farm)

for the dressing:
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
(squeezed from one fresh pomegranate, or you can use Pom or another bottled pomegranate juice)
1 Tbsp finely minced shallot
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
small squeeze fresh lemon juice (1 teaspoon?)
1/2 tsp sugar
3 Tbsp olive or canola oil or a combination of the two

Whisk together all ingredients EXCEPT the oil. Slowly pour the oil into the vinegar mixture, whisking until thoroughly incorporated.

for the salad:
4 cups baby salad greens
1/2 of a Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced (pear would be good, too)
1/4 cup pecan halves, toasted at 350 degrees for about 3 minutes until fragrant and then cooled thoroughly
(Watch them very carefully so that they don’t burn!)
arils (seeds) removed from one fresh pomegranate (you’ll have some left over)
optional: a few Cara Cara orange supremes

Assemble salad, sprinkling nuts and pomegranate seeds on top. Drizzle with dressing.

This is super flexible: change the nuts, add some cheese, substitute in different fruits, etc.

Hello Dolly bars

I’m not sure why I call these “Hello Dolly” bars, except that’s just how I grew up referring to them. Eage Brand’s website calls them “Magic Cookie Bars”. Here’s the recipe:
Eagle Brand Magic Cookie Bars
I feel a little silly even posting these; it’s a little (OK, a lot) like posting the recipe from the back of the bag of chocolate chips for Tollhouse Cookies, except for that I’ve talked to quite a few people that hadn’t heard of them, so this is for those folks.

These are quite yummy, and super easy (these are a perfect recipe for teaching kids how to use the oven, make graham crackers crumbs, etc) but VERY rich, so cut them into very small pieces.

Roasted Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts and Jerusalem Artichokes

Holy Cow! This was DELICIOUS!!! The kids weren’t crazy about the Jerusalem artichokes, but loved the rest of this. I loved it ALL! Delicious, easy and would be impressive and lovely for a party of special occasion. Yum, Yum, Yum!

Holy Cow! This was DELICIOUS!!!

The kids weren’t crazy about the Jerusalem artichokes, but loved the rest of this. I loved it ALL! Delicious, easy and would be impressive and lovely for a party of special occasion. Yum, Yum, Yum!

Gingerbread Houses, 2008 version

Gingerbread house that the girl cousins decorated Girl Cousin K, Boy Cousin J, Boy Cousin C, Girl Cousin A, Boy, Girl The boy cousins’ gingerbread house We make these every year and were very happy to have extra cousins on hand to help decorate this year. We let them beautify the dining room until after … Continue reading “Gingerbread Houses, 2008 version”

Gingerbread house that the girl cousins decorated

Girl Cousin K, Boy Cousin J, Boy Cousin C, Girl Cousin A, Boy, Girl

The boy cousins’ gingerbread house

We make these every year and were very happy to have extra cousins on hand to help decorate this year. We let them beautify the dining room until after New Year’s and then we put them outside on the deck for the raccoons and possums and squirrels to enjoy (and did they ever!).

4th Birthday BATMAN CAKE!!!

I had a blast making this cake for my little 4-year old cousin, M. I think he liked it, too!

Buttered Rye Toast and Orange Supremes

Cara Cara orange supremes In my absence from this blog, I’ve also been developing what might be an unhealthy obsession with buttered rye toast (seriously, I could have that for breakfast EVERY DAY) and making orange supremes (perfect little citrus sections, free from pith and membrane). They’re just so much fun to cut up and … Continue reading “Buttered Rye Toast and Orange Supremes”

Cara Cara orange supremes

In my absence from this blog, I’ve also been developing what might be an unhealthy obsession with buttered rye toast (seriously, I could have that for breakfast EVERY DAY) and making orange supremes (perfect little citrus sections, free from pith and membrane). They’re just so much fun to cut up and the kids are having a hard time these days (because of their braces) eating orange pulp from the rind, so these are perfect. They are BEAUTIFUL in a salad. A word of warning: if you serve these to your children, they may not ever eat citrus any other way.

Also, the word “supreme” is supposed to have a little caret symbol (like a small upside down “v”) over the first “e”, but I can’t figure out how to make my keyboard do that! FYI – it is pronounced as if it rhymes with “them”, not like “cream.”

Here’s a video so that you can learn how:
http://www.expertvillage.com/video/16535_orange-supreme.htm

Sweet Potato Hash with Bacon

Hubby and I LOVED this, but the kids weren’t wild about it. This would be great for a brunch buffet or even as a savory alternative to marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes (ick!) for Thanksgiving.