Feed Your Kids – Page 31 – The leading authority on basketball cupcakes and Basil-Lime martinis…

Mexican Birthday Dinner

Yum, yum, yum! What a GREAT meal! I had a “milestone” birthday this week (one with a zero on the end of it) and this was the meal that we prepared to celebrate (I would rather be in my kitchen, preparing food, than anywhere else in the world – that IS a birthday present for … Continue reading “Mexican Birthday Dinner”

Yum, yum, yum! What a GREAT meal!

I had a “milestone” birthday this week (one with a zero on the end of it) and this was the meal that we prepared to celebrate (I would rather be in my kitchen, preparing food, than anywhere else in the world – that IS a birthday present for me.):

Mexican Martinis
(recipe here)

These were DELICIOUS. I know, I know…it’s not technically a true martini, but yummy. Imagine if a martini and a margarita had a baby. I used my favorite Catalon olives, instead of jalapeno-stuffed.

Amazing Turkey Enchiladas
(recipe here)

I’ve made this before, using leftover Thanksgiving turkey, but I used some leftover rotisserie chicken that I had on hand this time and they were FABULOUS. A bit spicy for Girl, but Hubby was in Heaven. Boy loved them so much that he had a second helping, even though he had been to a birthday party (not mine – Boy’s friend, S, shares my birthday) earlier and had already eaten pizza.

Cinnamon Cake with Chile-Chocolate Buttercream
(recipe here)

I made these into cupcakes (they took about 22 minutes to bake in my oven.) These were VERY good and rich (they smelled like a churro or a cinnamon cake doughnut as they were baking), but the buttercream doesn’t have a really strong chocolate flavor. If I make these again, I’ll omit the white chocolate and double up on the bittersweet chocolate, instead. I didn’t use the cake flour (just used regular all-purpse), because I didn’t have any in the house and didn’t want to make a special trip, but they were a little denser that I would have liked, so I’ll use it, as called for, when I make them again. These were actually a “trial run” for a dessert for my dad’s upcoming HUGE birthday party, so I will be certain to make them again soon. Every year, my folks have around 60 people and do ALL of the cooking themselves (well, I’ve made the dessert for them twice, but they do everything else.)

Cook along with me… (Indian)

Will be making both of these recipes very soon. Just a “heads up” and a shopping list, if you want to join in on the fun… Indian Cashew Chicken shopping list: 2/3 cup cashews 1 single-serving container Greek-style yogurt garam masala spice, if you don’t already have some (or find out how to make your … Continue reading “Cook along with me… (Indian)”

Will be making both of these recipes very soon. Just a “heads up” and a shopping list, if you want to join in on the fun…

Indian Cashew Chicken

shopping list:
2/3 cup cashews
1 single-serving container Greek-style yogurt
garam masala spice, if you don’t already have some
(or find out how to make your own here or here)
1 small knob fresh ginger
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 large onions
1 jar green cardamom pods, if you don’t already have some
1 bunch fresh cilantro (optional)

staples:
1 small can tomato paste
white vinegar
ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves
coriander
1 cinnamon stick
2 cups chicken broth
1 small can tomato puree or sauce
sweet paprika
salt
half-and-half

Indian Bread Pudding with Cardamom Sauce

shopping list:
1 small loaf white bread
(I realize this might be a “staple” for some folks, but I’m not one of them…)
1 can evaporated milk
1 jar of ground cardamom, if you don’t already have some
1 Tbsp finely chopped pistachios, if you don’t have some on hand
(I routinely keep them around for Hubby and Boy’s snack attacks.)

staples:
butter
cooking spray
sugar
eggs
milk (the recipe calls for whole milk)

Note: I’m planning to omit the optional rose-flower water, so I haven’t included that in the shopping list. If you want to be all flowery, go right ahead…

Not sure if I’ll be making these Saturday night or Sunday night; it depends upon how open-minded our Saturday night dinner guests are…

Giada’s Rigatoni with Sausage and Peppers and Arugula Salad with Fried Gorgonzola

I cut this menu out of Cosmopolitan magazine a long time ago (April 2007, to be exact) and just now got around to actually making it. I don’t know why I waited so long! Yum, yum! The magazine article was in conjunction with a round of publicity surrounded the release of Giada’s new (at that … Continue reading “Giada’s Rigatoni with Sausage and Peppers and Arugula Salad with Fried Gorgonzola”

I cut this menu out of Cosmopolitan magazine a long time ago (April 2007, to be exact) and just now got around to actually making it. I don’t know why I waited so long! Yum, yum!

The magazine article was in conjunction with a round of publicity surrounded the release of Giada’s new (at that time) book Everyday Pasta. Because the recipes are included in the book that she was trying to, ummmm, sell, I haven’t been able to find an “official” link to the recipes online, together. It does appear that Giada was very busy on this book publicity tour, however, because the recipes do show up, individually, in lots of places:

Here’s a link to the pasta recipe (scroll down):
Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers and Onions

and here’s the salad:
Arugula Salad with Fried Gorgonzola

I only made a few, tiny moderations to the pasta. I only used 1/2 of one onion, because Boy isn’t a fan of huge amounts of onions and will remove them from his portion, so I didn’t want them to go to waste (there were still plenty for the rest of us – I just didn’t serve him any). If I were making this for anyone else, especially for other adults, I would add the full amount of onions in, because they get golden and sweet, almost caramelized, and absolutely delicious, as they are cooking. Mmmm…

I also used regular (pork) Italian sausage, rather than the suggested (lighter) turkey, just because that’s what I had on hand. I wouldn’t have a strong objection to turkey, but the dish was definitely not too heavy, even with the heartier sausage, so it’s really just a matter of personal preference.

As for the salad, I made it exactly as specified, but I would recommend making the cheese balls as small as possible. It’s really easy for the balls of gorgonzola to get too strongly flavored and overwhelming (although I love gorgonzola and they were delicious, the bites were just REALLY big and a bit much). Another problem is that the cheese balls started to melt and fall apart before the bread crumbs on the outside got as crisp as I would have liked. If I make the salad again, I may try to form the gorgonzola into very small patties (discs) and pan-fry them, rather than deep-fry them. I might freeze them beforehand (rather than refrigerate), just to be sure that they don’t fall apart too soon.

The other thing about the salad is that the dressing was VERY sour. For arugula (and blue cheese, for that matter), a super-sweet dressing wouldn’t work, but this was just TOO sour. Next time, I’ll had a tiny bit of honey to the dressing or substitute a little bit of balsamic vinegar for some of the lemon juice.

Overall, though, an easy and delicious meal. The pasta, especially, has earned a permanent rotation spot. Give it a try!

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!).