Breakfast Playdate

I made these for a breakfast playdate this morning, as I was trying to accommodate a friend who is gluten-intolerant. I made a few substitutions (see comments below) because I didn't have soy milk or agave nectar. They were yummy and hearty, but they took a lot longer to bake than the recipe suggested!

Vegan Agave Cornbread Muffins

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour[PS1]

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup soy milk[PS2]

1/4 cup agave nectar[PS3]

2 tablespoons canola oil

Added: dried cranberries

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a muffin pan.
2.	Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; stir in the applesauce, soy milk, and agave nectar. Slowly add the oil while stirring. Pour the mixture into the muffin pan.
3.	Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick or small knife inserted in the crown of a muffin comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.

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[PS1]1 c. cornmeal instead of mixture of both

[PS2]Almond milk

[PS3]Maple syrup

roast chicken

one of my "go-to" meals is a simple roast chicken. we have it at least 3 times a month. the meat is so versatile and i always save the carcass for stock. i have a feeling that all you mom's who read/write this blog already have this in your repertoire, but the question of this blog is "what are you making for dinner?" and this, dear reader, is what i'm making for dinner (or made for dinner).

ingredients:

1 fryer/roast organic, free-range whole chicken (3-4 pounds)

1 lemon

1 head of garlic

butter

olive oil

salt

pepper

red onions

yukon gold potatoes

instructions for chicken:

pre-heat oven to 415

wash and dry chicken thoroughly

salt and pepper inside and out of chicken

rub melted butter all over the outside of the chicken

stuff the cavity with lemon wedges and garlic

twine the legs together

instructions for onion/potatoes:

cut the veggies into wedges and scatter on the bottom of roasting pan

salt and pepper

coat and toss with olive oil

lay the twined chicken on top of the onion/potatoes. roast for an hour to hour/half (until juices are clear when you poke the thigh area with a knife). rest for 15 minutes. serve up!

Lunch Today

Lunch is always extra yummy after a morning trip to Trader Joe's. Have you seen the plastic tub of a bunch of pre-chopped veggies? There is one tub that is just celery, onion, and carrot. Not that one! There is another one with a bunch of veggies including broccoli, radish, etc. I threw a bunch of those in and stir-fried them up with two frozen cubes of basil & garlic, as well as sliced mushrooms, and a bit of Teriyaki sauce. I made just enough rice in the cooker for one person, and had a delicious lunch!

Taco Soup

This afternoon, I threw everything in the Crockpot:

1 can each: diced stewed tomatoes, corn, black, pinto, kidney, and garbanzo beans
diced onion, and some taco seasoning

Served with grated cheese, avocado, and fresh bread!

Fun Blog

I stumbled across a new blog that chronicles the food adventures of two moms and three kids in San Francisco. Good ideas, recipes, and fun!

http://alittleyum.com/

Kale Chips

So, I have jumped on the Kale Chip bandwagon...

This is certainly not a meal but it is a good way to get some much needed veggies into your little ones AND it is super easy.

BAKED KALE CHIPS: (recipe from smittenkitchen.com)

1 bunch (about 6 ounces) kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 300°F. Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the stems and tough center ribs. Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl then sprinkle with salt. Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet (I needed two because mine are tiny; I also lined mine with parchment for easy clean-up but there’s no reason that you must). Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool.

Proof that even your very picky toddler might eat a few!

Tuscan Tomato Soup

This is Devanee's recipe, and sure is yummy. I had some blender issues last time I made the soup a few years back, so make sure you take the top small round plastic insert off of the lid to let the hot liquid breathe while you blend it, and cover with a towel.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 pounds very ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped - (I used 4 cans of diced stewed tomatoes)

4 cups chicken broth

3/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Salt and pepper

6 slices crusty Italian bread (each about 3 inches wide, 5 inches long, and 1/2 inch thick)
Parmesan cheese

How to make Tuscan Tomato Soup

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 4- to 5-quart pan over medium heat.

Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden.

Stir in tomatoes, then broth.

Bring mixture to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until tomatoes are very soft when pressed (about 20 minutes).

In a food processor or blender, whirl tomato mixture (a portion at a time, if necessary) just until coarsely pureed.

Stir in basil (or place in the bowl before serving); season to taste with salt and pepper.

While soup is cooking, place bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil about 4 inches below heat until golden brown on top (1 to 2 minutes).

Turn slices over, brush each well with oil, and broil until golden brown on other side (1 to 2 more minutes). - I didn't do this step.

Place one slice of toasted bread in the bottom of each of 6 wide, shallow soup bowls, and sprinkle with cheese.

Ladle soup over bread.

Omega 3's

We had Salmon (baked in the oven, with Balsamic Salad Dressing on it for the last 10 min.) and Quinoa cooked in chicken broth for dinner. Sosi loved it, and we had it again for leftovers for lunch.

braised short ribs

so husband's back in town and tonight we're having braised short ribs. i say "we" liberally, because it's only the boys. i don't eat ribs, short or any other variety. this meal seems fancy and not in league with these easy-no-stress meals for the kids, but just wait and see. wait and see my friends.

i got this recipe from the pioneer woman, who's cooking style i appreciate because she makes no apologies for the use of butter, fat, and carbs. i'm also a visual learner and she takes tons of pictures to accompany her recipe.

after i put the boys down, i do my usual "i'm free for 2 hours!" stuff. then an hour before they wake up, i start prepping and cooking. i prepare everything before the le crueset has to go into the oven.

when the boys wake up, i pop the dutch oven into the oven for the almost 3 hours the recipe calls for and by the time it's time for the boys to eat dinner, the short ribs are done.

i shred the meat, mix it in a bowl of rice (which i always have on hand) with some of the au jus, dice up some steamed veggies (usually carrots) and done.

and then i keep the dutch oven warm until it's time for the adults to eat. for mark, i don't shred and mix with rice. i just plate it on a bed of some veggies (usuallymashed potatoes, but tonight haricot verts) and pour the au just over it all. as for me, i'll have a salad with some greens.

see? a nice "fancy" meal made without the fuss of having to simultaneously cook and tend to the kids.

ingredients:

8 whole beef short ribs

1/4 cup flour

6 pieces of pancetta diced (or bacon)

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 shallots, minced

2 cups red or white wine (i use red)

2 cups chicken or beef broth (i use chicken because i have some homemade in the freezer)

2 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs rosemary (if i don't have, i use the dried variety)

salt & peper

olive oil

preparation:

salt and pepper ribs, dredge in flour, set aside

in dutch oven, cook pancetta until crispy and all fat is rendered. remove pancetta.

add olive oil to pan with pancetta fat and raise heat to high. brown ribs on all sides. set aside. turn heat to medium.

add onions, carrots and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. pour in wine and scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan. bring to boil and cook for 2 minutes.

add broth, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and lots of pepper. add ribs to liquid (theyshould be almost completely submerged) and add thyme and rosemary on top of it all.

[this is where i take a break and attend to the sleepy head boys]

put the lid on the dutch oven and place into the oven. cook at 350 for 2 hours and then reduce head to 325 and cook for an additional 30-45 minutes. ribs should be falling off the bone. remove pan from oven and allow to sit for 20 minutes before serving. skim fat off the top of the liquid.

all done! a delicious and warming meal for my favorite boys.

ps: leftovers are great!