The weather was in our favour last night for our "just because it's summer and Saturday" BBQ. We had 12 guests, pretty much the capacity for my fridge and our deck, and although we did have some seating issues the food was enough to distract from the lack of chairs.
I put together a fairly basic menu, set to please all ages as we had a few kids around. Here is what was served:
Cheesey smokies with fresh Portuguese rolls
Hickory BBQ Burgers on fresh Kaisers
Baked Potato Salad
Sesame Pasta Salad
Bacon wrapped corn
It was a heavy, stick to your ribs kind of meal enjoyed by all. My only regret is that I was so busy pumping out food that I did not have time to take pictures of all the results. I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Some days just call for burgers....
I had all the best intentions of making a wicked vegetarian chili for supper tonight, but then I got home and my mind flipped completely and I really just wanted a good ole' burger. Talk about two totally opposite ends of the spectrum! Burgers are another great thing for Sam to help me make. She is still far too young for me to be comfortable with the idea of her mixing raw beef, but she does a great job of dumping all the ingredients in the bowl.
These burgers are delicious and not too bad in the no-no ingredients category. I use the leanest ground beef I can find, this is one place where I never cost cut. The rest of the burger mix consists of a good hickory BBQ sauce, fresh parsley, freshly minced garlic, fresh whole grain bread crumbs (I use the ends of bread loafs to make crumbs and store them in the freezer, they really have no other use), a big brown egg, and a couple splashes of hot sauce. Not a lot of ingredients for a whole lot of flavorful moist patty.
I had turned the BBQ on to pre-heat, but it would seem after yesterday's flaming chicken "woops how about fish?" incident we were out of fuel. Just as I came out the door with the pattys I heard the pop fizzle of a BBQ officially running out of gas. So onto the indoor grill they go....
Mouth-watering as usual, perfectly moist but fully after 5 minutes on each side. One of my biggest peeves is over-cooked meat and I would always rather discover that my patties were a little thick and need a quick re-fire than have to eat hockey pucks or leather for dinner.
Served on whole grain ciabbata buns with freshly slice red onion, vine-ripened tomatoes, and crisp romane lettuce. Perfect.
These burgers are delicious and not too bad in the no-no ingredients category. I use the leanest ground beef I can find, this is one place where I never cost cut. The rest of the burger mix consists of a good hickory BBQ sauce, fresh parsley, freshly minced garlic, fresh whole grain bread crumbs (I use the ends of bread loafs to make crumbs and store them in the freezer, they really have no other use), a big brown egg, and a couple splashes of hot sauce. Not a lot of ingredients for a whole lot of flavorful moist patty.
I had turned the BBQ on to pre-heat, but it would seem after yesterday's flaming chicken "woops how about fish?" incident we were out of fuel. Just as I came out the door with the pattys I heard the pop fizzle of a BBQ officially running out of gas. So onto the indoor grill they go....
Mouth-watering as usual, perfectly moist but fully after 5 minutes on each side. One of my biggest peeves is over-cooked meat and I would always rather discover that my patties were a little thick and need a quick re-fire than have to eat hockey pucks or leather for dinner.Served on whole grain ciabbata buns with freshly slice red onion, vine-ripened tomatoes, and crisp romane lettuce. Perfect.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
If You Must Tip #1: Chosing and Prepping Boxed Mac 'n Cheese
I am going to be running a series of "If you Must" tips and tricks. I would love to say I would never stoop to the likes of Campbells Soup or Kraft Dinner, etc but practicality and demand over cost occasionally just requires. As I have mentioned before, I also have a very picky (aren't they all?) 3 year old who would really prefer to eat nothing but mac 'n cheese and fish sticks for the rest of her life. The result? I have figured out some handy ways to sneak nutrition and cut the "bad stuff" out of even the most pre-packaged, processed foods. One big secret? Don't always believe the package, read the nutritional facts, and bring a calculator to find some surprises.
So, tip #1:
I used to go to great lengths to attempt to buy "healthier" mac 'n cheese options for those occasional quick lunches on days you just aren't into or are unable to compose lunch and would really rather just put some mac in a pot and forget about it. (C'mon, we all have a day on the weekend when you just want to relax, yes?)
Well, suprisingly, here is the comparison between Kraft's new Kraft Dinner Smart, regular Kraft Dinner, Annie's Homegrown Classic Mac & Cheese, and Annie's Organic Classic Macaroni & Cheese (all based on 1 cup of mac 'n cheese and the percentages are daily recommended amounts based on a 2000 calorie diet):
Annie's Classic: 280 Calories, fat 4g, saturated fat 2g, cholesterol 10mg, sodium 530mg, Carbs 47g, fiber 2g, sugar 5g, protein 10g
Annie's Organic: 280 Calories, fat 4.5g, saturated fat 2.5g, cholesterol 10mg, sodium 520mg, carbs 46g, fiber 2g, sugars 5g, protein 10g
KD Original: 280 Calories, fat 2.7g, saturated fat 1.3g, cholesterol 5mg, sodium 547mg, Carbs 53g, fiber 1g, sugars 9g, protein 9g
KD Smart: 280 Calories, fat 2.7g, saturated fat 1.3g, cholesterol 5mg, sodium 398mg, Carbs 26g, fiber 2g, sugars 9g, protein 8g
So you can see the quandry developing with no clear winners. All have the same calories, Kraft brands are certainly lower fat and cholesterol, the sodium is high accross the board with Kraft Dinner Smart being the clear winner in that catagory. Kraft Dinner Smart also has the fewest carbs but this is where we need to start being careful, adults watching waistlines may not want carbs, but children (and the ones most likely to be eating packaged mac 'n cheese) certainly require carbs for energy! So, in the category I make Smart the winner for grown-ups and KD Original the winner for tots.....until we look at what those carbs are made of. Well now it would seem that Classic KD is mostly sugar, as is KD Smart, so in this case we go for the lower sugar, median fiber and chose either of the Annies products. Annies are also the clear winner in the protein category. But really, what I am attempting to show you is this:
There is no such thing as healthy boxed mac 'n cheese so "If you MUST" just buy the one you like and will put less of a dent in the wallet, buy the one on special, we could go back and forth for days trying to decide which is better and go cross-eyed from all the math doing it because they all list different serving sizes and weights as guidlines.
Here is the real tip:
When preparing boxed mac 'n cheese, skip the part in the directions where it says add "this much butter" and "such and such milk". Buy some plain unsweetened yogurt and keep it in the fridge. Use about 2 tablespoons of yogurt to mix up your mac adding a little more nutrition, a lot less fat and some vitamins to boot. Plus, the flavour is tangier and more filling.
Enjoy!
So, tip #1:
I used to go to great lengths to attempt to buy "healthier" mac 'n cheese options for those occasional quick lunches on days you just aren't into or are unable to compose lunch and would really rather just put some mac in a pot and forget about it. (C'mon, we all have a day on the weekend when you just want to relax, yes?)
Well, suprisingly, here is the comparison between Kraft's new Kraft Dinner Smart, regular Kraft Dinner, Annie's Homegrown Classic Mac & Cheese, and Annie's Organic Classic Macaroni & Cheese (all based on 1 cup of mac 'n cheese and the percentages are daily recommended amounts based on a 2000 calorie diet):
Annie's Classic: 280 Calories, fat 4g, saturated fat 2g, cholesterol 10mg, sodium 530mg, Carbs 47g, fiber 2g, sugar 5g, protein 10g
Annie's Organic: 280 Calories, fat 4.5g, saturated fat 2.5g, cholesterol 10mg, sodium 520mg, carbs 46g, fiber 2g, sugars 5g, protein 10g
KD Original: 280 Calories, fat 2.7g, saturated fat 1.3g, cholesterol 5mg, sodium 547mg, Carbs 53g, fiber 1g, sugars 9g, protein 9g
KD Smart: 280 Calories, fat 2.7g, saturated fat 1.3g, cholesterol 5mg, sodium 398mg, Carbs 26g, fiber 2g, sugars 9g, protein 8g
So you can see the quandry developing with no clear winners. All have the same calories, Kraft brands are certainly lower fat and cholesterol, the sodium is high accross the board with Kraft Dinner Smart being the clear winner in that catagory. Kraft Dinner Smart also has the fewest carbs but this is where we need to start being careful, adults watching waistlines may not want carbs, but children (and the ones most likely to be eating packaged mac 'n cheese) certainly require carbs for energy! So, in the category I make Smart the winner for grown-ups and KD Original the winner for tots.....until we look at what those carbs are made of. Well now it would seem that Classic KD is mostly sugar, as is KD Smart, so in this case we go for the lower sugar, median fiber and chose either of the Annies products. Annies are also the clear winner in the protein category. But really, what I am attempting to show you is this:
There is no such thing as healthy boxed mac 'n cheese so "If you MUST" just buy the one you like and will put less of a dent in the wallet, buy the one on special, we could go back and forth for days trying to decide which is better and go cross-eyed from all the math doing it because they all list different serving sizes and weights as guidlines.
Here is the real tip:
When preparing boxed mac 'n cheese, skip the part in the directions where it says add "this much butter" and "such and such milk". Buy some plain unsweetened yogurt and keep it in the fridge. Use about 2 tablespoons of yogurt to mix up your mac adding a little more nutrition, a lot less fat and some vitamins to boot. Plus, the flavour is tangier and more filling.
Enjoy!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
So, I splurged a little
Sometimes, we just have to splurge a little, we just have to ensure that when we do, it is well worth the money. These days cash isn't a hot commodity and in a climate where sustainability and affordability is key, even when it comes to just putting food on your plates, we need to be conscious of each purchase we make. But, that all being said, we also need to let our hair down a little every now and then for the sake of sanity, sometimes that means spending a little extra to get what you want. Just make sure it's what you really want, and then make it worth every penny.
In Sherwood Park, AB, there is a great seafood wholesaler called Fin's Seafood Distributor. They used to be a local independent company, however, I was just reading (sadly) that they entered into a purchase agreement with Sysco Foods in January of this year. However, I noticed no difference on my trip there yesterday afternoon so this "agreement" does not seem to have effected the general staff or quality of product. This store has so much to offer a seafood lover, everything you can dream of and them some from candied salmon, to gorgeous Ahi Tuna, to frozen alligator meat. Now, you do still want to be careful that the selections you make are sustainable because not everything here is. I miss the flavours of Orange Roughy, but to buy it today would just lead me to a guilty indigestion. For those of you out there with iPhones, SeaChoice offers a great iPhone app that can help with these decision.
I chose frozen mahi fillets. I adore the light flavour and meaty texture of Mahi Mahi, and while there are some cautions regarding the status of the stocks of Mahi Mahi (especially right now given the state of the Gulf of Mexico) and the moderate threat of bycatch fishing methods, the price was more pressing at the moment of decision given the current state of my wallet. At $12/pound this fish was a steal comparatively.
Bringing the fish home I was already thinking of Asian flavours and pasta salad. The temperature was starting to soar at 26 degrees and sunny so the BBQ was certainly calling my name. Here is the resulting brainstorm:
Soy-Ginger Mahi Mahi
4 mahi mahi fillets (fresh or frozen, if frozen then you can thaw right in the marinade)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger (I cheat and use the jarred or tubed ginger)
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons agave syrup
2 tablespoons red wine (your pick, I use a touch of whatever I have on the go at the time)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
freshly ground sea salt and black pepper
I'm a big fan of ziploc bag marinades so I tossed the mahi mahi in a large ziploc and added the rest of the ingredients, then I sort of slooshed it around a bit to make sure the marinade was mixed up well. I threw this back in the fridge while I prepared the salad:
*Don't forget to go pre-heat your BBQ, you're going to want it at a nice 475 degrees.
Sesame Pasta Salad
8 ounces of dry linguine (I always use Smart Pasta by Catelli because I like the health benefits of whole wheat pasta but my partner won't eat it without making faces like I'm trying to force-feed him gruel)
1 red pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
2 vine ripened tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, sliced (white parts included)
large handful of baby carrots, sliced (I use these rather than large carrots because I keep these on hand for snacks)
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons agave syrup
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
2 minced garlic cloves
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, cut your veggies. When the pot hits a rolling boil, drop the pasta for 7 minutes (or to al dente according to your pasta's cooking directions).
While the pasta is boiling, whisk together the rest of the ingredients. Take the pasta off and drain, rinsing with cold water until no longer warm. Toss the pasta, veggies, and sauce. Put in the fridge.
Now go get that fish! Scrape your BBQ grill and spray with an olive oil mist (or other method of greasing your grill to your preference)
Place fillets in the middle of the grill for 4 minutes with the lid closed. Flip with a large metal spatula and cook for another 3 minutes, (go set the table, or better yet, open the patio door and get your spouse to set the table) Remove the fish to a plate and tent with foil.
Are you ready? Serve away, delicious! Even my three year old ate this one (although I did have to remove all but the carrots and noodles from her salad)
In Sherwood Park, AB, there is a great seafood wholesaler called Fin's Seafood Distributor. They used to be a local independent company, however, I was just reading (sadly) that they entered into a purchase agreement with Sysco Foods in January of this year. However, I noticed no difference on my trip there yesterday afternoon so this "agreement" does not seem to have effected the general staff or quality of product. This store has so much to offer a seafood lover, everything you can dream of and them some from candied salmon, to gorgeous Ahi Tuna, to frozen alligator meat. Now, you do still want to be careful that the selections you make are sustainable because not everything here is. I miss the flavours of Orange Roughy, but to buy it today would just lead me to a guilty indigestion. For those of you out there with iPhones, SeaChoice offers a great iPhone app that can help with these decision.
I chose frozen mahi fillets. I adore the light flavour and meaty texture of Mahi Mahi, and while there are some cautions regarding the status of the stocks of Mahi Mahi (especially right now given the state of the Gulf of Mexico) and the moderate threat of bycatch fishing methods, the price was more pressing at the moment of decision given the current state of my wallet. At $12/pound this fish was a steal comparatively.
Bringing the fish home I was already thinking of Asian flavours and pasta salad. The temperature was starting to soar at 26 degrees and sunny so the BBQ was certainly calling my name. Here is the resulting brainstorm:
Soy-Ginger Mahi Mahi
4 mahi mahi fillets (fresh or frozen, if frozen then you can thaw right in the marinade)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger (I cheat and use the jarred or tubed ginger)
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons agave syrup
2 tablespoons red wine (your pick, I use a touch of whatever I have on the go at the time)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
freshly ground sea salt and black pepper
I'm a big fan of ziploc bag marinades so I tossed the mahi mahi in a large ziploc and added the rest of the ingredients, then I sort of slooshed it around a bit to make sure the marinade was mixed up well. I threw this back in the fridge while I prepared the salad:
*Don't forget to go pre-heat your BBQ, you're going to want it at a nice 475 degrees.
Sesame Pasta Salad
8 ounces of dry linguine (I always use Smart Pasta by Catelli because I like the health benefits of whole wheat pasta but my partner won't eat it without making faces like I'm trying to force-feed him gruel)
1 red pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
2 vine ripened tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, sliced (white parts included)
large handful of baby carrots, sliced (I use these rather than large carrots because I keep these on hand for snacks)
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons agave syrup
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
2 minced garlic cloves
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, cut your veggies. When the pot hits a rolling boil, drop the pasta for 7 minutes (or to al dente according to your pasta's cooking directions).
While the pasta is boiling, whisk together the rest of the ingredients. Take the pasta off and drain, rinsing with cold water until no longer warm. Toss the pasta, veggies, and sauce. Put in the fridge.
Now go get that fish! Scrape your BBQ grill and spray with an olive oil mist (or other method of greasing your grill to your preference)
Place fillets in the middle of the grill for 4 minutes with the lid closed. Flip with a large metal spatula and cook for another 3 minutes, (go set the table, or better yet, open the patio door and get your spouse to set the table) Remove the fish to a plate and tent with foil.
Are you ready? Serve away, delicious! Even my three year old ate this one (although I did have to remove all but the carrots and noodles from her salad)
Is it Muffin Day?
At my daughter's daycare they do Muffin Day every Friday. This means on Friday mornings there are fresh baked muffins for the tots and their parents (and coffee, what says "worth the money I'm paying for this place" quite like coffee to go right at the door of your child's daycare on Friday morning?) My daughter looks forward to Muffin Day all week long and asks every night if it's going to be tomorrow.
I like to make muffins at home for her for this reason. It makes her so happy when she asks if it's muffin day and I can assure her that yes, yes it is. She also loves to help me cook and muffins are a great easy task for a pre-schooler to help with. HOWEVER! I do not like feeding my daughter sugary snacks, mostly because I hate the buzz she gets off the stuff. I also know she does not eat veggies, ever, never, picks out even the teeny tiny bits and puts them on my plate saying "here you go Mom, I don't like this" So I found a muffin that not only has protein in the form of peanut butter (yeah, I said it, peanut butter, for a small child, how dare I!?), but also has vitamin B, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin A, and a good amount of fiber.
These are definitely a great way to supply your child (or spouse, or yourself, just don't let other kids eat them, there is contraband peanut butter in them after all) with a healthy snack or breakfast munch when served with some yogurt and fruit. Kids (and spouses) go nuts for the chewy muffins with an almost brownie-like consistency and you love how healthy they are!
Here is my kid-helper friendly recipe (credit to Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld):
* I suggest getting all the ingredients lined up and carrots and bananas pre-pureed before calling your child over to help so that the process keeps their attention.
Peanut Butter Muffins (...with bananas and carrots)
1/3 cup agave syrup
1/2 cup light peanut butter
1/2 cup pureed carrot
1/2 cup mashed banana
1 egg white (I use brown eggs for everything)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Spray a muffin tin sheet with a natural cooking spray and pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine agave, peanut butter, pureed carrot, banana, and egg. If you have a child helping you can let them carefully mix all the ingredients together using a large wooden spoon or heavy rubber spatuala.
An easy task for kids is the dry ingredients because they can just shake them up in a ziploc bag. I usually do the measuring and let my daughter dump them all in the bag, then I close it up and let her shake away (make sure the bag is well sealed)
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and combine until it is a good mixed but lumpy consitencey, you should never mix muffins until smooth or they will be tough. Evenly distribute the mixture into muffin tin, it should nicely divide into 12 muffins.
Bake the muffins at 350 for between 15 and 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out nice and clean.
These muffins will store in the fridge for about a week, I don't like to store them at room temperature because I worry about fermentation but they can be warmed with a quick zap in the microwave if you prefer your muffins served warm. Some say these can be frozen for a month but I presonally don't like how it depretiates the taste.
I like to make muffins at home for her for this reason. It makes her so happy when she asks if it's muffin day and I can assure her that yes, yes it is. She also loves to help me cook and muffins are a great easy task for a pre-schooler to help with. HOWEVER! I do not like feeding my daughter sugary snacks, mostly because I hate the buzz she gets off the stuff. I also know she does not eat veggies, ever, never, picks out even the teeny tiny bits and puts them on my plate saying "here you go Mom, I don't like this" So I found a muffin that not only has protein in the form of peanut butter (yeah, I said it, peanut butter, for a small child, how dare I!?), but also has vitamin B, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin A, and a good amount of fiber.
These are definitely a great way to supply your child (or spouse, or yourself, just don't let other kids eat them, there is contraband peanut butter in them after all) with a healthy snack or breakfast munch when served with some yogurt and fruit. Kids (and spouses) go nuts for the chewy muffins with an almost brownie-like consistency and you love how healthy they are!
Here is my kid-helper friendly recipe (credit to Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld):
* I suggest getting all the ingredients lined up and carrots and bananas pre-pureed before calling your child over to help so that the process keeps their attention.
Peanut Butter Muffins (...with bananas and carrots)
1/3 cup agave syrup
1/2 cup light peanut butter
1/2 cup pureed carrot
1/2 cup mashed banana
1 egg white (I use brown eggs for everything)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Spray a muffin tin sheet with a natural cooking spray and pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine agave, peanut butter, pureed carrot, banana, and egg. If you have a child helping you can let them carefully mix all the ingredients together using a large wooden spoon or heavy rubber spatuala.
An easy task for kids is the dry ingredients because they can just shake them up in a ziploc bag. I usually do the measuring and let my daughter dump them all in the bag, then I close it up and let her shake away (make sure the bag is well sealed)
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and combine until it is a good mixed but lumpy consitencey, you should never mix muffins until smooth or they will be tough. Evenly distribute the mixture into muffin tin, it should nicely divide into 12 muffins.
Bake the muffins at 350 for between 15 and 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out nice and clean.
These muffins will store in the fridge for about a week, I don't like to store them at room temperature because I worry about fermentation but they can be warmed with a quick zap in the microwave if you prefer your muffins served warm. Some say these can be frozen for a month but I presonally don't like how it depretiates the taste.
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