My Brother Visits

The saying that time flies when you're having fun is so true.  I can't believe we've lived in southern California for almost three years!  In these three years we've had some friends and family visit, but in May we had some extra special visitors.  I think we had my mother-in-law, my Grandma and most recently my brother, sister-in-law and niece came for a one week visit.  As expected, the seven days FLEW by!

Chicken Pot Pie Colonial Style

Chicken Pot Pie (Print this Recipe)

When all's said and done and the kids move on to life outside our little homeschool I hope they not only take with them a love for learning, but a love for food of all cultures and time periods.  No matter what the region or time period we try to experience it through food.

Paleo West African Pork Stew

The cookbook I'm currently spending a week in is The Whole Hog Cookbook by Libbie Summers.  Of course, as timing goes, a photo of the mistreatment of little piggies is making the Facebook rounds.  Just before I began typing this post, I checked my Facebook page and saw a posting of poor piggies.  Apparently they were being prepared to be shipped, in China.  That little piggie was going to market, but not in a good way.  Sad.

This Week: Moosewood Cookbook's Basic Corn Bread

Choosing a meatless cookbook to focus on seems rather counter to our mostly paleo lifestyle, but the popularity and appeal of the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen cannot be overlooked.  Her recipes use healthy, natural ingredients much of which would fit in the Zone or Paleo food program.

The first recipe I'm showcasing this week is Basic Corn Bread.

Who doesn't love corn bread?

It's a must with chili or other hearty soup/stew.  Corn Bread screams comfort food!

This recipe is a variation from the traditional; it calls for buttermilk or yogurt instead of milk.

I used Arrowhead Mills Organic Yellow Corn Meal and 1/2 buttermilk, 1/2 organic vanilla yogurt.  For the sweetener I used coconut sugar.  It's subtle and went well with the sweetness of the vanilla yogurt.

Basic Corn Bread- The Moosewood Cookbook

Ingredients

Butter to grease the pan

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk or yogurt (I used 1/2 cup buttermilk and 1/2 cup organic vanilla yogurt)
1 egg
3 tablespoons sugar or honey (I used coconut sugar)
3 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8-inch square pan (or a 9-10 inch cast-iron skillet) with butter.

Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl.  Combine wet ingredients, including sugar/honey, separately.  Stir wet ingredients into dry, mixing just enough to thoroughly combine.  Spread into the prepared pan.

Dry Ingredients

Dry and Wet...combine

Batter, ready for the oven

The batter is relatively thick- much thicker than other cornbread recipes I've tried. No cause for concern; it turns out great!

Bake 20 minutes, or until the center is firm to the touch.  Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Fresh out of the oven

So moist...perfect!

Thank you Mollie Katzen for a GREAT recipe!

Enjoy!

Grub Recipe #3: Rosemary-Butter Biscuits

Sitting in my favorite rocking chic, inhaling the fresh scent of rosemary and slowly savoring recipe #3 from Grub.

This kids keep repeating in their best Martha pronunciation, "I smell a 'Herb'."

Yes , my loves, you do smell a herb.

Rosemary.

One thing I love about living in Southern California is the abundance of rosemary shrubs.  I love walking past a rosemary shrub and rubbing my hand along while activating the aroma.  It's heavenly!

It reminds me of what I dream cottage living in Avonlea would be like.  Specifically, when I think of such herbs I think of gardens and tea, leading me to think about Anne and Miss Lavendar Lewis.  I think Anne, Diana and Miss Lavendar Lewis would have loved these biscuits.

Today's selected recipe is truly scrumptious!

If I wasn't counting points and limiting wheat and gluten, I would have inhaled most of these delicious biscuits!  I'm practicing my best self-restraint right now!  It's difficult to say the least!

Rosemary-Butter Biscuits

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon organic raw cane sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh minced rosemary (I used between 1-1 1/2 tablespoons)
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into bits, plus more for serving
3/4 cups organic whole milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sift flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt into large bowl.  Stir in the rosemary.  I used less than the 2 tablespoons suggested because I wasn't sure how our kids would like the flavor of rosemary.  I didn't want the rosemary to overwhelm them.  If you or your kids love herbs go for the 2 tablespoons or if you're enjoying a hearty fall meal I think the 2 tablespoons would be great!  With a pastry cutter or fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.

Sifting the dry ingredients

Cutting in the butter with a pastry blender.  A fork would work also.

Add the milk all at once and mix with a large spoon just until the dough forms into a ball.  With lightly floured hands, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface just a couple of times, until it all comes together.

Roll out the dough about 1/2 inch thick, and then cut with a 2-inch biscuit cutter or drinking glass.  We went with a drinking glass that measured about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.  Place the biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet a few inches apart from each other.  Bake until the biscuits are golden brown on top, about 15 minutes.

Remove from oven, cut a widthwise slit halfway into each biscuit and add a thin sliver of butter.  Serve hot.

We made 13 biscuits with our 2 1/2-glass.  If you're following Weight Watchers, each biscuit is 3 points.

Cheesiest Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

Last week my grandma was visiting.  Before she headed to the airport to return back to Washington, I wanted to make her a yummy, filling meal to stick to her bones for the flight home.  I had visions of her plane getting stuck on a runway with no extra food in her bag.  So I made sure she had good food in her tummy.  

Like most grandmas, she loves home-cooked comfort food.  I knew she'd love this super cheesy macaroni and cheese.  

This is another great recipe from Martha Stewart.  Martha likes expensive cheese so beware when shopping for her recommendations in the gourmet cheese aisle.  I bought a Trader Joe's New Zealand sharp white cheddar and a white cheddar Gruyere combination cheese.  You can experiment with the cheese varieties to stick within a budget.  The only thing I'd recommend it to use real cheese, no artificial cheeses.  They just don't melt well, and they're artificial.  Go for the REAL stuff!

Also, if you have small baking dishes, serve up individual macaroni and cheese meals.  I think they're adorable!

Ingredients

Serves 12

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter (you'll use 2 T. for the bread and then 6 T. for the cheese sauce)

6 slices {good} white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces

5 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional (I usually leave it out because some of our kids don't like spicy)

4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese

2 cups grated Gruyere cheese or 1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 pound elbow macaroni, or a similar shaped noodle

Directions

1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter or spray a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside.  Place small bread pieces in a medium bowl.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in microwave safe dish.  Pour over bread and toss.  Set aside.

2.  In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk.  Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in large pot.  When butter bubbles, add flour.  Whisk one minute.

3.  While whisking, SLOWLY pour in hot milk.  Don't pour all milk in at one time or you'll have lumpy cheesy sauce.  Not good!  Continue cooking, until mixture bubbles and thickens.  This can take a few minutes.  Be patient.

4.  Remove pan from heat.  Stir in seasonings, 3 cups of the cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups of the Gruyere.  Set aside.

5.  Meanwhile, prepare noodles according to package.  Drain, rinse with cold water.  Drain well.  Stir macaroni into cheese sauce.

6.  Pour mixture into prepared 3-quart dish, or small greased individual baking dishes.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs.  Bake until browned on top, 20  minutes or so.  Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

1/2 Whole Wheat Artisan Bread

Beautiful Loaf

Last week I shared a YouTube video demonstrating how to bake Artisan Bread from the authors of Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a day.

Today I decided to try the bread with 1/2 whole wheat flour.  It turned out GREAT!

In case you missed the video, here it is:

So to recap:

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 cups warm water
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups all-purpose flour

Combine all ingredients in large bowl.  Stir with wooden spoon until flour is mostly worked in.  There is no need to knead or overwork the dough.

Allow to rise for 2 hours.

Today we divided the dough into two large loaves.  Work dough into round loaves.  Place on cornmeal covered wood working surface.  Allow to rise an additional 40 minutes.

The cornmeal on the wood surface allows the bread loaf
to easily slide onto the stone in the oven

While bread is rising, heat oven to 425 degrees.  While heating, place cooking stone (if you have one) in oven.  About 10 minutes before placing bread on stone, place the additional cooking pan (for water) in the oven to heat up.

After 40 minutes, place bread loaf on stone; pour water in baking pan below the stone.  This should steam.

Cook about 20 minutes or until nice golden brown.

Fresh out of the oven

The kids love fresh baked bread!

Maybe next time I'll try 100% whole wheat.

Enjoy!

Paleo Dinner: Spicy Meaty Chili

It's a rainy, chilly day in Southern California.  This is a perfect day for a big pot of spicy chili to warm the bones.

Rainy Day Paleo Spicy Chili

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

1-28 oz. can whole tomatoes with juice, slightly chop tomatoes with kitchen shears before adding

2- 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

1- 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with jalapenos and chile peppers

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons Emeril's Baby Bam (see recipe following)

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Brown ground beef.  Drain off fat.  Add garlic, onion, green pepper, and onion. Cook for a few minutes until vegetables are slightly softened.  Add tomatoes and seasonings.    Stir well and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally so tomatoes don't stick to bottom of pan.  Enjoy!

Hearty!  Meaty!  Paleo!  Yum!

Baby Bam

from Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients
3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine and place in airtight container.

Embracing the Slow-Cooker: Texican Chili

In the action-packed life of homeschool mom, activities coordinator, sports enthusiast, and taxi driver sometimes the role of chef gets moved to the back burner.  Many days we're doing easy, quick dinners like grilled meats, salads, and roasted vegetables.  These are great healthy meal options, but it's also great to mix it up.

I'm a lover of soups, stews and chili.  I have friends who joke that when they come over we're always having soup.  We don't have soups that often, but when I'm in the mood for them, we may have them every night for a week or so.

I think the soup bug hit me a couple weeks ago so I pulled out the slow cooker.  I've been on the hunt to find healthful recipes that are also flavorful.  Recently we had Texican Chili.  I've made some alterations to this Fix-It and Forget-It meal.  Our family likes a chunky, hearty chili and this one fit the bill.

Texican Chili

Ingredients

8 slices bacon, diced
2 1/2- 3 lbs. beef stewing meat, cubed
2- 28-oz. can stewed tomatoes
15- oz. can tomato sauce
16-oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I used two 16-oz. cans)
2 cups sliced carrots
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2-1 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1.  Cook bacon in skillet until crisp.  Drain on paper towels.

embracing the bacon

2.  Brown beef in bacon drippings in skillet.

3.  Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

Mounds of meat and vegetables

4.  Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.  Stir occasionally.

Beautifully Chunky!

Yum!

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie, or Cottage Pie as it is commonly referred, is a British or Irish meat pie topped with mashed potatoes.  This dish is dated back to the 1700's when potatoes became an edible option for the poor.  The potato has a very interesting history.  During this time of food shortages, potatoes were touted by the European governments and the upper class as an option to counter the famine of the era.  The peasants were suspicious, but after royalty and the upper class begin cultivating the potato, the poor began farming the feared tubers.  

Once, when making this dish with ground beef, I was told by an Irishman that it was actually "Cottage Pie."  He told me "Shepherd's Pie" was made with lamb.  I think most {Americans} when referring to or making Shepherd's Pie are actually making Cottage Pie, as ground lamb is quite a bit more expensive than ground beef.

The recipe I always use is from Martha.  I think her variation offers awesome flavor and is loved by all who try it.  I've had moms report how their children go back for 2nd's and 3rd's of this dish.  In addition, this is a meal you can make one to serve, one to give away or put in the freezer.  It's great to have an extra meal on hand.

You can make this dinner in a large baking dish or in individual dishes.  I like the individual dishes when serving our family, but it's much easier to give away in the large pan.

Shepherd's Pie

This recipe makes 8 individual servings or two large pies.  Cool pies completely before covering with plastic and freezing up to 3 months.  Reheat frozen pies (small or large) in a 375-degree oven for about an hour.

Ingredients

2 pounds freshly ground beef, or lamb
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons flour
1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt & ground pepper
10 ounces frozen peas, thawed
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 cup milk
6 tablespoons butter

1.  Preheat oven to 425.  Heat a large skillet over high heat.  In two batches, cook lamb (or beef) until  no longer pink, about 5 minutes per batch.  Transfer meat to a colander set in a bowl/ let fat drain off and discard.

I don't always follow directions.  I brown all at one time.

Browned ground beef.

This grease will drain out in the colander.

2.  Add 1/4 cup water to the skillet, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon.  Reduce heat to medium; add onion and carrots.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in tomato paste.  Add flour; cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

I use the Cuisinart to chop the onions and carrots. 

Carrots and onions, cook about 5 minutes until softened.

Add tomato paste.

Sprinkle with flour.

Stir

3.  Add Worcestershire sauce (I usually add at least 2 tablespoons), 2 cups water, and meat.  Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.  Stir in peas; cook 1 minute.  Divide among eight 8-ounce ramekins or two 9-inch glass pie dishes.

Worcestershire and water added.

Meat added.

Okay, I don't thaw my peas...not the end of the world.

Filling just about done, potatoes on.

This is SO good!  I have a hard time not just nibbling away at the meat.

One to give away.

One for our family.

And a cute one!

4.  Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cover potatoes with salted water by 1 inch;  bring to a boil.  Reduce heat;  simmer until fork-tender, 15-20 minutes.  Drain.

Potatoes cooked and ready for mash.

I mash the potatoes in the Kitchen Aid.  If you use a Kitchen Aid, don't overdo it or the potatoes will get tough.  Just enough to mash.

5.  In another small saucepan, bring milk and butter to a simmer;  remove from heat.  Pour milk mixture over cooked, drained, potatoes;  mash.  Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Spread over pies;  use a fork to make peaks.  Bake on a baking sheet until tops are browned, 25-30 minutes.  Cool slightly; serve.

Milk mixture added.

Oh, so good!

All three, ready to go...and I didn't fork peak them.

One for home...ready to serve.

One to give away, ready to deliver.

One individual.  So cute!