Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Mini Crustless Quiche
1 tbsp butter or margarine
Half a small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup grated zucchini
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp curry powder
4 eggs
2/3 cups milk
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
paprika
Preheat oven to 300F.
In a skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 5 mintues. Add carrots, salt and curry powder. Cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat, allow to cool.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk, stir in vegetable mixture. Pour into greased mini-muffin tin and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese and paprika. Return to oven and bake for another 10 minutes or until custard is firm and cheese is melted.
I thought the kids would like these because they like eggs and they like mini-muffins, but alas, they didn’t enjoy the combination of the two. I don’t like eggs so I didn’t love them on their own, but I topped them with salsa and I thought that was pretty yummy. I put out ketchup to see if I could entice the kids to dip them but they just ate the ketchup. So I guess this one was a miss with my family, but maybe you’ll have better luck!
-Recipe adapted from Better Baby Food
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Spring Rolls and Peanut Sauce
Spring Rolls
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp ginger
1 12oz package of Mann's Rainbow salad (shredded carrot, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage)
2 cups cooked noodles (ie chow mein, spaghetti, linguini)
1 cup cooked shrimp (optional)
8-10 rice paper sheets
Heat sesame oil and saute garlic. Add soy sauce, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey and ginger. Whisk and heat through. Add rainbow salad, noodles and shrimp. Stir to coat with sauce. Heat covered for a few minutes to blend flavours. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Submerge the rice paper one at a time into warm water for 10 seconds until softened. Place sheet on a clean surface and pour your vegetable/noodle filling in a strip along the centre of the sheet. Fold one end over, then both sides, then roll it up tightly. Repeat with remaining rice paper and filling.
Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup water
Whisk together sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat until boiling, then remove form heat and let stand until thickened. Serve with spring rolls. in little bowls for dipping.
Cole had a blast helping me make the rolls. He was in charge of dipping the rice paper in water for me, and he was really good at it! The kids found them kind of hard to eat as rolls, so I cut them up and poured peanut sauce over top. Then they liked them a lot. I also enjoyed them, and had the leftovers for lunch for the next few days. I offered some to Tony but he wasn't interested. I guess he doesn't like spring rolls? Oh well. I was happy with how easy they were to make and I'd definitely make them again, if only for me to have in lunches. You can eat them warm or cold, however you like. I preferred them warm but if you're eating them on the go with no microwave around they're still might tasty that way too.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Granola Balls
1 ripe banana
1 cup dates
1 cup granola (I used my applesauce granola)
1/2 cup puffed rice
In a blender or food processor, blend banana and dates. In a mixing bowl, combine date mixture with granola and puffed rice. Form into balls and refrigerate. Allow them to sit overnight in the fridge before serving.
I thought these were good, but the kids wouldn't even try them. Bennett played with one but I didn't actually see him put any in his mouth. Cole wouldn't touch them. I don't think Tony tried any either. I don't get it, I thought they would totally go for these but I guess something about the way they looked didn't appeal to them. Since they didn't actually TRY them, I can't comment on whether they liked the taste or not. They were actually quite sweet considering there's no refined sugar in them, so I think they would have liked them if they gave them a chance. It was very frustrating, but at least there were more for me to enjoy!
-Inspired by Anja's Food 4 Thought 'No Bake Granola Bars'
Friday, June 25, 2010
Peanut Butter and Banana Breakfast Cookies
1 cup cooked oatmeal
1 mashed overripe banana
1 egg
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp honey
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup chopped dates
In a large bowl, combine oatmeal, banana, egg, peanut butter and honey. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder and dates. Add to wet ingredients and mix well. Drop spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes.
Makes about 24 cookies.
When I set out to make these cookies, I was originally planning on making my Soft Oatmeal and Banana Breakfast Cookies, but I was too lazy to print off the recipe so I winged it and ended up with something completely different. I think these are even tastier than the original ones! They're sweeter, thanks to the dates and honey, so more appealing to kids. The peanut-butter adds a really nice flavour too. I packed these in the kids' lunches and they seemed to enjoy them. I certainly did. I saw Tony sneak a few too, so I think he liked them as well.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Pita Bread
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 tbsp honey
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
In a bowl or measuring cup, combine yeast, honey and water. Let stand for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, all of the whole wheat flour and salt. Using a wooden spoon, add yeast mixture. Add as much of the remaining flour as necessary to form a soft dough that is sticky but not wet. Work olive oil into dough, then turn onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
With floured hands, knead dough, adding additional flour as needed, until smooth and elastic (5-6 moinutes), then form into a ball. Coat a large bowl with cooking spray and place dough inside, turning it to coat with oil. Cover the bowl in a tea-towel and let stand in an oven with just the light on until dough has doubled in size (about 1 hour).
Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Punch down dough and turn out onto floured surface. Divide dough into 6 pieces. Flatten each piece with the palm of your hand. Roll into a 4-5" circle with a floured rolling pin. Place circles onto baking sheet about an inch apart.
Bake in preheated 450F oven until lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. (For a softer pita, bake at 375F.) Stack hot pitas on a tea-towel and wrap them up until cool. This makes a soft pita with pockets for filling.
This pita bread was a lot like the kind you get in Greek restaurants. I like having them warmed, brushed with olive oil, and dipped in hummus or tzatziki. They're also yummy filled with chicken or egg salad, or even with plain old peanut-butter and jelly. I made my pitas pretty thick because I like them that way, but some of them didn't have very good pockets because of the thickness of the bread. I had to cut pockets into a few of them so I could get my fillings in there. So if you want really good pockets in your pita, make sure to roll them out fairly thin. They're very yummy though, whatever thickness they are. Even Cole enjoyed these and asked for more. They freeze well too, so you can double the recipe and save some for later.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Steel-Cut Oatmeal in the Crockpot
Put it in the crockpot the night before and in the morning you'll have hot oatmeal ready for you to enjoy!
Use an oven-safe bowl that will hold at least 4 cups of liquid and will fit inside your crockpot. Fill it with 1 cup of steel-cut oats and 4 cups of water. Put it in your crockpot and fill the crockpot with water until at the same level as the oats inside the bowl. Place lid on the crockpot and cook on low overnight. In the morning serve it with your favourite toppings. We like diced apples, Chia Goodness,
This is so easy, and it makes a really fast and healthy breakfast in the morning. By using this double boiler method with the crockpot you ensure that the oatmeal won't burn if you happen to sleep in. Not that I know anything about that. I miss sleep. Anyway, my boys are oatmeal fanatics, and so am I. It's my favourite thing to have for breakfast. Tony is not a breakfast person, so he missed out on this. Too bad, he doesn't know what he's missing!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Applesauce Granola
3 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup dry quinoa
1/4 cup oat bran
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup honey
Combine ingredients and spread onto 2 greased baking sheets. Bake at 275F for 40 minutes, stirring granola every 10 minutes until it is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on sheets. It will become more crispy as it cools.
I had attempted granola once before, but I overcooked it and ended up throwing it all out. This time I watched it very carefully to make sure that didn't burn. It turned out really well! It's not super sweet like some granolas, but I like that. The boys liked it a lot too. Cole always asks for it on his yogurt now. Bennett likes it with milk and warmed in the microwave so it's softer. I like it cold with milk and topped with strawberry slices. It's a pretty flexible recipe. You can change the ingredients around a bit depending on what you have on hand. I just rummaged through my pantry and pulled out whatever I happened to have. You can add dried fruit to it too, but add it after you bake the granola, otherwise the fruit tends to harden or burn.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Banana Crumble Cake
Banana Cake
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp flaxseed meal (optional)
1 tbsp chia seed (optional)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk (add 2 tsp of lemon juice or vinegar to regular milk)
Crumble topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp butter
In a bowl, cream butter; add sugar and beat well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well about each. Beat in vanilla and bananas.
Mix together flour, flax, chia, baking powder and baking soda. Beat into egg mixture alternately with buttermilk. Spray 9" square pan with nonstick coating and spoon in batter.
For crumble topping, combine brown sugar, cinnamon and flour in a small bowl. Cut in butter until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Sprinkle on top of cake batter.
Bake at 350F for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool on rack.
I decided to make this after I had been talking with one of the daycare workers who was telling me Cole hasn't been eating his lunch lately, but he seemed to really enjoy banana crumb muffins that another mom had brought. So not wanting to be a totally lame mom, I made this cake for Cole, but I couldn't help myself from adding in some flax and chia so it was a little more healthy. He loved it, and so did the rest of the family. It was a nice treat, but it does have a lot of sugar so I might cut down on that next time. You can also use this recipe for a loaf or muffins if you prefer. I've also made it with an orange icing and it's delicious that way too. You just combine 1 1/2 cups of icing sugar with 2 tbsp low-fat orange yogurt and 1 tsp orange juice. You can add orange zest into the batter as well to go with the icing. It's a very versatile recipe.
-Recipe adapted from Lighthearted Everyday Cooking
Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Meatballs
1 lb lean ground beef
2 tsp onion powder
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 egg
1/3 cup oats
1/4 cup shredded zucchini
1/4 cup shredded carrot
salt and pepper to taste
cooking spray
Sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp yellow mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
pepper to taste
In a large bowl, mix together meatball ingredients. Scoop and shape into small meatballs. Fry in a non-stick skillet with cooking spray on medium heat. Or bake them at 350 for about 25-30 minutes until no longer pink inside. In a measuring cup, combine sauce ingredients, then pour into hot pan with cooked meatballs. Cover and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes. Serve over cooked brown rice or barley.
You should have seen Cole's reaction when he saw we were having meatballs for dinner. He gasped and exclaimed 'meatballs!! I love meatballs!!" and jumped up and down. I was shocked, because his normal reaction is to take one look at the food and proclaim his dislike for it before even trying it. This time though, he sat down and ate everything on his plate. ALL of it! You don't know how exciting that is for me. I was glad I snuck those veggies in the meatballs too so they were extra healthy. Oddly enough, it was Bennett who refused to eat anything. It was like I was in Bizarro world or something. Tony and I both liked it a lot. I remember my mom used to make sweet and sour meatballs when I was a kid so it reminded me of home. It was real comfort food.
-Sauce recipe adapted from GoLo Kitchen
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Peanut Butter and Banana Bites
1 banana
1/4 cup peanut butter (more or less)
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk or buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
cooking spray
In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Make a well and add mik and egg. Stir together until combined. Slice banana and spread peanut butter onto each slice. Dip into batter and cook on a preheated pancake grill greased with cooking spray. Cook for a minute or two on each side, until golden.
Bennett was scorfing these down faster than I could make them! Cole loved them too, because peanut butter and bananas are two of his favourite things. I gave them maple syrup for dipping and they thought that was lots of fun. I didn't actually get to try very many of these because the boys ate most of them, but the ones I tasted were quite yummy. This was a really fun recipe!
-Recipe Adapted from Weelicious
Friday, June 11, 2010
Salsa and Orange Chicken
3-4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup honey
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup orange juice
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer in a baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together salsa, honey, soy sauce, orange juice, mustard, oil, garlic and ginger. Pour over chicken and turn them to coat both sides.
Bake covered at 400F for 40 minutes. Mix cornstarch with 2 tbsp of water. As soon as chicken is out of the oven, move the chicken aside and pour cornstarch mixture into the sauce. Stir until sauce has thickened. Coat chicken with sauce and serve.
I've discovered that my kids (and husband) like chicken best when served in a sweet sauce. Their favourites are Lord of the Breasts and Sticky Chicky from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry, and this one is a similar idea. It's also based on a recipe from the Podleski sisters, called the Thigh's the Limit, but with a few minor changes. They enjoyed this one just as much if not more. It was pretty easy for me to put together too, so I'm sure we'll be making this one again.
-Recipe adapted from Looneyspoons
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Taco Loaf
Recipe adapted from Company's Coming: Rush-Hour Recipes
1 lbs lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 can refried beans
1 can diced green chilies
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 loaf French bread, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup diced tomato
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1 cup grated cheddar
Scramble fry ground beef and onion in medium frying pan for about 5 minutes until beef is no longer pink. Add both peppers. Saute for 2 minutes. Drain.
Add refried beans, green chilies and spices. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until heated through.
Divide and spread beef mixture on each loaf half. Transfer to ungreased baking sheet.
Divide and sprinkle tomato, green onion and cheese over beef mixture. Broil about 8" from heat for 1-2 minutes until hot and cheese is melted. Slice loaf into 6-8 pieces for each loaf.
I might not eat tacos the usual way again after trying them this way, they were so good and easy to make. Tony loved them, he said this was his new favourite dinner. Cole just played with his food, he dumped off all the toppings and ended up just eating the bread. Sigh. Bennett enjoyed it a lot once I cut it up into little pieces for him so it was easier for him to eat. We ate one half of the loaf, so I froze the other half to enjoy for dinner another time. Can't wait!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk (or sour milk)
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
2 cups grated zucchini
1/4 cup chocolate chips
This cake was really yummy and everyone enjoyed it, Cole included. What's not to enjoy really? It is chocolate cake after all. I'd be a little concerned if Cole didn't eat it because then he really would be the pickiest kid alive. I liked the cloves and cinnamon in it too, I never thought of pairing those spices with chocolate but it works! I think it should have more chocolate chips though, and maybe icing too, because I figure if you're going to indulge in chocolate cake you might as well go all out. At least with this version you get some nutrition (and a really moist cake) because of the zucchini. Here's Cole enjoying his cake:
Monday, June 7, 2010
Crockpot Butter Chicken
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp tandoori paste
1 19 oz can diced tomatoes
1 19 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/3 cup light sour cream
1 tbsp nut butter (cashew/almond/peanut)
In a crockpot, combine all ingredients up to and including ground pepper. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Scoop out the chicken and shred it with two forks. Return to pot. Stir in sour cream and nut butter. Serve over hot basmati rice (optional).
I just threw in some frozen chicken breasts and they cooked perfectly. I like shredding the meat, mostly because it's easier for the kids to eat that way, so you can skip that step if you want. I served this with a batch of chapati bread and it went really nicely with this dish (I should mention that it's actually pita bread in the photos, which were taken on a later date). We all gobbled it up, but as usual Cole wasn't interested. I don't know why he's become so anti-dinner lately, but I sure hope it's a phase that ends soon!
-Recipe adapted from Food Network- Eat, Shrink and Be Merry
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Triple Hitter Muffins
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
¾ cup applesauce
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup all-purpose whole wheat flour
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, whisk together oil and sugar. Beat in egg, then applesauce. Stir in carrots and zucchini.
In another large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
Fold dry ingredients into wet, until just mixed. Grease 2 mini-muffin trays. Spoon batter to the very top of muffin cups and bake 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in a muffin.
This recipe is very popular on my favourite messageboard for moms. It's always great when you find something healthy that your kids actually like. Cole likes them with peanut-butter, and Bennett will eat them no matter what is on or not on them! Sometimes I make them with raisins and/or mashed bananas. Maybe next time I might bake them with peanut-butter in them, just for Cole.
- Recipe from Today's Parent
Friday, June 4, 2010
White Chili Casserole
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 celery stalks, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup chicken broth
1 can chopped green chilies, drained
1 cup light sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 can low-fat condensed cream of chicken soup
4 large (or 8 small) whole wheat tortillas
4 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts (about 1 lb)
2 cups shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 9x13 dish with cooking spray. In a large non-stick pan, saute onions, garlic, celery and green pepper until soft, about 5 minutes. Add kidney beans, broth, chilies, sour cream, salt, cumin, pepper and soup. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in shredded chicken. Spread 1/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the dish. Top with 1/2 the tortillas, overlapping and cutting as necessary to fit. Top with 1/3 sauce mixture, then sprinkle on 1/2 the cheese. Cover with remaining tortillas, followed by remaining sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheese over sauce and top with green onions. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing for serving.
This recipe is a hybrid of my two other Mexican casserole posts: New Mexican Style Chili Chicken Casserole and Mexican Lasagna. The Mexican lasagna has been my absolute favourite, but this one definitely rivals it! We all loved it, except Cole of course. He ate all the beans but woudn't touch the rest of it. It was delicious though, I think it was a nice improvement on the New Mexican casserole, which I always felt was missing something. This meal feels more complete with the addition of beans and vegetables. It's good for you too, thanks to the low-fat ingredients and whole wheat tortillas.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Egg Pizza with Pepperoni and Cheese
Pizza Dough:
1 1/3 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons yeast
Add ingredients in the order given into the bread machine pan.
Start dough cycle. Once the dough is done remove it from the pan onto a floured work surface.
Roll dough to fit the shape of your pan. I use my rectangular baking sheet to make one big pizza.
Spray pan with cooking spray and sprinkle with cornmeal. Transfer your dough onto the pan. Make sure the crust edges are well-formed so your egg mixture doesn't leak out later. Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 6 minutes.
Filling:
6 large eggs
1/3 cup thick Caesar salad dressing
1 1/2 cup grated mozzarella, divided
18 pepperoni slices
4 bocconcini balls, cut into thin slices (1 ½ oz.)
1 cup chopped fresh spinach leaves
Beat eggs in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread Caesar dressing over pizza base. Sprinkle base with half of the mozzarella cheese. Top with pepperoni, bocconcini and spinach. Carefully pour beaten eggs over toppings. Sprinkle remaining cheese over pizza. Bake at 450F for 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly and the eggs are set.
I don't like eggs very much, but this just sounded so interesting that I had to try it. It was pretty good, but I have to say that I prefer the normal kind of pizza. That's only because of the egg thing. I'm sure to egg-lovers this pizza would be heaven! Both Tony and Bennett enjoyed it, although Tony was expecting the usual pizza so he was a little thrown off at first. He ate it though and had seconds. Cole wouldn't eat anything, but he did have fun helping me make it. He liked stirring up the eggs and pouring it onto the pizza the best. The highlight of this meal for me was the pizza dough. It was really good! I just made it again to use for pizza-pockets and they turned out very nicely. I think this recipe will replace the while bread-machine dough recipe that I used to use.
-Whole Wheat Pizza Dough recipe from Recipezaar
-Egg Pizza recipe adapted from Canadian Family
My kids like to whine, especially when it comes to the food they eat, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to make tasty and healthy meals for them. Follow along as I share family-friendly recipes and reviews from my picky family members, who I lovingly call “The Whine Critics.” 
