Christmas Traditions

Christmas is a time for traditions with every household having a slightly different variation of how they celebrate the season. Kids thrive on tradition. I think it is like an unwritten piece of every family’s code of arms. Civilization and societies have changed a lot since the beginning of time but despite the distractions of our current world we all need to eat, drink, have shelter and be a part of something whether that means a nuclear family or any other possible combination of people who care for one another. Traditions give us a sense of that need to belong to something, and they warm our hearts when we take part in them. Familiarity in traditions is like HOME.

We have many traditions in our family and many of them happen around this time of year. I want to share one that our children covet - Santa Pancakes. Sounds goofy but the kids love them. This little novelty is anticipated for months prior to Christmas.

They are very simple to assemble. 1st make your favourite pancakes, build a hat out of strawberries, use 2 slices of banana and chocolate chips for the eyes then finish off with whip cream for a mustache, beard and hat trims. Finish off with a slice of strawberry for the mouth.

Hope you enjoy making these. Be careful though your kids might request them next year and before you know it, it might become one of your traditions too:)

Baron o Beef Dinner with side for 4 for well under $10.00...Really...

No boxes here but with a little effort and planning ahead there are a number of really yummy meals you can prepare for no more than a little pocket change. We are strapped for time tonight but I can make this ahead and have it on the table in just minutes when we get home with a little help from my slow cooker.

I am using stew meat (1.5lb) in the slow cooker with water to come half way up the meat, add veg boullion cube or beef (what ever you have) and half an onion sliced on top of the meat. On high for 4-5 hours. I have set the bread machine with a whole wheat dough recipe, when I make the buns I'll let them rise then spray with a little evoo and sprinkle with dried onion flakes before baking. When the meat is ready, remove to cutting board and add alittle water to make a nice dipping sauce for your sammies. Assemble the onion and beef onto the rolls and serve with dipping sauce on the side.

Costs:
Beef stew meat (1.5 lb) $4.50
Bouillion cube $0.25
1/2 onion $0.25
Flour etc.. for buns less than $1.00

Add a side salad, or sliced veggies. If you wash and cut up yourself even for organic can run as little as $1.00-3.00.

Garden Bounty...Zucchini, Peppers, Tomatoes, Oh My...

With all that garden bounty and a tight time budget to the table what to do, what to do... I have a crisper, to my delight, filled with zucchini and peppers along with a garden brimming with grape tomatoes. The sky is the limit with the concoctions one might come up with this bounty on hand. Last night I had a bit of pesto to get used as well so I roasted up the veg to serve along with some pasta with a pesto cream sauce. You could change this up to use up what you have on hand but this is the one I came up with last night:

First - Roasted Veg :
1 yellow zucchini (1" diameter)
1 green zucchini (1")
1 ea. yellow, red and orange pepper
1 garlic head with top cut off
1T. dried basil
1t. dried oregano
generous sprinkle fresh ground pepper

In a glass baking dish toss with olive oil and roast at 450 for 20 minutes, toss add 2 c. grape tomatoes and roast another 20 minutes. When done pop garlic from cloves and mash, toss with veg.

Meanwhile: Cook whole wheat pasta of your choice - I like to use a Penne or tube pasta

Sauce:
In a saucepan melt 1/8 c. butter, and 1/8c. flour, add pepper and salt to taste. Stir for about a minute with wire whisk. Add 1-1/2c. milk simmer to thicken. Add 1/2 c. parmesan.

When everyone is ready: Toss pasta with 3T. pesto, then add cream sauce and about 1/2 veg (pureed if you like). Top with remaining veg.

Serve - yummy!

Salt...more complicated than I first thought...

Salt, one of the four or for some five basic food taste sensations. Once I began researching salt I was amazed at some of the information I found. Salt really is an incredible resource with multiple chemical and physical properties making possible 14,000 known uses. It has been used since the day of the cave man and has enhanced the quality of our lives in more respects than our tastebuds. Once used by multiple civilizations as a currency, access to this common mineral has been the source of wars and revolutions.

Salt production globally was about 250 million tons in 2006 – only 5% foodgrade – with 6.78 billion people in the world that is an average of 5 g/person/day or 5000mg, frightening......given that the FDA recommends no more than 2400 mg with many other organizations advocating less than 1500 mg. Statistics show that average consumption by our neighbours to the south hovers about 4-6,000 mg/ day.

Contrary to popular opinion most of the salt you consume is not coming out of the shaker, or the grinder, it is part of many of the products we use on a day to day basis. Eating fast food is not the only way to OD although I was stunned to find that a Chicken Caesar salad from McDonalds packs over 1600mg of sodium more than double what you would get from a large fries.

I did a little hands on research in my pantry and there are some unlikely items that pack a nasty punch of sodium - for instance:
Organic chicken stock - 590mg per 1 cup
Organic Tomato Sauce - 280mg per 1/4 cup
Campbell's Chicken Noodle (not proud to have this in my pantry but yikes!)890mg per 1/2 cup
Dare Bear Paws - 2 cookies 240mg per 1pk of 2 cookies
Vector Cereal - 365mg per 1-1/4 cup serving

There are some options to tantalize your taste buds besides the run of the mill table salt. I have been using Sea Salt for years but have recently learned about Himalayan Salt. This salt prides itself on qualities including a high mineral content. Although it is touted for it's healing properties I could not find any substantiated claims to back that up as most sites with information are also selling the product. The claims include that the salt contains 84 trace elements and iron. I have heard that the taste is different and I am looking forward to trying it.

I do cook most of what my family eats from scratch, however I do often use canned veg and stocks. For now, I'll be checking the labels...









,

Garden of plenty...

Well summer was a bit slow on the blogging front for me... It was nice to leave technology to the side and focus on the 3D world for a while. Now that September is here it is time to reconvene with reality.
The garden tomatoes are a plenty .... we have some large heirlooms but most abundant are the strawberry tomatoes. I wanted to share a couple of the recipes that have manifested from them...
First is a roasted veg dish that was born out of panic to make something presentable for unplanned dinner guests. I had planned to have asparagus for dinner but with more people at the table the portions would have been too small..so I blanched the asparagus while roasting one large diced red onion with a beheaded garlic head with a bit of evoo and pepper (no salt) for about 15 minutes, then added the 25ish asparagus spears and about 2 c. strawberry tomatoes tossed and roasted for another 15 minutes or so..squeeze the garlic out and toss before serving. It was actually one of the best roast veg dishes I have ever had - thank goodness given that we had company.

The second is a simple soup. First saute a red onion diced in olive oil, when softened add 2 cloves fine chopped garlic, saute 1 minute. Add about 6-7 med. garden tomatoes loosely diced, 1 T. dry basil, 1/4 t. dry oregano, pepper and a dash of sea salt, 1/4t. sugar and enough organic chicken stock to cover. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Serve alongside some cheese biscuits. This is also yummy with a bit of dill added to the pot. The kids devoured this one!!

1 mini van...6000+km, 2 kids...1 portable BBQ

We are heading out tomorrow with our two young children on a road trip that will take us from our home in Victoria, BC to San Diego, CA and back through the Grand Canyon. Crazy yes...but looking forward to the adventure!!! Part of the plan to eat healthier and save a few bucks is to pack our portable propane BBQ, since we are hotelling it this trip. I have been coming up with recipes that are few ingredients, nutritious, and require little prep. It is incredibly hot in some of the areas we are headed so the cooler needs to be well iced, and therefore we cannot keep too many perishable items on hand.

Dinner #1
Chicken Taco salad
Purchase:
- chicken breasts
- prewashed greens
- tomatoes
- tacos
- avocado
- lime
On hand:
- grated cheese (tex mex is good here)
- taco seasoning
Coat chicken in seasoning and BBQ. Cut up tomatoes and avocado. Place greens on plates top with veg and chicken, sqeeze lime juice over and serve with tacos on the side.

Dinner #2
Salmon and Corn on the cob with new potatoes
Purchase:
- salmon fillet
- corn on the cob
- new potatoes
- lemon
On hand:
- evoo
- s & p
- herbs
- foil
Place new potatoes in foil toss with evoo, s & p and herbs of choice - place on grill. Coat salmon in evoo, and sprinkle s & p, place on BBQ with lemon slices. Husk corn to leave only a few layers of husk, cut hair off the top and lay on grill.

Dinner #3
Quesadillas and salad
Purchase:
Tortillas (whole wheat)
bell peppers
cooked chicken (deli)
Prewashed greens
Lime

On hand:
Tex Mex grated cheese
salsa (you can get a sqeeze tube now which is handy)
Evoo
S & P

Mix 1 part Lime juice and rind with 2 parts evoo, season s&p and toss with greens. To assemble tortillas - fold each in half and fill with salsa, cheese, chicken and peppers. Grill on both sides on low (these cook quick).

I have more but I need to pack now. I will be back to post more.

Mango Basmati Rice Salad w/ Chicken

Mangos are plentiful right now and although not local it is hard to resist the sweet flavour. Because they are in season they are an economical addition to your dinner repertoire. Try this salad with a side of chicken marinated briefly in a bit of lime juice and hoisin or oyster sauce and BBQ'd. I say chicken is the side as it will not be what you remember about this dinner.

Salad
2 mangos chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1/4 c. parsley
zest and juice of one lime
zest and juice of 1/2 orange
2 T. chives
2 stalks celery
1-1/2c. dry brown basmati cooked

Combine. Great to eat right away but flavours get better as it sits so it's a great make ahead. Double up and pack for lunch tomorrow - and throw some of that chicken right in there.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothy

A quick pick me up any time of the day for mom and kids. Why does a treat need to be laden with sugar. Here is an alternative...sure to please.

In a blender

6 ice cubes
2 sm. bananas
1-1/2Tbsp peanut butter
1c. chocolate milk
1c. milk

Combine in blender. Serve with straws.

For mom's portion add 2 shots espresso - cool with an ice cube before adding above mixture.

Chicken and Guacamole Burgers on W/W Foccaccia Buns...this the season for the BBQ

The weather has been so incredibly nice, who wants to be in the kitchen. Time to take the cooking outdoors... Last night we cooked and ate outside at long last spring has sprung.

When I buy chicken breasts I remove the tenders and freeze em up for later. Stretches your buck, decreases the portion size and they make such a great dinner alternative. Chicken tenders are well tender, they defrost and cook fast and they are very versatile. I used tenders for this recipe but whole b/s would work just the same.

My family loves guacamole, barely a shopping trip passes where I don't pick up a couple avocados, so I am always looking for new dinners to incorporate them. Avocados are surprisingly one of nature's super foods with fourteen minerals, including iron, copper and potassium. Vitamins in avocados include A, B-complex, C, and E, magnesium and phosphorus.

Chicken and Guac Burgers on W/W Focaccia Buns (serves 4)

Buns:
Bread machine (dough 2 lb. setting)
- 1-1/2 c. water
- 2 T. evoo
- 1 tsp. each rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano dried
- 2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 2c. w/w flour
- 2-1/4c. white flour
- 2-1/2 tsp quick yeast
Once done dough cyle shape into 12 buns, rise 50 minutes, spray with olive oil sprayer, top with sea salt and fine grate asiago cheese. Bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes.

For the burgers:

Grill 10 tenders (evoo and s&p) on BBQ
Guacamole (mash 2 avocados, zest and juice of one lime, 1 T. chopped parsley)
jalapeno monteray jack cheese slices
fresh tomatoe slices
lettuce

On one side of the bun 2-3 T guac (no chincing here), on the other a little mayo. Place the lettuce and tomatoe on the mayo and the chicken and monterey jack on the guac side. The lucky diner can put them together if you like.

Enjoy.

I skipped the cheese for the kids burgers - a little tangy for the virgin taste buds.

Meatloaf...this ain't your mamas...you'll love it

This is not what you are thinking, a loaf pan with a smashed amount of ground beef with some token flavourings of onion and spice. Sorry for the comments to those of you who love this 70's phenomenon. This one is a different twist that will delight and can be served to company.

This Ain't your Mama's Meatloaf

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
1/4 c. pepitas
1/4 c. currants
1 egg
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 c. parmesan
1/4 c. minced red onion
2T. chopped parsley
S&P

Mix together. Roll between two sheets parchment (when I have tried wax paper it sticks) to form 8 X 12 rectangle.

Layer deli honey ham slices over top, top with spinach and provolone cheese slices. Roll wide edge to form 12" long log. Tidy up ends and place seem side down in olive oiled shallow roasting pan. Use oo sprayer to coat outside of loaf or hands to smear.
Roast for 25-30 min. Use a meat thermometre to test doneness. Rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Three Bears Porridge with Two Pawfuls of Raisins

Warm you up on a cold mornin....it will. One of my kids favourite breakfasts and it's simple not to mention cheap as they come. Sometimes it is easy to forget about the simpler things in life and how much we enjoy the old time favourites.

Three Bears Porridge with Two Pawfuls of Raisins (it just sounds better than oatmeal??)

2 c. oatmeal (quick cooking will take less time but either work)
4 1/2 c. water
2 pawfuls of raisins
pinch of salt
Cook till porridge consistency develops,
Add: 2 T. raw sugar, 1/8 tsp. cinnamon and pinch of cloves

Stir and spoon into bowls, barely cover with milk and serve.

Lots of time for this before school in the morning:)

Easter Feast...Spiral Ham

We had our Easter feast last night, Good Friday. My mom was visiting and leaving Saturday. Friday was a beautiful day for a hike into Tod Inlet with the kids. There is an incredible number of flowers in bloom from triliums to daffodils to hyacinth from the gardens that once existed down there. Not wanting to be a slave to the kitchen for a day I picked up a Spiral Cut Ham at Costco - removes alot of the work precut and less waste. We had asiago whole wheat biscuits, mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, and salad...ohhh and dessert, lemon curd strawberry trifle. Dessert was planned based on the fact that I had half an angel food cake from the night before to use up and who could walk past those fragrant strawberries in the grocery stores right now- turned out to be a keeper when a silence over took the table as it was served.



Whole Wheat Biscuits with Asiago Cheese (16 biscuits)
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. white flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 T. sugar
3/4 t. salt
1 1/2 c. finely grated asiago cheese
Mix together and add:
1/3 c. evoo
3/4 c. milk
Roll to 1/2" thick, cut and bake at 425 for 15 minutes

Spiral Ham
30 minutes prior to finish roasting stud with whole cloves and glaze with mixture of 1/3 c. molasses and 1/4 c. grainy mustard - turn oven to 400 and complete roasting - do not drain pan juices

Roasted Asparagus
Coat with olive oil and sea salt and fresh ground pepper - roast at 400 for about 10-15 minutes on stoneware baking pan. Remove and rest 5 minutes before serving.

Strawberry Lemon Trifle (serves 6-8)

2-3 hours before serving mix:
3 c. fresh cut strawberries
1-1/2 T. contreau
3 T. sugar

Prepare lemon curd - tip: my lemon curd did not set so I added (1 pkt of knorr gelatin disolved in 1T hot then 1T. cold water) whisked into my curd about 1 hour prior to serving - thankfully set it up nicely - I didn't include the recipe since it did not set well this time??

1/2 angel food cake (cut into cubes)
Prepared whip cream

To serve line individual serving dishes (glass are best so you can see the layers) with cake chunks, scoop marinated strawberries over with some juice, add lemon curd, more cake, more strawberries, whip cream and fresh strawberries to garnish, along with a strip of lemon zest to fancy it up.

Happy Easter!

Whole Wheat Crust Pizza...dust off that bread machine...

One of my favourite kitchen tools is my bread machine. I wore out my Black and Decker a fews years back and bought the Cuisinart, haven't tried the jam option yet and the Artisan cycle on my one try was not in my opinion worth the time - maybe next time. Really I should call it my dough machine as that is the job it usually performs for me. Tonight is Whole Wheat Crust Pizza, you can set the machine with a delay at anytime in the day, but most machines will need about 1-1/2 hours to complete the dough cycle.



Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (bread machine - 2 lb. dough setting)

• 1-1/3c. water
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. evoo
• 2 c. whole wheat flour
• 2 c. white flour (cnd.) bread flour (usa)
• 2 1/2 tsp. yeast

When dough completes cycle. roll onto 2 lg. pizza pans (preferably stone) and poke a large number of vent holes with a fork. Spray with evoo sprayer and spread sauce, a little cheese to hold your toppings in place, add toppings more cheese and a little more sauce. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes.

Pizza Sauce

• 1- 15oz can of stewed tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. oregano dried
• 1 tsp. basil dried
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. sugar
• s & p

Bring to simmer over med heat for 7-10 minutes. Use immersible blender to bring to spreading consistency desired ( I like a few chunks in mine).

Pizza without the guilt:) For added fun let the kids make their own pizzas - we do this often and the kids have a great time making heart shape or monster pizzas.

Tortellini with Pesto Cream Sauce and Chicken

Another crazy Wednesday night, tired and hungry. This is one of my go to menus when time is tight - on the table in about 20 minutes.

Tortellini with Pesto Cream Sauce
First start a stock pot with water for pasta. Meanwhile in a sauce pan start white sauce, 2 Tbsp. butter and 2Tbsp. flour, s & p, cook for about 1 minute past melting butter, then add 1-1/2 c. milk stirring in slowly to combine. Cook to thicken. When water is up to a boil, salt and add 750 g fresh tortellini. Cook to package directions.
Chicken
Turn on the indoor grill to high heat. Pound 2 full or 4 halves chicken breast to 1/4" in wax paper. Coat in olive oil, s & p, sprinkle of basil and rubbed rosemary. Grill chicken about 3 min each side. Slice into 1/2" strips.
Pesto
If you are making pesto (jar is good too) in food processor add 1 cup fresh basil, 2 Tbsp pine nuts (toasted), 1/4 c. parmesan, clove of garlic, s&p and blend, then add stream of evoo to desired consistency. If you are using a jar about 1/2 cup prepared.

When tortellini is done, drain and stir in pesto first then add white sauce and combine.
To serve: plate tortellini, lay chicken breast cut in strips, baby tomatoes and fresh parm on top. Great with a side of Caesar salad.

Although a night may start off in a frenzy, a fresh prepared dinner refreshes everyone and gives us time together to reflect on our day while we sit together at the table.

German pancake...breakfast for dinner - why not??

Breakfast for dinner, always a hit! Try this "German Pancake" with homemade syrup, sausages and fresh cut fruit. Turkey sausages are available everywhere now, they taste great and offer a tasty alternative to bacon or pork sausage.

German Pancake:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prep a 10 x 15 deep baking dish with 2 tbsp. melted butter (use a brush to get it up the sides of the pan. In your blender: 10 eggs, 1-1/2 c. flour, 1-1/2 c. milk, 3/4 tsp. salt. Blend thoroughly and pour into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
Syrup:
In a small saucepan mix (1/3 c + 1Tbsp) sugar, (3Tbsp + 1 tsp) buttermilk, 2 Tbsp butter (no marg), 1-1/2 tsp cornsyrup, and 1/4 tsp baking soda. Heat till boils and changes to carmel colour. Remove from heat and add 1/2 tsp vanilla. (A little goes a long way...) Serve as syrup on individual servings of pancake. Leftovers are great on vanilla icecream.

Meanwhile, get those sausages fried up and cut up some fresh fruit or make a quick fruit salad.

Ratatouille...your kids will be eating eggplant...go figure

Those baby eggplants from my last trip to Costco had to go into something. So inspired by that little rat in the movie my version of ratatouille tonight with a pasta twist for the little people of the house.

First for the roasted veg (ratatouille), using a large pan 10 X 15 that can withstand 500 degree oven pour about 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil, pepper, and about 2 tsp of dried oregano. Turn oven to 500 degrees and place rack in lowest position. Into the pan toss 2 baby eggplants cut in 1/8ths lengthwise, one medium zucchini in strips 2" by 1/2" square, 2 red peppers in 1/2" strips, 4-5 smashed cloves of garlic, and one red onion cut in chunks with the olive oil and spices (no salt as it will draw the moisture from the eggplant..). Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes tossing every 10 min.
Meanwhile in a pan saute 1 clove of garlic minced in 1Tbsp olive oil with 1 tsp dried oregano and 1/4tsp dried basil, and s & p. Add 1-28oz can of whole tomatoes and simmer while the veggies roast.
Fill a large pot with water for pasta, add salt when water simmers and cook about 500g of whole wheat tube pasta. Assembly - add half the roasted veg to the tomatoes and use immersible blender to puree sauce. Toss with noodles. Top pasta with remaining whole veg and serve with parmesan(fresh is best, but there are some great options for pre-grated - preferably not the green can that does not require refrigeration - how does that work??).

Voila...kids eating eggplant...unbeknown to them...hahahaha...

Sunday night...

I don't know about you but there is something about Sunday night that makes you think there should be something a little special on the table. We had such an amazing sunny day today that we had to spend the entire day outside, which of course did not leave hours for dinner prep.
Pork Tenderloin with a Chili rub and Rice and Mango Salad
First the salad - you can make this a day ahead if you like and it should sit for at least 30 min-1hour before eating to let the flavours come together. Cook 1 cup of rice (mixed wild blends work great), meanwhile dice one mango, one red pepper, 1/4 c. fine diced red onion, and 1/8 c. parsley...mix together with about 1Tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar and 1tsp. evoo, add the rice while it is still warm, mix and let stand.
Rub pork tenderloin(s) with mixture 3 parts olive oil, 3 parts garlic minced, and 1 part chili powder...let stand while oven heats to 450 degrees. Cook tenderloin on bottom rack of the oven for 8-10 min. and flip with tongs and cook for another 8-10 minutes. Let pork rest tented in foil for 10 minutes before cutting in slices 1 cm. wide. Serve with steamed broccoli or green beans.

You'll be pleasantly surprised how the kids wolf this one down:)

Oh yeah... it is Sunday so dessert is in order - Brownies topped with a scoop of vanilla icecream and sliced strawberries.

Pasta...always a hit with the little people of the house...

Yesterday I worked a full day picked up the kids and headed straight for dance. Home at 5:30, not too late but feeling like crashing not cooking.... Elizabeth is eager to help out tonight. She is going to help with opening cans, slicing olives, crumbling the feta an of course stirring the pots (her favourite task).

Tonight we are having Penne with basil tomato sauce topped with black olives and feta. Start by filling a stock pot half full of water and set on high heat (more room in the tub means your noodles won't stick together). Start a deep fry pan on med heat with about 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 2 cloves fine chop garlic, add 1Tbsp dried basil (if using fresh wait), 1tsp. oregano, and 1 28oz. can of diced tomatoes. Stir and add 1/8tsp. sugar, s & p and 2 large tomatoes chopped (you may want to remove the skin - I don't mind it myself). Let simmer till penne is cooked (if using fresh basil add about 1/4 cup chopped rough 5 minutes before it is done cooking). For the penne add salt before noodles and cook to desired doneness. Drain noodles and place back in the pot, use a spoon to skim off majority of the liquid and stir it into the noodles (adds flavour and keeps them from sticking together) To serve: Place pasta on the plate, top with tomatoe sauce, crumbled feta and sliced olives. If you have fresh basil slice finely and sprinkle on top as well. Serve with a side of caesar salad.

On the table in 15-20 minutes and everyone loves it...

Beef Tenderloin ...oh yeah....

You don't have to have alot of time to cook a great meal... and one that looks like it took alot longer than it actually did. All you need is a great cut of meat.

On the menu tonight Beef tenderloin mmmmm.... (the prices on beef have dropped recently - I picked these up at Costco only 24.99/kg - not bad) You can throw them under the broiler but the grill works much better for me - so turn it on and get it hot. Next, turn the oven to 425 - lowest position in the oven, cut potatoes into 1/2 to 3/4" chunks, spread in glass 10X 15 (if you have one - the more spread out the better)pan - add mushrooms (leave whole), any kind you like they're all good to me, and spanish onion or shallots cut similar size of potatoes, peppers are great too(cut them a little larger or toss in 1/2 way through as they cook much faster). Toss with a generous amount of olive oil and season with grill seasoning, rosemary(if using dried - give it a good rub to release the flavour and cut the size down to avoid getting pine needles in your teeth hahaha...) add a sprinkle of sea salt & fresh ground pepper. Cook for about 30-40 minutes tossing once or twice in that time. While your potatoes are cooking snap the ends of the asparagus and toss with olive oil, sprinkle with s&p and grill till tender 8-12 minutes turning 2-3 times - depends on thickness. Once off the grill toss with minced garlic and lemon zest and a little lemon juice - cover with foil and rest for about 5 minutes or till dinner is ready. Next the steaks - simple is better - pat with fresh ground pepper and sea salt - more than you think and let warm up a bit before grilling about 30 minutes on the counter. Grill to doneness you prefer - to make grill marks once on the grill don't touch for at least 3 minutes and turn 1/2 turn continue till you are ready to flip and do the same.


On the side we had bread sticks - you can make your own bread dough or buy it at the store - bread machine is easy enough. Roll to 10 X 16" rectangle and slice into 12 bread sticks. Before seperating brush with mixture (2Tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp. rosemary, one clove garlic minced) shake on about 2Tbsp. of parmesan. Seperate onto bake sheet and rise under a towel for 30 minutes. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

Mmmm....Salmon

I love salmon. It's one of those versitile quick cooking foods and it's great for you. How about in a burger - kids like that - let's call ..em Curried Salmon Burgers with Yam fries.

First fill a stock pot with about 1" of oil (canola or peanut) heat on med/high heat. While the oil heats start up the grill and get it hot. Slice yams in french fry size (1/4" square by whatever length you like). Fry to nearly changing colour and remove to paper towel lined plate in batches - once they are all done they get another dip in the tub just until they change colour. Meanwhile olive oil and s&p on the salmon add a pinch of cinnamon and paprika as well - plays well with the curry. For the mayo - mix 1/2 c. mayo, 1/4 tsp. curry or more if you like, 1 tsp. fresh grated ginger (keep it in the freezer, grates up easy and keeps for months), and about 2 tsp. fresh lemon or lime juice. Stir.

To build your burgers: Multigrain dinner rolls are a great size for kids and the adults can have 2 or 3 depending on your appetite. Spread curry mayo on both sides of the roll top with salmon and lettuce. Serve with Yam fries and curry mayo for dipping. We had cantelope and green grapes on the side as well.

Hope your family likes it as much as mine...

Friday Night

Well, we were off to Nanaimo for the day and returned home at nearly 6pm. Everyone was hungry and fast food is not on my menu - not the drive thru kind anyways. As easy as the golden arches first appear consider feeding your kids a kitkat and skittles for dinner and assume they are getting about as much nutrients and likely less sugar than a happy meal has to offer - not to mention the toy that ends up in the landfill at some point.

Tonight is movie night - Stuart Little (loved this movie). We have set out a sheet on the living room floor to catch spills and deluxe nachos with a side of fresh cut veg is the menu tonight. Not the most healthy of choices but given the options for our movie picnic here it is....

Layer tortilla chips (organic if you can) with grated aged cheddar, diced tomatoes, diced green pepper, olives and green onion or whatever strikes your fancy. I like to use about one of each veg and about 2 cups of grated cheese per half bag of chips. Bake in 400 degree oven for about 3-5 minutes. Serve along with easy guacamole (avocado minced in a bowl with zest and juice of one lime add fresh parsley if you have it or cilantro if you are more daring). On the side grape tomatoes(kids fave), crunch buiddies(baby cukes) and baby carrots.

Easy treat style dinner cheaper than fast food and much more nutritiously satisfying.

Cheers,

What's for dinner...the obvious daily quest for something exciting that will satisfy both a 3 year old and mom and dad...

Tonight was an easy one. Tzatziki expiring in a couple of days so it had to be Greek. Simple fair since the kids are on break this week from school.

Shrimp - a little olive oil, s & p, sprinkle of oregano and some lemon zest grilled on the indoor grill
Greek salad - tomatoes, cukes, green pepper, olives and feta (hold the onions on account of the kids) toss with 3 parts red wine vinegar to 4 parts olive oil, bit of oregano, s & p - toss to coat and serve along with pita bread and that tzatziki that started the whole thing.

On the table in under 30 minutes and sat for a good half hour before my husband made it home late from work.

Looking forward to writing more posts....

R