PA Day - put the kids to work

Who knew that it would take SO LONG for me to get around to posting again.  I could make an excuse, but I got nothing.  Just pure laziness!!!

Anyway, today is  a PA day and after lazing around the house all day, the kids and I went to a matinee of The Crood's.  (thumbs down)

Michael was away for dinner as a friend was in town on business, so as a means to (a) get dinner dealt with and (b) kill time, I suggested that the kids should cook dinner.

A few weeks ago, Philip went to a cooking class at Loblaws where they made chinese food.   So, I suggested to them that they make 3 things (one a piece) from the recipes that he received.

First up - The Soup Course - By Wilhelmina

We decided to do Wonton soup.  I made it recently and preferred my recipe to Philips, so Willy set to work.   Here is the link to the recipe that I found that I like:


http://www.hungrycravings.com/2010/11/wonton-soup.html

Here is a picture of Wilhelmina stuffing the wontons:

She did a fantastic job!

The Main Course:  Baked Egg Rolls - By Eleanor and Chinese Noodles - By Philip:

Baked Egg Rolls:

• 1 pack coleslaw mix
• 250 ml shredded cooked chicken (i just used a rotisserie chicken as i was pressed for time)
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp sweet red chili sauce
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 12-14 egg roll wrappers
• cooking spray
• plum sauce for dipping

preheat oven to 350.   Mix first six ingredients in a bowl.  Lay 1 egg roll wrapper in front of you so that it makes a diamond shape.  Spook 3-4 tsp of filling into middle of wrapper.  Fold up as instructed on egg roll wrapper package.  Place on a prepared baking sheet (I used parchment).  Repeat with remaining wrappers.   Spray oil on each egg roll.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm, with plum sauce.   

Here's Eleanor peeling a carrot!!

Chinese Noodles

Sauce:

• 2 tbsp minced ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp hoisin
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp water

• 1 large red pepper, sliced
• 3 green onions, sliced on diagonal
• 1 bag bean sprouts (I only used half)
• 2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced (I used the rotisserie chicken)
• 4 nests medium egg noodles
• 1 tbsp canola oil

In a bowl, mix sauce ingredients.  Set aside.  Bring a pot of water to boil and cook noodles as per package direction.  Drain and set aside.  

Heat wok and add oil.  Sautee onion and red pepper for a few minutes.  Add chicken and warm it.  Add sauce and stir well until bubbling.  Add noodles and bean sprouts an dmix well until bean sprouts wilt.  Serve.

Here's Philip getting his wok on!

RESULTS

Awesome dinner!!  Everyone loved it.  I would totally make everything again.  The egg rolls maybe aren't quite as tasty as they'd be if they were deep fried, but this is much healthier.   Everyone was happy!!

Noodle delight

Awesome Wonton

Pretty egg rolls. Elanor insisted on doing some like an "envelope"

Summer Craziness - Diner en Blanc

Yes, as always.  Apologies for the lack of posts.  Considering that last night I fed my kids 2 chicken patties, 8 pierogies and a dozen meatballs (can you say clean out the freezer dinner), I haven't exactly been raising the bar from a culinary perspective.

However, there has been one bright spot on this taste-tundra that we seem to be trapped on, that is the fantastic Diner en Blanc picnic that Michael and I went to on August 9.

What's Diner en Blanc?  It's a secret picnic where participants have to dress in white, bring white chairs and tables, and a gourmet dinner to eat under the stars in a secret location in the city.

When I told my friends/family about this, I got reactions that ranged from excited to incredulous.  I think my brother will be mocking Mike for the next decade about going to this event!

Anyway, as it was my first time going, it involved a lot of preparations, the most difficult being finding a white folding table that would be easy to carry.  Finally found one at Good old Canadian Tire.  Wilhelmina and Eleanor celebrated my finding it by having a "Lunch en Blanc" with Kraft Dinner:

Will aspire to something better than Kraft Dinner for the real thing.

The rest of my energies were spent on menu planning.  What to bring, what to bring?  Had to be elegant, cold, 3 courses and easily transportable.   After much cookbook reading, I finally found the perfect menu for a hopefully warm summer's night.

Well, it was a summer's night, but not warm and not dry.  It rained ALL DAY on August 9!!  The only thing that kept me going was the fact that if you didn't show up, you would be barred from the guest list for next year's festivities.   As a result, I spent all day Thursday cooking.

I arrived downtown at Nathan Philip's Square to meet Mike (He was in the city for meetings all day). I came up from the underground parking lot to see........more rain!   Plus, a large group of gathered people, all in their white finery.  This was where we were going to get on a bus to get transported to the top secret location.


Once on the dry bus, we arrived at Fort York where we saw our fellow 998 diners setting up their white tables while holding clear and white umbrellas and listening to classical music provided by a string quartet.

We set up in our pre-determined location (Table E-25) and with a wave of a white napkin, (the official kickoff), we bagan our meal, with champagne, of course!

1st course:  Green tea crepes filled with plum marinated flank stake, jicama, green onions and spicy plum sauce

This was seriously tasty! 

2nd course:  thai spring rolls, kroepoek (shrimp crackers) in peanut sauce and soba noodle salad with shrimp

Dessert:  Madeleine's (was going to do vanilla cupcakes, but chose to make this simple cookie instead as it had more  of a french twist).  In what may have been my smartest moment, ever, I packed a thermos with espresso in it (served in clear cups, of course).   The looks of envy I got from the other, damp tables was hilarious!

http://www.marthastewart.com/856115/vanilla-madeleines


Cheese course:  Brie, sharp cheddar and roquefort grapes

After the dinner, everyone was giving a sparkler which we all lit simultaneously.  It was a very pretty sight.

And what of the rain?   Well, as soon as we took our first bite of the 1st course, it stopped.  It held off exactly until Mike and I packed up.

It was a fun night.   I will definitely plan to go next year, but I hope to have a group of friends come with us!  Anyone interested, let me know and I'll sponsor you to get on the list.  I'm already thinking of ideas for next year's menu. (the agitator in me still wants to spray paint a bucket of KFC white and slap it down on the middle of the table).

Au Revoir!!

Back at it! - Exotic Pork Chops and Strawberry Shortcake

Ok, the madness that was Paleo is over.  In case you're interested, I quit.   Not proud of it, but decided that any perfect system of food that has me scrambling all the time to think of things to eat is not for me.  Besides, how will I do Oma's recipe's when they ALWAYS contain things that Paleo is against (like yummy cheese, bread crumbs, cream etc).

As this is a busy time of year with school still being in and activities (softball Tuesday and Wednesday and Playball on Thursday), I wanted to find something that I could prep ahead of time and pop in the oven.

Exotic Pork Chops

• 6 boneless pork chops
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup diced onion (fine)
• 1/4 medium green pepper cut in strips (i used a red one as green peppers are the devil's work!)
• dash of garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 small can pineapple tidbits
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 tbsp tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• pecan nuts if desired (I skipped this)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar (I used two)
• lemon rind

Brown pork in butter, in batches if necessary.   Put in a 9X 13 baking dish and srpinkle with salt.   In reserved drippings, saute onion and pepper strips and garlic powder.   In a separate bowl, add all other ingredients and mix.   Add to fry pan and cook for 5 minutes stirring constantly.  Mixture will thicken.  Pour over pork chops and cover pan with foil.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Getting ready

Browned chops waiting for the rest

The final product, served over rice!

Verdict
This was very tasty and very simple.  The sauce was nice over rice.  I'd make this again as it was so easy.  Kids liked it.  I did find that the 1 tbsp of brown sugar called for as it made it more sour, less sweet.  I added at least one more.

For dessert, I was going to make an Oma recipe, but when I went to the market earlier in the day, they had fresh, local strawberries and who can say no to that??  So, I made some shortcakes:

SOOOOO GOOOOD!

Where have I been?

You'd think I lead a fantastic life full of exciting adventures considering how seldom I've been on here.  No, just simply stuck in a rut and havent' got to posting in a while.  Here are some pictures of my Easter brunch to amuse you.

Customized egg cups.  Guests had a choice of ham, bacon, eheddar, sauteed mushrooms and spinach. 

Yogurt bar:  greek yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, granola and chocolate chips

Homemade hot-cross buns from the Pioneer Woman Blog

Prosciutto wrapped asparagus drizzled with olive oil.

Spring!

Martha Stewart's bloody Mary.  A great excuse to drink hard liquor before noon. Delicious!

Finally, lovely cupcakes made by my lovely niece, Sarah.  

Easy centrepiece for the table with grass fille eggs and candle filled eggs .  Simply melt an old candle in a jar in a pot of boiling water, fill egg cups and let set for 2 minutes then insert a birthday candle trimmed to size. Be sure not to touch the egg shell to the candle or you'll have very stinky egg smell!

Cranberry Feta Salad - This recipe was given to me by my neighbour, Bernice.   The quote on the recipe is, "I never serve without the recipe being requested"  Super Yum

1 head of mixed greens

4-6 oz crumbled feta cheese

1 cup dried cranberries

slivered almonts browned in a tbsp butter and a tbsp brown sugar

Dressing:

1/2 cup cranberry juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1 tbsp dried basil

1/2 tsp white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

pepper

2 cloves garlic, crushed. 

Feeding the pre-Christmas stress with Chinese Chicken and Peanut Butter Cake!

It's December 8, only 17 days till Christmas.   Had planned to go shopping with a friend of mine, but cancelled to have a quiet day at home.
I was asked to feed dinner to my nieces, Sarah and Christine as well as my neighbour's daughters, Kate and Claire.  Last minute, my sister in law decided to join us, so dinner for 9!

It took a while to find a main course.  What is it about the 70's that required every meal to have a can of soup in it.  Finally decided to surrender to it and found a recipe for Chinese Chicken with a can of mushroom soup in it (Seriously? is this a staple in China?).  Oh well, thought it sounded interesting, so off we go!

Chinese Chicken (this is a doubled recipe)
9 chicken breasts
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 cans mushroom soup
1/3 cup vinegar
1 cup brown sugar
1 onion, minced

In a frying pan, combine soy sauce and oil.  Heat to high.  Brown chicken pieces evenly.  Combine all other ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Place browned pieces in baking dish.  Add pan juices to soup mixture and stir.  Pour liquid all over chicken and bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

The sauce - not very attractive

Review
Despite my reservations (food snobbery) about the mushroom soup, this was really, really good!  I served with some Chinese noodles (a quick recipe from Martha Stewart: http://www.marthastewart.com/337592/chinese-noodles-with-sesame-dressing ) and stir fried veggies.  The chicken had a sweet taste which is always popular with kids.  Sue commented that the sauce would also be very good with meatballs.  Forgot to take a picture of the finished product.


Dessert was an easy pick.  I found a recipe in the recipe box some time ago for peanut butter cake.  This was a big dessert at the Duke house (Oma's daughter, Lucy and her family) and I was looking for a big audience to serve it to.

Peanut Butter Cake
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
Cream butter and peanut butter and sugar.  Add egg.  Gradually add flour and baking powder, alternating with milk.   Pour into 2 greased and floured layer pans.  Bake at 350 for approximately 35 minutes.

Icing
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp milk

Cream butter and peanut butter.  Add vanilla.  Add icing sugar and milk and whip until very fluffy.  Ice cake and decorate with chocolate sprinkles, if desired.

Wilhelmina cleaning the peanut butter off of the spatula

Result
The kids inhaled it!!!   All loved it and all wanted milk with it.  I'm not a big peanut butter fan and really liked it as it wasn't overly 'peanut-y'.  Would totally make this again.

FABULOUS!

Sarah too busy eating to give a review. 

Advent starts - Plantation Chicken, Swedish Potatoes and Peanut Butter Cookies

It's the Christmas season once again. Yesterday was jam packed with Sinterklaas celebrations (Dutch Christmas party) and the Cavalcade of lights in Toronto.

Doesn't Wilhelmina look thrilled?

It was a fun day, but we wound up grabbing food on the go all day, so there was a need for a home cooked meal on Sunday!  Chose a straight forward, square meal which began with Plantation chicken.  In the recipe, it's also called "Baked Fried Chicken" and it is a recipe from Janet Dudek.  
Janet is an old friend of my Aunt Lucy's.  Apparently Janet and Lucy sat together in grade 9 and have been friends since.  The boy who sat behind them, Vic wound up being Janet's husband.

Plantation Chicken
Chicken pieces (I used a breast, split in two, 2 drumsticks and 4 thighs)
Flour and spices
Milk
Canola oil
lemon juice

The description of 'spices' is not included,  so I decided to look to the Colonel for inspiration and found a site that claims to have the 'secret 11 herbs and spices' recipe:
http://theinternettoday.net/pics/kfcs-top-secret-11-herbs-and-spices-revealed/

Soak the chicken in the milk and then dredge in the flour/spice mixture.  Heat oil on stove in frying pan.   Fry chicken pieces for approximately 2 minutes. It should be crisp and lightly browned.  Place in a roasting pan on the rack with a cup of water and some lemon juice underneath the rack.   Bake at 350 for 1.5 hours.   Good hot or cold and not greasy.

I was pressed for time and wound up using convection roast so I only roasted for one hour.  

Prepping the chicken

Good ole southern cooking

Swedish Potatoes
6 large potatoes, peeled
3/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp onion salt (I didnt' have this so used onion powder and salt)
1/2 tsp pepper
3 1/2 tbsp butter
3/4 cup bread crumbs

Boil potatoes and drain.  Add sour cream, onion salt, pepper, 2 tbsp butter.  Whip until fluffy.   Pour into casserole dish and top with melted buter (remaining 1.5 tbsp) mixed with breadcrumbs.  Bake at 350 for a half hour.






Results
Very, very good chicken. All of the kids liked it.  I would definitely make it again.  The water in the pan helped to keep it moist.    The potatoes were awesome!   I think I might make them for Christmas dinner this year as they can be made ahead.  Served with broccoli and cheese sauce (figured if I"m going for a heart unhealthy meal, might as well go with the cheese sauce!!)

Yum!!!

Eleanor embraces her inner caveman

Peanut Butter Cookies - by Sherran Poupore
1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp soda
3/4 cup peanut butter
2 cups flour

Cream shortening and sugars.  Add egg and vanilla and salt.  Blend in peanut butter.   Slowly mix in flour and soda.   Form into small balls and press with fork.  Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

Philip took care of making these cookies

Results
Very, very yummy.   Very light tasting.  Sherran Poupore was a neighbour of ours and also taught me piano when I was young (she must have been very patient!).  She also, incidentally, was the one who dressed as 'Black Peter' for our Dutch Sinterklaas celebrations and would break into our houses and throw candy at us with a black stocking on her face.  Very politically incorrect, no?
Shame that due to peanut restrictions, I can't use these for lunches this week.

Dutch Pancakes and Christmas Rainbow Cake

It's November 17 and funny how all conversations turn to the topic of Christmas.  What to get kids, when to have family get togethers, Christmas pageants, baking, parties, etc.  So, rather than fight it, I decided to embrace it and make a Christmas dessert, a kind of test drive for the big day.  But what to have for dinner? Thought I'd stick to a family favourite around here, Dutch pancakes.  Technically not an Oma recipe, but Dutch in spirit, so off we go:

Dutch Pancakes (this makes 6 large plate-sized pancakes)
2 cups flour
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 eggs
milk
butter for frying pan
gouda cheese, sliced thin
ham, sliced thin
dijon

Mix dry ingredients.  Combine egg and melted butter and milk to make 2 cups.  Add to dry ingredients and mix.   Mixture should be quite thin (not as thin as crepe batter, but much thinner than traditional pancake batter).   Add more milk if necessary.   Heat large fry pan.  Add some butter and melt.  Pour a ladle full of batter on pan and swirl so it spreads out to the diameter of your dinner plate:

Flip pancake over (should be light brown on bottom before you flip).  As soon as it's flipped, add ham slices and cheese and let sit on pan as bottom cooks and cheese melts.   As I'm usually making many of these for the family, I slide pancake on plate and keep warm in oven at 200 degrees.  This will also help cheese melt more:

Serve with dijon, if desired.  Yum!!

Reviews always good for this one as it's a family favourite.

Christmas Rainbow Cake
1 package white cake mix
1 package raspberry jello
raspberry jam
1 package lime jello
2 cups boiling water
1 8 oz container cool whip

Grease and flour 2 round cake pans.  Prepare cake according to package directions.  Cool for 15 minutes.  Leave cake in pans and poke holes all over cake with a fork.
Dissolve each jello package in separate bowl with 1 cup boiling water.  Pour green jello all over one pan and red jello all over the other:

Let chill for 4 hours.  Soak bottom of 1 pan in warm water for a minute to unmold onto serving plate.  Top with raspberry jam.  Soak the other pan and invert on top.  Decorate the layered cake with the cool whip and christmas candy, if deisired.  Serve.

Funny Sidebar  - My sister in law gave me what I thought was a chip and dip platter many years ago:

One day, she saw me serving shrimp and cocktail sauce in it and said, "you're such a nitwit, it's a cake platter!!":

Review:  It was a very pretty cake.  The kids loved it.  Mike thought that the jello layers were too tart.  I would make it again, if only for the pretty factor: