Kids' Picks

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Wake up and smell the brownies: Wicked Mocha Bars

Coffee-rich, moist and nutty. Boy are these good! I was out of the extra dark cocoa that I sometimes blend into my brownie batter so I pulverized some coffee beans in the grinder until they became dust, and substituted that.

Mocha Bars

  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 7 Tbs. cocoa
  • 4 tsp. finely ground coffee
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 c. pecans, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 c. chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and mix well. Stir in dry ingredients, then vanilla. Pour into greased 8 x 8 pan, sprinkle with pecans and chips and lightly press them into the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

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Having fun with an after-school snack: summer fruit in April

Watermelon, raspberries and a slice of Provolone made a wonderful after-school snack today.

I saw corn coming up in the fields today. With summer giving us a tease, I decided to splurge on some summer fruit.

On Tuesdays Molly Rose, a classmate and friend of Joe’s,  comes home with us after school. Today we stopped off at our big American warehouse store, Sam’s Club so I could pick up a few things. Both Molly and Joe are terrific helpers, pushing the cart and plucking items off the shelf at my direction. When I was a kid my mother would let us pick out a package of cookies from the store. Today I told Joe and Molly Rose that they could each pick out any fruit they wanted to have as a snack when we got back home. Cookies would no doubt have cost less, but what a treat to have watermelon and raspberries in April.

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An Old Fashioned Kind of Wife and Mother?

Cherry-almond granola bars.

Am I crazy because I make my kid’s and husband’s lunches?

I used to make my own lunch for work and it just seemed logical to make one for my husband as well. Now I’m making a lunch for my son (his school does not have a cafeteria) to take to school, and it’s not much more effort to make for two. So throughout the school year, I go ahead and make Doug’s lunch. He would gladly make his own lunch (and I must say that he has no expectations that I do this for him), but it gives me great pleasure to know that my people have what they need to get through the day. I also should mention that my son is 15 and is capable of making his own lunch, but what he chooses to take is often inadequate. And so I fix the lunch bags. The lunches are simple, and we try to hit all the food groups: 1 sandwich of either a nut butter with homemade jam, or maybe a meat and cheese always on whole wheat bread; 1 raw vegetable; 1 fruit; 1 dessert or snack bar; 1 yogurt for Doug.

Doug enjoys a sweet with his morning coffee and is fond of cereal/snack/granola bars. Unfortunately we are sometimes reduced to buying the over-the-counter, highly processed varieties. These doughy, fruit filled or chocolate-infused briquettes are sad little candy bars in disguise. I do not eagerly purchase these. And our son, Max, is growing so fast that his caloric needs are huge, so I try and include a lot of protein-rich, calorie-packed items in his lunch sack.

So tonight I am lovingly making homemade granola bars, filled with peanut butter, oats, coconut, almonds and dried cherries. I know I’m going to receive more comments regarding the corn syrup, and just as I promised with the cookies the other night, I will try this with honey the next time. I also stir in a few chocolate chips as a teaser for a certain small person in our house.

These are not low-cal granola bars. They are high in fat and packed with sugar, to be sure. They are also loaded with real fruit and nuts, wheat germ and oats. One bar a day is plenty.

Tomorrow morning I will happily make the nut butter and homemade jam sandwich, and plop it in a well-used lunch bag along with a bag of raw carrots, a fruit, a yogurt and a lovingly prepared homemade granola bar. I’ll even send one off to school with our youngest, Joe, and take one for myself to have with my morning coffee.

Cherry-Almond Granola Bars

1. Mix together:

  • 1 c. brown sugar
  • 1/2 c. corn syrup
  • 1/2 c. butter
  • 2/3 c. almond butter or peanut butter
  • 2 tsp. almond extract

2. Stir in:

  • 3 c. quick oats (or 2 c. quick and 1 c. old fashioned oats)
  • 2/3 c. packed coconut
  • 1/2 c. wheat germ or wheat bran (omit if you want it gluten-free)
  • 2/3 c. slivered almonds
  • 1 c. dried cherries
  • 1/4-1/3 c. chocolate chips

3. Press into a greased 9 x 12 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Score lightly while still warm; cut through when cool.

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Pretty Pasta With Vegetables—Redux

I believe that good tasting food should be visually beautiful. Food is a form of art work. I take a lot of care with my dinner preparations, following what my mother taught me that if you have a lot of different colors on your plate then you will be getting a lot of different nutrients.

I made this dish and posted it a couple of weeks ago, but I’ve not been happy with the way the meal looked that night. It was far too bland and approached a monochromatic plate which makes the food about as appetizing as cardboard. (I know it has green and red in it but there is something lacking, perhaps with the pasta itself?)  So tonight I approached it with an artist’s eye, and feeling rich with a ‘fridge full of variety, I am offering this re-do.

Friends get impatient with me when I’m not able to provide exact quantities of ingredients when I’m making, for example, a stir fry, a soup, or perhaps this pasta dish. Tonight I set about to give every diner a plate full of vegetables, and all of it hidden in the pasta sauce.

These are the vegetables that I used for our family of six:

Vegetables included in this dish are: broccoli, kale, zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, onion, cauliflower and cauliflower greens.

When deciding on how much of each vegetable to use, I simply imagined how much I wanted each person at the table to have on their plate, then multiplied by six. Take a moment. Visualize your plate. Picture what colors,  flavors and shapes you are looking for, and then start chopping.

As an experiment, I took of 1/6 of each vegetable and put it in a Pyrex measuring cup just to see what we were all in for:

I think we all got a great assortment of vegetables on our pasta tonight, and I feel much better about the way the dish turned out this week. There is always room for improvement!

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Blue Ribbon Challah — 10 Year Anniversary of my Visit to the New Mexico State Fair

Dori taking the kids out in the Swedish double-buggy.

Picture this photo with a five year-old standing on a running board between my arms, and two large, braided loaves of challah riding on the rack beneath the little kids’ bottoms. That was the image the time this city girl decided to enter her bread in the New Mexico State Fair. (And I’m pretty sure that’s the day the buggy exceeded it’s weight limit, and one of the wheels became warped.)

We were living in the mountains just outside of Albuquerque, in a somewhat isolated area, where a trip to the big grocery store meant a 20 mile car ride. With three kids at home, ages 5, 4 and 2, I was happy to putter around the house, rather than wrangle them all into the car, and so it happened that I spent a lot of time baking bread. I challenged myself to go without using store-bought bread. Through a co-op we belonged to at the time, I ordered 50 pound bags of different kinds of flour. I baked whole wheat bread, molasses bread and a beautiful two-toned swirly bread, but our favorite was the challah I learned to bake from my Cousin Betty’s recipe.

Our mountain newspaper had a notice that the New Mexico State Fair was coming to Albuquerque. Being raised in a North Shore suburb of Chicago, I’d never so much as set foot in a state fair before, but I knew that people took bread and had it judged there. Doug was out of the country for two weeks and I was looking for something interesting to do, so I decided to enter.

I entered two separate contests: The Fleischmann’s Yeast Bread contest (with a cash prize), and the New Mexico State Fair bread contest. As I filled out the paperwork the official asked me for my empty Fleischmann’s yeast packages so she could staple them to the entry form. I’m a pretty loyal Red Star yeast user, so her request made me pause. She didn’t miss a beat, thankfully, and handed me a three-pack and a pair of scissors. “There’s a trash can under the table.” I snipped off the ends, emptied that sad yeast into the trash can, and handed her the packages to staple to my Fleischmann’s entry form.

My sister-in-law, Donna, a veteran fair goer, later informed me that picking one’s category is crucial when entering a contest. But at the time I didn’t give it a lot of thought and I chose the “holiday bread” category because challah is a Jewish sabbath bread, and the sabbath is our most important holiday — right? Unfortunately, Easter sticky buns fell into the same category. In fact, there were over 30 breads in the holiday bread competition.

The judging was fascinating. A celebrity food judge from one of the local television stations was tasting the breads for the Fleischmann’s contest. I watched with my three squirmy kids, still buckled into the buggy, while the judge took a slice from the very center of each loaf, holding some up as examples of having a good “crumb” or crust.

The kids held out long enough for my bread to be held up by the judge, who said that he was from Philadelphia and he knew what challah tasted like and that this was the best challah he’d ever had. I won a big fancy third place ribbon, and $30, which almost paid for parking and four ice creams. Later, when I talked with the judge, he told me that I should have entered in the international category. Maybe next time.

I had to drive the 20 miles back up into the mountains so that I could get Max to afternoon kindergarten, and I missed the judging of my other loaf. I called later to find out the results and learned that I had won the first place ribbon in the New Mexico bread contest. They put the bread on display in the case for the 10 remaining days of the fair and asked if I wanted it back at the end. I said no. But I did go to town to fetch my ribbons, and I framed them to display in my kitchen. With thanks to Betty Jane for her fine recipe.

My framed ribbons on the right. On the left is a “Santo,” a painted image of a saint that I got in Taos, New Mexico. On the back it says: Saint Marta. Patroness of housewives, dietitians, domestic workers, waitresses and lay sisters, invoked to protect the home.

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 1 package yeast (2¼ tsp.)
  • 2/3 c. sugar
  • 2 c. warm water
  • 1 egg
  • 3 Tbs. oil
  • 1 Tbs. salt
  • 2 c. whole wheat flour
  • 4 c. (about) white flour

Mix together and brush on before baking:

  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbs. honey

Sprinkle with:

  • sunflower, poppy and/or sesame seeds, about ¼  cup total

 

Directions

  1. Proof the yeast: Mix together the yeast and sugar, add the warm water, stir, and let it sit for 20 minutes. It should get foamy.
  2. Add the rest of the dough ingredients, putting in just enough white flour to make a smooth, not sticky dough.
    Knead for about 10 minutes.
  3. Cover and let rise for about 3 hours, or until doubled in size. Shape into two small loaves or one large loaf. Place loaves on a greased cookie sheet or into greased loaf pans if you want sandwich-shaped loaves. Cover and let rise for one more hour.
  4. Brush with the egg/honey mixture and sprinkle with some seeds. Bake at 350˚ for 35–40 minutes.

 

You can find this recipe (and many more!) in these cookbooks:

The Plate is My Canvas: Recipes and Stories from My Family’s Interfaith Kitchen

Plate promo shot

and

You Can’t Have Dry Coffee: Papa’s Excuse to Have a Nosh And Nana’s Perfect Pastries

Dry Coffee promo

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Potato Corn Chowder

I love this soup. My first taste of potato chowder was in the basement of the Illini Union in 1975. In keeping with the diet of this part of the world, it was made with bacon and lots of heavy cream. My version is packed with great vegetables like kale and carrots, uses low-fat milk and is one of my family’s favorites.

This afternoon, in keeping with the Illini spirit, I picked up some bacon ends at the U of I meat lab. After trimming off most of the fat, I chopped up the meat and sauteed it along with the leeks. This soup is also great with bits of ham or sausage, but is also every bit is good as a vegetarian soup. Also, add some chopped red sweet pepper if you like that.

Potato Corn Chowder

  • 1 leek or 1 large onion, chopped
  • a few slices of ham or bacon (optional)
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • 5 medium potatoes, chopped (I leave the peel on)
  • 1 large sweet potato, chopped
  • 2 large kale leaves, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 cup chopped parsley
  • 3 large carrots, chopped
  • 3 cups corn
  • 3 Tbs. butter
  • 2-3 cups milk
  • 1 Tbs. basil
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • salt
  • pepper

Saute the onions and meat, if you’re using it, in the olive oil. When the onion is soft add all of the vegetables and the basil, and just barely cover with water. Cook for about an hour, until the vegies are soft. Take out 2 cups of the broth and vegetable mixture and quickly run through a blender, and then return to the pot. Add the milk and butter and heat very slowly until warm. Season with salt and lots of fresh pepper.

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Orange Peel Fruit Bowls

Blackberries, strawberries and oranges served in an orange peel.

Today I saw a picture of a Waldorf salad served in a hollowed out apple and was inspired to create mini fruit arrangements for dinner. I’ve made large center piece fruit arrangements many times, but never individual ones. These were quick and simple to make, beautiful, and gave our Thursday night supper a festive feel.

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Cookies Two Ways

Joe shows off his bedtime snack.

This is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever used. It’s a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe, and makes a chewy on the inside, crisp on the outside cookie that rivals any you might consider buying at the bakery in the mall. You can choose to make them bakery-large, by using a 1/4 cup to measure out each cookie. Or, if you prefer moderation in your caloric intake, I recommend purchasing a mini scoop. You wind up with nicely sized cookies that are uniform in size. Joe, of course, goes for the large size.

Pick up one of these small scoops at a kitchen specialty store. Drop cookies can be made quickly, and will be of uniform size.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • 1/2 c. butter
  • 1/2 c. all natural peanut butter
  • 1 c. brown sugar
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 Tbs. corn syrup
  • 2 Tbs. water
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 2-1/2 c. flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 c. chips (large, small or chunks)

Bake 375 degrees, 12 minutes, or until browned.

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Pasta Two Ways

I wanted a thick rich mushroom sauce for tonight’s pasta, but knew that 2/3 of the kids wouldn’t eat it. So I made two sauces at the same time. I was able to make both sauces while the water boiled and the pasta cooked.

Portobello Mushroom Sauce

  • 3 large portobello mushroom caps, chopped
  • 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbs. butter
  • 1/2 cup half and half
  • 1/2 cup 1% milk
  • 1 Tbs flour

Saute the mushrooms in the butter with lots of coarsely ground black pepper, and a little salt, until soft and the liquid comes out. Stir in the cheese and flour, and then the half and half and milk, keeping the heat low and continue stirring as the cheese melts.

Alfredo Sauce

  • 4 Tbs. butter
  • 2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
  • 1/2 cup half and half
  • 1/2 cup 1% milk
  • 1 Tbs. flour

Saute the garlic in the butter, stir in the Parmesan cheese,  parsley and flour; then add the half and half, milk, keeping the heat low and continuing to stir as the cheese melts.

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Apple-Topped Meat Loaf

I wanted a lighter sort of meat loaf, so I mixed in some ground pork with the beef, soaked some bread in apple sauce, mixed in plenty of chopped apples and onions, and the result was superb. We ate it with some roasted new potatoes and fresh green beans. A great meal.

Apple-Topped Meat Loaf

  • 1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 2 medium apples, chopped
  • 4 slices whole wheat bread, soaked in 1/2 cup apple sauce and 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1 Tbs. salt
  • freshly ground pepper

This makes a huge meat loaf. Our family of six will eat it tomorrow as leftovers. Mix everything together, top with sliced apple rings, and bake at 375 degrees for about an hour, or until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. During the last 10 minutes, if you like, you can spread on a mixture of 1/3 cup ketchup, 1 Tbs. brown sugar and 1/2 tsp. dry mustard.

Roasted new potatoes, lightly coated in olive oil, sprinkled with kosher salt and rosemary. Bake in the oven with the meat loaf, but they only take about 45 minutes.