Family Feedbag

reflecting on year one

2012-02-25T07:27:00.000-08:00

I can't quite believe it's been a whole year since I made my first post and created Family Feedbag. So much has happened in my kitchen and in my garden over the past year, and it's been a real treat to share all of that with you here. Whether it was pastries and pies, soups and stews, cookies and cakes, fried things, fresh things, canned goodies or sauces, I have enjoyed photographing and sharing each and every recipe with you.

This blog has created opportunities for me to connect with other home cooks, and I love that. What we do usually happens in the isolation of our own kitchens with sometimes unenthusiastic eaters at the table. So being able to connect with other home cooks and share ideas, particularly with my ultra creative readers who follow Family Feedbag on Facebook and Twitter, has been a real boost to my own passion and creativity in the kitchen.

This blog has lead to new opportunities for me offline as well. A year ago I never would have dreamed I'd be teaching cooking classes at an exquisite downtown cooking school! I mean, I don't have any actual training! But here I am, a week away from teaching my very first homestyle cooking class at The London Chef with the support and encouragement of so many of you.

A year ago I also had no idea how much fun taking pictures of food was going to be. Like food, beautiful photos of food get an emotional reaction from people. I'm pretty sure I have taken more photos of food in the last year than I have of my children (there are even some of my children eating food!). It's been a fun self-taught journey and I'm excited about continuing to experiment and explore with food images.

Thanks to each and every one of you for reading along over the last year and especially for trying out my recipes in your own kitchens. Your families are nourished in more ways than one with each homemade meal you put on the table. I hope you'll continue to read and cook along. I'm excited to see what the second year of Family Feedbag will bring!

Happy cooking!

Guest post for Mushrooms Canada

2012-02-21T08:17:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to share this with you! When Mushrooms Canada asked me to do a guest post on their blog I immediately said yes. Afterall, mushrooms are one of my favourite ingredients to play with in the kitchen. Little did I know that the recipe I would create would cause me to Tweet that it was "... the most delicious thing I have ever made."

So, what did I make? You can read all about it, and get the recipe, on the Mushrooms Canada blog!

What's your favourite way to enjoy mushrooms?

Spiced beef pie with walnut pastry

2012-02-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

You know me and my love of making pie by now, and savoury pies are no exception. I love the hand-crafted look of this golden and flaky pastry made with a walnut dough and folded in dramatic strips across the top. The filling is a mixture of beef, onion, garlic and spices, and it all comes together to form this rustic and charming pie.

Some of the spices I used in the filling, such as nutmeg and cinnamon, are ones more commonly found in a sweet pie. But they lend a beautiful sweet spiciness to the beef, reminiscent to me of a French Canadian classic - tourtière. Also included are ground cumin and mustard seeds. These mustard seeds I picked up on a trip to Pike Place Market in Seattle several months ago, and they're a treat to pop into with each bite.

I used my usual rich shortcrust pastry recipe here with the addition of half a cup of chopped walnuts. A meat pie felt like a perfect opportunity to add nuts to make this pastry extra special for our Sunday dinner.

The pastry was rolled into a large rectangle and strips cut along each side to be folded across the filling. This pie could just as easily be made as a double-crust pie in a traditional pie plate by dividing the dough into two balls for rolling out as a top and a bottom.

Here's how I made it:

PASTRY
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp cold water

FILLING
a splash of olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp all-purpose flour

FINISHING
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt

To make the pastry, I blended the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand pastry blender, I cut in the butter and walnuts until the mixture was evenly crumbly. In a small bowl, I beat the egg with the vinegar and water and stirred the wet ingredients into the other ingredients with a fork, then brought the dough together by hand into a large ball. I wrapped it in plastic wrap and set it in the fridge while I prepared the filling.

I warmed the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. The onion and garlic went into the skillet and cooked for a couple minutes until beginning to soften. The ground beef went in next, along with the cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon and mustard seeds, and the mixture was cooked until the beef was browned. I removed the skillet from the heat and stirred in the flour. Then I set aside the filling in a bowl in the fridge to cool enough to handle.

The pastry was rolled out on a floured surface into a large rectangle slightly shorter in length than my standard baking sheet. I used a pizza cutter to form strips along each length of the pastry about an inch in width, leaving the middle of the pastry uncut to hold the filling. Then I removed the corners. I piled the filling along the middle, then folded the strips over the filling and tucked the ends up. Using some helping hands, I gently transferred the pastry to my parchment-lined baking sheet.

To finish, I beat the egg with the salt and brushed it over the whole pastry with a pastry brush. Then I baked it in a preheated 400 degree (F) oven for 40 minutes

Someone kept sneaking in on my photo shoot. Little pea thief.

What's your favourite savoury pie?

Bacon & beer butternut squash soup

2012-02-18T06:31:00.000-08:00

Bacon and beer. Need I say more? Okay, this is a blog afterall so I'll write a few more things. This thick and hearty soup is full of bold flavours - sweetness from the squash, bacon from the bacon, and... uh... beer from the beer.

Really, you don't need me to explain any further.

I love butternut squash in a soup. It's a wholesome comfort food that pairs nicely with so many other ingredients, both sweet and savoury. You can find my recipe for maple roasted butternut squash soup here.

It's not the simplest vegetable to prepare, but it's worth the extra effort. A sharp knife and a sturdy board is all that's needed to cut up a butternut squash for roasting, and the seeds are scooped out with a spoon.

Here's how I made it:

3 1/2 lbs butternut squash, seeded, sliced into wedges, and scored
a generous drizzle of olive oil
a sprinkling of salt & pepper
1/2 lb of sliced bacon, chopped
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 12 fl oz/341 ml bottle of beer (I used a dark beer)
2 cups chicken stock

shredded parmesan cheese for garnish

While my oven preheated to 400 degrees (F), I spread out my squash on a parchment lined baking sheet and generously drizzled the pieces with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. The squash baked for 1 hour until tender and caramelized around the edges, then I set it aside until cool enough to handle and removed the rind.

Next, I added the chopped bacon to a large soup pot over medium-high heat, cooking until crispy. I reserved about a 1/3 cup of the bacon for garnish and set it aside, leaving the rest of the bacon in the soup pot. I added the onion to the pot next, cooking just a couple minutes until beginning to soften. Next, I stirred in the paprika, squash, beer, and stock and let the soup simmer, covered, on low heat for 20 minutes. To finish, I used an immersion blender to get a smoother consistency (a hand potato masher would work too), and served the soup with the reserved bacon and parmesan as garnish.

You could say this is a man's soup. But I loved it as much as any beer-loving, bacon-savouring man. And speaking of loving beer, wouldn't this be lovely with some Irish soda bread for St. Patrick's Day? Yum!

Is beer just for drinking in your house or does it end up in food? Leave a comment and tell me how you use it!

Sesame steak sauce

2012-02-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

For as long as I can remember, I have been having a food love affair with the sesame steak sauce at The Japanese Village Restaurant. Even as a child I remember getting dressed up and driving to downtown Ottawa with my family, climbing over snowbanks in my uncomfortable dress shoes to celebrate whatever we were celebrating with an exquisite steak dinner. The sesame steak sauce has always been centre stage for me. It's why I still go there today, at the Victoria location now, to celebrate something special or to get together with friends over delicious cooked-right-in-front-of-you Teppanyaki cuisine.

I have always kept an eye out in stores for something similar to the sauce I adore, but I have never found anything that came close. So I decided to play around with ingredients in my own kitchen to see if I could create my own version of this beloved sauce. Using just four ingredients, I'm happy to say I think I've NAILED it.

Here's how I made it:

per serving

2 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp soy sauce (I like Kikkoman)

1 tbsp cold water (depending on the thickness of your tahini, you may need to add a little more than 1 tbsp water)

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

I combined the ingredients in a small bowl and mixed them up. That's all!

It's not traditional in Japanese cuisine to put a sauce like this on your rice. Still, it's a tradition at The Japanese Village Restaurant to enjoy it this way, and this recipe will satisfy cravings until our next family celebration dinner out.

Are you a fan of sesame steak sauce? Have you recreated any of your favourite restaurant foods at home? Leave a comment and tell me all about it!

Yams and clams chowder

2012-02-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

I'll do a lot for a good bowl of chowder. I'll drive a long way. I'll stand in line. I'll even stand up while eating it if there aren't enough seats (that's how you know the place has REALLY good chowder). But until now I had never made my own. Duh! Clearly that needed fixing.

So I made this chowder, loaded with tender clams and sweet yams and seasoned with seafood's lovely friend, dill. Mmm, I want another bowl of this seafood comfort food right now!

Here's how I made it:

a splash of olive oil

1 cup onion, diced

1 cup celery, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

5 cups yams, peeled and finely diced

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp dried dill weed

1 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp tomato paste

4 cups chicken stock

2 142 g cans whole baby clams, including liquid

1 cup heavy cream

I started by warming the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. I added the onion, celery and garlic, cooking for a few minutes until beginning to soften. The yams were stirred in next, cooking a few minutes longer. Then I added the flour, dill, pepper and salt, stirring to coat all the veggies. Next, I added the tomato paste, stock, clams and cream and brought the chowder up to a bubble over high heat. The heat was then lowered to low and I allowed the chowder to simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. To finish, I used a potato masher in the pot to give the chowder a rustic consistency.

Mmm! I love the sweetness the yams give this chowder. So tasty. I wasn't the only one desperate for a bowl of this as soon as it was done cooking. The baby was eager to get a bite too! I got him his own little bowl with his own little spoon and he loved every little bite.

Do you have a favourite chowder place? Do you make your own? What goes in it? Leave a comment and let's talk chowda!

Honey nut oatmeal

2012-02-03T15:09:00.000-08:00

Oatmeal is one of my favourite breakfasts. It's warm, healthy, and there are so many yummy ways to have it that it never gets boring. My youngest son loves his oatmeal too, and this recipe makes the perfect amount to feed both our tummies at the start of our day.

The honey in this oatmeal lends just the right amount of sweetness, and the nuts offer protein which is something I try to fit into our first meal of the day. For me, the best part about oatmeal for breakfast is how quick it is. This bowl of hot yumminess took just a few minutes to make!

Here's how I made it:

1 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped nuts (I like a mix of almonds and walnuts)

1 tbsp honey

I brought the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Then I added the oats and cinnamon and lowered the heat to low, cooking and stirring for just two or three minutes. To finish, I transferred the oatmeal to a bowl and topped it with the nuts and drizzled on the honey. That's it!

For other oatmeal recipes, check out my apple pie oatmeal and banana coconut oatmeal recipes. Yummm!

Do you make oatmeal for breakfast? Do your kids like it? What do you like to put in your oatmeal?

Measuring in colour

2012-02-01T16:06:00.000-08:00

I love colourful kitchen gear, and I especially love colourful measuring spoons and cups! When I'm in a hurry it's easy to find a one teaspoon measure or a half cup measure when I know exactly what colour I'm looking for. Using pretty tools makes me a happier cook. And a happier cook makes yummier food!

So I was thrilled recently when I received some new measure spoons and cups from Trudeau to add to my collection of colourful measuring tools. They said they'd send me some stuff and I said I'd take some fun pics. It turns out, I've had lots of fun taking pics and I've created a game for you all! There are 22 words hidden in the photos of this post. Can you find them all?

Look closely!

Keep looking!

Is your face right up to the screen yet?

Almost done!

Did you find all 22 hidden words?

What's your favourite colourful tool in your kitchen?

Pork chops with currant pan sauce

2012-01-26T06:44:00.000-08:00

I love a meal that's quick and easy. Especially when it doesn't LOOK quick and easy! This whole dish took about ten minutes from start to finish - perfect for a weeknight family supper.

The seasoned chops are browned on both sides in a hot pan, then while they rest a simple but vibrant pan sauce using dried currants, orange juice concentrate, cinnamon, and a splash of cream is prepared in just two minutes flat.

Pork and sweetness always go nicely together. There's Chinese sweet and sour pork, ham and pineapple pizza, and the classic bacon and maple syrup. Yum! The combo works just as nicely here.

The boneless pork loin chops I used in this dish I found on sale. I also found a bag of dried currants on sale during the same shopping trip. Then I pondered what it might be like to use them together, and that's how this recipe was born!

Here's how I made it:

2 lbs boneless pork loin chops

a splash of canola oil

salt and pepper for seasoning

1/4 cup dried currants

1/3 cup orange juice concentrate

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp heavy cream (33% or more)

While the oil heated up in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, I dried both sides of my pork chops using a paper towel (this helps them brown). I seasoned both sides of the chops with a sprinkling of salt and pepper and added them to the hot pan, cooking for 5-6 minutes on the first side until the edges were nicely browned. I flipped them and cooked the second side for 2-3 minutes until browned and cooked through. I removed the chops to a dinner plate to rest while I prepared the sauce.

With the heat lowered to medium, I added the currants, orange juice concentrate, and cinnamon to the skillet. The sauce was stirred, brought up to a bubble, and allowed to thicken for 30 seconds or so before I stirred in the cream. I removed the sauce from the heat, transferred the chops to a serving dish, then stirred the juices from the dinner plate into the sauce. The finished sauce was poured over the chops for a pretty finish.

How easy is THAT? So easy.

What's your favourite way to prepare pork chops?

Beef korma

2012-01-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

I really love going out for Indian food, but it's one of those cuisines that can feel intimidating at home in my own kitchen. What techniques do I use? Are there rules I need to follow? Ahh! But in preparing this dish I decided to throw caution to the wind and just feel my way through it using ingredients I love, including plenty of spice!

While my delicious mixture of beef, spices and coconut milk simmered on the stove, I did some online research and discovered that, hey, I'm making a korma! I learned that a korma, rather than a specific set of ingredients, is actually a method of slowly braising meat in either yogurt, cream or coconut milk. I love learning new things like that! Besides, food isn't meant to be intimidating or stressful. Especially if it's full of flavours I adore!

Here's how I made it:

a splash of canola oil

1 1/2 lbs stewing beef

2 cups leeks, rinsed and sliced into 1/2-inch chunks

2 tbsp curry powder

2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1 can (400 ml/14 fl oz) coconut milk

1 cup water

2 tsp granulated white sugar

1 can (540 ml/19 fl oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 can (540 ml/19 fl oz) diced tomatoes, drained

I started by heating the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. I added the beef, browning on all sides. The leeks were tossed in next, followed by the curry powder, turmeric, coriander, cumin, salt, coconut milk, water, and sugar. I stirred the mixture and brought it to a boil over high heat, then covered the pot and let it simmer on low heat for 90 minutes. To finish, I added the chickpeas and tomatoes and simmered for 5 minutes more.

I served this with rice so we could fully enjoy all that gorgeous sauce. This recipe makes four servings so there's plenty left for Mr. Feedbag and I to enjoy another night since the kids didn't have any. I figured the kids would put up a fight over eating a spicy curry. Or was it just that I didn't want to share?

Are you a great Indian food cook? Share some tips for those of us who want to learn more!

Lemon poppy seed loaf

2012-01-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

Here's a little treat for a cold winter day! This moist lemon poppy seed loaf has that gorgeous tart/sweet combination that works so well. The glaze is poured over top while the loaf is still hot from the oven, seeping in and around the loaf and forming a sugary lemon crust.

And before you say anything, yes, I realize in my last post I said I'd be posting some healthier recipes. But I swear I've been working out nearly every day lately! So I call this loaf a little "balance" in my life. Heck, I can justify anything that tastes this good!

Here's how I made it:

BATTER

1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain Greek style yogurt
1 tbsp lemon zest (takes about two lemons)
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp poppy seeds

GLAZE

1/4 cup lemon juice (takes about 1 lemon)

1/4 cup icing sugar

While my oven preheated to 350 degrees (F), I started the batter by creaming the butter and the sugar in the large mixing bowl of my stand mixer (a hand electric beater would work fine too). I added the oil, eggs, yogurt, and lemon zest and beat well until smooth. In a separate mixing bowl, I whisked together the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds. The dry mixture was added gradually to the wet mixture and beat well until smooth. The batter was poured into a greased loaf pan and baked until a toothpick inserted in the centre came out clean (60 minutes for me, but could be anywhere from 55 to 65 minutes).

To make the glaze, I whisked the lemon juice and icing sugar until there were no lumps. With the loaf still hot in the pan, I poured the glaze evenly over the top, letting it seep into and around the loaf. The loaf cooled for 15 more minutes in the pan, then I removed it from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

The baby gobbled some up this loaf after his lunch and my 4-year-old kept poking it for fun while it cooled. The number of times I've had to say things like, "Don't touch that, I haven't taken pictures of it yet!" in my kitchen. Ha! Still, the benefits to my family of having a food blogger in the kitchen far outweigh the frustration of having to wait ten minutes for yumminess to get its photo op.

Baking seemed like the perfect way to enjoy our cozy morning at home while it snowed outside. We don't get a lot of snow here, so the kids are pretty amazed at all the fluffy white flakes falling from the sky! We're heading out to play in it later, and this lemon poppy seed loaf will be waiting for us when we come back inside, all rosy cheeked and happy.

What's your favourite loaf to bake? Is it snowing where you are? What do you like to make on a snowy day?

Cracked black pepper hummus

2012-01-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

How many dips are as guilt-free as hummus? Not many, I say! This smooth, whipped chickpea spread gets its flavour from garlic and cumin and loads of fresh cracked black pepper. Hanging out in the background is the distinctive mellow flavour of tahini - a paste made of roasted sesame seeds. It's spectacular. If you've never bought tahini before, it's usually hanging out with the nut butters at the grocery store and it keeps for months in the fridge.

Here's how I made it:

1 can (540 ml/14 fl oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp tahini
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
pinch salt
between 1/2 cup and 1 cup water

I put all the ingredients in my blender, starting with a 1/2 cup of water. I slowly added more water until the mixture was rolling smoothly through the blender. I allowed it to blend for another minute until it took on a smooth, whipped consistency. I served it with a little more fresh cracked black pepper sprinkled on top, with carrot sticks and whole wheat crackers for dipping.

I've been working out at the gym like crazy lately, so it's nice to have a lunch or a snack that's good to my body, and hummus fits the bill nicely. Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm not going all health food on you or anything. Melted cheese is one of life's greatest pleasures, afterall, and I consider it my duty to partake in that joy. Smaller portions and healthier choices a little more often is the idea. And that feels good.

Do you love hummus? How about your kids (only one of mine will eat it)? What's your favourite healthy snack?

Kitchen crushes - Trudeau pepper mill

2012-01-09T14:50:00.000-08:00

It's time again for Kitchen Crushes! This time I'm swooning over my new Trudeau pepper mill. I had a minor (okay major) freak out in early December when I found out I won this 16-inch beauty in an online contest by the good people at Food Bloggers of Canada. A pepper mill had been at the top of my Christmas wish list, so there was dancing and jumping and phoning of people when I read I was the winner! I mean just look at it. Sleek, solid wood in a dark shade of espresso. A stunner!

The dancing and jumping resumed when my gorgeous beechwood grinder arrived on my doorstep a week before Christmas. As if Trudeau wasn't awesome enough for sending me a mill from their Professional series, they sent me a matching salt mill too! Swoon again!

These babies, with their carbon steel grinders, come with lifetime warranties. Perfect! Because I'm going to use a lot of pepper now.

So, I owe a big thanks to Food Bloggers of Canada and Trudeau for bringing freshly ground pepper and salt to my life. I also owe a big thanks to Mr. Feedbag who promptly dug out a receipt and returned the pepper mill he had bought me for Christmas. He assures me, having shopped around, my prize is in the fancypants category of pepper mills.

These beautiful mills now have a permanent home next to my knife block, and I've been using them a lot. In fact, the next recipe I share here on Family Feedbag will have plenty of fresh cracked black pepper! Coming soon...

Itty bitty bran muffins

2012-01-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

I made these mini muffins for the hungriest member of our family - the baby. Seriously, the kid can eat. He's turning one this weekend with just two tiny teeth in his cute little grin, so it's tricky finding things he can chew that will also satisfy his hungry little belly. These muffins, with a hit of bran and no added sugar, did the trick.

Here's how I made them:

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup wheat bran

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

While my oven preheated to 375 degrees (F), I mixed the first three ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, I whisked together the remaining ingredients and added the dry mixture gradually to the wet mixture, stirring just to combine. The batter was dropped into a greased mini muffin tray by the heaping tablespoonful so that each cup was nearly full. They baked for 15 minutes until a toothpick came out clean. I allowed them to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then removed them to a wire rack to cool completely. I ended up with 15 mini muffins.

I like mini muffins because they fit nicely into little hands and reduce the crumb explosion at snack time. They're also perfectly portable for outings because they don't need to be refrigerated, and, kept in a reusable container, they won't make a mess in my purse (darn those foil top yogurts). I'll be making these again soon.

Who's the hungriest person in your house? What's baking in your kitchen this week? Leave a comment and let's chat over some coffee and muffins!

Stewed beef & mushrooms

2012-01-02T08:58:00.000-08:00

Beef and mushrooms! I know, right? Such a delicious combination of deep umami flavours, and a real tummy pleaser on a winter's eve. There's a pound and a half of earthy white mushrooms in this dish, along with two pounds of stewing beef and two large handfuls of fresh spinach leaves. Mmm! That's a big bowl of iron-rich comfort right there.

Here's how I made it:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground coriander

2 lbs stewing beef

splash canola oil

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 1/2 lbs white mushrooms, quartered

2 tsp dried tarragon

3 cups beef stock

2 large handfuls fresh spinach leaves

While the oil was heating over medium heat in a large soup pot, I combined the flour, garlic powder, and coriander in a plastic freezer bag. I added the beef to the bag in batches, shaking to coat each piece with the flour mixture. The beef was added to the pot and browned on all sides, then removed to a heat-proof bowl and set aside.

The onions and mushrooms were added to the pot next, along with a 1/4 cup of the stock, and simmered for about 5 minutes. Then I stirred in the tarragon, returned the beef to the pot, and added the rest of the stock. I brought the liquid to a boil while scraping the tasty brown bits from the bottom of the pot with my wooden spoon. Then I reduced the heat to low and allowed it to simmer, covered, for 90 minutes. To finish, I removed the pot from the heat and stirred in the spinach.

We enjoyed our bowls of stewed beef and mushrooms with slices of homemade whole wheat bread. Dip dip! J'adore. Cold weather was made for meals like this. Or at least a big bowl of this makes cold weather worth bearing.

I love keeping stewing beef on hand in the freezer. It's inexpensive, versatile, and, after the magic of a slow simmer, always results in a delicious and tender beef dinner.

What's your favourite thing to make with stewing beef? What are your favourite cold weather family dinners? Got any cooking goals for 2012? Leave a comment and tell me all about your plans!

Top 11 of 2011

2011-12-30T16:31:00.000-08:00

It's the time of year for Top This and Most That lists. It's when we look back at the year that was and sum up in numerical order what happened as a way of deciding what we got right or what we got horribly wrong. So to jump on the Best of the Year and Worst of the Year bandwagon, I've decided to compile my personal favourite recipes that I've created and photographed here on Family Feedbag. So here it is, my Top 11 Family Feedbag Recipes of 2011:

11. Sausage & kale soup

10. Chocolate mint cookie mounds

9. Peppers & rice salad with sesame soy vinaigrette

8. Balsamic beef & root vegetable stew

7. Coconut curry chicken & rice

6. Zucchini fritters with chili lime mayo

5. Spiced pear chutney

4. Chunky chicken chili

3. Orange spice cake

2. Banana coconut oatmeal

1. Sweet chili BBQ chicken

I chose these recipes because I loved them from the first bite, and some of them I've come back to time and time again. The banana coconut oatmeal is breakfast a couple times a week for me, and the spiced pear chutney showed up on cheese platters at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a neighbourhood housewarming party this fall. The orange spice cake is still a regular request from my 4-year-old, and the sweet chili BBQ chicken was the year's biggest yumminess around our dinner table!

2011 was the first year of Family Feedbag, and there's lots planned for early 2012. I'm hoping to share some bread recipes in the New Year, experiment with some healthy vegetable dishes, and do lots of canning. So thanks for continuing to read along and for sharing your own stories as the cook in your home! Happy New Year!

What were the biggest hits around your family's table in 2011? Do you have any goals for 2012 in your own kitchen?

Simple oven-baked stuffing

2011-12-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

As in most families, shoving fistfuls of cubed bread and seasonings up the holiday turkey's butt was just the way it was done in my family for as long as I can remember. And we liked it! So several years ago when I first tried cooking stuffing outside the bird, I held my breath in fear that my beloved stuffing might turn out dry or bland. But it didn't. It was perfectly moist and perfectly yummy and everything I wanted stuffing to be. So I've been cooking it separately ever since for lots of good reasons.

Here are 5 reasons I cook the stuffing separately:

1. It's safer. Stuffing cooked inside the turkey could become contaminated with salmonella if the bird is stuffed too early, if the stuffing is left in too long, or if the stuffing doesn't come to a high enough temperature while cooking. Even Health Canada recommends cooking stuffing separately in the oven or on the stove top. And those people know stuff about stuff.
2. An unstuffed bird cooks faster. Leaving a turkey unstuffed means air can circulate inside the bird while cooking, resulting in a shorter cooking time overall. I like shorter cooking times!
3. An unstuffed bird cooks more evenly. A stuffed turkey cooks from the outside in, while an unstuffed turkey cooks from the outside in AND the inside out. It's all about that air flow and heat distribution.
4. It makes more. Let's be honest, stuffing is one of the yummiest and most popular dishes on the holiday table. Cooking it outside the bird means I'm not limited to the size of the cavity and I can make as much stuffing as I want!
5. It's just as yummy! Made well, a separately cooked stuffing tastes no less delicious than one cooked inside the bird. In fact, I can't tell the difference at all. It's just pure holiday yumminess!

This year I've kept it super simple. No apples, no nuts, no crans, none of the other bits and bobs that sometimes end up in a stuffing in an attempt to fancy-up what is already a good and simple dish. There's just bread, veg, beautiful seasonings, butter, and stock. Simple and lovely.

Here's how I made it:

1/2 cup butter
2 cups onion, diced
1 1/2 cups carrot, diced
1 1/2 cups celery, diced
2 tbsp poultry seasoning
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
18 cups bread, cubed (I don't bother drying it out first)
1 1/2 cups stock (I used some turkey stock I had in the freezer, but any stock would do)

While my oven preheated to 350 degrees (F), I melted the butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. I added the onions, carrot, and celery and cooked for 8-10 minutes until beginning to soften. Next, I added the poultry seasoning, rosemary, salt and pepper, stirring to coat the veggies and cooking a couple minutes longer. With the pot removed from the heat, I added the bread cubes one half at a time, stirring to evenly distribute the seasonings and veggies. Then I stirred in the stock. The stuffing baked, covered in foil, in a large oven-safe dish for 30 minutes, then uncovered and baked for another 10 minutes.

I cooked this stuffing the day before our family dinner. It's nice to get some things out of the way beforehand to spread out the kitchen tasks and enjoy our festive family time more.

What are you doing with your stuffing this year? What are your family's traditions around the holiday dinner table? Leave a comment and tell me how you plan on having a merry Christmas dinner!

Eggnog pancakes with nog maple syrup

2011-12-20T08:11:00.000-08:00

Here's something for the eggnog lovers! These golden pancakes are made with rich, sweet eggnog and an extra sprinkling of eggnog's finest note - nutmeg. A stack of these gets really dressed up when it's drenched in this festive nog maple syrup. Mmm, bring on Christmas morning!

Here's how I made them:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp granulated white sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 egg

1 cup egg nog

2 tbsp butter, melted

In a large mixing bowl, I whisked together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. To the dry ingredients, I added the egg, eggnog, and melted butter and stirred to combine.

I cooked the pancakes in a non-stick pan over medium to medium-low heat until golden on each side (on my stove dial, the sweet spot for pancakes is 4).

Here's how I made the nog maple syrup:

1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup eggnog

I combined the maple syrup and the eggnog in a small mixing bowl and stirred it up. That's it! I poured it over a stack of the fluffy pancakes and it was eggnog pancake heaven! Both my kids loved them.

There's nog on top of more nog here, and that's a whole lot of Christmasy goodness!

Are there eggnog lovers in your family? How do you like to use eggnog in your kitchen? What will your family be having for breakfast on Christmas morning?

Cooking school Christmas cookies

2011-12-17T14:36:00.000-08:00

Like most families with young children, we are figuring out each year what will become our annual Christmas traditions. And I think we just found a new one! My oldest son and I wandered over to The London Chef on Victoria's Fort Street for a class in Christmas cookies, and it pretty much charmed the red striped socks off my kiddo.

He got to see and do a lot while at their beautiful cooking school, and it all started with decorating his very own paper chef hat with crayons, stickers, and stamps.

The face of The London Chef is Chef Dan Hayes. His obvious passion for teaching kids in the kitchen is infectious, and the kids responded by answering his questions excitedly and craning their necks to see inside a big bowl of whipping cream he was preparing for the peppermint hot chocolate. Their eyes were like saucers while he chopped dark chocolate, filled cups with candy canes, and passed around nutmeg for them all to smell.

Only one little kiddie didn't want hot chocolate, and guess who that was? Yup, my little monkey is a bit funny about hot drinks for some reason. I'm convinced one day he will finally try hot chocolate and realize how very wrong he's been all this time!

The kids all rolled their own ball of cookie dough and chose from a selection of festive cookie cutters to form their cookies. When it came to decorating, they iced and sprinkled (okay, my guy started munching pretty much from the start) their cookies to bring home in a box to show their families.

It really was a charming morning. A couple friends of mine brought their own kids to the class too, so we got to catch up while the kids learned from the best and filled their little bellies with yummy, sugary treats.

I love sharing my passion for cooking with my own kids, and part of that is learning together about food and food preparation. Taking some classes together is a fun way to do that. The London Chef has a bunch of kids classes on offer, as well as some new upcoming teen classes that I'll be helping out at!

My little guy had such a blast, he was in a sort of sugar-induced Christmas high in his car seat on the way home! I think we'll be taking some more classes together in the new year.

What kinds of Christmas cookies are you making this year? Are the kids getting involved? Leave a comment and share your tips on baking with kids!

Best of the blog - Appetizers

2011-12-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

Potluck. That word both excites me and makes me panic. What will I bring? When will I make it? How will I get it there? Between neighbourhood gatherings, my oldest son's preschool party, and family get togethers, this is a busy time of year for potlucking (yes, I just said potlucking). I know it's busy for you too, so I thought I'd share some of my all-time favourite Family Feedbag appetizer recipes that make lovely potluck take-alongs.

CRANBERRY-STUFFED TURKEY MEATBALLS
These are one-bite turkey dinners with ground turkey meat, stuffing, and a whole cranberry tucked in the centre of each meatball. The cranberry lime dipping sauce adds a punch of fruity flavour.

SPICED PEAR CHUTNEY

This sweet and sour chutney made with firms pears and dried cranberries is gorgeous on a platter of crackers and cheese. I love this stuff!

CRAB CAKES WITH CILANTRO & LIME DIP
Crispy yet tender, these crab cakes are seasoned with dill and served with a cool, creamy dip that has a mild kick.

SUN DRIED TOMATO TAPENADE

Chopped black and green olives with sun dried tomatoes. This appetizer is so easy to make, and is nice served with crackers or simple sliced baguette.

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS WITH CHILI LIME MAYO

These golden and crispy fritters are the ultimate finger food, served with an incredible mayo dip that's got zing and heat.

Get the party started!

What's your favourite dish to take to a potluck? Have you ever had a potluck disaster and dropped it on the way to the party? Share your holiday potluck stories and recipes!

Twinkle twinkle little soup

2011-12-09T14:57:00.000-08:00

This is chicken noodle soup with out-of-this-world personality. Full of flavour with aromatic leeks, tender thigh meat chicken, a hit of garlic, and dainty star-shaped stelline pasta, a bowl of this is perfect for cold and flu season. Which is good, because Mr. Feedbag and both our boys have colds this week. I have managed to avoid it so far (knock on my chopping board), but I'm armed with this soup should I start getting the sniffles.

Here's how I made it:

splash canola oil

1 lb boneless chicken thighs (about 6)

1 lb leeks, sliced and rinsed

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp salt

5 cups chicken broth

5 cups water

1/2 cup stelline pasta

I started by heating the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. The chicken was added and cooked until golden brown and cooked through, then removed from the pot and set aside. Next, I added the leeks to the pot and let them cook until they were starting to wilt (a few minutes), then added the garlic and cooked a few minutes longer. I gave the chicken a rough chopping and added it back to the pot along with the salt, broth, water, and pasta and brought the soup to a boil. I reduced the heat to low and let the soup simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. That's it!

This soup is so easy to make, and the aromatic flavour of the leeks puts this in the comfort food category for me. Especially with some gorgeous crusty bread on the side. Mmm!

Has sickness been visiting your house lately? What do you cook when everyone's got the sniffles? What do your kids like to eat when they're sick? Leave a comment and share your recipes!

Crab cakes with cilantro & lime dip

2011-12-04T08:49:00.000-08:00

Crab cakes are kind of the ultimate appetizer for me. They have that satisfying combination of crispiness and tenderness, you can top them and dip them, and what's more fancypants on a special evening than seafood? These crab cakes are seasoned with one of seafood's best pals - dill. The creamy dip is made with chopped cilantro, lime juice, and just a hint of heat from a thai chili pepper. It all comes together in one tasty appetizer.

This recipe makes one dozen crab cakes.

Here's how I made them:

CRAB CAKES

1/2 cup canola oil for cooking

2 120 g cans (4.25 oz) chunk crab meat, drained

1/2 cup onion, minced

1 tbsp prepared dijon mustard

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp dried dill weed

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup bread crumbs

DIP

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

juice of half a lime

half a thai chili pepper, minced

pinch salt

While the cooking oil was warming up in a large skillet over medium-low heat, the rest of the crab cake ingredients were added to a large mixing bowl and stirred well to combine. I formed patties about 2-inches across and 1-inch in thickness. Once my oil was ready (you can test it by dropping in a small amount of the mixture, which should bubble when the oil is ready), I added my crab cake patties, cooking for 3-4 minutes a side until golden brown and crispy. They drained on a dinner plate lined with paper towel while I prepared the dip.

The dip is simple. I just combined all the ingredients in a small bowl and stirred to combine. It could be served on top of the crab cakes with a leaf of cilantro, or served on the side for your eaters to help themselves.

This dip is tangy, creamy, and cool with just a little heat.

Using chilies in my cooking is kinda new for me. One of my favourite teaching chefs, Chef Dan Hayes at The London Chef here in Victoria, sent me home with one after a class and I've been trying to find ways to use them ever since.

Served with a favourite salad or a rich and chunky chowder, these crab cakes also make a nice main course.

How do you season your crab cakes? How do you use chilies in your kitchen? What appetizers will you be preparing this holiday season? I'd love to hear what's happening in your kitchen!

Orange spice cake

2011-11-29T08:10:00.000-08:00

You need to try this cake. It's moist, tender, and packed full of vibrant orange flavour. The zest of two navel oranges and some of their juice goes in the cake batter, and more of the tangy juice goes into the glaze that gets poured over top while the cake is still warm. A festive kick comes from cinnamon and cloves, which would make this cake an ideal treat to serve to guests who pop by during the holidays.

My oldest son, who isn't really a cake lover, devoured three pieces of this cake in one sitting the first time I made it. He loved it so much that he recently asked me to make it his birthday cake (I left out the spice for that). So I'm sharing the recipe with you now, the beautifully spiced version, which is baked in a simple 9x9 pan.

Here's how I made it:

CAKE

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated white sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

zest of 2 navel oranges (at least 1 tbsp, but more is better!)

1/4 cup orange juice

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

GLAZE

1/4 cup orange juice

3/4 cup icing sugar

While my oven preheated to 375 degrees (F), I got the cake started by creaming the butter and the granulated white sugar using the paddle attachment in my stand mixer (you could just as easily make this cake with a hand-held electric beater too). Then I added the eggs, oil, vanilla, orange zest, and orange juice, and beat well until smooth.

In a separate mixing bowl, I combined the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. The dry ingredients were added gradually to the wet ingredients and the finished batter was beat well until smooth.

The batter was poured into a well-greased 9x9 baking dish and smoothed out to evenly fill the pan. It baked in the centre of the oven until a toothpick inserted in the centre came out clean, about 35-40 minutes.

Once removed from the oven, the cake rested in the pan while I prepared the glaze.

In a small bowl, I combined the orange juice with the icing sugar using a whisk to work out all the lumps. The glaze was immediately poured over the cake, forming a delicate sugary crust while it cooled.

I love this cake. Like, LOVE it. It's so easy to prepare and, despite how simple it is in appearance, it is loaded with heady orange and spice flavours. Try this one for the holidays!

Which cakes remind you of the holidays? Have you started any holiday baking yet? I'd love to hear what you're up to in the kitchen this week!

Happy 4th birthday cake

2011-11-26T10:48:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness, I can't even tell you how excited I am that I made this cake! Today is my oldest son's 4th birthday, and I don't have a history of successful cake decorating (pies are much more my thing!). So I'm totally chuffed that I was able to make him the cake he wanted - purple with rainbow sprinkles. I love that he wanted something so darling.

I'll share the recipe for the cake soon, as it's an orange-flavoured cake I've been working on recently that my son adores. There are four layers of cake in there, and it's iced here with a simple confectioner's sugar icing. All purple of course!

Okay, back to the festivities. I just wanted to pop in here first and show you all my creation. I love it when a challenge in the kitchen comes together and my kitchen confidence goes up!

Sausage & kale soup

2011-11-23T06:19:00.000-08:00

I'm on a bit of a soup kick lately and this sausage and kale soup is the latest big pot of comfort to come out of my kitchen. When it comes to soup, I don't do it watery. I like it chunky and I like it chock full of tasty ingredients. This is a soup for people who don't really like soup.

It's all about big flavour and texture here. It starts with plenty of onion and garlic in the pan, followed by seasoned sausage meat, chicken broth, dark green vitamin-rich kale, and tender dots of peperini pasta. There's mega flavour in a bowl of this.

Any kind of ground sausage meat will do in this soup. I used three large cajun pork sausages, splitting them lengthwise with a knife and peeling off the casings.

Kale is a vegetable I'd like to start putting in my grocery cart more often. It's super nutritious, versatile, and tastes a lot like broccoli. Peperini pasta makes this soup a real hungry man's dinner, adding texture and bulk.

Here's how I made it:

splash olive oil

2/3 cup onion, diced

1 tbsp garlic, minced

300 g sausage meat (casings removed)

4 cups chicken broth

6 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

4 cups kale, roughly chopped

3/4 cup peperini pasta

I heated the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. I added the onion and garlic to the oil and cooked for a couple minutes, just until soft. The sausage meat went in next, and I used a wooden spoon to break it up into smallish pieces while it browned. Once the sausage was browned, I added the chicken broth, water, salt, and kale and increased the heat to high to bring the soup to a boil. Once bubbling, I added the peperini and lowered the heat to low, simmering the soup, covered, for 30 minutes.

That is one handsome soup right there! Good looking AND full of personality. I couldn't wait to get a spoon into a big bowl of this.

What kinds of soups are favourites in your kitchen? Do you have any non soup eaters in your family? Share your own soup recipes and links in the comments and tell me what's happening in your soup pot this week.