MMMMmmmmmm Burgers!

Apparently when I say the word “burger’ in our home, some family members get a little excited. They start to salivate and almost smell beef grilling on the bbq. They should know better- in our home a burger could just as easily be made with lentils, grains, nuts, beans or …quinoa.
When I announced that dinner was Quinoa Burgers….they chose to selectively hear only ‘burgers’ (teenagers are experts in selective hearing, aren’t they?!). They experienced the ‘Pavlovian response’ and looked forward to the burger of their imaginings.
When I served the quinoa burgers a complaint was expressed that it was inappropriate to call them burgers when they were clearly not made of beef.
So we tossed around some more ‘appropriate’ names:

“How about Patty?”                                     “No….. still makes me think of beef”
“What about Quinoa Cake?”          “Well, we might start thinking of chocolate cake…”                                                                                     “I promise I will never serve a chocolate cake for dinner”         “alright’

….So we settled on Savoury Quinoa Cakes…..hope your mouth doesn’t water for fish cakes or crab cakes.
But this does bring up a good point…if you expect a ‘meat alternative’ such as beans or tofu to taste like beef or chicken, you might be disappointed. They aren’t supposed to taste like meat. Enjoy them for the taste that they are… even if they are in the form of a burger….er…cake.

SAVOURY QUINOA CAKES

adapted from Alive Magazine

1 cup uncooked quinoa (don’t forget to rinse it first!)
1 cup carrot, shredded
1 cup bread crumbs ( I used oats ground up in my coffee bean grinder)
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley (I forgot the parsley!)
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 large eggs

extra virgin olive oil

Cook quinoa as directed on package.

Put the cooked quinoa, carrot, bread crumbs, parsley, pepper and eggs in a food processor.
(My food processor was very full – I took some out and did it in batches)
Process until mixture is combined but still chunky
Put the mixture into a bowl and form patties….I mean …cakes, with your hands. Place burgers…uhhhh, patties on a plate, cover and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or more.
Heat oil in a skillet and add patty-cakes…..for about 10 minutes per side.

Serve in a whole grain bun…or not….with a big green salad.

*These freeze well(before cooking) Thaw in fridge and cook as usual.

                                                                                             You can’t please everybody!!

The egg.

The epitome of spring, a symbol of Easter, birth and new beginnings. And lucky for us – a beautiful and nutritious food!

I always opt for what I like to call ‘happy eggs’ meaning that the eggs come from a farm where the hens have space to scratch about, forage for insects and worms, take dust baths, perch and lay eggs in nests. Basically, living a happy hen life; happy hen = happy egg.

Here is a photo of happy hens at Holdanca Farm, Nova Scotia:

Most eggs you see in a supermarket are from large operations where the hens are kept in extremely small cages – a space equivalent to one chicken standing on a standard size piece of paper (imagine being ‘cooped up’ in an elevator with no room to move or stretch for your entire life – YIKES!) Labels and names on egg cartons may make you think that the hens are well treated – but the best way to make sure is to ask the egg producer or farmer about their hen’s living conditions. Pasture raised is the best choice.   Ask questions: “Are your hens pasture raised?” “Are they outside when weather permits?” “Do they have nests?”

“But pasture raised eggs are more expensive, Edie”     Yes, that is true – but how can we enjoy an egg knowing that it came from a miserable, stressed out hen! ?   Annnnnd pasture raised eggs are markedly more nutritious than conventional eggs. Many studies have shown that vitamins A, D and E are higher in pasture raised eggs. They have lower fat and cholesterol and are much higher in Omega 3′s. A hen eating its natural diet produces a more nutritious egg – Mother Nature wins again!

Hunt for your eggs at a farmer’s market, directly from a farmer or a market that stocks happy eggs.

This is a very sad short film on battery hens :

Humane Society International on Battery Hens

HOW TO COOK A SOFT BOILED HAPPY EGG

I used to drop eggs into boiling water and watch the egg whites seep out of cracked shells. Over and over I did it this way and then I became…eggwhitened!

Here is a foolproof method:

Place your eggs in a saucepan so that they can all sit on the bottom.

Add cold water so that the eggs are well covered.

Bring water quickly to a boil over high heat. Immediately cover the saucepan and remove from the heat to stop boiling. Let eggs stand in the water, covered, for about 4 minutes for large eggs.

Remove eggs from the water. Run cold water over the eggs.

Place in an egg cup. Slice off the top end and eat with a spoon

Hope you had a hoppy, happy Easter!!

xoedie

On the way home Mike and I hatched our next local family adventure. Friday, we would take the boys to the Kartbahn facility in Halifax. Kartbahn is  an indoor race track where you can careen around in go-karts for $19 / 8 minutes. YES….we decided, THIS would be another fun family event and the boys would be thrilled!

Over a bowl of hot steaming soup we announced the Kartbahn plan to the boys. We expected to hear exclaims of  “Cool!”, “Sweet!” Instead, without missing a beat, William says ” I think I have had enough family time for the week”, Lauchlin quickly agrees,” Yes, me too, and it is too expensive anyway.” Mike and I look at each other, dumfounded. The tables have turned as it is now THEY that need a break from US!

Such is the life of a parent  – a life of love, growth and constant change.

“It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn’t.”
– Barbara Kingsolver

William asked me to make a ginger cookie that was chewy and crispy…not crunchy. I have always loved those kind of ginger cookies too – but those recipes always include that nasty fat: shortening. I wanted to find a ginger cookie recipe that could be a family classic without using that processed white goo.

This is an adapted recipe of pastry chef, David Lebovitz and it is perfect! It does have a lot of sugar, but it is so spicy, so chewy that one or two with a cup of tea will satisfy!

So, at the end of our family time march break staycation, I present to you the recipe for:

FAMILY TIME GINGER COOKIES

1 cup, packed, dark brown sugar
1/4 cup baby prune puree – you could also try applesauce or pumpkin puree
1/3 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups flour (I used spelt – but all purpose is fine too)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground dried ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 cup finely-chopped candied ginger

additional sugar mixed with a little cinnamon for rolling the cookies

In large bowl, beat the brown sugar, prune puree and molasses for five minutes at medium speed.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.

Add the egg whites to the prune-molasses mixture. Beat another minute.

With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until well blended.

Stir in the chopped candied ginger.

Put the batter in the fridge to chill for at least 30  minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pour some cinnamon- granulated sugar in a shallow baking dish. Scoop the cookies into heaping tablespoon-sized balls and roll them in the sugar. Place them on the baking sheets a couple of inches apart as they will spread.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the cookies feel just barely set in the center.

Let cool on a cooling rack.

Keep the cookies in an airtight container for up to five days.

Enjoy them with tea and your family!

“Mommy I will always want to go EVERYWHERE with you”

” I know, Bella, you are Mom’s best friend.”

Big Mistake. That man always makes me laugh and then cry…and cry and cry and cry. I mean wail!

He touches a tender spot in me and if that happens to coincide with peri-menopausal hormone somersaults. Well, I am a mess.

When I arrived at the store I had to explain to the pharmacy manager that my eyes were red and blurry because of the Canadian story-teller Stuart’s affect on me. He seemed to understand.. ..but then again….Pharmacists probably get all kinds of stories!

March is National Nutrition Month! Eat right and hug a dietitian…..I am always open for a hug!!

This creamy, comforting soup is the perfect accompaniment to a grey, cold drizzly day and Stuart McLean on the radio!

Enjoy!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND PEAR SOUP

• a small knob of butter
• 2-3 cups of raw (fresh or frozen) cubed butternut squash*
• 2 ripe pears, peeled and chopped – I used Bosc
• water
• 1 sprig rosemary
• a grind or two of salt (not much)

“Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much”. Dad wrote this on a yellow post- it note and stuck it above his desk in his home office. There were all kinds of notes and reminders that he had posted above his desk so it went unnoticed until we were sorting through his things after he passed away. We made copies of the little yellow post-it note; Mom has the original taped to the inside of her address book. Last time I was home she showed it to me and said: ‘look at what he wrote!’ She thinks that he penned this phrase. I didn’t tell her that this ubiquitous phrase decorates plates, picture frames, dish towels, pillows, furniture, etc.! She hates to shop so she will never know the difference. Not that it matters, and it is so cute that she thinks that it is his original quote.

And so lovely that he saw it somewhere and wanted to post it above his desk to remind him to live like this.

And live like that he did…

So for Valentine’s Day…instead of just letting it decorate our walls, let’s take the phrase to heart:

“Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much!”

Come to think of it, I have never seen a name attached to that phrase…..maybe my ‘ole Pa’ did come up with it!!!

Lentil Quinoa Love Loaf

Instead of the traditional meatloaf, try this veggie version!

You will love it – easy, flavorful and healthy, healthy!!  Adapted from Alive magazine (I think)…

1 cup green lentils, rinsed well

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed well

2 tsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup pecans, chopped and lightly toasted in a pan

2 eggs

3/4 cup quick cooking oats, (not instant)

3/4 cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1-2 tbsp curry powder

salt and pepper

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the lentils and 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Lower the temperature to simmer. After 15 minutes add the quinoa and 1 cup boiling water (from kettle). Simmer until all of the water is absorbed and the lentils are tender. Don’t let it boil dry! Add a little more water if necessary.

In a saute pan heat the oil and add the onion, carrot, mushroom, celery and red pepper. Cook about 5-7 minutes until veggies are tender.

In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients together. So pretty!

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Fill almost to the top with mixture – press down.

Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes. It should be golden brown and firm.

Let it rest about 10 minutes before removing it from the loaf pan and slicing. Really nice with a salad of micro greens, a purple cabbage slaw, or roasted root veggies…

Leftover mixture will make some nice patties for dinner the next night…form patties firmly with your hands and fry gently in a pan over medium heat until golden brown.

Bella was hoping for a Meat Love Loaf...

Listen to this adorable song to get you in the mood:

Kiss me in the Kitchen

Now that we have started something beautiful, how about making this great soup starter….

I really dislike the taste of commercial broths and powdered bouillons – bleech! They taste so tinny and fake and often have MSG in them. I try to make broth from our roasted chickens and stock from veggies to keep stored in our freezer, but these do take time and a lot of space in the freezer…so when I saw this “Soup Starter” recipe by Pam Corbin on the Culinate blog, I was pretty excited!

This is so easy and makes a delicious starting point for a nourishing pot of soup, stew or risotto.

Now don’t taste it and go all whiny on me: ” Its soooo salty, Edie…”.  I did cut the salt back by 75% from the original recipe. The salt is used as a preservative and flavour booster and it is meant to be a concentrated paste. I am keeping mine in the freezer.

You will only use 1 – 2 tbsp per cup of hot water for the soup, stew or risotto.

SOUP STARTER

(You can substitute or omit vegetables to suit your taste and what you have available. Great way to use up tired veggies!)

2-3 medium leeks, rinsed and chopped

3 celery stalks, rinsed and chopped

1 celery root, peeled and chopped

3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

1 onion, peeled and diced

3-4 sun-dried tomatoes

3 peeled garlic cloves

1/4 cup kosher salt or sea salt

2-3 handfuls of parsley, washed and chopped

(You may have to puree this in batches and mix it all together in a large bowl at the end)

Throw the leeks, celery, celery root and carrots in the food processor and process until it is very finely chopped.

Add the onion, tomatoes and garlic. Process.

Add the salt and process until it is a moist, minced mixture.

Add the parsley and process until it is finely minced.

I recommend scooping out 1/4 cup portions onto a cookie sheet and freezing – then put into a freezer bag and store in freezer.

You can put some in a jar and store in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

Add 1 – 2 tbsp per cup of water in place of a broth or stock in a soup, stew, or risotto recipe

You will love having this as a staple in your freezer…you can kiss me later…!

Bella beats me to the door everytime!

When my sons were younger we had a book that we took out every Christmas. It was a wordless book, just beautiful illustrations of a family preparing for Christmas. Cutting a tree, decorating the house, shopping, wrapping gifts, baking cookies, caroling, visiting, preparing a feast, going to church, opening presents, eating, eating  and eating. Then, the following pages showed the ‘undoing’ of the festivities….the cleaning up of dishes and wrapping paper, the taking down of decorations, the garbage and the trees at the curbside. The children return to school and the adults go back to their routines and Christmas is over.

As a Mother, I always found that part of the book disheartening. After ALL  of the effort put into this special time of year  – does it have to end so quickly? If we leave the tree up for a few more weeks, will the feeling last? Is it worth all of the work, really?

Last night I found some fortune cookies in the cupboard that I had meant to pass out at a New Year’s Day brunch. I cracked one open and the fortune said: ” You will be awarded some great honor.”

Well, I haven’t done any great acts of heroism or solved the climate change problem…yet…so I decided that this cookie must be meant for someone else…..

Then, moments later, William calls out to me from the living room:                                                “Mom….that was a great Christmas!” Wow, there it was….my effort for the Christmas season was  my heroic feat; a happy son with lifelong memories of Christmas – my award!

Every Mom deserves an award of great honor after Christmas, don’t you think?

On a cold winter’s night in January a simple pot of soup simply can’t be beat. It is easy for the weary cooks in the family and healthy enough to be a part of everyone’s resolutions to eat healthfully!

This is a simple soup formula rather than a distinct recipe. Take a look in your pantry, fridge and freezer and see what will go into your pot. Start with a little olive oil heating in a soup pot, add some aromatics such as onion, celery, garlic….add some more veggies, spices and broth, perhaps a pasta, or a grain, and some beans. Then stir and simmer. So easy, so healthy and so inexpensive!

VEGETABLE BEAN SOUP

This is what was in my soup pot:

A glug of olive oil

1 onion, diced

8 garlic cloves, minced

4 large carrots, diced

about 4 cups of turkey broth (from the Christmas turkey – frozen then thawed in pot)

about 3 cups of boiling water (from the kettle)

1 can Canellini Beans, rinsed

1 cup Moroccan Couscous

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup chopped kale

Pour the glug (about a tbsp) of olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat.

Add the diced onion and garlic. Saute until the onion is translucent.

Add the diced carrots. Saute for a few minutes.

Add the broth and boiling water.

Add the rinsed beans and the couscous. Let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the chopped kale just a few minutes before serving. Season with a little ground pepper and salt.

I hope everyone had a fun-filled joyful Christmas and that you are looking forward to this new year!

The door that recently closed for me was my oven door, so to speak. My oven started beeping out of control and then finally beeped its last beep about 3 weeks ago. I had a service person come in. The diagnosis: the electric control panel had ‘had the biscuit’ and it would be approximately $450 to fix it. Here is a mini tip: go with knobs instead of electronic push panels on ovens, stoves, etc..  Knobs are easy and less expensive to fix, it they do break.

So I had no oven for a couple of weeks and in that time I rekindled my relationship with some of my smaller appliances. My bread machine came out and produced some great loaves, my waffle maker created those wonderful spelt waffles and last, but not least, my slow cooker saved our traditional Sunday chicken dinners!

I hadn’t been using my slow cooker very much and always felt that it didn’t really do a great job on a whole chicken…but WOW, I really came to appreciate it these last few weeks. Juicy, tender chicken- albeit without a golden top – but that is o.k. especially if you are plating it up on the counter and the chicken is not a centerpiece on the table.

I like to make an edible roasting rack to keep the chicken out of the drippings and to help the heat circulate. You can use  pieces of a stale baguette, onion slices, carrot  sticks, or another vegetable. It will add flavor to the gravy or broth. That is a little tip from my friend, Martha…Martha Stewart…perhaps you have heard of her?  No?  Well she is trying to break into this crazy wonderful world of homemaking. I must invite her to do a guest post on this blog sometime. But listen,  if she tries to give you a stock trading tip – don’t take it...not a good thing.

Tie up the legs with a little chicken twine to keep the bird together and promote even cooking

This chicken was cooked on high for about 5 hours. Keep the lid on to keep the heat in! Check the temperature of your chicken with a food thermometer when you think it is done . Keep cooking until it is about 180 degrees. Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Try cooking a chicken in a slow cooker:

- you will use less electricity

-you don’t have to watch it as closely as if it was in the oven

-if it is summer it won’t heat up the kitchen

-It will be pale ……but delicious!

Bella says: “Oh for Heaven’s sake – when is that bird going to be cooked??!”

Follow-Up on our wall oven  -  I  researched  several new options at Sears, Home Depot, etc. and also looked on Kijiji. Found a Jenn-air convection (5 years old) on kijiji – it works so well! It was a great deal…. and …it has knobs!!

I have tried all kinds of techniques, including making scientifically proven statements about breakfast such as: breakfast eaters have higher grades, breakfast eaters have healthier overall diets. I have also resorted to begging and pleading….not a pretty sight to a teenage boy…..mother in white terry robe with sports socks, bedhead, no makeup, morning breath, with a look of desperation on face……

I have also used tempting foods – breakfast cereals with less fiber, more sugar…and more recently…Nutella on bread!

The most successful to date has been these homemade waffles. Now I don’t want you thinking that I am some kind of martyr whisking together flours, eggs and cinnamon every morning. I thought ‘ if you can buy frozen waffles – why not make homemade waffles en masse and freeze them to be toasted as required?!’

And it works like a lucky charm. I have made several double and quadruple batches of these. The only problem is they disappear in about 2 or 3 days!

SPELT CINNAMON WAFFLES

This is a single batch – I double it – and make two double batches at a time to freeze.

2 cups whole spelt flour

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

2 T sugar or less

1 T cinnamon or more….

3 eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

1 1/2 cup milk or milk alternate

1 T vanilla extract

1. In one bowl whisk the dry ingredients.

2. In another bowl, whisk the wet ingredients.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and blend with a large spoon just until mixed.

4. Lightly brush the heated waffle maker with oil.

5. Add batter to waffle maker – not too much or it will seep out of the sides! Messy!

6. When done, carefully remove the waffles. Eat them now – or cool on a rack. When cool, transfer to a freezer container or freezer bags.

7. If eating from frozen, toast them and cut them up for your 13 year old Momma’s boy.

8. Watch him pour the 100 % maple syrup generously all over the stack of waffles…..$$… and eat them all up, leaving a pool of 100% maple syrup on the plate…..dip your finger in and have a lick!

9. Watch him run to the bus with waffles in his belly – yeahhhhhh!!!!

Colleen once gave me a great tip! She said, “You should come play tennis with my boyfriend, Kelly and his buddy, Mike Ewald.”

Wow – that WAS  a great tip! Thanks Colleen!! XOXO

I have decided to dedicate an occasional blog post to great food related tips.

Tips or tools that I think are clever, useful, creative and make life’s daily tasks in the kitchen a little happier.

If YOU have a tip, please send it to me at shaw.ewald@ns.sympatico.ca

So here is the first “Here’s a Tip”. Just shared this with Colleen yesterday and she loved it!

MIREPOIX

Mirepoix, pronounced ” meer-pwah”, is a french name for a mix of finely diced onion, celery and carrot; three aromatic vegetables that are often the starting points for many soups, stews, stocks, etc..

So many recipes begin with the sauteing of a chopped onion and celery – so why not have this ready to go in your freezer!?

A Big Batch of Mirepoix

Clean and prep the onion, celery and carrot.

Finely dice them

Put approximately 1/2 cup of each into a freezer bag or container and store in the freezer.

Pop them out of the freezer and use as the flavour base by sauteeing in oil or butter over low – medium heat when starting your soups and stews….