Good News EVERYBODY, we have already begun to plan for Family Cooking Day 2011.
We've tried muffins, pasta and meatballs in the past. So far Stephen wants to whip up some fantastic pumpkin soup. This narrows us down to a harvest time day. We may even be able to use a large professional kitchen for our next Family Cooking Day. Watch this blog for more news.
What shall we make in big batches for everyone to take home?
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Friday, March 18, 2005
Family Cooking Day
Family Cooking Day was a success. We created over 500 meatballs that were divided between three households. The work was easy, fast and simple. We experimented a little with the basic meatball recipe but the real treat surfaces when we cook the meatballs later. Everyone took some home to put in the freezer for serving later. So here are some serving suggestions.
Spaghetti and meatballs
Meatball sandwiches
Meatballs in sweet and sour sauce over rice
Meatballs and gravy over mashed potatoes
Meatballs with noddles in a cream sauce
Meatball kabobs
Meatball soup
Stir fried vegetables and meatballs
The possiblities, as they say, are endless!
Spaghetti and meatballs
Meatball sandwiches
Meatballs in sweet and sour sauce over rice
Meatballs and gravy over mashed potatoes
Meatballs with noddles in a cream sauce
Meatball kabobs
Meatball soup
Stir fried vegetables and meatballs
The possiblities, as they say, are endless!
Thursday, September 09, 2004
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Under the Broiler
These are quick and easy little items that can be served up for one or for many.
Hint
Oven: Place some tinfoil on the lower rack in the oven to catch drips and crumbs
Toaster Oven: Place tinfoil on the slide out bottom tray where it can’t touch the element.
How to:
In a conventional oven move one of the racks to the topmost position. Turn the oven setting to broil. Turn the temperate setting to broil or hottest temperature. During the broiling process the oven door should remain open slightly. Most ovens have a door position that allows for this.
Basic Recipe:
Toast one side of a slice of bread under the broiler.
Slice up your favorite cheese.
Turn the bread over and lay cheese on top. Stay inside the lines to keep the cheese from dripping.
Place bread cheese slice up on the rack.
Broil until cheese starts to melt. It will run off the side if you leave it too long.
Variations:
Bread: Try different kinds of bread or buns
Cheese: Try different combinations of cheese. Cheese tastes very different when it is melted. Yum!
Meats: Try adding some cooked bacon or ham. Pepperoni might be nice.
Bruschette:
Cut up a tomato into small chunks. Be sure to remove the seeds.
Crush a small ½ clove of garlic.
Cut up a little green onion.
Mix these ingredients with a little olive oil.
Tear up a fresh basil leaf or sprinkle a little dry basil and mix in.
Toast the bottom of the bread you are using: French stick.
Turn bread over and cover with the mixture.
Return to the broiler and heat until bread starts to turn brown.
Remove and serve.
Tuna Melt
Mix a can of drained tuna with a little mayonnaise, diced celery, salt and pepper.
Toast one side of bread under broiler.
Spread tuna mixture on other side.
Place a thin slice of tomato on top and some shredded cheese.
Return to the broiler and heat until bread starts to turn brown
Remove and Serve.
Hint
Oven: Place some tinfoil on the lower rack in the oven to catch drips and crumbs
Toaster Oven: Place tinfoil on the slide out bottom tray where it can’t touch the element.
How to:
In a conventional oven move one of the racks to the topmost position. Turn the oven setting to broil. Turn the temperate setting to broil or hottest temperature. During the broiling process the oven door should remain open slightly. Most ovens have a door position that allows for this.
Basic Recipe:
Toast one side of a slice of bread under the broiler.
Slice up your favorite cheese.
Turn the bread over and lay cheese on top. Stay inside the lines to keep the cheese from dripping.
Place bread cheese slice up on the rack.
Broil until cheese starts to melt. It will run off the side if you leave it too long.
Variations:
Bread: Try different kinds of bread or buns
Cheese: Try different combinations of cheese. Cheese tastes very different when it is melted. Yum!
Meats: Try adding some cooked bacon or ham. Pepperoni might be nice.
Bruschette:
Cut up a tomato into small chunks. Be sure to remove the seeds.
Crush a small ½ clove of garlic.
Cut up a little green onion.
Mix these ingredients with a little olive oil.
Tear up a fresh basil leaf or sprinkle a little dry basil and mix in.
Toast the bottom of the bread you are using: French stick.
Turn bread over and cover with the mixture.
Return to the broiler and heat until bread starts to turn brown.
Remove and serve.
Tuna Melt
Mix a can of drained tuna with a little mayonnaise, diced celery, salt and pepper.
Toast one side of bread under broiler.
Spread tuna mixture on other side.
Place a thin slice of tomato on top and some shredded cheese.
Return to the broiler and heat until bread starts to turn brown
Remove and Serve.
Monday, August 30, 2004
Slow Cook with Ease
My favorite tool in the kitchen is the slowcooker. Basically it's a ceramic pot inside a heating element. The food cooks on medium to high heat all day long. The results are delicious. The work is minimal. I'll add more recipes in another posting on another day.
Roast Beef
Buy a relatively cheap cut that has little fat and fits well into the pot.
Early in the morning wash the meat and place in the pot. Add some onions, 1 can of condensed tomatoe soup and sprinkle with seasonings.
Make sure pot is not near any surfaces that might melt or be affected by the heat.
Cover and turn on. Cook all day.
The meat practically melts on the plate and is great served with boiled potatoes that soak up the devine grave when mashed together.
Don't forget the vegetables.
Chicken
Buy a chicken that will fit into the crockpot. 2 -3 Oranges(or any other citrus you like), 1-2 onions
Early in the morning wash the chicken and oranges. Cut up the oranges and onions. Place inside the cavity. Any that won't fit can go in the bottom of the pot.
Put the chicken into the pot breast side down. Cover and let cook all day.
1/2 hour before it is time to serve the chicken remove it from the pot. Chicken is so soft it will easily spread open (butterfly) onto a large baking sheet. Place chicken on the sheet skin side up. Brown this under the broiler for 15 - 20 minutes. Baste with a sauce if you want.
Serve when browned.
Cottage Roll
Buy a cottage roll that will fit into the crockpot.
Early in the morning wash the cottage roll. Place into the crockpot. Cover and let cook all day.
Remove from pot. This will fall apart when you remove the mesh surrounding it.
Best served with rice. (Basmati is our favorite)
Options:
To cook potatoes and carrots in the same pot: Approximately 1 hour before you want to eat wash and prepare potatoes and carrots. Place in microwave oven and cook for 3 -4 minutes (longer for more of them). Add this hot food to the pot. They will cook beautifully without turning to mush.
Roast Beef
Buy a relatively cheap cut that has little fat and fits well into the pot.
Early in the morning wash the meat and place in the pot. Add some onions, 1 can of condensed tomatoe soup and sprinkle with seasonings.
Make sure pot is not near any surfaces that might melt or be affected by the heat.
Cover and turn on. Cook all day.
The meat practically melts on the plate and is great served with boiled potatoes that soak up the devine grave when mashed together.
Don't forget the vegetables.
Chicken
Buy a chicken that will fit into the crockpot. 2 -3 Oranges(or any other citrus you like), 1-2 onions
Early in the morning wash the chicken and oranges. Cut up the oranges and onions. Place inside the cavity. Any that won't fit can go in the bottom of the pot.
Put the chicken into the pot breast side down. Cover and let cook all day.
1/2 hour before it is time to serve the chicken remove it from the pot. Chicken is so soft it will easily spread open (butterfly) onto a large baking sheet. Place chicken on the sheet skin side up. Brown this under the broiler for 15 - 20 minutes. Baste with a sauce if you want.
Serve when browned.
Cottage Roll
Buy a cottage roll that will fit into the crockpot.
Early in the morning wash the cottage roll. Place into the crockpot. Cover and let cook all day.
Remove from pot. This will fall apart when you remove the mesh surrounding it.
Best served with rice. (Basmati is our favorite)
Options:
To cook potatoes and carrots in the same pot: Approximately 1 hour before you want to eat wash and prepare potatoes and carrots. Place in microwave oven and cook for 3 -4 minutes (longer for more of them). Add this hot food to the pot. They will cook beautifully without turning to mush.
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Jeweled Couscous
A side dish that is as tantilizing for the eye as it is for the palate.
Cook couscous according to pkg directions. Typically this is to boil water, pour in couscous, cover, remove from heat, wait 5 minutes, add butter, fluff with fork.
Dice finely a variety of colourful extras like:
1 carrot
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 small onion
1 stalk celery
1/2 sweet potato
2 - 3 florets of broccoli
Other addable items:
1/2 cup peas (frozen or not)
1/2 cup corn (frozen or not)
1/2 cup chickpeas (from a can)
1/2 cup black beans (from a can)
1 scrambled egg
Pick a variety of intersting colours and tasty flavours. When you have diced or measured out the items you want to include you can begin stir frying them.
Warm some olive oil in a large fry pan or dutch oven. Add the hardest, raw vegetables first. This would be the carrots, sweet potato etc. After a couple minutes add the next hardest items. The frozen vegetables last.
When the vegetables are cooked add the cooked couscous over top. Salt and pepper to taste. Add a 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth put on the lid and allow the water to steam off. Serve.
Variation:
Add leftover cooked meat to create a complet one dish meal. This works well with canned salmon or tuna as well.
Cook couscous according to pkg directions. Typically this is to boil water, pour in couscous, cover, remove from heat, wait 5 minutes, add butter, fluff with fork.
Dice finely a variety of colourful extras like:
1 carrot
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 small onion
1 stalk celery
1/2 sweet potato
2 - 3 florets of broccoli
Other addable items:
1/2 cup peas (frozen or not)
1/2 cup corn (frozen or not)
1/2 cup chickpeas (from a can)
1/2 cup black beans (from a can)
1 scrambled egg
Pick a variety of intersting colours and tasty flavours. When you have diced or measured out the items you want to include you can begin stir frying them.
Warm some olive oil in a large fry pan or dutch oven. Add the hardest, raw vegetables first. This would be the carrots, sweet potato etc. After a couple minutes add the next hardest items. The frozen vegetables last.
When the vegetables are cooked add the cooked couscous over top. Salt and pepper to taste. Add a 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth put on the lid and allow the water to steam off. Serve.
Variation:
Add leftover cooked meat to create a complet one dish meal. This works well with canned salmon or tuna as well.
Monday, August 23, 2004
Condiment Disposal
This is an excellent link that informs us about the need to dispose of old condiments.
http://www.backtable.org/~blade/fnord/condiments.html
http://www.backtable.org/~blade/fnord/condiments.html
Whole Wheat Pancakes - Mom Style
Fluffy pancakes cooked to golden crispness on the outside.
Mix in a large bowl.
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
pinch of salt
in separate smaller bowl mix
1 egg
3/4 - 1 cup milk
2 tblsp oil (we prefer olive oil)
After wet ingredients are mixed, pour them into the dry ingredients and mix.
To cook
Variation:
We love to cook up a whole batch of small pancakes. Sprinkle with a little icing sugar and eat like finger food treats. They are crisp and delicious.
Mix in a large bowl.
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
pinch of salt
in separate smaller bowl mix
1 egg
3/4 - 1 cup milk
2 tblsp oil (we prefer olive oil)
After wet ingredients are mixed, pour them into the dry ingredients and mix.
To cook
- Heat skillet with some oil in bottom.
- Drop spoonfuls of batter into hot skillet. When bubbles begin to break the surface of the pancake flip it.
- Cook a few minutes more on other side.
- Add more oil as needed to pan to keep pancakes from sticking.
- Serve with your favorite sauce.
Variation:
We love to cook up a whole batch of small pancakes. Sprinkle with a little icing sugar and eat like finger food treats. They are crisp and delicious.
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