Mixing Bowl Kids

Chocolate Chunk and Sea Salt "Foccacia"

This is the last of the bread posts for this week and I'm tickled to know that they were so well received. I'm so excited by how interested you, lovely readers, are in making homemade bread!

This simple, sweet and speedy take on foccacia, isn't exactly like the great Italian bread, but it's very nice all the same.  I wanted something that was beyond easy to make - something I could let my nine year old work on independently should he choose to do so.  I was also looking for something that was adaptable and while I knew this would work with some nice sea salt and fresh herbs added to the dough (and please feel free to do that for it's equally as delicious), I wanted to experiment with this, which is how I came to the chocolate chip version you see above.  Do note though that this is not a sweet bread at all, despite the addition of a bit of chocolate.

Taking less than 15 minutes to assemble, I'm happy to have found another easy bread recipe to add to my repertoire, and whether I serve it a sweet or savoury snack, it will surely be enjoyed just the same.   

I'll be back again tomorrow with one last post for the week...something that doesn't involve flour and yeast...and then I'm looking forward to a nice, warm-weather weekend with my family.

Have a great day, friends!

Chocolate Chip and Sea Salt "Foccacia"

1 tsp honey

2 1/4 tsp yeast

1/3 cup warm water + 3 tbsp warm water

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup chocolate chunks

Topping:

olive oil

sea salt

~ Place the yeast in a medium sized mixing bowl and cover with 1/3 cup warm water and the honey.  Allow to rest for 10 minutes, or until foamy.

~ Add the flour, olive oil and salt and mix well.  Add the remaining water, one tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together.  

~ Add the chocolate chunks and lightly knead the dough.  Place in an oiled bowl, turning to coat on all sides.  Allow to rise for 30 minutes in a warm spot.

~ Pre-heat the oven to 475 degrees.  Remove the dough and roll out onto a piece of parchment paper.  A circular or rectangular shape is fine.  Lift the parchment, with the dough on top of it, and place on a rimmed baking sheet.

~ Dot the dough with your fingertips making dimples on the top.  Brush olive oil over the dough and sprinkle with sea salt.

~ Bake for 8 - 10 minutes (depending on if you want the dough to have a crisp to it or not).  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

~ Enjoy!

Maple, Oatmeal and Wheat Bread

I'm home nursing a feverish, sickly nine year old, so I'm going to have to let the pictures (and there are many!) do the talking for me today. I tried another bread - a delicious and soft maple, oatmeal and wheat version.  This bread is perfect for mornings. Warm or toast a slice and serve with jam or honey. And peanut butter would be utterly delicious here as well.  

(Speaking of peanut butter - for those of you in the U.S., did you know Jiff was sponsoring a Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich contest?  How fun is that?  I can't think of a better way to get your creative kids into the kitchen to create the most unusual peanut butter sandwich they can think of.  Last year's winner made a Peanut Butter Chicken Cheesesteak sandwich, so as far as I'm concerned the possibilities are endless.  The winner of the contest receives a $25,000 Scholarship Fun and contest rules and regulations can be found here )

This recipe is made the same way as the other loaf, I've just changed up the ingredients.  I've yet to meet a child that doesn't enjoy kneading dough, so please get your kids involved in the process.  They will be so proud to take a sandwich to school, on their very own homemade bread.  I've used several photos to illustrate the bread-making process without a bread-maker or stand mixer.  Let me know if you have any questions and enjoy!

Add yeast to a large mixing bowl

Add oats and water and allow to rest for five minutes

Add oil, maple syrup and salt.

Then add the all purpose flour.  Mix well, cover with a tea towel and rest for 15 minutes.

When the 15 minutes are up, add the whole wheat flour and mix well with your hands.

Continue mixing until most of the flour is absorbed.

Place the dough onto a floured counter-top or cutting board and knead until soft and smooth.

Place the kneaded dough back into the bowl, sprinkle with flour, cover and allow to rest for 1 hour.

After the hour is up, remove the dough from the bowl and place on a counter-top.  Punch down until the dough is smooth. 

Place the dough ball on a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow to rise for another hour.  Bake in a pre-heated oven for 35 minutes.  Cool and enjoy!

Maple, Oatmeal and Wheat Bread

1 1/3 cups very warm water

2 1/4 tsp yeast

3/4 cups oats

2 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp pure maple syrup

1 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

~ Warm the water in a pot on the stove or in the microwave, until very warm but not hot to the touch. 

~ Place yeast in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle the yeast over, cover with oats and allow to sit for five minutes until it becomes bubbly.

~ Add the oil, maple syrup, and salt.  Cover with the all purpose flour and stir until smooth.  Allow to rest for 15 minutes.  

~Add in the whole wheat flour and stir to form a stiff dough.  Turn the dough out onto a floured cutting board or counter top and knead with you hands until it is smooth and springy. 

~ Cover the bowl and let the bough rise for one hour.

~ Turn the dough out onto the counter, punch dough shape into a round loaf.  Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Cover and allow to rise for another hour.

~ Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 35 minutes.  

~ Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Beer and Mustard Wheat Bread

Eleven months ago I started making homemade bread every few days, and with the exception of the odd purchased loaf, we've been noshing on this home-baked goodness all year.  My reasons for making our bread come from nothing more than I love doing it, and when using this tried and true method it takes less time to make a loaf than it does to buy one.  Add in how economical it is, and how good for you it is, and the reasons to make homemade bread are just too ample not to do it.

But like all good things in life, too much of a good thing can become a little boring, so it's time to switch up the bread recipes.  I'm in the process of experimenting, and I'd like to share some of our new breads here in this space if you don't mind.  

 The first loaf I tried this past weekend was a beer and mustard wheat bread. And was it ever tasty.  The beer is heated, which removed the alcohol from it, and when combined with the remaining ingredients, I was left with a soft-crumbed, simple loaf.  We toasted it up and spread it with hummus for breakfast, and I would also use this as a vehicle for a meaty sandwich or to accompany a warm bowl of soup.

Stay tuned for more bread recipes this week, and tell me, do you make bread? Why or why not?  How do you do it?  

Have a great day, friends!

Beer and Mustard Wheat Bread, adapted from Beatrice Ojakangas' Whole Grain Breads

1 1/3 cup dark ale
2 tsp active-dry yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp thyme leaves (or rosemary)
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour

~ Warm the beer in a pot on the stove or in the microwave, until very warm but not hot to the touch.  Place in the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over and allow to sit for five minutes until it becomes bubbly.

~ Add the oil, mustard, honey, salt, thyme and the all purpose flour and stir until smooth.  Allow to rest for 15 minutes.  Add in the whole wheat flour and stir to form a stiff dough.  Knead the dough in the mixer with a dough hook until it is smooth and springy. 

~ Remove the dough hook, cover the bowl and let the bough rise for one hour.

~ Turn the dough out onto the counter, shape into a round loaf and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Cover and allow to rise for another hour.

~ Brush the loaf with some water, cover in coarse salt and bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 35 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Using it Up!

Once a week, I listen to a food/cooking show on satellite radio.  Each time I listen the host offers a variety of recipes, fun food facts and tips and suggestions for the home cook.  Also showcased is a feature known as "Use it Up", where listeners call in to the program and name a food they have lurking in their fridge, pantry or freezer that they don't have a use for.  It's a brilliant idea really, because how often have we gone looking into our kitchen spaces and come across something that we just don't quite know how to put to use.

The above dish is my own version of "use it up".  This week I had baskets full of potatoes and a few cans of chickpeas hanging around and I just wasn't sure what to do with either.  The I remembered a recipe in Apples for Jam that has always caught my eye and ta-da, I now had a use for my otherwise useless items.  The end result of this dish was quite tasty, and filling, and if I had had sweet potatoes I definitely would have added them as well. 

How can you involve your kids in this "use it up" process?  Find an item in the fridge or cupboard that needs to be eaten and ask your kids for ideas on what they would do with the product.  Then, have your children help you prepare their suggested dish.  I'm sure you'll be surprised with the results and your family may end up eating something surprisingly delicious.

What do you need to use up?  List your item in the comments section and I (and hopefully my dear readers as well) can respond with a few suggestions for you.

Spicy Smashed Potatoes and Chickpeas, adapted from Apples for Jam

3 lbs potatoes, chopped into chunks

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

1 can chickpeas

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp curry

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

Fresh or dried parsley (optional)

~ Boil the potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes, or until they are soft.

~ While the potatoes are cooking, heat the butter and milk in a small saucepan until the butter has melted.  Add all of the spices to the mixture and stir well to combine.  Leave to simmer over low heat.

~ Mash the chickpeas with a handheld blender until they are mostly smooth with a few chunky pieces left.  

~ Drain the potatoes and place into a large bowl.  Pour the milk mixture over, add the chickpea puree and mix together well.  Serve warm with a sprinkling of parsley.

~ Enjoy!

Apple and Dried Cranberry Loaf

Mmm....this was yummy!  Using my tried and true banana loaf recipe as a base for this tasty treat, I swapped out a few ingredients for a a couple of others and voila...a loaf worthy of breakfasts, snacks and possibly even lunches (trust me on this one - it's what I had the other day!).

Do you enjoy making loaves?  For me they are one of the easiest ways to put together a homemade baked good, and so handy when you need a dessert or quick snack right away.  Usually assembled in less than fifteen minutes, then popped into the oven for just under an hour, loaves require very little attention. My boys love making loaves as well and this one we even made in just one bowl, so the mess was cleaned up in no time at all.  

I've always thought it would be so fun to open a bakery that sold nothing but a variety of loaves and great coffee/tea.  My oldest son would create variations of lemon loaves, my youngest son could concoct as many chocolate varieties as possible and I would look for ways to add fruits and veggies wherever I could. My husband is just happy to be the taste-tester of these goods, for he's always telling the kids "I'm a cook not a baker".

What is your favourite kind of loaf? 

Apple and Dried Cranberry Loaf

3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup olive or canola oil
1/4 cup yogurt (plain or vanilla)
1 cup peeled, cored and diced apples
1/2 cup dried cranberries

~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

~ Whisk together the egg and egg white and set aside.  

~ Add the remaining ingredients to one large mixing bowl.  Add the beaten eggs and combine all of the ingredients well.  Be careful not to over mix. 

~ Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean.

~ Enjoy!

Wookie Cookies

                                           
                            

I have a Star Wars loving boy in my home.  Love, isn't even the correct word to use when describing said child's affinity for the intergalactic world of Luke Skywalker et al.  It more borders on obsession or addiction - I'm not sure which word is more fitting.

In any event, while out for lunch with some friends last week, I came across the above book and thought it would be the most perfect Christmas gift for my Jedi boy.  A true little chef at heart, what could be more exciting for him than to get into the kitchen and make foods like Mos Eisley Morsels, Hoth Chocolate, Skywalker Smoothies, Han-burgers and Wookie Cookies.

We're already planning a Star Wars birthday party for his January birthday and this little goldmine is going to make the menu planning easy-peasy.  If you have a young Jedi or even an old one on your Christmas list, this is one book not to be missed.

Housekeeping and Homemade Sausage Patties

Happy November, friends!  I hope you all had a great weekend and lots of Halloween fun with your kiddies. Now that we've made it through the October festivities, which if you live in Canada means both Thanksgiving and Halloween, I'm looking forward to a quieter month.  With this new month comes big changes at our house and changes for me and this space as well.

I'm launching another website/blog in January 2010.  Something that will allow me to share more of my thoughts/ideas on food and family and how the two intersect.  I love sharing recipes here and still want to encourage the involvement of little chefs in the kitchen, however, I feel there is so much more I could be, want to be talking about - things that I discuss on the playground, at work, or on the phone with my girlfriends.  All topics will still be food related, and family focused, but more than just recipes.  So, here's where you come in...what topics would you like to see covered?  Some ideas I have are:

• Meals in less than 20 minutes
• Product reviews - food items, kitchen gadgets
• Cookbook reviews
• Links to other great recipes on the web 
• Tip and Suggestions
• Alternative foods and recipes
• Restaurant reviews and recommendations
• The dinner date night
• Entertaining on a budget
• Bakesale/Playdate goodies
• Kitchen organization
• Cooking 101 - how to series
• Ask a question and I'll post it with an answer/suggestion
• Food crafts
• Holiday and Seasonal ideas
• Party planning
• Guest food bloggers

Mixing Bowl Kids will still be up and running, with regular posting when the new website launches.  I still want to have a place to share recipes for all the cookin' kids out there.  But another space, with other topics for foodie mamas, will be fun too.

In the meantime, I made these little sausage patties for dinner.  My boys are carnivores and love their meaty dinners.  Sausages are popular in house, but sometimes I'm just not so sure what goes into them so I decided to make my own.  I don't have the equipment to put the meat into casings so I made a sausage patty instead.  A chicken, apple and sage sausage patty to be exact. They were a huge hit with the boys, who are thrilled that there is enough left over for today's lunch.  They look very similar to a hamburger, but my husband assures me they have the taste and texture of a sausage.  From the little research that I did prior to making these, it would seems as though sausages are made with a fat and a liquid where as hamburgers are not.  I'm not an expert at this, but would love to become one.  They were fun to make and delicious to eat.

So friends, please, please, please send any and all of your ideas for the new website my way.  I'm working on this now and would love to have everything up and running the first week of January.  Thank you all for reading and for your wonderful comments - have a great day!

Chicken, Apple and Sage Sausage Patties

2 lbs ground chicken

1/2 lb bacon, diced

2 apples, peeled, cored and diced

1 onion, peeled and diced

5 sage leaves, minced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground pepper

1/2 cup chicken stock.

1 tbsp olive oil

~ Place the oil in a medium sized skillet over medium high heat and add the apples and the onions.  Cook until softened, approx. 10 minutes.

~ While the apples and onions are cooking combine the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Add the onion/apple mixture and the stock to the meat mixture and incorporate well with your hands.  

~ Shape into small, flat patties and place on foil or parchment lined baking sheets.  Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

~ Bake in the oven at 350 degrees, for 20 minutes or cook in a sprayed or oiled pan for approx. 12 minutes (6 minutes per side).

~ Enjoy!

Pumpkin, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Purée

I wanted to include this soup in my week of Halloween treats, for it's made with pumpkin and that's about as Halloween-ish as you can get in my books. We have been eating this for dinner once a week over the past fortnight and seeing as it's received six thumbs up each time I've made it, I decided to share it here with you. 

Our trick 'r treating night is looking like it's going to be a blustery one and this may just find it's way to the menu on Saturday. Quick to make and seasonally appropriate, this will warm up our hands and toes before we head out to collect an abundance of candy.

I'll be back in this space on Monday with many more goodies for you.  Have a wonderful, spook-tacular weekend, friends!

Pumpkin, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Purée

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

3 cups of black beans (cooked or canned)

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)

1 tbsp + 1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp salt

8 cups chicken or veggie stock

~ Place the butter and the oil in a large pot and melt over medium high heat.  Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent and slightly browned.

~ Add the sweet potato, pumpkin, black beans, salt and garam masala and stir to coat with the onion mixture and to combine the ingredients well.

~ Cover with 4 cups of stock and bring to a boil.

~ Reduce to a simmer, cover and allow to cook for 1 hour or until the beans and sweet potatoes are fork tender.

~ Puree using a regular or immersion blender.  Add the remaining stock and stir well.

~ Serve with bread and salad and enjoy!

Franken-Mallow Heads

Short on time this week (it's a busy one, isn't it?), I wanted to prepare something fun for all the kiddies, but specifically the preschoolers out there who are probably bursting with excitement over Halloween.   I think this would be a great food-craft for a class, home or church party and using nothing more than marshmallows, chocolate, pretzels and green food colouring this is super simple fun for everyone, including all your little chefs.

So, with Halloween just a few days away are you all ready and organized? What are your kids dressing up as this year? I'd love to hear your ideas....have a great day!

Franken-Mallow Heads

20 large marshmallows

20 long pretzel sticks

1 cup chocolate chips

1 tbsp table cream

green food colouring 

water

~ Place 2 tbsp of water in a shallow bowl and 5-6 drops of food colouring and combine well.

~ Place the marshmallows, one at a time, in the bowl and turn over to completely coat with the coloured water.  Remove and place on a cooling rack placed over a cutting board covered with paper towel to dry.

~ Melt the chocolate in double broiler, or heat-proof bowl set over a pot of boiling water.  Add the cream and mix well. 

~ Dip one end of the marshmallow into the chocolate and place on the drying rack.  The chocolate will be Franken-Mallow's hair.  Dip the end of the toothpick or a wooden skewer into the chocolate and draw eyes, a nose and mouth into the marshmallow.

~ Stick pretzels into the sides of the marshmallow (for the bolts) and allow to completely dry.

~ Enjoy!

Witchy-Finger Sandwiches for Halloween

October has moved along at quite a clip and Halloween is finally just a few days away.  My children, like yours I'm sure, are getting excited and the countdown for costume-day has begun.  I was never much of Halloween fan myself when I was a child (I always wore the oddest costumes!) but I have a new found appreciation for it now that I'm seeing the day through the eyes of my boys.

So, as we've prepared for all the fun, spooky food has been at the forefront of my mind.  I've been planning a few fun things for, and with my boys, like these Witchy Finger Sandwiches. My youngest and I worked on these "bewitching" fingers this past weekend and they were easy-peasy to assemble.  So much so that once I demonstrated the process he went to work on the remaining pieces of bread.  I rounded everything once it was rolled and together we adorned the fingers with their long, painted fingernails. My quick-thinking husband suggested we add a ring to the third finger for authenticity,  so I grabbed a spider and put it in place.  Such a fun project for us to work on together! 

I have a few more gruesome goodies to share with you this week as we get ready for the upcoming weekend.  In the meantime, try tucking these into your young ones lunch this week, or serve them with a steaming mug of soup for dinner and I'm sure your meal will be a howling success.  Have a great day!  

Witchy Finger Sandwiches
yields: one hand

5 slices of white sandwich bread, crusts removes

five almonds (optional:painted red or black with gel colour-paste)

filling of your choice: peanut butter, jam, nutella, cream cheese, tuna etc.

~ Remove the crusts from each piece of bread and roll flat with the rolling pin.

~ Spread or top each slice with your choice of filling (I used peanut butter) and roll lengthwise into a thin log.  

~Round the tips, then score the bread with a sharp knife where the knuckles would be.

~ Add the almonds (you can paint them first with gel colour or food colouring) and stick them into place by adding a dab of your filling to the back of the almond before placing it on the bread.

~ Enjoy!