tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63922572776429933932024-02-20T20:35:28.453-08:00scratch that: cooking from scratch for familiesA guide for families to cooking meals from scratch that are delicious, low-stress and frugal.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09004192405538039948noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392257277642993393.post-62141035352229366572012-11-11T14:59:00.000-08:002012-11-11T19:28:07.437-08:00Collards: The green that keeps on giving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/uploadedImages/articles/issues/2009-12-01/MEN-DJ10-100-sq-ft-garden-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="602" src="http://www.motherearthnews.com/uploadedImages/articles/issues/2009-12-01/MEN-DJ10-100-sq-ft-garden-3.jpg" width="900" /></a></div>
(Photo credit: <a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/">Mother Earth News</a>)<br />
<br />
Last year, inspired by the <a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/multimedia/image-gallery.aspx?id=2147485788&seq=2">Ros Trial garden</a>, I planted a few collard green plants. With their giant, sturdy dark green leaves they added some nice drama to the vegetable garden. Plus, the kids liked to use them as roof tiles on their forts. We ate our way through a portion of the plants' produce, but I thought I'd skip planting them this year. I apparently didn't pull out one of the plants during my spring garden clean up because, miraculously, it seems that these collard greens are acting as perennials. Or perhaps it was our mild winter last year that gave the plant a second chance.<br />
<br />
Either way, we've been eating collard greens in a lot of dinners recently and a favorite use for them is this butternut squash chowder (adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933615699/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1933615699&linkCode=as2&tag=scrathatcook-20">Slow Cooker Revolution</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=scrathatcook-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1933615699" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
from America's Test Kitchen).<br />
<br />
<b>Butternut Squash Chowder</b><br />
Serves 6-8 (but everyone wants seconds, so make extra if you are feeding more than 6)<br />
Cooking time 4-6 hours on low (in the slow cooker)<br />
Vegetarian adaptation: Leave out the bacon and replace the chicken broth with 3 more cups vegetable broth.<br />
<br />
<b>Tools</b><br />
large slow cooker<br />
10-12 inch skillet<br />
tin foil<br />
advanced planning - you want to have all the ingredients in the slow cooker around noon or 1 pm for a 6 pm dinner (unless you have a fancy timer on your slow cooker to switch it to warm).<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
1/4 lb. bacon, minced<br />
1 onion, minced<br />
3 garlic cloves, minced<br />
1/2 teaspoon dried basil<br />
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes<br />
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />
1/3 cup flour<br />
3 cups chicken broth<br />
4 cups vegetable broth (I like Repunzel brand vegetable bouillon)<br />
3 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch dice.<br />
2 bay leaves<br />
1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
1 bunch collard green leaves, stemmed and sliced into 1/4 inch ribbons, then sliced again across the ribbons to make them bite sized<br />
1/2 cup heavy cream<br />
1 teaspoon brown sugar<br />
grated Parmesan cheese for serving<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
<br />
1. In a skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Add the onion and garlic, basil, nutmeg and pepper flakes and cook on medium-high until softened. Add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Add 2 cups of chicken broth and scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Transfer to slow cooker.<br />
<br />
2. Add to the slow cooker: the remaining 5 cups of combined chicken and vegetable broth, half the squash, and bay leaves. Get a large piece of tin foil and lay it out on the counter: place the other half of the squash on the top half of the foil, add oil and season with salt and pepper. Fold the bottom of the foil up and seal the top end, then fold in the sides to make a well sealed packet that will rest on the top of soup, inside the slow cooker. Cover and cook for 4-6 hours on low.<br />
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3. Remove foil packet and place on a plate. Remove bay leaves and stir in the collard greens. Cook for another 20 minutes.<br />
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4. Open the foil packet, watching out for steam. Empty the squash and juices into the pot. Add cream, brown sugar and cook for another 5 minutes until heated. Season with salt and pepper and serve with cheese.<br />
<br />Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09004192405538039948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392257277642993393.post-39570609421802623882011-09-16T19:29:00.000-07:002011-09-16T19:56:46.816-07:00Coconut tapioca puddingI admit it, I was feeling generous today. Tonight I asked the kids if they wanted coconut shakes or tapioca pudding for dessert. We had already spent the early evening watching <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420238/">The Tale of Despereaux</a> and eating popcorn and sensing that I was in an easy going mood they hoped for the best and asked for both coconut shakes and pudding. You already know what happened next, right? So, here it is the newly invented and kid approved coconut tapioca pudding. It cooks up in a hurry, isn't too sweet, and is rich enough to be satisfying in small quantities.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Coconut Tapioca Pudding</span><br />1-16 oz. can Coconut Cream<br />1 c. milk<br />2/3 c. instant or granulated tapioca<br />1/4 t. kosher salt<br />2 eggs<br />1/4 c. white sugar<br />1/2 t. vanilla extract<br /><br />Mix coconut cream, milk, tapioca and salt together in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir frequently until the pudding thickens, approximately 3 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix eggs sugar and vanilla. Add a large spoonful of the hot tapioca to the egg mixture bowl and mix well to prevent curdling. Then add the egg mixture into the tapioca in the sauce pan and cook for another 5 minutes on low heat, stirring frequently. Let cool a bit, but eat slightly warm.<br /><br />Adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0972469060/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=scrathatcook-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0972469060">The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook: Whole Foods To Nourish Pregnant And Breastfeeding Women - And Their Families</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0972469060&camp=217145&creative=399369" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09004192405538039948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392257277642993393.post-82606561865752407452010-01-24T17:44:00.000-08:002010-01-24T18:23:40.751-08:00This Week's Meal Plan<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sunday:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Pasta with vegetables and sesame sauce</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Monday:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/ten-minute-couscous-soup-recipe.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ten minutes couscous soup</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> with poached egg and whole wheat bread</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Tuesday:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Hearty salad with big garlicky croutons</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Wednesday:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Lamb tagine with spices, apricots and chickpeas and couscous</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thursday:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Bean and rice burritos</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Friday:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Pizza</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Saturday:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Vinegar Glossed Chicken and polenta (from </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1579653561?ie=UTF8&tag=scrathatcook-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1579653561"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=scrathatcook-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1579653561" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></span></span></span></span></span></p>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09004192405538039948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392257277642993393.post-65366095344481887962009-12-27T20:12:00.000-08:002009-12-27T20:54:06.649-08:00Of lamb and leftoversFor Christmas dinner this year we had leg of lamb. But this wasn't just any leg of lamb. This wasn't bought at the store, or even at the butcher or even at the farmer's market. This was one of the legs from the lamb that my sister-in-law and I were splitting that we bought from a farmer on Washington Island,WI where our in-laws live. I've seen the pastures this little lamb grazed on. It was one lucky lamb. Until we ate it. But it was darn good. I still have a freezer full of lamb to look for recipes for, but here's what we've done so far.<div><br /></div><div>For christmas dinner we followed my grandmother's tried and true recipe. Nothing could be tastier or easier.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Roast leg of lamb</b></div><div><b></b>1 leg of lamb (ours was about 9 lbs)</div><div>15 garlic cloves, sliced into thick slices (more or less to taste)</div><div>1/2 a lemon, juiced</div><div>Worcestershire sauce</div><div>powdered ginger</div><div>kosher salt</div><div>pepper </div><div><br /></div><div><ol><li>Preheat over to 350. Place meat in a large roasting pan, preferably on a roasting rack.</li><li>Trim extra fat from the leg of lamb. Cut slits in it and stick the garlic slices in the slits.</li><li>pour the lemon juice over the meat. Liberally sprinkle with worcestershire sauce, powdered ginger, pepper and extra liberally with salt.</li><li>Bake until thermometer reads around 160F, approximately 3.5 hours.</li></ol>We served ours with caramelized brussel sprouts (garlic, onion and bacon), peas, potatoes (lots of butter), cranberry sauce (sweet and spicy, with lots of horseradish), mint jelly, and light wheat bread shaped into a wreath. Dessert was pecan pie from the Best Recipes cookbook.</div><div><br /></div><div>This meal fed us for two nights, amazingly. Tonight, Andy made stew from the last of the meat on the bone. After much thought and a bit of recipe research here's what he came up with. It was delicious.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Moroccan lamb stew with lentils and winter squash (from left-over leg of lamb)</b></div><div>Left-over leg of lamb (bone with plenty of meat remnants left on it)</div><div>carrots, cliced into 1/2 inch rounds</div><div>1/2 large butternut squash, peeled and chped into 1/2 inch cubes</div><div>1 14oz can diced tomatoes</div><div>1 c. red wine</div><div>1 onion, sliced</div><div>garlic</div><div>1/2 c. lentils</div><div>1/2 tsp. powdered ginger</div><div>1 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds</div><div>1/2 tsp. ground cumin</div><div>1 1/4 tsp.ground cinnamon</div><div>Salt, to taste</div><div><br /></div><div><ol><li>Make lamb stock by placing leg of lamb into a large pot and covering in water (6 quarts or so) and bring it to a boil, then simmering for one hour. YOu should have extra to freeze or use for another meal</li><li>strain the stock through a colander, seperating out the meat for the stew, setting aside the broth and throwing away the bones and fatty pieces.</li><li>In a separate large, heavy bottomed pot saute the carrot, onion, garlic and squash. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the wine. Add the spices and the lentils and bring to a high simmer.</li><li>Using kitchen shears, cut the meat off the bone to get 2-3 cups, if you can.</li><li>Add the meat and 6-7 cups of the broth you made.</li><li>Cook for 20-30 minutes until all the vegtables and lentils are tender, but not mushy.</li></ol><br /></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09004192405538039948noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392257277642993393.post-29056543068886986772009-12-03T20:56:00.000-08:002009-12-03T21:16:22.295-08:00Pasta with Roasted Broccoli, Sun Dried Tomatoes and FetaThis was an improvised pasta dish which turned out really well. I especially liked the roasted broccoli which gave the whole dish added flavor. The olives and pine nuts were a lucky last minute addition found in the back of the fridge, but ended up being the perfect compliment.<div><br /></div><div><b>Pasta with Roasted Broccoli, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Feta</b></div><div>1 lb bow tie pasta</div><div>1 bunch broccoli, split into bite size pieces</div><div>Olive oil</div><div>1/4 c. sun dried tomatoes, sliced</div><div>1/2 c. hot broth or water</div><div>4 cloves garlic, minced</div><div>4 oz. feta cheese</div><div>1 handful fruity green olives, pitted and chopped (optional)</div><div>1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted (optional)</div><div>salt (kosher, if you have it)</div><div>Parmesan cheese </div><div><br /></div><div><ol><li>Preheat the oven to 400 F. and set a pot of water to boil for the pasta.</li><li>Put the broccoli on a lipped cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Place in preheated oven for about 25 minutes, stirring half way through, until broccoli is tender and slightly charred. </li><li>Once the water boiling, add 1 Tbsp. of salt and add the pasta. Cook until al dente.</li><li>place sliced tomatoes in hot liquid for 10 minutes to rehydrate slightly, save liquid to be added to pasta.</li><li>When pasta is cooked, drain and leave in a colander while you saute the garlic and 1 Tbsp of olive oil in the pasta pot for 30 seconds until fragrant. </li><li>Add tomatoes and liquid, broccoli, pasta, olives, pine nuts and feta. cover for a minute or two to let the cheese melt a bit. Mix and serve with Parmesan cheese.</li></ol></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09004192405538039948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392257277642993393.post-74476840329992485462009-11-30T20:30:00.000-08:002009-11-30T20:53:58.695-08:00This Week's Meal PlanMonday and Tuesday: <a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/recipe/moroccan-style-stuffed-acorn-squashes">Moroccan-style stuffed squash</a><div>Wednesday: Pasta with broccoli, sun dried tomatoes and feta</div><div>Thursday: <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/chickpea-hot-pot-recipe.html">Chickpea Hot Pot</a></div><div>Friday: Pizza (using whatever dough from the Artisan bread in 5 minutes a day is currently in the fridge) </div><div>Weekend: Going out!</div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09004192405538039948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392257277642993393.post-30887217996770794242009-11-19T12:32:00.001-08:002009-11-19T13:10:39.157-08:00Pasta with Sweet Potato, Chickpeas and FetaThis is the kind of dish that pleases me at several levels. It has lots of flavor, is kid friendly, inexpensive and seasonally appropriate. And it's pretty. But you can't see that because everyone was so hungry that we ate everything before I could get a picture.<div><br /></div><div><b>Pasta with sweet potato, chickpeas and feta</b></div><div>1 lb pasta (I like bigger shapes for this, like rotini or penne)</div><div>1-2 T. butter or olive oil, or a combination</div><div>1 large sweet potato, diced into 1/4 inch pieces</div><div>1/2 large red onion, chopped</div><div>1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed</div><div> 3 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press</div><div>4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled</div><div><br /></div><div><ol><li>Heat water to a boil. Salt generously and add pasta</li><li>Melt butter/oil in pan. Saute onion and sweet potato until caramelized a bit and potato is just soft all the way through (8-10 minutes). I put the lid on the pan for part of the early cooking, then take it off for the last few minutes.</li><li>Add garlic and stir until fragrant (30 seconds)</li><li>Add chickpeas and cook until heated through.</li><li>Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 c up cooking water.</li><li>Mix pasta with vegetable mix, add feta and as much of the hot pasta water as you need to make it all creamy. </li></ol></div><div> </div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09004192405538039948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392257277642993393.post-38727180224810092222009-11-16T19:43:00.000-08:002009-11-16T20:37:49.816-08:00Pork roast: three waysOne morning last week, I was running out the door and remembered at the last minute to toss the pork roast into the crock pot. In my coat and hat, with the baby in one arm, I grabbed the pork roast from the fridge, unwrapped it, flicked some salt and pepper on, hit the switch and left for the day. Two minute meal prep is the best. We had dinner for three nights from that 2 minutes of prep work.<div><br /></div><div>Night one: barbecue pork sandwiches</div><div>Night two: pork burritos</div><div>Night three: provencal pork stew</div><div><br /></div><div>Here are the recipes:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Barbecue Pork Sandwiches</b></div><div>Pork butt or shoulder roast </div><div>1 bottle of barbecue sauce</div><div>Hamburger buns or hard rolls</div><div><br /></div><div><ol><li>Place pork in a crock pot. Lightly salt and pepper and cook for 8 hours on low</li><li>Take a portion of roast pork and break it apart with a fork. Mix in sauce to taste.</li><li>Serve on bun/roll with more sauce if desired.</li></ol>This meal goes particularly well with a simple coleslaw.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Pork Burritos</b></div><div>left-over pork roast</div><div>tortilla shells</div><div>rice (cooked)</div><div>shredded cheese</div><div>avocado</div><div>cilantro</div><div>lime</div><div>red onions </div><div>sour cream</div><div>whatever else you like on your burritos</div><div><br /></div><div><ol><li>Heat tortillas either individually over open gas flame (use tongs...your fingers will thank you) or wrap several tortillas in tin foil and heat for 15 minutes in the over at 300F.</li><li>have each person determine their topping preference.</li></ol><br /></div><div><b>Provencal Pork Stew</b></div><div>left-over pork roast</div><div>1-2 large cans whole tomatoes</div><div>1 can white beans, drained (or cook your own ahead of time)</div><div>2 carrots, diced</div><div>2 celery stalks, diced</div><div>1 small onion, diced</div><div>chicken broth</div><div>4 cloves garlic, pressed in garlic press or crushed and finely minced</div><div>wine (preferably a dry white, but red wine works too)</div><div>herbs d'Provence</div><div>Salt and pepper</div><div><br /></div><div><ol><li>Saute the onion, carrots and celery until onions become slightly translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds, until fragrant, then add the wine. You could also replace wine with broth, if you prefer.</li><li>Crush the tomatoes lightly with your hands or the back of a spoon as you add them to the other sautéed vegetables. Add beans and 1 tsp. herbs d'provence or to taste. Cook until slightly thickened but carrots and celery are still slightly crisp, about 15-20 minutes.</li><li>Add salt and pepper to taste and add pork and heat through. </li></ol></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09004192405538039948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392257277642993393.post-59330429742627597142009-10-07T13:39:00.000-07:002009-11-14T20:24:55.747-08:00Winter squash and swiss chard lasagna<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ingredients</span><br />1 largish winter squash (app. 3 lbs) cut in half and seeds scooped out<br />15 oz ricotta cheese<br />1/4 tsp. each red pepper flakes and nutmeg<br />1 bunch <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">swiss</span> chard chopped, stems and leaves separated<br />2 tbsp. butter<br />2 tbsp.flour<br />2 c. milk, heated in microwave for 2 minutes<br />1 box no boil lasagna noodles<br />4 large garlic cloves, chopped finely or crushed through garlic press<br />shredded <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Italian</span> blend cheese (or combination of mozzerella and parmesean<br />olive oil<br />salt<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Instructions</span><br /><ol><li>Roast for 1 hour (or until soft) squash at 375 degrees. Place cut side, rubbed with olive oil, on a rimmed cookie sheet.</li><li>When squash is done, let cool then peel skin off. Puree in food processor.</li><li>Make a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">bechemel</span> sauce by melting butter, whisking in flour and cooking until light gold color. While whisking, poor in hot milk slowly and cook over med-low heat until slightly thickened. Set aside.<br /></li><li>Mix squash puree, ricotta, salt<br /></li><li>Saute chard stems with garlic and a bit of olive oil until softened. Add chopped chard leaves and saute until wilted. Add to ricotta mixture.</li><li>Start your layers in a buttered 9x13 pan: Bechemel sauce, noodles, squash-ricotta-chard mix. I usually get 2-3 layers of each. Top with cheese. Cover with tin foil.</li><li>Bake at 375 for 45 minutes, remove tin foil and bake for additional 10 minutes.</li></ol>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09004192405538039948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392257277642993393.post-82094370563587677582009-10-07T13:35:00.000-07:002009-10-07T13:38:35.351-07:00This week's meal planSunday: <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/easiest-spaghetti-and-meatballs?">Spaghetti and meatballs</a><br />Monday:Roasted vegetable curry from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20src=%22http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=scrathatcook-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=0609609122%22%20style=%22width:120px;height:240px;%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20frameborder=%220%22%3E%3C/iframe%3E">Moosewood's Simple Suppers cookbook</a><br />Tuesday: Roast chicken with potatoes and cherry tomatoes<br />Wednesday: Winter squash and swiss chard lasagna<br />Thursday: Burritos<br />Friday: Pasta with vegetables from our <a href="http://www.driftlessorganics.com/">CSA box</a><br />Saturday: Fish with cous cous and CSA box vegtablesLaurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09004192405538039948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392257277642993393.post-44529132431754917462009-09-27T20:02:00.000-07:002009-09-28T06:51:09.225-07:00This week's meal planSunday: Pan-fried chicken breasts, sauteed spinach, cous cous, and tomato-basil-feta salad<br />Monday: Winter squash soup, green salad and bread<br />Tuesday: Omelettes and green salad<br />Wednesday: <a href="http://homecookkirsten.blogspot.com/2007/01/dianes-sauerkraut-and-kielbasa.html">Baked kielbasa and sauerkraut</a> with <a href="http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=489">homemade pretzels</a><br />Thursday: Pasta with vegetables from our CSA box<br />Friday: Pizza with roasted vegetables from our CSA box<br />Saturday: Lasagna with swiss chard (from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20src=%22http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=scrathatcook-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=0609610848%22%20style=%22width:120px;height:240px;%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20frameborder=%220%22%3E%3C/iframe%3E"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ready When You Are</span></a> by Martha Rose Shulman)Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09004192405538039948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392257277642993393.post-44201044816192697932009-09-25T13:51:00.000-07:002009-09-25T14:07:36.305-07:00Breaking bread<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzDdfad8aKKRkmUd9WbrzsANc8gD9tqHN4bqDjGvnf9Dnb1BfFsaeKGKPX2H85erXtHGqnX6fmOwzrqavm6f6KKd9PbvWmcSQFPSlXmnB1WeTb-5Q8uzFtGR5E74nyUceAvRife7KilIQ/s1600-h/DSCN1306.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzDdfad8aKKRkmUd9WbrzsANc8gD9tqHN4bqDjGvnf9Dnb1BfFsaeKGKPX2H85erXtHGqnX6fmOwzrqavm6f6KKd9PbvWmcSQFPSlXmnB1WeTb-5Q8uzFtGR5E74nyUceAvRife7KilIQ/s320/DSCN1306.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Front loaf shaped by me, rear loaf by 3-year old O-man</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">In the last couple years raising young children and baking bread have become my primary spiritual practices. While I have several bread and baking cookbooks, when I found <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/">Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day</a>, I had found my spiritual guide. I'm a convert. I proselytize at any opportunity. Seriously, if I was getting a cut of this book's sales I might even be able to keep myself in flour for a while.<br /><br />The basic premise of <span style="font-style: italic;">Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day</span> is that you make a large batch of high moisture dough, let it rise once then store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, taking out portions of the dough to shape, rise and bake whenever you need a loaf.<br /><br />Here's the thing about this book that make it an exceptional resource for family cooks:<br /><ol><li>The work is really quite minimal and the actual shaping and baking part is so easy that it really does only take a few minutes so it can be done anytime. </li><li>having dough around means <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">that</span> you can almost always whip up something for dinner...pizza, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">calzones</span>, soup or salad with bread, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">sandwiches</span>, <a href="http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=482">bacon and eggs in toast</a>, pasta with toasted breadcrumbs, I could go on and on.<br /></li><li>It's a lot cheaper to bake bread than to buy it at the store, plus, this way you aren't eating all those preservatives</li><li>Kids love fresh bread. Who am I kidding...EVERYONE loves fresh bread.<br /></li></ol></div></div>Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09004192405538039948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392257277642993393.post-33955592337052900652009-02-19T12:13:00.000-08:002009-02-19T12:26:05.144-08:00Three foods from scratch that always seem like magicThere are three things that I cook regularly at our house that some how have managed to consistantly seem like magic to me. I know it's just a bit of science and smidge of planning, but still I feel like amazed that it actually works every time:<br /><br />1. bread<br />2. yogurt<br />3. dried beans<br /><br />I am also find myself amazed at how much it costs to buy these things in the store and how lousy they taste compared to my homemade versions. So, if you are attempting to cook from scratch this is where I'd start. Every loaf you take out of the oven will leave you feeling better about the world, every batch of yogurt will make you feel brilliant and every batch of beans you cook up will feel like you won the lottery. Okay, maybe that's taking it too far. At the least though, it'll make you feel like you won a game of cards.<br /><br />For the next three posts, I'll cover how to start making these three things from scratch.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09004192405538039948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6392257277642993393.post-63623086360563596362009-02-18T04:42:00.000-08:002009-02-18T05:06:46.642-08:00What are we having for dinner tonight?About 5 times a day, my two and a half year old asks me this question: "what are we having for dinner tonight?" I know this is the age old, 5 o'clock dilemma for most families, but in our house it is genuine curiosity about the food we're going to be preparing, eating and enjoying together. Cooking and eating is as central to our families existence as it has been for the entirety of human existence, but in the face of modern food culture--fast, cheap and out-of-control--it can be a struggle to eat well, stay relaxed, enjoy what's on the table and to know what you are actually eating.<br /><br />So, this blog is my effort to explore how families can cook their food from scratch so that they can enjoy their food and enjoy each other.Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09004192405538039948noreply@blogger.com0