2012-01-02
A new year and I have decided to start a blog about my favourite subject, feeding my family.
Growing up my family was in the food business owning and operating a small chain of supermarkets. My mother and my aunts (on both sides) were amazing cooks and bakers. We never had bottled salad dressing, canned soup or cookies from a bag. Everything we got was homemade and every night whoever was home sat down for dinner.
I have to say I didn’t always appreciate this. A huge treat to me was canned Chicken Noodle Soup or an Oreo cookie.
Growing up with three brothers I learned if you want people to like you – feed them. I learned to bake at the age of 8, finally finding something to do that they liked me for.
My mother let me make whatever I wanted provided I obeyed two rules:
1. Clean as you go – I take out all my ingredients to make sure I have what I need they put each one away after I use it and clean up whatever measuring cups, spoons etc as I use them. Work in a small area (you don’t have to mess they entire kitchen).
2. Leave the kitchen as I found it – clean. If you clean up as you go and have worked in a small area that is pretty easy.
My family entertained a fair bit. We would cook everything ourselves but would hire professional waitresses to serve. I loved when they came. I would hang out in the kitchen and help and learned how to make beautiful fruit plates and how to garnish. My mother although a great cook was not one to be “fancy”. I was always appreciative of a great presentation. My mother did like to set a nice table, again something I helped her with and again something I have an appreciation for. First you eat with your eyes!
I have been fortunate to be home with my kids (up until recently I worked part time from home). I have two daughters 17 and 20 who are both in school, working part time and living at home.
For us family dinners have always been important. It is family time and whoever is home sits at the kitchen table and eats together. We talk, laugh (sometimes argue) and share. It has also been proven that you eat better when you sit at a table with family or friends.
Unlike my mother who made what my father liked and we either ate it or got sent to our rooms in tears I try make my kids what they like as well as pleasing my husband (who fortunately eats everything). For me it is a matter of respect. I don’t eat what I don’t like. They do however have to try things before declaring they don’t like it. Because of the rule of trying things combined with my interest in trying new things my girls have grown up with interesting taste issues. My youngest in particular; she does not like Mac and Cheese but loves grilled Calamari, she does not like Spaghetti with Meatballs but loves Eggplant Lasagne.
Like most teenage girls ours have done the “vegetarian” thing more than once. Thankfully they are both eating poultry now which makes my life a lot easier. I cook one meal either vegetarian, fish or poultry for all when the girls are home for dinner and beef for my husband when they are not.
For New Years Day I made a turkey dinner. We go to my mother in laws for Christmas dinner so no turkey here. I love turkey leftovers and as that requires making a turkey first, I put a small one out on the barbeque yesterday (in a foil pan at 350 for 2/12 hours) and made it with roasted potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts and root vegetable mash.
This morning I made banana bread to use up some over ripe bananas I had on my counter (If you can’t use your over ripe bananas right away freeze them and defrost when needed) and multigrain bread (for hot turkey sandwiches). Bread is easier to make than cake – you just need to be around for a couple of hours.
Recipe for Multigrain Bread
¼ cup hot water
1 tablespoon quick rise yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups Best for Bread Multigrain Flour
¼ cup coffee
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil (and another tablespoon for the bowl)
Hot water
In measuring cup add ¼ cup hot water, sugar and yeast.
Let stand until foamy (meanwhile get out all your other ingredients)
In food processor with metal blade:
Add flour, salt, honey, coffee and oil. Start processor and while machine is running (through the feed tube) add yeast mixture and pour in hot water until the mixture forms a ball around the blade.
If you don’t have a food processor, put dry ingredients in a large bowl and add yeast mixture, honey and oil. Add hot water while mixing until it gathers together and forms a ball.
Oil a large bowl and put bread mixture into the bowl. Turn bread over so the entire ball is oiled.
Cover with plastic wrap and a clean tea towel and leave it to rise (if your oven or stove are being used place the bowl on an unused portion of the stove or try to find a spot that is free of draft – the warmer the faster it rises)
Let rise for about one hour or until doubled.
On lightly floured board press dough into 4 X 6 rectangle and roll to form bread. You can either spray and parchment line a 9 X 6 inch loaf pan and place the bread in or just place on a parchment lined baking sheet for a more “free form”. Just remember to place the bread on seam side down.
Cover with plastic wrap and tea towel and let rise again until doubled in bulk – about one hour.
When risen: Heat oven to 350 convection or 375 if you don’t have a convection oven.
I brush a little oil on the bread before baking to make a harder crust or you can brush a little beaten egg to make shiny crust.
Bake for about ½ hour until bread is brown and makes a hollow sound when tapped.
Turn bread out onto cooling rack or wooden board (if you put on a plate it will get soggy on the bottom).
While my bread was rising I made:
Banana Bread
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter cut into chunks
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas – three large or four small.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with Pam and line with parchment.
In food processor with metal blade cream together butter and brown sugar and eggs add mashed bananas until well blended. Add flour baking soda and salt and pulse until just blended. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack.
Options: add ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts or 2/3 cup chocolate chips to batter before baking.
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