Teaching Kids How to Make Pizza

Originally published on September 17, 2015

So here’s the thing. As a parent, I have visions of me and my grown girls in the kitchen, preparing a big family feast together and chop-chop-chopping while we giggle away. And I’d like to think that one day, they’ll bring me breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day. But before any of that can happen, I have to teach them. I have to show them how to cook. And truthfully, I just don’t want to. Or at least, I didn’t think I did.

See, the kitchen was my place. It was where I could go and know that, for at least half an hour, time was mine. I could forget about all the other stuff that had to be done, and get lost in risotto or put all my focus into making that perfect pasta dough. How exactly was I supposed to do that when I was explaining every move, or waiting for tiny little hands to level out a cup of flour? It couldn’t be done. And if I allowed it to happen, the kitchen would turn into just another place where chores were done.

But the time had come. My girls are getting older and, it was probably time to start teaching them at least a few kitchen basics. I mean, I’ve cooked for a good portion of my life. If they can’t at least make themselves a proper meal when it comes time for them to leave home, I’ve basically failed as a mother, right? So, I bought The Usborne First Cookbook while on our family trip to the annual town fair. We put a plan in place that every Thursday, we’d get into the kitchen and they’d cook while I instructed. They were excited. I could see the beginning of the end.

That Thursday will turn into many more Thursdays – I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun making dinner. So maybe pizza isn’t the most sophisticated dish to make. And yes, maybe I did have my doubts about the simply-too-simple sauce in the book. But I can’t tell you how much fun it was to watch their noses scrunch up when they smelled the yeast as it started to bloom. And watching their eyes widen in amazement after the dough rose was a feeling that I had almost forgotten existed. See, when you get kids in the kitchen, you not only get to teach them a life skill everyone should have, you get to relive the joy of cooking that brought you to the kitchen in the first place. And you get to take the time to once again discover that sometimes simple is best – that sauce was gorgeous.

And as it turns out, 7 and 9 year-olds can giggle just as well as their future 20-something selves.

1/2 cup water  
1 teaspoon sugar  
1 teaspoon quick-rise yeast
1 3/4 cups white bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt  
1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/4 cups grated mozzarella cheese  
1 teaspoon dried oregano  
Additional toppings such as pepperoni, bacon, green peppers, mushrooms, etc. (optional)  

Directions:

1.) Following the directions on the package of yeast, add the water, yeast, and sugar to a container.

2.) Sift the flour and salt into a bowl, then mix in the yeast. Mix in just enough water to make a soft bowl of dough that leaves the bowl clean.

3.) Dust flour over a clean work surface. Put the dough onto the floured surface and knead it for about 5 minutes. When the dough is smooth and stretchy, put it into a greased bowl.

4.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Put it in a warm place for about an hour to rise.

5.) When the dough has doubled in size, take it out of the bowl and knead it for five more minutes.

6.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and grease two pizza trays.

7.) Break the dough into two balls and put one into each pan. Press them with your fingers until they fill the pan, then pinch the edge to make crusts.

8.) Place a sieve over a large bowl and drain the tomatoes. Push the tomatoes through the sieve with a wooden spoon. Stir in the tomato paste and a pinch of salt and pepper.

9.) Spread the tomato sauce over the pizzas, but don’t spread it on the crusts. Sprinkle the cheese and seasoning over the sauce.

10.) Bake the pizzas on the middle shelf of the oven for 20 minutes, until the crusts are crisp and brown.

11.) Carefully lift out the pizza. Cut them into wedges or slices.

Paige and Maddie’s Strawberry Tart

Originally published on September 26, 2015

The girls and I had so much fun making pizza one night that it wasn’t long before they were back in the kitchen, aprons on and ready to help. Actually this strawberry tart supposed to be made the same night as the pizza but we had too much fun and ran out of time.

It was worth the wait, sweet but not too sweet, and a nice light dessert that finished off our meal once we actually got around to making it. The thing I love the most about this kids’ cookbook we’ve been using is that everything is so simple. Who would’ve thought that just brushing a little bit of strawberry jam onto the inside of pie crust could turn it into something so magnificent?

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 pound strawberries 
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 egg yolks, beaten
  • 6 ounces strawberry jelly  
  • A pinch of salt

Directions:

1.) Sift the flour into a bowl and rub it in with the butter, sugar and salt, to make a crumbly mixture.

2.) Add the egg yolks and mix them in well with a knife. Squeeze the mixture with your hands, to make a smooth ball of dough. The dough should be soft but not sticky. To make it easier to roll, and to give the butter a chance to firm up again, put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

4.) Roll out the dough until it is fairly thin. Cut out one large circle, about 9″ in diameter, if making one large tart. If making individual strawberry tarts, cut out small circles with a round cutter. Once dough has been cut, press into a large tart pan or individual tins.

5.) Prick the pastry cases with a fork, then line them with parchment paper. Lay dried beans or pie weights on top of the paper, to keep the pastry from puffing up.

6.) Bake the pastry for 15 minutes, then take out the paper and beans. Bake the cases for five more minutes, until they are light brown, then cool them on a wire rack.

7.) Wash the strawberries, cut them in half, and remove their stalks.

8.) Melt the strawberry jelly in a small pan over low heat, to make a glaze. (To loosen the glaze a bit, I had to add a bit of water while melting.) Remove from heat.

9.) When the pastry is cool, brush the insides with a thick coat of strawberry glaze. Arrange the strawberries in the pastry shell and brush them with more strawberry glaze. Allow to cool completely so the glaze can set.

10.) Serve and enjoy!

How to Cook Ribs in the Oven

Originally published on October 2, 2015

That familiar October chill is officially in the air and while I still take a few trips out to the barbecue every now and then, they’re certainly fewer and farther between. Plus, during this time when I don’t really want to turn the furnace on just yet, letting the oven do the work of warming up the house can be nice.

Cooking ribs in the oven isn’t that much different than cooking them on the grill, but you need to remember the foil. Lots and lots of foil.

Ingredients:

2 racks of pork ribs, side or back cut
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 cups barbecue sauce 

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and remove the silver skin from the ribs.

2.) Combine everything together but the ribs and the barbecue sauce. Sprinkle generously over both sides of each rack of ribs and massage into the meat.

3.) Lay out one large piece of aluminum foil. Place the ribs in the centre and fold the foil over them to cover as best you can. Then, using another very large piece of foil, cover the remaining portion of the ribs that are still showing. Fold the foil under and around the ribs, completely sealing the ribs in a foil packet. Repeat with remaining rack of ribs.

4.) Place the ribs onto a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 2 – 3 hours, until they are tender and just starting to fall off the bone.

5.) Carefully remove the ribs from the oven and remove aluminum foil. Discard both the foil and the juices.

6.) Preheat the broiler and place ribs on a baking sheet. Brush barbecue sauce generously over the ribs and place under the broiler for 3 – 4 minutes, just until the sauce is heated through, bubbling, and just starting to caramelize.

7.) Remove ribs from the oven and let rest for at least five minutes. If desired, cut into individual ribs.

8.) Serve and enjoy!

How to Roast Beets

Originally published on October 3, 2015

Beets might not be the sexiest vegetable in the garden, but I love ‘em. They have a sweet flavour that becomes so intense when you roast them, and they’re so versatile. My mom knows how I feel about this veggie that turns everything it touches purple, which is why on her last visit, she hauled up 20 pounds of them – all for me!!! Hey, thanks mom!

Now, as much as I love the beet, there’s no way I could ever eat that many  before they started to turn on me. So, I had to freeze them. And of course, I couldn’t just throw those two huge bags into my freezer and hope for the best – even the most earnest prayers wouldn’t keep those beets nice for me. No, before freezing, roasting was in order. The good news is, it’s super simple.

(My side note on buying beets – wait until this time of the year. My mom said she got each 10 pound bag for just 2 bucks! Now that’s beets on a budget!)

  • 1 10-pound bag of beets 
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Scrub the beets and trim them.

2.) Place the beets in a large bowl and toss them with the vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Some like to add aromatics such as rosemary, and add them if you like. I never know what I’ll end up doing with my beets once they’re frozen so I like to keep them as plain as possible, adding flavours when I actually go to cook with them.

3.) Before you roast beets, you have to cover them in aluminum foil so that they retain their moisture during cooking, and that aluminum foil needs to seal them pretty well. To do this, you can individually wrap every beet, but that can take a lot of time, and a lot of foil, when you have 10 pounds of beets like I did. If you’d rather, lay a piece of foil on the bottom and up the sides of a casserole dish. Place the beets on top of the foil and then fold the foil over as many of the beets that you can. Then lay another piece of foil on top and crimp the sides of each piece of foil together to form a large packet.

4.) Place the beets into the oven and bake for about an hour, until they are fork-tender.

5.) Remove beets from oven and carefully remove aluminum foil. Let cool until you are able to handle them. Then, you can use a paring knife to remove the skin, but they should also slip right off pretty easily. You can also use gloves, if you don’t wish to turn your hands purple after just one beet.

6.) Once the beets are peeled, you can freeze them whole, cut them into chunks or slices before freezing, or eat as a delicious side dish!

Soy Sauce Substitute

Originally published on October 9, 2015

A soy sauce substitute can be great if you want to know exactly what’s gone into your food, or if you’re looking for a gluten-free option. The night that I made this though, it wasn’t for any of those reasons. I just ran out of soy sauce. And it turns out, a soy sauce substitute can be great for that, too.

  • 2 cups of beef broth 
  • 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon molasses
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 dash of black pepper
  • 1 dash garlic powder
  • 1 dash onion powder

Directions:

1.) Combine all ingredients into a small saucepan and whisk to fully combine. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to medium. Continue simmering until the sauce has been reduced by half.

2.) Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or, serve and enjoy!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin in a Pepsi Barbecue Sauce

Originally published on October 17, 2015

It snowed today. Not a lot, just enough to remind us that the warm weather is truly over for good. Around here we might not need to batten down the hatches, but we do need to pull our barbecue up so that the snowblower can churn up a nice path for us to walk on. Sadly, that means that around this time of year, we know that our barbecue nights are limited and so we have to make them count. This grilled pork tenderloin is one of my favourite ways to do it, and it’s the sauce that makes it. And by the way, that sauce is also the marinade. And it’s so good, I urge you to use it in place of your regular barbecue sauce from here on out.

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin, about 3 or 4 pounds
1 cup ketchup
1 cup Pepsi
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup grape jelly
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce 
Salt

Directions:

1.) Start by making the barbecue sauce, as you’ll need it for the marinade. Place the ketchup, 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, Pepsi, brown sugar and hot sauce in a saucepan. Season it with salt and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

2.) Make the marinade. In a large bowl place 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce, grape jelly, Sriracha sauce, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, black pepper and a pinch of salt.

3.) Place the pork tenderloin in a large resealable bag and pour marinade over top. Remove excess air from the bag, seal, and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour but up to overnight. Wrap the remaining barbecue sauce and also place in fridge to serve alongside the pork.

4.) Heat both burners of a gas grill to medium-high heat before turning one of the burners off. Place the pork tenderloin over this indirect heat side and close lid. Cook for 20 minutes to half an hour, turning regularly, until the internal temperature in the centre is 145 degrees Fahrenheit for a medium cook.

5.) Remove pork tenderloin from the grill, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Parmesan Risotto

Originally published on October 18, 2015

Risotto is just one of those things. It’s fussy, it’s finicky, and you probably won’t get it right the first time. But after just a couple attempts at this dish, you’ll become a risotto master and will be churning out this delicious, creamy rice dish.

If you want to get risotto just right, remember that it’s all in the stir. Yes, you do have to stir pretty regularly for the 20 minutes to half an hour this dish will take to cook, but you also don’t want to stir it too much. Doing so will result in gluey, clumpy risotto while not stirring it enough won’t give the rice a chance to slowly shed its starch and create the creamy base for the dish. The trick to getting it just right is to add the liquid, stir fairly rigorously until much of the liquid has evaporated, and then letting the liquid sit for a minute or two to become absorbed by the rice. Then you can add the next addition of liquid and repeat the process.

Ingredients:

6 to 8 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley or other fresh herb (I used chives as that’s what I had on hand)
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

1.) Heat chicken stock in a saucepan set over medium heat. Keep at a low simmer.

2.) In a heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add shallots, stir and cook until shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add rice, stir to coat in the oil, and then cook for 3 to 4 minutes. You’ll know the rice is toasted because it will start to pop and make sounds like glass beads.

3.) Add the wine to the pan, stir, and allow to cook until the wine has been entirely absorbed by the rice.

4.) Add 3/4 of a cup of stock to the pan. Stir for a minute or two and then slow the stirring until the liquid has nearly been absorbed by the rice. Then you can continue to add another 3/4 cup of stock and repeat the process. The risotto will be done, and you can stop adding liquid, once it is mostly translucent, but still opaque in the centre. The rice should still be firm to the bite, but not at all crunchy. As the rice nears finishing time, add smaller amounts of liquid so that you don’t overcook the rice. If you do, the rice will be mushy and the risotto will be watery.

5.) Remove the risotto from the heat. Stir in the butter, Parmesan cheese, and fresh herb and season with salt and pepper.

6.) Shave more Parmesan over the entire dish, serve, and enjoy!

Chicken Marsala

Originally published on November 3, 2015

I’ve always wanted to make Chicken Marsala at home, but never remember to buy Marsala wine, a key component in the dish that was named after it. On a recent trip to the liquor store, a bottle caught my eye and I started chatting with the clerk about it. Here are some things I learned during that conversation, and after I brought my first bottle of Marsala home:

  • Like Champagne or Burgundy, Marsala is named after the city in Sicily where it’s made.
  • Marsala is either very, very sweet or very, very dry. It’s for this reason the clerk told me that it’s not usually suitable for drinking on its own. I always opt for dry and after bringing it home, I found that  it works just fine when drank on its own. Be careful with it though because….
  • Marsala is a fortified wine. This means that unlike other wines, hard alcohol is added to Marsala. Originally this was done to preserve the wine for long sea voyages. Today this fortification is considered one of the major characteristics of the wine and so it’s remained.
  • Marsala should be stored in the fridge. The alcohol added to the wine helps preserve it even when open and left in your liquor cabinet. However, to ensure you don’t lose any of the flavor profile, it’s best when kept in the fridge. Wherever you store it, Marsala will last for several months, even after you’ve opened the bottle.
  • There are three components you need to make Chicken Marsala – chicken, Marsala wine, and mushrooms. Anything beyond that – butter, cream, vegetables – is up to you, but you must include those three ingredients to have proper Chicken Marsala. You’ll find them in the following recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour  
  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, pounded to an even thickness  
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 3 cups cremini mushrooms, quartered
  • 3/4 cup Marsala wine, sweet or dry
  • 1 cup chicken stock 
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1.) In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour, about a teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Dredge the chicken thighs in the flour, remove, and shake to remove excess flour.

2.) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter, wait until it melts and just starts to foam, and then add the chicken thighs. Cook for about four minutes, flip, and cook other side for another four minutes until thighs are golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

3.) Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the pan and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms just begin to carmalize and release their liquid. Add the Marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping with a wooden spoon as you do to release any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue boiling until the mixture has reduced by half.

4.) Add the chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly.

5.) Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken thighs to the pan. Continue to cook until the thighs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 10 to 12 more minutes.

6.) Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Off the heat, stir in the chopped parsley.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Copycat KD Macaroni and Cheese Spirals

Originally published on November 9, 2015

The girls ate this up as quickly as they do the boxed version, and they regularly balk at homemade macaroni and cheese. When I started making it, I didn’t intend to create a Copycat KD Macaroni and Cheese Spirals, but as I ate it, I became more convinced that I had. And I bet if you used elbow pasta in place of egg noodles, you’d have a copycat version of the original thing.

1/2 package egg noodles
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt 
Pepper

Directions:

1.) Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. When at a rapid boil, add egg noodles and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring regularly. When finished cooking and still al dente, drain.

2.) Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan set over medium heat. When melted and starting to foam, add flour and whisk vigorously to form a roux. Continue cooking for three minutes, whisking continuously, until the roux becomes golden brown.

3.) Slowly add the milk in, starting with small amounts and whisking them into the roux before adding more. Continue whisking as you add the milk to prevent lumps from forming. Once all the milk has been added, turn the heat to low and cook the mixture for about 10 minutes, until it’s thickened.

4.) Remove from heat and slowly add in the Cheddar cheese, whisking the cheese to fully incorporate it before adding more. Continue doing so until all the cheese has been added, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

5.) Place drained egg noodles in a large bowl or back into their pot and pour some cheese sauce over top. Stir to thoroughly combine and coat noodles in the sauce.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Crispy Chicken Thai Wraps

Originally published on December 3, 2015

Crispy chicken Thai wraps are a sandwich we have on the menu at work, and they’re one of our most popular items. When making it at home, it’s a great way to use up leftover chicken fingers and makes for a delicious and quick supper. I’ve kept it exactly the same, with the exception that I made the Thai sauce from scratch and at work, it’s one of the few bottled sauces we use. I might suggest making it from scratch just like our other sauces – it’s so simple and cheap!

For the wraps:

  • 4 flour tortillas
  • 8 chicken fingers
  • 2 cups lettuce, shredded
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 2 cups Cheddar cheese

For the Thai sauce:

  • 1 cup water, plus 2 teaspoons
  • 1 cup rice vinegar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons dried red chili flakes
  • 2 teaspoons ketchup
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:

1.) Start by making the Thai sauce. Pour 1 cup of water and vinegar into a medium-sized saucepan set over high heat. Bring to a boil then stir in sugar, ginger, garlic, red chili flakes, and ketchup. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 2 teaspoons of water and cornstarch in a small bowl and mix to break up all lumps. Pour into the sauce, whisk, and remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly.

2.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. When hot, place chicken fingers on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, just until they are piping hot throughout. When done, remove fingers from the oven and slice each lengthwise to get a total of 4 or 5 strips per finger.

3.) Place the tortillas on a cutting board or work surface. Down the center of each, place about 1/2 cup of lettuce, some diced tomatoes, and about 1/2 cup of Cheddar cheese. Top with chicken fingers and then drizzle 2 or 3 tablespoons of the Thai sauce over top.

4.) Fold the wraps by first folding the ends over the ingredients in the center. Then, fold the side closest to you over the folded ends of the tortilla and then tuck underneath the chicken and other ingredients. Continue holding the wrap tightly as you roll up the rest of the tortilla.

5.) Spray a cast iron skillet with non-stick cooking spray and set it over high heat. When very hot, place the wraps, seam-side down, onto the skillet. This will seal the seam and prevent the items from spilling out. Grill for just a minute or two, to toast and warm the tortilla, and then repeat with remaining sides. When finished, remove wraps from the grill and cut in half on the diagonal.

6.) Serve and enjoy!