Savory Buckwheat Crepes with Garden Greens and Chicken Filling

I made this dish a few months ago. I guess I found the recipe for the crepes on Pinterest or something. and then came up with the filling on my own. I thought it tasted really good. If I remember right, my boys weren't really into it. But I took the leftovers for lunch when I volunteered in Childwatch at the Y. My friend whom I work with thought it was pretty tasty. I had forgotten all about this dish, until she mentioned it a couple days ago. I was happily surprised to see that I actually managed to write down the ingredients and include the link for the crepes!

Filling:

Assorted Greens from garden (sweet potato leaves, mustard greens, kale)
2 Tbs each, minced parsley and basil
1/2 large onion
2 garlic cloves
Two chicken breasts from a rotisserie chicken, diced
salt and pepper to taste

So, I'm pretty sure that I sauted the onion and then the garlic until soft. Then added the greens and herbs and sauted for a couple minutes, then added the chicken until warmed through, and seasoned it.

I think I then made a sauce (either a white sauce with a roux, or thickened with corn starch) and infused with rosemary. I remember the rosemary was too strong, but everything else was pretty good.

Buckwheat Crepes

Cumin, Lentil and Carrot Soup

I got a really good deal on carrots, and had a ton to use up. I wanted to make a carrot soup, and found this Spiced Lentil and Carrot soup recipe to try. I made a few changes, and it was delicious. All three boys ate it right up!

To start with, I wanted to have leftovers, so I made the recipe bigger (not quite double). Here's my recipe:

Cumin, Lentil and Carrot Soup 

4 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of chilli flakes
~1 Tbs oil
1 med to large onion chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
~ 1 Kg carrots, washed and chopped or grated.
270 g red split lentils
~2 liters water or vegetable stock
squeeze of lemon juice
salt to taste

1.  Heat a large saucepan/small stockpot and dry fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for about 1 minute, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas. Remove the seeds and set aside. Heat the oil in the pot, and then saute the onion and then garlic, until soft and golden brown (about 5 minutes). Add the carrots and continue to sweat the vegetables until the carrots are beginning to get soft. Add the lentils, and cook for a minute stirring.

2. Add the water or stock and half of the toasted cumin seeds/chilli flakes, bring to the boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 15-30 minutes, or until carrots and lentils are soft (it depends on how small the carrots are chopped/grated).

2. Remove from heat, and using an immersion blender, puree the soup. (You could blend it in batches in a regular blender as well.)  Season with salt and fresh lemon juice to taste.  Serve soup hot, garnished with the reserved cumin seeds.

Yellow Split Pea Soup and Homesteader Cornbread

Today was a good day for cooking with my boys. I made oatmeal with apples and honey, that N said was "scrummy!" Then dinner went over well too. The boys helped me make the Homesteader cornbread, which is a recipe I found on all-recipes and is my favourite; it is so moist. Of course the boys LOVED the cornbread, but they also enjoyed the soup (and they aren't real big soup lovers). N said it was delicious, and very nice! I don't get that very often.

Yellow Split Pea Soup

2-3 cups dried yellow split peas, soaked overnight

1-2 Tbs Vegetable oil

2 onions, chopped

2 celery sticks, chopped

3-4 carrots, chopped

Large Handful Parsley leaves, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried marjoram (or to taste)

1 tsp dried thyme (or to taste)

Water or homemade stock

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil in a large pot or stock pan on medium heat. Sauté the onion, celery and carrot for about 10 minutes until soft. Add the parsley and garlic, sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the thyme, marjoram and bay leaves, sauté for 1 minute.

2. Drain and rinse the split peas and add to the pot. Add enough water or stock to cover the split pea mix by about two inches. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for a couple of hours or until lentils are soft, adding more water if necessary.

3. When peas are soft, remove pot from heat, and let cool slightly. Remove bay leaves. If desired, you can use an immersion blender to blend some, but not all of the soup. You could also take a couple of cups from the pot and blend in a blender until smooth, then return to the pot and stir until thoroughly mixed. Season with salt and pepper.

Southern Black-eyed Peas with Greens

This is a simple recipe. Although probably not authentic southern, it's got black-eyed peas, greens, and molasses, so close enough. As usual, I didn't measure out the ingredients I used, so it's an estimate. I also cooked up some dried beans (with chili flakes and bay leaf), but you could use tinned. I also used savoy cabbage, but I suspect that any type of green would work well.

Southern Black-eyed Peas with Greens

1 Tbs and a small knob of butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 head savoy cabbage (or about 2 cups of another type of green)

3 cups cooked black-eyed peas

1 Tbs molasses, or to taste

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Heat up oil and butter in a pot or large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot, and cook, covered for 5-10 minutes (until soft). Meanwhile chop cabbage or greens. Add garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes, and then add cabbage. Cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until all veggies are soft.

2. Add the peas and molasses, stirring, cook until heated through. Season to tastes.

This works well as a side dish, but also as a main over toast, rice or maybe even potatoes. I used the leftovers the next day to make open face baguette sandwiches with cheese on top. They were really tasty.

Vegetarian Curry Night

I am not a vegetarian, but enjoy making and eating vegetarian meals at least a couple times a week. The challenge is to find something that my hubby will enjoy and not start having meat withdrawals. I also am trying to include more whole grains in our diet, which has proved quite a challenge. So, when I find a recipe that my family enjoys, I have to document it somewhere so I can use it again.

Tonight was one of those nights. I made Curried Chick Peas with Tofu from one of my favourite cookbooks: Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. I added all the liquid from the tin of chickpeas and one 400 g tin of chopped tomatoes and let it simmer for a bit longer to really let the flavours develop.

I also made Baked Curried Rice with Apples and Coconut from The Food Matters Cookbook on Mark Bittman's site. It looked really good to me, and it was. I peeled my apples to make it easier for my boys to eat. I used a really tart Granny Smith Apple, which ended up being too tart. I really loved the flavours and nuttiness of the rice, but I would recommend using an apple that's a bit soft and not too tart. I also used an English Cox apple, which has great flavour, and I liked that one much better. I didn't have fresh cilantro, so I used about 1 teaspoon of dried cilantro leaves which I sauteed with the rice before adding the coconut milk. My hubby really like this dish, and couldn't stop eating it. It's definitely a keeper!

Baked Curried Rice with Apples and Coconut

Makes: 4 servings

Time: About 1 hour, largely unattended

Baked brown rice is mostly hands-off—no fussing or checking for doneness, just a relaxing, undisturbed 45 minutes in the oven. Your reward for doing next to nothing is a pot of tender, fragrant, slightly spicy grains (if you want more heat, use up to a tablespoon more curry powder). This recipe would go perfectly with any simply seasoned pot of chickpeas or other beans.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 cup brown basmati rice

Salt and black pepper

One 14-ounce can coconut milk

1⁄4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

2 tart apples, cored and chopped

1⁄2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1⁄4 cup yogurt, optional

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Put the oil in a large ovenproof saucepan over medium heat. A minute later, add the curry powder and ginger and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add the rice and some salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until the rice is glossy and translucent, just a minute or 2.

2. Measure 13⁄4 cups of the coconut milk; stir it into the rice mixture. Bring to a boil, then cover tightly and transfer to the oven. Bake, undisturbed, for 45 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, put the shredded coconut in a small skillet over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan and stirring often, until it begins to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the rice from the oven, uncover, and use a fork to stir in the shredded coconut, apples, and cilantro. Replace the lid and let it rest for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning and fluff again. Serve immediately or at room temperature, topped with yogurt if you like.

Egg Whites

One of hubby's favourite meals to make (and eat) is Pasta Carbonara. If you've never made this before, it involves a lot of egg yolks, and we are left with a mess load of egg whites that I never remember to use for anything. Last Sunday we had "cheesy pasta with peas and bacon" (as my oldest calls it) again and I was determined to use the egg whites in something other than an omelet. I went to eatingwell.com for some inspiration, and found some really yummy recipes to try.

The first was a Red Onion and Goat Cheese Pancake. As the recipe header says, it's like a savoury German pancake (or as we called it growing up, a Popeye pancake). It was really good, especially with the balsamic honey syrup. You could probably substitute the eggs whites for one large egg instead.

We watch a lot of cooking shows here in the UK, and the professionals are always making souffles. Of course they make everything look easy, but the souffles really did look doable. I found some small ramekins and thought I'd give a souffle a try. I made the Broccoli and Goat Cheese Souffle, but instead of having 10 ounce ramekins, mine were only about 3 oz. So, I did my best to 1/4 the recipe adjusting the sauce (pre-egg white) to taste. They were actually really easy to make, and turned out great. I was surprised at how light they were (first time eating a souffle as well). I will definitely have to try another souffle soon (maybe a sweet one next time). I would recommend using larger ramekins though, as you don't get much out of a 3 oz one.

I still had some egg whites left, so I tried my hand at making meringues. I didn't use a recipe, I just whipped the egg whites until soft peaks formed, added some sugar, and then a little cream of tartar, and whipped until the egg whites were glossy and stiff peaks formed. I was being lazy, and just spread the meringue out on baking paper on a baking sheet, and baked in a warm oven until cooked through. I then turned to oven off and let them rest in the residual heat for at least an hour or overnight until they were crisp. The next day I broke up the meringue into pieces and used it in an Eton Mess. An Eton Mess is an English pudding that is traditionally served with Strawberries. I used Mango instead.

Mango Eton Mess

1 Mango, diced

Whipped Cream

Meringue pieces

Mix all the ingredients together, or layer them as you wish in a nice dish. It couldn't be simpler.

Jamaican Veggie Patties and Pumpkin Ginger Soup

The time just before dinner at my house can be a crazy time. The boys are getting tired and hungry, and therefore need more attention from me. This comes just at the time I need to prepare dinner. It's really difficult for me to cook when I have a wee little one clinging to my leg, or insisting that I hold him so he can stir the hot food! So, I try to get as much done during the day. If I'm lucky enough for my boys to take long naps, I can actually have a good amount of time to prepare. Today was one of those days, and I decided to try a new recipe I found on 101 Cookbooks that was a bit more time consuming than most of my meals.

My boys love getting Vegetable Pasties from the bakeries here in England, and these Jamaican Veggie Patties looked like something they would enjoy, and they make a perfect pack lunch too. Although the patties can take quite a while you can prepare most of it ahead of time. I made the dough and the filling while my little one was sleeping, and then they helped me roll out the crust and cut the circles out for the patties. They had a lot of fun playing with the dough, and I kept my sanity while finishing up dinner. The Veg patties are supposed to be vegan, but since I didn't have any coconut oil, I just used butter instead, and they turned out fine. I also used a 4 1/2" round cookie cutter to get smaller patties, perfect size for little hands. My boys ate them right up, and my husband said they were even good enough to buy. I think I'll try whipping up a double or triple batch this weekend and freezing them for future lunches or a quick meal.

I also threw together a soup using one of the Halloween pumpkins I had. Most people think they're just for carving, but you get a lot of good squash from one of those. I cut the pumpkin into smaller pieces and placed in a 9x13" pan with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. I roasted the pumpkin at about 350 *F for about 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is cooked through and very soft. Once it's cooled you can scoop out the flesh and use it for all kinds of yummy things. Tonight I made a pumpkin ginger soup. Maybe next I'll try a pumpkin pie or a cheesecake. Yum!

I didn't add any cream or milk to my soup this time, and I thought it was still very good. Not only does the cream/milk make the soup more creamy though, it also helps to cut the acidity from the apples. I also roasted the pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin with a bit of oil and salt. They make a great garnish for this soup.

Pumpkin Ginger Soup

2 Tbs veg oil/butter

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1" piece of fresh ginger, grated

1/2-1 cup apple juice

1-2 cups water or chicken stock

2 cups roasted pumpkin

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, or to taste

cream or milk (optional)

salt and pepper

roasted pumpkin seeds to garnish

1. Heat the oil or medium heat, and sauté the onion and carrot for about 5 minutes. Add the apple and sauté for another 3-5 minutes. Add the ginger and sauté for another minute, then add the apple juice, cover, and simmer for about 5-10 minutes, until veg is very soft.

2. Add the pumpkin and 1 cup of water/stock and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

3. Remove soup from heat, and blend the soup using an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender. You may need to add more water/stock to adjust the consistency. If you are using cream, leave the purée a little thicker than you want the soup, then mix in the cream to a desired consistency. Add the nutmeg and seasoning to taste. Slowly reheat the soup if necessary. Serve garnished with roasted pumpkin seeds.

Warm Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad

My youngest boy has eczema, and I've been trying to find what might things set it off. There's the heat (especially the dry heat in the winter); it also seems to flare up when he's teething or ill. I think he may also have a sensitivity or allergy to peanuts, and I've been wondering if he may have any other food allergies. Since allergies or sensitivities to food can cause a flare-up in eczema, as well as other things, I have been reading up on food allergies.

In Allergy-Free Cooking for Kids by Antoinette Savill, Karen Sullivan does a great job explaining food allergies and sensitivities and what may contribute to them. One thing I have learned is that the most common allergens are foods that we eat the most of; milk, wheat, and eggs are some of the most common. If you think about it, most people drink a lot of milk, eggs are in a ton of things, and on some days we have wheat at every meal, and snack time as well. On some days, my boys might have toast for breakfast, cheese sandwich on wheat bread for lunch and pasta for dinner; not to mention all their snacks.

Even though I don't think my boy has a wheat allergy, I have realized that it's good to have a variety of grains and other carbs in our diet. Therefore, I've been trying to incorporated new grains into my family's diet. They're okay with rice, sometimes they'll eat potatoes. When they're in the right mood they love my oatmeal for breakfast. However, I want to get them used to other grains: barley, millet, and quinoa for example.

Tonight I cooked with quinoa. Quinoa is a great grain; it is (I believe) the only grain that is a complete protein (containing all of the essential amino acids). I found a recipe on Mark Bittman's website that looked really tasty; Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad. I wanted to try that for dinner tonight, but made a few changes.

Instead of a cold salad, I wanted a warm one. Also, my boys have a hard time eating raw peppers. So, I roasted the red bell pepper under the grill/boiler, and removed the skin after letting it cool in a foil pouch. I seasoned the sweet potatoes and roasted them in the oven with a bit of oil and some water until soft. After mixing the pepper and minced onion with the cooked quinoa, I mixed the sweet potato and the dressing, then put it back in the roasting pan and put it back in the oven to warm everything through.

I thought it was delicious. My boys wouldn't eat it. Well, it's something new, so hopefully after exposing them to this grain a few more times, (and when they're not quite so tired), they'll be more apt to try it. That's the tricky bit about cooking for kids, they don't always like trying new things.

Red Lentil, Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

This soup is very simple to make, but very tasty. You can serve it as a starter, but is substantial enough for a main course served with warm pita bread and a side salad. It may also benefit from some garlic croutons or something crunchy to contrast with the smooth texture of the soup.

1 bulb of garlic
1 large onion, chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
2 cups red lentils
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
2 bay leaves
1 sprig of fresh thyme
2 tsp ground cumin (or more to taste)
1 tsp ground coriander (or more to taste)
1 14 ounce can tomatoes

Wrap the bulb of garlic in foil and roast in a 350 F oven for about 20-30 minutes until garlic is soft. Cut the bottom off, and squeeze the garlic out.

Add all ingredients above in a large pot and cover with water until it's 2 to 3 inches above the vegetables. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Carrots should be soft enough that they can be mashed against the side of the pot with a fork. Remove from heat, and remove ginger, thyme sprig and bay leaves from the soup. Let the soup cool for about 10 minutes.

Using a hand blender, puree the soup directly in the pot until it is a smooth consistency. (You could also blend in a blender in small batches.) If it is too thick, you can add more water. Add juice of 1/2 lemon and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.


juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mediterranean pita pizzas

I had made a large batch of chickpeas, and didn't know what to do with them all. A couple of night ago, I made some hummus, and then came up with this concoction. I was really tasty. It may take some prep time, but everything can be prepared ahead of time and then assembled last minute. The quantities can vary depending on how many pizzas you make, and how much topping you prefer.

3-5 pocket pitas
1-2 cups hummus (see ingredient note below)
2 bell peppers (any colour)
2 onions, thinly sliced
Mozzarella cheese, grated (or thinly sliced if fresh)
1 small courgette/zucchini
2 plum tomatoes

Caramelize the onions by sauteing over high heat with some olive oil and salt to taste, until soft and golden brown. Roast the peppers by placing under the grill/broiler until the skins have blackened and bubble away from the flesh (alternatively you could use roasted bell peppers from a jar).

Assemble pizzas by spreading desired amount of hummus on the top of the pita bread, then top with onions, peppers, cheese, courgette and tomatoes.

Place in a 200 C/400 F preheated oven, and bake until cheese is melted and bubbling, and courgette is cooked through.

Ingredient Note:
You could use store bought hummus, or prepare your own. I don't have a specific recipe, but they are easy to find. I just do it by taste. I didn't have tahini, so I used natural/plain yogurt instead, and it turned out great.
I place a bunch of chickpeas, some olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh lemon juice, yogurt, cumin powder (about 1-2 tsp), and a dash of cayenne pepper into a food processor and blend until smooth. Then add salt and pepper to taste.