Recipes, Reviews, & Foodie Jobs

Random Acts of Kindness

January 20th, 2012 by Kelly Serjeantson

The weather in these parts has been crazy this winter. Exceptionally mild fall, fairly green Christmas and then – a DUMP of snow, freezing rain and YUCK.

Yesterday, after a night of snow, then rain, then freezing temperatures meant that most cars were covered in a thick layer of ice. The sounds of scraping, cursing and more scraping could be heard city-wide.

I was sitting comfortably in my living room, savouring a hot cup of coffee when I finally registered that the scraping of ice was coming directly beneath my window. I looked out and saw that a bundled up angel was scraping the ice from my windshield! A kind neighbour had taken it upon himself to save me some time, and maybe a couple of fingers by clearing the snow, then the ice from my van.

I debated going out side to thank him, then thought that maybe he wanted this to be anonymous. We don’t know each other that well and had had an unfortunate incident involving his poorly parked car and our van earlier this year. While cordial, there remained a little tension between us.

And on Twitter there has been a little chatter about kindness. Read more about it here.

After some consideration, I decided that I would not go outside, but instead return his kindness with some home baking. (He’s a bachelor and all…)

I make a mean banana chocolate chip muffin. Really. They are moist, perfectly sweet bundles of yumminess. So that’s what I did. I left some on his doorstep – continuing the random anonymity. It’s a delight to know that you have made someone’s day that much sweeter.

Kindness is contagious. Pass it on.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins **I don’t know where I got this recipe – I’ve made them since I was 12 and have it memorized.

1/3 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar (white or brown, whatever I have handy)

1 egg

2-3 bananas (medium to large)

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda AND 1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Melt the butter, add sugar and cream. Beat in the egg, then the bananas.

Add the flour, baking soda and baking powder & salt. Mix well.

Stir in the chocolate chips. Divide evenly into a greased (or paper lined) muffin tin. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until nicely browned.

You’re welcome!

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Responses »

Hintonbrew Stew

January 16th, 2012 by Kelly Serjeantson

It’s January. It’s cold. It’s aching shoulders from too much shoveling, numb fingers from scraping windows, chapped lips and drippy nose weather. Time to get down to some good old-fashioned comfort food cooking. I did the fancy “apps” and dips over the holidays. I rolled cookies and made squares and decorated shortbread. Now? I just want to hunker down and fill my family with love, warmth and GOOD food.

I love to make this stew on a Sunday afternoon and let it simmer all day. On any given Sunday, one or more of my kids has a hockey practice/playdate/study group, so I can be reasonably guaranteed an hour or two of time in the kitchen. (Thanks in large part to my dear husband – LOVE him)

This recipe is inspired from one in a now-cherished cookbook I bought 10 years ago at my kids’ elementary school. Parents and students submitted recipes which were bound and sold as a fundraising initiative. Proceeds were for one of the playgrounds at our school (we have 2!) and this cookbook was just ONE of the many fundraisers for this cause. Well, finally, BOTH playgrounds have been renovated and improved. Copies of this cookbook can now be seen at garage sales and book fairs.

Mine?
Well, it’s a little dogeared. I have greasy pages, folded corners and notes about my favourite recipes. My youngest wasn’t even born when I bought this book! His older brother has now graduated and moved on to middle school. This little book is a constant reminder to me about how one dedicated group (and then, a few years later, another dedicated group) of parents worked to make recess better for 400 kids.

Most of my go-to meals and treats are found in this book. I know them by heart. This stew is a family favourite. The richness of the beer truly makes this dish – don’t leave it out. (Don’t worry – the alcohol evaporates as it cooks!) Served it over mashed potatoes with a green salad or steamed broccoli on the side and you have dinner.

Best part? I tell my husband it takes a while to make, so he keeps the kids out of my hair. Really? It’s a snap and I usually put my feet up and enjoy the rest of the beer…

Hintonbrew Stew

2 lbs stew beef
2 tbsp oil
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minces
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup beef stock
1 cup Hintonbrew Stout (or Guinness if you can’t find Hintonbrew yet)
2 bay leaves
1 fresh sprig of thyme (1 tsp dried)
Salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 cup pitted prunes, halved

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil and saute onions & garlic until soft. Add meat and brown all over. Sprinkle flour over meat and onions and stir. Add stock and blend thoroughly. Add Hintonbrew and bring to a simmer. Next add herbs and salt & pepper (I usually add lots of pepper and less salt). Stir until combined and let simmer** for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add prunes in the final 30 minutes of cooking. They add some sweetness to the dish and balance out the distinctiveness of the Hintonbrew.

** I normally cook semi-covered so stew thickens, but doesn’t reduce too much.

See? This only takes about 25 minutes to put together, and then you can rest your little self down for a bit and enjoy an nice refreshing Hintonbrew. Make the potatoes and salad when you add the prunes, and you’re done!

Special thanks to Rachel McPhedran, whose original stew I have adapted to fit my family’s taste buds. ”Tapadh leibh“

Posted in General, Meat Lover Recipes, Recipes, Uncategorized | No Responses »

Dinner is Served – Or How I the Survived Arena Shuffle

November 7th, 2011 by Kelly Serjeantson

Well, it happened. Three kids in hockey, and we spent our first weekend truly shuffling from one arena to the next, stinky gear and all.

I knew this would happen. People are often surprised when I tell them all 3 darlings are playing hockey this year. “Wow, you must be crazy!” is a familiar comment. Well, ya, I am, but not because I have 3 kids in hockey. What I have is 3 kids in SPORTS! Pick any sport and you will find yourself running from practice, to a game, to another practice all the while thinking about the myriad of other, more interesting things you could be doing.

To that, I say,”Whatever.”
I have 3 children. They are involved. They are getting regular exercise. They are learning what it means to work as a team. They are figuring out how to challenge themselves, to do their best and sometimes, (more for one than the others) to accept defeat. These are important life lessons that hopefully will contribute to their overall development into caring, sharing adults.

But enough about that. The most important thing on my mind as we began this weekend of ‘arena shuffle’ was WHAT THE HECK ARE WE GOING TO EAT WHEN WE GET HOME?

Ottawa arenas are sorely lacking in healthy, tasty foods with which to properly nourish young bodies (and this old one too). Fries, Slushies and Salt & Vinegar chips can only take you so far. So, I pack snacks. Fruit, muffins and the occasional power bar. These are fine for on the go, but we needed to eat a proper dinner at some point. Arriving home at 6pm on a Saturday with tired, hungry kids (not to mention us poor parents) is not the time to think about WFD.
So, I took a little time Saturday morning (prior to game 1 of 3!) and whipped up this yummy, fortifying dish of goodness. During a break, where I ran home to take our poor neglected pooch for a quick spin around the block, I popped it into the oven, set the timer and headed back out to watch my oldest attempt to score his 3rd goal of the season.

It’s easy, it pleases everyone, and, best of all, it was hot and ready when we arrived home. While various children showered and put away their gear for the night, I threw a salad together. We sat down and reviewed the day’s events – 2 winning games & “Hardest Worker” award for one boy, a hard-fought but losing battle for the oldest, a fun practice for the girl and cold feet and bad coffee for Mom & Dad. Not a bad day really. Best of all, we shared some laughs, cheered each other on, and did it all as a family. In fact, I can’t think of how I would rather spend a weekend – can you?

Here’s the recipe. It was eaten too quickly to grab a picture, but I have to think that it did contribute to my daughter’s FIRST GOAL EVER IN A GAME the next day, so here’s a picture of the puck

Saturday Night Special

***Special Thanks to my good friend, Karen, for the recipe!!

You’ll need:

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, diced

1 green or red pepper, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 – 5 mushrooms, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Worcestershire sauce

1 big handful of spaghetti noodles, broken.

1 can condensed tomato soup (**I use 2 cans low sodium soup for creamier dish)

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Grated cheddar cheese, about 2 cups.

Cook the spaghetti, careful not to overcook it.

In a Dutch oven, brown the meat and drain the fat.

Add the veggies, a splash or two of the Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper to taste.

When onions are soft, add the kidney beans and tomato soup. Mix well, then add the cooked spaghetti.

Put all of this in a 9 x 13 casserole dish, sprinkle cheese on top. Cover loosely with foil and you are READY TO GO!

Pop in a 350F oven for 35-40 minutes and ENJOY!

Posted in General, Health, Kids, Meat Lover Recipes, Recipes, Tested & Tasted, Uncategorized | No Responses »

Take it or Leave it; This Ain’t No Restaurant

September 13th, 2011 by Kelly Serjeantson

I was possibly influenced by the fleeting full moon, or hadn’t had enough sleep last night, or WHATEVER, but I was not in the mood for the whining and complaining about dinner today. It started on the walk home from school – “What’s for dinner, Mom?” This was my answer:

“Geez, 950 million people NEVER have to ask that question because they HAVE NO FOOD.”

Sign of things to come in my house, I tell ya.

So fast forward to 5pm. I have helped with homework, stood over kids unloading the dishwasher (don’t get me started on the complaints there), done 2 loads of laundry, made my oldest walk the dog and suddenly, it’s time to get some food on the table.

Yesterday, I made some yummy grilled, spice-rubbed chicken breast. I served them over rice for the menfolk in the house while my daughter & I went out to eat. I had four left over and figured I could do something interesting with them. The day was gloomy here, threatening skies, a little cool – a comfort-food kind of day.

My mom once made a wonderful Chicken Divan, and since I had all the right ingredients, I figured, why not? We aren’t generally casserole people, but with three kids in hockey this winter, I think we might have to convert. Then came my dilemma:

NOBODY WAS GOING TO EAT THIS.

I have one who won’t touch broccoli, one who gags at creamy things, another who is pretty well only eating when the wind is right and the last who is (ahem) watching his cholesterol. Since I believe that a happy mom makes for a happy house, I thought, What the heck? I’m making this anyway because it’s what I want.

I did turn to my trusty friend, the Internet, for a quick recipe. I had a general idea, but rightly guessed that a little guidance was in order.

So, thank you, Paula Deen for the recipe. This beautiful Southern woman knows her casseroles. However, I nearly choked when I saw amount of sour cream, mayo and cheese she uses. I quickly thought about my husband (and his cholesterol count) and decided that I needed to shape this up a bit if it was going to suit my family.

So, here’s what I did:

Used 1 fresh head of broccoli instead of frozen. (Nothing wrong with frozen, I just didn’t have it! Sauteed it with onion, garlic & chicken before adding sauce)
Halved the amount of chicken, and cut into cubes instead of shredding.
Used a quarter of the sour cream (no fat) and mayo (Olive oil based).
I only used 1 can of soup (because I didn’t read the list thoroughly!) I didn’t have it on hand, but next time I would used reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup.
I did not add any extra salt, figuring that the soup would have plenty. Also, the chicken was nicely spiced, so no extra flavour was required.
Oh, and because I drank it all the night before, I left out the wine!
Last, I used crushed whole wheat crackers instead of buttered bread crumbs for the topping.
Served it over rice (used all my leftovers! Yay me!)

So how did it all turn out? Well… IT WAS AWESOME!

The kids, despite their initial resistance, ate, and one asked for more. The broccoli-hater pushed her evil green bits to the side without complaint. My reflux-boy had no problems and the fair-weather eater? Well, a little more prodding was required (i.e. raw broccoli traded for cooked) but he ate too.

Verdict? This won’t be in regular rotation due to the higher calorie/fat count, but it was delicious. I will consider it whenever I have some leftover chicken lying around, and a hankering to torture my children…

Posted in Comedy, Health, Kids, Recipes, Review | No Responses »

Pie in the Sky – Father and Daughter Bond Over Pastry

May 29th, 2011 by Kelly Serjeantson

The sun had returned and the rain clouds were gone. Television was turned off and the kids shooed outside. A trip to the market was in order and after a little cajoling and prodding – husband and daughter were off.

I had hopes of some yummy strawberries and maybe some garlic, but what I received upon their return was an unexpected surprise. Apparently, somewhere between here and the market, a plan was hatched to bake a pie. My daughter has experimented in the kitchen; she’s made muffins and cookies, does a mean grilled cheese and a fine scrambled egg too. Husband? Well, he’s not too shabby either. (Minus the mess he leaves in his wake!) A pie though? Really? He doesn’t even EAT pie. But I soon realized that this was about more than a pie – it was a connection being made, some fun and light in the house, a project they would do together that didn’t involve Lego.

I refrained from helping too much – save for some advice on buying a piecrust and how she should dice the rhubarb and slice the strawberries. This is the recipe they followed, adding a secret ingredient they wouldn’t tell me about.

I could hear giggles and patient instructions coming from the kitchen. Sometimes from her, mostly from him. I did dash out to grab some vanilla ice cream because who DOESN’T have ice cream with their pie??

The end result? Absolutely delicious. Perfectly tart and sweet together (kind of like them), and the store-bought crust? Even my mom would be proud!

Posted in Comedy, General, Kids, Recipes | One Response »

Que Soba, Soba

May 18th, 2011 by Kelly

Ugh, it was approaching pick-up time from school yesterday and I was hungry and thinking about dinner. I was out and about with a friend in Chinatown and racking my brain for ideas. I asked what she was making and decided on the spot to copy her. She’s pretty handy in the kitchen, so I knew I was not being led down the wrong path…

She confessed that she was using a recipe that she got from here. (I love when people share a recipe with you instead of coming off all chef-like and superior!) So into the grocery store we went.

I love Asian cuisine, as does the rest of my brood. Anything with noodles to slurp is generally a hit around this house. We also have varying meat/veggie preferences here, so serving a big bowl of dressed noodles, with toppings on the side, a la family-style is also a big hit.

I had eaten but never cooked soba noodles (known as buckwheat noodles for the uninitiated), so I was a bit apprehensive. She cautioned about overcooking them and stressed the need for cold water and proper draining to ensure they did not become sticky. Since this is a dish best served chilled (or at least room temperature), over-cooking the noodles is a no-no.

I had some steak to grill and a quick marinade of soya sauce, sesame oil and garlic seasoned it perfectly. Seared, thinly sliced beef, baby bok choy, julienned carrots and sugar snap peas rounded this dish out nicely.

A couple of notes on the dressing for the noodles…

We are trying to curb salt in this house, so I did not add it to the water for the noodles. Also, since the beef was marinaded in soya sauce, I reduced it to about 3 tsps in the dressing.

The verdict? Some liked it, others did not. A house rule of 3 tries convinced two of them that it was worth the effort. One detractor went to bed a little hungry, but that’s another post altogether!

Posted in Health, Kids, Recipes, Tested & Tasted | No Responses »

Whoops, there it is!

May 4th, 2011 by Kelly Serjeantson

I was too tired to cook in my own kitchen the other night, so off we went to one of our favourite neighbourhood haunts. My husband and I enjoyed a nice cold beer, and chatted about our day as the kids were occupied colouring and playing tic-tac-toe on the paper placemat provided by the restaurant.

We were eagerly awaiting our meal when my 11 year old word search fiend happened upon a naughty word on his placemat…Can you find it too??

We all had a good chuckle and the server, who overheard, apologized profusely. We let her know that it was no big deal and that it kept them busy looking for more words until their mouth-watering chicken and ribs arrived

P.S. I have NO idea where he learned that word!

Posted in Comedy, General, Kids | No Responses »

Sodium Slow-Down…

April 4th, 2011 by Kelly Serjeantson

The lentil soup recipe was requested by my brother-in-law who wants to cut down on his sodium intake. And, really, most of us consume WAY TOO MUCH as it is, so we can all benefit from a little less now and again. Omitting meats, salted butter, canned lentils and using sodium-reduced stock go a long way to keeping a lid on the salt in this delicious soup. Stock can be made at home too. The lentil soup has a beefed-up taste, but is 100% vegetarian.

Ingredients:

4 Cups Sodium-Reduced Vegetable Stock
1 Large Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Carrot
2 Stalks Celery
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Cups Green Lentils (dried)
2 Sprigs Thyme (1 tsp dried)
1 Bay Leaf
Pepper to taste
Pinch of Sage

In a large saucepan, saute onions, carrots and celery in oil until softened, 5 minutes. Crush and add garlic. Add thyme, bay leaf, sage, and pepper. Rinse and add lentils. Pour in stock and blend thoroughly. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot water, simmer again for 20 minutes. **Add another cup to thin out soup, or keep it thick like a stew.

Serve with salad and whole wheat bun.

Sodium Reduced Vegetarian Lentil Soup

Since he likes his food spicy – I add dried chili pepper flakes and fresh ground pepper with the herbs. Kicks things up a notch and he doesn’t even miss the salt!

Posted in Health, Recipes, Tested & Tasted, Vegetarian Recipes | No Responses »

Why I Do What I Do…

February 9th, 2011 by Kelly Serjeantson

I was scanning Twitter today and I came across a post by @SimplyFood( http://tinyurl.com/6fekqsr )asking to submit a picture of someone who inspires you to cook.

I thought of some chefs I have read about or seen on tv. Then I thought about the only reason I cook – my family. If I wasn’t married I would eat out every night. I would be out there tasting and exploring and enjoying all that my little town of Ottawa has to offer. If I didn’t have children, I wouldn’t care if I ate Ramen Noodles 3 nights in a row or if Rice Krispies was on the menu – AGAIN.

But, alas, I do have a family. A pretty terrific one at that. We are a varied lot – some pseudo-vegetarian, all who enjoy a perfectly cooked steak, some texture intolerant, another who won’t “do” salads, one who eats peanut butter every day. We watch our sugar and salt intake, keep an eye on the colour of our plate (1/2 red, green, yellow or orange, 1/4 meat/protein, 1/4 carb-stuff), we don’t do meat 5 nights out of seven and we all love ice cream!!

While I was raised on canned vegetables and standard fare of meat & potatoes, my repertoire has expanded and been influenced by people I have met and places I have been. I enjoy all forms of cuisine now. I am trying to impart that sense of adventure, pleasure and taste to my children. My husband introduced me to many new things, mussels (ick) and oysters (LOVE!), butter (this girl was a margarine-baby all the way), and whole grain bread. We have passed these on to our children who mostly eat them up!

So when I think of who inspires me – I don’t have to look too far. My family, who depend on me to feed them everyday, pushes me to think about what I eat, what I buy and how it all goes together. Who or what inspires you?

My job is to feed them, their job is to clean up!

Posted in General, Kids, Opinion, Uncategorized | 2 Responses »

Look Ma – no meat! Or How My Daughter Got Me To Eat Better

November 8th, 2010 by Kelly Serjeantson

Well, what do you know? My carnivorous, steak-loving, bacon eating 9yr old has decided that she will become a vegetarian! Now what do I do???

I think that this may be a phase and I love my kid, so I am indulging this request for now. I have spoken to her doctor who gave us the okay and have set out to find delicious, nutritious meat-free recipes and meal ideas. I have a pretty good repertoire of quick, easy meals that I can make that most of the family will eat – but, guess what? They all contain some form of animal protein. I have three kids who are growing and constantly hungry. I worried that a non-animal protein diet would not be satisfying enough and that they would be eating ALOT of peanut butter and eggs to make up for it. Fortunately, fish was still on the menu – apparently not a ‘meat’ according to my girl. And, since everyone liked virtually any kind of seafood, I was in luck. Don’t get me started on the fears and concerns about sustainable seafood and mercury…I try not to think about it!

When her father went off meat and dairy for dietary and health reasons, I largely ignored him when considering WFD. I made sure to buy him things that he could eat; veggie cheese, veggie dogs and veggie anything else they make. I would make our dinner, then he would come home and fend for himself. I have three kids, a dog and I AM BUSY DAMN IT! It’s hard enough to consider the various food preferences and “I don’t like’s” of the kids, let alone whip up healthy vegetarian meals for a 40 yr old man who can now eat NOTHING!

So now that one of my darlings has jumped on the bandwagon, I figure we may as well all hop on. I make a concerted effort (my husband may disagree somewhat) to put at least one meal on the table each night that satisfies everyone. I have reached out to vegetarian friends and family, spoken to chefs (okay, well just the one that I know) and been all over the internet in search of yummy meals that fit our current non-meat-eating status.

I have adapted some favourite meals such as Shepherd’s Pie, tacos, and have tried new ones…some worked, some failed miserably. We have all come to appreciate quinoa, the super grain. We eat more vegetables than ever before. And (don’t tell anyone) I actually feel pretty good without a daily dose or two of meat. Don’t get me wrong – I have eaten meat – sorry but Thanksgiving without turkey? No way! Even the little miss had a nibble of dark meat…

I will continue to support my girl and my husband (finally) in their choices to not eat meat. My other two? They don’t seem to miss it one bit. Instead of “Oh, not meatloaf again“, now I hear “Didn’t we just have quinoa 2 days ago?” Some things never change…

Posted in General, Health, Kids, Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes | No Responses »

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