Tagines again – this time with Lamb – soooo delicious and easy to cook with kids!

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Grandma
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Growing up in South Africa we ate a lot of lamb – curries, stews and roasts. The Tagine is a great and non-messy way of cooking lamb stew. This is a great recipe to serve with Couscous. Tagine’s can be found on line or at World Market ( a division of Cost Plus) – they are inexpensive and look great! I use mine for outdoor decorations in the summer.

APricots driedI am not really the bee keeper – my husband is – but they are fascinating and sometimes ( although I do NOT like bees) I will dress up in the bee suit and take a look at the hives with him. Amazing structure and cultural organization of the Life of Bees. We can learn a lot from them…. Larraine Beekeeper Feb 2011

Lamb Tagine

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 1 (1-pound) boneless leg of lamb roast, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes ( your butcher can do this for you – sooo much easier!)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons honey ( we use our own from our bees)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup dried apricots, quartered
  • 1 (14-ounce) can beef broth ( I use Better than Bouillon)

Directions:

  1. Heat a Tagine ( or a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray.
  2. Sprinkle lamb evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add lamb to pan; sauté 4 minutes, turning to brown on all sides.
  3. Remove from Tagine.
  4. Add onion; sauté for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
  5. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, cumin, and next 3 ingredients (through garlic); sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  6. Stir in honey and tomato paste; cook 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
  7. Return lamb to Tagine.
  8. Add apricots and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until lamb is tender, stirring occasionally.

How easy is that?

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Beef Chili -with or without the HOT peppers – great for winter evenings!

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Grandma
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We love chili but don’t like the chili HEAT from jalapenos. So for this recipe I have adapted it to take out the heat. If you prefer HOT – put jalapenos back into the recipe and add them when you add the onion. They sure are pretty ….

All kinds of peppers growing

Beef and Pinto Bean Chili

Adapted from Cooking Light Jan 2010 recipe

  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Total:2 Hours, 20 Minutes

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 1 pound boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 4 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium)
  • 10 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 cups fat-free, beef broth
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced radish
  • 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped
  • 6 tablespoons small cilantro leaves
  • 6 tablespoons sour cream
  • 6 lime wedges

Preparation

  1. Heat a Dutch oven over high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle beef evenly with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add beef to pan; sauté 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from pan.
  2. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.
  3. Add onion; sauté 8 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  5. Stir in beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil.
  6. Cook until liquid almost evaporates (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.
  7. Stir in paprika, cumin, and tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
  8. Add broth, tomatoes, beans and beef; bring to a boil.
  9. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until mixture is thick and beef is very tender, stirring occasionally.
  10. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
  11. Ladle 1 cup chili into each of 6 bowls. Divide radish and avocado evenly among bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon cilantro and 1 tablespoon sour cream. Serve with lime wedges.
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Chowder – a quick easy winter meal that is great when cooking with kids!

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Grandma
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Chowder is not something that we ate in South Africa. So I didn’t grow up with it. But on our first visit to the USA we went to Boston and then later in life we went to Thailand – and this chowder has the coconut milk and spices reminiscent of a Thai soup so for its versatility, we fell in love with this rich and filling soup/meal. Enjoy!

shrimp-chowder

Hometown Chowder

Ingredients

2 pounds uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups bottled clam juice
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup heavy cream
cilantro

Directions

  1. Chop the shrimp into 1/2 inch pieces.  Set aside.
  2. Mix the clam juice and coconut milk together in a heavy stockpot.  Add the pepper, salt, garlic, cumin, curry, and  ginger.  Simmer for 20 minutes.
  3. Add the cornstarch to a cup and then add a small amount  of the soup dissolving it and stirring it with a spoon to make a paste.  Add more liquid and stir until it is thinned to a sauce.  Whisk the  sauce back into the soup.  Add the shrimp.  Continue cooking      until it starts to bubble and is smooth and thickened.  The shrimp should have turned red.  Add the cream.
  4. Make any final adjustments to the soup adding more seasoning or more thickening if needed.  Garnish with cilantro.
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Chicken Pot Pie with a difference – not the white sauce kind, but the tomato sauce kind!

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Grandma
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I love pastry of all kinds – and this is an easy way to make a pot pie. I do not like the creamy white sauce that goes with most pot pies – so this one uses a rich darker sauce. You will love it and your kids will too! I don’t know why, but dark sauces always look more appetizing to me!

 

Chicken pot pie Little Farm Way

Ingredients:

  • 1⁄2 of a 15-ounce package (1 crust) rolled refrigerated unbaked piecrust
  • 1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of tomato soup
  • 2 cups low-fat milk
  • 1⁄3 cup water
  • One chopped onion
  • 1 Tbsp of olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
  • 1 16-ounce package frozen mixed vegetables ( we use the Ratatouille that we make each summer and freeze which gives a lovely rich darker sauce)
  • 1 cup instant rice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Let piecrust stand at room temperature for 15 minutes as directed on package. Unroll piecrust onto a large baking sheet. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut piecrust into strips 1⁄2- to 1-inch wide. Separate strips slightly. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden.

2. Meanwhile, for filling, in a 4-quart Dutch oven heat the olive oil, fry the onions until translucent and then combine soup, milk, water, sage, and pepper.

3. Cook and stir over medium-high heat. Stir in chicken, vegetables, and rice. Bring to boiling, stirring frequently; reduce heat.

4. Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or until vegetables and rice are tender, stirring occasionally.

5. Transfer filling to a serving dish. Top with pastry strips.

And to end on a glorious note of last summer – here is a picture of a proliferation of a flowering plant called Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow – light lavender, dark lavender and almost white with a tinge of lavender – isn’t it glorious? And that is what life is all about – yesterday, today and tomorrow – and I am so grateful for it all – are you?

yesterday today tomorrow plant

 

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An attitude of gratitude – start this year off with a moment of beauty

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Grandma
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This video was sent to me by a friend – skip the ad in the beginning and sit back and enjoy a glorious few moments giving thanks for the amazing world we live in.

And  may your year be full of joy, health and gratitude.

 

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Using corn in soup -yummy! Cooking with kids and comfort food

Posted on January 4, 2014 by Grandma
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Using corn – fresh is great but canned or frozen corn can work in soup too. This creamy corn soup is good all year round.

Corn and flax growing at the Little Farm in the summer – bring on summer! We love to use fresh ingredients rather than frozen, but the recipe below let’s you have a taste of summer – bring it on!

Corn and Flax seed growing LF

Creamy Corn Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1  tablespoon butter
  • 6 green onions
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen corn kernels, thawed and divided
  • 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups fat-free milk
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) preshredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

  1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  2. Remove green tops from green onions. Chop green onion tops; set aside.
  3. Thinly slice white portion of each onion. Add sliced onions to pan; sauté 2 minutes.
  4. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk.
  5. Stir in chicken, salt, pepper, 1 package of corn, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
  6. While mixture simmers, combine the remaining corn and milk in a blender; process until smooth.
  7. Add milk mixture to pan; simmer 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
  8. Ladle 2 cups chowder into each of 4 soup bowls; sprinkle evenly with green onion tops.
  9. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons cheese.
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Spending time with family – focus on the positive! A family bonding recipe – fast and easy

Posted on December 30, 2013 by Grandma
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All families have their challenges – it is so important to focus on the positive – you can only be upset if you choose to be – and although sometimes family gatherings tend to trigger old hurts, there is always something joyful that can be chosen as the focus point rather than the negative part that gets dredged up over and over again. Fortunately in our family – the tough parts passed many years ago – and for the past decade, we have been blessed with family harmony and love. Below are our four grandsons – the only time we can get them to sit still is when they are watching a show – for about 10 minutes while snacking on apple slices.

Jack jonah noah gabe their house on sofa sept 2013

Preparing food as a family and eating together is anthropologically a good way to bond – worked for the generations before us – and so that is a ritual that we love to do.

Here is a family bonding recipe that we enjoy – hope it works for you and yours! This is a one dish meal which the whole family can help to make. We have the adults assemble the ingredients and do the chopping and then get help from the kids for the measuring – and the kids throw everything into the pot and do some careful stirring too.

Chunky Curried Meat, Pasta and Vegetable Soup
Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 pound beef stew meat (such as chuck) or lamb stew meat (shoulder or leg), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 cups beef broth (I reconstitute Better than Bouillon)
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 small turnips, peeled and diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, leaves included, thinly sliced
Pinch of saffron threads
12 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, plus more leaves for garnish
8 sprigs fresh cilantro, plus more leaves for garnish
1 large zucchini, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 ounces angel hair pasta (capellini), broken into small pieces (about 1/2 cup), or orzo, preferably whole-wheat
1-2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:

  1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  2. Add onion and turmeric; stir to coat.
  3. Add meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, 4-5 minutes.
  4. Add broth (or water), tomatoes and their juice, turnips, carrots, celery and saffron.
  5. Tie parsley and cilantro sprigs together with kitchen string and add to the pot.
  6. Bring the soup to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the meat is tender, 45-50 minutes.
  7. Stir in zucchini and cook, covered, until soft, 8-10 minutes.
  8. Add pasta and cook until soft, 4-10 minutes, depending on the type of pasta.
  9. Discard the parsley and cilantro sprigs.
  10. Season with salt (start with 1 teaspoon if you’re using beef broth; add more if you’re using water) and pepper.
  11. Serve sprinkled with parsley and/or cilantro leaves,

We normally bake bread in our bread machine ( put it on as soon as you get up in the morning so that the short cycle of 2.5 hours is done by the time you have made this recipe). Serving hot bread with butter along with this soup makes it taste even better  – hopefully set in a round table so that everyone can see and speak with everyone else ( or around the kitchen counter – even better since the ‘chefs’ can all show off what they did to help).

And of course nothing could be better than Story Time with Mommy! Here is Donne with her four boys! Divine!Jack Jonah Noah Gabriel and Donne Story time with mommy

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Holiday Fun – Happy Holidays! Take a few hours and read Recipe Books! Then choose one – like this Apple Goat Cheese Pizza and cook with the kids!

Posted on December 26, 2013 by Grandma
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Kids seem to love pizza. This one is pretty sophisticated but since my grandkids love my homemade cheeses, it is a good one for the family lunch when they are over to visit. Try it out and let me know how your family likes it! It is fast and easy and the ingredients are readily available. Here is Julia, one of our very curious goats. Did you know that goats are smarter than dogs? They watch very carefully to see what you are doing and will copy you e.g. open the gate just like you did – if you are not vigilant! They give us such great fresh milk – we are always grateful!

May 2012 Cooking Tilapia goats 032

 

Apple Cheese Pizza

Ingredients:

  • 1 pizza crust ( you can buy frozen pizza crust or Pepperidge farm in a roll)
  • Cooking spray
  • 3 cups thinly sliced Fuji apple (about 8 ounces)
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled goat cheese ( we make our own – and use the Feta Goat Cheese for this although the Goat Ricotta works well too)
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
  • 2 cups baby arugula
  • 3 tablespoons chopped almonds, toasted ( ie fry them in a medium pan with olive oil spray and watch them carefully as they burn fast!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Place pizza crust on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Arrange apple slices evenly over pizza crust; top with cheese. Sprinkle thyme evenly over cheese. Bake at 450° for 8 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

3. Combine oil and next 3 ingredients (through honey) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add arugula; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle toasted almonds evenly over pizza; top with arugula mixture. Cut pizza into 6 wedges.

 

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A picture gallery of our family in 2013 – how blessed we are! Happy holidays everyone!

Posted on December 22, 2013 by Grandma
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If you have a cell phone with a camera, I am sure you have more photos than ever before in your life. So do we. And grand-kids go together with an abundance of photos. So here are some of our best of the year – to go along with our holiday newsletter – we are very blessed with much that was good in 2013 – some tough bits too – but that’s life! Here is the holiday letter – and the photos to go with it! Happy holidays everyone!

As always, 2013 was all about family and as the pictures tell, our only child James has been very productive.  He and his amazing wife Donne, have created a beautiful life filled with the energy of four little boys – Jack now 6 in first grade, Jonah  who is 4, in preschool ,and identical twins Noah and Gabriel who just turned 2 at the end of October. Their presence in our lives and that of our extended family is what brings us the most joy and happiness. We are truly blessed. James concluded the sale of his company and continues with his partners and team to grow the business, while making happy plans for the future. Donne  is a pediatrician with patients and their parents who adore her like we do,  and a fabulous mom and athlete. Clive had a second partial lateral knee replacement and is thriving and back to full activities ( within a week!) as a  busy orthopedic surgeon. The Little Farm is always active – this year we did two fundraisers  for Netiya, the interfaith non profit Clive chairs, where volunteers from 34 churches,  mosques and synagogues in Los Angeles  convert parking lots into urban farms.  It was rewarding and what a lot of work! We donated 2/3 of our 40 dozen jams and hundreds of pounds of cheeses – ricotta, chevre, feta and camemberts to benefit the charity.

We got to know some wonderful new Chefs this year – Salvatore Marino from Il Grano, and Celestino Drago – both with fabulous restaurants in LA.  Clive completed his water conservation project at the Little Farm  with Max, our farm manager, so we can save rainwater, and grew his Bee Hive population while adding multiple new exotic fruit trees ( finger limes, wax jambu etc.).

Travel was fun -we went parasailing in New Zealand with friends – and bought a 1927 Baby Austin Chummy car there which Clive is loving and upgrading here.  Cabo is also an annual treat with more friends. And Larraine still has lots of business travel to New York, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco and more.

Larraine continues to serve on boards,  both public, private and non profit, and to devote a lot of her time to Chairing the Foundation of the Committee of 200 Global Women’s CEO’s group.

Keeping healthy, exercising daily, and eating our glorious Little Farm produce, eggs and cheeses, rounds out a very blessed life filled with amazing friendships  all over the world, for which we thank YOU!

We wish you  health and peace of mind for the upcoming year – and send love  – from Larraine and Clive

Here are the photo highlights of our year!

My sister Pamela receives her OBE at Buckingham Palace from Prince Charles – what a thrill!

Pamela at Buckingham Palace December 2013 to receive oBE182Incoming Governing Board Chair of C200 Gay Gaddis and myself ( I am Chair of the C200 Foundation and Vice Chair of the Governing Board) just before we appeared on Bloomberg News to talk about Women in Leadership. What a great opportunity!

132Identical Twin Grandsons Noah and Gabriel turned 2 this year! And a good ( messy) time was had by all! Reading to them is my favorite thing to do!Larraine reading to Noah and gabe dec 2013

037Four year old Grandson Jonah LOVES my new Tesla ( so do I! and am saving $500 a month in gas that I don’t have to buy anymore!! GO ELON MUSK!)170Jack (6 year old grandson) and Jonah helped us with our Netiya Fundraiser – wearing their Little Farm T shirts! Aren’t they cute?

163Here they are again with Clive and Max getting ready for the hundred plus folks who came! What a day!Jack and Sunny txsgiving 2013And here is Jack playing with our Rottweiler Sunny. Of course I am biased but I believe that he is the spitting image of James his dad, as a little boy.  Here is James as a ring bearer at a friend’s wedding – four years old – see what I mean?James as ring bearer 5 years oldDonne and Jonah having a ‘date night’ – Jonah loves when he can have his mommy all to himself!Jonah and Donne Dec 2013And here is James – reading to his children ( all except Jack).James Jack Jonah Noah Gabe November 2013 Story Time

And Clive, our Little Farm inspiration, with one of our baby goats this year – more coming in March of 2014!Clive and baby goats kissing April 2013So all in all – a truly blessed year – and we wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season.

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Sweet potatoes with Butter and Pecans – Cooking with kids!

Posted on December 21, 2013 by Grandma
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I love sweet potatoes. A lot. And this recipe is a favorite at holiday times – it is not low calorie but can be made with less calories if using fat free milk. Give it a try and let me know if you like it!

Sweet potatoes

Ingredients:

  • 4 sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons fat-free milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted ( fry them on medium heat in some olive oil spray – watch them carefully since they have a tendency to burn!)

Directions:

1. Pierce each potato with a fork 3 to 4 times on each side. Wrap each potato in a damp paper towel. Microwave at HIGH 8 minutes, turning after 4 minutes. Cool slightly. Cut potatoes in half; scoop pulp into a bowl. Mash pulp.

2. Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Stir butter, milk, and salt into potato pulp. Top with pecans.

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Corn in Cooking with Kids – all year round

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Grandma
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We love corn – fresh is best. But in the winter months when fresh is not available we will used canned corn too. Here is a great recipe – along with pictures of our older grandkids  ( Jack above and Jonah below) shucking corn in the good ole summer time – we grow enough for our own use and they love to pick it and eat it fresh. It does taste sweeter that way -and my husband has been known to devour 6-8 at a sitting!

In this recipe, we use our own home made feta – you can use any salty cheese instead. Also this can be eaten as a lunch dish, or more often as an accompaniment to a meat or chicken dish for dinner. This is a pretty dish – and food must appeal both to the palette and the taste buds – this one does!

Corn Rice and Chilies

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup cashews

1 onion chopped

1 mild chili – seeded and chopped ( or a non spicy red pepper – we don’t like spicy food)

2/3 cup of drained canned corn

1/2 cup of feta drained

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped cilantro (fresh) for garnish

Directions:
1. Fry the cashews in the heated oil and set aside

2. Fry the onion till translucent then add the chopped chili and sauté

3. Add the corn and sauté for a few minutes

4. Finally add the feta, then season and combine for a few minutes

5. Serve with the main dish or as a light lunch with a green salad and garnish with chopped cilantro ( the colors in this dish are delightful)

Jack shucking corn Sept 2013Jonah shucking corn sept 2013

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Apple and Ginger – yum! Cooking with kids this one is a favorite!

Posted on December 15, 2013 by Grandma
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This is another quick and delicious dessert using apples and granola – easy to get the ingredients and to put together. Good when cooking with kids too. Talking about kids – here is the Apple of my eye! Our oldest grandson Jack, for the first time on a horse – which made my husband happy as he LOVES to ride – I used to as well – but then decided that Cooking was more fun!216

And Cooking IS more fun! Just take a look at this scrumptious dessert!

Apple, Granola and Ginger Dessert

Ingredients

6 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 1/4 cup granola, any kind but we love maple-pecan
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 Fuji apples, cored, skinned and wedge-cut into 1/16-inch cubes
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 450 degrees F.
  2. In a frying pan, melt 6 tablespoons butter and add 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger to it.
  3. When the ginger releases its aroma, turn off the heat.
  4. Topping: In large mixing bowl, combine 3/4 cup unbleached flour, 1 1/2 cup granola (maple-pecan preferably), 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt.
  5. Add the butter/ginger and mix well. Set aside.
  6. In large bowl, toss 7 Fuji apples (cored, skinned, and cut into 16 wedges) together with 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger. Set aside.
  7. In a 12-inch frying pan, reduce cider over high heat to 1/2 cup. Mix with lemon juice and set aside.
  8. Return frying pan to low heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter.
  9. Add remaining grated ginger. Mix together thoroughly and let ginger release its aroma.
  10. Turn up heat to high and add apple mixture, stirring frequently.
  11. Cook until translucent and soft about ten minutes or more.
  12. Remove from heat and add cider and lemon mixture.

You will have to restrain yourself from snacking on this all day/night long – it is that good.

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Are you tired of turkey yet? Here is a different way to cook it – could almost be veal ( almost)

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Grandma
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By this time of year I am getting tired of turkey. So I found this way to cook them. Ok so who are we fooling? This is not veal – but it is low in calories and quite tasty. Give it a try!

Turkey Cutlets – a Creative Way

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 lbs turkey cutlets from turkey breast (about 1/4 inch thick)
  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into 2 inch by 1/4 inch sticks
  • 1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps sliced
  • 4 ounces of baby carrots chopped
  • 2 tbsp sherry vinegar or cider vinegar
  • 1 cup Better than Bouillon chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage, or 1 tsp dried rubbed sage

Directions

  1. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Lightly dredge turkey cutlets in the flour, shaking off the excess.
  2. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the cutlets and saute until golden brown on the outside and no longer pink in the center, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and keep warm. Add the remaining 1 and 1 /2 teaspoons oil to the pan and cook the remaining cutlets in the same manner, transferring them to the platter when they are cooked.
  3. Add parsnips, apples, carrots and shiitakes to the pan and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Add broth and simmer over medium heat until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has reduced, 8-10 minutes. Stir in sage. Spoon the vegetables and sauce over the turkey and serve.

You could serve this with basmati rice – but I like it best with the nutty flavor of brown rice.

Below is a picture of me with the Chef at Chiang Mai Four Seasons Tented Camp in Thailand with my computer – taking his pearls of wisdom on how to cook all sorts of wonderful dishes. What fun that was!

CIMG0671

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Apple cake – easy, fast and great when cooking with kids – good for wintry days too!

Posted on December 8, 2013 by Grandma
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We do grow our own apples -and if you don’t, there are so many different kinds now available in your supermarket, that you can choose whichever are most prevalent and cost effective. This is easy to make and great when cooking with kids.

Apple Cake

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Canola oil
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 3 cups diced apples
  • 1 cup chopped almonds or pecans or brazil nuts – whatever you prefer
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon cloves ( this is optional since some folks don’t like the taste of cloves – I am one of them)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Lightly grease a 9-inch by 13-inch pan or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  3. Combine oil, eggs and sugar. Mix well.
  4. Sift together flour and spices.
  5. Add to other mixture and beat well.
  6. Add apples, vanilla, raisins and nuts. Blend well.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until it tests done with a toothpick.

Here are two of the grandkids helping – lots of mess – but who cares!!

Jack Jonah cooking with grandma

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Precious time with grandkids – how I wish the time would go more slowly!

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Grandma
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Sometimes I wish that time would stand still – the moments are so full of joy and happiness. Today I played ball with my grandson Jonah – he loved it and so did I. Of course I got tired before he did – but we had such a great time! And then of course we took a visit to Pinkberry our favorite ice cream/yogurt store. It is the toppings that he likes the most – as you can see from this picture here. So much fun. I wished that the day would last for more hours with this little one – he is a very special child with joy in colors, shapes and shades.JOnah pinkberry sept 2013

Jonah is the middle son of four – he has an older brother and twin younger brothers – so I try to spend special alone time with him – and he is so delightful when we are together alone. He can be whiny and demanding when his brothers are around. I feel for him – but he is basically a strong little boy and a survivor.

Do you have a middle pip in your family ? Do share your stories. I feel that Jonah will be the most resilient of the four boys – but I could be wrong.
No matter – we had such a lovely day today. And that is what counts!

 

 

 

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Holiday time with Grandkids – making family times memorable – how do you do it? We cook with the kids!

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Grandma
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Cooking with kids is one of my favorite things to do. Although the grandkids call our Little Farm Camp Grandma during the summer, during the winter there are still lots of jobs to do – and wonderful things to cook together.

Today we went through a whole box of old recipes and decided on something that everyone liked which we could cook for dinner on the weekend that the children slept over. This can also be cooked in a slow cooker – which makes the house smell divine. It is a slightly different version of beef stew that adds some varietal tastes. Tell me if this works for your family too?

Beef Stew with Tomatoes, Orange Zest, and Olives

Make this stew in a large, heavy-bottomed soup kettle measuring at least ten inches in diameter. If the kettle is any smaller, you may need to cook the meat in three batches rather than two. Or you could do all the browning in a deep pot or large frying pan, and cook over time in the slow cooker – the only problem with that approach is that you have to clean TWO pots ( the frying/browning pot or pan and the slow cooker) but the benefit is that the home smells wonderful for hours.

Serves 6 to 8

3

 pounds chuck-eye   roast , cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

1 1/2

 teaspoons table   salt 

1

 teaspoon ground   black pepper 

3

 tablespoons vegetable   oil 

2

 medium   onions , chopped coarse (about 2 cups)

3

 medium   cloves garlic , minced

3

 tablespoons unbleached   all-purpose flour 

1

 cup red   wine (preferably full-bodied but I use whatever red wine we have in the fridge that is an unfinished bottle)

1

 cup chicken broth 

1

 cup canned   chopped tomatoes , with their juice

2

 strips orange   zest 

2

 bay   leaves 

1

 teaspoon herbes   de Provence   (you can buy them already made up and dried from most markets – or Williams Sonoma on line -or make them yourself from chopped fresh thyme, basil, savory, fennel and lavender in equal amounts)

1

 cup black   olives (such as Kalamata), pitted – in oil not in water

1/4

 cup minced   fresh Italian parsley leaves 

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place beef cubes in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; the kids can do this part – toss to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat in large pan or pot; add beef in two separate batches. Brown meat on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch, adding remaining tablespoon of oil if needed. Remove meat and set aside. Add onions to now empty kettle; sauté until almost softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic; continue to sauté about 30 seconds longer. Stir in flour; cook until lightly colored, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine, scraping up any browned bits that may have stuck to kettle. Add stock, tomatoes, orange zest, bay leaves, and herbs de Provence; the kids can add all these ingredients – bring to simmer. Add meat; return to simmer . Cover and place in oven or place in the slow cooker.

2. Simmer until meat is just tender, about 2 hours (4 hours in slow cooker). Remove stew from oven or just take the lid off the slow cooker, add olives, cover, and let stand 5 minutes. (Can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated up to 3 days.)

3. Stir in parsley, adjust seasonings, and serve.

This serves well with basmati steamed rice, or brown rice or even fried rice with raisins added  ( sweet and spicy go well together) – and a fresh salad. Our grandkids love to add the raw rice and water and salt to the rice steamer – and to turn it on and watch the steam come up! It is so wonderful when you are young that everything is fun – my whole life is full of joy because of those little ones.
Below is a picture of our Little Farm salad greens – grown Aquaponically – Clive my husband is a whiz with new ideas – and this winter we have had wonderful fresh lettuce all through the cold months – as it grows in little wholes over our fish hatchery -no soil just water. Amazing!

Littlefarmsaladgreens

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A great Slow Cooker Thanksgiving recipe – as we give thanks for so many blessings in our lives

Posted on November 28, 2013 by Grandma
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Health and family togetherness with the love of good friends – what could be more important! We wish your family the most grateful of thanksgivings – as we are with ours. We feel so very blessed to live in the USA and to have had the education and opportunities that this great country have given us and now generations of our families. It is all about an attitude of gratitude – not a sense of entitlement – and those who are the most grateful and filled with an intense work ethic – are the ones that receive – and give – the most.

Chicken in Crockpot with Oranges ( I use Slow Cooker interchangeably with Crockpot which is a brand of Slow cooker in this recipe)

Ingredients:

    • 3 chicken breasts and 3 thighs ( bone-in but skinless and organic – we prefer to use only thighs and only boneless ones – but you can choose what you prefer)
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
    • 1 onions, chopped
    • 1 celery ribs, chopped
    • 1 (15 ounce) whole berry cranberry sauce
    • 3 ounces orange juice
    • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
    • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons honey
    • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 3 tablespoons chili sauce or 3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
    • 2 oranges, sliced
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 3 tablespoons cold water

Directions

  1. Rub salt onto chicken breasts/thighs and place in dish.
  2. In a medium bowl mix onion, celery, cranberry sauce,  orange juice, dry mustard, cinnamon, lemon juice, honey, brown sugar and chili sauce. Stir and pour over chicken.
  3. Place the mixture into the crock pot.
  4. Place lid on crock pot.  Turn crock pot on high and allow to cook 1 hour. Turn on low for 3 or 4 hours. NOTE: I have tried leaving crock pot on high the entire time and this dish was done in 3 1/2 hours.
  5. Lift lid and quickly place orange slices over chicken without stirring. Cook an additional hour.
  6. Combine cornstarch and cold water. Add last 10 minutes of cooking time for thickening purposes.
  7. Serve over cooked basmati or brown rice and enjoy!

We prefer all thighs – here they are with part of the sauce mixture over them.

Chickenthighsmarinading

 

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Little Farm Banana Bread – by popular demand!

Posted on November 26, 2013 by Grandma
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I have been asked so many times for my recipe for Banana bread – and here it is! You will not see this anywhere else because ( and here is the secret) I adapted it from my Zucchini Bread Recipe and it worked! I also left out the traditional walnuts (don’t like nuts in bread) and also the nutmeg which I think has too distinctive a taste for my taste buds!

Little Farm Banana Bread

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 cups mashed bananas
  • 1/2 cup apple sauce
  • 1/3 cup orange juice
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons  baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In large bowl, mix sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
  3. Beat until well blended.
  4. Add banana, applesauce and orange juice; stir well.
  5. Combine flour with next 5 ingredients.
  6. Add to banana mixture; stir well
  7. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9in loaf pans.
  8. Bake for 60-70 minutes; till toothpick comes out clean.
  9. Let cool in pans 10 minutes.
  10. Remove from pans and let cool completely.

You will LOVE this! Of course we use our Little Farm home grown bananas, eggs and orange juice…. that does make a difference but it will still taste great! By the way you can also make these in muffin tins – they make up really well ! In addition, I also add raisins to my banana bread – which you add just before you put the mixture into the pans or muffin holders – optional ( about a cup).Banana Muffin

 

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Cranberry Raisin Mustard Chicken – Easy and Delicious

Posted on November 23, 2013 by Grandma
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Last night I made this dish. The only change I would make is to use Chicken thighs as well as breasts – we like dark meat – but other than that – it was delicious.

IMG_5963

Ingredients:

1 lb skinless chicken breasts ( we would use half lb of thighs and half pound of breasts)
3 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves ( this is to taste – we don’t like cloves so I left this out – your choice)
1 (15 ounce) can Del Monte crushed   tomatoes with mild green chilies ( if you don’t have these, use plain chopped tomatoes in a can instead – I like Pomi brand)
1 (15 ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken   broth ( I use Better than Bouillon which is not low sodium and it was just fine)
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries ( I used a combination of Golden Raisins and Cranberries because I ran out of Cranberries and it was yummy and pretty too!)
1 tablespoon minced ginger ( I used 2 tsp of ground ginger and 2 tsp of chopped candied ginger because that was all I had)
2  tbsp.of Olive Oil ( or Olive oil spray to save some calories)  and 1/4 teaspoon salt to taste 

Chicken Breasts raw

  1. Use a generous spray ( or two Tbsp of cooking oil in a large sized pot.
  2. Cut the chicken into small cubes and add them into pot with 1 teaspoon of curry powder.
  3. Cook on medium-high heat until brown stirring frequently. (5-10 minutes).
  4. Transfer to bowl or plate.
  5. Add butter, onion and mustard seeds to pot and cook until seeds pop and onion browns. (2-5 minutes).
  6. Return chicken to pot.
  7. Sprinkle remaining curry and cloves to pot and cover  chicken.
  8. Stir in tomatoes, broth, cranberries, ginger and salt.
  9. Bring to boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until  chicken is cooked. (10-20 minutes).
  10. Add water if needed.
  11. Serve over jasmine basmati or brown rice.

Here is a picture of Curry – such a great smell!

Curry powder and leaves

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Caramel Apple Cake – delicious! Great when cooking with kids too

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Grandma
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I love caramel – and in winter there are lots of different apples available so this is a great recipe for cold days when the kitchen is a warm and inviting place to be with family.

Caramel Apple Cake

Caramel apple cake

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 3/4 cups diced, pared apples
1/4 cups walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

  1. Grease the bottom of a nine-inch springform pan. Set aside.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.
  3. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together in another bowl.
  4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients to the dry.  Mix together.
  5. Add the apples and nuts to the batter.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 20 minutes or until top springs back when touched.  Cool 5 minutes before removing the ring from the pan.
  6. Top with the caramel sauce.  The recipe follows.

For the caramel sauce:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup cream or evaporated milk
1/2 vanilla

  1.  Blend brown sugar, butter and cream together in a saucepan.  Cook over      medium heat until it boils and thickens, stirring frequently.  With a cup of water and pastry brush water onto the sides of the pan a couple times to wash any undissolved sugar crystals into the sauce.
  2. Add the vanilla.

Slowly pour the warm sauce over the warm cake letting the sauce soak into the cake.

Serve with caramel whipped cream.  To make caramel whipped cream, prepare as for other whipped cream but substitute brown sugar for the granulated sugar and caramel flavoring for the vanilla.

And while we are on the topic of caramel and apples – here is another recipe for you if you want to use a store bought cake mix.

Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake 

UPside down caramel apple cake

This is a good cake. Use a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 1/3 cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced (about 2 large apples)
1 Vanilla Bean Baby Cake Mix from our affiliate Prepared Pantry or any Vanilla Cake mix
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  1. Cook the butter, whipping cream and brown sugar over  low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted. Pour the sugar mixture into a 13 x9-inch pan. Arrange the pecans and sliced apples over the sugar mixture.
  2. Mix the cake mix according to package directions adding the cinnamon.  Spoon the batter over the apple mixture.
  3. Bake for 28 minutes or until done.  Cool in the  pan 5 minutes. Loosen sides of cake from pan. Place cutting board or  platter upside-down on pan.  Grasping the two together, turn the cutting board or serving platter and the pan over together.       Carefully turn the platter and pan over.  Let the pan sit upside down for about one minute so the caramel can drizzle over the cake and then remove the pan.

Serve with caramel whipped cream.  Store leftovers (if there are any!) in the refrigerator.

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