Pork chops with currant pan sauce

I love a meal that's quick and easy. Especially when it doesn't LOOK quick and easy! This whole dish took about ten minutes from start to finish - perfect for a weeknight family supper.

The seasoned chops are browned on both sides in a hot pan, then while they rest a simple but vibrant pan sauce using dried currants, orange juice concentrate, cinnamon, and a splash of cream is prepared in just two minutes flat.

Pork and sweetness always go nicely together. There's Chinese sweet and sour pork, ham and pineapple pizza, and the classic bacon and maple syrup. Yum! The combo works just as nicely here.

The boneless pork loin chops I used in this dish I found on sale. I also found a bag of dried currants on sale during the same shopping trip. Then I pondered what it might be like to use them together, and that's how this recipe was born!

Here's how I made it:

2 lbs boneless pork loin chops

a splash of canola oil

salt and pepper for seasoning

1/4 cup dried currants

1/3 cup orange juice concentrate

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp heavy cream (33% or more)

While the oil heated up in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, I dried both sides of my pork chops using a paper towel (this helps them brown). I seasoned both sides of the chops with a sprinkling of salt and pepper and added them to the hot pan, cooking for 5-6 minutes on the first side until the edges were nicely browned. I flipped them and cooked the second side for 2-3 minutes until browned and cooked through. I removed the chops to a dinner plate to rest while I prepared the sauce.

With the heat lowered to medium, I added the currants, orange juice concentrate, and cinnamon to the skillet. The sauce was stirred, brought up to a bubble, and allowed to thicken for 30 seconds or so before I stirred in the cream. I removed the sauce from the heat, transferred the chops to a serving dish, then stirred the juices from the dinner plate into the sauce. The finished sauce was poured over the chops for a pretty finish.

How easy is THAT? So easy.

What's your favourite way to prepare pork chops?

Beef korma

I really love going out for Indian food, but it's one of those cuisines that can feel intimidating at home in my own kitchen. What techniques do I use? Are there rules I need to follow? Ahh! But in preparing this dish I decided to throw caution to the wind and just feel my way through it using ingredients I love, including plenty of spice! 

While my delicious mixture of beef, spices and coconut milk simmered on the stove, I did some online research and discovered that, hey, I'm making a korma! I learned that a korma, rather than a specific set of ingredients, is actually a method of slowly braising meat in either yogurt, cream or coconut milk. I love learning new things like that! Besides, food isn't meant to be intimidating or stressful. Especially if it's full of flavours I adore!

Here's how I made it:

a splash of canola oil

1 1/2 lbs stewing beef

2 cups leeks, rinsed and sliced into 1/2-inch chunks

2 tbsp curry powder

2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1 can (400 ml/14 fl oz) coconut milk

1 cup water

2 tsp granulated white sugar

1 can (540 ml/19 fl oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 can (540 ml/19 fl oz) diced tomatoes, drained

I started by heating the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. I added the beef, browning on all sides. The leeks were tossed in next, followed by the curry powder, turmeric, coriander, cumin, salt, coconut milk, water, and sugar. I stirred the mixture and brought it to a boil over high heat, then covered the pot and let it simmer on low heat for 90 minutes. To finish, I added the chickpeas and tomatoes and simmered for 5 minutes more.

I served this with rice so we could fully enjoy all that gorgeous sauce. This recipe makes four servings so there's plenty left for Mr. Feedbag and I to enjoy another night since the kids didn't have any. I figured the kids would put up a fight over eating a spicy curry. Or was it just that I didn't want to share?

Are you a great Indian food cook? Share some tips for those of us who want to learn more!

Lemon poppy seed loaf

Here's a little treat for a cold winter day! This moist lemon poppy seed loaf has that gorgeous tart/sweet combination that works so well. The glaze is poured over top while the loaf is still hot from the oven, seeping in and around the loaf and forming a sugary lemon crust.

And before you say anything, yes, I realize in my last post I said I'd be posting some healthier recipes. But I swear I've been working out nearly every day lately! So I call this loaf a little "balance" in my life. Heck, I can justify anything that tastes this good!

Here's how I made it:

BATTER

1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain Greek style yogurt
1 tbsp lemon zest (takes about two lemons)
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp poppy seeds

GLAZE

1/4 cup lemon juice (takes about 1 lemon)

1/4 cup icing sugar

While my oven preheated to 350 degrees (F), I started the batter by creaming the butter and the sugar in the large mixing bowl of my stand mixer (a hand electric beater would work fine too).  I added the oil, eggs, yogurt, and lemon zest and beat well until smooth. In a separate mixing bowl, I whisked together the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds. The dry mixture was added gradually to the wet mixture and beat well until smooth. The batter was poured into a greased loaf pan and baked until a toothpick inserted in the centre came out clean (60 minutes for me, but could be anywhere from 55 to 65 minutes). 

To make the glaze, I whisked the lemon juice and icing sugar until there were no lumps. With the loaf still hot in the pan, I poured the glaze evenly over the top, letting it seep into and around the loaf. The loaf cooled for 15 more minutes in the pan, then I removed it from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

The baby gobbled some up this loaf after his lunch and my 4-year-old kept poking it for fun while it cooled. The number of times I've had to say things like, "Don't touch that, I haven't taken pictures of it yet!" in my kitchen. Ha! Still, the benefits to my family of having a food blogger in the kitchen far outweigh the frustration of having to wait ten minutes for yumminess to get its photo op.

Baking seemed like the perfect way to enjoy our cozy morning at home while it snowed outside. We don't get a lot of snow here, so the kids are pretty amazed at all the fluffy white flakes falling from the sky! We're heading out to play in it later, and this lemon poppy seed loaf will be waiting for us when we come back inside, all rosy cheeked and happy.

What's your favourite loaf to bake? Is it snowing where you are? What do you like to make on a snowy day?

Cracked black pepper hummus

How many dips are as guilt-free as hummus? Not many, I say! This smooth, whipped chickpea spread gets its flavour from garlic and cumin and loads of fresh cracked black pepper. Hanging out in the background is the distinctive mellow flavour of tahini - a paste made of roasted sesame seeds. It's spectacular. If you've never bought tahini before, it's usually hanging out with the nut butters at the grocery store and it keeps for months in the fridge.

Here's how I made it:

1 can (540 ml/14 fl oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp tahini
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
pinch salt
between 1/2 cup and 1 cup water

I put all the ingredients in my blender, starting with a 1/2 cup of water. I slowly added more water until the mixture was rolling smoothly through the blender. I allowed it to blend for another minute until it took on a smooth, whipped consistency. I served it with a little more fresh cracked black pepper sprinkled on top, with carrot sticks and whole wheat crackers for dipping.

I've been working out at the gym like crazy lately, so it's nice to have a lunch or a snack that's good to my body, and hummus fits the bill nicely. Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm not going all health food on you or anything. Melted cheese is one of life's greatest pleasures, afterall, and I consider it my duty to partake in that joy. Smaller portions and healthier choices a little more often is the idea. And that feels good.

Do you love hummus? How about your kids (only one of mine will eat it)? What's your favourite healthy snack?

Kitchen crushes - Trudeau pepper mill

It's time again for Kitchen Crushes! This time I'm swooning over my new Trudeau pepper mill. I had a minor (okay major) freak out in early December when I found out I won this 16-inch beauty in an online contest by the good people at Food Bloggers of Canada. A pepper mill had been at the top of my Christmas wish list, so there was dancing and jumping and phoning of people when I read I was the winner! I mean just look at it. Sleek, solid wood in a dark shade of espresso. A stunner!

The dancing and jumping resumed when my gorgeous beechwood grinder arrived on my doorstep a week before Christmas. As if Trudeau wasn't awesome enough for sending me a mill from their Professional series, they sent me a matching salt mill too! Swoon again!

These babies, with their carbon steel grinders, come with lifetime warranties. Perfect! Because I'm going to use a lot of pepper now.

So, I owe a big thanks to Food Bloggers of Canada and Trudeau for bringing freshly ground pepper and salt to my life. I also owe a big thanks to Mr. Feedbag who promptly dug out a receipt and returned the pepper mill he had bought me for Christmas. He assures me, having shopped around, my prize is in the fancypants category of pepper mills.

These beautiful mills now have a permanent home next to my knife block, and I've been using them a lot. In fact, the next recipe I share here on Family Feedbag will have plenty of fresh cracked black pepper! Coming soon...

Itty bitty bran muffins

I made these mini muffins for the hungriest member of our family - the baby. Seriously, the kid can eat. He's turning one this weekend with just two tiny teeth in his cute little grin, so it's tricky finding things he can chew that will also satisfy his hungry little belly. These muffins, with a hit of bran and no added sugar, did the trick.

Here's how I made them:

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup wheat bran

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

While my oven preheated to 375 degrees (F), I mixed the first three ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, I whisked together the remaining ingredients and added the dry mixture gradually to the wet mixture, stirring just to combine. The batter was dropped into a greased mini muffin tray by the heaping tablespoonful so that each cup was nearly full. They baked for 15 minutes until a toothpick came out clean. I allowed them to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then removed them to a wire rack to cool completely. I ended up with 15 mini muffins.

I like mini muffins because they fit nicely into little hands and reduce the crumb explosion at snack time. They're also perfectly portable for outings because they don't need to be refrigerated, and, kept in a reusable container, they won't make a mess in my purse (darn those foil top yogurts). I'll be making these again soon.

Who's the hungriest person in your house? What's baking in your kitchen this week? Leave a comment and let's chat over some coffee and muffins!

Stewed beef & mushrooms

Beef and mushrooms! I know, right? Such a delicious combination of deep umami flavours, and a real tummy pleaser on a winter's eve. There's a pound and a half of earthy white mushrooms in this dish, along with two pounds of stewing beef and two large handfuls of fresh spinach leaves. Mmm! That's a big bowl of iron-rich comfort right there.

Here's how I made it:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground coriander

2 lbs stewing beef

splash canola oil

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 1/2 lbs white mushrooms, quartered

2 tsp dried tarragon

3 cups beef stock

2 large handfuls fresh spinach leaves

While the oil was heating over medium heat in a large soup pot, I combined the flour, garlic powder, and coriander in a plastic freezer bag. I added the beef to the bag in batches, shaking to coat each piece with the flour mixture. The beef was added to the pot and browned on all sides, then removed to a heat-proof bowl and set aside. 

The onions and mushrooms were added to the pot next, along with a 1/4 cup of the stock, and simmered for about 5 minutes. Then I stirred in the tarragon, returned the beef to the pot, and added the rest of the stock. I brought the liquid to a boil while scraping the tasty brown bits from the bottom of the pot with my wooden spoon. Then I reduced the heat to low and allowed it to simmer, covered, for 90 minutes. To finish, I removed the pot from the heat and stirred in the spinach.

We enjoyed our bowls of stewed beef and mushrooms with slices of homemade whole wheat bread. Dip dip! J'adore. Cold weather was made for meals like this. Or at least a big bowl of this makes cold weather worth bearing.

I love keeping stewing beef on hand in the freezer. It's inexpensive, versatile, and, after the magic of a slow simmer, always results in a delicious and tender beef dinner.

What's your favourite thing to make with stewing beef? What are your favourite cold weather family dinners? Got any cooking goals for 2012? Leave a comment and tell me all about your plans!

Top 11 of 2011

It's the time of year for Top This and Most That lists. It's when we look back at the year that was and sum up in numerical order what happened as a way of deciding what we got right or what we got horribly wrong. So to jump on the Best of the Year and Worst of the Year bandwagon, I've decided to compile my personal favourite recipes that I've created and photographed here on Family Feedbag. So here it is, my Top 11 Family Feedbag Recipes of 2011:

11. Sausage & kale soup

10. Chocolate mint cookie mounds

9. Peppers & rice salad with sesame soy vinaigrette

8. Balsamic beef & root vegetable stew

7. Coconut curry chicken & rice

6. Zucchini fritters with chili lime mayo

5. Spiced pear chutney

4. Chunky chicken chili

3. Orange spice cake

2. Banana coconut oatmeal

1. Sweet chili BBQ chicken

I chose these recipes because I loved them from the first bite, and some of them I've come back to time and time again. The banana coconut oatmeal is breakfast a couple times a week for me, and the spiced pear chutney showed up on cheese platters at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a neighbourhood housewarming party this fall. The orange spice cake is still a regular request from my 4-year-old, and the sweet chili BBQ chicken was the year's biggest yumminess around our dinner table!

2011 was the first year of Family Feedbag, and there's lots planned for early 2012. I'm hoping to share some bread recipes in the New Year, experiment with some healthy vegetable dishes, and do lots of canning. So thanks for continuing to read along and for sharing your own stories as the cook in your home! Happy New Year!

What were the biggest hits around your family's table in 2011? Do you have any goals for 2012 in your own kitchen?

Simple oven-baked stuffing

As in most families, shoving fistfuls of cubed bread and seasonings up the holiday turkey's butt was just the way it was done in my family for as long as I can remember. And we liked it! So several years ago when I first tried cooking stuffing outside the bird, I held my breath in fear that my beloved stuffing might turn out dry or bland. But it didn't. It was perfectly moist and perfectly yummy and everything I wanted stuffing to be. So I've been cooking it separately ever since for lots of good reasons.

Here are 5 reasons I cook the stuffing separately:

1. It's safer. Stuffing cooked inside the turkey could become contaminated with salmonella if the bird is stuffed too early, if the stuffing is left in too long, or if the stuffing doesn't come to a high enough temperature while cooking. Even Health Canada recommends cooking stuffing separately in the oven or on the stove top. And those people know stuff about stuff.
2. An unstuffed bird cooks faster. Leaving a turkey unstuffed means air can circulate inside the bird while cooking, resulting in a shorter cooking time overall. I like shorter cooking times! 
3. An unstuffed bird cooks more evenly. A stuffed turkey cooks from the outside in, while an unstuffed turkey cooks from the outside in AND the inside out. It's all about that air flow and heat distribution.
4. It makes more. Let's be honest, stuffing is one of the yummiest and most popular dishes on the holiday table. Cooking it outside the bird means I'm not limited to the size of the cavity and I can make as much stuffing as I want!
5. It's just as yummy! Made well, a separately cooked stuffing tastes no less delicious than one cooked inside the bird. In fact, I can't tell the difference at all. It's just pure holiday yumminess!

This year I've kept it super simple. No apples, no nuts, no crans, none of the other bits and bobs that sometimes end up in a stuffing in an attempt to fancy-up what is already a good and simple dish. There's just bread, veg, beautiful seasonings, butter, and stock. Simple and lovely.

Here's how I made it:

1/2 cup butter
2 cups onion, diced
1 1/2 cups carrot, diced
1 1/2 cups celery, diced
2 tbsp poultry seasoning
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
18 cups bread, cubed (I don't bother drying it out first)
1 1/2 cups stock (I used some turkey stock I had in the freezer, but any stock would do)

While my oven preheated to 350 degrees (F), I melted the butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. I added the onions, carrot, and celery and cooked for 8-10 minutes until beginning to soften. Next, I added the poultry seasoning, rosemary, salt and pepper, stirring to coat the veggies and cooking a couple minutes longer. With the pot removed from the heat, I added the bread cubes one half at a time, stirring to evenly distribute the seasonings and veggies. Then I stirred in the stock. The stuffing baked, covered in foil, in a large oven-safe dish for 30 minutes, then uncovered and baked for another 10 minutes.

I cooked this stuffing the day before our family dinner. It's nice to get some things out of the way beforehand to spread out the kitchen tasks and enjoy our festive family time more.

What are you doing with your stuffing this year? What are your family's traditions around the holiday dinner table? Leave a comment and tell me how you plan on having a merry Christmas dinner!

Eggnog pancakes with nog maple syrup

Here's something for the eggnog lovers! These golden pancakes are made with rich, sweet eggnog and an extra sprinkling of eggnog's finest note - nutmeg. A stack of these gets really dressed up when it's drenched in this festive nog maple syrup. Mmm, bring on Christmas morning! 

Here's how I made them:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp granulated white sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 egg

1 cup egg nog

2 tbsp butter, melted

In a large mixing bowl, I whisked together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. To the dry ingredients, I added the egg, eggnog, and melted butter and stirred to combine. 

I cooked the pancakes in a non-stick pan over medium to medium-low heat until golden on each side (on my stove dial, the sweet spot for pancakes is 4).

Here's how I made the nog maple syrup:

1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup eggnog

I combined the maple syrup and the eggnog in a small mixing bowl and stirred it up. That's it! I poured it over a stack of the fluffy pancakes and it was eggnog pancake heaven! Both my kids loved them.

There's nog on top of more nog here, and that's a whole lot of Christmasy goodness!

Are there eggnog lovers in your family? How do you like to use eggnog in your kitchen? What will your family be having for breakfast on Christmas morning?

Cooking school Christmas cookies

Like most families with young children, we are figuring out each year what will become our annual Christmas traditions. And I think we just found a new one! My oldest son and I wandered over to The London Chef on Victoria's Fort Street for a class in Christmas cookies, and it pretty much charmed the red striped socks off my kiddo.

He got to see and do a lot while at their beautiful cooking school, and it all started with decorating his very own paper chef hat with crayons, stickers, and stamps.

The face of The London Chef is Chef Dan Hayes. His obvious passion for teaching kids in the kitchen is infectious, and the kids responded by answering his questions excitedly and craning their necks to see inside a big bowl of whipping cream he was preparing for the peppermint hot chocolate. Their eyes were like saucers while he chopped dark chocolate, filled cups with candy canes, and passed around nutmeg for them all to smell.

Only one little kiddie didn't want hot chocolate, and guess who that was? Yup, my little monkey is a bit funny about hot drinks for some reason. I'm convinced one day he will finally try hot chocolate and realize how very wrong he's been all this time!

The kids all rolled their own ball of cookie dough and chose from a selection of festive cookie cutters to form their cookies. When it came to decorating, they iced and sprinkled (okay, my guy started munching pretty much from the start) their cookies to bring home in a box to show their families.

It really was a charming morning. A couple friends of mine brought their own kids to the class too, so we got to catch up while the kids learned from the best and filled their little bellies with yummy, sugary treats.

I love sharing my passion for cooking with my own kids, and part of that is learning together about food and food preparation. Taking some classes together is a fun way to do that. The London Chef has a bunch of kids classes on offer, as well as some new upcoming teen classes that I'll be helping out at!

My little guy had such a blast, he was in a sort of sugar-induced Christmas high in his car seat on the way home! I think we'll be taking some more classes together in the new year. 

What kinds of Christmas cookies are you making this year? Are the kids getting involved? Leave a comment and share your tips on baking with kids!

Best of the blog - Appetizers

Potluck. That word both excites me and makes me panic. What will I bring? When will I make it? How will I get it there? Between neighbourhood gatherings, my oldest son's preschool party, and family get togethers, this is a busy time of year for potlucking (yes, I just said potlucking). I know it's busy for you too, so I thought I'd share some of my all-time favourite Family Feedbag appetizer recipes that make lovely potluck take-alongs.

CRANBERRY-STUFFED TURKEY MEATBALLS
These are one-bite turkey dinners with ground turkey meat, stuffing, and a whole cranberry tucked in the centre of each meatball. The cranberry lime dipping sauce adds a punch of fruity flavour.

SPICED PEAR CHUTNEY

This sweet and sour chutney made with firms pears and dried cranberries is gorgeous on a platter of crackers and cheese. I love this stuff!

CRAB CAKES WITH CILANTRO & LIME DIP
Crispy yet tender, these crab cakes are seasoned with dill and served with a cool, creamy dip that has a mild kick.

SUN DRIED TOMATO TAPENADE

Chopped black and green olives with sun dried tomatoes. This appetizer is so easy to make, and is nice served with crackers or simple sliced baguette.

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS WITH CHILI LIME MAYO

These golden and crispy fritters are the ultimate finger food, served with an incredible mayo dip that's got zing and heat.

Get the party started!

What's your favourite dish to take to a potluck? Have you ever had a potluck disaster and dropped it on the way to the party? Share your holiday potluck stories and recipes!