Halloween 2009 Dinner Date!

It's time to start thinking about what to serve to your little ghouls and goblins on Halloween night! We gave the girls a little "trick" with some spaghetti n' eyeballs for dinner, and a "treat" with a fall-flavored cake for dessert.

Spaghetti and Eyeballs

1 lb ground beef
1 egg
1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 handful canned black olives, chopped
20 or so large pimento-stuffed green olives

spaghetti and marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 425F.
In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, and chopped black olives. Do not add any salt - the olives make these salty enough! Grab one or two tablespoons of the beef mixture and flatten it into a circle. Place a green olive in the center, sideways, and wrap the beef all around. Place seam side down on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining meat and green olives.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the meat is well-done. Use a serrated knife to slice each meatball in half to reveal the "eyes"! Serve over some cooked spaghetti that has been well-bloodied with marinara sauce :-)

Maple Cake with Cinnamon-Chocolate Frosting

Cake
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp maple extract

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter for about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in the two eggs.

Whisk together the milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and maple extract. Add the milk mixture and the flour mixture to the sugar-butter mixture, alternating between adding the wet and dry ingredients. Beat until well combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before frosting.

Frosting
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer for about 1 minute. Add the confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon, and beat on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes, until very fluffy. Add the pinch of salt, vanilla extract, and melted chocolate and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 more minutes.

* * * * * * * *

Looking for more Halloween ideas? Check out Celeste's Halloween Dinner Date from last year, with Candy Corn Pizza and Monster Milkshakes!

Beef and Bean Burritos

This week in our Itty Bitty Budget series, we're making beef & bean burritos! Ground beef is one of the cheapest red meats out there, and you can stretch that dollar even further by cutting the beef with beans (a mere $0.89 a can - less if you make your own from dried beans!). As a bonus, the beans add fiber and protein without additional fat! Using Ro-Tel tomatoes gives your burritos some heat and seasoning without having to take the time to dice up jalapenos and onions yourself - bonus!

As always, check out the post at Penny Pinching Parent to see the cost break-down - and look for great deals on diapers, wipes, and all those other kid necessities! PPP is also running some great give-aways right now - adorable handcrafted onesies and a Frito-Lay Gift Bag!

Beef and Bean Burritos

1 lb ground beef
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Ro-Tel (or diced tomatoes, if you don't want to go too spicy)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
salt & pepper
1/2 cup brown rice, prepared according to package directions
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, taco blend, pepper jack...)
8 whole wheat tortillas (a double batch, if you are making your own)

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain. Return the ground beef to the pan.

Stir in the beans, Ro-Tel, garlic, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, over medium heat, until all liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool slightly.

Divide the beef and bean mixture between the 8 tortillas, mounding it on one end of the tortilla. Drop on a spoonful of rice and a handful of shredded cheese. Roll up the burritos (tucking in the ends as you roll, if you can - I usually leave my burritos open-ended). Place, seam side down, nestled together in a 9x13 baking dish. The burritos can be prepared up to this point and then refrigerated until ready to cook, if you are a naptime dinner-maker like I am!

Preheat oven to 425F. Bake burritos for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Kara's Birthday Dinner Date!!

My super duper blogmate and friend Kara celebrated a milestone birthday this week and to honor the occasion I planned a dinner date full of her favorites! I asked her what she wanted and she told me that she often had spaghetti and meatballs and/or hummus on birthdays past so I decided to give these a go with some Itty Bitty Bistro flair!

Sicilian Hummus Dip
(serves 8)

So what makes this dip Sicilian? Nada. I just thought it made it sound extra Italian. Did it work? I've never even been to Sicily. My friend Jen has though. Maybe she could tell us if there is anything Sicilian about this dip. ;o)

Ingredients:
1 can of garbonzo beans
1/2 c. lowfat cottage cheese
1/4 c. fresh parmesan cheese, shredded
1 bunch of fresh basil
3/4 c. cherry tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
pinch of salt

1. Add all ingredients to food processor. Process until smooth. Serve with crudite or toasted baguette rounds.

Kara's Birthday Spaghetti and Meatballs
(serves...many)

I did my best to channel my inner Italian Grandmother for the spaghetti and meatballs (even though I'm Scandinavian and not Italian whatsoever.) When in doubt I would ask myself "What would Giada do?"

Ingredients for the sauce:
1 med or large sweet yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 green peppers (i used small ones), seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 roma tomatoes, diced
2 cans of tomato sauce
2 cans of tomato paste
2 cans of tomato juice (soda sized cans)
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. italian seasoning
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 bunch of fresh basil, chopped
salt to taste

1. In a large saute pan, saute the olive oil, onions and green pepper over med-high heat until the onions begin to be translucent.
2. Add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.
3. Add the diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the mixture to a crockpot. Add the tomato sauce, paste, juice, brown sugar, baking soda and salt (just a few shakes to start).
5. Cook allllllllllll day. :o) I put mine in the crockpot at 10:30 am and served it at 5 pm.
6. Add the meatballs (recipe below) and fresh basil an hour before you plan to serve.
7. Check the taste of the sauce. Salt if necessary.

Meatball ingredients:
1 lb. 'meatball meat' (I found this in my Shaws. It was a blend of beef, pork and veal.) You could, of course, use just one of these or even ground turkey or chicken
1 c. italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
salt and pepper (couple dashes of each)
1/8 c. fresh parsley, chopped
olive oil
1/2 cup warm water

1. In a medium bowl combine all ingredients, except water.
2. Slowly add the water until the mixture is moist but still a consistancy to roll into meatballs.
3. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat.
4. Using your hands, roll 1-2" sized meatballs. Add them to the pan as you make them.
5. Cook for about 7 minutes or until cooked through.

Ok, this next one I'm pretty proud of...I also got to showcase the Valencia one last time...so here we go....

Kara's Cara Cara Chocolate Citrus Cupcakes
(makes 12 cupcakes)

Cupcake ingredients:
1 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
zest and juice from 1 Cara Cara orange
1 c. lowfat vanilla yogurt
4 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 squares bitersweet baking chocolate, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Spray the insides of the liners with Pam for baking or the like.
3. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and whisk or beat until well combined.
4. Fill each liner half full with batter.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Frosting ingredients:
1 box of powdered sugar (16 oz)
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp (or more) of milk
zest from 1 lemon
2 Tbsp lemon juice
zest from 1 valencia orange
2 Tbsp orange juice

1. Combine all ingredients exept milk and juice in a mixer. Mix until a thick paste forms.
2. Add the milk, zest and juice. Mix on high until fluffy adding splashes of more milk if necessary.
3. Spread on cupcakes and garnish with a little more zest if you'd like. Serve!

THIS FROSTING IS SERIOUSLY GOOD. No joke. (Toot toot goes my own horn.)

Happy Birthday Kara!

Freezer-to-Skillet Cheeseburger Pasta

Forgive the break - I think Celeste and I have both been so busy cooking old family favorites for the holidays, we haven't been coming up with much new for our girls! But I'm back today, with a make-ahead meal that I am just in love with!

My husband and I are huge fans of those Bertolli frozen dinners. You rip open a bag, plop it in the skillet, and 10 minutes later - yum! We're also huge fans of Top Chef, and when they did an episode dissecting the making of these Bertolli dinners... well, the wheels started turning. I created this freezer-to-skillet dinner for Abby and was thrilled with the ease of prep - and how tasty it was, even after being in the freezer for a month!

Freezer-to-Skillet Cheeseburger Pasta

4 servings

1/2 lb ground beef
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, lightly drained
1/2 box of your favorite pasta shapes
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper

In a skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain and cool. When cool, scatter all over a large plate covered in wax paper and set in the freezer.

Scatter the diced tomatoes all over a large plate covered in wax paper; freeze.

Prepare the pasta shapes according to box directions. Drain, cool. When cool, scatter over a large plate covered in wax paper; freeze.

In a skillet, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbly. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring, until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese; add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon one or two tablespoonfuls of sauce into ice cube trays (you want the ice cubes to be about half full at most). Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for several hours, until completely firm.

When everything is well-frozen (the cheese sauce will take the longest to completely freeze), simply divide the frozen components between four bags.

When you are ready to cook, dump the contents of one bag into a skillet over medium heat. Cover for 1-2 minutes, then stir. Cover again for 1-2 minutes, and then stir. Continue to cook, stirring, until sauce cubes are completely melted and everything is heated through.

I loved having these on hand in the freezer for super-quick meals. I never tried heating them in the microwave, since it only took about 6 minutes in the skillet. I even added a bit of butternut squash baby food into the skillet on one of the reheats - and Abby wolfed it all down!

****

Want more freezer-friendly ideas? Check out the Ultimate Recipe Swap of freezer-friendly recipes at Life As Mom!

Russian Dinner Date!

Disclaimer: I am not Russian, and I know nothing about Russian cooking. Abby picked a Russian cookbook out at the library, and I was fascinated - I expected it to be "101 ways to use beets" (and... it kind of was), but it was full of flavors that looked good. So I adapted a few things here and there to come up with this kid- (and adult-) friendly dinner for Abby and Neko. My husband and I happily polished off the leftovers.

Beef and Mushroom Pirozhki with Sweet and Sour Beet Puree

Beef and Mushroom Pirozhki

Dough:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 T sugar
1/2 c butter, cut in pieces
6 Tbsp sour cream - I used low fat sour cream

In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Pulse once or twice to combine. Sprinkle the butter on top, and pulse a few times, until mixture begins to resemble cornmeal. Add the sour cream, and pulse until moist crumbs form. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it comes together. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for a few hours (or overnight)

Filling:
1/2 lb ground beef
2 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
1 Tbsp sour cream
salt & pepper

In a skillet, brown the ground beef and mushrooms together over medium heat, until beef is cooked. Transfer to a bowl and add egg and sour cream; stir to combine and add salt and pepper to taste. Let cool.

Preheat oven to 375F; line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough out to about 1/4 inch thick. Use a large biscuit cutter to cut out circles of dough; place a heaping tablespoon of beef filling in the center of each circle. Pinch and seal the edges of the circle together to form a half moon shape. Place pirozhki on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until pirozhki are puffed and golden.

Sweet and Sour Beet Puree

2 medium size beets (unpeeled)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
¾ cup marinara sauce
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425F. Combine carrots and beets in a casserole dish with 1/4 inch water across the bottom. Roast for 40-45 minutes, until vegetables are quite tender. Allow them to cool, and then rub beets with two paper towels to remove peel. Put the beets and carrots along with the cooking water into a food processor; add the marinara, vinegar, and sugar. Blend until smooth, adding additional water if needed to achieve desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste; chill before serving.

Sour Cream and Jam Mini Pies

Dough:
1 cup flour (I used half whole wheat, half all-purpose)
pinch salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp cold lemon juice

In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, and butter together until mixture resembles cornmeal. Add egg yolk and lemon juice; pulse once or twice, and then transfer mixture to a bowl and knead until a smooth dough forms. Shape dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap; chill for a few hours.

Filling
1/4 cup walnut halves, finely ground
1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp cinnamon
splash almond extract
1 tsp sugar
apricot jelly

In a bowl, whisk together the ground walnuts, sour cream, egg yolk, cinnamon, almond extract, and sugar.

Preheat oven to 375F. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Use a small biscuit cutter to cut out rounds. Top half of the rounds with a small amount of apricot jelly and a bit of the filling. Top with another round and pinch and seal edges together, rolling the edges a bit to create the look of a pie crust. Bake "pies" on a parchment-lined baking sheet for about 15 minutes, until golden.

Hamburger Helper the Hard Way...

...only its not hard, its easy! Some people call this Goulash some call it American Chop Suey. Growing up for me it was goulash and its ingredients were different every time. This is the most basic version I could think of. Neko devoured many bowls of this throughout the week. These are flavors I think most toddlers can get behind.

Goulash
(8-10 servings)

1 lb. 90% lean ground beef
1 box whole wheat elbow macaroni
1 can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 fresh plum tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. olive oil
1 med. yellow onion, diced
2 tsp. paprika (I used Hungarian half sharp)
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. oregano
salt to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions, drain.
2. In a large, deep saute pan brown the ground beef over med-high heat. Drain and set aside.
3. Add olive oil to the pan and saute the onions over med-high heat until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the ground beef back to the pan and season with paprika, oregano and salt.
5. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste and chopped tomatoes.
6. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Stir in the macaroni. Serve with some shredded cheddar cheese on top of each serving.

Meatloaf Cut-Outs

You have not lived until you have eaten meatloaf... in the shape of an angel. This was a wildly successful dinner for Abby, but taught me that I should maybe expand my cookie cutter collection beyond Christmas-themed cutters!

Meatloaf Cut-Outs

Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 15-20 minutes

1 lb ground beef
2 slices of bread, pulsed into fresh bread crumbs
1 egg + 1 egg white
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp mustard
onion powder, salt, and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425F, and lightly coat a 9x13" baking pan with non-stick spray. In a bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, egg white, tomato paste, and mustard. Add onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix until very well combined.

Spread the meat in a thin, even layer across the 9x13" pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from oven and blot off grease with paper towels, if needed. Let the meatloaf cool for a few minutes, and then cut out shapes with cookie cutters.

Mom and Dad can eat the scraps, or else chop them up fine to use in a meat sauce for pasta, sloppy joes, etc. Abby had a fun time picking out her shapes and ate up her whole plate. Obviously, you can use your own favorite recipe for meatloaf in making this!

Buckwheat Meatballs

A few years ago, my only knowledge of Kasha was in reference to the smell of George Costanza's home on Seinfeld. Well, buckwheat groats (a.k.a., Kasha) do have a strong smell - but they have a great taste, too! And buckwheat blends beautifully with ground beef in these meatballs.

Buckwheat Meatballs

Total time: 60 minutes (but it's a lot of waiting time)

1/2 cup buckwheat groats (or, Kasha)
1 lb lean ground beef
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash pepper

Bring one cup of water to a boil in a small pot; once boiling, stir in the 1/2 cup of buckwheat groats. Lower the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes, until water is absorbed and buckwheat is tender. Set aside to cool.

Once buckwheat is cool, put it in a large bowl along with all other ingredients; mix well. Preheat the oven to 400F. Shape the mixture into small meatballs (about 1 - 1.5 inches in diameter). Heat 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large pan and brown meatballs over medium-high heat, stirring until browned on all sides. Place the browned meatballs on a baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes, until cooked through.

Serve with your favorite pasta sauce and noodles.

Abby loved these - they have a different taste than a traditional meatball, but they are excellent!

African Dinner Date

Abby and I hosted dinner this week, and the theme was African cuisine!

Bourek and Yellow Rice with Raisins

Bourek (beef packets from Algeria)
Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Bake time: 15 minutes
2 Toddler Smiles!

1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 egg
onion powder
garlic powder
salt
pepper
6 sheets of phyllo dough, thawed
1/2 Tbsp butter

In a small skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat, breaking it up into very small chunks. Drain it in a colander and then place it in a bowl. Add to it the egg and a dash each of the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper; mix well.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Lay one sheet of phyllo out on your work surface. Fold it in half lengthwise. Spoon 2 tablespoonfuls of the beef mixture onto the corner of one end. Fold the beef inside the phyllo in a triangular fashion (see the pictures):


Set each triangle on a lightly greased (or sprayed with non-stick spray) cookie sheet. (The triangles can be refrigerated until ready to bake at this point). Melt the 1/2 Tbsp of butter in a small bowl in the microwave and lightly brush it over the top of each triangle. Bake the triangles at 400F for 5 minutes; then reduce the heat to 325F and continue to bake for 10-15 additional minutes, until the phyllo is golden and the beef is cooked through (you may want to cut one open to check).

Yellow Rice with Raisins (South Africa)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes
2 Toddler Smiles!

1/2 cup white rice
1 tsp white sugar
1/8 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp salt
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 strip (approx. 1 inch long, 1/2 inch wide) lemon rind
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup raisins

Add all of the ingredients except for the raisins to a medium pot. Stir well, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low; simmer for 10 minutes. Add the raisins, stir, and continue to simmer for 5-10 more minutes, until the rice is tender. Remove the cinnamon stick and lemon rind before serving.

Benne Cakes (West Africa)

Prep time: 10 minutes, plus 1 hour for dough to chill
Bake time: 10-15 minutes
2 Toddler Smiles!

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds (check your grocery store's Japanese food section)

Cream the butter and brown sugar together in a mixing bowl. Stir in the egg, vanilla extract, and lemon juice until well combined. Add the flours, baking powder, salt, and sesame seeds. If the dough seems too wet/moist, add another tablespoon (or two) of all-purpose flour. It should have roughly the consistency of a typical chocolate chip cookie dough.

Put the dough in the refrigerator to chill for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 325F. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a lightly greased (or sprayed with non-stick spray) cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-15 mintues or until the edges are browned. Let cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes, and then move the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.

***

The whole dinner was a success! The girls liked everything, and I had a lot of fun poking around looking for ideas and crafting recipes. The bourek were very tasty, and I could eat mounds of the rice - yum! The benne cakes came out too flat the first time around, which I blame on me not noticing that the dough was too moist - there was definitely some extra flour needed. The taste was to die for, if you are a fan of salty-sweet combinations.