Spiced Chevon Burger

This might not be a very "foodie" picture... in fact, it barely shows the meal.  But this spontaneous shot, taken this evening during our dinner outside, captures the reason for my posting:  my son loved it.  He's not usually a "hamburger" kid.  He'll dutifully make an attempt at them, but rarely finishes.  Tonight's burger was a fantastic exception.

The burgers were adapted from Parents magazine, August 2012.  I'll share the recipe as I made it, but note that Garam Masala can be a blend of several things-  mine is cumin, cinnamon, coriander. 

1 lb. ground chevon (or lamb)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. garlic (I used powder- fresh would be better)
dash of sea salt
black pepper

Mix well and form 4 patties.  Grill!

We topped these off with lettuce, ketchup with the same seasonings added in for extra kick, and put it all on toasted rolls. 

A chat about chevon- because lots of people may say, "what's that?"  or, alternately, "ewwww..."  Chevon is goat meat.  My family raises grass-fed meat goats.  I was a vegetarian for several years, so the meat I feel "best" about eating is meat from animals that I know were raised humanely and are valued far beyond the styrofoam-wrapped mystery in the grocery store.   I know that they are fed abundantly good food... they eat better quality food, ounce for ounce, than I ever will.  The kid group is currently grazing on a specialty blend of forage called "summer feast," known for it's high nutrient density.  While they are gorging themselves on leafy greens, I am struggling to get a single thing out of our hail-destroyed garden.  But eventually, for the kids who will go on to be processed for meat, this better nutrition will result in a better quality meat.  And these burgers were good...  my 6-year-old food critic says so. 

I will never be 100% ok with eating meat, probably, but when I do eat meat from our own animals, I can trust the process and the product, and that feels right- especially when I am feeding my growing sons. 

New Year's Eve Dinner

Here's the menu for this evening's feast:

• Roasted, home-raised chicken (celery inside and butter keep it moist for baking)
• Roasted butternut squash and apples drizzled in honey
• Creamed sweet potato casserole with brown sugar crisp topping- home grown sweet potatoes
• Yeast rolls
• Potato latkes (home grown onions- the potato patch needed a rest after a blight... maybe next year)

Happy New Year!

Loaded Grilled Cheese

Here's an idea for a veggie-boost in a grilled cheese day: 

• sweet potato quesadilla filling (shredded sweet potatoes, onion, cumin, chili powder, garlic sauteed until soft)
• shredded cheddar/jack cheese
• salsa

Make grilled cheese sandwhich, only with the addition of sweet potatoes!  My son loves this, and often dips it in some salsa to boot.  Quesadillas on whole wheat toast- the best of comfort food on a cold winter's day!

Fondant Fun

I'll admit it:  I can't resist a challenge, and I really REALLY can't resist trying to "one up" my big brother.  You see, he's become somewhat of a master cake cooker for his children when their birthdays roll around.  My children have birthdays as bookends to his, so we inevitably wind up making lots of cakes (and comparisons).  It's a fun game to see who will do what for their little angel come birthday time.

This year, I've decided to kick off the birthday bash with an elegant approach.  Little baby has no appreciation of cartoon characters just yet, so I made a double-chocolate layer cake with vanilla and chocolate filling, topped with a robin's egg blue fondant.

I honestly have no idea how it tastes yet, but it's pretty.   If the fondant winds up being even remotely edible, I'm imagining the creations I could make when it is Mufasa's birthday in May! (Aliens from Toy Story? We'll have to wait and see...) For baby and kids, there will be apple-spice cupcakes with a blue "dipped" frosting.  This makes the cupcakes look lovely- all smooth and shiny.

Making the fondant was truly entertaining.  I loved it!  It's like a gigantic silly-putty playtime for grownups.  I highly recommend making some, if only for some stress relief- play time that tastes yummy! Here's the link for the recipe, in case you're interested. Enjoy!

Winter Salad

I'm spoiled.  In the summertime, we have a beautiful garden on the family farm that provides more choices for vegetables than I know what to do with.  Salads can be a daily thing. They are fabulous.  So come winter, I'm less than enthusiastic about the grocery store selections of waxy, bland vegetables to make a salad from.

My latest discovery? Strawberry Poppy seed Vinaigrette.  Here's the new salad for a burst of winter-time vitamins:

Baby spinach
Mandarin oranges, drained
Dried blueberries or cranberries
Glazed walnut pieces
Strawberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Mexi-Flavored Sweet Potato Casserole

1 large sweet potato, grated
1 medium onion (optional)
olive oil
frozen corn (1 cup or so)
1 can black beans
12 oz. diced tomatoes
cheese of desired flavor
tortillas
cumin, oregano, chili powder, cilantro to taste

Saute onion in olive oil. Add grated sweet potato.  Cook, covered, about 8 minutes, or until softened.  Add corn, beans, and tomatoes, along with seasonings to taste (1 tsp. of each, 1/4 tsp. chili powder is a mild mix). Simmer briefly.

Rip up tortillas- line bottom of greased square pan.  Add 1/2 sweet potato blend.  Top with cheese, more tortilla shreds.  Add rest of sweet potato blend, and top with cheese.  Bake @ 350 +/- 40 min, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Throw-Together-Lasagna

I had an hour and a half until dinner, a box of lasagna noodles, and a freezer stuffed with goodies from the summer.  My boys needed a good dose of veggies after gluttony all weekend.  So......  I present Throw-together-lasagna.

Lasagna noodles, cooked.
+/- Quart of roasted tomato sauce
Mixed Italian cheeses, shredded (or whatever is on hand!)
2 cups green beans
2 cups spinach
1/2 cup cooked mild Italian sausage
1/2 - 1 cup ground meat
bread crumbs
2 eggs
seasoning to taste

While the noodles cook, puree the green veggies and meats, bread crumbs and 1/2 cup of cheese until smooth.

Spread sauce over the bottom of lasagna pan, to just cover. Lay down 3 noodles. Top with filling, some sauce, and a sprinkle of cheese.  Repeat layers, ending with sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.  Allow to set for 10 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy!