More Adventures in Toddlerhood

We've had a relatively funny couple of days at the Cougar-Mellencamp household, with Ella in top form. We've recently been painting with watercolors at her easel, which is her new favorite activity. She likes me to draw shapes, animals, and people, and then she paints them. Today I stepped into the kitchen to get a towel to wipe her hands, and while I was gone she plunged 2 strawberries into the paintbrush rinse cup and painted both of her ears blue (including quite far INSIDE her ears).

Ella really hasn't been much of a fan of snow until this last snow storm, when she actually *walked* in the snow for the first time willingly. It figures that she'd decide to love it right when we're probably not going to get much more.

Ella loves to tell stories and sing songs lately. Today her favorite story went like this:

"One day, Little Ella spilled the cat food allllllll over the kitchen, and Mama cleaned it up. Baby Bear got in the box and got dirty. Ella gave him a bath in the bathroom sink and he was alllllll clean. The end."

Incidentally, that story was mostly true, and happened a couple of weeks ago. (Baby Bear is a little stuffed baby polar bear that the Uncles next door gave her. She loves him.)

Her favorite songs of late are "Rock a Bye Baby", "Where Has My Little Dog Gone", and what she calls, "The Train Song", which goes like this:

"Choo choo the big fwain is coming down the fwack. Stop....and yisten, stop....and yisten!"

As she gets older and grows out of her baby things, I gradually move them downstairs into storage. Today I was trying to move some bibs and burp cloths that have somehow remained in her dresser, and Ella spotted me. My attempt was completely unsuccessful, as she grabbed what she could out of my hands and declared, "These are my FAVORITE, Mama! I NEED these!"

Last week I was so eager to sew something other than slippers that I made an easy 2-piece pattern and made this little dress out of some cotton I've had lying around. It turned out so cute and was so quick & easy that I think I'll make more. Ella loves the pocket, but thinks it should have two pockets (note to self for next time!):

The food battle remains a battle, and I'm not sure if we'll ever win. I suppose she won't starve herself completely, so as long as she seems to be thriving on milk, air, and fruit, I guess that's okay. She does love new foods that she's either never had or hasn't had in a long time, and I'm always looking for some tricky new way to prepare veggies so she'll eat them. So far the dip idea has flopped - she just dips whatever veggie or chicken strip or breadstick she happens to have, licks the dip off, and repeats. It has completely failed to entice her to eat whatever she's dipping. I can usually convince her to eat a new pasta dish, so I invent new ones at least once a week. Tonight was fusilli with a tomato cream sauce with caramelized onions and garlic. It was quite good, and a hit with Ella. The recipe is below, both to share and so I don't forget what I did. We all, including Ella, really love garlic, so there is a LOT in this recipe, but it does mellow quite a bit as it caramelizes with the onions (and slicing rather than mincing it keeps it in check as well). Feel free to use as much or as little as you prefer. This would be great with a handful of fresh basil stirred in at the end, but unfortunately it's not basil season just yet. When they're in season, I would definitely use fresh tomatoes rather than canned. I was thinking this would probably be quite good served over chicken as well for those who are watching carbs or just not huge pasta fans.

Tomato Cream Sauce with Caramelized Onions & Garlic

2 tbsp olive oil
6 tbsp butter, divided
1 large onion, peeled & sliced 1/8" thick
1 head of garlic, cloves peeled & sliced
2 Tbsp sherry wine
~1/2 cup dry white wine
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 cup cream (could substitute half & half)
~3/4 cup grated parmesan or grana padano cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil and 2 tbsp butter in a large saute pan and add onions and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to caramelize, about 20 minutes, adding water 2 tbsp at a time if pan becomes too dry. Add remaining butter, sherry & white wine to pan, bring to a boil and cook about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, cream, and half of the cheese. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir in remaining cheese and season with salt & pepper to taste before serving.

Cream of Potato Soup

I threw together this soup this weekend with some odds and ends we had on hand, and it turned out great! I decided to post it here so I don't forget what I did. :)

Cream of Potato Soup

1/2 lb bacon, chopped into 1/2" pieces (well, apparently I use bacon in absolutely everything)
2 Tbsp butter (feel free to omit to reduce fat - but why would you do that?)
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 - 6 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 yam, peeled and chopped
1 cup chicken stock (or 1 15 oz. can, if that's what you have on hand)
~2 cups milk
1 cup half & half
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives (scallions would work too if you don't have a chive plant outside your kitchen door)
Salt & pepper to taste

Brown bacon in a large pot. Remove bacon from pot, and pour off all but ~3 Tbsp bacon grease. Add butter, onion and garlic and saute until onions are translucent. Stir in potatoes, yams, chicken stock, and milk, and simmer until potatoes & yams are tender. Using an immersion blender, puree about half of the soup, or alternatively, use a regular blender. If using a regular blender, puree 1/2 the soup (be careful and cover with a dishtowel!) and return it to the pot. Stir in half and half and cook until heated through (don't boil). Stir in chives, and salt & pepper to taste. Serve topped with crumbled bacon.

This was delicious served with a salad and freshly made garlic bread, and I loved the added color and sweetness of the yams.

Sesame Crusted Tuna "Burgers" with Maple-Soy Glaze and Wasabi Aioli

Dinner tonight! A deceptively easy "gourmet" meal, and one of my favorites. This was inspired by the tuna burger at Acme Burger, and adapted from other seared-tuna appetizer recipes I've tried in the past.

Sesame Crusted Tuna "Burgers" with Maple-Soy Glaze and Wasabi Aioli

1/4 Cup maple syrup (gotta use the real stuff)
1/4 Cup soy sauce (I prefer low-sodium)
2 6-7 oz fresh tuna steaks - ahi, albacore, or other sushi-grade tuna
Sesame seeds
2 ciabbata rolls or onion rolls
1/4 Cup mayonnaise
2 tsp - 2 tbsp wasabi paste (to taste)
lettuce and avocado for burgers

In a small saucepan, bring maple syrup and soy sauce to boil over medium-high heat. Boil until reduced by half, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and watching for boil-over. Remove from heat. Rinse tuna steaks and pat dry. Sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds on both sides, pressing to adhere. Sear tuna steaks over medium-high to high heat in a heavy pan (I use a grill pan) until done to taste (I prefer very rare). Place on plate, allow to cool slightly, and pour maple-soy glaze generously over steaks. Stir together mayonnaise and wasabi paste to make wasabi aioli. Spread wasabi aioli generously on cut rolls, adding lettuce, avocado, and tuna steaks.

More Invisible Food!

We're all headed to Fillmore tomorrow morning to visit Wah-Wah and Papa (grandma & grandpa for those of you who don't speak Ella), and I had to make dinner with a few odds & ends. There's definitely a trend of cheesy pasta dishes these days, mostly because "noo-noos" are some of Ella's favorite foods so I know they're generally a safe bet. This recipe uses a basic bechamel sauce, which is really easy to adapt to your particular taste. I'm sure you could substitute whatever veggies you have on hand (carrots, cut into small cubes, cauliflower, etc.), and the quantities below are just suggestions - I'm sure I had less than a cup of asparagus. The chicken is optional (I added it to give Ella a bit of protein), but this is a great way to use up leftover chicken - shredded would work just as well as grilled & cubed. I pounded the chicken breast until it was relatively thin so it would cook quickly and not hold up the meal. Although I didn't have any on hand, a bit of chopped parsley would be nice stirred in right at the end. Enjoy!

Creamy Pasta with Spring Vegetables & Grilled Chicken

1 chicken breast, grilled & cut into cubes
1 lb package dried pasta, whatever shape you have on hand
1-2 cups broccoli florets
1-2 cups asparagus spears, cut into 1" pieces
1 10 oz package frozen peas
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed (or minced, whatever works best for you)
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream (this is totally optional)
3-4 oz cream cheese, cut into pieces
1 tsp lemon zest*
1/2 cup shredded parmesan or grana padano
salt & pepper, to taste

Bring large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Set timer for 2 minutes less than pasta cook time and add pasta to water. Meanwhile, melt butter in small saucepan and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds and stir in flour. Cook butter/flour mixture for about one minute, stirring, to get rid of starchy flavor. Stir in milk, working flour clumps out as you stir. Bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes, until sauce thickens considerably. Stir in cream cheese until it melts, then add cream and lemon zest and remove from heat.

When pasta is about 2 minutes from done, add broccoli & asparagus to pot. Cook for about a minute and a half, then stir in frozen peas. Test pasta for doneness, and reserve about a cup of the pasta water. Drain pasta & veggies and return to pot. Stir in bechamel sauce, adding enough reserved pasta water to thin the sauce to desired consistency. Stir in shredded parmesan or grana padano and salt/pepper to taste. Bon appetit!

*Lemon zest isn't critical, but it does add a nice brightness. I always zest any lemon I'm using for juice and keep the zest in a plastic bag in the freezer. Then I have it on hand when I need it and don't have to buy a lemon just for a tsp of zest.

Food and Baconday

I am thrilled to report that our little Ella Mae is as much a fan of *any* cheese as we are. Last night Sean and I revisited our old favorite meal of baguette with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, assorted cheeses, fruit, and wine. The cheeses on the menu were a washed-rind Rougette Landkase, which was lovely, and an English Shropshire Blue, which I would have enjoyed had it not tasted exactly like the whole dairy farm. I'm sure I've had Shropshire that was much creamier and lacking that rather unpleasant flavor, so I'll be looking for a brand other than Pilgrim's Choice next time.

We were excited to see that Ella enjoyed the meal as much as we do. Much like her daddy, she loves washed rind cow's milk cheese, which is about the stinkiest stuff there is. (Sean's favorite is Grayson , a washed-rind cheese with a strong flavor similar to Tallegio, but which tends to travel a bit better and we think tastes better by the time it gets to our table from the farm.) Ella's love of strong flavors is something that never ceases to amaze me. Who would think a toddler would love onions and garlic, pasta with garlic & clams, and stinky cheese?

In other food news, I tried something new for our "Baconday" breakfast this morning. Rather than the usual pancakes, I adapted my trusty Betty Crocker recipe and made Oatmeal Raisin Pancakes. They were delicious! I've posted the recipe below for anyone who'd like to give it a try. This recipe doubles beautifully.

Oatmeal Raisin Pancakes

1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 - 1 cup milk (or buttermilk* - even better!)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup (heaping) rolled oats
3 tsp baking powder*
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins

Grind oats in a food processor until close to a floury consistency. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and mix until well-combined. Add a bit more milk or buttermilk if necessary to achieve desired consistency. Cook on a 350-degree griddle until golden brown. Serve with maple syrup, cinnamon-sugar, or molasses.

*If using buttermilk, reduce baking powder to 2 tsp.

Invisible Food!

Sean and I have a running joke about "invisible food". This pertains to my ability to conjure a meal out of seemingly nothing, with an empty fridge and a grocery list a mile long. I thought it would be fun to post these "invisible meals" here as they occur. I'd love to hear of your own invisible food!

Today's invisible food is a variation on a favorite comfort food, macaroni & cheese. Sean has renamed Sunday "Baconday", and has written it into the bylaws of our marriage that Sunday MUST involve bacon. Because I didn't make my usual big Baconday breakfast this morning, I made up for it at lunch. Tonight we'll have leftover pasta with a big salad & steamed veggies.

Pasta shells with cheese & bacon

1/2 lb. bacon, chopped into 1" pieces (smaller if you prefer)
1 lb. pasta shells (or any pasta you have on hand)
3 oz. cream cheese, cut into pieces
1 tbsp butter
1/4 - 1/2 cup milk
~1 Cup shredded cheese (I used Monterey Jack & Cheddar to make it toddler-friendly, but anything you have on hand will work)

Saute bacon until crispy, reserve 2 Tbsp bacon fat and drain off the rest of the fat. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted to water to a boil, cook pasta according to directions. Drain water from pasta, return cooked pasta to pot. Add bacon fat, butter, and cream cheese, stir until cream cheese begins to melt. Stir in 1/4 cup milk and shredded cheese. Stir over low heat until all of the cheese melts, adding more milk as necessary until sauce is at desired consistency. Stir in bacon and salt/pepper to taste.

Voila! Not gourmet, but edible. Sidenote: this would be even better with snipped chives. You could also begin with a basic bechamel sauce if you don't have much cheese on hand. Stir bechamel and whatever cheese you happen to have into pasta after draining and proceed.