Deliciously Simple Barbecue Ribs- Everything in Moderation

I have many fond memories from when I was a child; many of the memories are around food. Saturday’s were baking days in our house: beautifully risen chiffon cake, chocolate éclairs filled with fresh cream, my mom’s famous milk tart. Sundays were huge family roasts and barbecues, but not before breakfasts of granny’s homemade roasted pork buns (char siu bau) and pork dumplings (siu mai), and in later years, freshly baked rolls smothered in butter and strawberry jam, and sticky raisin buns.

The rest of the week was healthy, but delicious nonetheless: My father’s oatmeal porridge boiled to creamy perfection with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of wheat germ, simple tasty stir fries with lean beef or chicken; even a phase of home-made fruit/vegetable juices before it became fashionable (admittedly, not my favourite). My parents were never dogmatic or forceful about healthy eating while we were growing up, and there were never any banned foods, though I do remember wondering why some of my friends at school could have white bread (crusts off) with chocolate spread, while I had a wholegrain sandwich with fillings like baked beans and tuna mayonnaise (too smelly for a self-conscious preteen).

Now that I am older I’m most grateful to my parents for teaching me this principle: 'Everything in Moderation', because when you apply this principle to your diet you’re able to enjoy all sorts of foods while keeping your daily healthy eating habits as your baseline. Sadly, I've encountered so many people in my practice over the years that have a warped sense of 'good' and 'bad' foods, and who struggle with their weight and the guilt of failed diets.

So it is with this in mind that I include this easy barbecue ribs recipe for the sheer enjoyment of food, and as a tribute to my parents for teaching me such an invaluable life lesson.

Some rib facts
Ribs are usually the cheaper cuts of meat, but require longer cooking periods (low and slow) due to, besides bone, more connective tissue and cartilage. The down side is the high fat content in ribs, but balance this by serving a light salad with new potatoes instead of fries. Also, shop for rib cuts that have plenty of meat, fewer bones and a small amount of fat, though some fat is necessary to keep the meat moist during cooking.

To make you feel better about having your oven on for so long, try sneaking something else into it. I roasted a butternut at the same time on a separate roasting tray. Cut it into strips, scoop out the seeds and drizzle with olive oil. Leave the skin on- it not only saves time, but it becomes deliciously chewy, and the flesh is tender and sweet.

I’ve significantly pared down this recipe from the original, only because I didn’t have any of the other ingredients, but the family seemed to enjoy it, fussy toddler included.

Deliciously Simple Barbecue Ribs (serves 4-6)

Recipe frugally adapted from Tyler Florence

Ingredients

2 slabs baby back ribs (about 1.4 kg or 3 pounds)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Canola Oil
2 bacon slices
1 heaped teaspoon of dried mixed herbs
½ onion
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1 heaped teaspoon chilli paste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 120 degrees celsius (250 degrees F). Put the ribs on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Put them in the oven, and let the ribs bake for 1 ½ hours.

For the sauce, fry the bacon with a little oil in a saucepan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and onion and cook slowly, without colouring, for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, then turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for approximately 10 minutes. Keep some sauce aside in a bowl for basting, reserve the rest for serving.

Baste the ribs with the sauce and let them continue cooking, basting twice more, for 30 more minutes. When the ribs are cooked, take them out of the oven.

When you are ready to eat, preheat your broiler for 5 minutes and broil the ribs, basting with the sauce, for about 5 minutes on each side until they are crisp and charred.

Fruits and Vegetables: A Buying and Cooking Guide

Besides having your pantry sorted, the next biggest challenge to cooking healthily and economically is to have a regular supply of fresh fruit and vegetables. Here are a few tips on what to consider and how to get the most out of your fresh produce.

Shop seasonally
It is usually cheaper (and environmentally friendly) to buy fruits and vegetables that are in season, so forgo the strawberries from Mexico in the dead of winter and opt for different varieties of locally grown apples, which are available year-round, at least in Canada. See the Foodland Ontario website for a guide to what's available according to season.

Shop organic (or not?)
Is it really worth the extra cost to buy organic? No, according to a recent scientific study, whose findings claim there is no nutritional benefit to eating organic foods compared to non-organic foods. As a dietitian and mother of two young children, my concern is more with regards to contaminants, mainly pesticides, found in commercially grown, non-organic foods. Consider this: the level of toxicity per kilogram of body weight for a toddler is far greater than it would be for a grown adult. Now I know it is not always feasible to shop organic- paying 30 cents more for organic apples hurts when you’re trying to be the ‘queen’ of frugal, but there are ways to get around this:

• Compare prices at different stores- larger stores tend to be cheaper and have greater variety of organic produce.
• Consider joining a co-op where you are able to order a regular supply of organic produce- it can work out cheaper than a grocery store especially if you are prepared to collect it yourself rather than have it delivered.
•  The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has provided a useful list that ranks 47 of the most popular fruit and vegetables according to their level of pesticide contamination. You’re able to see which are ‘the dirty dozen’, that is, which products are most contaminated (and should be bought organic), as well as those that are least contaminated and can thus be bought non-organic. An easy way to remember this list: pests tend to like sweet things, so more pesticides are used to keep them away from sweeter foods such as tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, berries, apples and peaches.

Then again, consider this: a diet that includes some form of fruits and vegetables (organic or not) will be far better than eating no fruits and vegetables at all.


Shop locally
Support local farmers’ markets, then you’re sure to find things in season, and find a variety of organic produce.

Shop for variety
Aim for a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables. Firstly, the nutritive value will most likely be higher- not only in vitamins and minerals but also in phyto-nutrients. Secondly, a colourful plate is far more appealing and appetizing (especially for fussy eaters) than a monotone of mush. Think roasted baby beetroot and butternut with baby spinach drizzled with balsamic vinegar (delicious!) versus over-cooked cauliflower with a gloopy white sauce.

Cook creatively
By varying your cooking methods, not only do you avoid boredom (and leftovers), but you also increase the nutritive value depending on your method of preparation. Raw vegetables are not always healthier.  Some examples:

• Cooking vegetables, such as carrots, spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, cabbage, and peppers, releases more antioxidants such as beta carotene and ferulic acid than when eaten raw. 
• lycopene, a powerful antioxidant linked with lowering cancer and heart attacks, is most available when tomatoes are cooked (even ketchup is a good source).
• vitamin C is highly unstable, is destroyed by cooking and dissolves in water, so make sure you include some raw vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, kiwifruit, and sweet peppers.

Don’t buy in bulk
Fresh fruit and vegetables bought in bulk often gets wasted, otherwise freeze it. I recently bought two punnets of organic blueberries (they were on sale) thinking they would be gobbled up. The girls soon lost interest halfway through punnet #1, so I threw everything into a freezer bag and into the freezer. A week or two later, the frozen berries made a wonderful afternoon snack on a rare warm Spring day- frugal and nutritious! Berries, mangoes, pineapple, peaches, spinach, corn, and peas freeze well. Starchier vegetables such as carrots and potatoes don’t hold as well.

Plant your own
Herbs like basil and parsley grow easily on a sunny porch and taste best fresh rather than dried, but oregano is actually better dried. Vegetables such as peppers and tomatoes are also easy options if you’re just starting out.

Frugal Baking: Choc-chip Cupcakes

Every mother who is looking to save a bit and wants to impress is looking for the perfect home-made cake recipe for her child’s next birthday party. I finally found a delicious Victorian sponge cake recipe from one of Jamie Oliver’s cookbooks that I made two years in a row for Daughter#1. It's very decadent and not very cheap to make, but so worth it. So I thought I found my recipe for all future birthdays, until we discovered (the hard way) that Daughter#2 is allergic to eggs. Initially she also had a wheat allergy (tricky combination- toddlers are fussy enough as it is!), but thankfully she's outgrown that. I’ve been trying to find the ultimate egg-free cake for her second birthday and gave this recipe a try today. Interestingly, it’s derived from a World War II recipe during times of egg and milk rationing, so it’s egg-free, can be dairy-free and it's cheap to make. If you've read my previous post on organizing your pantry and stocked up on essentials you should have all the ingredients except for choc-chips/cocoa and white vinegar (cider vinegar is also acceptable).

I’ve adapted the recipe slightly by omitting cinnamon and since I didn’t have cocoa, I used choc-chips instead. Also, I tried baking them as cup cakes, but this can be made into a cake too.  

CHOC-CHIP CUPCAKE RECIPE (Adapted from Veteran Affairs Canada)

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C (350 deg F).

Ingredients

Combine dry ingredients:
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ teaspoon of salt
2/3 cup choc-chips (use 3 tablespoons cocoa if you want to keep it dairy-free)

Add:
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of white vinegar*
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I prefer Canola)
1 cup of lukewarm water

Combine all ingredients and fill a paper-lined muffin tin. Bake for 25-30 mins.

The recipe doesn’t seem to need any frosting with choc-chips, but as a chocolate cake one could dust it with icing sugar or make a rich butter icing.

* The science behind including vinegar- the acidity of vinegar reacts with baking soda and produces carbon dioxide, which gives the batter the lift it needs.

Yes, that's my daughter's hand, ready to pounce!

Organizing your pantry- Spring metamorphosis

This is my first post in a series on how to get organized in the kitchen to get you eating better.

Last week was the first time I ventured out into the backyard to potter around clearing away old leaves and doing some early weeding. The girls enjoyed it too, mimicking their mom and enjoying the sunshine. Daughter#1 was particularly excited as each time she saw a new green bud or emerging leaf she'd exclaim, 'Look Mom! What's that?' and, 'Wow that's so exciting!'. I was also excited until I saw her pulling out what I did not consider to be a weed.The change of seasons in Canada are distinct and beautifully dramatic. The African seasons I am accustomed to seem to merge into one another like the blurry edges of my daughter’s over-diluted paint. This being my first Spring in the Northern Hemisphere I feel a strong urge to clean out, get fit and start afresh... coming out of 'hivernation', in the adorable words of my 4-year old.

If you're in that frame of mind and you want to start eating better, getting your pantry organized is a fantastic place to start. Knowing what you have in the kitchen will help with more efficient shopping habits and better meal planning. So here are a few tips that work for me:

·          Step 1

Empty out the pantry and give the shelves a good wipe down. If you’re vertically challenged like me, make sure you use a stepping stool so you can see into all your shelves. Don’t fall into the trap of skimming the shelves on tip-toes as you may be bombarded with a falling packet of 2-minute noodles you never thought you had, or worse, a flying can of tuna. You may be surprised at what you find.

*Frugal challenge- see how creative you can be by trying to put a meal together with just the items in your pantry.

·          Step 2

Check expiry dates and throw out anything that is past its best before date. Give away items you know you’ll probably never use.

*Frugal tip- If your cake flour has recently expired, why not make a batch of home-made play dough or drop it off at your child’s school to be used for their crafts.

·          Step 3

Organize each food item according to category, for example, staples and starches like rice, pasta, polenta, popping corn, lentils and oatmeal could all go on the same shelf. I usually store large items like cereals in the top shelves as they’re easy to identify and retrieve. Use see-through containers and trays to store smaller items.  Lazy susans (rotating round trays) within a pantry can also be useful for storing condiments and small bottles.

For those with toddlers, make sure you child-proof your cupboards. I prefer to put all breakables and food items out of reach rather than locking cupboards (I find the locks impractical), though the layout of your cupboards may necessitate locking. If you can spare the space, keep a cupboard/drawer with unbreakable pots, old pans, and plastic bowls that your children can play with while you cook.

*Frugal tip- I keep large clear plastic containers from the grocery store to organize and separate smaller items in the pantry, such as bags of lentils/ spices.

·         Step 4

      Make a shopping list of things to stock up on. With two kids under the age of 4 I have had to trim down my shopping expeditions – not only are they fewer, they’re also faster. Online shopping for groceries, if it's available in your area, can also be a huge time-saver. Not only does planning ahead help with meal planning, but it can also save you money since you’re not shopping on impulse. 

      Here’s a list of my basics that I keep in the kitchen for cooking and baking.

      Dry ingredients:

      Pasta -different shapes for different moods.

      Oats- The glycaemic index of oats seems to vary widely so shop around till you find one that suits you. Avoid instant oats, especially flavoured ones as they tend to have a very high glycaemic index.

      Rice- Brown rice and white long grain rice both have a low glycaemic index.

      Cake flour- I like to keep a small packet of wholewheat flour to add to homemade muffins or pancakes to increase the nutrient and fibre content.
Canned foods:
Fish- tuna, salmon, mackerel. Salmon and mackerel are considered oily fish so they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have numerous health benefits.

Beans, Chickpeas- beans are an economical and nutritious way to bulk up meat dishes.

Creamed corn- I like to add this to my chicken soup (recipe coming soon).
Whole peeled tomatoes (canned)

Oils- Canola is my basic cooking oil. It's rich in monounsaturated fats and is relatively inexpensive. I reserve the more expensive oils like extra virgin olive oil for drizzling over salads and sesame oils for specific Asian dishes.

Soya sauce- 'less sodium' versions are available. I prefer to avoid ones with added corn syrup, water and caramel; the flavour of a premium brand is worth the cost. 

Dried mixed herbs

Black peppercorns

Garlic- rich in anti-oxidants and the kids won't really notice it in their meals. 

Onions- same as garlic

Baking:

Cinnamon- useful for adding flavour to oatmeal, pancakes, greek yoghurt, puddings, and muffins, and there's evidence to suggest it's good for the heart.

Baking powder

Baking soda

Vanilla extract

Fridge:

Eggs

Milk- I keep both semi-skimmed (2% fat) for my preschooler and homogenized/whole (3.5% fat) for my toddler. Current recommendations say that toddlers need the extra calories until age 2. If your preschooler's diet is low in fat, then 2% should be fine; if it is too high then skimmed is best.

Butter- I know it's not the healthiest, but some baking is just not the same without butter, so this is my compromise.

Cheese- mozzarella, cottage and feta are lower fat options. Always read labels if you are unsure.

Freezer:

Peas

Mixed vegetables- for quick veggie options or when you just can't get to the shops.

Oven-baked chips- always a favourite with the kids. The fat content varies by brand so compare the labels.

Frozen berries -useful for adding a boost of vitamin C, antioxidants and brilliant colour to smoothies, pancakes, or muffins.

This is the brand of soya sauce I prefer. Shop around for prices as it may be cheaper at your local Chinese grocer.

There's nothing better than collective wisdom, so if you have any useful tips to share, please do. I'd love to hear them.

A beautiful spacious pantry (http://www.closettailors.com)