A Favorite Cookbook

I’ve always loved cooking. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of helping my mom cook dinner or bake cookies. By the time I was 11 or 12, I was making spaghetti and bean burritos on my own. By my late teens, I had the basics of cooking down. When I left home, I wanted to expand my cooking repertoire and lucky for me, I worked at a bookstore where I could buy bargain cookbook for under $2. I bought several fancy books that were simply too hard. When I would look through the recipes, I wouldn’t understand the directions (what’s a bain marie?) or I wouldn’t know what the ingredients were or where to find them (What are kaffir lime leaves?). Luck for me, I stumbled on a great cookbook that was perfect for my cooking skills and allowed me to make meals that were not too hard, but looked impressive and tasted delicious! What is this wonderful book? Better Homes and Gardens America’s Best-Loved Community Recipes Volume II. I later purchased volume I and still continue to use both cookbooks frequently. They have step-by-step instructions, pictures of every dish, and recipes from all categories. I believe they are out of print, but I just checked amazon.com and they are still available for purchase. After using these cookbooks and several other intermediate level recipe books, I was eventually able to tackle the difficult books as well!

Greek Pizza

Pitas (I buy whole wheat when I can)
Olive oil
Minced garlic
Spinach
Feta
Cooked chicken
Sliced peperoncinis
Greek olives, pitted and halved
Sun dried tomatoes
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush the tops of the pitas with olive oil and sprinkle desired amount and combination of the next 9 ingredients. Bake pitas for 10 minutes.

*Easy gourmet tip: fresh ground black pepper. It tastes so much better than pre-ground pepper!

Fancify Your Food!

You may be a gourmet mom, but your kids aren’t too sure about unfamiliar foods. The trick is to present new foods in a familiar way or familiar foods in a new way. Here are a few examples.

Welsh Rabbit: This is the British version of an open faced, grilled cheese sandwich. I have no idea why it’s called “rabbit,” but the name makes it more fun. Here is a link to a few recipes on allrecipes.com, one of my favorite recipe sites:

http://allrecipes.com/Search/Recipes.aspx?WithTerm=welsh%20rabbit

Sweet potato French fries: they are delicious and more nutritious than typical French fries. You can make them from scratch, or buy them in the frozen food section. In the grocery store I shop at, they are located in the organic food isle.

Crepes: make your kids some delicious dessert crepes, then have them try a dinner version.

Cheddar cheese risotto: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114320079
(See my recipe review from March 2010).

Peanut Butter and Jelly Panini: Use your fancy sandwich press to make a familiar treat. I prefer grilled pb&j!

Use a variety of cheeses: Instead of using the same old cheddar or American (which isn’t really cheese, but a “processed cheese food”) cheese on your kids sandwiches; give them something different like Swiss or provolone. Instead of mozzarella string cheese, look for mini Babybel cheeses in the deli section.
http://www.mini-babybel.com/products/mini-babybel/

Use a variety of pasta: Don’t just use the same old macaroni and spaghetti noodles; make rotini and cheese or substitute angel hair or linguini in your spaghetti and meatball recipe.

Go on a new fruits and vegetable hunt: When I was in 4th or 5th grade, I took cooking in 4H. One of the assignments was to go to the produce section and find fruit that I had never tried before. My mom and I found something called an ‘ugly fruit,’ which was a scary looking, wrinkled citrus fruit. I was a little nervous to try it, but it was delicious! The fact that I remember this project 20 years later says it all.

Dress up your food: One of my daughter and my favorite books is Fancy Nancy. There’s a line in the book where she says, “Sandwiches definitely taste better when you stick in frilly toothpicks,” and it’s true! Cut your sandwiches into small squares stick in a frilly toothpick. Practice your cutting skills by julienne-ing your kids’ carrots. Start using garnishes. Serve juice in elegant glasses. The fancy possibilities are endless!

Peppermint Sun Tea

Peppermint herbal sun tea (which technically isn't tea, but tisane)is a great way to hydrate during the summer months. It is cool, refreshing, and won't dehydrate you like caffeinated beverages will. In fact, I recently asked my doctor and she said that drinking unsweetened herbal tea counts towards your daily glasses of water.


You will need:

1 gallon ice tea jar (I found mine at the grocery store for $5)
4-5 bags of peppermint herbal tea
1 gallon of water


Fill your ice tea jar with cool water, put tea bags in the jar, and set out on the porch in full sun for the day. I prefer my tea without sweetener, but you can add sugar or honey if desired. It would be best to add sweetener while the tea is still warm so that it will fully dissolve. Pour over ice and store the rest in the refrigerator.

Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts

Every gourmet mom needs a fabulous dessert cookbook that never fails to impress. My favorite dessert cookbook is the Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts. I’ve made a large number of the recipes from this 400 page book and have come to rely on it to consistently impress. Most times that I’m taking a dish to a large gathering, I make sure to bring something that I’ve made before, but with this cookbook, I know that anything I make will be beautiful, impressive, and most importantly DELICIOUS! I highly recommend buying this cookbook!

Yogurt Monkey Tails

The cook at the school I work at makes this summertime treat. It's easy to make, kids (and adults) love it, and as a bonus it's healthy too!

bananas
1 container strawberry or vanilla yogurt
sprinkles (optional)
popsicle sticks

Cut desired number of bananas in half. Insert a popsicle stick. Lay on wax paper on a baking sheet and place in the freezer. When completely frozen, dip each banana in yogurt until coated. Add sprinkles and place back in the freezer until yogurt is frozen.

5 Easy Time Savers

Use pre-minced garlic. Freshly minced garlic tastes better, but takes a long time to prepare (although I got a very nifty kitchen gadget that makes it a lot easier). You can find pre-minced garlic in the produce isle in a jar, or if you use a lot of it like I do, you can buy it at Costco.

Don’t peel your potatoes. Whether you are mashing them or making hash browns, don’t bother peeling the potatoes, there are a lot of extra vitamins in the peel and it will cut more than a few minutes out of your prep time. If anyone says anything, just tell them they are “homestyle”

Use an apple corer/slicer. This is a great time saver when the kids (or I) want a quick, healthy snack. Make sure you get a heavy duty one that is all one piece. I use mine all of the time and the cheap ones break easily and can cause injury when they do. It’s worth an extra $5!

Use canned beans. When a recipe calls for dried beans, I usually use them, but if I’m in a hurry and don’t want to go through the 12 hour process of soaking and cooking them, I will just buy canned beans. This skips several hours preparation!

Heat the water in the tap before you put it in the pot to boil. If you are boiling water, wait a few extra seconds for it to heat up in the tap before adding it to the pan. The already warm water will come to a boil faster!

Simple Soup Recipe

The following is a recipe from a cookbook called, Soup: A way of Life by Barbara Kafka. I had to include it because if you take all of the shortcuts, it is probably one of the easiest homemade meals I’ve ever made! I’ve doubled the recipe to make it big enough for a 4 person family and would serve it with bread.

Simple White Bean and Pesto Soup

4 cups chicken broth (I usually use 4 cups water and 4 tsp Better than Bullion)
4 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
4 T Pesto
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Combine first 4 ingredients, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 1 minute. Add Parmesan to each bowl and serve.

Cheddar Cheese Risotto

I absolutely love risotto, so when I heard an interview with Nigella Lawson on NPR describing her recipe for cheddar cheese risotto, I was very intrigued. If you aren’t familiar with risotto, it is an Italian dish that usually includes vegetables, meat (or not if you make it as a side), and delicious Italian cheese. To put cheddar in a risotto almost seems wrong, and yet I was compelled to try it. As far as risottos go, I’d give it three out of five stars, but my daughter loved it (and did all the stirring for me). That’s when it occurred to me that this dish is practically macaroni and cheese. What a great crossover meal! It is familiar, but different and the next time that I want to make a more authentic risotto, perhaps she will be more willing to try it even if it contains scary things like broccoli.

Cheddar Cheese Risotto
by Nigella Lawson
Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 baby leeks or 2 fat scallions, finely sliced
• 1-1/2cups risotto rice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 4 cups hot vegetable stock
• 1 cup chopped Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
Instructions
1. Melt the butter and oil in a medium-sized pan and cook the sliced baby leeks or scallions until softened.
2. Add the risotto rice and keep stirring for a minute or so, then turn up the heat and add the wine and mustard, stirring until the wine is absorbed.
3. Start ladling in the hot stock, letting each ladleful become absorbed as you stir before adding the next one.
4. Stir and ladle until the rice is al dente, about 18 minutes, then add the cheese, stirring it into the rice until it melts.
5. Take the pan straight off the heat, still stirring as you do, and then spoon into warmed dishes, sprinkling with some of the chopped chives.
Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a starter


To checkout the interview for yourself, visit: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114320079

1/2 Whole Wheat Buttermilk pancakes

It’s important to me that my family eat healthy food, but I also want to let them eat “normal” foods. Not only that, but if I go overboard with too much whole wheat flour or pasta, my husband complains that I’m feeding them “cardboard.” I’ve found a way to compromise with both viewpoints by using half and half. When I make spaghetti for instance, I use half whole wheat pasta and half regular pasta. When I make baked goods, I use half whole wheat flour and half unbleached white flour. Here is a recipe for pancakes where I’ve adjusted the ingredients to make it a healthier treat. I’ve substituted vegetable oil for safflower oil which is a healthier oil, but unlike olive oil, has no flavor. We’ve also started topping our pancakes with applesauce instead of syrup. Try it, it is delicious!

1/2 Whole Wheat Buttermilk pancakes

1 C unbleached white flour
1 C whole wheat flour
1 T sugar
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ salt
1 egg beaten
1 ½ C buttermilk *
¼ C safflower oil

Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a medium bowl, then slowly mix into dry ingredients just until combined. Do not over mix. Preheat griddle and lightly oil with safflower oil. Put desired amount of batter on your griddle and cook until bubbles begin to appear at the top of the pancake. Flip and cook on the other side. Top with applesauce or pure maple syrup.

*In a pinch, here is a great buttermilk substitute: mix 1 ½ cup milk with 1 ½ T white vinegar. Let sit for 10 minutes before using. I almost always use this substitution since I usually make pancakes on a whim and don’t usually have buttermilk in the fridge. This will also means less fat in your pancakes.

Here’s a link for a great cookie recipe containing zucchini, granola, and oatmeal. Ok, so that was probably not a good way to advertise them, but trust me, they’re REALLY good! This is one of the recipes where I use half white flour and half wheat.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/St-Patricks-Day-Zucchini-Oatmeal-Cookies/Detail.aspx

Cooking with Kids

I’m sure that a lot of people might think that I’m crazy, but cooking with toddlers is a lot of fun! I started cooking with my daughter when she was about 18 months old. Sometimes it can be a lot of work and messes are generally bigger when she is involved, but cooking has become one of our favorite activities. There are several things to consider when you are cooking with small children:

Safety! I have to keep a very close eye on my daughter when I’m cooking. She knows to be careful around hot things, but isn’t as careful around sharp objects. I just try to remind her often to be careful and if she isn’t listening, I don’t let her help.

Boredom is the enemy! Sometimes when I’m cooking, I don’t have anything for her to do. That is when she starts making bigger messes, getting into things, and trying to grab sharp objects. I’ve gotten very good at inventing jobs. Constant stirring for instance is a very important job. If stirring isn’t necessary, I have her transfer ingredients from one bowl to another. I end up with more dirty dishes, but it is worth it.

A mess is not the end of the world. Sometimes it can be really frustrating when cooking with little ones. They stir too fast, sending ingredients flying through the air or dump the measuring cup outside the bowl instead of inside the bowl. When this happens, I just remind myself that a mess is not the end of the world.

Cooking with kids is slower. Just remember when cooking with kids, that you need to allow yourself some extra preparation time.

Here are some of the many benefits of cooking with your kids:

Quality time. I remember helping my mom cook when I was little and now, some of my favorite times with my daughter are when we are cooking. Even though she’s not quite three, I explain to her what all the ingredients are, what they’re for and give her definitions of cooking terms. I’m mostly joking, but she’s surprised me with the cooking terms that she knows. For instance last week she pulled something out of the bottom drawer and said, “Look Mom, a spatula!” How many kids her age know what a spatula is?

See things through their eyes. I don’t remember the first time I saw what was inside an egg or the first time I held a mushroom, but I will remember the first time that Melina did. She’s so excited about the vegetables that I’m cutting up and wants to try all of them. Last night, I was cutting mushroom and she picked it up saying, “What’s this?” I told her what it was and she exclaimed, “Oh, I LOVE it!”

Get them to eat more fruits and veggies. I read somewhere that when kids help prepare a meal, they are more likely to eat it and I’ve definitely noticed a difference with my daughter. For awhile, she wouldn’t eat any food that was green unless it was a pickle. Now that I have her helping me make dinner more often, I let her try food as I’m preparing it. She’s tried fresh mushrooms, onions, zucchini, broccoli, and it’s very rare for her to say that she doesn’t like it. When I set food on the table, she almost always eats it too!

An early introduction to math and science. A cooking lesson is really a math and science lesson in disguise. Teach your kids about weights and measures, changes of state, the effect of temperature, etc.

To be Picky, or not to be Picky

Since my daughter turned two, she has been experimenting with pickiness. That doesn’t make me too happy considering how much I like to experiment with “weird” food. I’ve discovered several tactics that seem to work.

1. This comes from my experience working with autistic children. You get a preferred food item and for every bite of the non preferred food, they get a small bite of the food they really like. When they start eating the non preferred food pretty well, you increase the number of bites they must take to get the treat. I usually say something like, “If you want this, take a bite of that,” and hold up both food items. I don’t force her to eat the food she thinks she doesn’t likes, but I don’t let her have the treat unless she does.

2. Rename food items. This will probably only work with toddlers, but I’ve discovered that green beans are much more appetizing when they are called “peanuts,” mashed potatoes are “ice cream,” broccoli are “trees,” etc. A rose by any other name apparently tastes sweeter!

3. I’ve also found that if I let my daughter down from the table when she is reluctant to eat something that she will often want to eat it about an hour later. She is much less likely to be picky on an empty stomach.

If you have any other methods to ease kids through the pickiness stage, please let me know!

Parmesan Chicken

I remember wondering how people made up recipes when I was little and now I've discovered what they do. They take something they already make, and add a twist. This recipe is my own creation but the idea came from my mom's macaroni and cheese recipe. I basically just changed the cheese and added chicken. It is REALLY good, even if I do say so myself.

Parmesan Chicken

1 lb penne
2-3 T olive oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1 tsp garlic, minced
3 T flour
1 ½ c milk
5 oz parmesan, shredded
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Cut chicken breast into bite sized pieces and pat dry with a paper towel. Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Add chicken and stir fry until fully cooked and slightly brown. Reduce heat to medium low, add garlic and flour, and stir to coat. Add the milk and stir until thickened. Add the parmesan and black pepper, and then pour over pasta. Enjoy with a glass of pinot gris.

Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is a favorite “kid” food. My mom and grandma always made it from scratch and I think I was 6 years old before I knew you could make it from a box. When I finally did try boxed mac-n-cheese, I was not impressed! You can use any cheese in this recipe, but make sure it is a high quality cheese. My mom always spoiled us with Tillamook and it is definitely worth the few extra dollars.

This recipe starts with what my mom and grandma called a "white sauce." I discovered recently that it is actually called béchamel sauce and is the base of many French sauces. When béchamel is mixed with cheese, it is called Mornay sauce. This just goes to show that everything sounds fancier in French!

1 lb macaroni
3 T butter
3 T flour
1 ½ C milk
Fresh ground black pepper to taste.
1 ½ C cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Once you've started boiling the pasta, brown the butter and flour over med low heat for about three minutes. Stir in the milk and pepper and cook over low heat until thickened. Do not boil. Add cheese and stir until melted, then pour over pasta and serve.

Meals-in-a-Box

I love food and I love to cook. Before my daughter was born, it was a fairly common for me to spend 2 hours making dinner or 3 hours baking homemade bread. Now that I have two children, I rarely find time to prepare such elaborate meals. And as all working moms know, sometimes it is nice to make dinner, not from scratch, but from a box. (This may seem like no big deal, but before my kids came along, I would have been horrified by the thought!) I've discovered that even if you make dinner from a box, you don't have to sacrifice flavor or nutrition when making a quick meal. I've discovered quite a few meals-in-a-box that are pretty good.

Here is my list of gourmet meals-in-a-box:

Wanchai Ferry Dinner Kits: You can find these in the Asian food isle. They have cashew chicken, kung pao chicken, spicy garlic chicken, and sweet and sour chicken (this last one was not my favorite). They come with rice and seasoning, and you just have to add chicken. I usually add in half a bag of stirfry veggies to make a healthier meal. They also have meals in the freezer section. They are a little pricey, but easy to prepare. I also typically add a little more rice to increase the amount of food and because there isn't much included in the bag.

A Taste of Thai: Also in the Asian food isle, A Taste of Thai has lots of food kits. My favorite is peanut chicken. Brown a lb of chicken, cut up, until done. Add 1 package of TOT peanut sauce mix and 1 can of light coconut milk. Cook until hot and serve over rice noodles. I also like to add in a cup of grated carrots.

Boboli Pizza: Nothing is easier than buying Boboli pizza crust, sauce, and topping them with whatever sounds good. Their new whole wheat crust is really good if you're looking for more nutrition.

Amy's Kitchen: This brand can be found in the organic food section. Their TV dinners are little pricey, but their enchiladas and Indian cuisine are SO good!

Foster Farm's: Their chicken nuggets, hot wings, hot dogs, corn dogs, are all good.

Marie Callender: Awesome tv dinners (watch the calorie count and sodium content). We also just tried their slow cooker meals, which were just okay.

Wind's Pasties: These are only available in the northwest, but they are extremely good. If you don't know what a pasty is, it is the British version of a pot pie. http://www.windspasties.com/Index.html

If anyone has other good meals-in-a-box, let me know!!