Tag Archives: vegetables

Shaved Brussells Sprouts, Bacon, and Potato Hash

Posted on March 6, 2016 by amydeline

Physicists define entropy as: a measure of the disorder or randomness in a closed system; inevitable and steady deterioration of a system or society.

Sometimes my home feels like a case study in entropy.

Ingredients prepped in gorgeous glass nesting bowls from Avon

A few years ago, I returned home from a grocery shopping trip with the three boys to find that our senile labrosaurus rex (aka: enormous 11-year-old yellow lab) had emptied the entire contents of the trash, chewed it to smithereens, and scattered the remains throughout the main floor of the house.

It was a true masterpiece of canine art; the grand finale of his life’s work.

And there I stood, arms full of groceries, three small people whirling around me, surrounded by millions of filthy bits of trash.

So, I stuck the baby in his highchair with a nutritious pre-dinner amuse bouche of oreo cookies. Then I enlisted the older boys’ help in picking up the living room, while I handled unpacking the perishable groceries and picking up the kitchen mess. Under the circumstances, we were all handling the situation with impressive zen.

And then, as I began loading the gallon of milk into the fridge, I lost my grip and it began to fall towards the floor. I reacted with ninja-like reflexes and caught the milk before it crashed to the trash-covered floor. A momentary triumph, until I realized that in the process of catching the milk, I’d knocked one of the fridge door shelves with my elbow, sending the shelf and its contents crashing to the floor to mingle with the dog’s trash mess.

I took a deep breath, then grabbed some paper towels and got down on the ground to begin cleaning up the broken glass, sticky hoisin sauce, and olives, which had married themselves with the kitchen mess.

Once most of the trash was picked up and the floor dry, I ran the vacuum to ensure no bits of glass remained to injure small bare feet. Then, I finished unpacking the groceries, fed the boys, and sat down to take a breath. It was then that I noticed the piercing pain coming from my toe, which had been impaled by a bit of glass.

I cleaned up my toe, then poured myself a glass of wine. A very big glass of wine.

At the time, it seemed like such a noteworthy series of chaotic events. Little did I know that such series of entropic events would become so normal they’d barely merit any attention at all. In my almost 9 years as a parent, I’ve come to realize that chaos ebbs and flows. There are periods of time where the demands of family life feel so impossibly insurmountable, no super hero could possibly win this war. And then, just when I’m ready to waive the white flag, things magically return to some semblance of normal, even if chaos is the new normal.

I’d be lying if I said that experience has taught me to thrive on chaos or to go with the flow. I rarely go with the flow. What I have learned though is that the roaring flow of chaos is always peppered with islands of blissful peace. You just have to hang on until you can get yourself onto one of those islands for a brief reprieve.

And in between the islands of peace, there is wine.

The final dish, served in Italian-Inspired Serving Bowl from Avon

This brussels sprouts recipe is inspired by a side dish which accompanied a pan-roasted chicken recipe from Plated. Combined with potatoes, it makes an easy all-in-one veggie and starch side dish for just about any meal. I served it alongside a simple halibut piccata, but I could easily eat a whole bowl of this on its own. This recipe has a high likelihood of turning just about anyone into a raving brussels sprouts fan.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, and Potato Hash

Ingredients

2 cups fingerling potatoes, cut into small pieces
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 cups brussels sprouts, very thinly sliced or shaved
Olive oil, about 1 tablespoon
Salt and pepper

Procedure

Place potatoes in a medium sized pot. Cover with cold, generously salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, under just fork tender. Drain and set aside. In a large pan, cook bacon over medium/medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon using a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave the rendered bacon fat in the pan. Add the shallot to the pan with the bacon fat. Cook for 4-5 minutes, over medium heat, until tender and golden. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, if little bacon fat remains. Add the brussels sprouts and potatoes. Cook over medium high heat for about 5-7 minutes, until the potatoes begin to brown. Return bacon to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

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Posted in Food and tagged avon, brussels sprouts, comfort food, Cooking, Eating, family, Food, food photography, kids, kitchen tools, life, parenting, plated, Recipes, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

Posted on November 25, 2013 by amydeline

Hey, folks…

Reposting last year’s round-up of Thanksgiving ideas for a little menu-planning inspiration!

~Amy

APPETIZERS

Cranberry Chipotle Meatballs

Corn and Bacon Fritters with Smoked Salmon

Bacon-Wrapped Dates stuffed with Bleu Cheese

THE MAIN EVENT

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast with Pan Gravy (and tips for roasting a whole turkey)

Bacon and Cider Braised Turkey Drumsticks (and garlicky creamed spinach)

Spiced Sweet Potato Puree with Pecan Streusel

Sausage, Apple, and Leek Stuffing

Cranberry-Orange Sauce

Green Beans Almondine

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Walnuts

Hot Doughy Buns

DESSERTS

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Coconut Pie

A Few Variations on Apple Pie (in an all butter pie crust)

Caramel Apple Cake

Turkey-Shaped Sugar Cookies

Caramel Apple Tartlets

Spiced Mango Upside Down Cake

Cannoli Cheesecake

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Posted in Appetizers, Baking, Breads, Cakes, Cheese, Chocolate, Culinary Techniques, Desserts, Dressings and Condiments, Food, Fruit, Main Course, Pork, Potato, Poultry, Recipes, Sauces, Side Dishes, Vegetable and tagged appetizers, autumn, bacon, baking, bread, cake, chocolate, comfort food, Cooking, culinary technique, dessert, Eating, entertaining, fall, family, Food, holidays, hors d'oeuvres, kids, love, pork, Recipes, sausage, Thanksgiving, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette: One Simple Dressing, Two Amazing Salads (and a GIVEAWAY WINNER!)

Posted on May 31, 2013 by amydeline

It was back in one of my undergraduate teacher education classes, that I was first introduced to the debate over nature vs. nurture. How much of our personality, strengths, challenges, and interests are a product of our individual biological makeups and how much is due to the environment in which we’re raised and the life events we experience?

From an educator’s point of view, I want very much to believe that nurture plays a more important role, because that idea acknowledges every child’s potential for success and a teacher’s ability to play a significant role in that. We teachers want to believe that given enough time, effective effort, and support, every one of our students can be successful. As educators, the idea of intelligence being a fixed, inborn characteristic would be limiting. So, as a matter of practice, we subscribe more heavily to the theory that nurture plays a more dominant role in human development.

I have to admit though, watching my own boys grow and develop, it’s become a lot more evident to me that nature really does play a significant role. My three boys, all nurtured in the same environment, under very similar conditions, save for the automatic differences in birth order and changes that adding new members to the family have on a home environment. But, my three boys are just about as different as they can be, with their own individual strengths, interests, preferences, and challenges – traits which have been part of who they are since birth.

My Liam is a creator, inventor, and planner. Hand the kid an old piece of cardboard, scissors, and a strip of painter’s tape and he’ll invent some revolutionary new technology which just might change the world. He’s also our head mischief-maker, in an ever-scheming, mad-scientist sort of way. He loves telling stories and doesn’t understand the reason for spaces between his words, either spoken or written. He’s a “What’s next?” sort of kid who wants to plow through the day filling it with as many experiences as possible. Liam doesn’t mind coloring, as long as he can do it fast and all with the same color.

Lucas is our character. He is silly and unabashedly honest with his emotions. The kid takes the stage and steals the show. Just last night, at his Irish step-dancing recital, he snuck out from behind the curtain before the show and spent a good five minutes flapping his arms and shaking his butt in front of the 100 or so people who’d gathered to watch the recital. After completing the first dance, while the rest of the dancers remained poised for the second dance, Lucas approached the front of the stage to shout to me about how much fun he was having. The curtain closed behind him. After spinning around and running nose first into the curtain, he giggled, then shuffled behind the curtain for his second dance. He feels things deeply, for better or worse. He likes his quesadillas with cheese only and “nothing I don’t like.” (If you’re sneaky about it, he will know.) He’s a songwriter, loves legos, and despises coloring.

Little James is a love. He requires copious amounts of hugs and kisses and snuggles, which he soaks up like a sponge and is generous in regifting to everyone he meets. He gives every child at the gym’s childcare a personal hug goodbye when we exit, and the gym cleaning lady gets one too. Sometimes he bites when he gets a bit to excited during a hug, sort of like a dolphin, which makes hugs a bit tense sometimes, but he’s irresistible. He thinks apples and corn on the cob are the best foods in the universe and he’s already trying to learn the alphabet – something the other boys had little interest in for most of their young lives. (His favorite letter is E.) James thinks coloring is the bee’s knees.

They are who they are. And certainly, everything they experience throughout the rest of their lives will have an impact on who they will ultimately become, but it would be foolish to undervalue the unique people they were born as. I’ve learned that parenting, much like teaching, requires ongoing assessment of where our little people are in their lives, what natural talents and interests they possess, what motivates and what discourages them. Then, if we’re doing it right, we take all of that information and design little personalized plans that help nurture their existing strengths, expose them to other possible areas of interest, and teach strategies that might help them handle the areas of life which are more of a personal struggle.

So, do I treat all of my children the same? Absolutely not. I nurture each of my children in the way which seems to work best for them. We follow each of their natural leads and take it from there. Nature vs. nurture? I’m not sure. Ideally a bit of both, I guess, working harmoniously with each other to create unique, well-rounded, happy little people.

Tomorrow, we welcome June. The weather is hot and soon my gaggle of small men will be off for a summer full of creating, destroying, laughing, crying, and loving. Our neighbors opened their pool yesterday and once again, I smacked myself in the head and thought, “Why the heck didn’t I start eating healthier months ago???” Somehow, I’m always too late for bathing suit season. But, the added bonus of the warm weather is that salads for dinner seem ever so much more crave-worthy. They’re light and fresh and have huge potential for deliciousness.

Here are two of my current favorite salads, both made with the same simple roasted red pepper vinaigrette. The dressing is light and flavorful, with a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. The protein-rich toppings on these salads make either option a quick and easy, satisfying summer dinner.

Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1/2 cup roasted red peppers (from a jar works just fine or roast your own)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
Salt and pepper

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, as desired.

Salad Idea #1 – Spinach with Shrimp, Bacon, Corn, and Avocado – Chop the bacon and cook in a fry pan until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain over a paper towel. Cook large shrimp in the hot bacon fat for a minute or two on each side, until cooked through. Toss a generous serving of fresh baby spinach leaves in a bit of the roasted red pepper dressing. Top with the cooked bacon and shrimp, fresh avocado, and sweet corn.

Salad Idea #2 – Mediterranean – Toss romaine or butter lettuce in the roasted red pepper dressing. Top with garbanzo beans, kalamata olives, chopped sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese crumbles.

GIVEAWAY WINNER!! We have a winner! Using http://www.random.org to select a number at random, out of the 17 entries received for the $50 Shindigz gift card giveaway, the winner is #7, Jill fox. Congratulations, Jill!! I’m going to send you an email at the address provided with your comment to get the information necessary to fulfill your prize!! Thank you to everyone who entered!

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Posted in Dressings and Condiments, Food, Main Course, Pork, Recipes, Salads, Seafood, Vegetable and tagged comfort food, Cooking, Eating, education, family, Food, healthy eating, kids, life, love, parenting, Recipes, salads, seafood, shrimp, summer, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

Indian Chickpeas and Mango Lassis

Posted on May 30, 2013 by amydeline

We spent last weekend at a rental house in the Catskill mountains with some friends from college and a few of their close friends. 10 adults. 8 little boys ages 6 month to 6 years. An endless supply of good food. Late nights and early mornings. Amazing fun.

The weather was cold and rainy, but the house was well equipped to keep everyone occupied. We played air hockey and foosball and pool and Settlers of Catan. The kids got lessons in backgammon, dominos, and the card game, war. On the warmest day, we played bubbles and hopscotch. The kids enjoyed the large outdoor play set and playing tee-ball in the yard, which was much more a practice in turn-taking than anything else. There were nature walks, a close call with a tick and a perfectly freaky encounter with a snake. The jacuzzi went largely unused and the karaoke machine went completely neglected. (The beer fridge worked double time.)

Each of the five families prepared a meal during our weekend stay. We ate tender slow-cooked BBQ pork with grilled sweet corn, beer can chicken, homemade waffles with ripe strawberries and fresh whipped cream (the sweet result of a multi-person hand-whipping effort), an assortment of four types of bacon, cinnamon roll french toast bake, cheddar garlic biscuits, scrambled eggs with applewood smoked bacon, caramelized onions, and gruyere, and a taco spread that would make any mouth water. (The lime marinated skirt steak won my heart.)

And though the food was amazing, the home more than comfortable, and the entertainment plentiful, the best part of the weekend, by far, was the people. Over the course of three days, eighteen of us lived together, laughing and connecting, enjoying old friendships and beginning new ones.

In my last post, I asked you to share what you believe is the #1 factor which creates a memorable party, as your entry into a giveaway for a $50 gift card to Shindigz. And though I completely agree that the food, theme, decor and a relaxed host all lend a big hand, after the experience of this past weekend, I wholeheartedly believe it is the people that make the party.

Likewise, it was the people who made our recent Temple Run birthday party such a grand success – the friends and family who traveled from out of town to celebrate with us, the ones who came early to help set up, my brother who chased 20 or so small children through the Temple Run obstacle course in a hot gorilla suit, the guests who repeatedly helped me to repair the course with packaging tape every time one of our small runners plowed through the perimeter, and our fun and social guests. The food and the decorations and the theme all set the stage, but the people made the party.

Thankfully, I had help from Shindigz when it came to acquiring the right decor and party supplies to make our party theme come to life and I had help from a friend when it came to our Indian-themed menu. I’m no stranger to googling recipes when I’m looking to cook something new, (like a full buffet of Indian food) but this time I also had the benefit of an old teaching buddy of mine, who kindly shared the recipe for one of her mom’s signature dishes with me – a dish she fondly recalls from her childhood, as being served with pooris on special occasions and when entertaining visiting family from India.

Vibrant green plates from Shindigz!

Like many familiar family recipes, which are passed on through generations, this recipe is often cooked more by taste than by exact measure. And since I’ve never had the pleasure of tasting the original recipe, I had to use a bit of guesswork and personal guidance from my own taste buds when determining the measurements for most of the spices in this dish. My version of this tasty recipe may not be exactly like my friend’s familiar family favorite, but these savory chickpeas certainly made a delicious addition to our party menu!

It’s not too late to enter the giveaway for a $50 gift card to Shindigz! For more details, click back to my last post, ‘Temple Run’ Indian-Spiced Meatballs with Raita, and leave a comment there about what you believe is the #1 factor that makes a memorable party. The winner will be selected at random on Friday, May 31, 2013 at 12:00pm EST. One entry per person, 18 years and older, US mailing addresses only, please.

Indian Chickpeas

Adapted from a recipe by Rekha Antani

Ingredients

3 cans chick peas
1 medium onion, coarse chopped
3 vine-riperned tomatoes, coarse chopped
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 inch segment of ginger, peeled
3/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 teaspoon chile powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of cloves
3 whole cardamoms
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon coriander powder
1 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons powdered cashews (optional)*

Directions

Drain chick peas, reserving the liquid for later. Process the onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic in a blender or food processor, until smooth. Combine the mustard seeds, turmeric, chile powder and cardamoms in a saucepan over medium heat. Immediately add the onion and tomato mixture to the pan. Add the cinnamon, cloves, sugar, and cumin/coriander powder. Stir well and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the chick peas to the mixture, stirring from the bottom. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a simmer. Continue simmering, partially covered, for 25-30 minutes, adding some of the reserved liquid, a little at a time, as the liquid reduces. Once it appears that the chick peas have changed color by absorbing the spices, lower the heat. Take about 1/4 cup of the hot liquid in the pan and mix it with the sour cream. Then, add the sour cream mixture to the pan. Simmer for 3-4 minutes more at a medium/low heat, until it begins to bubble and thicken. Add the powdered cashews, if desired. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander.

*I omitted the powdered cashews in my preparation due to children with nut allergies at our party.

**The original recipe also calls for an unspecified quantity of a spice called hing or asafoetida, which was not available in my well-stocked grocery store. It would likely be available in an Indian grocery store.

Mango Lassi (Mango and Yogurt Smoothie)

Ingredients

2 cups mango nectar
2 cups mango chunks, frozen
3 cups plain yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Honey (optional, to taste)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Adjust sweetness with additional honey, to taste. Sprinkle with a dash of cardamom powder or garnish with a sprig of fresh mint, if desired.

Disclaimer – Shindigz provided me with $100 gift card to sample their products and services in order to share my experience with you. All opinions expressed in this post are completely my own.

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Posted in Food and tagged chickpeas, comfort food, Cooking, Eating, entertaining, family, Food, kids, life, parenting, party, Recipes, shindigz, temple run, vegetables, vegetarian. Bookmark the permalink.

Spectacular Spinach Salad

Posted on April 23, 2013 by amydeline

Process for Vacuuming a Room Without Kids:

Step 1: Remove vacuum cleaner from closet.

Step 2: Plug in the vacuum.

Step 3: Turn on the vacuum.

Step 4: Use the vacuum to suck debris and animal hair from the floor.

Step 5: Unplug and return the vacuum to the closet.

Approximate Time Required: 5 minutes

Process for Vacuuming a Room With Kids:

Step 1: Remove vacuum cleaner from closet.

Step 2: Rehang all of the jackets which the baby pulled from the closet while you were removing the vacuum.

Step 3: Negotiate an argument over the remote between the two other kids.

Step 4: Plug in the vacuum.

Step 5: Instruct oldest kid to return the salamander to the outdoors and to stop squishing him.

Step 6: Replug the vacuum which the baby unplugged, while you were trying to save the salamander’s life.

Step 7: Return all vacuum accessories to their proper places.

Step 8: Turn on the vacuum.

Step 9: Begin vacuuming the room, while the baby rides on top of the vacuum, switching it off at intervals of 5 seconds.

Step 10: Turn the vacuum back on. Repeat as often as necessary in order to vacuum first half of room.

Step 11: Pause to console the child who is literally crying over spilt milk.

Step 12: Clean up the milk.

Step 13: Unravel the vacuum cord from the baby’s neck.

Step 14: Resume vacuuming the second half of the room.

Step 15: Revacuum the first half of the room after the baby spills goldfish on the floor, then crushes them riverdance-style.

Step 16: Instruct the children to put clothes on before playing outside.

Step 17: Accept that the vacuuming task is futile. Try again tomorrow.

Approximate Time Required: Unknown – This task has never been successfully completed.

The actual experience, when sandwiched between twenty other equally impossible ‘simple’ tasks, is only remotely comical in writing. Experiencing it is a heart-pounding, curl-into-a-ball-and-cry-with-frustration, exercise in futility. (Yes, attempting to vacuum a room has brought me to tears more times than I’d care to admit.) If only I could learn to accept this loss of control over accomplishing simple tasks. Each day feels like a mad rush of tasks, errands, and chores, yet there is scarce evidence of the work accomplished by the end. Even the process of writing this simple blog post has been overly complicated by a million micro interruptions of the salamander, spilt milk, and crushed goldfish variety.

But recently I have managed to find the most perfect peace in a somewhat unusual place…the gym. Many people dread going to the gym. For me, the gym’s bright, sterile environment invokes the same calm as a dimly lit spa with soothing water features. I feel my heart rate decelerate when I walk through those doors, because my gym offers childcare. So, every day, I have been shuffling the little ones off to the gym, where I claim one hour to use as I please. One precious hour, where I am the master of my time, to select a task and complete it with minimal interruptions. One hour where I can choose to move slowly between the strength training machines or to let my heart race with the endorphins of a good run as compared to the cortisol of home stress. That hour may not make vacuuming a room any less stressful, but at least I had that one blissful hour.

And truly, as completing any task is basically impossible anyway, that one hour removed from my daily duties, has made little to no difference with respect to the condition of my house. Now, if that daily hour manages to make a difference with respect to the condition of my waistline, that will be the icing on the cake.

Thankfully, the kids actually love going to the Kids Korner at the gym. There are novel toys and video games (which are a bit more violent than anything I allow in our home, thus exciting in an illicit way) and other kids to socialize with. So, in addition to my daily weekday gym escape, we’ve been taking a family trip to the gym each weekend. A post-gym stop at Panera for lunch, where we pick up salads and smoothies and other sorts of yummy feel-good food, has become part of our weekend routine.

I’ve been crushing on Panera’s Spinach Power Salad ever since they introduced it to the menu. I could eat it everyday, but that be bad for my wallet. So, I’ve come up with my own version of a salad inspired by Panera’s tasty offering. My salad features the same fresh baby spinach, topped with sauteed mushrooms and onions, crispy bacon, protein-rich eggs, and crispy garlic-pepper onion straws, tossed in a simple vinaigrette made with sweet caramelized onions and a touch of honey. It’s a near perfect combination of flavors and textures, the sort of thing which makes a healthful salad feel like a treat.

Today’s Focus on Technique – Mustard as an Emulsifier

I add a touch of mustard to almost every vinaigrette I make. In addition to adding a satisfying hint of flavor, mustard has the ability to act as an emulsifier, binding the oil and vinegar, so that the dressing is less likely to separate. This secret superpower of mustard occurs as a result of the ground mustard seed’s particles’ ability to coat tiny droplets of oil, allowing them to mix harmoniously with the vinegar or lemon juice in a dressing. It doesn’t take a lot, but has the best overall result with ground mustard powder or a good quality prepared mustard.

Spinach Salad with Bacon, Eggs, Mushrooms and Caramelized Onion Vinaigrette

Inspired by Panera’s Spinach Power Salad

Ingredients

8 slices bacon, cooked to crisp, crumbled
3 eggs, hardboiled and chopped
9-12 cups baby spinach leaves

For the sauteed mushrooms and onions

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 cups baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, sliced
Salt and pepper

For the dressing

1/2 cup caramelized onions (from the sauteed onions)
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and pepper

For the crispy onions

1 large sweet onion, very thinly sliced
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup flour
1-1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

For the sauteed mushrooms and onions: Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender and golden. Remove the onions from the pan. Set 1/2 cup aside for the dressing. Save the remaining onions for topping the salad. Add a touch more oil to the pan, if necessary. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 7-10 minutes, until tender and golden. Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

For the caramelized onion vinaigrette: In a blender or food processor, combine the caramelized onions, vinegar, oil, mustard, and honey. Blend until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

For the crispy garlic-pepper onion straws: Soak the sliced onions in the buttermilk for 30 minutes or so. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. In a large fry pan, heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil at medium/medium-high heat for a few minutes, until it’s good and hot. In small batches, remove some of the onions from the buttermilk, shake to remove excess, then toss in the flour mixture until well coated. Scatter the onions in the oil. If the oil is hot enough, they should sizzle instantly and cook to golden and crispy in about two minutes. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and drain over a paper towel. Repeat with remaining onions.

To assemble the salad: Toss a generous serving of spinach leaves (3-4 cups) with a bit of the dressing. Top the salad with the sauteed onions and mushrooms, chopped boiled egg, bacon, and the crispy garlic-pepper onions.

Makes 3-4 large salads

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Posted in Culinary Techniques, Dressings and Condiments, Eggs, Food, Main Course, Pork, Recipes, Salads, Vegetable and tagged bacon, Cooking, culinary technique, easy dinner, family, fitness, Food, gym, kids, life, Panera, parenting, protein, Recipes, salad, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

Tropical Chia Green Smoothies

Posted on February 22, 2013 by amydeline

It’s been pointed out to me, that my own enthusiasm for holiday celebrations, may explain the intense energy my 5-year-old, Liam, puts into planning how we’ll honor each special day. We are two peas in a pod when it comes to festive occasions. Heck, we’re already co-planning the Temple Run themed birthday party we’ll throw in May, complete with a costumed gorilla to chase the party guests through the obstacle course we will assemble in the backyard. My husband is skeptical about the logistics involved in carrying out this event, but Liam and I have got it covered.

As Valentine’s Day approached, Liam easily slipped into holiday planning mode. For weeks, I heard about the special Valentine’s Day he was planning for me. It was to be a spa day, as imagined by a 5-year-old, pieced together with ideas he’d gleaned from watching episodes of Phineas and Ferb or Spongebob. I was given a list of the supplies to acquire for this special day: bubblegum scented bubble bath, ‘some kind of soap’ for my face (a face mask), cucumber slices, candy, and bubbly water. Then I eagerly waited for Valentine’s Day and the one hundred arm massages I’d been promised as part of this luxurious spa package.

But then I received the phone call from the school nurse. My sweet, little valentine was running a fever and needed to be picked up from school. After a bit of rest at home, I decided to turn his little spa idea around on him. It just seemed like he needed the extra attention more than I did. The boys enjoyed the funny face masks and cool cucumber eyes and they laughed their bubble-bearded faces to near tears in the over-filled bathtub. I poured cool glasses of cucumber water for the boys to sip while they enjoyed the soothing effects of the face masks, but none of the boys would drink what they perceived to be ‘pickle water’.

After soothing face masks, ‘pickle water’, and bubble baths, we enjoyed some delicious tropical green smoothies. Inspiration for these smoothies came to me while watching a food documentary I ran across on Netflix, Hungry for Change. For the most part, the film spoke to what most of us already know; whole foods are good for you, processed foods are not. Eat lots of fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables and you’ll feel better, look younger, and have glowing skin. (They talked a lot about skin.) At one point, the filmed focused so heavily on juicing that I started to suspect I’d been tricked into watching an 89-minute long informercial for a juicing machine. But all-in-all, it was a decent film which drove home some important points about healthy eating.

Above all, to me, the most interesting segment had to do with foods that have the ability to reset and detoxify our bodies, so that they function more efficiently and effectively. Leafy green vegetables and gelatinous plant foods, such as chia seeds, were given the biggest focus. After doing a bit of research into chia seeds and discovering their many potential health benefits, I made the decision to incorporate them into my diet, starting with these delicious and nutrient dense smoothies. These vibrant smoothies start with fresh tropical fruit and a big handful of baby spinach. Protein-rich greek yogurt, omega-3 and fiber-rich chia seeds, and natural, sweet honey complete the mix to form a nutritional powerhouse smoothie you can feel great about enjoying.

Today’s Focus on Technique – Making Smoothies with Frozen Fruit

Keeping a stash of fresh fruit pieces in your freezer makes smoothie-making a breeze. Most fruit contains enough water content to give your smoothies that icy texture, without actually adding any ice. (Banana smoothies usually require some ice.) Clean, peel, and chop your favorite fruits, then freeze them in large ziploc bags or airtight containers. For extra convenience, consider buying the bags of pre-cut, no-sugar-added frozen fruit, which can be found in the freezer section of your grocery store.

Tropical Chia Green Smoothie

Ingredients*

1 6-ounce container plain Greek yogurt
1 cup pineapple, cut into cubes and frozen
1 cup mango, cut into cubes and frozen
1 cup kiwi, cut and frozen
1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup orange juice (or milk)
3 tablespoons chia seeds
1-2 tablespoons honey

*All ingredient measurements are approximate.

Directions

Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until well combined. Taste and adjust sweetness with additional honey, if desired.

Makes 2 generous smoothies

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Posted in Beverages, Culinary Techniques, Food, Fruit, Recipes, Vegetable and tagged chia, cooking with kids, culinary technique, family, Food, fruit, healthy eating, kids, life, love, nutrition, parenting, Recipes, smoothies, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

Treat Your Valentine

Posted on February 11, 2013 by amydeline

Treat your valentine to a day’s worth of mouth-watering meals. Here are three ideas for each meal, from super simple to more elaborate. Click on the pictures or the links to see the recipes!

You can also check out the Recipes section at the top of the page for more ideas to delight your sweetie.

Breakfast

Super Simple: Strawberry and Nutella Stuffed French Toast

A Bit More Complex: Cinnamon Raisin Donut Bread Pudding

Manageably Elaborate: Eggs Benedict

Lunch

Super Simple: Sausage, Bean, and Rapini Soup

A Bit More Complex: Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Salad

Manageably Elaborate: Quiche Lorraine

Dinner

Super Simple: Penne a la Vodka

A Bit More Complex: Pork Chops with Fontina and Marsala

Manageably Elaborate: Slow-Braised Beef Short Ribs with Figs over Creamy Brie Potatoes

Dessert

Super Simple: World’s Simplest Fudgey Brownies with Raspberry Coulis

A Bit More Complex: Chocolate Raspberry Torte

Manageably Elaborate: Fresh Berry Mousse with Vanilla Panna Cotta

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Posted in Baking, Chocolate, Desserts, Food, Main Course, Recipes and tagged baking, beef, cake, cheese, chocolate, Cooking, dessert, easy dinner, Eating, Food, holidays, life, love, pasta, pork, Recipes, romance, romantic, seafood, soup, sweetie, valentine's day, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

Bacon-Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Posted on January 15, 2013 by amydeline

One evening, when my sisters and I were young, my parents left us eating our dinner at the kitchen table. My father was in the swimming pool, cleaning it from the inside with one of those large nets for fishing out fallen leaves. My mother was standing outside the pool, chatting with him as he worked. And we, my two younger sisters and I, were calmly enjoying our dinner. Calmly, that is, until our youngest sister dug her fingers into either side of the stick of butter which sat on the table, grabbing handfuls of butter in each hand, which she then proceeded to eat. Straight up mouthfuls of cold butter.

My sister and I were appalled…the fingers in the communal food…the ingesting of pure milk fat. We were certain that our parents would want to be informed of this major dining transgression. If they’d taken away my sister’s knife privileges after she’d licked a butter knife, they would almost certainly take butter away from our youngest sis. Right?? And like many young siblings, we smugly delighted in the prospect of the other’s consequences for poor choices.

So, my sister and I go running outside, shouting, “Mommy, mommy, mommy,” who was in the middle of a conversation with our father and promptly shooed us away. “But, Mommy…” we persisted, confident in the righteousness of our interruption. She again directed us back to our dinners. So we just shouted it, “She’s dug her fingers into the butter.” We enthusiastically demonstrated, with an Oscar worthy tattle-telling performance. “And she’s eating it.”

Our mother ended her conversation mid-sentence and quickly moved into the kitchen to deal with our sister and her butter-slathered fingers. I can’t remember if she lost her butter privileges or not. What I do remember is our mother’s immediate shift from being inconvenienced by our interruption to urgently dealing with the incident at hand. We’d proven our cause to be worthy of interrupting.

I had a parenting butter incident of my very own a few days ago. I had been trying to prepare dinner and the boys were in rare form; wildly running around the kitchen, stealing components of their dinner from their plates before I’d finished, and engaging in all manners of daredevil mischief which further diminished the odds that I’d ever complete dinner. I shooed them all into the living room. “Go watch tv. Leave me alone for a minute so I can get dinner on the table.”

Liam and Lucas reluctantly complied. James stuck around in the kitchen going about his normal business of pushing chairs around to access countertop supplies and opening the fridge in search of his beloved apple slices. I could see him out of the corner of my eye, standing in the light of the open fridge doors, chanting “Apple, apple, apple, apple…” I went about the dinner preparations, with my back turned to him. He became quiet and I’d assumed he’d temporarily given up his quest for precious apples.

And then Lucas comes into the kitchen, whining “Mommy, mommy, mommy…” I shooed him away in the same manner my mother had shooed me away at the pool. “But, Mommy…” he continued. I was becoming annoyed. I sent him away. He persisted, “But Gooba (our pet name for the baby) is eating bacon.”

I spun around, with the same swift shift of my mother at the pool. And sure enough, the baby was standing there with two handfuls of cooked bacon, which had been sitting on a plate in the fridge, happily snacking on his discovered fridge treasure.

I let him eat the bacon. It’s bacon, after all, and I’m not some kind of monster who steals bacon from babies. He was a smart baby to recognize the value of his find.

Providing your baby doesn’t steal your bacon before you get a chance to use it, you should make this spectacular bacon-mushroom stuffed chicken. This recipe is fully inspired by a friend, who chopped up and stuffed some leftover bacon-stuffed mushrooms I’d made for her holiday party, into a few chicken breasts for an easy day-after-party dinner. Genius use of leftover stuffed mushrooms. Taking that lead, I modified my recipe for Bacon-Stuffed Mushrooms to be intentionally used as a filling for chicken and paired it all with a creamy sour cream and mushroom gravy for a simple and satisfying dinner.

Today’s Focus on Technique – Stuffed Meat Safety

When cooking stuffed meats, it is important to ensure that both the meat and the stuffing are cooked to a safe temperature. This is one of the major challenges with cooking larger stuffed items, like a whole turkey, where it will take much longer for the center stuffing to reach a safe temperature, while the surrounding turkey overcooks. In smaller cuts, like a stuffed chicken breast, it’s easier to bring both components to a safe temperature without overcooking the meat. To check for a safe temperature, it is important to test the temperature of both the meat and the stuffing. Do this by inserting an instant-read meat thermometer into both components of the dish. Poultry is safely cooked at 165 degrees.

Bacon-Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

8 ounces mushrooms (about 10-12 medium-sized mushrooms)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/8 cup onion, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/8 cup bread crumbs
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/8 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
3-4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Paprika

For the Sour Cream-Mushroom Sauce

2 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Using a damp paper towel, wipe the mushrooms clean. Remove the stems from the mushroom caps. Finely dice the mushroom stems and about half of the mushroom caps. Slice the remaining mushroom caps and set aside.

In a bowl, combined the diced mushrooms, sour cream, onion, garlic, bread crumbs, bacon, and parmesan cheese. Taste the mixture, then season with salt and pepper, as desired. The stuffing should be fairly thick.

Slice the chicken breasts almost all the way through to create a wide pocket. Generously fill each pocket with some of the stuffing mixture. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray, then place the stuffed chicken breasts on the sheet. Sprinkle each chicken breast with a pinch of paprika, salt, and pepper. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Check for doneness with an instant-read meat thermometer. Test both the chicken and the stuffing. Both components are safely cooked at 165°F.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce. Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add the reserved sliced mushroom caps. Cook for 5-7 minutes until tender and slightly golden. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms. Stir to even coat the mushrooms. Cook for about a minute, then gradually whisk in the chicken broth until well combined. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for a couple minutes until it has thickened to the consistency of a gravy. Stir in the sour cream. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, as desired.

Pour some of the sauce over each chicken breast before serving.

Bacon Thief

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Posted in Culinary Techniques, Food, Main Course, Poultry, Recipes and tagged bacon, chicken, comfort food, Cooking, culinary technique, easy dinner, Eating, family, Food, kids, life, parenting, Recipes, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

Eggplant Parmesan Pizza (and a Giveaway!)

Posted on December 1, 2012 by amydeline

Yikes! Where’d the past week go? Think I can blame my absence on a Thanksgiving tryptophan-induced coma?? Seriously though, once the dishes were cleaned from our Thanksgiving dessert, I felt myself melt into an unproductive pile of mush. I just needed a little time to recover from the rush of Thanksgiving and gear up for the holiday rush. I’m ready now. Mostly.

It wasn’t a completely unproductive week though. I decided to try my hand at making one of those adorable yarn wreaths I’ve seen pictured online. I made one, admired it for a bit, then got sucked into a major crafting time warp. I awoke covered in bits of yarn and a web of those stringy glue gun remnants. I made sixteen yarn wreaths, complete with handcrafted felt flowers and tiny green leaves, over the course of six days. I barely remember making them. They just sort of appeared in a pretty pile on my dining room table. It’s kinda weird. Almost everyone I know is getting a wreath for Christmas…even one of you!

On top of manic crafting, I’ve been overfilling my calendar with holiday events, shopping lists, and cookie baking schedules. Suffice it to say, this is gonna be a busy month. And busy months require easy dinners – the sort of stuff you can easily prepare by throwing together a few basic ingredients, while still resulting in a tummy-warming winter meal. This eggplant parmesan pizza fits the bill perfectly. You could even make it with frozen pre-fried eggplant, if you wanted to keep it super, super simple, though frying your own eggplant takes minimal effort. That crisp fried eggplant gets scattered on a pizza shell (make your own or buy pre-made, like I did) along with pizza sauce, ricotta cheese, parmesan, and melty mozzarella for a simple, satisfying meal.

Today’s Focus on Technique – Salting Eggplant

It is often recommended to salt eggplant prior to frying it. This technique is best applied to larger eggplants which have been sitting in the grocery case for a bit. Baby eggplants or those that have been freshly picked will most likely be wonderful without salting. The purpose of salting the eggplant is to draw out some of the bitter liquid which collects in larger, older eggplants. The end result is better tasting, firmer eggplant which will absorb less oil as it’s fried.

To salt your eggplant, start by cutting or slicing your eggplant, as desired. Arrange the pieces or slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with a good amount of salt. Allow it to rest for approximately 20-25 minutes. Beads of liquid will begin appearing on the surface. Thoroughly rinse the eggplant and pat dry.

Eggplant Parmesan Pizza

Ingredients

1 eggplant, sliced into 1/4″ slices
Salt
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
Vegetable or olive oil, for frying
1 pizza crust (store-bought or homemade)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

*All measurements are approximate. Actual measurements will vary depending on the size of your pizza crust. I used a 12″ store-bought crust.

Directions

Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer. Sprinkle with a good amount of salt. Allow to rest for about 20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly, then pat dry.

Dredge each slice in the flour, then dip in egg, then dredge in the bread crumbs. Press the bread crumbs into the eggplant so that it is thoroughly covered. Heat a thin layer (about 1/8″) of oil in a large fry pan over medium/medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant slices for a minute or two on each side, until golden brown and crispy. Adjust the heat, as necessary, to prevent burning. Drain the fried slices on paper towels. Chop into small pieces.

To assemble the pizza: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread the ricotta cheese in an even layer over the pizza crust. Spread the pizza sauce on top of the ricotta (I like to use a smooth and thick, tomato paste based pizza sauce.) Sprinkle about 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Arrange some of the eggplant pieces around the pizza. (You may have extra eggplant remaining.) Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for about 15-18 minutes, until hot and melty.

I come bearing gifts… Want to win one of the 8″ wreaths I made? Keep it for yourself or cross someone off your shopping list! I’ll even try to match the winner up with a color scheme of your choice! If you’d like to enter to win a wreath, leave a comment about your favorite holiday tradition (any holiday) or your top tip for enjoying a stress-free holiday season. The contest will end at 12:00 noon EST on Saturday, December 8, 2012, when I will randomly select one winner. One entry per person. US mailing addresses only, please. Good luck!

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Posted in Cheese, Food, Main Course, Pizza, Vegetable and tagged cheese, comfort food, Cooking, culinary technique, easy dinner, Eating, family, Food, holidays, life, Recipes, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

Thanksgiving Inspiration

Posted on November 16, 2012 by amydeline

I learned something interesting about myself this week – I do not like corn bread stuffing. I love corn, corn muffins, corn bread, and corn fritters. I eat a ridiculous amount of corn when it’s in season. I even once made a sweet corn ice cream. But I do not like corn bread stuffing.

I guess it comes down to what you’re raised with – sort of how some families are the Crest kind of people and some families are the Colgate kind. Some families are loyal to Miracle Whip, while others will only use mayonnaise. Some families have corn bread stuffing at Thanksgiving and some families have white bread stuffing. Our family was always a Crest, mayonnaise, and white bread stuffing sort of family.

The four things I am most thankful for.

I didn’t realize how ingrained this inclination towards white bread stuffing was until I set about preparing a corn bread stuffing earlier this week. It should’ve been delicious, with crispy bits of bacon, tender dates, shallots, and celery. It was supposed to be a new recipe to feature in this post about Thanksgiving ideas. But I didn’t like it. I can’t even tell you if it was good or not, as far as corn bread stuffings go. I am just a white bread stuffing girl through and through and I couldn’t wrap my taste buds or my heart around that corn bread stuffing. I’m not sharing the recipe.

But I am going to share this round-up of wonderful, tried and true Thanksgiving ideas, in plenty of time to add them to your Thanksgiving menu…

Give thanks for good food, friends.

APPETIZERS

Cranberry Chipotle Meatballs

Corn and Bacon Fritters with Smoked Salmon

Bacon-Wrapped Dates stuffed with Bleu Cheese

THE MAIN EVENT

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast with Pan Gravy (and tips for roasting a whole turkey)

Bacon and Cider Braised Turkey Drumsticks (and garlicky creamed spinach)

Spiced Sweet Potato Puree with Pecan Streusel

Sausage, Apple, and Leek Stuffing

Cranberry-Orange Sauce