They're Grrrreat!

I forgot to tell you about last night's dinner.

It was leftovers, good ones too, the angel hair pasta from the other night, some fabulous roast beef we did for a wedding, some roasted green beans and carrots, and a few other odds and ends.

The girls would have NONE of it and said they wanted something else.

Ok... the rule in our house is you don't have to eat it, but I'm not cooking anything else.

They both decided (which is rather odd, since they rarely agree on anything) to have Frosted Flakes for dinner.

I enjoyed the leftovers and they enjoyed their cereal.

Angel hair with garlic, peas and sun-dried tomatoes

Happy Day After Christmas.

I didn't have it in me to go to the market to buy anything for dinner, so we used whatever was around. This would probably fit into the 15 Minute Meals Category and we all loved it.

Here's the recipe for Angel hair pasta with garlic, peas and sun-dried tomatoes:

Boil water for pasta. Once the water is boiling, add a large pinch of Kosher salt and add pasta. Pasta only takes 5 minutes to cook.

While the pasta water is boiling, heat a large nonstick pan on medium high heat. Add 1 Tbs. of butter and 1 Tbs. of olive oil to the pan. Add in 4 cubes of frozen garlic and a pinch of Kosher salt and pepper. While the garlic melts, add in 1 C. of frozen peas and 2 Tbs. of sun-dried tomato paste.

If you don't have the paste, you can add in 3-4 chopped sun-dried tomatoes. If I had any proscuitto, I would have diced 4 pieces and added it in, but we didn't have any, so I added in some leftover diced chicken.

When the pasta is al dente add it to the pan with a little bit of the pasta water and stir to combine. Finish with another pinch of pepper and a good handful of grated Parmesan.

We all enjoyed this dinner tonight and the dwindling leftover Christmas cookies for dessert.

Peppermint Bark, and Leek & Proscuitto tart

It was my friends birthday today. She asked me to come over to teach her how to make peppermint bark. It is very easy and makes great holiday gifts.

Melt 3 cups of either white or dark chocolate in a double boiler on medium heat. While the chocolate melts, crush 4-5 candy canes in a Ziploc bag. The easiest way I've found to do this is to place it on a cutting board and lay a dish towel over the plastic bag. Hit it with a meat pounder until it it thoroughly crushed and dust-like.

When the chocolate has melted add in 1 Tbs. of peppermint oil, and half of the crushed candy canes, stir to combine.

Pour the mixture onto a Silpat lined cookie sheet and spread until 1/2" on thickness. Sprinkle the remaining candy cane dust to to the top of the bark and let cool. Once cool, cut with a knife into 3-4" pieces.

We made white and dark chocolate bark today.

We also made a really yummy tart. She made pate brise (dough) from scratch, but I would use the DuFour Puff Pastry, or you could even use a pie crust and brush it with a little olive oil and kosher salt.

Anyhow... she chopped and cleaned 2 leeks, then sauteed them with about 7 slices of chopped proscuitto in a little olive oil on medium high heat. Once the leeks were soft (about 8 minutes) we added in a pinch of ground black pepper and removed the pan from the heat.

She placed the dough in a tart pan and added lemon infused shredded cheese. We wanted to use goat cheese, but didn't have any. You could really use any kind of a hard cheese, and even mix the,- gruyere, goat, parmesan, aged gouda.

Mix in 1/2 C. of prepared olive tapenade to the leek mixture and spread over the cheese. Finish with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese and bake in a 425 degree oven for 35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

I was thinking this would also be delicious with some sun-dried tomatoes, and some slivers of asparagus and toasted pine nuts.

I was very inspired by today's tart and can't wait to play around with some different variations.

Creamy Roasted Mushroom Soup

I am teaching a class tonight and wanted to share a yummy soup recipe with you. The weather is lousy here today, but perfect for a warm bowl of soup and a slice of bread.

Creamy roasted mushroom soup

1 lb. baby portobello mushrooms, washed and cut in half
1/2 lb. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps cut in 1/2.
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 32 oz. boxes beef broth

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 shallots, chopped
3 cubes frozen garlic
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Madeira
3 Tbs. flour
1 cup heavy cream or whipping cream
1 tsp. dried thyme
kosher salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and add mushrooms. Drizzle mushrooms with 3 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Bake mushrooms 18-20 minutes.

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic and sauté until shallot is tender, about 5 minutes. Add Madeira and simmer until almost all of liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add flour; stir 2 minutes. Add remaining broth, cream, and thyme. Stir in cooked mushrooms and blend with a hand blender until smooth. Simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Coconut curried lamb stew

I was almost certain that my kids would NOT eat tonight's dinner, but following my own advice, I decided to make it anyhow and give it a try.

Start by sauteing 2 onions in a little peanut oil in a large heavy bottomed pan, I used the Le Creuset. Sprinkle 1 lb. of cubed lamb meat with kosher salt, curry powder, turmeric and a little black pepper.

Add the lamb to the pot once the onions have sauteed for 2 minutes. Brown the lamb for 3 minutes. While the lamb browns, peel 2 small new potatoes and cut into small cubed, add to the pot. Peel and chop 3 carrots and add those in as well. Add in 1 can of light coconut milk, and stir to combine everything. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover for 40 minutes. About 10 minutes before serving, add in the juice from 1/2 a lime and a cup of snap peas cut in half.

Serve over Jasmine or Basmati rice. The kids devoured it, and I was really pleased. The grown-ups added a handful of fresh cilantro leaves and a little bit of red pepper flakes.

I am inspired to continue trying some more new dishes.

Dark chocolate cherry chunk cookies

I am doing a Gifts from the Kitchen segment tomorrow morning on WTNH at 7:50 a.m. on Channel 8 and wanted to share a fantastic cookie recipe with you. These cookies are very chocolately and easy to make.

I am going to make the cookie dough and and give the dough as the gift. That way the recipient can make the cookies whenever they'd like.

Wrap the cookie dough log in parchment paper, then in festive tissue. Don't forget to add the baking instructions on a pretty tag.

This recipe can also be doubled.

Dark Chocolate cherry chunk cookies


1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
6 oz dark chocolate, chunks
1 cup dried cherries


Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.
Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
Beat together butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, then add eggs 1 at a time, beating until combined well. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Add chocolate chunks and cherries and mix until just incorporated.
Drop 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie about 2 inches apart onto 2 ungreased large baking sheets.
Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until puffed and set, 7-8 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool.

Dinner swap

This is the beginning of everyone's busy season and my friend suggested we do a dinner swap one night. I love this idea and wanted to try to get a few friends together so we could share a couple of meals and cut down a little cooking.

Here is the recipe I am going to make tomorrow for my family and hers. This dish also freezes well.

Preheat oven to 425. Rinse 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Add the juice from 1 lemon, about 2 tbs. of olive oil, 2 tbs. of Dijon mustard, 1/2 C. of water, and a good pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Roast chicken thighs until cooked through, about 18 minutes.

While the chicken cooks, prepare rice pilaf according to the box. I really like the Near East brand, it's delicious and always fluffy.

When the rice is cooked through, add in 1 bag of Trader Joe's Soycottash and stir to combine.

When the chicken is cooked through, cut into slices lengthwise.

I am going to give this to her in a casserole pan. Layer the rice on the bottom of the pan and add the chicken slices with the pan juices on top. This way, she can either serve the whole thing to her family, or freeze it into 4 individual servings.

I'd love to hear if you are doing any dinner swaps and have a recipe to share.

I did a soup swap once and it was FANTASTIC!! Give it a try.

Sweet potato gnocchi

We had a lot of roasted sweet potatoes left over from Thanksgiving dinner tonight and I made sweet potato gnocchi.

Here's the recipe:

2 cups roasted sweet potatoes
2 eggs
3-4 cups flour
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 pinch dried sage
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Mash potatoes with a masher until pretty smooth, it's ok if there are a few lumps. Place on the counter in a lump. Make a small dent in the middle of the potatoes and add the 2 eggs and spices.

Knead with your hands (THIS PART IS VERY MESSY!). Slowly add in the flour little by little, and knead until it isn't very sticky. This part is a little hard to gauge, but it should feel softer than bread dough.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. While you wait for the water, make the gnocchi. On a floured surface, roll the dough out in several long snakes, and cut into 1-inch sections. Drop the pieces into the boiling water, and allow them to cook until they float to the surface. Remove the floating pieces with a slotted spoon, and keep warm in a serving dish. Serve with butter or cream sauce.

Gnocchi freezes really well. While you roll the gnocchi, place them on a lightly floured cookie sheet then freeze. Once frozen, place in a ziplock bag and when ready to use, boil water and follow directions for cooking.

Creamy chicken with carrots

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I can hardly wait! I have to admit that the Thanksgiving meal is my favorite meal of all the holidays. We are going to a friends house and I spent a good part of today baking and cooking.

I wanted to have something for dinner tonight that was easy and could be made way ahead of time.

Rinse 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

Heat 1 tbs. olive oil in a large nonstick pan with a lid. While the oil heats, season chicken with Greek seasoning, kosher salt and pepper. Add chicken to the pan and brown both sides for 3 minutes per side. While the chicken browns, slice 4 carrots and add to the pan. I had about 5 cloves of garlic which I sliced in half and added to the pan as well. If you have any onions, thinly slice and add those too.

After the chicken has browned, add in 1 c. light cream, 1 C. chicken stock, and the juice from a lemon. Stir everything around, lower the heat to medium low, simmer and cover for at least 40 minutes. We turned the heat way down and let it cook on low for a couple hours.

The chicken was so tender and flavorful, we all enjoyed dinner, even the kids didn't make a peep and ate all of it.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Breakfast for dinner

One kiddie stayed home from school and the other had a play date this afternoon. It's still freeeeezing here. What better Friday evening dinner than Chocolate Chip Pancakes??

I don't have a fancy recipe, we use the Aunt Jemima Box and I add a handful of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. You don't need a lot, as a little chocolate goes a long way!

We have an electric skillet and it makes cooking pancakes infinitely easier. Instead of 3 pancakes in a pan at a time, we make 12 silver dollar cakes.

The skillets are relatively inexpensive and very easy to keep clean.

If you don't have one, they are the perfect thing to ask Santa for!

Homemade chicken soup in an hour

We are all feeling slightly under the weather, not enough to screech to a halt, but not 100%. I thought the best thing for us was a big bowl of Jewish Penicillin or Chicken soup.

This is a very easy recipe and yields a large pot.

Add a little olive oil to a large soup pot. Add in a container of Mir Au Poix from Trader Joe's. If you don't have it, add in 2 chopped carrots, 4 stalks of celery and 1 chopped onion. Saute for a minute or two and add a good pinch of kosher salt.

While the veggies are sauteing, rinse a smallish whole chicken. Season generously with Poultry or Italian seasoning and a few grinds of pepper. Add the chicken to the pot and brown for about 2 minutes per side.

Add in 8-10 cups of water, another good pinch of Kosher salt and a couple bay leaves. Bring to a boil and let chicken cook until it begins to fall away from the bone.

I had a couple ears of cooked corn which I added in also. You could also add mushrooms or zucchini, but I stuck to simple soup.

When the chicken is cooked, remove from the pot and carefully pull the meat off the bone. Do this carefully because the chicken is HOT!

Add the meat back into the soup.

We keep bags of frozen brown rice on hand from Whole Foods. I added about 1/2 C. to the bottom of my soup bowl -frozen. Ladle the soup over the rice and it cooks instantly.

Viola! Delicious, homemade chicken and brown rice soup. We all enjoyed it last night with a green salad with a simple dressing of lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

I still haven't quite gotten the hang of homemade bread, but I am still trying. If anyone has any good recipes, please let me know.

Shrimp Scampi with mushrooms and angel hair pasta

I haven't made shrimp in a while, even though it is one of my favorite foods. Mainly because the kids throw such a fuss. I tried a different tactic last night and asked them if they wanted fish or shrimp. Of course -1 said fish and the other said shrimp. I told them ok, we will have shrimp tomorrow and salmon the next night. They were a little confused, but at least forewarned.

Shrimp scampi is very easy:

Defrost a dozen or so peeled, cleaned and deveined raw shrimp in a bowl of warm water.

Put on a pot of water to boil the angel hair pasta.

In a large nonstick pan, add 1 tbs. unsalted butter and 1 Tbs. olive oil

While the oil heats drop in either 2-3 cubes of frozen garlic or chop 2-3 cloves of fresh. Add it into the oil.

Wash and thinly slice 7-8 mushrooms and add to the pan. Add in a pinch of kosher salt and pepper and saute for 3 minutes until mushrooms are brown.

When the water boils, add the angel hair and cook for about 5 minutes.

After the mushrooms have sauteed, add in the shrimp and stir around until the shrimp are coated with the oil from the pan. Zest 1/2 a lemon then cut and add the juice from that 1/2 a lemon. Add in 1 diced tomato. I didn't have any fresh, so I added in 3 tbs. of canned diced tomatoes.

Normally, I would add in 2 Tbs. of capers and some freshly chopped parsley, but I didn't want to push my luck with the kids, so I left those out. When the pasta is cooked through, add it to the shrimp and stir to combine. Serve.

Kirk added a little red pepper flakes, and I added a little grated Parmesan cheese.

The kids ate it, along with some red and green raw peppers, which we renamed "sweeties" as we all agreed that peppers was a bit of a misnomer as they aren't actually peppery!

They both ate 1 shrimp and pushed it around their plate for a while. BUT... they ate it and didn't whine.

Tomorrow's dinner will be a bit of a push for them. I am going to make a salmon in a coconut curry sauce. This probably won't go over well, but we'll give it a try. That's what PB sandwiches are for!!

Budget-Friendly Holiday Entertaining Recipes

Here are a few of the recipes from WTNH and News 12 and the Book signing I did today at Whole Foods. Thanks to everyone who came out to nibble and buy books.

Wasabi bites with lime infused crab
($14) Makes 20-25 pieces


1 package wasabi flavored rice crackers
2 Tbs. wasabi paste
6 oz. cream cheese
1 C. lump crab meat
1 lime (for zest and juicing)
½ tsp. Kosher salt
Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)


Combine cream cheese with 2 Tbs. wasabi paste. In another bowl combine crab meat, lime zest, juice from lime, and Kosher salt. Stir until combined.

Place a small dollop of wasabi cream cheese atop a rice cracker followed by a small spoonful of crab mixture. Sprinkle with a pinch of sesame seeds.


White bean and sun-dried tomato bruschetta

($15) Makes 20-25 pieces


1 can white cannelini beans, drained
1 lemon, for zest and juice
3 tbs. olive oil
kosher salt and pepper to taste
½ C. sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
4-5 roasted peppers from a jar
1 bunch parsley
1 loaf sour dough bread


In a bowl, combine rinsed beans, juice and zest from a lemon, olive oil and a good pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Mash with a fork until beans are combined. In a food processor add sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers and ½ bunch of washed parsley. Pulse for a few seconds until ingredients are chopped but NOT pureed. Combine mixture with beans. Season to taste. Spread on slices of fresh or toasted bread. Garnish with a few fresh sprigs parsley.


Cannoli bites with strawberries
($12) Makes 20 pieces


1 8 oz. container ricotta cheese
1 C. powdered sugar
1 prepared chocolate angel food cake
1 pint strawberries


Slice pound cake into 1” slices, then slice each piece in half or use a round biscuit cutter.
In a bowl combine ricotta cheese and powdered sugar. Add more sugar as needed.

Rinse and thinly slice strawberries. Place ricotta mixture in a ziplock bag. Cut a small hole at one of the bottom edges. Squeeze a small amount of ricotta mixture on each piece of pound cake. Add a thin slice of strawberry, and garnish with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Serve.

Pear Turnovers

We had 6 pears that were too ripe to eat and I had a package of the DuFour Puff Pastry in the freezer. I thought it would be fun to make pear turnovers. They were easy to make and Abby had a great time "painting" the pastry dough and sprinkling sparkly sugar to the top.

To make pear turnovers:
Peel, core and dice 6 pears ( I used my Vidalia chop wizard) and add to a large mixing bowl
Add 2 tsp. cinnamon and 1 tsp. ground ginger or apple pie spice
Add 4-5 tsp. sugar or brown sugar
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 Tbs. flour

Stir to combine and let sit for a couple minutes

For egg wash:
1 egg
2 tbs. milk

Stir to combine.


Unwrap the pastry and cut into 4x4 squares. I am bad at measuring and made rectangles, they work fine also, but you won't get the traditional turnover shape. As long as the top half covers the bottom half you're fine.

Brush the edges of the puff pastry with the egg wash and a pastry brush. Add 1 large Tbs. of the pear mixture to the lower half of the puff pastry square (or rectangle) and fold the other half over the pear mixture to completely enclose the mixture. Press down firmly to seal the turnover. Brush the top of the turnover with more of the egg mixture and sprinkle with demerra sugar or regular white sugar.

Continue until you run out. I got 8 turnovers from 1 box of the DuFour Puff Pastry and had lots of leftover pear mixture.

Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes until turnovers are golden. Remove and let cool as the pear mixture will be VERY hot.

Lentil soup with roasted root vegetables

The party on Saturday went well. The cumin and lime scented shrimp went fast. I was pretty tired today, but wanted to use some of the leftover roasted root vegetables from yesterday.

I made a lentil soup (see older entry for lentil soup recipe), and added in some of the chopped up roasted root veggies. The soup was ready in under 45 minutes and it was warm and hearty.

Oddly enough, the one daughter who usually makes a fuss about food ate the soup happily without a pee,p and the other daughter who usually eats everything asked for a peanut butter sandwich.

Go figure...

Cumin and lime scented shrimp

I am doing a party on Saturday and spent most of today prepping. I made a yummy marinade for shrimp that I wanted to share with you, they are a little spicy, but ohhhh so good.

Juice from 4 limes
2 tbs. garlic salt
4 cubes frozen garlic
1 tbs. cumin
1 tbs. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 lb. uncooked, peeled and cleaned shrimp
1 tbs. butter

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Add shrimp and stir to combine. Heat a large nonstick pan on high and add butter. When butter has melted and is bubbly, add shrimp (not marinade) and cook 45 seconds per side. Eat immediately! We tried a few tonight and they were amazing. I can't wait to make them for my friends.

Baked apples with maple syrup and dried cranberries

It has been a very busy week here and sad to say, we have been eating out more often this week. We went to the diner one night, the kids had eggs and bacon, and last night we ordered in Chinese food, a delicious soup with chicken, soba noodles and veggies.

I had the kids try bok choi, one didn't like it (surprise, surprise...) and the other one loved it and asked for more. After Saturday, things will slow down a little. Thankfully, we have some frozen turkey chili (I made a while ago ) that we will eat tonight.

I wanted to share a baked apple recipe that I taught today in a soup's class.

1 ½ cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tsp. candied ginger, chopped
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
4 medium Honey Crisp apples, cored
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine first 6 ingredients. Stir well; set aside.
Peel top half of each apple; place in a shallow roasting pan. Fill centers of apples evenly with cranberries and pecans. Pour cranberry-maple mixture over apples. Bake at 375° for 30-40 minutes or until tender, basting apples twice with syrup from pan. To serve, drizzle with remaining syrup.

Homemade apple sauce

We have a bowl of apples sitting on our counter from our apple picking venture a couple weeks ago. They look too old to eat, but too good to throw out.

I made apple sauce (and bread) this morning and it was the easiest and fastest thing ever.

There are exactly 3 ingredients.

apples ( I peeled and cored about 8)
about 1/2 C. of water
about 1/4 C. of sugar

Throw everything in a pot, cover and let boil until the apples are soft. Using a hand held blender, puree until smooth. I am going to try using agave the next time I made this and see how it turn out. If you try it, let me know.

Transfer to a bowl and cool in the refrigerator. We ate it for dessert tonight and my littlest requested it for breakfast.

The bread I made was the no-knead one I did last year (the recipe is somewhere in the blog) with black pepper and Parmesan. It is easy, but NOT fast. It takes almost 2 days. It was delicious and we enjoyed it fresh from the oven this morning for breakfast.

Dinner was pounded boneless, skinless chicken thighs that I dredged in panko, a little Greek Seasoning and a dash of garlic salt. Brown them in a large nonstick pan with a little bit of oil (I used Safflower).

You don't need to cook them all the way through because they will get transferred to the oven at 350 for about 15 more minutes. I boiled a little pasta and peas with Parmesan cheese.

It is 7 p.m., lunches are made, clothes are put away, and the kids are blessedly asleep. I am going to crawl into bed early and get a good nights sleep.

Try the apple sauce, it is delicious.

healthy homemade french fries

Our old neighbors came over tonight for dinner and I made hamburgers, french fries, broccoli, asparagus and cucumbers.

I wanted to share a fantastic and healthy way to make french fries that you won't feel bad about eating!

Peel 4-5 potatoes, cut in half lengthwise. Using the Vidalia Chop Wizard (see earlier blog), cut each potato half using the large chopper. Place on a silpat lined cookie sheet (you can also use aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray).

Preheat the oven to 450. Drizzle olive oil and Lawry's seasoning salt on the potatoes and toss gently with your hands to coat the potatoes. Bake for 15-18 minutes and turn using a spatula. Bake for an additional 15 minutes until crisp.

The potatoes were crisp but NOT greasy and so delicious, we all enjoyed a great dinner together.

Tomorrow we are going to see the elephants at the circus!

Fresh Thai Spring Rolls

I taught a Food and Wine Thai cooking class today at Peacock and wanted to share a recipe for those yummy fresh spring rolls that the Thai restaurants charge $10-$12 each for.

The dipping sauce is the best and really makes these irresistible! Give them a try.

Fresh Spring Rolls
For the Rolls:

16 (8-1/2 inch) round rice paper wrappers
16 cooked shrimp, cut in half lengthwise
1 peeled and julienned English cucumber
2 cups carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
32 fresh mint leaves
32 sprigs fresh cilantro


For the rolls: Fill a large bowl with hot water. Place a clean kitchen towel next to the bowl. Submerge 1 rice paper wrapper in the water and soak it until softened, about 1 minute. Carefully remove the rice paper from the water and lay it flat on the towel. In the center of the sheet, layer 2 pieces of shrimp, 1 Tbs. cucumber, and 2 Tbs. of grated carrots. Place 2 mint leaves and 2 cilantro sprigs over the mixture and fold the bottom of the wrapper over the filling. Fold both sides inward over the filling, then roll up in egg roll fashion. Place seam side down on a plate and repeat the process with the remaining rice papers and filling ingredients. Once all the wrappers have been assembled, cut each spring roll in half on the bias so that you have 32 pieces. Place the spring rolls on a platter and serve with the dipping sauce at room temperature.

Note: Spring Rolls can be assembled up to 1 hour in advance. Keep refrigerated, covered with damp paper towels and wrapped in plastic wrap.

Spring Roll Dipping Sauce:

½ C. coconut palm sugar or 1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce
2 cubes frozen ginger
2 cubes frozen garlic
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon grated carrots
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro


In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, vinegar, lime zest and juice, soy sauce, salt, fish sauce, ginger and garlic. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Strain sauce into a clean, non-reactive bowl, and add the crushed red pepper flakes. Allow the sauce to cool completely before adding the carrots and cilantro. Serve in a decorative bowl alongside the spring rolls.

Cauliflower soup with truffle oil and chives

I have been wanting to do this for a while, but the weather has been too warm, we had a soup party. I made 4 pots of soup and invited some neighbors over to drop in for a visit and have a bowl (or 2) of soup. Soups are so great for this type of party because they can just sit on the stove and simmer.

I also had a little platter of cheese, crackers and sliced apples as well as a loaf of zucchini bread.

I made black bean soup, which I've written about before, french onion soup (ditto), a creamy corn chowder, and a soup that I had years ago and never forgot, pureed cauliflower soup with truffle oil and chives. I made my own version of it which is quite healthy.

The recipe is so easy and everyone said it was their favorite.

Buy 1 head of cauliflower, rinse and cut into smallish pieces.

Saute 1 finely chopped onion in a little olive oil in a large stock pot for 4-5 minutes or until onion is slightly golden. Add 8 cups of chicken stock (2 boxes) to the pot. Add cauliflower, and let boil until soft (about 12-15 minutes, or until a knife can be inserted easily).

Using either a hand blender or a mixer, puree the soup until smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper. I used the Chardonay Smoked Fleur De Sel from Whole Foods that is amazing and a generous amount of pepper. Add in about 3-4 Tablespoons of truffle oil, it is very expensive, but so worth the price as the flavor is dramatic and intense.

The trick to this soup is to let it cook for a couple hours on medium low so the flavors develop.

I made the soup up to this point 1 day in advance. Today I put the pot back on the stove on low heat and added in about 1/2 C of finely dived chives.

Continue cooking on low heat until ready to serve. Garnish with a small drizzle of the truffle oil before serving and a small pinch of fresh chives.

This recipe makes a large pot of soup, but it so delicious and HEALTHY you won't feel bad about having 2 or 3 bowls.

Have a soup party, it's a fun way to enjoy your friends.

Pulled pork quesadillas

I bought some cooked pulled pork at Trader Joe's yesterday and thought they might be yummy on quesadillas. I am going warm the pulled pork, chop some lettuce and warm some tortillas.

We have some beautiful fresh strawberries and pineapple for a fruit salad and some leftover edamame from last night.

Easy dinner, will let you know if the kiddies liked it.

Ballpark chicken baby!

A journalist came to the house tonight at dinnertime and I decided to make ballpark chicken, edamame and couscous.

Our oven is (still) broken so I had to make it stove top. I added olive oil and a few garlic cubes to a large nonstick pan with a lid. Next add boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Add a little garlic salt and cracked pepper. Add about 1/4 C. of ketchup and yellow mustard to the pan. Brown chicken thighs on both sides, then add about 1/2 C. chicken stock. Cover and reduce heat to medium.

Add in about 1 C. of frozen sliced peppers (I bought some from Trader Joe's). Continue cooking until the sauce has cooked down and thickened up. About 15 minutes.

While the chicken cooks, boil water for edamame and make couscous in a 3rd pan ( I didn't like using 3 pans, but could find no other way..)

Everyone ate and was happy.

I bought some cooked pulled pork from TJ's that I am going to make black bean quesadilla's with tomorrow night, will tell you how they turn out.

Chef Nicole on WGCH radio on Tuesday

I will be a guest on Doryn's Dish radio show on WGCH 1440 a.m. on Tuesday, October 14th from 9-10 a.m.

I'd love to have some call in's with any cooking questions. The number is (203)869-1490. You can also listen live on their website http://www.wgch.com.

I made lentil soup again today and have to tell you about a great gadget I've begun to use. I don't usually fall for any new kitchen gadget that claims to make life easier, but my girlfriend has one of these and I just had to try it.

I was suspicious because it was available at CVS, it's called the Vidalia Chop WIzard. Basically it chops things into small and really small pieces. It's so easy to use and I have been chopping EVERYTHING!!

I made 3 apple pies, and chopped the apples, I made my whole mis en place (all the veggies for the soup) in about 5 minutes, everything was equally chopped, and it was sooooo easy.

The soup was fantastic, and we had my neighbor over. Even the kids ate the soup again.

The other nice thing about this chopped is that it's small and doesn't have a lot of extra parts that I always lose.

The next time you're in CVS pick one up, they're great!

Turkey meatballs (the easy way) and pasta

I am sleepy already, and it's only 10:50 in the morning. For dinner, I am going to my pantry and freezer.

Whole Foods makes fantastic turkey meatballs that are frozen. I cook them frozen in a jar of sauce and boil some pasta.

That's it, dinner in a snap.

I'll slice some cucumber and apples for dinner and we'll call it a night!

Chicken with mushrooms and peas over pasta

The cool weather really gets me into cooking at home more. However, our oven is in the process of dying. It started beeping at 12:37 a.m. last night and my husband finally went downstairs to unplug it at 1 a.m.!

The stove top is still working so I made dinner using that.

Here is an easy (almost) 15 minute meal:

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each piece sliced into 4 pieces
1/4 C. flour
pinch of pepper and a pinch of celery salt
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 C. light sour cream
1 C. chicken stock
1 C. sliced mushrooms
1 C. frozen peas
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 box bowtie (farfalle) pasta

Heat butter and oil in a large nonstick pan. Sprinkle flour, pepper and celery salt over chicken and add to pan when the butter has melted and is bubbling. Brown chicken on all sides (about 3 minutes per side).

Add mushrooms, chicken stock, paprika and sour cream. Stir until combined, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer.

While the chicken cooks, boil pasta in a separate pot. Let chicken cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 18 minutes. Before serving, add frozen peas. Serve chicken over pasta.

Healthy Cheddar Broccoli muffins

I made lentil soup this afternoon for dinner tonight and came across a good looking recipe today at Whole Foods. I tweaked it a little and made a batch downstairs. They smell yummy and I wanted to share it with you.

2/3 C. skim milk
4 egg whites
1/4 C. oil
1 1/2 C. chopped frozen broccoli
1/4 C. chopped scallion
1/4 C. toasted pine nuts
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 C. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/4 C. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. sugar
pinch of kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Heat oven to 400. Grease a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Combine milk, eggs and oil. Add broccoli, scallion and pine nuts. Stir in almost all of the cheese, leaving a little bit for topping the muffins (1-2 Tbs.)

Add flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and pepper. Fill muffin tins evenly, sprinkle remaining cheese to top of each muffin.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until tops are browned and muffins spring back when lightly pressed.

Enough plugging, how about a recipe??!!

I made a great "fried rice" last night that I forgot to share with you. I bought frozen brown rice from Whole Foods, it's amazing. I love the frozen rice from Trader Joe's but it comes premeasured, and the brown rice from Whole Foods allows you to use what you want.

Ok, here's the basic recipe. By the way, I bought one of those Vidalia onion slicer/dicers at CVS a while ago (it was an impulse buy!) however I must admit that it works very well in dicing things into teensy tiny pieces!

Heat 1 tsp. of peanut oil in a nonstick pan. When it's hot, add 1/2 C. diced onion, saute until browned. Add in 1 diced zucchini (use the gadget for dicing these) and saute for another minute. Add in 1 C. frozen brown rice, stir to incorporate and let brown for a minute or two. Add a little diced red pepper and add in 1 Tbs. hosin sauce. serve.

If I had any cashews, I would have crushed up a few and added them in, but I didn't. I cut up a chicken drumstick that we had roasted and threw the meat into the rice.

The kids picked out the red peppers, but ate the rice.

P.S. Here is the article about our school lunch reform that came out in today's Westport News.

Westport Moms Come Together for School Lunch Reform

By Jenna Gaillard
Article Launched: 10/01/2008 10:14:40 AM EDT

A group of Westport mothers angry about the types of foods being served in their children's school cafeterias have joined forces to call for a change.
The group, Parents for Change, want other Westport moms to unite and look at the food their children are eating in school and try to figure out how they can transform these foods into better healthy food choices.

"We just want better choices for our kids," said Nicole Straight, founder of Parents for Change.

Not too long ago Straight sent an e-mail to a few of her Westport friends who have children, want ing to know if they were interested in creating healthier food choices for children and asking them to send the e-mail to others. The e-mail, in a short period of time, has picked up speed and so far Straight has heard back from several people, many of whom she doesn't even know, asking what they can do to help.

Straight is a mother of two daughters and decided to call for a change because she feels that it's her "moral obligation." Straight said schools don't have to make drastic changes, such as serving tofu, just healthy options. She believes school cafeterias should get rid of chicken nuggets and switch to, for example, chicken drumsticks.

"As a parent my hope is

Advertisement

to offer kids some healthy examples; significantly healthy alternatives," Straight said.
Straight teaches cooking classes called "Time to Eat" three times a week from her Westport home. The cooking classes focus on preparing healthy and delicious meals in 15 minutes.

According to Straight, when she creates recipes for her classes, she always takes into consideration whether her family will eat the meals.

Using her daughters as "guinea pigs" Straight said she has a lot of experience choosing menus kids will like and that's where she thinks she can help.

Straight believes that school cafeterias should do a little "tweaking" to the types of foods they serve to students. For example, instead of serving beef tacos, they could serve turkey or chicken tacos with non-fried tortilla shells; or for grilled cheese sandwiches use wheat bread and skim cheese.

"That's how kids get a better palette -- trying new things," Straight said.

According to a press release from Parents for Change, children aren't getting enough nutrients from the food served in schools, which is affecting their behavior, ability to concentrate and their brainpower. The press release also states that children eating chicken nuggets and pizza for lunch aren't getting the "right kind of nutrition for proper growth."

Parents for Change isn't the only one trying to reform school lunches. Mothers Amy Kalafa of Weston, and Susan Rubin of Chappaqua, N.Y., teamed up to film the documentary Two Angry Moms.

According to the documentary's Web site, www.angrymoms.org, Kalafa decided to make the documentary when she saw headlines about a national child health crisis.

Two Angry Moms examines what parents need to know about better food choices in school cafeterias and how to get these food choices offered to students.

Straight believes that everyone should see Two Angry Moms and that's why Parents for Change is sponsoring a special screening of the documentary at the Westport Public Library.

"It's very eye-opening," Straight said. "I think the movie is such a model for showing how to reform school lunches. It changes the way I thought about how it could be done."

Straight said one important feature in the documentary was that it showed "the reality of dealing with school boards and the resistance to change."

Straight knows that transforming school lunches won't happen overnight but she remains optimistic.

"I think Westport has come a long way and in the right direction," said Straight.

For the screening of the documentary, Straight said the group has invited the PTA and First Selectman Gordon Joseloff.

"I have a vision we can be a beacon to do school lunch reform and other towns can see how happy everyone is once it's re formed," Straight said.

Two Angry Moms will be shown Tuesday, Oct. 28, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., in the McManus Room at the Westport Public Library and is free to the public.

For more information about Two Angry Moms visit www. angrymoms.org or contact Straight at 221-8306.

Cooking Demonstrations at Windemere in Stamford

Windermere on the Lake to Host
Series of Cooking Demonstrations
By Award-Winning Chef Nicole Straight
On October 5 and October 12

STAMFORD, CT – Award-winning chef Nicole Straight will be holding a series of weekend cooking demonstrations at Windermere on the Lake, the new luxury eco-village in North Stamford. The events, which are open to the public, will be held Sunday, October 5 and Sunday, October 12 from 1 to 4 pm.

Ms. Straight, mother to two children and published author, is the Founder and President of Time to Eat!, a company dedicated to teaching parents, professionals, young adults and those interested in great recipes how to prepare fast, healthy and delicious meals in 15 minutes.

Designed in the style of a classic English village, Windermere on the Lake features semi-custom designed lakeside homes beautifully sited on 74 wooded acres. The Cumbria model home at Windermere on the Lake recently received LEED for Homes certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its design and “green” technologies. The Cumbria model residence is the first home in Fairfield County to receive the prestigious LEED certification and the first luxury home in the Northeast to receive LEED certification from the USGBC.

For more information about the weekend cooking series at Windermere on the Lake, please call (203) 322-0055.

Upcoming classes at Christopher Peacock

For those of you who don't receive my annual email, I have created some fantastic new cooking classes for the fall and winter. The next few coming up are:

October 7- Soups class-learn how to make 3 soups and a delicious baked apple with a brown sugar crumble topping. Perfect for those upcoming cool fall evenings.

October 16- A favorite... 15 Minute Meals class #5... The newest in our line of fast and easy menus your whole family will love.

October 22-Thai Dinner Party- Learn how to make a fantastic Thai themed dinner that won't keep you in the kitchen all night.
Fresh Spring rolls, Roasted salmon over a cellophane noodle salad and broiled pineapple with coconut ice cream.

To register for any of these classes- visit my website-www.timetoeat.info

School Lunch Reform in Westport

Hi,

Here is the press release for a documentary that will be shown at the Westport Public Library at the McManus Room on Tuesday, Oct. 8th. We will have a panel as well to discuss the film, including Amy Kalafa the movie's producer and Award Winning Chef Michel Nischan. Hope you can make it!

***PRESS RELEASE *** PRESS RELEASE *** PRESS RELEASE ***

Westport Moms get angry about school lunches, and push for change…

Two Angry Moms – the Movie and the Movement –
Sponsored by Parents for Change
Showing at the Westport Library McManus Room
Tuesday, October 28th 9:30a.m.


Local Mom, Amy Kalafa in Weston, made the movie, ‘Two Angry Moms,’ because she was fed up with her children eating heavily-processed food, filled with additives and preservatives, at school.

Now, a group of Westport Moms, headed by Television presenter and Time to Eat’s Nicole Straight want other Westport Moms to come together to look at what our children are eating in school, and how we can change it to ensure they are eating food that is better for them.

If your kids are eating pizza, chicken nuggets and100-calorie snack bags, the chances are they aren’t getting the right kind of nutrition for proper growth.

A growing number of kids aren’t getting enough nutrients like calcium, iron, and assorted vitamins, which is affecting their brainpower, behaviour, and ability to concentrate at school.

Timely, controversial and cutting edge, Two Angry Moms, the film and the movement,
address an issue of great concern to parents across the country. What is happening to the
health of our children and how does school food factor in?

Two Angry Moms, the film, will be shown at the Westport Public Library in the McManus Room on Tuesday, October 28th from 9:30a.m.-11:30 a.m., and chronicles what happens when two fed-up moms take on the system and start a grass-roots revolution aimed at establishing programs that safeguard the health of our
kids. Chef Michel Nischan and Amy Kalafa will be at the screening to answer questions.

Amy Kalafa (filmmaker in Weston) explores the roles the federal government, corporate
interest, school administration and parents play in the feeding of our country’s school
kids and the impact it has on their health.

The screening is free to the public. For more details about the movie and the movement please visit http://www.angrymoms.org, or contact Nicole J. Straight at: 203-221-8306

For more about Two Angry Moms visit www.angrymoms.org

Turkey Chili with corn bread

The weather is perfect for a nice warm bowl of chili.

Here's how I make my chili:

Heat 1 tbs. oil in a deep nonstick pot. Add in 1 finely diced onion and saute for 3-4 minutes or until onions begin to color. Add in 2 cubes frozen cilantro and stir until thawed and incorporated. Add in 1 C. diced mushrooms ( I like to dice everything so it's harder for the kids pick out what they don't like!) Stir to incorporate and saute for another minute. Add in 1 lb. of ground lean turkey meat. 1 tbs. cumin, 1 tbs. chili powder, a good pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Saute turkey until cooked through, about 7-8 minutes. While the turkey cooks, rinse 3 cans of kidney beans. Once the turkey is cooked through, add the kidney beans and a 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes. Bring to a medium boil, then lower to a simmer. Let cook for at least 30 minutes. Add in 1 c. of frozen corn kernels.

You can serve chili in a bowl over some pasta, brown rice or with a little corn bread.

I use a boxed corn bread, and add 1 C. or frozen roasted corn, a handful of shredded cheese and 1 diced jalapeno. Another great trick to spruce up corn bread is to sprinkle the top with chili powder and demerra sugar (this is larger crystals of sugar). It gives it a great color and a nice crunch.

Our kids LOVE chili and so do we. I add lots of hot sauce to mine and a handful of cilantro leaves to the top.

Roasted beet and green bean salad

My girls double as guinea pigs in our house for trying new foods. Last week we made scones, which they loved! This week the girls tried roasted beets. I can't make beets without thinking fondly of my grandmother who taught me the easiest way to prepare them.

Preheat oven to 500. Rinse beets and snap the tops off. Wrap beets (4-5) in foil, double the foil up if necessary to ensure no beet juice will leak.

Pop them in the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a knife can be inserted through the foil and slides in easily.

Once the beets are cooked through, remove them from the foil and rinse under cool running water. Gently rub the skins and they slip right off. I like to dice them, add a little bit of butter and salt and eat warm.

I tell the girls the story that was told to me when I was a little girl that women used to dye their lips and cheeks with beet juice before they had makeup. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen, but it's a fun story to tell while enjoying these sweet delicious red gems.

I had a friend over today for lunch and we enjoyed some leftovers from last nights party. Steamed Haricot vert (baby green bean) salad with roasted beets with a dijon vinaigrette.

If your only experience with beets are the ones that come from a can, try roasting beets, they are so easy to make and mild enough that kids will love them too.

Dad does dinner

I had to work last night so Kirk was on his own with the girls. I had bought some skinless chicken drumsticks and had couscous and broccoli in the house. Kirk can handle the couscous and broccoli, but needed a little direction with the chicken.

Here's the simple recipe I have him.

Preheat oven to 400. Line a brownie pan with foil and place drumsticks in the pan. Add about 1/2 C. BBQ sauce. Rub drumsticks with sauce until well coated. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until browned.

Serve with couscous and steamed broccoli.

He said the kids loved dinner and he was very proud of himself.

The last time he made dinner, there were many tears and scowls. He made pork chops and corn. Apparently the chops were dry and the corn was too hot (?) !

Dinner tonight, probably ball park chicken thighs, baked potatoes and peas. We get home late tonight activities and this is a great dish that can be made in advance.

Recipe for Ballpark chicken:
equal amounts of yellow mustard and ketchup (about 2-3 tbs)
1 tsp. garlic salt
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Combine and bake in a deep dish ( a pie plate works well) . Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes. Potatoes can be baked at the same time, put them in the oven 30 minutes before baking chicken.

Indian spiced shrimp with steamed vegetables

Every now and again when I venture into NY, I go to a great spice store called Kalustyan's, I've blogged about it before.

When I was at the supermarket today, I bought some shrimp and assorted veggies, had some leftover cilantro and lime juice and decided to make a stir fry-ish...

I used a bamboo steamer to steam green beans, broccoli, mushrooms, red pepper and shredded carrots.

While those steamed, I made some couscous. In another pan I heated up about 1 Tbs. of peanut oil and when it was very hot, threw in 1/2 pound of uncooked, peeled, cleaned and deveined shrimp. I added in a handful of fresh chopped cilantro and the juice from 1/2 lime.

I stirred that around for about 30 seconds, then added in my mystery spice from Kalustyan's. It's a type of curry, but I took it out of it's container and put it in a ball jar with NO label. Use any kind of curry powder you have and add a pinch of cayenne pepper.

The veggies steam quickly, so I removed some and threw it in with the shrimp, reserving the rest of the veggies for the girls.

They happily ate the veggies and couscous with a little left over steak.

I bought a roast to make in the next day or 2, hoping the weather will stay coolish.

A cooking slump

I realize I have been in a bit of a cooking slump. I wonder if it has to do with the weather being so schizophrenic.. Yesterday warm and lovely, today humid (my least favorite type of weather) and rainy. I tend to follow the climate to help me decide what to make and it's all over the place and I think so am I!

The next few days should be sunny and cooler, and we've just been eating whatever happens to be around the house, nothing terribly exciting. Our neighbor gave us green beans from her garden which got mostly eaten raw on the walk home from the bus and the rest were steamed for dinner last night.

I am also getting v. busy with work, especially preparing for the Whole Foods event on Friday from 4-6 p.m. Stop by, have a taste and pick up a cookbook.

Thai noodle soup

We are all a little under the weather today so I decided to make soup. It is, however about 85 degrees here with 100% humidity!!

This soup started out as a vegetable saute, but I just kept adding things.

Start with a nonstick pan with high sides. Add 1 tbs. peanut oil. Add a diced shallot and 2 cubes of frozen garlic and a cube of frozen ginger, saute about 1 minute. Add a handful of sliced mushrooms and saute for another minute.

Add about a cup of green beans that have been sliced in 1/2. Saute for another minute, then add a pinch of curry powder and a good pinch of kosher salt.

Add in a can of diced tomatoes, a can of coconut milk and an 8 oz. container of chicken stock.

Zest 1/2 a lime and add that to the soup as well as about 3 tbs. roughly chopped cilantro.

I happened to have an ear of corn, so I cut that in half and added it to the soup as well as a leftover cooked chicken breast that I thinly sliced.

Lastly, I added in a handful of cellophane noodles about 5 minutes before sitting down to eat the soup.

I know the kids won't eat it, so they're getting some leftover chicken breast, noodles, and an ear of corn.

Soba noodles for the family

I taped a Back to School segment today-chock full of great ideas for healthy lunches and snacks for kids. It will air all weekend on News Channel 12 on the What's Cooking segment.

1 recipe I demonstrated was Soba Noodles. My friend had made these recently and brought them to my house, and the kids loved them. I tweaked the recipe a little, here it is. I made these noodles tonight for dinner with friends and the kids were slurping them up.

There are so many things you can add to this dish- shredded carrots, diced cucumber, boiled shelled edamame, cooked chicken cubes, a few cilantro leaves, a handful of crushed peanuts or diced scallion.

My kids ate them plain with a little shredded carrots added in (we didn't have anything else to add!)

They are very easy to make and everyone will enjoy them.

Boil soba noodles for 3-4 minutes. Drain in a colander under cold running water.
Combine:
¼ C. low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. Asian sesame oil (or vegetable oil)

Back to school dinner

The girls came off the bus this afternoon seemingly happy (not as happy as Kirk and I, we had perma-grin's on all day). We walked home, got a short run down of the day and they both wandered up to our bed to watch a cartoon. Within 5 minutes the elder was sound asleep and the younger was chattering away to herself.

Back into our routine, we cleaned out lunch boxes and I began dinner. My husband offered to help and I asked him to make the girls lunches while I prepared dinner. GULP... The task that usually takes me 5 minutes takes the poor guy upwards of 30. I walked him though the choices and he set out on his way.

I prepared dijon and and panko crusted pork chops, couscous, and peas. Nothing fancy.

Preheat oven to 425. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Spread a little dijon mustard to each side of a boneless pork chop, then in a separate bowl combine about 1 cup of panko with a good tablespoon of Adobo seasoning, and a few grinds of pepper. Dredge each pork chop with the mixture and place on the cookie sheet.

Bake for about 10 minutes per side. They come out crispy on the outside and always juicy on the inside with almost no effort.

While those cooked, I made a box of couscous, actually my little one wanted to help in the kitchen, so I let her measure out the water, and pour it in a small pot, she added in a little olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Once that came to a boil, I let her add in the couscous and I covered the pan.

I boiled some water for peas and added a little butter and pinch of salt and pepper. I have to admit that I still love peas.

The kids set the table and we all enjoyed a quiet family dinner. No drama tonight! Yea...

The girls said they want to learn how to make chicken, so I think Moron Chicken is what we will be having tomorrow night with some roasted new potatoes and a veg.

Happy school!

News 12- What's Cooking

Many of you ask me when I will be appearing on tv, I am taping a What's Cooking segment on Cablevision News 12 on Thursday which will air alllllll weekend.

It will be a packed segment full of great ideas for how to pack healthy lunches and snacks for your kids.

I am not a food nazi by any means, but as I sit looking at the school menu for September and all I see is pasta, pizza, chicken nuggets and a Pork Riblet (?) I can't help but wonder where the roasted chicken drumsticks, turkey chili, and baked potato bar is on these menus.

Ok, stepping off of my soap box now... Anyhow, Thursday's segment is all about how to give your kids healthy lunches and snacks that 1) are easy for parents and kids to make and 2) won't break the bank!

Tune in for some great ideas to add to your next lunch box.

Greek Pasta Salad

We went to a neighborhood beach picnic this evening. It's an annual thing and something that I really, really love about our neighborhood. We are a real community and growing up, I never really knew anyone much less everyone on our street. I know it sounds a little Beaver Cleaver, but it makes me feel safe and happy.

Anyhow, I made a simple pasta salad and wanted to share the recipe with you.

Boil a box of pasta ( I think I used elbow)

In a bowl, add a can of rinsed garbanzo beans, chopped steamed broccoli, thinly sliced snap peas, a little green onion, and diced cucumber. In retrospect, I would have added some chopped sun-dried tomatoes, but I forgot. Add 1 C. of crumbled feta cheese with Mediterranean Herbs (You can find a block of this at the market)

Add a handful of pitted Greek green olives, a good pinch of kosher salt and pepper.

Once the pasta is Al Dente, rinse under cool running water.

Make a dijon vinaigrette of :
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
the juice from 1 lemon
1/2 C. olive oil
1 tsp. Greek Seasoning (McCormack makes it)
a pinch of salt and pepper

Stir to combine and add vinaigrette to the bowl. Add pasta and stir to combine. I made this earlier in the day and stored until ready to use.

It was delicious, healthy and super easy. P.S. You can also add chopped artichoke hearts.

Grilled chicken and a mess o'veggies

I can tell summer is coming to an end, the evenings are getting cooler and the sun is setting earlier. I have to admit I always look forward to those cool crisp fall mornings when the sun shines a little bit differently, and I can pull out my long sleeve shirts and pants.

I was having lunch with a friend today and we made a top 10 list of reasons to be happy summer is almost over, #1 being that the kids go back to school!!

Anyhow, I met a friend and her kids this afternoon and the kids all played, then a couple kids came back to our house for dinner. 1 has a gluten intolerance so I kept it really simple and made boneless, skinless, grilled chicken thighs with olive oil, the juice from a fresh lemon and a good pinch of kosher salt and pepper.

I have made these a million times and I've found the key to great grilling is to sear the food on the grill at a very high heat, then remove from the grill, cover in foil and continue cooking in a 500 degree oven until cooked through. The meat always stays tender and juicy.

While the chicken finished cooking in the oven, I quickly steamed broccoli, rinsed some snap peas, and sliced some cucumber. I also added a handful of baby corn, some sliced strawberries and blueberries.

I made a little pasta, but not much as 1 child can't have it and I didn't want the other 3 to fill up on it.

Everyone came to the table, ate happily and not one complaint about a missing nugget, french fry or chocolate dipped anything.

Kids LIKE simple food, kid food is not meant for kids or anyone else for that matter...

Back to School at Whole Foods, September 12

School starts next week! yippeee!!!! Summer has been fun, but I am ready for the girlies to go back to school.

The new lunch boxes are bought, and it's time to start thinking about packing lunches. The school lunches in our town are abhorrent so for now, I am happy to pack the kids lunch.

I am doing a great Back to School event at our local Whole Foods in Westport on Friday, September 12 from 4-6 p.m. to offer advice on how to pack healthy and EASY lunches and snacks for kids.

I got to peruse the aisles today, one of my most favorite things to do, and came home with a bunch of new foods that the girls taste tested.

I will also be giving suggestions for gluten, dairy and nut free selections.

Tonight's dinner, turkey meatballs, meatless hamburgers which my little one devoured and shaped ravioli (all from Whole Foods).

The weather was beautiful today and we spent a great afternoon at the beach, I even paddled on a boogie board with Abby today in the ocean, it was so much fun.

peaches and blueberries

I took the kids to pick peaches and blueberries today and wanted to ask for any ideas of what to do with 25 pounds of peaches and blueberries- got any good recipes you'd like to share??

Meatballs in a flash

We went to a Bridgeport Bluefish game tonight with some friends and I wanted to feed the kids before we went. My younger daughter had been asking to make meatballs, so we made them today- she even helped- a little!!!

We used 1 lb. of 85% lean ground beef (ground turkey works well too)
about 1/4 C of egg whites
1/2 C. seasoned bread crumbs
a good shake of garlic salt

Combine all ingredients (your hands work best). Heat a little olive oil in a nonstick pan on high heat.

Roll meatballs and add to pan once oil shimmers. Let the meatballs brown on all sides (don't roll them around, let them get good and brown before turning).

Once meatballs have browned on all sides, add a jar of marinara sauce to the pan, a finely diced onion and a bunch of sliced mushrooms. Turn the heat down to medium low, cover and let meatballs cook through for about 20 minutes. You can turn the heat way down and let them simmer much longer.

Boil some pasta and -viola!

Another friend stopped in today and all of the kids ended up eating dinner. Everyone was happy and had 2 or 3 servings.

Curried shrimp with couscous

We had friends over for dinner last night and I had made some grilled curried shrimp for a party recently, so I decided to make these. The recipe is very easy and great for a dinner party.

Defrost 1 bag of uncooked, peeled, cleaned and deveined shrimp
Once thawed, add to a Tupperware with
3 Tbs. of Olive Oil
2 Tbs. of Curry powder
1 Tbs. of ground Tumeric
1 Tbs. cumin
pinch of kosher salt and pepper

Let marinade overnight or for at least 20 minutes.

Heat grill to HIGH. Once hot, add shrimp and cook for 1 minute per side, turn once. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I served this with a couscous that I made with golden raisins, toasted slivered almonds and chopped green onions.

It was a great summer time meal and very easy to make.

Zucchini Bread and Camp Mom.

The girls are finished with summer camp and they are home with me. Initially I was pretty anxious about it, but have decided to look at it as an adventure and take the time to go places we have never been.

We went bowling this morning, visited the horses at Emma's barn, then went for a tour of the Lockwood Matthew's Mansion in Norwalk. The girls had gone here on a field trip this summer and raved about it. They insisted we return and so we went today for a 1 hour tour. I was surprised how interested they were in the history of this building, it was interesting to me, and I was (secretly) thrilled this held their attention.

We came home and the kids took a break, Abby went to Chess club and I took them for Mickey D's. I had some leftover Angel Hair pasta with garlic, olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

I am having friends over for dinner on Friday and am planning to make those Provencal Tartlets that I demo'ed at the Peacock Party in NY.

I have finally gotten a decent crop of zucchini in the garden and made a yummy zucchini bread. Here's the recipe.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
2 cups granular sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon orange zest


Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease (2) 9 by 5-inch loaf pans.
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, spices and baking soda.
In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, pecans, chocolate chips, and orange zest. Stir in sifted ingredients. Pour into prepared loaf pans.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove loaves from pans and cool.