I love Thanksgiving: a day to contemplate how God blesses us; a day to be with family, or friends, or both; a day for prayer; and of course a day of delicious and bountiful food. Oh, and one more great thing about Thanksgiving – leftovers.
I’ll admit that I’m a little picky when it comes to leftovers. I do not generally like leftovers to be in exactly the same form as the original meal. So, I’m not crazy about lunch the next day being slices of turkey with cranberry sauce and slightly warmed up succotash, mashed potatoes and stuffing on the side. But when you re-purpose leftovers to create something new? That I love.
There are so many ways to enjoy leftover turkey – turkey enchiladas, turkey soup, turkey salad, and more. But my absolute favorite is turkey cakes. I’m not alone in loving this dish. Our 5-year-old son Peter dubbed them “splendid,” at dinner tonight and said he wanted to have them “for a million days.”
If something is good enough for 5-year-old to have for a million days straight, it might be a recipe you’ll want to try!
Serves 4, with two turkey cakes each
1 egg
3 cups of roasted turkey, cut into small pieces
¼ cup mayonnaise
½ cup bread crumbs
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter
Crack an egg into a large bowl. Beat slightly. Add the remaining ingredients and mix with clean hands until thoroughly combined. Use a ½ cup measuring cup to measure out 8 portions of the turkey mixture. Flatten each into a patty about ½ inch thick. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, and up to 24 hours. (While you can cook the turkey cakes immediately, they will hold their shape better if chilled.)
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the turkey cakes in the melted butter for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy.
Serve immediately, ideally topped with whole cranberry sauce.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a day that lately is being called "The Super Bowl of Food." Indeed the food is an important part of many Americans' holiday celebration. I know I'm looking forward to the turkey, cranberry sauce, succotash, stuffing, sweet potatoes and of course the pie. But when the food becomes the prime focus of Thanksgiving, we're missing out on what can make this a truly wonderful celebration.
For me the whole point of Thanksgiving is evident in this holiday's name. This is a great opportunity to give thanks to God for our blessings. Even when the year has been filled with challenges, we have been blessed. While at times those blessings might not be so obvious to us, when we look with thankful eyes, we can see them.
Our family is going to try something new this year to train our eyes to be more thankful. We are going to take a Thanksgiving Walk. On our walk, we will be on the look out to spot blessings. It could be a beautiful tree, the home of friends, the sound of birds overhead, the eagerness of our dog as he walks, the time together.
My hope is that this will be the first of many annual Thanksgiving Walks.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving. (And save me a slice of pie!)
For me the whole point of Thanksgiving is evident in this holiday's name. This is a great opportunity to give thanks to God for our blessings. Even when the year has been filled with challenges, we have been blessed. While at times those blessings might not be so obvious to us, when we look with thankful eyes, we can see them.
Our family is going to try something new this year to train our eyes to be more thankful. We are going to take a Thanksgiving Walk. On our walk, we will be on the look out to spot blessings. It could be a beautiful tree, the home of friends, the sound of birds overhead, the eagerness of our dog as he walks, the time together.
My hope is that this will be the first of many annual Thanksgiving Walks.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving. (And save me a slice of pie!)
Monday, November 23, 2009
Maple-Roasted Chicken with Apples and Sweet Potatoes
Today was a chilly, rainy day. I wondered: "What would be a delicious fall dinner? What would hit the spot on a cold, damp day?"
This is it. The combination of apples and sweet potatoes, with a kiss of maple syrup and cream, is a great complement to the chicken.
While this recipe takes a while to roast, the preparation work is quite easy. Plus, every thing you need for dinner cooks at the same time. This is a great every day meal when you have a little extra time to cook, about an hour.
Serves 4
2 Golden Delicious apples
2 large or 3 small sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 tablespoons apple juice
6 tablespoons maple syrup – divided
A few dashes of hot pepper sauce
4 chicken breast halves
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of butter, melted
½ tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons of heavy cream
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
Wash and core apples, then cut each apple into eight wedges. Wash the sweet potatoes, and cut into wedges about the same size as the apple wedges.
Place the shallots, apple juice, hot pepper sauce and 4 tablespoons* maple syrup in a baking dish (I used a 9 x 13 inch baking dish). Add the apple and sweet potato wedges. Using your hands, mix well till the apples and sweet potatoes are evenly coated. Roast for 30 minutes.
Cut each chicken breast half lengthwise into 3 strips. Place the chicken on a pie plate. Add the garlic, butter, mustard, the remaining 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, salt and pepper. Turn the chicken to coat each strip evenly.
After the apple and sweet potatoes wedges have roasted for 30 minutes, remove from the oven. Place the chicken strips on top, and return to the oven. Roast for another 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove from the oven. Stir in the cream and serve.
*Helpful hint: 4 tablespoons is the same as ¼ cup.
This is it. The combination of apples and sweet potatoes, with a kiss of maple syrup and cream, is a great complement to the chicken.
While this recipe takes a while to roast, the preparation work is quite easy. Plus, every thing you need for dinner cooks at the same time. This is a great every day meal when you have a little extra time to cook, about an hour.
Serves 4
2 Golden Delicious apples
2 large or 3 small sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 tablespoons apple juice
6 tablespoons maple syrup – divided
A few dashes of hot pepper sauce
4 chicken breast halves
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of butter, melted
½ tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons of heavy cream
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
Wash and core apples, then cut each apple into eight wedges. Wash the sweet potatoes, and cut into wedges about the same size as the apple wedges.
Place the shallots, apple juice, hot pepper sauce and 4 tablespoons* maple syrup in a baking dish (I used a 9 x 13 inch baking dish). Add the apple and sweet potato wedges. Using your hands, mix well till the apples and sweet potatoes are evenly coated. Roast for 30 minutes.
Cut each chicken breast half lengthwise into 3 strips. Place the chicken on a pie plate. Add the garlic, butter, mustard, the remaining 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, salt and pepper. Turn the chicken to coat each strip evenly.
After the apple and sweet potatoes wedges have roasted for 30 minutes, remove from the oven. Place the chicken strips on top, and return to the oven. Roast for another 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove from the oven. Stir in the cream and serve.
*Helpful hint: 4 tablespoons is the same as ¼ cup.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Looking for a Good Cookbook
If you walk into a typical big box book store looking for a cookbook, you will be confronted with hundreds of choices. Many cookbooks are adorned with photographs so vivid, you can almost smell the succulent food. Others are written by celebrities, including celebrity chefs. With all these choices, how do you choose a cookbook that’s right for you?
First, take your time. The cliché is true – you can’t judge a book by its cover. Or its title. I have not always taken my own advice, and have more than a couple cookbooks that I rarely open. I can be seduced by a clever title, particularly one that promises me that if I purchase this cookbook, I will have dozens of easy-to-prepare delicious recipes that will help me get a nutritious dinner on the table in minutes. I should have taken my time to:
Look at some of the recipes. Do you like how the recipes are organized? Are the instructions clear? Can you employ the suggested cooking techniques, or do you feel overwhelmed? Does the resulting dish seem like it would be nutritious? Would your family eat it?
Scan all the recipes. How many of the recipes would you actually try? How many of the recipes require a lot of prep time? How many would help you get a great meal on the table in the time you have for cooking?
If possible, go to your local library and borrow a cookbook you are considering buying. I recently checked out three new-to-me cookbooks from our local library. After reading through all three, I liked two of them so much I bought them.
Ask friends for their suggestions. Particularly if you enjoy a dish a friend made, ask, “Where did you get the recipe?” I have already suggested some of my favorite cookbooks (see the posts of November 16 and 17).
Once you have selected a good cookbook, what then?
When trying a recipe from a cookbook, be sure to:
Read through the complete recipe early on – Do you have all the ingredients you need? If not, be sure to pick up what you need, and in the correct amount, from the store. Do you have all the equipment?
Follow the recipe as written the first time – You turned to the cookbook for inspiration and guidance. So let the cookbook author guide you. You may have an idea about how to simplify the cooking, or how to add flavor. That’s great! Take notes and try your modifications the next time. But for the first time, cook the way the recipe suggests. There may just be a reason the author did not suggest what may seem to be a great idea.
First, take your time. The cliché is true – you can’t judge a book by its cover. Or its title. I have not always taken my own advice, and have more than a couple cookbooks that I rarely open. I can be seduced by a clever title, particularly one that promises me that if I purchase this cookbook, I will have dozens of easy-to-prepare delicious recipes that will help me get a nutritious dinner on the table in minutes. I should have taken my time to:
Look at some of the recipes. Do you like how the recipes are organized? Are the instructions clear? Can you employ the suggested cooking techniques, or do you feel overwhelmed? Does the resulting dish seem like it would be nutritious? Would your family eat it?
Scan all the recipes. How many of the recipes would you actually try? How many of the recipes require a lot of prep time? How many would help you get a great meal on the table in the time you have for cooking?
If possible, go to your local library and borrow a cookbook you are considering buying. I recently checked out three new-to-me cookbooks from our local library. After reading through all three, I liked two of them so much I bought them.
Ask friends for their suggestions. Particularly if you enjoy a dish a friend made, ask, “Where did you get the recipe?” I have already suggested some of my favorite cookbooks (see the posts of November 16 and 17).
Once you have selected a good cookbook, what then?
When trying a recipe from a cookbook, be sure to:
Read through the complete recipe early on – Do you have all the ingredients you need? If not, be sure to pick up what you need, and in the correct amount, from the store. Do you have all the equipment?
Follow the recipe as written the first time – You turned to the cookbook for inspiration and guidance. So let the cookbook author guide you. You may have an idea about how to simplify the cooking, or how to add flavor. That’s great! Take notes and try your modifications the next time. But for the first time, cook the way the recipe suggests. There may just be a reason the author did not suggest what may seem to be a great idea.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Last Night's Experiment. Verdict -- Delicious!
Mini Meat Loaves
Meatloaf is one of the ultimate comfort foods. While it is easy to make, it does take a while to cook. My favorite meatloaf recipe I developed bakes for between one hour and one hour and 15 minutes. That’s a little difficult to pull off for an Every Day Celebration during the week.
So I was wondering: what if I use the same basic meatloaf recipe, but make mini meat loaves? Six smaller loaves should bake in significantly less time than one, large loaf. But the important question: would it taste as good?
The answer: yes. It tastes good. Really good. So good that the first time I made these mini meat loaves, not only did our 5 year-old son Peter eat every thing, my father-in-law wanted more and my mother-in-law (who often eats like a bird) was a member of the clean plate club.
One tip to make these mini meat loaves even more perfect for a weeknight dinner: you can do much of the work, including assembling the meat loaves, in advance, say that morning. Refrigerate the uncooked loaves until you get home from work, and then bake off.
A great accompaniment to these mini meat loaves is carrot salad (see the June 29, 2009 post for the recipe).
Makes 6 servings
2 teaspoons vegetable oil – canola oil is a good choice
1 cup finely chopped onion (about one medium onion)
1 ½ pounds ground beef
1 cup breadcrumbs
2/3 cup ketchup
3 eggs beaten slightly
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion in the oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add the softened onions. Knead the mixture with your hands until well combined.
Form 6 small loafs with the meat mixture, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 26-32 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve.
Meatloaf is one of the ultimate comfort foods. While it is easy to make, it does take a while to cook. My favorite meatloaf recipe I developed bakes for between one hour and one hour and 15 minutes. That’s a little difficult to pull off for an Every Day Celebration during the week.
So I was wondering: what if I use the same basic meatloaf recipe, but make mini meat loaves? Six smaller loaves should bake in significantly less time than one, large loaf. But the important question: would it taste as good?
The answer: yes. It tastes good. Really good. So good that the first time I made these mini meat loaves, not only did our 5 year-old son Peter eat every thing, my father-in-law wanted more and my mother-in-law (who often eats like a bird) was a member of the clean plate club.
One tip to make these mini meat loaves even more perfect for a weeknight dinner: you can do much of the work, including assembling the meat loaves, in advance, say that morning. Refrigerate the uncooked loaves until you get home from work, and then bake off.
A great accompaniment to these mini meat loaves is carrot salad (see the June 29, 2009 post for the recipe).
Makes 6 servings
2 teaspoons vegetable oil – canola oil is a good choice
1 cup finely chopped onion (about one medium onion)
1 ½ pounds ground beef
1 cup breadcrumbs
2/3 cup ketchup
3 eggs beaten slightly
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion in the oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add the softened onions. Knead the mixture with your hands until well combined.
Form 6 small loafs with the meat mixture, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 26-32 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tonight's Dinner Experiment
Tonight my in-laws are here. Should I tell them that we're having an experiment for dinner?
I have a feeling that these Mini Meatloaves will be good. It's already smelling great. That's always a good sign.
I'll let you know how it goes. I'm sure my 5-year-old son and my in-laws will let me know what they think.
I have a feeling that these Mini Meatloaves will be good. It's already smelling great. That's always a good sign.
I'll let you know how it goes. I'm sure my 5-year-old son and my in-laws will let me know what they think.
More "What's for Dinner?"
In yesterday's post, I listed some of my favorite cookbooks, books that help me answer the question "What's for dinner?" That question is really important when you're the one of dinner duty, because if you don't know the answer to that question, dinner could be tricky.
Here are two more of my favorites.
Serving Up the Harvest: Celebrating the Goodness of Fresh Vegetables, by Andrea Chesman, © 2005, 2007 Storey Publishing. This cookbook is perfect for those times you have a fresh vegetable, but don’t know what to do with it. The book organizes the 175 recipes by season, which is incredibly valuable if you have a backyard garden, or belong to a CSA (community supported agriculture), or both. One of my favorites is Penne with Chard and Sausage (p. 167), which works well with beet greens, too.
Crowd-Pleasing Potluck, by Francine Halvorsen, © 2007 by Rodale Inc. This cookbooks is a big help when you’re cooking for a crowd, be it a potluck dinner at church, or many friends and/or family coming over for dinner. The Lemon Bars (p. 212) are particularly good.
Soon I'll post some tips for how to choose cookbooks that are right for you.
Here are two more of my favorites.
Serving Up the Harvest: Celebrating the Goodness of Fresh Vegetables, by Andrea Chesman, © 2005, 2007 Storey Publishing. This cookbook is perfect for those times you have a fresh vegetable, but don’t know what to do with it. The book organizes the 175 recipes by season, which is incredibly valuable if you have a backyard garden, or belong to a CSA (community supported agriculture), or both. One of my favorites is Penne with Chard and Sausage (p. 167), which works well with beet greens, too.
Crowd-Pleasing Potluck, by Francine Halvorsen, © 2007 by Rodale Inc. This cookbooks is a big help when you’re cooking for a crowd, be it a potluck dinner at church, or many friends and/or family coming over for dinner. The Lemon Bars (p. 212) are particularly good.
Soon I'll post some tips for how to choose cookbooks that are right for you.
Monday, November 16, 2009
What's for Dinner?
Have you ever asked yourself, “What’s for dinner?” And you are the designated cook? Often the biggest challenge of cooking is figuring out what to make. You may have your standard repertoire of dishes – I know I do. But some times, you are tired of the standard. I know some times, I am. You want some thing new. But what?
Having at least a few good cookbooks makes getting a satisfying meal on the table much easier. But how do you choose a good cookbook? Should you buy cookbooks from celebrity chefs? Cookbooks from culinary magazines? Cookbooks from unknowns? Cookbooks with the nicest covers?
Here are some of my favorite cookbooks, with a brief explanation of why I like them.
The New Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker, © 1997 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. This is by far my favorite edition of The Joy of Cooking, even though for some Joy purists it is their least favorite. This mammoth tome, more than 1,000 pages, includes recipes for many of the classics that you know and love, and other classics that you just might get to know and love. Some of my favorite recipes are Tuscan Bread and Tomato Soup (p. 98), Spatzle – a German egg dumpling that’s heavenly (p. 322), Baked Stuffed Zucchini (p. 421), Arroz con Pollo (p. 599) and Sauteed Pork Chops – that turned my father-in-law from a pork chop hater to a pork chop lover (p. 698).
The New Best Recipe from the editors of Cook’s Illustrated, © 2004 from America’s Test Kitchen. This is another huge book of more than 1,000 pages. The editors did a lot of testing to come up with what they believe to be the best way to prepare many different kinds of food. The descriptions of the testing process are at times interesting, at times tedious and always thorough. My absolute favorite recipe from Best is Braised Brussels Sprouts – who knew they could be this good and this easy to prepare? (p. 145)
Two from Ina Garten – The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, © 1999 by Clarkson Potter and Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics © by Clarkson Potter. Both of these cookbooks are gorgeous, filled with beautiful photographs, helpful tips and easy-to-follow recipes for delicious food.
And two new favorites for me:
Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Mattichio Bastianich, © 2001, Alfred A. Knopf. We have been to one of her New York restaurants two different times, to celebrate my 40th birthday and also for our 10th anniversary, and both times the meal was worth the entire trip to New York. I have loved her cooking show on PBS for years. But I’ve been intimidated. Many of the recipes she prepares on her show are so complex that I have stayed away from her cookbooks. But this one is different. This is filled with dozens of recipes I want to try. The two we have already tried have been marvelous.
Kitchen Life: Real Food for Real Families – Even Yours by Art Smith, © 2004 Hyperion. Art Smith not only includes some great recipes, but some very helpful advice to help you get organized and eat right.
Having at least a few good cookbooks makes getting a satisfying meal on the table much easier. But how do you choose a good cookbook? Should you buy cookbooks from celebrity chefs? Cookbooks from culinary magazines? Cookbooks from unknowns? Cookbooks with the nicest covers?
Here are some of my favorite cookbooks, with a brief explanation of why I like them.
The New Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker, © 1997 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. This is by far my favorite edition of The Joy of Cooking, even though for some Joy purists it is their least favorite. This mammoth tome, more than 1,000 pages, includes recipes for many of the classics that you know and love, and other classics that you just might get to know and love. Some of my favorite recipes are Tuscan Bread and Tomato Soup (p. 98), Spatzle – a German egg dumpling that’s heavenly (p. 322), Baked Stuffed Zucchini (p. 421), Arroz con Pollo (p. 599) and Sauteed Pork Chops – that turned my father-in-law from a pork chop hater to a pork chop lover (p. 698).
The New Best Recipe from the editors of Cook’s Illustrated, © 2004 from America’s Test Kitchen. This is another huge book of more than 1,000 pages. The editors did a lot of testing to come up with what they believe to be the best way to prepare many different kinds of food. The descriptions of the testing process are at times interesting, at times tedious and always thorough. My absolute favorite recipe from Best is Braised Brussels Sprouts – who knew they could be this good and this easy to prepare? (p. 145)
Two from Ina Garten – The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, © 1999 by Clarkson Potter and Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics © by Clarkson Potter. Both of these cookbooks are gorgeous, filled with beautiful photographs, helpful tips and easy-to-follow recipes for delicious food.
And two new favorites for me:
Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Mattichio Bastianich, © 2001, Alfred A. Knopf. We have been to one of her New York restaurants two different times, to celebrate my 40th birthday and also for our 10th anniversary, and both times the meal was worth the entire trip to New York. I have loved her cooking show on PBS for years. But I’ve been intimidated. Many of the recipes she prepares on her show are so complex that I have stayed away from her cookbooks. But this one is different. This is filled with dozens of recipes I want to try. The two we have already tried have been marvelous.
Kitchen Life: Real Food for Real Families – Even Yours by Art Smith, © 2004 Hyperion. Art Smith not only includes some great recipes, but some very helpful advice to help you get organized and eat right.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Worth the Effort
“Even if you love to cook as much as I do, getting a meal on the table can seem like running a marathon,” writes Barbara Fairchild in Bon Appetit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook. “And no one lacks for excuses to stay out of the kitchen: the kids’ soccer practice, answering e-mail, quick pizza delivery, good cable TV. We’re busy, our families have crazy schedules, and grocery shopping is seldom a chore we look forward to. The simple ritual of sitting around the table and sharing a meal, like friends and families should, is not so simple to carry off.”
What strikes me about that introduction to Fairchild’s book is her statement saying that “friends and families should” sit around the table and share a meal. Of course, she’s not alone in believing that the ritual of gathering around the table for a meal is important.
Yet Fairchild is right – often putting a meal on the table can seem like an overwhelming challenge. Is it really worth the effort?
Yes, it is worthy the effort. A social meal nourishes both our bodies and our souls.
The good news is, there’s help. This blog is dedicated to help you celebrate every day. While this blog’s blend of practical tips and recipes is unique in that it pays attention to the spiritual dimension of eating, there are other resources you can turn to for help. There are some great cookbooks, television shows and websites out there that can help you figure out how to get tasty, nutritious food onto the table quickly.
What strikes me about that introduction to Fairchild’s book is her statement saying that “friends and families should” sit around the table and share a meal. Of course, she’s not alone in believing that the ritual of gathering around the table for a meal is important.
Yet Fairchild is right – often putting a meal on the table can seem like an overwhelming challenge. Is it really worth the effort?
Yes, it is worthy the effort. A social meal nourishes both our bodies and our souls.
The good news is, there’s help. This blog is dedicated to help you celebrate every day. While this blog’s blend of practical tips and recipes is unique in that it pays attention to the spiritual dimension of eating, there are other resources you can turn to for help. There are some great cookbooks, television shows and websites out there that can help you figure out how to get tasty, nutritious food onto the table quickly.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Roasted Cauliflower
I’ll admit it: I don’t like cauliflower. Or should I say, I didn’t like cauliflower. I still don’t like raw cauliflower. Or boiled cauliflower. Or steamed cauliflower. If a restaurant serves mixed vegetables and part of the mixture is cauliflower, I’ll eat it, but I won’t enjoy it.
So I was less than thrilled to be served cauliflower recently. We were visiting our friends Eurydice, Chris and their children while we were on vacation in Chicago. We had a great time catching up, and then it was time for dinner. Chris cooked chicken, sweet potatoes . . . and cauliflower. It had been years since I had seen Eurydice and I had just met Chris, so I wanted to be polite. I took as small a serving of cauliflower as I thought I could get away with without appearing rude. To my surprise it was good. Really good. Fantastically good.
Once we got home, I replicated the dish. And it was good, really good, fantastically good. Even if you don’t think you like cauliflower, you’ve got to try this simple and delicious recipe. Trust me. It just might change your mind.
Makes 4 servings
1 head of cauliflower
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
Break cauliflower into flowerets using a sharp knife. Place cauliflower on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Add the oil, salt and pepper to the cauliflower. Mix with your hands till the ingredients are well combined. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until slightly golden. Serve immediately.
So I was less than thrilled to be served cauliflower recently. We were visiting our friends Eurydice, Chris and their children while we were on vacation in Chicago. We had a great time catching up, and then it was time for dinner. Chris cooked chicken, sweet potatoes . . . and cauliflower. It had been years since I had seen Eurydice and I had just met Chris, so I wanted to be polite. I took as small a serving of cauliflower as I thought I could get away with without appearing rude. To my surprise it was good. Really good. Fantastically good.
Once we got home, I replicated the dish. And it was good, really good, fantastically good. Even if you don’t think you like cauliflower, you’ve got to try this simple and delicious recipe. Trust me. It just might change your mind.
Makes 4 servings
1 head of cauliflower
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
Break cauliflower into flowerets using a sharp knife. Place cauliflower on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Add the oil, salt and pepper to the cauliflower. Mix with your hands till the ingredients are well combined. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until slightly golden. Serve immediately.
Friday, November 6, 2009
From Art Smith
Art Smith, famous for his appearance on Top Chef: Masters and for once working with Oprah Winfrey, knows the importance of family meal time.
In his book Kitchen Life: Real Food for Real Families – Even Yours!, he writes:
“Meals are important and shouldn’t be grabbed on the fly. Try to establish regular mealtimes so that everyone knows what to expect and when. It’s never wise to eat erratically.
“Plan to eat as a family as often as you can. It’s important for family life to gather the kids around the table for a meal. Turn off the television and let the machine answer the telephone.
“Keep the lines of communication open. Ask the kids what they want for dinner. Encourage everyone to share ideas and get excited about planning meals.”
I picked up Kitchen Life yesterday at the library. It's so good, I plan on buying my own copy. Some of his ideas of how to make home-cooked meals actually happen are similar to ideas I've already posted here on Celebrate Every Day. Some of Smith's other ideas are inspiring me to come up with other hints. Stay tuned.
In his book Kitchen Life: Real Food for Real Families – Even Yours!, he writes:
“Meals are important and shouldn’t be grabbed on the fly. Try to establish regular mealtimes so that everyone knows what to expect and when. It’s never wise to eat erratically.
“Plan to eat as a family as often as you can. It’s important for family life to gather the kids around the table for a meal. Turn off the television and let the machine answer the telephone.
“Keep the lines of communication open. Ask the kids what they want for dinner. Encourage everyone to share ideas and get excited about planning meals.”
I picked up Kitchen Life yesterday at the library. It's so good, I plan on buying my own copy. Some of his ideas of how to make home-cooked meals actually happen are similar to ideas I've already posted here on Celebrate Every Day. Some of Smith's other ideas are inspiring me to come up with other hints. Stay tuned.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Grilled Vegetable Wrap
This recipe was inspired by a dish served at my recent college reunion. I was first struck by how delicious it is, and then realized, “Hey, this is really healthy, too!” My guess is, you and those around your table will have the same reaction. This is a great recipe when you have a guest who is vegetarian. (When you have guest who is vegan, be sure to omit the cheese.)
As you read through this recipe, you might think, “Boy, this takes a long time to prepare.” While it’s true that cutting up all the vegetables and the cheese does take a while, you can prepare this in stages. Stage 1: prep the vegetables. Stage 2: roast the vegetables and prep the cheese. Stage 3: assemble the wraps. You can do all three stages one after the other, or you can do the first stage the night before, stage 2 early in the morning before work, and stage 3 when you get home right before dinner.
However you prepare it, enjoy!
Makes 6 wraps, enough for 4 hearty diners, with each person getting 1 ½ wraps.
4 carrots
2 red bell peppers
2 small zucchini
1 small red onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces mozzarella cheese
6 flour tortillas
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare vegetables by cutting the carrots, peppers and zucchini into matchsticks approximately 2 – 2 ½ inch by 1/8 inch. Place in a large bowl. Cut onion in half around the equator, peel, then cut each half around the “pole.” Thinly slice into half moons. Separate each layer of the half moons and add to the other vegetables. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper to the vegetables; combine thoroughly.
Place the vegetables on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper; be sure to have the vegetables in a single layer on each sheet so they roast properly. Roast for 15 minutes, then set aside to cool.
While vegetables are roasting, dice the cheese (or cut into small cubes, approximately ¼ inch on each side). Set aside.
When vegetables have cooled, place in a large bowl (you can use the same bowl you used earlier). Add the diced cheese.
Divide the vegetable-cheese combination among the tortillas and wrap up.
As you read through this recipe, you might think, “Boy, this takes a long time to prepare.” While it’s true that cutting up all the vegetables and the cheese does take a while, you can prepare this in stages. Stage 1: prep the vegetables. Stage 2: roast the vegetables and prep the cheese. Stage 3: assemble the wraps. You can do all three stages one after the other, or you can do the first stage the night before, stage 2 early in the morning before work, and stage 3 when you get home right before dinner.
However you prepare it, enjoy!
Makes 6 wraps, enough for 4 hearty diners, with each person getting 1 ½ wraps.
4 carrots
2 red bell peppers
2 small zucchini
1 small red onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces mozzarella cheese
6 flour tortillas
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare vegetables by cutting the carrots, peppers and zucchini into matchsticks approximately 2 – 2 ½ inch by 1/8 inch. Place in a large bowl. Cut onion in half around the equator, peel, then cut each half around the “pole.” Thinly slice into half moons. Separate each layer of the half moons and add to the other vegetables. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper to the vegetables; combine thoroughly.
Place the vegetables on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper; be sure to have the vegetables in a single layer on each sheet so they roast properly. Roast for 15 minutes, then set aside to cool.
While vegetables are roasting, dice the cheese (or cut into small cubes, approximately ¼ inch on each side). Set aside.
When vegetables have cooled, place in a large bowl (you can use the same bowl you used earlier). Add the diced cheese.
Divide the vegetable-cheese combination among the tortillas and wrap up.
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