Fish Kids Love (with a fish tip that takes the stink out)

Everyone knows that you should be eating lots of fish. Three big issues with this for moms- 

1) Cooking fish can lead to a smelly cleanup, a problem that is exacerbated by apartment living.

2) A lot of kids are fish-adverse.

3) Why spend a lot time cooking something smelly that the kids won't eat? 

My friend Dana mentioned that her kids actually love a super easy fish recipe that our mutual friend Abby introduced her too. How fabulous is that? Easy fish that the kids love. If only it were easy to cleanup! Luckily I have the missing link to cooking fish - reduced stink. Just line your pan with tin foil, and THROW IT OUT after you cook the fish. Hooray! What’s gonna work? Teamwork!

On another note, The Pioneer Woman (www.thepioneerwoman.com) introduced me to seasoned salts, something I had never dabbled in. She’s a big fan of Lawry’s salt and often includes it in her recipes. I found I liked using it as well. The recipe leverages another brand of seasoned salt. Give it a try!

For 4 servings, you will need: 

4 tilapia fillets, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds

Olive oil

Jane’s crazy mixed up salt

Heat oven to 400°. Line a shallow baking dish or cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the fillets so they aren’t touching on the sheet. Brush them with olive oil, and shake the salt mixture all over it. Bake the fish fillets for 15 to 18 minutes or until cooked through. The time depends on thickness of the fillets. Fish will flake easily with a fork when done. That's it. Seriously. 

Enjoy. 

XOXO Christina

"Everything tastes good in puff pastry" quiches - Guest Post by Isabella

Hooray! Here is a post by my Aussie friend Isabella. And take it from me- Sydneysiders know how to cook! I haven't tried this but I am certain my kids will love it. I love how easy and tasty it looks.

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When Christina started her blog I was thrilled. Even though we live on the other side of the world from each other, and when she is making dinner I am generally making breakfast, it is reassuring to know that another mother suffers from the same dinner issues!  I am blessed with two children - an almost 4 year old who will try pretty much anything and will eat most things and an 18 month old, who defines the words 'fussy eater'.  If she was my first child, she would have sent me to the brink...as she is my second I merely serve up meals and then stand waiting with the dustpan and broom to sweep said dinner up from the floor.

I do have one failsafe meal however, that is also the easiest thing ever.  I am sure most other mums do a variation on this, but here is my version. 

"Everything tastes good in puff pastry" quiches.  Makes 4 (2 for each child).

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius.  *(note from Christina- that's 350 F for us Yanks)

Take out a sheet of puff pastry and let defrost for recommended time.

Once defrosted, cut out four circles - I use a small ramekin to make the shape. 

Find a 12 hole muffin tray - and spray four holes with a cooking oil spray - I use a healthy olive oil version.

If making 4 quiches, crack two eggs in a bowl, whisk with some milk and season with salt and pepper.  Put aside.

Put each circle of puff pastry into the holes - press down.  The sides may bunch up a bit but that's OK.

I generally then add ham to each, and a little grated cheese. You can also add a slice of tomato on top - I have also added broccoli (finely chopped) which was OK, as I had put in a LOT of ham so wasn't noticed by the fussy eater!  Really, you can use whatever your child will eat!

Then take spoonfuls of the egg mixture and pour over the ham/cheese.  Fill till it's even with the sides of the pastry.

Pop in oven for about 20 minutes.  Remove, cool slightly and serve with a side salad.

Generally all I have to do after is sweep up the side salad from the floor....

A grown up version I do for brunches is to cook some bacon and onion, add this to each pastry and then top with egg mixture (which I also add chopped up chives to) - delicious bacon and egg pies!

Pasta e Fagioli Soup: 3 Different Ways to Heaven

Like many other American girls who enjoy art, I spent a semester in Italy when I was in college. But I was not stuck in a cold foreign dorm room, or living with a family who had agreed to host an exchange student only because they had it confused with an au pair in their heads. No, no. Years ago, a Rockefeller gave Georgetown University a villa. Villa Le Blaze sits high in the hills above Florence in a town called Fiesole. And every semester  some lucky Georgetown undergrads get to live there for a few months. This modest villa has, amongst other essential amenities, an unsurpassed view of the city, about 10 bedrooms, a library, an olive grove, and its own staff. When I was there, the staff included a tiny Italian cook named Clara. I'm not sure where they found Clara, but it is indisputable that she was a genius. Clara put an average of 15 lbs on each of us that semester.  Amongst many other pleasures,  Clara introduced me to Pasta e Fagioli.


Clara was kind enough to give us her recipe, and since then I have experimented with various forms of this classic Italian pasta and bean soup. Over the years I found I liked the soup even better if I left the beans whole, instead of pureeing them, and it morphed into something totally different. My version of the soup is  perfect for moms because you can make a big batch and freeze it into portions. It's hearty enough to be the main course at dinner if you serve it with some salad and bread.  My girls really like it at lunch on cold winter days. I love to make it with rosemary  and chick peas, but I found that the flavors were a big strong for children and they seemed to prefer a more delicate version with thyme and cannelli beans instead. You can experiment with this as well. I'll detail three approaches to the soup and you can try them all or just whichever one sounds best to you. This soup freezes well, doesn't have too much hands on time, and the fresh ingredients are so simple you most likely have them on hand.


PS: If you are interested in Villa Le Balze, take a peek at the website.
http://www11.georgetown.edu/oip/os/villalebalze/ . In addition to photos and information about the program, it tells you where you can get the Villa Le Balze cookbook!

Version 1: Rosemary and chick peas

You will need:

1 large sprig fresh rosemary. Don't use dried. It's just too bitter for this recipe. If you can't be bothered with fresh herbs (we've all been there), try the thyme and cannellini bean version instead.

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 stalk of celery, chopped

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

5 cups chicken broth (I use low sodium)

1 cup of canned chickpeas, rinsed

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 cups of little pasta, preferably ditalini (but elbow macaroni is fine)

parmesan

Heat up the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Throw in the rosemary and stir it around for a few minutes. Enjoy the incredible aroma. Add the onion and the garlic, and stir that around for a few minutes as well. Add the carrot and celery and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Now add the chicken broth, bay leaf, tomatoes, and chick peas. Simmer for 30 minutes. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the pasta, until it is cooked according to the package instructions. Fish out the bay leaf and rosemary sprig. Spoon into bowls and top with grated Parmesan, if your heart desires (mine does). 

Version 2:

Replace the rosemary with fresh or dried thyme. You don't need to saute the herb- just toss it in with the  bay leaf. Replace the chickpeas with canned cannellini beans. 

Version 3:

In this version, use two cups of chick peas. After you simmer them, remove about half from the soup. It's okay if some veggies and broth is mized in there You need to let it cool first. Then put in a food processor and process into a puree. Return the puree to the soup after you have cooked the pasta, and stir until it is well incorporated. 

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