Catastrophes in the kitchen

Today I thought I’d review some of my unsuccessful forays in the kitchen for your edification and entertainment.

1. One day, after reading about how my children were most certainly vitamin D and DHA deficient in an annoying parenting magazine at the doctor’s office, I decided I needed to make salmon for dinner that very night. I had to head off this nutritional crisis immediately!  I went to the grocery store with two screaming, feverish kids, bought the salmon, carefully prepared it, and felt triumphant. Then my three year-old cried after she tasted it. The one year old just spit it out. They did not seem affected by parenting magazine hysteria and still refuse to eat salmon.

2. After toiling away for hours, making the marinara sauce from scratch, boiling noodles, and whisking away at a complicated béchamel sauce, all the while with a 5 week old in a baby Bjorn strapped to my chest, I presented this glorious lasagna to my then-husband. He said, “It looks great!” with enthusiasm, got up out of the table, got a bottle of ketchup, and squirted it all over the lasagna. This time I was the one who cried.

3. One night I decided that butternut squash soup would be the solution to augmenting my children’s vegetable intake. Did I mention that I was in a sleep deprived haze when I made this decision? At any rate, I made the soup. I am still amazed I did not lose a finger “peeling” the squash (as an aside, it is much easier to roast a squash, THEN peel it, but I didn’t know that then).  I discovered that my immersion blender didn’t work at all, right at the very same moment that the Wonder Pets had wrapped up rescuing the baby bird. I found myself trying to transfer the hot soup to my food processor and simultaneously fending off curious toddlers to prevent them from getting burned, and burning my own hand in the process. Post food processor, the soup still didn’t have the perfect texture. By then it was 6.30pm, and my (then) husband was home from work. I told him that we were having soup for dinner, and in my sleep deprived haze I suddenly realized that vegetable soup was not nearly enough food for a 6 foot tall person who runs 50 miles a week. But he looked at me, saw I was not to be messed with, and ate the soup. The kids refused to touch it, because they are never afraid to mess with me.

Anyhow, I think the moral of these stories just could be

·        Don’t read parenting magazines

·        Don’t make anything too complicated

·        Go to bed early whenever you can.

Hope you have a happy cooking week!

XOXO Christina

Chicken Soup for Sanity

Why does no one mention the fact that Britney Spears had two toddlers at the time of her nervous breakdown? Doesn’t anyone think that perhaps having two very small children, going through a divorce and being a world famous pop star at the same time might just be a tad too much pressure for anyone? Maybe she shaved her head so at least she didn’t have to deal with washing her hair on top of everything else.  That’s my theory. And she probably didn’t know how to make chicken soup, either. I think I might have gone at least partially insane by now if it were not for chicken soup.

Chicken soup solves a lot of my problems. It doesn’t require a lot of hands-on time, it is nutritious, it can be used for lunch or dinner, you can freeze it, and incredibly, my kids seem to really like it.  Finally, it is a good way to use a leftover roast chicken. You can make chicken soup in the slow cooker if you want to leave it to simmer all day while you are out and about, or you can make it in a pot if you have less time.  There are a lot of themes and variations on chicken soup. I’m going to share my version. I will say part of the process is a little messy. I hope you can tolerate that because I think it's worth the result.

As usual, I will present alternative ways of approaching this classic. The first area you need to think about is the broth. I’m actually a bit of a purist about this but I will still totally respect you if you decide making the broth is just a bit too overachiever for your taste. That’s cool. You can always used canned broth (but I would recommend watering it down just a little) if you like.  Also, I don't like garlic or parsnips in my broth.  I normally LOVE garlic, but, in this case but I think it adds a funny taste, and parsnips make it too sweet. Just my opinion, of course, but this is my blog and I get to do whatever I want.

You will need:
a big soup pot
some sort of skimmer

2 carrots

2 pieces of celery

1.5 small yellow onions

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon of dried thyme or about 4 sprigs of fresh

8 sprigs of fresh flat parsley (sometimes called Italian parsley)

2-3 cups egg noodles

1 tablespoon salt (I really like sea salt)

1/2 tsp black peppercorns

Pinch of red pepper if you are making this for adults (it really perks it up, but probably best to skip with sensitive kids)

Here’s how to make the broth:

Take a chicken carcass leftover from Roast Chicken Night, or a whole raw chicken (or pieces of chicken, whatever you want, but the broth turns out way better if there are bones and skin involved) and put it in a big ole soup pot. 

Add water until it is pretty much covered. Or if you are nervous about what is the right amount of water, measure out 10 cups of water and add it. 

Add one unpeeled carrot, cut up into a few big pieces.

Add two pieces of celery, cut up into a few big pieces

Add one small yellow onion, quartered. Just throw it in there, skin and all

Add one bay leaf

Add 1 tablespoon of dried thyme or about 4 sprigs of fresh
4 sprigs of the parsley

1 tablespoon salt (I really like sea salt)

1/2 tsp black peppercorns

Pinch of red pepper if you are making this for adults

Bring to a boil. Then turn the burner down to low, cover it and simmer for 2 hours or so on low. You should be seeing one bubble come up at time, not much more than that. It’s going to smell amazing and drive you wild with desire. The longer it simmers, the richer the broth, so it is up to you. But you should aim for 2 hours at least. 


Once you have determined that your broth is ready, or more realistically when you have a few minutes, you are going to take out all the ingredients. Most cookbooks start talking about cheesecloth and pressing and stuff, but I just use this big skimmer thing, and take everything out. Put the chicken carcass on a plate. You can throw out the veggies/herbs/peppercorns. WHAT?!!! You may say. That is SO WASTEFUL. I guess it is, but sometimes it is exciting to be a rebel. It is possible to make the soup all at once by just peeling and chopping the veggies and simply fishing out the herbs and peppercorn, but they get a little mushy. Can you trust me on this one? Thanks. 


Now, let the chicken pieces/carcass/whatever cool off a little bit. 

Take this time to peel and dice a carrot, and dice stalk of celery, and half an onion (Some notes: This may be too much onion for you, so use your discretion. You can add more carrots, celery, a parsnip other veggies if you wish. Peas work well. I find broccoli changes the flavor of the soup though. ) Throw the pieces into the remaining broth.

Take the chicken carcass and cut off the remaining meat. Cut the meat into bite size pieces and put it back into the pot.  Put the veggies in the pot. 


Bring to a boil again. Add 2-3 cups egg noodles and boil according to the package directions (usually about 10 min.) I add 3 cups and it is very noodle dense. Taste to see if there is enough salt. I usually add more at this point. Chop up the remaining parsley, and add it at the end for a flash of green and flavor. 

Serve it up with some bread and salad. I hope you enjoy it!
Christina

Three For One (Blog entry) Special

Here is a guest blog from my sister Claire, super-hero mom of two boys, attorney extraordinaire, and one of the best cooks I know!

As a mom with two hungry munchkins, a really hungry husband, and a busy work schedule, I have found that the roasting pan is my best ally.  I truly believe that the ability to prep dinner earlier and throw it in the oven later makes dinner possible in my house.  I find that the last thing any of us can handle at the end of the day is a fussy recipe competing for my ever fragmented attention, even if it just takes 20 minutes. I am much saner when I just some toss some items into a baggie, preheat the oven, and topple dinner into a pan.  I feel like my roasting pan turns me into the Platonic Form of 1950s housewife without the apron, (it is currently in use as a superhero cape by my 3 year old) and without the Valium. Plus, as a bonus, these recipes only require one pan to clean up!

Chicken In a Pan- Sassy Version

(based on a dish I found on the Mad Hungry Blog called “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner”)

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup olive oil or if you only have ¼ of a cup due to a sorely misguided attempt at making ‘healthy’ muffins, that is fine too.
• some minced garlic; however much you like and are willing to risk oozing from every pore tomorrow at hot yoga
• 2 tablespoons paprika: I like Hungarian paprika for this.
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 tablespoons salt which seems like a lot but works
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Boneless chicken breasts (however many come in a package at your grocery store) or a whole chicken cut up into pieces
• 1 big can of garbanzo beans drained
• 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes

Directions

1. Mix the marinade: olive oil, garlic, paprika, cumin, red pepper, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Using a zip-lock bag combine marinade with the chicken, beans, and tomatoes, this requires some massaging to make sure that the chicken is evenly coated with the marinade. Let marinate a few hours, all day, or overnight.
2. Go to bed. Get up three times to prove to preschooler that dinosaurs do not in fact live in their closet.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove toddler from oven door. Forcibly.
4. When ready to cook, dump contents into large roasting pan. Roast 20 minutes for chicken breasts or 30 minutes for whole chicken pieces,  or until chicken is cooked through and browned, and tomatoes have burst and caramelized. Feel smug.
5. Wipe brow and remove toddler from top of refrigerator. Let dog out. Let dog in.

Chicken in a Pan- Spanish(y) version

Ingredients

• 2 tbsps. olive oil
• package of chicken thighs and package of drumsticks
• package of andouille chicken sausage, cut into pieces
• 3 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 large spanish onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• grated zest 1 orange

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425.  Put the oil in the bottom of roasting pan. Rub the skin of the chicken in the oil, then turn skin-side up, salt and pepper the chicken. I think salt, pepper, and the roasting pan are the holy trinity of the kitchen.
2. Nestle the sweet potatoes among the chicken pieces. Tuck in the sausage pieces.  Sprinkle the onion and the oregano over, then grate the orange zest over everything. Don’t skip the orange zest, like passing the bar exam, it makes the whole adventure worthwhile.
3. Cook for 1 hour.

Chicken in Pan- London School of Economics version

(supply and demand- only supply one thing and don’t listen to demands)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large Spanish onion or 2 small onions or however many you have
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dried sage
• Ground pepper
• 1 whole chicken cut into pieces
• 1 package of chicken and apple sausages
• 2 tablespoons chopped sage leaves
• whatever random root vegetables you have lying around, peel and chop them. I like carrots, parsnips, potatoes, butternut squash in this dish. Be sure to feel virtuous because you not only cooked dinner but it also includes vegetables.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425.
2. Arrange the chicken pieces in a roasting pan, skin-side up, salt and pepper them.  
3. Tuck the sausages around the chicken pieces. Sprinkle the fresh sage leaves over the chicken and sausages and then put the roasting pan into the oven to cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the sausages over halfway through to colour them evenly.
4. Arrange the chicken and sausages on a large platter. Sigh contentedly. You managed to cook dinner 3 times this week, month, year! Hooray!

Marinated Flank Steak

You may think it's odd that I am introducing a grilling recipe as we move into the cold weather. This is because I myself do not have a grill. It really doesn't matter to me how cold it is outside since I am stuck with my ventilation-free broiler. This does not stop me from using it though, as I've discussed previously. It's just too nice to have a main course that is ready in about 12 minutes to resist.  Now here is one of my easy pleasers. My girls call it "yummy meat" and this in itself is a freaking miracle. Adults love it as well. You can serve it with just about anything - potatoes, warm bread, salad or steamed vegetables. It is amazing on the grill but darn tasty in the broiler.  I adapted this from Mark Bittman.

Makes 4-8 servings depending on the size of the steak and the size of the diners

You will need:
4 tablespoons lime juice
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon (or more if you love it) minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (see my tip from the post Ingredients sold in large quantities, but used in ... )
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
1 flank steak, somewhere between 2 and 2.5 lbs

• Put the lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and sugar into a glass or ceramic container big enough to hold your steak.  Stir it a bit to mix everything above together.
• Put a little salt and pepper on the raw steak.
• Put the steak in the marinade, and spoon some over the top so you get the whole steak covered with marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge to marinate. You need to marinate it for at least 30 minutes- but it's best to leave it all day, which works out very well if you do it in the morning. 
• Grill or broil the steak on high about 4 inches from the flame. You can do 3-6 minutes on each side, depending on how rare you like it. 6 minutes usually results in well done meat. 
• Let it rest for a few minutes. This prevents all the juices from flowing out. 
• Slice it across the grain. 

And that's it! Hope you like it.
XOXO Christina

How do I cook dinner for the kids when I am not there? It's tricky, I tell you...

Recently someone asked me how I manage to cook for my kids since they eat dinner at 5pm and I don’t get home from work until 5.45pm. Well actually no one asked me this, but I wish someone would because I am very proud of this week’s results. I am so lucky in that I have a great babysitter who is happy to put things in the oven for me.  In theory, I leave something nice and healthy that she can just heat up.  Some days, when the theoretical has become fantasy and I leave nothing for her, she will make them something simple, like scrambled eggs or brown rice and edamame and doesn’t even complain about it. (No, you cannot have her phone number.)  

But as I mentioned, this week was a particularly good week, which inspired me to share it with you. I prepped a bunch of veggies on Sunday, like they say to do in all the magazines. Don't believe me? Fine. It's true. I actually bought them all cut up already. I DID broil an extra marinated flank steak on Sunday night. We reheated it on Monday night and for sides, we just steamed up some veggies and baked one of those par-baked frozen French breads. It was great. On Tuesday I left a marinated pork loin which roasts in about thirty minutes, and served it with some rice and steamed veggies. Yesterday morning while I was making my daughter’s lunch, I prepped a roast chicken and threw in some potatoes and carrots. The babysitter put it in the oven for me, and we had that with some vegetable soup I bought from a gourmet shop.  In the past, I’ve done soups and stews in the slow cooker which also works. I’ve got to run, but I will provide the marinated flank steak recipe soon as it’s one of my top hits as a cook.

And I have to admit that one of my main motivations for this post was to find out what everyone else does on busy weekdays. Tell me!
Ciao! Christina