James the Destroyer

From the photo above, of James unloading our recycling bin and playing with a package of toilet paper, while I am trying to hammer out dinner, you can see that even though I know what we're having for dinner and have the ingredients to make it, there is never an elegant moment in our house while I am cooking. Mr. Klein and I like to do a zone-defence approach to watching the kiddos when cooking, but we typically end up on man-to-man (or rather, more accurately, kid-to-kid) coverage as we try to get dinner on the table.

That's one of the main reasons why I menu-plan each week (and have a glass of wine in hand), because if I had to get home and figure out what to make before even starting to cook, I wouldn't have any hair left (and I have a lot of hair!).  There just isn't any time for hesitation in the kitchen when I'm preventing one child from pouring a whole box of Os on the floor (happened), while Chris is placating the other from his third (fake) injury in the last five minutes. I have our menu tacked to the side of the fridge, so I quickly glance to see what we're having for dinner that night and then I just pull out all the ingredients from the fridge and pantry in one fell swoop.

Often, it's so crazy in the kitchen that I run out of time (or forget) to make a side dish or craft some condiment, so there is always fresh fruit and vegetables in the crisper drawer that can quickly be washed and sliced to serve with the meal. Even if no one under the age of 5 eats them, they are there to ease my parental guilt and in case they get the urge to eat it.

For better or for worse, here's what we're having this week for dinner ...
Menu: week of 15 April 2013
Monday: Stir-fried greens with brown rice and poached eggs
Tuesday: Grilled cheese and avocado sandwiches with apple-celery slaw
Wednesday: Mushroom pizza with steamed broccoli on the side
Thursday: Pasta with meat sauce
Friday: Carrot soup with crusty sourdough bread and butter

happy eating, -s.

My baby got sauce
Your baby ain’t sweet like mine
She got sauce
Your baby ain’t sweet like mine
She got sauce...

Sorry, couldn’t resist a little G Love and Special Sauce reference here.

James is currently experience one heck of a bout of separation anxiety. Poor little guy; Chris and I need to carry him constantly or he screams. He screams and wails and flails his arms and doesn’t breathe for 5 seconds. It’s a pretty rough scene, but soon he won’t want us to hold him at all, so I try to empathize while I do everything with one hand, like cooking and buttoning a shirt and putting on make-up — you get the picture; so dinner prep needs to be minimal and all done with babe on hip. Hence, stir-fries.

I have been working on and perfecting my go-to stir-fry sauce. We try to have some stir-fried greens (mustard, Chinese broccoli, kale, arugula, spinach) and a lean protein with brown rice (or my favorite pure-white, no-whole-grain-here jasmine rice) once a week. This is in no way authentic, but it is complex, crowd-pleasing and pantry-friendly.

 

Sarah’s oh-so-special sauce

enough for one stir-fry that serves 4 hungry bambini or adults

Ingredients

2 tablespoons tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon raw sugar or brown sugar
½ a lime, juiced
½ tablespoon roasted red chile paste
2 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane
1 thumb-sized knob of ginger, grated on microplane
½ teaspoon cornstarch (optional)

Directions
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, whisk to break down sugar and chile paste.

Pour onto stir-fry ingredients once they are browned and fully cooked. Cook for 1 minute, until slightly thickened and glossy.  Serve hot.

Happy eating, -s.

Pickle eating a raw crimini mushroom!?

I don't know if all two-year-olds are like Pickle, but man, does this kid eat a lot. He will have his 'first' breakfast shortly after he wakes (right now it is flax-seed oatmeal with rhubarb-raspberry compote on top). Chris and I will then have breakfast a little later – cereal, oatmeal, wholegrain toast with almond butter and jam, you get the picture. Well, Pickle will want to sit on our laps and proceed to eat half of whatever we're eating (and I usually have to fight to eat the other half!), hence his 'second breakfast.' Then, maybe a half-hour later he's onto his 'third breakfast' where he might have a banana, or some dry cereal in a cup, or a half-slice of banana bread.

Now, you might be thinking, "Why don't you feed him that stuff all at once?" Well, honestly, I don't think he would sit through that 3- to 4-course meal in one go, being two and all. And I would be hungry too, if I did as much physical activity as he does in the morning. Seriously, the kid has boundless energy!

Anyway, I am struggling to get out of this carbo-overloaded morning, but I also don't want to be frying up eggs every morning. Here's my solution: bread pudding. Take some leftover bread, egg, milk, some sautéed veg and maybe some meat (leftover shredded pork or chicken, ham, prosciutto, etc.) and you have a one-dish meal that can be easily reheated in portion sizes all week long in the toaster or regular oven.

Master recipe for savory bread pudding
Serves 5-6 hungry bambinos

Ingredients
half of a loaf of day-old* hearty, crusty bread, cut into 1-inch pieces
½-pound of your pick of vegetables: thinly sliced mushrooms, asparagus cut into 1-inch pieces, cherry/grape tomatoes (halved), spinach, arugula, broccoli florets, peas, etc.
1 large garlic clove, minced
¾ cup finely chopped onion – about one medium onion
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil

3 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs – thyme, parsley and basil are my go-to picks

1 cup grated or crumbled cheese
½ cup pre-cooked meat, cut or shredded into bite-size pieces (optional)

Directions
In a large sauté pan, heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add your choice of vegetable and cook until crisp-tender (or wilted in case of greens). Do NOT overcook. Set aside to cool.

Whisk eggs, milk, salt, pepper and herbs in large bowl. Mix cheese and optional meat in medium bowl. Place half of bread in a large, rectangle ceramic or glass baking dish. Sprinkle with half of sautéed vegetable, then half of cheese mixture. Pour half of egg mixture over. Repeat with remaining bread, vegetables, cheese mixture, and egg mixture.

While your oven preheats to 375-degrees, let stand 20 minutes, pressing with a spatula to submerge bread pieces. Bake bread pudding until brown and puffed, about 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.

You can eat this right away or save it for breakfasts throughout the week. Once cooled to room temperature, cut into roughly 3x2-inch rectangles, wrap in waxed paper and place into large Ziploc bags. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Reheat in a 350-degree oven or toaster oven until warmed through.

Some delicious combinations to try throughout the summer:
Mushrooms, parsley, cooked and crumbled Italian sausage, parmigiano
Grape, cherry or Juliette tomato, basil, prosciutto (optional), Parmigiano or goat cheese
Zucchini/summer squash, thyme, aged Gouda
Peas, thyme, bacon, goat cheese
Broccoli, thyme, roasted chicken and gruyere
sweet bell peppers, basil, dry salami, pecorino romano
Eggplant, thyme and feta

*if your bread is not stale, place the cubed bread on a large baking sheet and let stand uncovered overnight to dry out.

Happy eating, -s.

Spinach-Ricotta Frittata with wholegrain toast and balsamic-macerated strawberries
A flute with no holes is not a flute. A donut with no hole is a danish ... And a quiche with no crust is a frittata! Sorry, couldn't help myself with the Caddyshack reference. Anyway, frittatas are versatile little numbers that can be decked out with any number of fillings, both vegetable and protein alike. Just start with a quick sauté of the "filling" and then add the egg mixture. The addition of the fresh ricotta adds a creaminess and fluffiness that elevates it from the standard egg-and-milk base typically utilized.

Spinach-Ricotta Frittata
Serves 2 adults, 2 hungry bambinos

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
Half a large onion sliced thinly into half moons
4 handfuls of baby spinach leaves, large stems removed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
¼ cup grated cheese: something nutty like an aged cheddar, Parmigiano or gruyere

Accompaniment: wholegrain toast with butter and balsamic-macerated strawberries (recipe below)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Coat the bottom of a large ovenproof skillet with the olive oil. Add the onions and a generous pinch of salt and pepper to taste and sauté over medium heat until the onions are translucent and very aromatic, 5 to 7 minutes. Add spinach until wilted and tender, roughly 2-3 minutes

Meanwhile, whisk eggs until frothy; add ricotta and whisk until smooth (some elbow grease is needed for this step). Fold in cheese.

Add the egg mixture to the sautéed onions and spinach and stir to incorporate the vegetables evenly. Cook the frittata on the stovetop until the eggs start to set (1-2 minutes, then transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until firm.

Cut into wedges and serve immediately. Or let cool and serve at room temperature.


Balsamic-macerated strawberries
The Italians call sweet-and-sour agrodolce and this is a perfect treatment for California strawberries whose flavor cannot hold a candle to sun-ripened, local, in-season strawberries for which we have to wait many months to enjoy! In cooking terms, macerate means to soak in a liquid in order of soften. Just don't let these soak too long, or they'll get mushy.

Ingredients
1 pint strawberries, preferably organic, quartered
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2-3 tablespoons honey
Pinch of sea salt
2 twist of freshly ground black pepper

Directions
In a small saucepan over medium heat, boil the balsamic vinegar until reduce to a syrupy liquid. Remove from heat and add honey, salt and pepper. Swirl to combine and allow to cool slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed

Place strawberries in a bowl and drizzle with the honey-vinegar mixture. Stir to coat berries and allow them to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Happy eating, -s.

Tip No. 3 will be coming your way soon. Would love to hear from readers as to what their go-to, quick dinners are ... I may just add them to my repertoire.

Okay, so Saturday was the last outdoor farmers' market of the season at the Dane County Farmers' Market. And, boy, did it go out with a bang. The weather felt more like early September than early November. Everyone was in high spirits and the produce didn't disappoint either. We stocked up on Gentle Breeze Honey and our favorite maple syrup as both vendors won't be at the winter indoor market. I also bought some beef short ribs from my favorite grass-fed beef farmer for a long braise in the oven some coming weekend.

Pickle continues his descent into Picky Land. My former beet-green-eating, winter-squash-loving child won't eat! I just don't know what to feed him at this point. I made him potato and corn chowder this weekend and he wouldn't let it come near his lips. This is the same child who ate bowl after bowl of pureed corn soup this summer. Good grief, as Charlie Brown would say. If anyone has ideas, I am willing to try them! With that, here's what we bought and what most of us will be eating this week.

At the market:

Apples

Apple cider

Beef short ribs

Bibb lettuce

Brussel sprouts

Daikon radish

Honey

Leeks

Maple syrup

Mushrooms

Red Russian Kale

Menu: week of 9 November 2009

Sunday: Roasted mushroom and salumi pizza

Monday: Sauteed red Russian kale on fresh ricotta bruschetta

Tuesday: Bibb lettuce wraps with larb-style ground pork

Wednesday: Oven-baked turkey kofte with Greek yogurt raita and roasted chickpeas

Thursday: Thai curried squash with coconut milk and red heirloom jasmine rice

Friday: My banh mi

Happy eating, -s.

Here's what we ate last Sunday — a great use for all those potatoes we have from our CSA! Note: we added the red pepper flakes after baking so Pickle could eat it too.

Potato and Rosemary Pizza

Serves 2 adults, one hungry bambino, with leftovers

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces (roughly 2 medium sized potatoes) unpeeled, scrubbed-clean Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced into very thin rounds — I used a mandoline
1 recipe Sarah's pizza dough
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 cup grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)

Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat oil in large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add potato slices in single layer (you will have to do several batches). Sauté until just tender, about 1-2 minutes. Drain on paper towel to cool briefly.

Once your dough is rolled out to your preferred size, place on a cornmeal-dusted pan. Then, layer potato slices, leaving 3/4-inch plain border. Sprinkle with rosemary, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Sprinkle with cheeses to cover.

Bake pizza until crust is crisp and cheeses melt, about 15 minutes. Using metal spatula, loosen crust from sheet, if needed. Slide onto a board and cut into pieces; serve.

Happy eating, -s.

I often reminisce about one of my favorite restaurants from our Milwaukee days, Taqueria Azteca. Before it expanded threefold and lost some of its deliciousness, it was this charming, albeit tiny, tiny restaurant with brightly printed oilcloth tablecloths, little painted chairs hanging from the walls and Mexican wedding flags draped from the ceiling. My entire family was obsessed with this place; with the chalkboard daily specials oohed and aahed over, especially any of chef-owner Frank Sanchez's molés (I could really go for some puerco en pasilla right about now!).

Anyway, Frank's chilaquiles were comfort in a bowl. This classic dish comprised of stale tortillas fried to "revive" them, green or red salsa, eggs (scrambled or fried) and cheese is a Mexican breakfast staple. Whenever they were on the special board I would get them. They varied in ingredients, sometimes with shredded chicken, other times with seasonal vegetables, but they always included a fragrant salsa, queso fresco, crema Mexicana, avocado and copious amounts of cilantro. Yum.

Pickle is in love with any kind of red sauce, be it Mario Batali's classic or my fresh-tomato jam I make for grilled cheese sandwiches, so I thought he may like a toned-down version of chilaquiles.

Now I wanted to make it somewhat healthful and less sodium packed, so I started with spelt tortillas that I did not fry ... I know, I am already straying from the original. And since I was pressed for time after work, I used ancho chile powder (Penzy's carries it) instead of toasting, soaking and pureeing dried ancho chiles. Another cheat, but time is of the essence these days.

I also wanted to get some fresh vegetables in the sauce, so onion, grated zucchini and diced tomatoes were sautéed before the ancho chile powder and a little cumin were added to fragrance the sauce. I used Muir Glen tomato puree for the sauce base, plus a little tap water to thin it. I didn't have crema Mexicana (I wish!) or crème fraîche, but I did have some heavy cream which was added to the whisked egg. I topped it with aged Cedar Grove cheddar, cilantro and voila! Pickle didn't let me down; he scarfed it right up and "signed" for more. Hope you all do the same.

Recipe: Flash-in-the-pan Chilaquiles
Serves 4 hungry bambinos

You can make this carnivorous with the addition of some shredded chicken. Just add it when you stir the tortillas into the sauce.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
Two spelt tortillas cut into 1-inch pieces – corn or white flour ones would work as well
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 medium zucchini, grated
6 Juliette tomatoes, diced
1/2 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
6 oz. tomato puree
4 oz. water
1 extra-large egg
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup minced cilantro
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes, add zucchini and tomatoes and sauté until softened, about 1 minute. Add chile powder and cumin and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato purée and water and bring to a hard simmer. Stir in the tortillas and cook until they begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a bowl with the heavy cream and season with a pinch of salt and some pepper. When the tortillas have softened, stir in the egg mixture and cook until the egg starts to scramble.

Add the cheese and cilantro and stir to incorporate.

Happy eating, s-

Oh, wow. That's what Pickle has been saying a lot lately: hear that plane? oh, wow! I just unfolded an entire load of already folded laundry. Oh, wow! Or, check out this a hole in the sidewalk - I can stick my finger in it. Oh, wow! And, I'm not going to eat anything except raspberries. Oh, wow!

Oh, no is more like it. Yes, Pickle has finally entered the picky zone. The zone where only one food will do ... for days, a week, maybe even a month. While raspberries are fairly healthful when it comes to obsessions, seeing your beautifully cooked dinner sit, congealing, while your child scarfs down raspberry after raspberry sends me into near convulsions.

Many a day I feel like a short order cook. I make a child-variation of the dinner we're having for Pickle, customizing it to his palate and chewing ability. For instance, he will eat the corn that we're eating with our steak, so I'll saute his corn with a little zucchini and some Sungold tomatoes and serve it with a scoop of fresh ricotta. Whether he eats it or not is totally up in the air, day to day. I was reading some famous pediatrician's article on feeding toddlers and he explained that some days a toddler will eat everything offered to him; the next he will literally eat nothing but a few bites of food, here or there. Just ride with the waves, he said, he'll get what he needs.

Yeah, ride the waves. If only we were swimming! Here's what two of us, and maybe three, are eating this week.

In our CSA/at the market:

Arugula

Beets

Broccoli: regular and Romanesco

Carrots

Cilantro

Edamame

Garlic

Green Beans

Jalepenos

Mustard greens

Red onions

Red lettuce

Sweet peppers

Tomatillos

Tomatoes: Juliettes, heirlooms & Sungolds

Yukon gold potatoes

Watermelon ... haven't found out whether it's red or yellow

Zucchini

Menu: week of 13 September 2009

Sunday: BLT pizza with a beet salad in a red wine/walnut oil-vinaigrette

Monday: Sauteed broccoli with spicy whole-wheat noodles, fried-rice style

Tuesday: Sauteed mustard greens with fresh ricotta bruschetta

Wednesday: Banh mi with spicy pineapple-edamame salad

Thursday: Corn pancakes with tomato crudo and Greek yogurt

Friday: Potato gratin with salsa verde

Saturday: Creamy corn soup

Happy eating. -s

My sister Holley was reading the book, "The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper" when she came upon this quote that pretty much sums up why I'm writing this blog:
"You would never know it by going to a supermarket, but children are supposed to eat the same food as their parents." -Dr Marion Nestle.

So true! I never noticed it until I had Pickle, but there are two main consumer groups to which grocers market: adults and children. Even the placement of food is shocking: the mac and cheese, the sweetened cereals, the juice, cookies, fruit snacks, etc., are all at kiddie height. With that food for thought, here’s what we’re eating this week.

At the Market:
Baby purple, yellow and red bell peppers
Baby Yukon gold potatoes
Basil
Fountain Prairie Farm skirt steak
Eggplant
Italian flat-leaf parsley
Maple syrup
Mustard greens
Red and White onions
Red bell peppers
Sweet Corn
Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes!
Tomatillos

Menu: week of 6 September 2009
Sunday: grilled Fountain Prairie Farm skirt steak and Juliette tomatoes with roasted red potato salad in an herbed yogurt dressing
Monday: BLTs with juicy, juicy muskmelon
Tuesday: fresh ricotta bruschetta with sautéed mustard greens
Wednesday: fresh corn pancakes with a salad of greens (recipe coming soon!)
Thursday: sautéed zucchini and aged cheddar enchiladas bathed in roasted salsa verde
Friday: sausage and peppers with roasted eggplant

Happy eating!

One of Pickle's favorite things to eat at Café Soleil is their herbed chevre croissant. While I wish I could craft these gorgeous, cheesy, roasted tomato-stuffed delights at home, I am not a pastry chef, but I am a mom who loves to recreate beloved foodstuff while simplifying the process. I've replaced handcrafted croissant dough with frozen puff pastry and swapped the oven-dried tomatoes with sauteed ones. It is a spot-on rendition in taste, but not shape.

Market Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted in the fridge
1 large, in-season tomato or 3 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or grated on a microplane
1 tablesppon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon olive or grapeseed oil
kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste
4 oz fresh goat cheese, at room temperature – I use the fabulously creamy DreamFarm chevre
4 oz, grated nutty, aged cheese, like Pleasant Ridge Reserve or Marieke Gouda
1 egg, whisked with 1 teaspoon water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat oil over medium heat until shimmery. Add tomatoes and saute until juices start to run.
Add garlic and thyme and cook another minute.

Remove from heat to cool.

On a flour-dusted counter or board, roll out puff pastry until its roughly 14 inches by 11 inches. Chill for 15 minutes it if gets too soft. Cut pastry in half. Score a 1/2 border on one piece of pastry. In the inside rectangle, spread goat cheese over entire surface. Place back in the refrigerators until the tomatoes are ready.

Spread tomatoes over the goat cheese and then sprinkle with the grated cheese. Egg wash the border left on the puff pastry and then top it with the other piece. Press and seal edges together, then use a pastry wheel to cut the egdes so they look uniform. if you don't have a pastry wheel, a knife will work too. Cut three small slits on the top to allow steam to escape. Egg wash the entire tart and place in the preheated oven for 18 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed.

Cut into individual portions.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Oh, summer, how I love thee! let me count the ways: tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes!

On Saturday, we had a CSA delivery and we hit the Dane County Farmers’ Market, too. There’s just so much in season right now that we want to enjoy it fully since our growing season is so short!

Tomatoes and corn carry the menu this week. I’ve got some great recipes that will be posted soon, including:
Market tomato and goat cheese tart – a Pickle-tested, Pickle-approved recipe
Eggplant, tomato and fresh mozzarella napoleons
BLT pizza

In our CSA Box/At the Market:
Arugula
Blueberries
Carrots
Cucumbers
Cilantro
Edamame
Eggplant
Garlic
Jalapeños
Sweet peppers
Green leaf lettuce
Purple green beans
Red onions
Sungold Tomatoes
Sweet Corn
Tomatillos
Tomatoes – heirloom and slicers
Zucchini

Menu: week of 16 August 2009
Sunday: BLT Pizza – roasted Sungold tomatoes, bacon, arugula and roasted garlic
Monday: Sautéed zucchini and Monterey jack enchiladas with roasted salsa verde and an avocado salad
Tuesday: Mahi Mahi kebabs with lemon-scented, herbed Greek yogurt, naan and roasted sweet corn
Wednesday: out to dinner
Thursday: Fish tacos with shredded Napa cabbage and avocado crema
Friday: BLTs with green beans vinaigrette
Saturday: Date night

We were out of town on Saturday, so no market trip this week. We still had some veggies leftover from our CSA delivery, so I was able to scrape together a menu for the week. I’ve also included a recipe that has been a favorite of ours for a while – originally a recipe from Marc Bittman’s Minimalist column in the NY Times, but has slowly morphed into something vaguely reminiscent. It’s a quick and satisfying dish ... Pickle scarfed it down in record time, including some from his dad’s plate.

Menu: week of 9 August 2009
Sunday: Eggs poached in tomatoes served crusty bread
Monday: Sautéed greens and potato tacos with green chile salsa and goat cheese
Tuesday: Zucchini, sweet corn and bacon pasta with caramelized cippolini onions … mmm, bacon and corn.
Wednesday: Chris is cooking … hopefully BLTs with the first tomatoes of the season with green beans vinaigrette
Thursday: Grilled sausage and peppers … on a bun or tossed with pasta – TBD
Friday: BLT pizza with tomatoes, bacon and arugula with a roasted garlic aioli – can't get enough BLTs!

Rhys’s dinners:
Sunday: Eggs poached in tomatoes served crusty bread
Monday: Sautéed greens and potatoes with shredded cheese and six-grain toast.
Tuesday: Ricotta frittata with zucchini, corn and bacon with six-grain toast
Wednesday: Leftover frittata
Thursday: Four-cheese ravioli with a winter squash sauce (recipe coming soon!)
Friday: Leftover ravioli with sautéed peppers


Eggs poached in tomatoes
Serves two adults; one hungry bambino

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ a large red onion, diced
2 sprigs of rosemary
2-3 chile de arbol, broken into pieces
1-2 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane
1, 28-oz. can organic San Marzano tomatoes; blitzed in food processor until chunky
6 extra-large eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Crusty bread, warmed in oven

Directions:
Over medium heat, warm oil in large sauté pan with lid until shimmering; add chiles, rosemary and garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onions and a large pinch of salt and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring; reduce heat to medium low and cover. Cook 10 minutes, until onions are soft and translucent. Increase heat to medium and add tomatoes a generous pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Cook until sauce is bubbling. Crack eggs over sauce and season with salt and pepper; cover pan. Cook until whites are set and yolks are still slightly runny, about 5 minutes. Serve in a bowl with bread for scooping up the sauce.

Since I work full time, Pickle goes to daycare, or as we call it at home, "school." I pack his snacks and lunches for school every day and it's really tough sometimes to ensure that he's getting what he needs nutrition-wise while not consuming all of my free time cooking specific meals for him. This is a great article to quantify how much food a toddler needs. It's not as much as you think.

In one of my blogs, I shared with you my pancake recipe. Well, I have to say that "cakes" in general are a great way to pack in a meal's nutritional requirements of protein, dairy, vegetable/fruit and grains:
Fish cakes (salmon, tuna, cod, tilapia, shrimp)
Bean cakes (lentils and chickpeas, too)
Grain cakes (bulgur, quinoa, whole-wheat couscous, wheatberries, brown rice)
Veggie cakes (roasted mushrooms, eggplants, squash, potato, zucchini, carrot, turnip, parsnip, the possibilities are endless!)

Here's a link to a family favorite from Everyday Food: veggie burgers. These are very versatile and can easily accommodate what you have in your pantry and fridge. Switch the pinto beans with black beans; quinoa for bulgur; unsweetened almond butter for tahini; the list goes on and on for substitutions.

Inspired by some crab cakes I recently made for Chris's birthday, I am working on a fish cake recipe that I'll post soon.

So here are some recent lunches/snacks Rhys has taken to school with him:
3-4 RP's Pasta Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli — diced into bite-size pieces
One hard-boiled egg, diced
Raspberries, quartered
P.M. snack: diced bananas dusted in pulverized whole-wheat graham crackers

Whole-wheat cinnamon-banana pancakes, cubed
Shredded cheddar cheese from Cedar Grove Dairy
Strawberries, diced
P.M. snack: blueberry applesauce and Cascadian Farm Organic Os (contains no sugar)

Ricotta Frittata with spinach and red peppers, cubed
Diced avocado
Blueberries, quartered.
P.M. snack: whole-wheat graham crackers with cream cheese (broken into small pieces) and diced melon

Other lunch-time helpers I love:
Box graters: great for grating more than cheese, especially those things that fall into the “choking hazard” category — apples, pears, carrots, zucchini, sweet potato.
Electric Scale: helps you “eyeball” accurate portions
Steamer-basket insert: steaming preserves a lot of the vitamins in vegetables

We try to go meatless at least twice a week. It definitely makes you a little more creative during those dreary winter months when all that is in season is winter squash, onions and maybe some overwinter spinach, but now that the Dane County Farmers' Market is in full swing, veggie dinners are super easy, super satisfying and super good for you and the planet!

Before Pickle was born, Tuesday nights were often spent with friends at the Old Fashioned for their boozy Taco Tuesday – the fish and pork tacos rocked; so did the margaritas; the next morning was not so rocking. Needless to say, Pickle is not digging that scene too much just yet, so Taco Tuesday is more of a home affair.

Last Saturday, we picked up some amazingly gorgeous baby beets (we'll be roasting them later in the week) from Jones Valley Farm, one of my favorite stands at the market.

People often discard one of the best parts of the beet – the greens. Similar to Swiss chard in flavor and texture, beet greens are wonderful sautéed and piled on a taco. What makes them even better are some crimini mushrooms, sautéed until golden with some garlic. Yum. Add to that some DreamFarm chevre and you got yourself one heck of a taco.

Pickle loves greens (I know, we’re lucky) and he really gobbled up the greens on our first Taco Tuesday of the season! The mushrooms were tolerated and the goat cheese was thrown on the floor. He’s on an anti-dairy kick this week.

P.S. I like a “fresh” component to garnish these tacos. Some thinly sliced scallions, microgreens, radishes or pea shoots add a crisp top-note.

Here's the recipe. Bon Appétit ... or, rather, Buen Apetito!

Tacos of sautéed beet greens and crimini with goat cheese ... Serves two adults and one Pickle

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 bunch beet greens, roughly chopped and washed
1 lb. crimini mushrooms, wiped clean, if necessary, small ones left whole, larger ones halved or quarter depending on size
1 half of a red onion, halved and then sliced thinly 1 clove garlic, grated on microplane, divided
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 oz. chevre
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8-10 corn tortillas*
Hot sauce

Garnishes: thinly sliced scallions, microgreens, radishes or pea shoots

Directions:
Heat 12-inch sauté pan until smoking hot over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and then add mushrooms. Do not touch them. When they start to whistle (yes, whistle), they are ready for a flip or a stir. Let them go a little bit more, until their juices start flowing a little. Add red onion, half the garlic, a good pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Cook until onions are nicely browned and soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove to a serving dish; keep warm in the oven or tented with foil.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add greens and cook, stirring occasionally until wilted. Add remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add balsamic vinegar and let it reduce down until greens a just coated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove to a serving bowl.

Top each taco with chevre and some of the garnishes noted above.

*Heating corn tortillas
A great way to consistently and easily heat corn tortillas without over-steaming them (and having them glued to the kitchen towel they were wrapped in) is to heat them in the oven.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and, on a foil-lined baking sheet, place one layer of tortillas. Brush very lightly with olive oil. Repeat with a second layer on top of the first. Brush with oil and repeat again, if needed. Heat in oven for 2-4 minutes — keep an eye on them; overheating will make them disintegrate. Pile them up in a towel-lined basket. Eat fast.

Note: this method is also great for assembling enchiladas.

Making lunch for a toddler who only wants to feed himself is tough. So many options fall into the “choking hazard” category and others are on the just-too-messy side of self-feeding (um, soup). Plus, you want food that is nutritious and meets their daily requirements of fruits, veggies, dairy and protein. Woo, I’m overwhelmed already!

Here is my fail-safe, go-to recipe that can be modified to your child’s likes and dislikes: pancakes.

Yep, whole-wheat pancakes filled with fruits or vegetables, dairy or protein – the options are endless. I usually grate the fillings, which means you don’t have to pre-cook them. I make a big batch, freeze them in waxed paper bags housed in a freezer Ziploc and voila! Instant breakfast, lunch or dinner. Just pop them in the toaster on defrost and cut them into bite-size cubes. I don't serve these with syrup or anything, except the carrot ones; they just screamed "raita."

Here are some flavor combinations Pickle loves:
Apple/Pear and Cheddar from Cedar Grove Cheese
Zucchini and Marieke Gouda from Holland’s Family Farm
Carrot and Cumin, served with a cilantro-mint raita (yogurt sauce)
Banana and nutmeg
Sweet potato and cinnamon

Still tinkering on some protein-based pancakes … I’ll keep you posted.

Master recipe for whole-wheat pancakes
Ingredients:
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1-½ cups buttermilk, preferably organic
1 extra-large egg
3 tablespoons melted butter, cooled

¾ cup of your choice of fillings – use the large holes on your box grater for the fillings; the exception are carrots and sweet potato; I use a fine grater for those.

Olive oil for frying the pancakes

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. In a large measuring cup, add buttermilk, egg and butter. Slowly add the liquids to the dry ingredients, mixing only until just combined. Add the fillings slowly, checking consistency as you go.

Note: if you want to have super-fluffy pancakes, you can separate the yolk and white of the egg and whisk the whites until soft peaks form; then fold in whites once the liquids are incorporated.

Heat griddle or sauté pan over medium-low heat; add oil and cook in batches until bubbles appear on surface; flip and cook 1-2 more minutes. I use an ice cream scoop to get consistently sized cakes (about 1/4 cup).

So, last weekend was darn cold for June (I know, we live in Wisconsin). We had hit the farmer's market in the morning, but I still wasn't sure what to make for dinner that night. I had menus for the rest of the week set, but Saturday night was throwing me for a loop.

Pickle was going to eat dinner before we did so we could have a grown-up meal without the worry of food being thrown at us, so the options were endless. I hadn't made soup in ages and since it was 59 degrees outside and spitting rain, soup sounded perfect.

With five Yukon gold potatoes in the pantry and some purple scallions, petite carrots and baby spinach from the market, I whipped together a little curried cream of potato soup for dinner with some homemade croutons for a garnish.

The next night, Pickle was given the leftover soup; needless to say it did not receive the same warm reception it did the evening prior.

Here's the recipe ... make it before it's too hot out (although, it could be good cold, too):

Curried cream of potato soup with greens and croutons
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
6 scallions, finely sliced
1 large carrot or three petite carrots, medium diced
5 yukon gold potatoes, diced into 1/2 cubes
1 teaspoon madras curry powder
4-5 cups chicken stock
1 cup whole milk
8 oz. baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1-2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Over medium heat, add olive oil and butter to a 6-8 qt. Dutch oven or soup pot. When the butter subsides foaming, add scallions and carrots. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Sauté until slightly tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add curry power and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add potatoes, stirring to coat. Add stock and milk (add more stock if need; vegetables should be submerged completely). Add other teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender, but not yet falling apart, about 45 minutes.

Remove from heat and with a slotted spoon remove about 1/3 of the potatoes and carrots and place in a bowl. With a handheld or traditional blender, puree the remaining soup until smooth. Use caution when blending hot liquids.
Add reserved veggies back into the soup, along with the heavy cream and baby spinach. Check seasonings, and add more salt and pepper as needed. Return to medium-low heat and warm until spinach has wilted and soup is hot.

Garnish with homemade croutons.

Croutons
Ingredients:
Leftover country or sourdough bread (although almost any bread will work), cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 clove garlic, shaved on a microplane grater

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Place bread on baking sheet lined with parchment or foil.
Mix olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic together in a small bowl.
Drizzle over bread. Toss to coat.
Bake for 15-20 minute, until bread is golden brown and crisp.

You hear it all of the time: yes, life changes drastically when you have a child, but no one talks about how much it changes for the food-obsessed.

I have been really struggling to keep my cooking-dinner-every-night mode going since our 14-month-old, Rhys, was born. At first, it wasn't too difficult: he nursed; we ate dinner as he slept; sleep-deprived coma would ensue; and we'd start all over again the next day.

Now that he's eating everything we're eating (diced or cut into pieces the size of a pencil eraser, of course!), getting dinner on the table when he's hungry (6 p.m.) versus the old days of eating dinner at 8 p.m., has been difficult to say the least.

Last year I had the summer off for maternity leave, and since Rhys would wake up at o-dark-30 even on Saturdays (didn't he know he could sleep in?), we would take advantage of it and hit the Dane County Farmers' Market with the other early birds. I would have über-fresh veggies to cook with all week and since I wasn't working, nap times for Rhys became cook times for me. It was a great set up ... that is until I went back to work. Work really gets in the way of living sometimes, doesn’t it?

So, here I am, trying to come up with food that inspires me, while providing nourishment for our little Pickle. This new lifestyle has challenged me to come up with new recipes and new approaches to cooking and now I want to share my hard-earned wisdom with other foodie parents who want to keep eating well once their hungry bambino has arrived.

Enjoy!