Two Pot Tuesday-Progress

Up at 5, no kid naps, two pots cooking-so far, so good...

Two Pot Tuesday

The beginning of an attempt to make two meals simultaneously. We'll see how it goes...

Eggplant fries - Tasty!

I was making Chicken Parmesan. And no matter how many times I've made Chicken Parm there is always extra bread crumb mix leftover. So, I took the opportunity to use the extra breading I knew I'd have to make baked eggplant fries. (I'll say this more than once just to be safe - Make sure to dip the eggplant BEFORE the chicken, don't mix the two for safety reasons.)

Ever on the lookout for veggie recipes my family will eat, I'd come across two ideas similar to this, which is part of what inspired me to make these. Let's say they went over pretty well considering they were not made from potatoes, and they were not actually fried. They were delicious on their own, or dipped in a little marinara. Plus, they're easy. 

Buy an eggplant
Beat 2-3 eggs in a small to medium sized bowl
Mix 3/4 cup of flour with 1 tsp Kosher salt and dash of pepper in a separate bowl
Mix 3/4 cup of Panko breadcrumbs with about a 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese in yet another bowl (see why I made them right before the chicken parm? If I'm making that many dishes already, it's just smart. Just be sure to make the eggplant FIRST!)
Cut the top and bottom of the eggplant off
Slice into 1/2-inch strips
Coat the eggplant 'fries' in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs
Place on foil lined cookie sheet and bake at 425 until golden, about 18 minutes

Here is a yummy recipe from Giada De Laurentiis served with Basil Ketchup, and another with cornmeal and a pinch of cayenne here. 

These are the unadorned fries, right out of the oven and just turning golden brown. I'll definitely make them again!

Pasta!

Pasta with asparagus and proscuitto is a family fave. Get your spring veggies and a dose of yum all in one dish!

Pasta with garlic and crushed tomatoes

Delicioso!

French Toast and Formula 1

In our house, racing rules. We’ve got a long-standing tradition of having French Toast and watching each F1 race. We sometimes change it up, but this year we celebrated the inaugural F1 race with my famous French Toast. Yummy, happy family!

Sweet Syrup Drizzles
by K.Gibson

More meat, less loaf

The food perfectionists at Cook’s Illustrated are onto something with this recipe. A mushroom mixture adds moisture and flavor to classic meatloaf, and traditional ketchup glaze gets a zesty twist.

Of course, when I tested it previously the process was more arduous. And I told them so. I had to pulverize dried mushrooms into what the family lovingly calls porcini dust — the stuff was messy, but magic. I also had to process a portion of the pork with the eggs. Having only stuck meat in a food processor once before, I was hesitant, but when done properly, it does work. (Click here for the slammin' salami sauce video. Great over pasta.)

The result was a deliciously flavored main dish, our resident meatloaf aficionados agree. But, I’m glad the Test Kitchen folks made some changes to help save steps, and time. Gone are the porcini dust and meat processor steps, in are sautéed mushrooms and onions.

Here is the CI version in video form. You can also check out the current Cook's Illustrated issue for the more-meat-less-loaf recipe and plenty of other great tips. Enjoy!

So long, sirloin, Ta ta, tilapia (Stuff moms worry about)

I’m dreading the talk. You know, the one where you explain to your children that you not only use your purchasing power to support the slaughter of countless chicks, cows, even fish, but you also cook and serve them to their hungry mouths every day and night. Grinning about how great they taste.

Hey, I never got a talk or a choice. We ate what we had. Maybe it was because of the economy, or because we lived near the family farm and granddad probably would have scowled or laughed at all this vegan talk. I don’t know. So why am I making such a big deal about it? Because, I can see the gears turning. Connections are going to be made between favorite animal characters and what we eat.

A few weeks ago while watching a cooking show, my kid noticed the hosts say they would be making lamb. I’ve been thinking about this, but it became clear I’m not the only one when my kid looked questioningly at me and said, “That’s silly, they aren’t going to make lamb?” My articulate response was, “They’re cooking stuff you can eat,” and I quickly changed it to a kid-friendly channel.

What the heck am I supposed to do? Every meal we get asked that complicated question, “What’s for dinner?” Only this time, or sometime soon, our oldest is really going to want to know, “What, or rather, what animal are you feeding me?” I can’t take it!

What do I say to a child who doesn’t grasp the concept of lean proteins and brain building fats? “Um, well, tonight we’ve got Elsie-the-cow-burger, rack-of-Mary’s Little Lamb or Nemo-the-fish-stick. Your choice, sweetie,” I could say, smiling politely.

So, I’ve decided we’re going vegetarian. At least, I’m looking into it. Milking a cow for butter, I can explain. Butchering one’s a different story. Don’t even get me started on eggs.

Which leads me to the question, “What do vegetarians live on?” I’ve heard bread, vegetables and beans. But have you seen, or smelled what a person on a bean diet does? I gave up red meat, and most chicken once in high school. It wasn’t pretty.

Now, I know there are lots of meatless options out there, but where do I start? Can you grow a healthy kid on sprouts and tofu? Are they happy?

What should I do about my husband? I think telling him we’re cutting out the turkey cold turkey could start WWIII in our house. Should he keep eating any animal he wants? That just wouldn’t be fair. Mostly to me.

On second thought, as parents we’re already on the hook for countless creatures we’ve already consumed. Plus, how the heck are we supposed to bake cookies and cakes without eggs? Kids would definitely not want to give those up. Maybe we can bribe them with baked goods and convince them our way of life is acceptable, although I’m starting to wonder.

Does it even count that we usually buy humanely raised meats? It almost sounds oxymoronic raising them humanely only to have them end up baked, broiled and fried.

Maybe things would be better if we just stop calling our food by name. Can we be a little less obvious? You don’t normally say, “Wow, honey, that was some tasty cow,” right? So why not rename the other animals we eat? Let’s call it re-branding. I’m sure the marketers would get on board for this.

We could go with something like cheech for chicken, “Who wants some fried cheech?” We could change fish to fizz. Everyone loves a good fizz. How about turkey? What should we call that? Maybe, Tofurkey? Nah, that’s already taken. You get the idea, though. If we re-brand the meats, maybe it wouldn’t be such a big deal.

Seriously though, my family really enjoys cooking and eating good food, meat included. But, if I’m starting to wonder about some of our choices, shouldn’t I expect my kids to question them too? I can make small changes, but everyone should be included if it’s going to involve a lifestyle change. We’ll just have to wait until we’re ready for the discussion and see where it takes us.

Vegetables are our friends