When it comes to my kids, if they’re offered rice or pasta they pretty much could care less what its mixed with. But when I served this Carrot Ginger Sauce tossed with long strands of noodles they were dubious. What was this “orange pasta” sitting on their plates?

That initial skepticism changed almost immediately after their first bites. With sweetness from the carrots, salty flavor from the miso and nuttiness from the tahini, they were so hooked by the incredible taste, I think they’re going to start paying a lot more attention to what’s on their pasta and rice from now on!

Carrot Ginger Sauce (Makes 1 Cup)

1 Tbsp Canola Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced
1 Tbsp Ginger, peeled and minced
4 Medium Carrots, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp Miso
1 Tbsp Tahini
2 Tbsp Water

Accompaniments: Soba Noodles, Brown Rice, Pasta

1. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and sauté until soft, about 30 seconds.
3. Add ginger and carrots.
4. Cover and cook until carrots are soft, about 15 minutes.
5. Transfer to a food processor and add the miso, tahini and water.
6. Puree until smooth.
7. Serve tossed with pasta, soba, udon noodles or rice.

* Stays fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Back when I first met my husband, I had the opportunity to become pals with one of his mother’s best friends, Pat O’Keefe. Beautiful, lovely, charming and far younger then her chronological age, Pat is bubbly and full of life every time I see her. Not even two years ago, Pat decided that she was starting her own cooking blog. She told me about all of the recipes she loved to create and share with her family — especially her beloved grandson, Toby — and now wanted others to discover.

Since then I have received an email from Pat almost every week featuring a new recipe — original ideas that are always a little out of the ordinary and with ingredient combinations I wouldn’t normally think of putting together but which make perfect sense when you taste the final product. I’ve enjoyed many of Pat’s recipes over time, but when I saw “No Work Chicken” as the subject line of last week’s email, I was beyond intrigued. After all, if there’s a recipe for something with little-to-no work involved and it’s very likely going to be delicious, I’m in! I tweaked Pat’s recipe slightly to suit our family, but this is my interpretation and it’s unbelievably good. Not just another chicken recipe, this one immediately earned a distinguished place in our dinner rotation.

All you do is quickly whisk the marinade ingredients together in the morning (or the night before), add the chicken breasts and then bake them when you get home that night. In less than an hour, you’ll have moist, juicy chicken with a sweet and tangy sauce that is heavenly served over brown rice. Whether you try this recipe or simply decide to explore the culinary gems on Pat’s site, you will undoubtedly enjoy what this oh-so special lady’s got cookin’!

“No Work Chicken” (Serves 4)

1/4 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp Dijon Mustard (mild)
1/2 Tsp Curry Powder
1/4 Cup Chopped Scallions
4 Chicken Breasts, boneless and skinless

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2.. In a 9 x 13 baking dish, whisk the honey, soy sauce, dijon mustard, curry powder and scallions.
3. Place chicken on top of sauce and turn to coat.
4. Cover and marinate 30 minutes to overnight, flipping halfway through to coat with sauce.
5. Cover with foil and bake chicken 30-40 minutes, depending on size of chicken breasts. Baste chicken with the sauce half way through cooking.
6. Serve over rice or pasta.

Recipe courtesy of Pat O’Keefe

Burgers!

There’s just something about them that make people smile. But burgers don’t just have to be a slab of meat on a bun. When I make mine, I like to grab some spices from the spice drawer and have the kids cut a handful of fresh herbs from our garden in order to come up with a mixture that will really jazz things up.

By incorporating some curry, garlic powder, fresh parsley and mint into the ground chicken and sauce, you give the ordinary burger a huge burst of unforgettable flavors. The best part is that you don’t need to wait for your summertime grill to enjoy these burgers. They’re beyond easy to make in a sauté pan any time of year.

Smiling now?

Middle Eastern Chicken Burgers (Serves 4)

2 Tbsp Canola or Vegetable Oil, divided
1 Small Onion, diced
1 lb. Ground Chicken Breast
2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Curry Powder
Burger Buns or Pita Pockets

Sauce:

1 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Tbsp Fresh Mint, chopped
2 Persian Cucumbers, peeled, grated & strained
Pinch of Salt

Accompaniments: Tomatoes and/or Lettuce

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and sauté onions for 4 minutes until tender and set aside to cool.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the sautéed onions, ground chicken, salt, parsley, garlic and curry powder. Evenly divide mixture and shape into flour patties.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the yogurt, mint, cucumber and salt to make the sauce.
4. Heat the remaining tbsp of oil in a pan and cook patties for 2-3 minutes on each side.
5. Place burgers on buns and top with yogurt sauce and desired accompaniments.

There weren’t a lot of convenience foods like boxed muffin and pancake mix, cup of soup and frozen waffles in our house when I was growing up, but one item I absolutely loved whenever my mom made it for us was instant ramen noodles. She would boil water, toss in the brittle brick of tightly wound noodles, then dump in the contents of that naughty little seasoning pack, which contained among other not-so-good things, the notorious flavor enhancer, MSG. Popular in the 60′s and 70′s, we know now that MSG is something you and your kids should probably avoid consuming.

This recipe takes the idea of ramen noodle soup to a whole new level. You still get the delicious salty flavor that you’re used to from the MSG in the instant variety, but I use nutritious miso to give it that incredible and irresistible umami flavor. Don’t forget your seasoning — a shake of garlic and onion powder adds a ton of added flavor to this dish — and don’t be shy about the other ingredients you can add to this soup. Make it your own. I usually lay out a bunch of options, let everyone tell me which ones they want and personalize each person’s bowl. I discovered just how much my kids crave seaweed and shiitake mushrooms when I started putting them in my soup and then watched as they shamelessly begged for bite after bite from my bowl.

That’s OK. I know that when my kids are making this ramen noodle soup disappear it’s filled only with the things they should be eating!

Ramen Noodle Soup (Serves 4)

1 32 Oz Box of Chicken Stock
1 Cup Water
2 Tbsp White or Yellow Miso
2 (3-ounce) Packages Packaged Ramen Noodles
4 Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced thin
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Mirin
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 Tsp Onion Powder
1/4 Cup Scallions, green & white, sliced

1. In a large saucepan add the chicken stock, water, miso and bring to a boil.
2. Add the remaining ingredients* and cook for 3 minutes or until the ramen noodles are soft.
3. Add the scallions and serve.

*Optional additional Ingredients: fresh spinach, nori, wakame, hijiki, arame, chicken, shrimp, cubed tofu

A few months ago I went to a parent-teacher potluck meeting at my kids’ school. The drill is each parent brings a dish big enough to serve about 20 people, which is no small feat for a busy mom. But what’s awesome about these events is that there always an array of delicious homemade dishes to sample from lasagna to crunchy bruschetta to rotisserie chicken and occasionally, a hot pizza picked up on the way.

At our last meeting, one of my friends (who’s also a great cook) brought a wheat berry salad which everyone went crazy for. Full of nutty, nutritious wheat berries, it was mixed with peanuts, currants, veggies, peaches and tossed with an Asian vinaigrette. As everyone was busy telling my friend how amazing and delicious it was and asking her for the recipe, she leaned over to me and whispered, “I got it from the prepared food counter at Gelson’s” (our local supermarket).

Cut to me a few days later, having cornered the lady working the prepared food counter at Gelson’s and begging her to give me the exact recipe. While she wouldn’t tell me the measurements or proportions, she did reveal the combination of ingredients which makes this dish so special. I’m not sure if I got it exactly right, but in a side by side taste test after I made my version, we decided it was pretty darn close. Now, with great pleasure, I to share with you my friend’s “homemade” parent-teacher potluck Wild Wheat Berry Salad!

Wild Wheat Berry Salad (Serves 4-6)

1 Cup Wheat Berries
2 Tbsp Honey
1 Small Garlic Clove
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
2 Tbsp Peanut Oil
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Raisins or Currants
1/4 Cup Peanuts, chopped
1 Cup Fresh or Frozen Peaches, defrosted
1 Small Red Bell Pepper
1 Cup Fresh Spinach, roughly chopped

1. Cook wheat berries according to package directions, place in a strainer, rinse, drain and cool.
2. Whisk the honey, garlic, lime juice, rice vinegar, peanut oil and salt in a large bowl until combined.
3. Place the wheat berries, raisins, peanuts, peaches, bell peppers and spinach in the bowl with the dressing and stir to coat.
4. Serve.

In our house, we’re big on weekend cooking. My kids love helping out and I find that if I make a few recipes on Saturday or Sunday to store in the fridge or freezer, I have a lot less cooking to do during the week when life gets overwhelming. That doesn’t mean that we spend the entire weekend in the kitchen. Far from it. Our recipes have to be quick and easy so we can get out and do other things together. I treasure our weekends because they often feel like the only time we can just relax and play, enjoying our favorite activities and not being on a schedule.

Times like this are when my crock pot is my best friend because it assures that I need not spend a moment more than necessary in the kitchen. Chloe helps me wash the veggies, Kenya and I chop them, I sauté the meat and we all toss everything in the pot together. That’s it. When we come home from our adventures at the end of the day, dinner is all ready….with plenty leftover for the week ahead. Don’t forget to double, especially for recipes like this one. Store what you don’t eat in dated single or multiple-serving containers in the freezer and all you have to do on school nights is defrost and reheat and your homemade meal is done within minutes. One more reason to live for the weekends!

Crock Pot Meaty Pasta Sauce (Serves 6)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, diced
1 Lb Lean Ground Beef
2 Tsp Kosher Salt, divided
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Cup Water
1-28 oz Can Diced Tomato
1-15 oz Can Tomato Puree
1 Cup Carrots, grated
1 Medium Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Onion Powder
2 Tbsp Dried Italian Herbs
1 Bay Leaf

1. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a medium sauté pan and sauté onions for 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and 1 tsp of salt and sauté for 4 more minutes, breaking apart the meat as it cooks.
2. Add the sautéed meat and onions to the crock pot.
3. Whisk 2 tbsp of tomato paste in 1 cup of water until the paste dissolves.
4. Add the tomato paste mixture to the pot along with the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
5. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours.
6. Serve over pasta.

When you’ve got two kids running around the kitchen and you’re trying to focus on too many things at once, mistakes happen (I guess welcome to motherhood, right?). The other night, I had tossed zucchini, broccoli and cauliflower into the food processor to make Crock Pot Lasagna and accidentally left it running while I ran to answer the phone. The next thing I knew, the veggies that were supposed to be roughly chopped were now chopped so fine that they wouldn’t work in the dish. Argh. As you know, nothing bugs me more than wasting food, so I stashed the overworked veggies in the fridge and chopped up a new batch for the lasagna. The next day those finely chopped veggies were staring me in the face when I opened the fridge and I swear I heard them say, “well?”

Whenever you have leftover vegetables (or flat out botch a recipe like I did), the addition of an egg, flour and some herbs can turn a mistake into one of the most delicious and happiest of accidents. Case in point are these Green Veggie Patties. They work great as a side dish or even on their own for lunch or a snack. Add any one of a variety of dips or sauces and things get even more fun. They are easy to make, fun to eat and perfect for the whole family….whether you intend to make them or not!

Green Veggie Pancakes (Serves 4)

1 Cup Zucchini, Broccoli, and/or Cauliflower
1/4 Cup Flour
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 Large Egg
1 Tsp Dried Basil
1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
Canola or Vegetable Oil

Accompaniments: Marinara sauce, Ketchup, or Mustard

1. Place the vegetables in a food processor and pulse to chop fine.
2. Add the chopped vegetables into a bowl along with the flour, salt, egg, basil and garlic powder. Mix to combine.
3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and place 1 tbsp of the batter into the pan for each pancake.
4. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side.
5. Serve with marinara sauce or dip of your choice.

When it comes to eating, I’m embarrassed to admit the number of different diets I have adhered to over the years. For a long time I was a strict vegetarian (the concept of being a vegan always appealed to me, but I knew I’d never last a week). After a while, I missed dairy and eggs so much that I morphed into a lacto-ovotarian. Then one day I decided I had to starting eating fish again and became a pescetarian.

I should note that I didn’t refer to myself with these names. It was more that people would notice I was abstaining from eating meat or fish and they would ask me, “what kind of ______arian are you?” Well, after years of living under these relatively pretentious labels, I’m back to being a foodatarian (I think I totally made that word up but it sounds less highfalutin than saying I’m an educated omnivore, consuming pretty much everything under the sun, but making informed decisions about what I eat and how it is produced.

After years of depriving myself of foods I actually craved, I realized that the thing I missed most was beef. I eat red meat very infrequently now, but when I do, I savor every bite. One dish I adored in my childhood was beef stew and I experienced so much nostalgia creating this recipe. Tons of assorted nutritious vegetables and chunks of lean meat simmering in its own juices come together to create a simple yet hearty crock pot dish that’s perfect for these chilly fall months.

I’m about moderation in all things and hopefully I will inspire my kids to love a little bit of this and a little of that and responsibly experience all the amazing foods our bodies are able to enjoy!

Crock Pot Beef Stew (Serves 6)

2 Lbs Chuck Meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 Cup Flour
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Red Wine
1 Cup Beef Stock
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme, minced
2 Potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1 inch pieces
2 Stalks Celery, sliced
2 Carrots, peeled and sliced
1 Large Onion, chopped into cubes
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 15 oz Can Unsalted Diced Tomatoes

1. Place the cubed meat and flour and in Ziploc bag, seal and shake until the pieces are fully coated with flour.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat and sear the pieces of meat for 4 minutes until all sides are nicely brown.
3. Remove the meat from the pan and place in the crock pot.
4. Add the red wine and stock to the sauté pan and bring to a boil for one minute, scraping off the bits of meat that have caramelized in the pan with a wooden spoon.
5. Add the reduced liquid to the crock pot along with the remaining ingredients and combine.
6. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
7. Serve.

Very often during our nightly bedtime ritual, I will ask Kenya and Chloe what they want for breakfast the next morning. Of course I want my kids to wake up to a breakfast they’re excited about, but one of the real reasons for my question is a bit of a ploy. Bedtime in our house can occasionally be a challenge and this tactic tends to get them into bed in a timely fashion, looking forward to the sumptuous meal that awaits them when they wake up.

By the time I finally get both kids off to dreamland, I’m pooped and ready to collapse in an fetal position on my bed. Yet like most moms, I usually find myself back in the kitchen, preparing the next day’s school lunch as well as prepping the breakfast from my bedtime bargain. Thankfully, the breakfast my kids repeatedly ask for is Oatmeal in the Crock Pot. It’s a huge relief to hear those words because all I need to do is dump all of the ingredients in the crock pot (slow cooker), stir and go to bed. By the time we wake up, a creamy, piping hot breakfast is ready to fill our tummies.

I know this is going to sound silly, but only the problem in all of this is that the cook in me feels like a bit of a failure. Yes, oatmeal is full of fiber and one of the healthiest breakfasts you can eat, but somehow serving up the same old oatmeal time and again feels inadequate and I’m compelled to jazz things up a bit. Fortunately, I can do that and still keep life easy. Simply by adding pumpkin puree and a touch of spice, it changes one of our already favorite dishes into something the kids say tastes like their having pumpkin pie for breakfast! See what a good night’s sleep will do for everyone’s outlook?

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal (Serves 4-6)

2 Cups Water
2 1/2 Cups Milk*
1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1 Tsp Pumpkin Spice
1 Cup Steel Cut Oats

Accompaniments: honey, maple syrup, molasses

1. Place all the ingredients in the crock pot and stir to combine.
2. Cover and cook on low for 5-9 hours (note that the cooking time can vary depending on your crock pot. Crock pots without non-stick surfaces tend to get hotter, so you’ll want to stick closer to a 5 hour cooking time).
3. Serve.

*You can also use rice, almond or soy milk if you want to make a dairy free or vegan version of this recipe

Prior to moving to California over 10 years ago, I had never seen a persimmon. I should also add that I had never heard of a persimmon either. How had I lived for so long without knowing about — let alone eating — one of the sweetest, most delicious fruits I’ve ever tasted? And if you think I seem enthusiastic about persimmons, you should see my kids. When Kenya noticed that persimmons had returned to our farmers’ market this season he screamed, “PERSIMMON”! If there was anyone within one hundred yards of us who wasn’t already aware that persimmons were back, they definitely were after Kenya’s exclamation.

While persimmons are delicious in salads, in desserts or simply on their own, they’re also one of my favorite fruits for making fruit leather. With only two, yes two, ingredients in this recipe, the hard part is the method by which you choose to cook it. My preferred method for making any kind of fruit leather is in the dehydrator. Dehydrators turn out the kind of fruit leather you find at the grocery or similar to the fruit leathers/roll-ups you probably ate as a kid — easy to roll, super sweet, evenly cooked and just all around naturally delicious. Even though I use mine to make everything from fruit leather to dried fruit and more, dehydrators are not something you find in most kitchens, so I’ve spent a lot of time figuring out how to make a comparable fruit leather in the oven. Actually, as I type this post, I’ve got two batches of leather in the oven and another two in the dehydrator — testing to see which version I like best. While I actually dig making fruit leather in the oven, the real trick to doing it that way is…..well, just checkout the recipe below to find out.

While they’re in season (and if you can find them), grab as many persimmons as you can get your hands on and make this sweet and heathy treat that will have your kids ripping off long strips before you even have time to roll it up for them!

Persimmon Fruit Leather (Serves 4)

3 Medium Fuyu Persimmons, unpeeled
2 Tbs Lemon Juice

Directions for oven:

1. Preheat oven to 200℉.
2. Wash persimmons well, remove stems and cut into pieces.
3. Place persimmon pieces and lemon juice in blender and puree until smooth.
4. Pour the mixture onto a parchment-lined, or Silpat-lined, baking sheet and spread with the back of a spoon or spatula in a large rectangle, making sure that the thickness is completely even (this is one of the tricks to making perfect fruit leather).
5. Bake for approximately 2.5 hours if using parchment paper or 3 hours if using a Silpat mat or until leather is dry and firm to the touch. Remember, cooking times will vary depending on how thick you spread your mixture and how much water (juice) is naturally in the fruit.
6. Set fruit leather aside and cool at room temperature; it takes several hours for the fruit to soften up. Note that when you first take the fruit leather out of the oven, the edges may be a bit dry and crispy, but if you allow it to sit out for an hour it softens up.
7. Cut with a knife, pizza cutter or scissors into strips. Alternatively, if cooking on a Silpat you can peel the fruit leather off in one piece, place on a piece of parchment paper, cut into 2-inch wide strips and roll the leather into “roll ups”.
8. Serve.

Directions for a dehydrator:

1. Follow steps 2-4 above.
2. Cook the fruit leather at 145℉ for 5-6 hours.