Hot School Morning Breakfasts

In line with my last post about how my kids were spoiled by their stay-at-home Mom when they were little, my 17 year old son still completely refuses to eat a cold breakfast in the morning before school (unless, of course, it's Boston Cream Donuts from Dunkin Donuts but those rarely cross the doorstep in my house!). If it comes down to cold cereal for breakfast or going hungry, my son will go hungry.

Here are my son's top five hot school morning breakfasts:

1. Sausage, egg & cheese sandwich:
   First things first. Buy yourself an egg sandwich Back-to-Basics Egg 'N Muffin toaster from Target (Item no. TEM500). This little beauty will toast bread, cook eggs and heat breakfast meats all at the same time. So easy even my son has been able to figure this out, you simply put bread in the toaster, crack an egg into the little fry pan, put a frozen sausage patty on the rack, put it all together and hit the Egg & Toast button and walk away! Just add a slice of American cheese as you assemble your sandwich and voila! (This handy gadget will even hard or soft boil up to 4 eggs at a time without ever turning on your stove!)

2. Scrambled Egg Surprise: What could be easier than this? Crack 2 or 3 eggs into a bowl and whisk together with a little milk and salt & pepper. Turn out into a medium saute pan over medium heat and scramble, adding some shredded cheese and whatever meats/veggies you have left over from the night before. My son is especially fond of this when we've had steak for dinner the night before!



3. Pigs in Blankets: On the weekend, make up batch of pancakes, approximately 4" in :diameter and refrigerate them until ready to use in ziploc bags. In the pre-school morning rush, grab a few pancakes and heat them up in the microwave along with a couple of Jones or Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage links. Wrap each link in an individual pancake, and you have a hearty breakfast that they can eat sitting at the table or walking to the bus stop. Be sure to add some maple syrup to the pancake batter before cooking them so the kids can have that flavor without having to deal with the sticky stuff as they're eating them!




4. Breakfast Croissants: Yes, you can make homemade breakfast croissants without ever breaking a sweat and you control the ingredients. Just buy a roll of refrigerated crescent dough, unroll it, separate the triangles and brush one side with melted butter. Here's where you get creative! Add some ham and cheese slices, jam, chocolate chips or whatever you happen to have in your fridge. (For my kids, no holiday is complete without these made with chocolate chips.) Roll up your croissants and arrange on a baking sheet. Brush with a little egg wash. If you are making sweet croissants, top with some slivered almonds. For savory, top with a little shredded or grated cheese (parmesan or cheddar preferably). Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. These can be refrigerated ahead of time and heated up in the morning.
5. French Eggs in Toast: That's right. Not eggs "on" toast...it's eggs "in" toast. This is just a little variation on French Toast that will give your kids a little extra shot of protein in the morning to get them through their day. Crack one egg in a bowl and whisk with a little milk and maple syrup. Take a slice of white bread and soak both sides in the egg mixture. Using a 3" round cookie cutter or drinking glass, cut a hole out of the middle of the bread. Heat up a little oil or butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread slice and cook on one side until golden brown. Flip the bread over and immediately crack an egg into the hole in the middle and give it a little shot of salt & pepper. Lower the heat slightly and cook until the egg is set and the other side of the bread is golden brown. While you're doing this, be sure to cook the round that you cut out of the bread at the same time. When everything is done, slide the egg and toast onto a plate and top with the french toast round. If the egg is not set to your liking, price the yolk with a skewer or toothpick and microwave for a few seconds.

That's it! Quick and easy, with some make-ahead breakfasts to get your kids through the long school day.

Cheers,

Chef Mom

After-School Snacks

With one child who is a recent college graduate, one in college and another who just started his senior year of high school, I have certainly had my share of experience in the after-school snack arena. Since I was a stay-at-home Mom for many years when my children were younger, they became used to hot snacks, healthy snacks and home cooking and that has stayed with them even now.

I am probably the only mother in the world who wishes she could have just opened up a box of Oreos and was done with it. Not so in my house. My children always wanted mini-meals for snacks, fresh cooked/baked and they wanted them quickly!

Here are my top five suggestions for healthy, hearty after-school snacks:

1. Muffins. Do not underestimate them. Just cut back a little on the sugar, substitute yogurt for the fat to keep them moist, and load them with fresh fruit such as blueberries, cranberries or even strawberries or raspberries. They'll get a healthy snack without even knowing it and you'll be happier since you can make these ahead of time and freeze them. The kids can just pop them in the microwave the they're done! (Note: Don't be seduced by the mini muffins. I found that kids will eat one, maybe two regular sized muffins. When I put out the mini's, they just kept on eating!)
2. 
   Homemade macaroni and cheese. The recipe I used was handed down by my great-grandmother, with a few tweaks, of course. Every other week, I would make a big pan of it, let it cool and then put it in individual containers. The kids just loved a nice homemade "mini meal" after a long day at school.
3. Mini pizzas. Yes, pizzas can be healthy -- and easy. You can surprise the kids with these or have them join you in the kitchen. Split an English Muffin in half and toast very, very lightly. Top with pizza sauce or tomato sauce and put out an array of toppings such as sliced bell peppers, onions, left over chicken or steak, black olives, etc. Or go off the beaten path and use barbecue sauce instead of pizza sauce and top with chicken, ham, pineapple, etc. Top with the cheese of your choice and bake in a 400 degree oven for about five minutes or until the cheese is melted.
4. Ham and cheese pinwheels. Although this one is easy breezy, it really needs to be made at least a day ahead. Take a slice of regular white bread and cut off the crusts. Flatten it as much as you can, top with slices of a nice, baked ham like a Black Forest, cheese slices of your choice and then roll the whole thing up into a cylinder. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. When you're ready to serve, simply unwrap and cut into slices 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick. Serve with a side of mustard or your child's favorite salad dressing for dipping and you're done!
5. Hazelnut and strawberry paninis. Cut a few 1/2 inch slices from a frozen pound cake. Take a slice and spread a thin layer of Nutella on it. Top with some fresh sliced strawberries. Spread another piece of pound cake with a thin layer of nutella and put on top of the other to make a sandwich. Cook in a panini pan for a few minutes each side and serve! Don't have a panini pan? Use a regular frying pan and cook up like a grilled cheese.

Okay, so maybe this last one isn't top of the "healthy snack" list, but they are getting fruit, eggs, dairy, and wheat, aren't they?

Keep on cooking!

Cheers,

Chef Mom

Labor Day Entertaining

Can you believe the summer is almost over? School starts on Monday and Labor Day is just around the corner. As you plan your Labor Day/End of Summer bash menu, it is important to keep the 90 degree plus weather in mind to avoid making your party guests sick!

My simple rules for a safe holiday barbeque:

1) Cook all meats thoroughly (at least 160 degrees) and serve them as they come off the grill;

2) Stay away from dairy products, particularly mayonnaise-based dressings, as they can curdle and go bad at the drop of a hat.

3) Raw meats should remain in the cooler until they're ready to be served/cooked.

4) Have lots of cubed and crushed ice on hand to serve your salads and sides on. Crushed ice is good to use as a bed for raw oysters or cooked shellfish, etc. Put cubed ice in a large bowl and place a medium sized bowl with one of your cold salads on top of it. Not only will your food be safer, but your guests will enjoy a better culinary experience!

Some suggestions for dairy-free sides you can serve up at your Labor Day feast!

• Swap out your mayo-based potato salad for a nice warm, German potato salad served in a vinegar/sugar base. It's not only safe to serve this warm, it's preferred!


• A fresh, roasted corn salad is not only easy to serve, it's a breeze to make with just two ingredients (unless you count salt & pepper!).


• How about a nice cucumber and red onion salad? Simply slice up some cukes and red onion absolutely paper thin and let them sit in the fridge overnight in a nice red wine vinaigrette. Toss and serve!


• For a safer pasta salad, toss some tortellini, broccoli and grape or cherry tomatoes with some crumbled bacon and Italian dressing. Yum!


• Tomato & basil bruschetta is always a wonderful appetizer served on some thinly sliced, toasted French baguette.


• Grilled garlic bread is always a hit. Serve it up as a side dish to compliment your pasta salads, or grill the slices individually and use them as the base for open-faced burgers!

Whatever you choose to serve this holiday, make it safe, make it fun and make it delicious!

Cheers,

Chef Mom

Roasted Corn Salad

This easy, breezy salad was inspired by an episode of Top Chef. Thanks Ian!

1/2 lb bacon
4 ears fresh sweet corn
salt & pepper

In a medium frying pan, cook up the bacon until crisp. Removed with a slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain and cool. Cut the kernels off of the cob with a sharp knife.

Over medium-high heat, add the corn to the bacon drippings and saute until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes, adding salt and peppper to taste. Remove from heat, crumble up the bacon, toss and serve!

(NOTE: Do not be tempted to substitute frozen corn in this recipe.)

Summertime Parties for Young Adults

With summer dwindling to a close, it's time to say goodbye to my middle daughter as she gets ready to head back to school in South Carolina. With her 20th birthday occurring just two days after she leaves, I decided to throw a little get-together for her this past weekend with all of her local friends.

With a group consisting of young adults ages 17 to 22, creating a menu for this group could seem a daunting task. But too many of us fail to realize that this age group has graduated from chicken nuggets and Happy Meals and wants to experience more adult food. Just the kind of challenge I love!

The group included young women watching their figures, vegetarians and young men with a healthy appetite. The menu had to have variety, taste scrumptious and everything was to be cooked on the grill outside. My only "cheat" was a store-bought sponge cake, but nobody seemed to mind.

I think I hit the mark when several of the guests said it was the best meal they'd had all summer!

Here's the menu that I served:

STARTERS:

Tomato-Basil Bruschetta
Grilled Jumbo Shrimp in a Ginger/Soy/Lime Marinade
Grilled Jumbo Shrimp with Lemon and Paprika
Grilled Littleneck Clams

SALADS AND SIDES:

Tortellini Caesar Salad
Cucumber Salad with Red Onion and Dill
Antipasta Pasta Salad
Grilled Fresh Sweet Corn

MAINS:

Roasted Garlic & Balsamic Marinated Boneless Chicken
Honey BBQ Chicken Thighs
Bobby Flay's Great Burgers in Homemade Buns
Grilled Fresh Vegetable Platter Dressed with Fresh Herbs

DESSERTS:

Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Gelato
Sponge Cake with Strawberries & Cream drizzled with Nutella

Over the next few weeks, I'll attempt to document each of these items with their corresponding recipes. That should be a challenge since I'm not a "recipe" kind of gal!
Here's the first of the bunch. Enjoy!

GRILLED PINEAPPLE

1 fresh pineapple
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup Bacardi Silver rum
1 pint coconut gelato
toasted coconut (for garnish

Remove the skin and eyes from the pineapple; cut off bottom and top. Slice pineapple into 4-6 rings depending on size of pineapple, approx. 3/4" thick. Core each slice.

Combine brown sugar, rum and cinnamon in a small bowl. Arrange pineapple layers in baking dish and coat with the brown sugar mixture. Cover will plastic wrap and let sit for several hours.

Remove pineapple rings from marinade and place on a hot grill. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side, basting with brown sugar mixture.

Place pineapple ring on plate and top with a nice scoopy of coconut gelator. Top with a sprinkling of toasted coconut.

Note: If you do not have toasted coconut, take shredded coconut and spread in think layer on baking sheet. Cook in 375 degree oven, mixing coconut around frequently, until coconut is light brown (approximately 2-3 minutes).

Comfort Food from my Childhood

I grew up in the 60's and 70's with a traditional stay-at-home Mom. My Mom wasn't very adventurous in her cooking (or very good at it either!) and had a repertoire of maybe ten dishes that we consumed ad nauseum: macaroni & cheese, tuna noodle casserole, spaghetti bolognese, pot roast, swordfish with lemon and paprika, corned beef and cabbage, liver with bacon and onions, chicken and rice, pork chops with mashed potatoes, Hungarian ghoulash, Jambalaya and a few others that I think I have blocked from my memory.

Every Saturday, we headed for the Rose Garden Restaurant (a local pizza joint) for a pizza dinner, and Saturday lunches always consisted of a smorgasbord of coldcuts, cheeses and fresh Italian bread from the bakery in the warm weather, and tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches in cooler weather. Swanson had just introduced the frozen TV dinner to the world, and my sister and I used to go crazy for their fried chicken and mashed potatoes in the little tin pans! And on Sundays, my Dad always cooked a beautiful roast beef or roasted, stuffed chicken feast.

Now that I'm, ummmm, older, those dishes that I dreaded back then I find myself craving at times. Swordfish is still my favorite fish, spaghetti bolognese is a staple in my house, my kids' friends all clamor for my homemade mac & cheese, and while I'm ashamed to admit it, once in a great while I sneak in a Swanson Fried Chicken frozen dinner!

My middle daughter, Alicia, has laid claim to my Mom's recipe for chicken and rice as her absolute, number one favorite meal, and insists that I cook it for her frequently when she is home from college. Now I'm not talking Arroz con Pollo or Paella here...this ready-in-15-minutes dish is so simple, it's not even really cooking!

My Mom's Chicken and Rice

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 small cans or jars of chicken gravy

1 small package frozen peas

4 to 6 cups cooked white rice

Salt & Pepper

Fill and large pot with water; add a little salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add the chicken breasts, return to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, add the chicken gravy to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When the chicken is cooked through, drain and cut into 1" chunks. Add to the gravy mixture along with the frozen peas.

Cooking, stirring occasionally, until every is heated through. Serve over white rice.

Enjoy!

Chef Mom

"Florida" Cuisine

Having been raised in New England by set of Irish parents in a city fairly well balanced between Irish, Italian and Jewish families, imagine the surprise to my culinary sensibilities when my job relocated me to South Florida several years ago. In one fell swoop I went from authentic brick oven pizzas to Papa John's, tuna melts to Cuban sandwiches, fried dough in Little Italy to churros in Little Havana.

In short order, I discovered that there are three types of food in South Florida:

1) Fine dining, mostly in high-end hotels and resorts and very similar to California cuisine;
2) Chain restaurant food -- every chain under the sun and everywhere you turn;
3) A rich, varied sampling of the finest food from all Latin American cultures.

Before moving to Miami, I had always thought of the area as consisting of tourists and Cubans. Cuban cuisine does abound, and indeed even the MacDonald's down there offer Cuban Sandwiches and Dulce de Leche shakes on the menu. But I discovered a wealth of other cultures' cuisines to experience as well: Venezuelen, Argentinian, Brazilian, Columbian, etc.

VENEZUELAN CUISINE

I think the food that I've missed the most since I was finally relocated back to New England are the arepas. One of my neighbors who was originally from Venezuela used to send over a fresh, warm batch every Sunday morning. We would stuff these delicious little corn cakes with cheese or carne mechada (yummy shredded beef).

BRAZILIAN CUISINE

Fortunately, I don't live too far from The Big Apple which has every kind of restaurant imaginable, so I'm able to still visit a Brazilian churrascaria (although nowhere near as good as the ones I've dined at in Miami!). There are so many good ones to choose from in South Florida, but the only one I've found up in my neck of the woods now is Churrascaria Plataforma in NYC. Not the best, but decent.

If you've never eaten at a Brazilian restaurant, it is a must do. The authentic ones will have no menu. You sit down and they give each diner a "marker", generally green on one side and red on the other. In between your grazing at the "food bar" where all of the salads and sides are, the waiters come to your table with huge slabs of meat cooked on giant skewers. They cut the meat right from the skewer onto your plate. Each time they come to your table, they have different type of meat on their skewer. The marker? It's the equivalent of screaming "Uncle"! When you just can't eat another bite, turn the marker from the green side to the red side and they'll stop putting food on your plate.

And, of course, you must enjoy several Caipirinha's during your meal! A Caipirinha is the Brazilian equivalent of a Mojito. It's basically fresh lime wedges and sugar muddled together and shaken with lots of ice and Cachaca. Deeeelish! I've also made these cocktails with strawberries and peaches, but I'm sure you can use just about any fruit.

CUBAN CUISINE

I can't really say I developed a taste for Cuban food quite as much as I did with its Venezuelan and Brazilian counterparts, but there are some dishes that I still cook every now and again: traditional Arroz con Pollo, a good Medianoche (a variation on a Cuban sandwich), Pork Adobo and Empanadas stuffed with Picadillo. I think I'm the only one that never really developed a taste for their extremely popular Mojitos, Cuban coffee or Dulce de Leche desserts -- pretty standard fare in Miami.

SPICES AND SIDES

I discovered Cumin while living in Florida. I don't think I had ever cooked with it until I moved there, but now I just about buy it in bulk! I can't really describe its flavor because to me, it is more of an enhancer that brings a whole new level to the dishes that I use it in.

Forget the french fries -- fried plantains, black beans and rice or Yuca Frita (cassava fries) are the staple carbs that go along with most meals.

I'll explore each of these countries' (and more) cuisines in more detail in future posts. But this should give you a good start on exploring Latin America cooking!

Cheers,

Chef Mom


Traditional Cuban Sandwich

3 thin slices of ham
3 thin slices of roast pork (slow roasted is best)
3 thin slices of Swiss cheese
3 or 4 slices of dill pickle (sliced longways across the pickle)
Yellow mustard
Mayonnaise
12" loaf Cuban bread (French bread can be substituted in a pinch, but the results will not be the same)

Slice the bread open face without making sure not to cut the bread all the way through.

Spread mustard on both halves and top with mayonnaise.

Add the ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese and pickle slices. Close up the sandwich.

Heat a sandwich press or cast iron skillet (do not use a panini pan). If desired, brush outside of sandwich on both sides with melted butter. Place the sandwich in the sandwich press. If using a skillet, weight the sandwich down with something heavy like another cast iron pan or a brick wrapped in foil. Cook sandwich just until cheese is melting.

Cut sandwich on diagonal and enjoy with a side of fried plantains!