WE’RE PASTA PEOPLE, and I’ll bet any family with small kids will say the same. But when it comes to other fluffy fillers, rice is always an easy sell around here. Barley is not. Millet has a so-so track record (good in muffins, not great as a dish). And that pretty much exhausts the options that were available to…
Chicken and peach kabobs
SO MANY FAILURES, SO LITTLE TIME. Since our pork and pineapple version was so tasty, I thought this was a natural spin-off. And it might have been, but I’d need to do things differently. Estelle actually ate quite a bit but Phoebe was having none of it and I couldn’t blame her. The chicken needed…
Sausage & spinach with raisins, pine nuts & rice
THIS ONE STARTED WITH BUDDY. Do you know the Cake Boss? I’m sure you do but I didn’t. In Rome, we have a bit of American TV but it’s a small selection and always a bit behind. Anyway, it appears that in the time I’ve been away from the States, one Buddy Valastro has become…
Sausage & sour cream pasta with peas…a Stroganoff-ish dinner idea
We’re on “vacation” this week, on the southern coast of Italy. It’s our first trip with all three rascals so I’m out of the kitchen. So far, I’d say everything is gorgeous and exhausting, sometimes both at once. Meanwhile, I saved up a couple of fresh ideas to post while we’re gone. Be back soon…trust…
Recipes from “French Kids Eat Everything”, carrot salad and stuffed tomatoes
AS THE FRENCH WOULD SAY, these were magnifique. As Phoebe would say, they were magical.
Grilled lemon chicken with buttered green beans
THIS WAS A CHILDHOOD FAVORITE OF MINE. Sort of. The 1980s version involved a bottle of lemon juice and a skillet, and I loved it. Now I use the grill pan and a real lemon, but the idea is the same. Marinated chicken is juicy and flavorful, just as perfect for a fresh summer dinner…
Pork & pineapple skewers with fresh green beans
IF YOU’RE FROM THE WEST COAST, YOU EAT HAWAIIAN PIZZA. If you’re not, you think it’s weird. Happily, I fall into the former category. In the small town where I grew up in Washington state, we had one pizza place, Rome Pizza. And the only pie my family ever ordered was Canadian bacon and pineapple….
Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tex-Mex
WHEN IT’S HOT, HOT, HOT outside, the last thing I want is to be inside cooking dinner beside an even hotter stove. Enter the slow cooker. I used to hate this thing, mostly because I could never find a recipe that worked without a package of onion soup mix. But this chicken recipe turned out to…
no-cook dinner: antipasto with ham, cheese, breadsticks, melon and more…
IT’S BEEN OVER 90 DEGREES EVERY DAY in Rome for weeks. This is a normal summer in Italy but that doesn’t mean we’re not melting! Particularly those of us from the Pacific Northwest where it simply doesn’t do this. Ever. My Floridian husband, however, is soaking up the sun, humidity and all the heat for…
Sausage rolls…pigs in a blanket all grown up
I MAKE THESE EVERY TIME I HAVE A PARTY. Everyone loves them. So, when I saw Jamie Oliver make something similar for his family, I broke out one of my favorite Barefoot Contessa recipes. Trying to make it a little healthier, this is sausage with puff pastry after all, I added protein-rich white beans that…
Roman chicken with peppers
THIS WAS A GREEN EGGS AND HAM kind of night. Phoebe didn’t even want to try one bite and certainly had no intention of eating a pepper. But then she did. “Mmm. That’s good!” I couldn’t help myself. I had to call her on it! After all this time (after all, we’ve had nearly 3…
roasted turkey breast with mustard & rosemary marinade
WHAT MAKES THIS A KID-FRIENDLY DISH? The meat is so moist and juicy that even those with four teeth (or less) will easily–and happily–dig in!
Chicken Mirabella: chicken with olives & prunes
I HAVE NEVER ACTUALLY MADE THIS RECIPE CORRECTLY, UNTIL NOW. Not that the recipe is complicated; I’ve simply had a hard time following directions. Sleep deprivation? (And what will I blame in the future when I actually do get to sleep again? I am going to sleep again, right?)
Mini turkey burgers with rosemary plus the secret to great roasted veggies
I WAS ON MY OWN for dinner the other night with the kids, so I knew it had to be good. Wary of my two-highchairs-to-one-adult ratio, this wasn’t the time to experiment with exotic flavors. In times like these (or when I’m so tired that I might tip over, not unlike a giant Weeble Wobble…
Turkey sausage meatballs and easy pasta with peas
WE’VE JUST RETURNED FROM A THREE-WEEK TRIP to the US where we plan to relocate at the end of 2012. North Carolina looks like our future destination but first all things related to jobs, houses, schools and the other million details that make a life must align. (Wish us luck!) In the meantime, I’ve stocked…
Stovetop broccoli & chicken with rice
THIS WAS DOOMED FROM THE START. Prominently featuring rice, as seen in the current What Doesn’t Work Now list, it never stood a chance. But be that as it may, I’m a glutton for punishment committed to presenting a variety of food, including things they don’t like. Or think they don’t like. (Ironic that “Green…
mini chicken pot pies with flowers & star crusts
I MADE THESE POT PIES TWICE RECENTLY, once big (for the family) and once small (for each person). The second time I used leftovers from Gwyneth Paltrow’s delicious Rotisserie Style Roast Chicken. Estelle LOVED it. Phoebe was sick. Paul liked them both though he did say that more crust on the bigger version was better….
Rotisserie style roast chicken from Gwyneth Paltrow
IT DIDN’T START WELL. First of all the book took ages to arrive, three weeks after I ordered it from the usually trusty Amazon UK. Then there was the matter of buying a whole chicken. I’ve had poultry trouble before. But today I went to the butcher’s counter directly. Go to the source, I said….
Balsamic vinegar chicken sandwiches
PHOEBE’S NOT EATING ANYTHING with “salad” on top, but minus the offensive greens she tucked into one of these last night with gusto. Thanks to *Jessica Seinfeld’s sneaky trick, this tangy sauce includes freshly steamed and pureed broccoli, which doubled as a baby food side dish for Estelle. Paired with our new family favorite, roasted…
Toddler-friendly Asian noodles with vegetables
IF I’VE LEARNED ONE THING SO FAR, it’s this: figure out what works and do more of it. We’re all about spin-offs here, and this dinner is the Laverne & Shirley of pasta. We know Phoebe devours spaghetti with red sauce, white sauce, cheese, or really any topping. Today’s challenge: introducing Asian flavors. It sounds…