Avocados and Hummus

Toddlers are tricky little beasts, aren’t they?  Last Sunday my little pumpkin loved avocados.  He scarfed down all that I gave him and then asked for more from my plate.  Today he took one look at the luscious perfectly ripe green chunks on his plate, shook his head vigorously and declared, “No like it ….no like it.” 

“Please take a bite, Logan.  You do like it!”

With slight giggling (at silly mommy) then more vigorous head shaking my 2 year-old declares, “No like it, mommy….Noooooo like it!!”  (audible sigh from mommy) 

Two year-olds are tricky beasts indeed.

Every week or so Logan picks a new favorite food.  Last week the favorite was almond butter.  He wanted large spoonfuls of almond butter as his meal and snacks.  He was only mildly interested in other foods if I smeared them heavily with almond butter.  

This week he has moved on from almond butter and his new love is hummus (which he pronounced “tumus”).  He wants copious amounts of hummus at every meal including breakfast.  So much for the food diversity I had in mind!  

Having a favorite food though isn’t all bad.  It has turned out to be a great carrot to hold out to get Logan to at least take a bite of the other foods on his plate.  I dole out the favored food of the day in smallish spoonfuls.  Before he gets the next spoonful he has to take a bite of another food on this plate.  For the most part it is working reasonable well, but only if I sit with him and keep suggesting (or insisting) on alternating food bites.  Bottom line is getting a 2 year-old to eat healthy is generally a lot of work no matter how you do it.

Changing the World Starting with Dinner

I am a new mom with a beautiful 2 year-old son, named Logan.  I have been thinking a lot lately about what are the “right” foods for a healthy growing toddler and how I get my precious boy to eat them.  I want my child to grow up with a healthy love of real food but I will admit as a full-time working single mom it can be a challenge to get healthy food choices to the table every night.

60 years ago moms stayed home and cooked from scratch.  Dinner time was sacred family time.  But today moms work full time jobs and dinner is shoved in between a flurry of after-school and social activities.  As a nation we cook less therefore the skill of cooking is growing weaker with each generation.  Our only choice in our harried lives seems to be relying on convenience foods which generally are over processed and under nutritious.  What are the consequences of placing such low value on the food we put in our bodies?  A national obesity crisis and sky rocketing health care cost.  I shudder to think what we will look like as a nation 20 years from now.     

I want to change things.  I want to raise my child with a love of food, healthy balanced eating habits and the ability to live and eat in the modern world.   I also want to see our nation develop a healthy relationship with food again.

But the national food problem is so large and so pervasive (and we are just too busy to cook up a solution) it is hard to get motivated to tackle the problem head on.  It is easier to rock back on our heels, complain and throw the blame.  Because clearly it is the fast food industry’s fault or the food manufactures who are to blame for our societies growing waistlines and lack of will power.  It couldn’t possibly be our faults for over-scheduling our lives and demanding ever cheaper convenience food items could it?  

So what do we do now to solve the toxic relationship we have developed with food?  Lobby congress to change food regulation?  Run for congress and write new laws?  Change the school curriculum to include food education?  Pressure school districts to take junk food vending machines out of schools?  Boycott fast food establishments?  Go organic? Go vegan?  When so many things are wrong it is hard to know where to start.

For now I am going to start by with my own family.  I pledge to keep family dinner sacred and to do my best to cook real foods.  I am still a working single mom who has not magically found extra hours in the day to make all my food from scratch.  It is going to be a balancing act.  I don’t have the ability to farm my own vegetables or buy all organic meat at this time, but I can certainly start cooking more food that is unprocessed or at least minimally process.  I will do the best I can starting with small changes and work my way up to bigger ones, one meal at a time.

Sugar Bunnies

I really love Easter.  In my part of the country, Mother Nature marks the occasion with a bounty of azaleas. Everyone emerges from their winter hibernation in their best new spring outfits for sunrise services, Easter egg hunts and a delicious Easter dinner.  It marks the end of whatever you may have given up for lent and the beginning of spring (or at least the promise of spring if you live farther north than I do).

This year I was lucky enough to be invited to Easter brunch by a dear friend.  And after the past several weeks of non-stop activity, a day of feasting with friends and family with no prepping, cooking or cleaning sounds just glorious!


However even if someone else is cooking the meal I still need to bring a little something.  So I went looking for an easy fun dessert I could bring for the occasion.   I wanted something fun that would appeal to guests of all ages.  I settled on Sugar Bunnies - my Easter version of sugar cookies with cream cheese icing.

Sugar cookies are classic cookie.  You will sometimes see them referred to as a "rolled cookie" because you roll the dough out and cut it with cookie cutters.  I know this is a little more effort than slice-bake-cookies, but for a holiday the extra effort is worth it.  And you will be rewarded with fun shapes and festive icing!


The thing I really like about this particular recipe (besides the taste!) is that you make the cookie dough in the food processor.  It is a really easy way to make cookie dough.


The key to sugar cookies is don't skimp on the refrigerator time before you roll out the dough.  Cold dough sticks less to the rolling pin and counter top.  If your dough starts to get sticky and hard to work with, then pop it back in the fridge until it is cold then try rolling it out again.


Happy Easter everyone!


Sugar Bunnies
Prep time: 20 minutes - Refrigerator time: 1-2 hours - Cooking time:15-20 minutes
Makes 15-25 cookies (depending on how big your cookie cutters are)

• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tarter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• Cream cheese icing (recipe below)

Place the first six ingredients (flour, white sugar, confectioners' sugar, baking soda cream of tarter and salt) in a food processor.  Pulse for 5 seconds.

Distribute the butter slices over the flour mixture and process about 15 seconds.  Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Pulse an additional 15 seconds or until the mixture resembles course meal (no big chunks of butter).

In a small bowl mix the egg and vanilla with a fork.  With the food processor running, pour the egg & vanilla mixture down the feeder tube.  Continue processing until the flour mixture and the egg come together into dough (about 35 seconds).

Remove the dough from the food processor and place on a counter or other work surface.  Kneed the dough for a few seconds then divide into two pieces.

Press each piece onto a rectangle slab, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.  

When ready to start baking, preheat oven to 375 F.  Spray baking sheets with non stick baking spray and set aside.

Remove 1 slab of dough from the refrigerator.  Remove and discard the plastic wrap.  

Prepare counter top or other work space to roll out dough.  Sprinkle surface with flour.  Place dough on surface and lightly sprinkle dough with flour.  Lightly rub flour on rolling pin then roll out dough to 1/8 in thickness.  If dough gets sticky sprinkle a little more flour.

Use cookie cutters to cut out cookies.  (If you don't have cookie cutters a glass can be a good substitute.)  Use a spatula to place cookies on the prepared baking sheets.  Leave about 1 inch between cookies to ensure even cooking.  Once you are done you can gather up scraps, re-roll and cut out a few more cookies.

Repeat the process with the second slab of dough.  

Bake cookies for 15-20 minutes.  Cookies should be firm and just starting to become golden around the edges.

Cool cookies completely on the baking sheets.  When cookies are completely cooled store in an air tight container until ready to serve.  Add cream cheese icing when ready to serve.

Cream Cheese Icing

Prep time - 5 minutes

• 8 oz container of cream cheese, room temperature
• 5 tablespoons white granular sugar
• 3 tablespoons whipping cream 
• food color

Place all three ingredients in a bowl.  Use a hand mixer to mix ingredients. Scrap the side of the bowl down with a rubber spatula.  Blend again until icing has smooth consistency.  If icing is too stiff add a little more whipping cream until you achieve desired consistency.  

Divide icing into 4-5 smaller bowls (depending on how many colors you want to make).  Add food color a drop of two at a time and blend with a spoon until you achieve the desired color for your icing.

When complete cover bowls with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

An Inspired Appetizer That is All Heart

I like to be known among my friends as a cooking diva who serves up interesting tasty treats when I have people over.  But as mom with 2 full-time jobs (the one I get paid for and my non-paid non-stop mom duties) I have to admit, that lately I have been as short on cooking inspiration.  To put it bluntly I have been in a cooking rut.

This past month I flipped through Saveur Magazine determined to try something new to break out of my ordinary food funk.   I was delighted to find some recipe inspiration that made my taste buds tingle with anticipation - Heart of Palm Fries.!

The heart of palms are dredged in a simple panko breading, deep fried then served with a side of Chipotle Mayo. What a truly unique appetizer to serve up at my next event!  And after cooking up this tasty treat this past weekend I am happy to say the recipe did not disappoint. 

I made the recipe almost exactly as it was written but with some minor tweaks.  The biggest changes I made were simplifying the egg mixture and swapping in a lemon for fresh lime juice (after all the limes in the fridge mysteriously made their way into the blender for pre-party margaritas).  One other tweak I made was to add a little garlic to the the chipotle mayo.  I recommend using pre-minced garlic rather than chopping your own so you aren't overwhelmed with raw garlic flavor.

I found this recipe very easy to make.   However to make it truly hostess friendly I would definitely make it all a day ahead of time.  The panko coating is perfect for this.  If you make the palm fires ahead of time, cool them completely and then store in a single layer in a sealed container in the fridge over night.  Take them out 30 minutes before you want to reheat them so that they come to room temperature.   Bake in a 400° over for 7-8 minutes or until you hear them start to sizzle a little.  Serve the palm fries hot with chipotle mayo on the side. Voila gourmet success! 

Heart of Palm Fries with Chipotle Mayo

Chipotle Mayo

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 chipotle chiles in adobo
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon 
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Palm Fries

• Canola oil
• 3 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 28-oz. cans of heart of palm, cut in quarters length-wise
• salt to taste

Place all the ingredients for chipotle mayo in a mini food processor and blend until well blended.   Put chipotle mayo in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Pour canola oil into a large pot until 2 inches deep.  Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 375°.

While oil is heating place flour, eggs, and panko into three separate dishes.  Cut palm of fries into quarters length-wise.  Then work in batches to dip palm quarters into the flour.  Shake off excess flour and dip into beaten egg mixture.  Finally place palm quarters into panko crumbs and shake to evenly coat.

Fry for 1 1/2 to 3 minutes until the desired golden brown.  Place palm fries on paper towel to drain.  Serve warm with chipotle mayo.

A Wish for a New Tasty Fish Dish!

You may have heard that earlier this year the USDA released the new updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans.   It is full of do’s and don’t’s for improving your diet and includes some interesting analysis on the changes in our overall eating habits and obesity rates over the past 40 years.   

One of the sections I found particularly interesting was Chapter 4 - Food and Nutrients to Increase. (It is just always more fun to focus on what you should be adding instead of what you need to be deleting!) This section included one of my favorite food groups - seafood!

The USDA is recommending that 8 oz or more or roughly 20% of our protein should come from seafood.  It also recommends that we consume “a variety of seafood, as opposed to a just a few choices”.  This got me thinking about the variety of seafood that I eat.  

When I am out at restaurants I absolutely eat lots of different varieties of seafood but when I am home I tend to prepare three varieties the most often - salmon, shrimp and crab.  Clearly I am in a cooking rut.  Time to break out and start cooking more seafood varieties at home!  So every month I am going to pick a different seafood to prepare.   

This month I started with barramundi, a mild, slightly sweet, flaky white fish.  I have enjoyed this fish while dining out several times and was delighted to find a bag of plain frozen filets in the freezer on my last Costco run so I could try cooking it for myself. 

The firm texture and mild flavor make barramundi a very versatile fish.  You can put all kinds of different sauces and spices on it.  I decided to go Greek with mine.  

I lightly sprinkled it the fillets with olive oil, salt and pepper and baked them on a broiler pan.  While those were cooking, I made a simple topping with a little more olive oil, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, capers and feta. I choose to serve the fillets over a bed of couscous and peas, but you could add any sides you like.  The dish was TASTY!  And so simple and quick.  The whole meal was ready in under 20 minutes!  Just hoping that my next seafood variety attempt turns out as well.

Barramundi with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Capers & Feta

2 barramundi fillets with skin on, thawed

olive oil 

salt and pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove minced garlic (approx. 1 teaspoon)

1 tablespoon capers

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, chopped

1/3 cup of feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400.

Sprinkle fillets with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place skin side up on a broiler pan.  Bake for 14 minutes or until fully cooked.

Place 3 tablespoons of olive oil and garlic in a pan and turn heat to med high. Watch closely and stir occasionally until garlic starts to sizzle.  Add capers and sun-dried tomatoes to olive oil and garlic.  Stir to incorporate.   Cook for 1-2 minutes until thoroughly heated and set aside until ready to serve.

When fish is fully cooked (it should be opaque white and flaky throughout) remove from oven.  Peel the skin off and discard.  If the fish is fully cooked the skin will peel off very easily.  If the skin does not peel off easily cook the fillets a little longer.

Place fillets on serving dishes.  Spoon sun-dried tomato mixture over fillets.  Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese over top and serve.

Making Sunshine on a Rainy Day

It has rained here for two and a half days and I am ready for some sunshine.  But of according to the weatherman if I want sunshine this week I am going to have to make it myself.  So that is exactly what I did - I made a glass of sunshine in the form of a mango smoothie.

Smoothies are one of my all time favorite everyday treats.  I make mine with organic yogurt, frozen fruit or berries and enough skim milk to get it to the right consistency.  I always use the whole frozen fruit or berries instead of fruit juice and ice because it really pumps up the nutritional value while providing a richer, creamier, taste experience.   (And how often can you say the nutritionally better option really does tastes superior??)

Why do I call smoothies my everyday treat?  Because look at all the healthy stuff you have going in there!  Just keep your portion size reasonable if you are concerned about calories and you can treat yourself one any day you want.

One of my really great mommy tricks is swapping in a delicious smoothie in place of ice cream.  My little boy can’t tell the difference.  So he is getting a great serving of fruit and yogurt instead of the loads of empty sugar calories in ice cream.  And the best part is I am the hero mommy who served him “dessert”.  Winning!

Today’s I am serving up a mango smoothie because it really does remind me of sunshine in a glass.  It is super simple - frozen mango chunks, yogurt and milk.  That is it.  Tomorrow when I don’t need sunshine quite so much, I can mix one up with frozen strawberries and kiwi or maybe I will do frozen blueberries and blackberries.  Who knows? The possibilities are only limited by the frozen fruit in your freezer so blend on and enjoy this everyday treat!

Sunshine in a Glass

(a.k.a. Mango Smoothie)

1 heaping cup of frozen mango chunks

1 (6 - 8 oz) container yogurt

1 cup skim milk (use more of less to get to desired consistency)

Place everything in a blender.  Start blending on LOW until well blended. Then increase the speed to HIGH and blend until smooth and creamy.  

This recipe makes 2 reasonable servings or 1 extra large serving (shown in the pictures).

Even a Food Lover Needs Food on the Go Sometimes

There are people who eat to live and then there are those of us who live to experience food. We delight in sampling new things and detest wasting calories on the on mundane tasteless convenience and fast foods that many American’s diets have been reduced to. But even a food connoisseur needs food in a hurry sometimes. That is why I love one of the current urban food trends – food trucks. Apparently I am not the only one who thinks this is a hot food trend. Mintel (a leading food and drink marketing research company) highlighted food trucks this month in its Menu Trends email.

A food truck is basically a mini restaurant stuffed in the back of a truck. You can think of it as the marriage of an urban restaurant concept and an old fashion food cart. The menus may be limited, but the menu items have interesting twists making them the perfect fast food option for a food lover like myself.

In addition to putting an emphasis on interesting food choices, food trucks put a lot on emphasis on being mobile. They regularly move around the cities requiring potential customers to visit a truck’s website or follow it on twitter for the day’s location. It can make finding your lunch a lot like a game of Where’s Waldo!

Did I mention food trucks are definitely an urban trend? Since I live in a very non-urban area, I can only experience food trucks when I travel, so on my recent trip to Los Angeles I seized the opportunity and went looking for food trucks.

I found several but one particularly memorable one was the Shrimp Pimp truck. Like most food trucks the Shrimp Pimp has a narrowly focused menu. I tried the Drunken Shrimp Tacos for lunch. They consisted of sherry ginger marinated shrimp popped on top of jicima, a green pepper slice, mandarin orange and fresh cilantro and all wrapped up with a corn tortilla. A totally tasty lunch time treat.

Next month I am headed to New York City where I hope to explore a whole new genera of food trucks - maybe Kogi BBQ or Rickshaw Dumplings or Waffles and Dinges - with so many choices it is heard to know where to start!