What We Cooked for Grandpa

My father-in-law came to visit - a little unexpectedly - so I had to re-work the meal plan a bit (I didn't think he would like black bean chili or braised kale with chickpeas), but this is what I managed to feed him.

While browsing the web, I came across a cookbook title that was so applicable to my life that I had to borrow it from the library: Parents Need to Eat Too: Nap Friendly Recipes, One-Handed Meals, and Time-Saving Kitchen Tricks for New Parents. I'm not a new parent but with the baby demanding to be held all the time and snatching anything in my hand so she can shove it into her mouth, I thought it would give it a try.

Honey Soy Salmon - A winner. The marinade is made of honey, soy sauce, and sriracha. Incredibly easy. Marinate salmon fillets for 20 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the fridge and stick in the oven for 12 minutes then serve. Everyone loved this meal, including the 4 year old, who gobbled it up, and my father-in-law, who ate it with as much gusto but with much more refined table manners. My husband asked that I add this one into the regular meal rotation. I served it with steamed rice and stir-fried broccoli.

Apparently, this is also a freezer friendly meal. Just marinate the fillets and freeze. The fish will marinate while it thaws.

Overnight French Onion Chicken - I wasn't a big fan of this dish but I'm glad that I tried it. The recipe calls for caramelizing 6 finely sliced onions in the slow cooker overnight and then adding chicken, broth, sherry, and thyme in the morning. Just before dinner, I also toasted Italian bread in the oven and melted gruyere on top. The preschooler refused to touch it. The husband picked out the onions. I thought it was a little too sweet and slightly disappointing for the effort. My father-in-law really liked it. One note in the book suggested keeping the leftover onions and using as a base for French Onion Soup so I may do that.

I haven't decided what else I'll make from the book. Below are recipes that I found elsewhere.

Lacinato Kale and Ricotta Salata Salad - This was my first time making a raw kale salad, which I served with the French Onion Chicken above because I wanted some kind of green added to the meal. I liked it but everyone else refused to touch it. I think I'll try to make other raw kale salads.

Roasted Mushroom and Beef Barley Soup A nice standby soup recipe for cold weather. My 4 year old used to love the barley in this soup and would ignore the mushrooms, but this time around, she refused to touch the barley and would only eat the mushrooms.

Chocolate Banana Bread - A recipe I found off the Cook's Illustrated site - I didn't add the link since you need to be a subscriber to get the full recipe. I am not a good baker, but this was simple and good. The bread was nice and moist, it had good banana flavor, and it wasn't too dense. It has been our unhealthy snack of the week.

Lisa: Taste of Summer

Wow, summer flew by. Here's a glimpse of what we've been eating. I love all of the fresh, bright colors of summer fruits and vegetables. Salads and wraps became standard fare for a stretch, and I got to try some interesting desserts at picnics. Finally, we grew some of our own produce and indulged in some icy homemade treats.

Romaine salad with carrots, heirloom tomatoes, strawberries,
yellow bell pepper, slivered almonds, carrots and grapes.

Chicken lettuce wraps with salsa and yellow bell peppers,
sugar snap peas on the side

Ricotta and spinach ravioli with marinara,
steamed broccoli, roasted red and yellow beats with goat cheese
par-baked french bread baked just in time for dinner

Grilled salmon (sorry, I mangled it taking it off the serving plate),
Japanese rice with furikake (seaweed and sesame seasoning),
caprese of heirloom tomatoes, mini mozzarella, basil,
green beans goma ae (sesame-soy dressing),
and strawberries

Spinach and jack cheese crepe

I did not make these, but tried them at a picnic:
chocolate-peanut butter-rice crisp bars
with graham cracker crust

My cousin made these:
"Watermelon" Rice Krispies treats
with chocolate chip "seeds"
Made in a round pan and cut in wedges

Massive blackberry!

Watermelon growing in our yard. We later harvested several.
Tasty, but had a tough time figuring out
when they were ripe.

Cantaloupes growing in our yard

Blackberries and strawberries
picked at a local farm

Kale-berry-banana smoothie
popsicle in shape of ladybug

Lisa: Roasted Beets

I roasted beets for the first time this season. Sealed in a foil packet and baked at 400 degrees for about an hour, cooled and peeled. 6-year-old devoured one, and I had another with feta, mangoes, toasted walnuts and almonds, and baby spring mixed greens for a refreshing lunch today.

Lisa: Quinoa Salad

I love quinoa, and have been wanting to try a quinoa salad recipe. The opportunity came this week, when it was my turn to bring snack for the parents at preschool. Lots of chopping involved, but results were worthwhile. I'd make it again.

Source: finecooking.com via Lisa on Pinterest

The tastiest parts to me were the balsamic vinegar red onions, apples and cheese. The fennel and celery add additional crunch. So fun to cook with fennel. It's a rarity for me. The kids enjoyed trying it for the first time, too.

It tasted even better to me after a day or two of letting the flavors soak in and mingle in the refrigerator. And no problems with wilting; everything keeps nicely.

Substitutions (suggested by the friend who passed on the recipe):

-Spinach instead of arugula

-Red wine vinegar instead of sherry vinegar

-I chose Pink Lady apples, and loved the tart-sweet flavor

Also, I wanted to use Parrano cheese instead of Gouda, but didn't find any at the store

For the quinoa, I used organic tri-color from Trader Joe's, and cooked it in the rice cooker instead of on the stovetop.

I set aside a small amount of salad without the balsamic vinegar red onions or red wine vinegar (for those with dietary restrictions prohibiting alcohol), and I actually ended up really liking that version, too. It's less tangy without the vinegar, so it's a milder combo of veggie flavors, olive oil, salt and pepper. If I were short on time, I might make that one, since it would cut the step of cooking the red onions.

Bonus - my 6-year-old even ate some as a side for her dinner.