give it one more try

As you know I am always trying to get the carnivore (and our kids) to try new food. This is especially true in the green vegetable category. His list of verde veggies that he deems edible is brief to say the least. But, I have something to admit. I too am not immune to banning a few fresh foods from my plate. It is a much much shorter list mind you. It includes beets, brussell sprouts, and asparagus. (And meat, of course.)


Well, to be fair to my hubby who I am constantly torturing with "just try one bite before you decide you hate it" pleas, I thought I'd give some of these guys another try. I started with asparagus. It is not that I wouldn't eat it. It's just if I never saw it again I wouldn't have missed it. Or so I thought...

Now, I'm a good Southern girl so I know better than to talk bad about anyone, especially my mother. But, bless her heart, I think this food phobia was her fault. Look, she worked hard as a single mom and raised my in an era when the TV dinner hit its peak. Long story short, her asparagus came from a can and was cooked til mushy. Sorry, Mom. Good news, it turns out I do like asparagus, just not yours.

To make your own it couldn't be more simple. Gather the a bunch of asparagus. Toss it on a baking sheet after rinsing it off and trimming the ends. Drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for about twenty minutes. It should be tender, but still crunchy - definitely not mushy.

Turns out asparagus can be fresh and tasty. Now, if I could only get the carnivore and the kids to come around....

Oh, and I promise an update on brussel sprouts soon. Beets may take awhile.

viva la mexico

Maybe its the fact that it is finally warming up or  that my son was born on Cinco de Mayo, but I find myself day dreaming more and more lately about making a trip back to Mexico. The carnivore and I were married there several years ago. A mariachi band and margaritas - the whole shebang. We promised all our guest we'd have a reunion in five years. Time is almost up and what can I say? These kids, they are the most rewarding and adorable time and money suck you can imagine. As such, all I am planning these days is a Cat in the Hat themed bday bash for the little man who will turn two in a few days. That doesn't mean I don't let my mind wander to warm beaches and cold beers. Oh, and the best guacamole on this planet. And they will bring it right to you beach chair for just a few pesos.

In my opinion avocado is the most perfect food. I am happy to report my kids feel the same way - even if my husband doesn't. I fell in love with it in law school. I was on a trip to Tanzania and this amazing cafe served it simply halved, coated in olive oil and kosher salt. It is hard to improve upon that, but let me try. Introducing my fried avocado tacos inspired from this recipe the carnivore sent me.

To make your own you will need:
1 large avocado
1 cup of flour, and a bit more for dredging
1 cup of beer
1/2 tsp of baking powder
vegetable oil
salt, pepper, and other seasonings of your choosing (I added chili lime hot sauce)
tortillas
sour cream
fresh cilantro
lettuce, tomato, etc. for topping
lime wedges

Start by preheating 1/2 inch or so of oil in a cast iron skillet. (It is ready when a drop of batter bubbles in it.) Mix together flour, beer, baking powder and seasonings. Slice the avocado. Dredge slices in a bit of flour and then dip in batter. Fry in oil, about two minutes on each side. They will turn golden. Place them on a plate of paper towels to remove an excess oil. Place a few fried pieces in a tortilla with toppings of your choosing, like lettuce and tomato. I added a cilantro sour cream, using fresh herbs from our own garden. I also squeezed a few fresh lime wedges over top before eating.

They weren't as good as a trip to Mexico, but they were dang close. My BFF and bridesmaid Jen even made some after she heard about them. See, it is kinda like I'm like we are all back there together, right?

menu ideas:

The night I made these I used the remaining batter to make fish tacos for my carnivore. We also enjoyed corn on the cob and seasoned black beans.

have your cake

It has been a rough week with our little family. Everything from a funeral to a broken toe to a couple of trips to the emergency room - not for the toe - you name it, we have been through it. It is the kinda week that that you need dessert - and lots of it. Enter this wonderful vanilla pound cake. Simple, tasty, and comforting.

I found this recipe in William Sonoma's The Cookbook For Kids: Great Recipes for Kids Who Love to Cook. I often find carnivore pleasing recipes in here (he really does have the palate of a five year old) and my little omnivore can help me make the dishes too, assuming he can stop banging his head on everything (seriously, the bruises are so bad I am pretty sure someone is gonna call CPS on me the next time we go to the grocery).

You will need the following:
3/4 cup of butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups of sugar
3 large organic eggs
1 tsp of vanilla extract
2 cups of flour
1 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of salt
2/3 cup of milk
berries and a bit more sugar for serving
whipped cream also optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick oil. Using a mixer combine the butter and sugar until creamy and pale. Add in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla. In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat in 1/3 of the dry mix, then half of the milk, another third of the dry mix, then rest of the milk, then the rest of the dry mix. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake about one hour, until toothpick inserted comes out clean and top is golden brown. Drape with aluminum foil if needed to prevent burning. Cool in pan for ten minutes. Turn onto wire rack and let cool completely. Slice and serve with mixed berries and sugar and/or whipped cream.

This sweet dessert is good even on a bad day - or week as the case may be. Trust me.

fishy

My husband made up a song many years ago when we were walking on a bridge in the Bahamas about some fish he saw swimming by. He said, "You know what they are saying? (singing now) I'm a fish, fish, fish...swimming in the ocean...don't eat me for dinner...I'm a fish." Its a catchy tune. In fact, it is now sung my both my husband and my son almost daily. Strangely enough, they both still eat fish. I'm with Nemo's friend Dory - fish are our friend, not food. However, if you do eat fish for dinner you should try this recipe.

I found it on Pinterest, and you can see the original recipe by clicking here. This is my simplified version to feed one large carnivore and one little omnivore:

3 pieces of cod
3/4 cups of flour
1/4 cup of cornstarch
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp of kosher salt
1 tsp of baking powder
1/3 cup of lager beer
vegetable oil
lemon

Place enough vegetable oil in cast iron skillet til 1/2 inch high. Heat on medium. Combine all the dry ingredients except the salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Place 2/3 of the mixture in a baking sheet and spread it out. Pat fish dry and salt. Add baking powder and beer to remaining dry ingredients in bowl and combine. Coat fish in dry mix (in baking sheet) first, then in batter (in bowl), then again in dry mix. Place fish in hot oil. Turn after a few minutes, when crust is golden. Remove and drain on paper bag or towels. Squeeze fresh lemon before serving.

My boys ate this fish up...for dinner.

real simple

Sometimes I look at recipes and I get a bit over-

whelmed. Too many steps, too many ingredients, too much time - with two young kids I just can't get past the pretty picture. Looks nice, but it won't be on our plates any time soon. Luckily, really simple food can be really delicious too. Take this spaghetti, for example. Just a few ingredients and yet the flavor is spectacular.

To make your own, you will need the following:

1 box of thin whole wheat spaghetti

1 lemon

1/2 cup of finely grated parmesan & more for topping (not from a green can)

2 sprigs of fresh oregano (we grow herbs in containers on our deck)

several leaves of fresh parsley (also homegrown)

2 tblsp of olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Boil the pasta for about eight minutes in salted water. Drain and return to the pot. Toss with oil, salt and pepper. Squeeze in the juice of half the lemon and toss again. Add in the parmesan and stir once more. Chop the herbs coarsely and add them in last. Serve immediately. Top more parmesan and garnish with thin slices of the rest of the lemon.

Easy, uncomplicated, and satisfying. Now that's real simple. 

menu ideas:

This dish is great as a side. It can also star as the main attraction easily. Simply add grilled chicken or sausage to the carnivore's bowl of pasta, and to the vegetarian's dish toss in olives and sundried tomatoes.

bowled over

The last two times my carnivore and I have cooked for dinner guests, we have gotten rave reviews about our brown rice. Really, brown rice. I know to many people there is nothing more bland or unexciting out there, but we have lucked onto a good brand that we buy in bulk. We also have invested in a good rice cooker. One that has its own brown rice setting. It makes the fluffiest rice and you can set a timer. Win, win. But even if buttered brown rice as side isn't your thing, I have a main dish idea that will bowl you over.

Start with brown rice. Once cooked, toss it with salt and freshly chopped cilantro. Then pile this mixture into two bowls. Top each with shredded cheddar and corn. On the carnivore's bowl add in grilled and shredded chicken that has been seasoned with lime juice and cayenne pepper. In the vegetarian bowl add in seasoned black beans, diced green bell pepper, and creamy avocado. I also like to top mine with a dollop of sour cream. Finally, squeeze a fresh lime slice over the bowl and add in any more salt and pepper to taste.

Filling and flavorful, this isn't you basic brown rice in a bowl.

gavy train

We all have our favorite comfort food. Noodles are pretty universal. Nutella seems to be pretty popular on Pinterest. You know what I mean. Some parts of the world it means mom's meatloaf with a side of mashed taters and mac-n-cheese. In others it is a little more exotic, if I have learned anything from Anthony Bourdain. Rotten tofu anyone? In the South, it usually means something fried and probably topped with gravy.

Ahh gravy. That rib sticking, soul warming slop that goes great on everything from a lowly country fried steak to a prized Thanksgiving turkey. In all its forms it is always welcome on the table. Giblet, redeye, brown, white - you name it and it is bound to bring on a tummy rumble. Here's the rub - it almost always requires some form of animal and this is a downer for a vegetarian craving comfort food.

Well never fear fellow vegheads. You can have you gravy and eat it too. Take these sausage and biscuits the carnivore and I had the other morning. Of course, his gravy was made with sausage grease as a base, but I simply fried a fake sausage patty in a bit of olive oil. I broke it into pieces (just like I do with a real one for the carnivore) to add in meaty lumps and flavor. One has to be sacrificed for the greater good of the gravy. Then a couple of tablespoons of flour and a splash or two of milk. Whisk until thick and then spoon over the buttermilk biscuits and more fake patties. You'd be surprised at how comforting a fake gravy can be. Or real, whatever floats your (gravy) boat.

(P.S. My fake version has strawberries on the plate, and his real version has grapes. Mine even looks prettier, don't you think?)