Chickpea & Feta Orzo Salad

This is one of those recipes where every flavor stands out nicely, but the dish as a whole blends well.  It's also incredibly simple. And it's perfect for summer because it won't heat up your kitchen.

It serves mainly as a side-dish, though I suppose one could make a double recipe and treat it as a main course.  Serve at room temperature, or cooled in the fridge.

Chickpea & Feta Orzo Salad

1 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
1/2 cup green onions, sliced thinly
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1 15-oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed
3 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1.5 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
1 TBSP cold water
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1. Cook the pasta according to directions being sure not to overcook.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Drain well again. 
2. In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, cheese, green onions, dill, and chickpeas.  Toss gently. 
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, water, salt, and garlic. 
4. Drizzle the sauce over the pasta mixture and toss to salt. 

Family Ratings: 

Lucy, who never met a cheese she didn't love: 10

Jamie, who's taken to picking small bits of something or other out of all of his foods, but likes chickpeas:  8

Will, who's becoming increasingly easy-going:  9

Ellen, who's no fool:  10

Paul, who's searched his whole life for a pasta salad that didn't seem forced:  10

Smoky Frittata

This is one of those recipes where you really don't care if your kids like it.  It's just that good.  That said, it's not out of the question that your kids will indeed gobble this dish up:  it contains cheese and more cheese and cream and eggs, and is like a tasty version of scrambled eggs, albeit with cauliflower thrown in.

A few notes:  if your kids aren't cauliflower fans, cut it into small pieces and reduce the boiling/frying time dramatically so as to not overcook.

The recipe calls for scamorza affumicata, a fancy Italian cheese that's often labelled "smoked mozzarella."  If like most people in the known universe you don't have access to this cheese, substitute comte or a similar gruyere-related cheese.  Don't be afraid to allow a little of the skin or rind to get grated in as well, for extra taste texture.

This recipe comes from Yotam Ottomlenghi's PLENTY, which is fast becoming my favorite vegetarian cookbook.

Smoky Frittata

1 small cauliflower, cut into medium-sized florets. 
6 eggs
4 TBSP creme fraiche (I just used sour cream)
2 TBSP dijon mustard
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp smoked paprika (if you don't have both kinds of paprika, just use one kind & don't worry about it)
3 TBSP finely chopped chives
5 oz. smoked scamorza, grated
2 oz. mature cheddar, grated
salt and black pepper
2 TBSP olive oil

1. Simmer the cauliflower in boiling salted water for 4 minutes until semi-cooked (do not let it get completely soft!).  Drain and dry. 
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Mix the eggs, the cream/creme, the mustard and the paprika and whisk the heck out of it, making sure everything is thoroughly blended.  
3. Stir in the chives and 3/4s of the cheeses.  Season well with salt and pepper.  
4. Heat the olive oil in a large, overproof frying pan.  The pan MUST BE OVENPROOF.  Not that I've tried it without, mind you . . . 
5. Fry the cauliflower in the pan on medium-high for about five minutes until golden brown on one side.  Pour the egg mixture into the pan and spread evenly.  Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.  
6. Turn off the burner.  Scatter the remaining cheeses on top of the ingredients in the pan, then carefully transfer the pan to the over.  Cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the frittata has set. 
7. Remove from oven and let rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.  

Family Ratings:  

Lucy, who loves everything, the more adventurous the better as long as it's not too spicy:  10

Jamie, who never got around to trying it:  No score. 

Will, who is actually becoming fairly adventurous himself:  8

Ellen, who is happy I've finely discovered vegetarian cooking:  10

Paul, who likes anything where the cheese to non-cheese ratio is high:  10

Salmon Pasta with Tarragon Sauce

Yeah, I know, I know:  whose kid eats salmon?  I mean, really, right?

Fair enough.  While Will and James will do due diligence and eat more or less most of the salmon that arrives on their plate in this dish, Lucy, my fearless go-to eater, pretty much refuses to eat more than one piece or two of the salmon, picking through the noodles instead.  She does this, I'm pretty sure, more out of principal than out of taste:  fish has always been the one food item at which she draws the line, and the more her older brother teases her about it, the more she insists she hates it.

So when I serve this, two of my kids do fairly well, one of my kids eats pretty much only the noodles and sauce, and Ellen and I CHOW DOWN!

Because you know what?  This dish tastes GREAT--so great that I'm not really bothered if my kids don't like it and/or don't eat that much of it.  Hell, serve them a couple carrot sticks to round off their appetites if that's what it takes.  This meal is delicious, and it deserves to be placed on the table at every possible opportunity.

Period.

And just for the record, tarragon is THE most underrated herb ever.

Period.

A few notes:

• Always used the thin sliced smoked salmon--also known as lox.  And if you can, get the hardwood apple smoked, as I find this adds a little extra sweetness and . . . um . . . smokiness . . .
• Use fresh tarragon.  And rather than plucking the leaves off the stem one by one, just hold the stem firmly in one hand, pinch the fingers of the other hand together, and pull along the stem in one smooth motion, tearing the leaves off that way.  Much faster. 

I took this recipe from the Betty Crocker Easy Italian book, pretty much word for word.  Betty rocks, even if she is just the imaginative product of an anonymous corporation.  

Salmon Pasta with Tarragon Sauce

16 oz. bow-tie or similar pasta
1 TBSP olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 TBSP chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 TBSP chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth

1.5 cups half-and-half

2 tsp stone-ground mustard

1-2 packages (3-4 oz. each) of sliced smoked salmon lox

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook and drain your pasta following the directions on the package
2. Prepare your herbs
3. Pealing off each layer of the salmon separately, cut it into 1/2-inch wide strips using a cooking shears (this is to prevent the salmon from clumping together, something that will undoubtedly turn off any kid)
4. In a medium skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat.  Cook the onion, tarragon, and parsley for 3-4 minutes, until onion is tender.  
5. Add the wine
6. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the wine has almost evaporated
7. Stir in the half-and-half and the mustard
8. Heat until just boiling, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 7-8 minutes, until the sauce has thickened
9. In a large serving dish, mix together the pasta, the salmon, the sauce, and 1/4 cup of the cheese, then toss gently until the pasta is coated
10. Serve with remaining cheese

Family Ratings: 

Lucy, who insists she hates fish even though she once gave a tuna steak a "10" before realizing what it was:  6

Jamie, who still kind of assumes all meat is chicken:  8

Will, who likes to like fish because his sister hates it:  8

Ellen, who herself isn't too crazy about smoked fish:  10

Paul, who never ate salmon until he was 35 and now loves it:  10

Wild Rice Salad with Chicken (or leftover Turkey)

This is one of those recipes that I found in the newspaper maybe three weeks ago.  Since then, we've made it approximately 26 times, and it's been gobbled down every time.

Obviously, it's intended for the efficient re-use of leftover chicken or turkey--you need about two cups of either.  Since I don't always have chicken laying around the house, I've also included a little coda that shows how to prepare chicken breasts specifically for this recipe.

Don't worry about either the onions or the hot pepper sauce bothering your fussy kids:  the grapes and apples will distract them, and I find that they also generally like the chewy-ishness (yes, that's a real word) of the wild rice.  But then, who doesn't?

Wild Rice Salad with Chicken (or Turkey)

1 cup uncooked brown rice

1 cup uncooked white rice

1 cup uncooked wild rice

3 cups chicken broth (more or less, depending on whether or not you're using a rice steamer)

3 cups water (again, more or less)

2 cups leftover chicken (or 1-1.5 lb. uncooked chicken breast--see note, below)

1 cup seedless grapes, halved

1/4 cup celery

1/4 cup green onion, sliced

1/4 cup walnut pieces

1/4 parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp. coarse salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 Granny Smith Apple, cut into wedges

1 cup chicken broth

For the dressing:

1/4 cup orange juice

2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. coarse salt

1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce

1. Rinse the three rices and mix them together.  If you have a rice steamer, pour them in to the steamer and measure in the appropriate amount of liquid, being sure to use equal parts chicken broth and water.  If you're NOT using a rice steamer, you'll likely need a total of six cups of liquid (or slightly less)--again, using equal parts chicken broth and water.  
2. Start the rice.  Go read a book or play with your kids or something.  (Obviously, this step can be done ahead of time).  
3. If you DON'T have any pre-cooked chicken, at this point follow the instructions in my note below.  
4. Once the rice is done, scrape it into a large bowl to cool.  Stir it on occasion to let the heat out. 
5. Taste the rice and add a little salt if it needs it. 
6. In a small sauce pan, heat up the chicken broth.  When it's just starting to boil, drop in your apple wedges.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes until just soft.  Remove apple wedges, get rid of the chicken broth. 
7. Chop your cooked chicken, the celery, the green onions, and the parsley.  Slice your grapes.  Mix all of this together with the walnut pieces and the salt and pepper.  When the apples have cooled, chop them into thirds and add them as well. 
8. Mix together the ingredients for the dressing.  
9. Combine the rice, the chicken mixture, and the dressing.  Add additional seasoning if necessary.  
10. Serve. 

NOTE:  If you don't have pre-cooked or leftover chicken, do this while the rice is cooking. 

1. Trim and separate 1-1.5 lbs. chicken breasts, then cut each breast in half again. 
2. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil and one Tbsp. butter in a small frying pan.  
3. Brown the chicken very very lightly.  You don't want to form a hard coating.  
4. Add roughly 1 cup chicken broth.  
5. Cover.  Bring to boil.  Cook on medium-low for 8-12 minutes.  (You can also throw in the apple wedges at this point, if you'd like.)
6. Once the chicken is done, chop and continue the recipe until completed.  

Family Ratings

Lucy, who pretty much loves everything:  10

Jamie, who's getting really fussy, but likes the grapes and wild rice:  10

Will, who's 13 and feeling kind of contrary:  8

Ellen, who's a little surprised I'm cooking something so healthy:  10

Paul, who's even more surprised:  10

Greek Lamb Sausages in Tomato Sauce

Okay, I'll be honest:  these are really more meatballs than sausages; I mean, they involve ground meat patted into more or less ball type things--so, meatballs.

But then, as I was writing the title of this post, I thought, "Meatballs.  If I say meatballs, no one will look at this recipe."  And at that moment I understood exactly what Jacqueline Clarke and Joanna Farrow were thinking in A TASTE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN when they decided on the whole "sausages" thing.  

And trust me:  these meatba--er, sausages deserve your attention.  They're stunningly flavorful, but mild enough that the kids will like them too.  They take a bit of time, so I'd recommend them for weekend meals, at least the first few times you try them.  After that, you'll be so addicted you'll make them on a weekday even if it means staying up until midnight to do it.  

Greek Lamb Sausages in Tomato Sauce

1 cup fresh bread crumbs*
2/3 cup milk

1.5 lbs. ground lamb

2 tablespoons grated onion (I know:  weird, right?)

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Flour for dusting

1/4 cup olive oil

2.5 cups tomato sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

2 bay leaves

1 small onion, peeled (but NOT chopped!)

Salt and fresly-ground black pepper to taste

*Be sure to make your own:  basically, toss 2-4 slices of bread in the food processor and pulse until you've got fairly fine crumbs.  

1. Combine the bread crumbs and the milk. 
2. Add the lamb, onion, garlic, cumin, parsley, and salt and pepper.  Mix well with your hands. 
3. Shape the meat mixture into fat little ovals, about two inches long, rolling each one in the flour and setting aside. 
4. Mix the tomato sauce, sugar and bay leaves in a pan. 
5. Peel the onion and cut off the ends.  Put the whole onion in the tomato sauce.  Simmer for 20 minutes. 
6. Heat the oil in a separate frying pan to medium.  
7. Fry the sausages for about 8 minutes, turning occasionally until browned evenly. 
8. Remove sausages and place on paper town to drain. 
9. Add the sausages to the tomato sauce and cook on medium low for about 10 more minutes.  
10. Serve with a green salad and/or risotto.  

Family Ratings

Lucy, who increasingly likes anything, and the weirder the better:  10

Will, who still resists rating anything as highly as fajitas:  8

Jamie, who can sometimes surprise us by gobbling things down:  9

Ellen, who loves the taste of lamb but feels guilty . . . : 8

Paul, who loves the simplicity of the flavors in this dish:  10

Pan-Glazed Chicken with Basil

This is an old standard in our family:  it's about as easy as they come and very flavorful.  It comes from Cooking Light's 5 Ingredient, 15 Minute Cookbook.

Pan-Glazed Chicken with Basil

4 boned, skinned chicken breast halves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1. Slice the chicken breasts in half, length-wise.  (If they're extra thick, you might want to slice them thickness-wise as well, just to make for more even cooking.)
2. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. 
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet at medium-high. 
4. Cook chicken for five minutes each side until lightly browned. 
5. While chicken is cooking, mix together the vinegar, honey, and basil
6. When chicken is ready, stir in the honey mixture and cook for one additional minute. 
7. Serve with rice, baby carrots, lime jell-o, and anything else your kids like.  

Family Ratings

Will, who has a habit of picking up a large chunk of meat and eating it off his fork, like the Asians do with chopsticks:  10

Lucy, who could probably already make this herself:  10

Jamie, who actually finishes it before we have to tell him to:  10

Ellen, who comes from the midwest and likes minimalist, fresh flavorings:  10

Paul, who's had this about 600 times in the last 17 years and is mildly sick of it:  9

Thai Pepper Steak

Yes, I know this is the second Thai recipe I've posted in a row.  I'd had plans to post recipes for gooey chocolate cake and balsamic vinegar chicken (two different dishes, just in case you were worried).  But then I made this for the first time tonight, took one bite, and went, "Well heck!  THAT'S good!"

(Actually, that's not what I said.  I said, "Well %$#@!  THAT'S &^%$ amazing!" but since this is a family oriented blog--unlike my other blog--I thought I'd keep it clean.  Just this once.)

Anyhow, this also comes from Thailand:  The Beautiful Cookbook, which, despite its awkward name, is rapidly becoming one of my favorites.  I messed a bit here with proportions (using less white pepper than they recommended) and cooking order/time (I prefer my red peppers not cooked into a mush), but other than that, this is straight from the book.

Excuse me:  the @#&% book.

The recipe below is for four servings, but this recipe doubles nicely.  It probably halves nicely, too, for that matter.

Thai Pepper Steak

Marinade: 

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon white pepper 

The rest: 

1-2 cups rice (I use jasmine) cooked per instructions

1 lb. tender beef (I use flank steak or flat iron steak)

2 tablespoons oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup thinly sliced onion

1/4 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper

1/4 cup thinly sliced green bell pepper

3 Tablespoons fish sauce

1 Tablespoon Maggi Seasoning *

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

* You should be able to get Maggi Seasoning in the foreign foods section of your grocery store; it's in a little yellow and red jar with a yellow cap.  If you can't find it, one site I visited recommended just using bacon bits . . . 

1. Start your rice, according to directions.  
2. Mix the marinade ingredients.  It'll be pretty pasty.  Don't worry.  
3. Slice the beef across the grain very thinly--say, 1/8 of an inch or less.  (An 8-inch French chef knife is best for this.  Just be sure to hide your thumb behind your other fingers).  
4. Place beef in the marinade and mix.  Set aside for at least 10 minutes.  
5. Chop the garlic, slice the onions, etc.  
6. Mix the fish sauce, Maggi Seasoning, sugar, and sesame oil together in a small bowl.  
7. Heat your wok or a large frying pan until hot.  Coat with the oil.  
8. Toss in the garlic.  Cook for five seconds. 
9. Add beef.  Stir fry for 1-2 minutes until still just barely pink.  
10. Add the onions and stir-fry for 30 seconds. 
11. Add green and red peppers.  Stir-fry for 30 seconds.  
12. Add the fish sauce, etc.  Stir-fry for 2 minutes.  
13. Serve over rice!

Family Ratings

Lucy, who's recovering from the flu and was cautious:  10

Will, who's something of a beef eater, even if he doesn't have one of those weird hats:  10

Jamie, who insisted on eating the meat with none of the sauce:  7

Ellen, who appreciates that her husband cooks for her, even if she's not crazy about beef:  8

Paul.  Seriously?  You have to ask?:  10

Thai Ginger Chicken

If you'd told me three years ago when we were getting ready to go to Asia, that we'd spend a year there, take upwards of 20 flights traveling all over the region, and not visit Thailand, I would have told you you were crazy. Ever since the first time I sat down to a Thai meal in Madison, Wisconsin, I've been fascinated with this country. It doesn't hurt that every time I pick up a travel magazine and there's a picture of Thailand, it shows blue blue water and warm peaceful beaches.

Once we got to Hong Kong, there was a special program that sent Fulbrighters to various countries in the region, and I campaigned and bribed and arm twisted my way into getting an invite to Thailand. But then the stupid Red Shirt revolution happened in the spring of 2010, and all our plans fell through.

Which maybe explains why one of my favorite cookbooks right now is Thailand: The Beautiful Cookbook. Or maybe not. Maybe this is my favorite cookbook because the recipes are many, varied, and awfully authentic; the pictures are wonderful, and there's a lot of history and cultural stuff that's really interesting.

This is a relatively easy recipe. The key is the white pepper. Don't leave it out. I'm not saying your kids won't notice it--it's hard to miss that little tingle on the tongue--but they won't mind it. This recipe is sweet and full flavored.

(PS--My friend Jane tried this and said the quarter-cup of ginger blew her kids' ears off.  That in mind, you may want to cut back some the first time you try the recipe).  

Ginger Chicken

2 cups jasmine rice (or any white rice, really)
2 TB oil

1 lb boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 TB fish sauce

2 TB oyster sauce

2 TB sugar

A pinch of white pepper

1/4 cup slivered ginger

1/4 sliced green bell pepper

1/4 sliced red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped mushrooms

1/4 cup sliced onion

cilantro to garnish

1. Start your rice, according to instructions, maybe 15 minutes before you do anything else.
2. Chop all your vegetables and slice your chicken. If your kids don't like mushrooms, chop them into tiny pieces. Don't leave them out, though, as they really soak up the juices and add flavor.
3. Mix ginger, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar
4. In a wok or large pan, heat the oil.
5. Add the chicken and garlic; cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add all the chopped goods, the white pepper, and 3/4 of the sauce.
7. Mix well and stir fry for another 3 minutes, adding additional sauce if necessary.

Family Ratings:

Will, who likes chicken and is beginning to think he might be more adventurous than he thought: 9

Lucy, who likes to eat things she thinks are "exotic": 10

Jamie, who digs red peppers (go figure): 10

Ellen, who hated cilantro the first time she had it: 10

Paul, who's still determined to get to Thailand: 10

Soft Molasses Cookies

When I was little, I used to refuse to eat store-bought cookies. No Chips A'Hoy, no Nutter Butters, nothing. If it wasn't fresh, I wasn't eating it. This cookie recipe is largely the reason for that: these cookies are so good that when my mother used to package half of them and put them in the freezer downstairs, I used to sneak down and steal two or three at a time. I'm sure she was a little disappointed--but not too confused--when she found the tupperware container two-thirds empty.

Anyhow, if you're thinking, "But I don't like those molasses cookies with the sugar on top," don't worry; these are nothing like that. They are much much much better, largely because they contain sour cream, the secret ingredient to most of the world's best baking. In fact, I can say pretty unequivocally that these are the best cookies in the world.

I would strongly encourage you to double the recipe. And don't bother putting half of them in the freezer . . .

Soft Molasses Cookies

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup light molasses

1 tsp vinegar

1 cup cultured sour cream

3 cups flour

1/5 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp powdered ginger

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1. Cream the butter. Gradually add the sugar.
2. Beat in the egg and the molasses.
3. Add the vinegar and the sour cream. Blend.
4. Blend in the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and salt.
5. Chill for at least one hour.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
8. Cook for about 9 minutes. Press lightly on the top to test. If the cookie bounces back, it's definitely ready--and maybe a bit done. If the cookie doesn't quite bounce back, it's perfect.
9. Cool and remove from pan.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Family Ratings on a scale of 1-10.

Lucy: 10. Duh.

Jamie: 10. More. More. More.

Will: 15. I don't care about the mathematical improbabilities.

Ellen: 10. Damn it, Paul, you have to leave some for us!

Paul: 1,000.