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A bit of news is cooking over at the Chez Us kitchen. I am very excited to tell you that I am doing some meaty recipe development for the Key Ingredients‘s Back Burner. Every Tuesday I will bring a new meat-lovers dish to your kitchen. If meat is not enough to keep you full, Monday – Friday, the Back Burner will be feeding you with recipes contributed by more delicious home-chefs:
Monday: Lauren, Healthy Food for Living, will be covering light lunch recipes–soups, salads, and sandwiches.
Wednesday: Kathy, Busy Vegan, is about eating vegan on the go and she will be giving us veggie-oriented/healthy recipes.
Thursday: Grace, A Southern Grace, We’d like her to be the voice for things sweet and baked.
Friday: Greg, Sippity Sup, will be specializing in cocktails and drinks
The theme this week is all about Halloween food for Kids. I wanted to start your night of trick and treating by filling up your little ones with a healthy meal of Bloody Eye Balls with a Side of Worms and a bowl of Monster Brains. Now, I don’t have children; but, after 10 years of taking care of MEM, I stand firm on the fact, if you make a meal fun, they are more likely to eat it. I use to tease MEM that we were going to eat a side of Monkey Brains or Lizard Lips for lunch; they would giggle with delight and ask for more.
Our recipe for Monster Brains is roasted cauliflower . We are big fans of roasting our vegetables, and especially fall/winter ones. Roasting adds a nice depth to the flavor and a bit of gooey caramelization to the vegetables as it brings out their natural sugars. I decided to use cauliflower because of the bumpy surface, which is similar to our brains. The addition of garlic and Parmesan add a little more flavor to an otherwise bland vegetable. This recipe is the perfect companion for a dish of Bloody Eyeballs and Worms, and is sure to make your little ones squeal with delight.
Recipe: Monster Brains | Roasted Cauliflower
1 head of cauliflower, cut into medium pieces
1 clove of garlic, sliced very thinly
olive oil
parmesan cheese
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Heat the oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl toss the cauliflower and garlic with a small amount of olive oil. Make sure to coat each piece of cauliflower really well. Put into the oven and roast for 45 minutes; or until golden brown. Stir the mixture every so often to distribute even cooking. Remove from the oven and put into a serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve. Eat.
I find it funny that one of the most popular posts on our site is for a kid-friendly meal, Purple Cauliflower Soup. Funny because as you know, we don’t have kids. Rest assured, I know kids like this soup recipe as we did try it out on a couple. Just tell them it is “purple soup”, not yucky cauliflower! Even though I love the original recipe, I decided to remake it a bit. I wanted it to be thicker and a little more lively; but, still kid-friendly.
To jazz it up a bit I added a little more garlic and I used veggie stock for the base of the soup. Instead of a pat of butter as garnish, I drizzled some good olive oil over the soup and gave a generous sprinkle of Ezpeletako Bipera. Did the kids still love it? You BET they did!!
What is your favorite Cauliflower Soup recipe?
Recipe: Purple Soup
1 1/2 – 2 pound purple cauliflower, green leaves removed, washed and cut into chunks
2 shallots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
3 – 4 cups veggie stock, how much you use depends on how thick you want the soup, I used 3 cups
2 tablespoons olive oil kosher salt to taste
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, over low heat, until soft, about 3 – 5 minutes, depending on temperature. Add cauliflower, veggie stock and garlic. Turn up heat, bring to a boil; then lower heat to a low simmer, season with salt to taste. It will depend on how salty your stock is. Cover your pot with a lid and cook until cauliflower is soft; about 25 – 35 minutes. It depends on how large the chunks of cauliflower are. Remove from heat, let cool about 15 minutes. Puree in a blender or food processor, in batches, until smooth. Return pureed soup to cooking pot and gently reheat over low heat. Ladle into serving bowls, drizzle with good quality olive oil and sprinkle with ezpeletako bipera or paprika. Serve. Eat.
If you enjoyed this dish, you may enjoy these others as well:
We had an early tomato appearance at our house last week. I normally wait until May or June before buying the first of many tomatoes; but, they looked so pretty at the store that I could not refuse. I love heirloom tomatoes not only because of their amazing sugary sweet taste or their juicy texture; also, because they are not perfect. I love the different shapes, sizes, bumps, lumps and many colors. As soon as I saw these two odd shaped yellow and red ones I knew they were coming home with me.
I had help making this tart. No, not Lenny; that would have warranted a video to entertain you. I had E & M of MEM. I mentioned to them that I was going to make a tart out of tomatoes and their interest was definitely peaked. The girls have really taken on a huge interest in food and cooking, especially Ella. I have to say I admire her many questions and the desire to learn. She was there every step of the way, from lining the tart pan, to mixing the filling, to layering the tomatoes and then on to photographing even before sampling. She helped with setting up the tart on different plates until we got it just right as well she waited with anticipation after every click of the camera – wanting to see the picture, to make sure they were okay. Maggie, was not far behind, trailing after her big sister and wanting to do just as she was doing. Now we know we have some foodies in training; but, maybe there is a career of photography lurking also! It was definitely fun to have help making this tart, especially 20 little fingers and two big smiles!
The base of this tart is a slightly peppery and flaky crust. We made a goat cheese based custard filling for the base of the tart and then layered slices of the beautiful heirloom tomatoes over the top. Tomatoes and goat cheese are not complete without a drizzle of good olive oil and a sprinkling of maldon salt and fresh thyme from the garden. Serve this with a mixed green salad lightly dressed with white balsamic and olive oil, as well as a nice of Rose! Perfect! The girls even loved the taste of the tart!
Brussels sprouts and shallots are slowly roasted in duck fat until caramelized to bring out the natural sugars and flavors.
We both dislike Brussels sprouts; yes, we are haters! Which may seem odd since I am posting a recipe for just that. Recently we were at the Foodbuzz awards dinner and one of the dishes was Brussels sprouts. I have to admit I was not happy to see this on the menu, how was I going to gag these down at a dinner party? I was pleasantly surprised that they were amazingly ….. amazing. In fact, I loved them; slightly crispy with that nice golden color of being roasted. Unfortunately, I still was not convinced nor did I ever plan on attempting to put a Brussels sprout on the table! Then I saw a few differentposts floating around about the “Brussels sprout”.
While Allison was showing me around the farmer’s market a couple weeks ago, I asked her about her Brussels sprout dish. She said she was inspired by the same Brussels sprout at Foodbuzz and that her dish was really good. This convinced me (as well as the duck fat addition) to give them another try. Last weekend we had a little pre-Thanksgiving dinner with my family and I decided I would spring this Brussels sprout dish on them. I did end up changing Allison’s dish somewhat, only because there was a whole lotta cranberries already happening on our table. I left out the almonds and cranberries and added caramelized shallots instead. The result …. delicious! Everyone loved them, even my 2 year old nephew, who kept saying “more”. Keep in mind this recipe is for an army of eaters, so you can half it if need be.
Heat oven to 450. Slowly melt all of the duck fat, except for 2 tablespoons, in a saucepan. Remove outer leaves of the Brussels sprouts, keep the ones that do not have any blemishes. Cut off and throw out the bottom of each Brussels sprout, and cut them in half. Lay in a roasting pan and drizzle the melted duck fat over the top. Sprinkle on a little salt and pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes until golden brown and caramelized. Gently stir the sprouts about 15 minute into the roasting. While the sprouts are roasting, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of duck fat in a frying pan. Thinly slice the outer leaves that you saved. Add the shallots to the duck fat and slowly cook, over low heat, until lightly crisped. Add the outer leaves and give a quick stir, just to coat the leaves, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Before serving stir the shallots/outer leaf mixture into the roasted Brussels sprouts. Serve. Eat.
The Colonel would never agree with us, as we have found a healthy alternative to fried Chicken; Tortilla Chicken Drumsticks. Meaty organic drumsticks are coated with crusted tortilla chips that have been seasoned with cumin seeds and spicy paprika and then baked until crispy and golden. Served with a light salad of white corn, cherry tomatoes and parsley. A meal even your kids will love, after all, what kid does not want chips with their dinner?
As soon as I read this recipe in Gourmet magazine, I knew two things 1) easy dinner and 2) kid friendly and I mean big kid friendly! We never have a bag of chips in the house unless it is here for a purpose; company coming and we are serving salsa, even then, I usually bake our own tortilla chips for this dish I picked up a big bag with the intentions of dinner and have some guilty pleasure laying around the house. This recipe is so easy and it is so tasty, not overly spicy, just right and the texture is great. Crunchy on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside. Your kids, young and old, will love it!
Ree, The Pioneer Woman, sent out a Twitter this week asking anyone to jump on board, for making something with left over corn. I have never really been a big corn fan, I blame it on wearing braces as a kid. Lenny, discovered white corn a few years ago, on a trip back from climbing in Yosemite and he loved that you could just gnaw it raw off of the cob, not over cooked corn that he remembered as a kid. I, too, have discovered the sweet and succulent White Corn and now, I love it as well. We eat it very often in the summer months – raw, grilled and steamed with butter. Anyhow, we have had 3 ears of white corn in the fridge and this was the perfect reason to do something with it. We wanted something refreshing to compliment the spiciness of the drumsticks, so we made a white corn salad. It is very simple and you can really use whatever you have on hand. We tossed in purple peppers, cherry tomatoes, parsley, red onion and the sweet white corn. Dressed up with simple olive oil and fresh lime juice – perfect summer salad! Thanks, Ree, for putting a little fire under us!
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle. Oil a large 4-sided sheet pan. Pulse chips, cumin and paprika in a food processor until coarsely ground, then transfer to a shallow dish. Whisk egg in a bowl. Dip chicken legs in egg, letting excess drip off, then coat with crumbs, pressing to help them adhere. Transfer to sheet pan. Bake, turning once, until cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes. Let stand, uncovered, 5 minutes.
Recipe: White Corn Salad
3 ears of white corn, kernels removed
1 small purple pepper, or any color you like, roughly chopped
1/2 small red onion, medium dice
parsley, handful, roughly chopped
cherry tomatoes, 2 handfuls, cut in half
1 lime, squeezed
olive oil, a drizzle
sea salt, to taste
fresh cracked black pepper
Add all veggies to a salad bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and fresh lime juice. Toss and season with salt and pepper. Serve. Eat.
How do you get your kids to eat “gourmet” meatballs smothered with prosciutto rich tomato sauce; by recreating an old time favorite, Chef Boyardee SpaghettiOs.
I had originally made this dish a couple years ago, but never wrote down the recipe. I have received a few emails asking for it so I decided it was time to make it for the MEM Big Special Weekend. I use the meatball recipe also for hamburgers and Max tells me it is the best hamburger he as ever eaten (and he is a picky boy). Your kids will love the circle pasta and the tiny meatballs. Sure to be a hit with even your pickiest eater!
For dessert we made Pizookie. I had never heard of a Pizookie until I read a post over at Diane & Todd’s site, White on Rice Couple. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to make it for the kids. All day I told them about the surprise dessert the Pizookie, we liked saying it, we would be having, never letting on what it was. They were so happy when I handed each of them a big deep dish, warm, gooey, chocolate chip cookie with vanilla bean ice cream. The only compliant was, that they wanted it served with chocolate next time and maybe a little chocolate sauce, too!
Before reading the recipes don’t forget to FLIP OUT & enter our gift away!
Recipe: SpaghettiOs
Sauce
1/8 lb prosciutto
1/2 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 14 oz cans tomato sauce + 1 can water or red wine
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup basil, roughly chopped
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
1 lb. anelleth pasta, found at trader joes
parmesan cheese for serving
Heat olive oil in a deep saucepan. Process prosciutto, garlic and onion in a food processor until finely minced. Slowly cook in olive oil until caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and water. Stir in red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Lower heat and simmer for about an hour. The longer you cook the more intense the flavor. Before serving stir in basil.
Recipe: Meatballs
1 lb ground beef, we prefer grass-fed
1/4 lb ground pork
1/4 lb ground veal, we prefer grass-fed
1/4 yellow onion, finely minced, I use a food processor
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
kosher salt
fresh cracked black pepper
Mix everything together with hands. Form into tiny meatballs. If you have kids, they will love doing this. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the meatballs on it. Bake at 425 for about 15 – 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are cooked to your liking. Before serving gently toss with the sauce.
While meatballs are cooking, cook pasta according to directions.
To serve: Drain pasta well. Toss with sauce and meatballs. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve. Eat.
Recipe: Pizookie
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
We used the tradition Toll House Chocolate Chip cookie recipe. You can use your favorite one.
Heat oven to 350. Lightly butter 4″ ramekins. Fill 1/2″ deep with raw cookie dough. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and place on the middle rack of oven. Bake for about 10 – 15 minutes, or until the top starts to turn golden. Remember to keep them slightly undercooked.
Remove from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes as to not burn little fingers. Then place in a cloth napkin. Top with a scoop of ice cream. Serve. Eat. Enjoy the smiles on their little faces!
How do you make your children eat chicken? By making this fool proof kid friendly chicken recipe, it will have your children begging you for more. Your kids will love this!!! Simply bbq’d chicken is basted with a sweet but tart glaze until it is golden brown.
The story of MEM. I have never really told the story of MEM, though, I have spoke of them fondly and often. MEM stands for Max, Ella, and Maggie; otherwise known as, Monkey, Peanut, and Mags or Magalicious. So you ask yourself, who are these mystery children? No, they are not the secret children we keep hidden in our apartment! No, they are not our nieces and nephews – we do have 6 nephews and 2 nieces but they all live far from us. Read on to find out ….
About 8 years ago, I became restless. I was 35 and ready to move on with my life; no more roommates. At the same time the dot.com was starting to crash and people where losing their jobs left and right; mine was becoming very unstable and I was very unhappy, despite, actually liking what I did. After a fantastic winter of skiing and playing in Tahoe with friends, two of us decided to skip off to Bali for 3 fantastic weeks. It was there, that I realized I needed to make some major changes in my life. I even contemplated quitting my job and continuing my travels from there, but, then the logical part of me kicked in and I came home. Once home that journey of change began. Unfortunately, rents were still sky-high and no one was hiring ……. not even a waitress job that could get me out of my unhappy situation for awhile.
After 4 months of continuing the search and hitting interviews, I became pretty desperate at work one day. While scouring the ads on Craigslist, I came across one looking for someone to care for a couple’s 3 month year old son. Now, this was definitely not the field I was in (I was working for a start-up as a facility manager) but caring for a 3 month old could not be any more difficult then looking after an office of a bunch of 30 year olds that were equally as demanding. So, I polished up my corporate resume and sent it off. Not more then 30 minutes later, I got a reply, that they wanted to meet me – I am sure they just wanted to meet the insane person whose resume had no child experience; but, hey, I had babysat most of my teens, taken care of three younger sisters and occasionally watched (played) with friend’s kids and besides I was energetic and compassionate; I knew I would be perfect.
Long story short …. I liked them and they liked me and they had this bouncy bubbly baby boy who seemed to take to me. They also had a one bedroom cottage with a backyard and a deck, which could be mine. This was definitely the blessing I had been searching for.
It has been 8 years almost. Eight adventurous and wonderful years actually. So much as happened in those 8 years, from being able to be on my own, falling deep in love (with Laudalino), building new and exciting relationships (Will & Evelyn, et al), enjoying life more, being asked to be Mag’s godmother, and learning to live life through the eyes of a child (MEM). Now, don’t get me wrong, there were some ups and downs, especially after days of dirty diapers, if I wondered to myself, if I had lost my mind; but, then I would get a hug or a smile and it would all change. Then about three years ago, I found out, that I would not be having children of my own and it all kind of came together. There was a reason that I answered that ad. There was a reason that we were all introduced. And it was all starting to come together.
My role has evolved and changed the past couple of years. The kids grew up, started school and started becoming their own persons. I started craving being back out in the business world, so I came out from behind the scenes and started working with Lenny at his company and now I only spend two days with MEM, which is mostly time with little M. We try to sneak in special time whenever possible, as well Laudalino and I still live in the little cottage, which we have grown to love, and we keep an open door policy with MEM.
Now you are probably asking yourself what does this all have to do with ‘Candy Chicken‘. This past weekend, I stayed with MEM for three nights while W & E, took a long weekend. It is always fun for the four of us to have these “SUPER BIG SPECIAL NIGHTS” as it means lots of fun, games, playtime and cooking together (the girls loved peeling shrimp & making meatballs this time around) Unfortunately, we do have to schedule time to EAT! Evelyn as well as her mother, make this great grilled chicken. ‘Candy Chicken’. This is a great dish, that any child will love, young or old. It is moist, crispy, slightly tart and slightly sweet. We served it with steamed white corn and melted butter.
MEM is crazy for chocolate and not just any old chocolate, it has to be dark chocolate. I wanted to make something fun, so I thought a gooey LAVA cake would be perfect! I remembered one that I made a couple years ago, unfortunately, my recipes are packed away, so I went by memory on this recipe – it turned out great!
Recipe: Candy Chicken
1 cut up chicken, cleaned, patted dry
1/2 cup butter
1 lemon, juiced
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
kosher salt
Melt butter. Add sugar and lemon juice, stir over low heat, until sugar is melted. Stir in paprika and season with salt, to taste.
Lightly season chicken with salt. Heat bbq according to your directions. Grill chicken until almost cooked through. The last 15 minutes, lightly baste all sides of the chicken and continue grilling until golden. Serve. Eat.
Recipe: Lava Cake
4 oz chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
2 eggs
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 teaspoons flour
Heat oven to 375. Melt butter and chocolate over very low heat until melted. Beat eggs, egg yolks and sugar until light and slightly thickened. Add vanilla. Drizzle in chocolate mixture with mixer running, beat until mixed, about 3 minutes. Add flour and beat for another 3 minutes.
Butter and flour 5 ramekins. Divide the batter between ramekins. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and invert onto serving plates. Serve. Eat.
