french toast with peaches

Fresh peaches and maple syrup are a divine flavor combination, and one of my favorite toppings for french toast. I think it tops my list of best breakfasts...too bad peach season isn't longer! Apparently the mild winter this year means peaches are here a little early this year (the ones I have been getting are fantastic!) but may be finished sooner than usual too so enjoy them while you can.

backyard camping

One of our kids favorite summertime traditions is backyard camping. Everything about it, from shopping for our first tent, to setting it up, to the actual excitement of sleeping outside, is sheer joy for them. 

For Oliver it is another opportunity to show his skill at understanding directions. Regardless of the difficulty level he always loves putting things together and taking them apart...and when the adults are looking a little confused, trying to remember all the steps tent set up requires, he is often ahead of us.

Then there is the the fun of seeing how they decide to set up the interior, and what they choose to bring. Peeking through the tents windows or doors and seeing them enjoying a good book or conversation is a great reminder of how much they love the simple things in life. 

start of summer

Sorry for the lack of posts last week...our dear friend Samara was visiting us with her 4 kids and I was too busy enjoying their company to attend to my posts. Hope everyone is enjoying the start of summer! 

feta dip

Last summer we spent a great weekend with our friends Jodi and Fred and their kids at their place on Fire Island. While we were there Jodi made this delicious feta dip recipe that she had found in the online magazine sweet paul. It has become one of her go to recipes and I can see why - it was so quick and simple to make that I will surely incorporate it into my summer repetoire! 

Another well loved recipe that is a summertime favorite are these lamb burgers from Everyday Food. I like to make them with my garden herb greek salad. This dip would be a perfect addition to that meal.

strawberry rhubarb crisp

Today is my wonderful father's birthday. Last weekend we threw a party to celebrate and one of the desserts was this strawberry rhubarb crisp. I was too busy enjoying the party to remember to take a lovely shot of the crisp fresh from the oven, but luckily I made lots so I was able to take a quick a photo of the remains while we cleaned up. Since both strawberries and rhubarb tend to get very soft when cooked I added some apples to the mix to give the fruit part of the crisp a little more body. It was really delicious. Happy birthday Dad - I love you!

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CRISP

for the topping:

1 cup oats

3/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 stick of unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Place the oats, almonds, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add butter and continue pulsing until the mixture is crumbly and has some big lumps. If you want to make this ahead you can; just keep it in a ziploc bag in the refrigerator or freezer.  

for the filling:

juice of 1 lemon

3 golden delicious apples, peeled and cored 

2 1/2 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 quart of strawberries, stems removed, cut in half

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup instant tapioca

Place lemon juice in a large bowl. Thinly slice apples into the bowl, tossing to coat with the lemon juice to prevent browning. Add rhubarb and strawberries and stir to combine. Add sugar and tapioca and stir until everything is well coated. 

Transfer to a buttered ovenproof dish and top with crisp topping. Place in a preheated 350° oven and bake 45-60 minutes or until juices are really bubbling and fruit is soft. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream. 

chicken korma

My kids love Indian food and we order it in fairly regularly but we still struggle to have a well balanced meal. The boys don't really like any of the vegetables, and Bea finds the curries too spicy. I decided to try to make a curry that they would all like, and serve it with simpler vegetables than the restaurants tend to offer. Not only was the chicken a big hit, but you can prepare this in advance and let it marinate in the refridgerator so all you have to do at dinner time is cook.

I've started noticing boneless skinless chicken thighs in stores recently. They work well in this dish but I've made it with boneless skinless chicken breasts too and both work well. 

CHICKEN KORMA

2 onions, papery skins removed

3-4 cloves garlic, papery skins removed

2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like spicy food)

1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds

1 small container greek style yogurt (7 ounces)

1 3/4 pounds bonelss skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bitesize pieces

2 tablespoons coconut oil 

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Coarsely chop one onion and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add garlic, ginger, garam masala, and salt and pulse until everything is chopped very finely. Add almonds and pulse again, until mixture is a thick paste. Add yogurt and pulse to combine. Place mixture in a dish, add chicken, and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Slice remaining onion into thin slivers. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add coconut oil. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add chicken and marinade to pan and cook, stirring often, until sauce starts to brown on the bottom of the pan, 7-10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of water and cook, scraping bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen brown bits. Add another 1/2 cup of water and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover pan with a lid, and simmer another 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in cream and cook 2 minutes more. Serve with aromatic rice (recipe below) and top with fresh cilantro leaves. 

AROMATIC RICE

1 3/4 cups brown rice

4 cardamom pods, smashed

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

Check your rice for amount of liquid and cooking time. Combine rice, cardamom, cinnamon stick, salt and butter in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and reduce to a simmer. Cook until water has evaporated, according to package recommendations. Let sit, covered, 5 minutes before serving. 

eggless caesar salad

I recently discovered that my kids love caesar salad, and although I am not particularly squeamish, I prefer not to give them raw eggs unless I know exactly where they are coming from and how fresh they are. This recipe is inspired by one of the first recipes I ever learned, from Gourmet magazine, over 20 years ago. The salad dressing's ingredients bear little resemblance to a real caesar dressing, but the overall effect is surprisingly similar. To make a simple meal of caesar salad we top it with chicken and avocado.

EGGLESS CAESAR SALAD DRESSING

1/4 cup sour cream or thick greek style yogurt

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon worchestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon sea salt

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped

Combine yogurt (or sour cream), mustard, worchestershire sauce, garlic, lemon juice, and salt and whisk to combine. While still whisking slowly add olive oil. Toss romaine with dressing and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

lazy lunch: avocado

For me, one of the worst things about working at home, is that I hate to eat alone. It is not really the eating itself that is the problem...more the motivation to make something, etc. One thing I have realized is that it is really important for me to keep a few things on hand that are healthy but serve as an instant lunch. Avocados are a perfect choice - creamy and full of "good" fat they are also a good source of fiber, vitamans C and E, and potassium. I like to drizzle the fruit with balsamic vinegar or lime juice and a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground pepper and eat it straight from the skin with a spoon. 

construction paper sculptures

The last time Lila and Lauren were at our house the girls decided they wanted to do an art project but we did not want to start something that was too involved. Lauren remembered the construction paper sculptures that kids were making when we visited the Children's Museum of the Arts. The only supplies needed were contruction paper, scissors, and glue sticks and we had it all.

 

I had borrowed a cool paper cutter from my friend Jodi that the kids love to use. It makes cutting nice straight strips a breeze. Bea and Lila had fun using the cutter and then curling the strips around a pencil to make spirals for their artwork.  I also put the cutter to good use making mini flash cards for Owen out of some index cards. 

rhubarb lemonade

When I saw beautiful rhubarb at the store I could not resist buying it but I really didn't have time to bake a pie. I decided to make a rhubarb simple syrup that could be used to make lemonade or flavor seltzer. It barely took any time at all and it is delicious and so pretty.

RHUBARB SIMPLE SYRUP

2 1/2 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups water

3 stalks rhubarb, cut into 4 inch lengths, spit in half if stalks are thick.

Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepot and bring to a boil. Add rhubarb and reduce to a simmer. Cook about 10 minutes. Allow syrup to cool before transfering to an airtight container. Refrigerate until ready to use.

RHUBARB LEMONADE

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/3 cups rhubarb syrup 

2 cups water

lots of ice

Fill a pitcher with ice and combine lemon juice, rhubarb syrup and water. Stir to combine and serve immediately.