The How Could You Let a Kid, Your Marriage and a Full Time Job Get in the Way of Your Food Blog? Blog

The next time someone asks you how long it takes to find the right balance between work, family and the residual effects of a horrible illness you can tell them with full confidence that it takes three years. So, besides unsuccessfully finding work-life stability, what have I been doing for the last three years? I have been eating. I even managed to get in some good meals here and there, but I have mostly been focusing on getting from Morning Edition to All Things Considered without dire mishap (moderately awful mishap is acceptable). In the last three years, somehow, the sacred hour that I looked forward to in the kitchen each evening has morphed into the most dreaded thirty minutes (if I am lucky) of every-single-day. It is the last battle that remains to maintain a tenuous hold over my quotidian chaos.

Oh, I tried everything to get back to that peaceful place of cooking where I could coax the subtle spice and heat from unsuspecting vegetables (and from myself after a stressful day). At first, I bought into a co-op and picked up a box of bounty each week in the hopes of forcing myself to learn how to cook new things like garlic scapes and kohlrabi. As you might imagine, my good intentions inevitably ended up in a crisper of unused items whose mysteries were no more clear to me than before.

When my little one finally started to eat full meals, in an effort to make life easier, I toned down our usually fiery fare for palatable and slightly less adventurous meals (anything beyond carrots and peas is still a little suspect to my toddler). But without my spicy standbys, I lost my way entirely. In the end, I’d long for the one day of the week that I didn’t have to face the kitchen – Pizza Night.

I can’t entirely blame my child for this. After all, I was the one illustrating disdain for the kitchen, and who knows what this little person thought when I collapsed into the high-backed chair at dinner time proclaiming, “It’s not the best, but it will have to do.” In our household, food was clearly the enemy and making it to the table at six was a true battle of will.

And then, one day (recently), I put my foot down. I didn’t want to be the person who looked to Rachel Ray’s “30-minute meals” as the dinner bible (and for full disclosure, it always took me at least 45 minutes). I wanted to create my own masterpieces. I wanted to help my child see how important food can be to life, and even to experience the joy of the kitchen. For the last month or so, I have been following a strict plan and, so far, it seems to have worked.

Just to be clear, I am the worst with planning. I call my life philosophy “seat-of-my-pants living” and rarely think to prepare anything. It makes life interesting, but it also turns food into the devil. Here are the steps to my plan that has finally allowed me to look forward to dinnertime – All Things Considered blaring as I lord over a mildly controlled, inspired experiment each evening.

1    A weekly menu: This step is crucial. It goes against all that I have ever practiced when it comes to food (remember when it was like “Ooh, what shall we eat tonight, honey?”), but without it the Pizza guy gets a speed dial number on my cell phone. If I have everything that I need ready to go, I am less likely to succumb to bad habits. In the end, it saves time, money and my mind. 

2    New Recipes: I need to expand my base and to reignite my relationship to flavors. To do this I make sure that I include two – or one if it is a crazy week – new recipes that require new ingredients. This isn’t always a success, but it does help to bring in a lot of different aromas, tastes and surprising favorites to our table. The key here is to always include an element everyone will eat, like rice or chickpeas, even if it is on the side.

3    Collaboration:  There is no better way to show how much I love cooking with my little one than sharing the experiences. It is also a great way, I have found, to start talking about chemistry with a 4-yr old. Heat changes things, some ingredients react to each other, flavors cancel each other out. Focusing on the experience brings back joy!

4    A Healthy Backup Plan (or two, or three):  When disaster strikes (in the form of ruined food, combinations gone wrong, forgotten ingredients, which tends to happen a lot!) no sweat. I just pull out the backup plan. For me it is usually a simple vegetable soup since I always have broth, frozen veggies and quinoa or some other grain on hand. In the most stressful emergency situation I always allow for spaghetti.

Typical weekly plan:

Day 1: Black Bean & Brown Rice Enchiladas with Tortilla Chips

Put rice, beans, peppers and broth in a huge pot and cook together until rice is soft. Roll up the rice filling into corn tortillas and whip up a quick enchilada sauce (flour, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin and some salt). Bake at 350 until heated through. Kid version: Serve the black bean and rice with homemade corn tortilla chips on the side.

Day 2: Buffalo Cauliflower over Romaine with Tofu Crumbles

Personally, I don't need the tofu and this picture is from the following day when I took it to lunch. Cut up a large head of cauliflower. Mix 1/4 cup Cayenne Pepper Sauce, 1/4 cup hot broth and 2 cloves of finely cut garlic. Pour the mixture over the cauliflower and bake in the oven at 350 degrees until all the liquid is gone and the veggies are slightly blackening. Kid version: A pile of cauliflower in olive oil and garlic without hot sauce (I cook it in a small pan beside the rest) on top of some greens with tofu cubes lightly breaded and fried on the side.

 

Day 3: Zucchini and Leeks over Rice (and/or noodles)

I just threw in a bunch of things that I had in the house. Rough cut leeks, and half-moon the zucchini. Sprinkle with olive oil and some salt. Add 1/4 cup water and cover. Cook until all veggies are warm or crisp to your liking. Serve with brown rice on the side. Kid version: For me, leeks are a deal-breaker, so I usually just serve rice with zucchini on the side and often, I will throw in some cooked chickpeas. 

Day 4: Quick Pad Thai Noodles with Broccoli, Mushrooms and Peanuts

Heat broccoli and thin sliced mushrooms in a skillet with a tsp of coconut oil. Boil water on the side for the rice noodles. When all is done put the cooked noodles in the skillet and mix it all together with some peanuts, tamari and a splash of lime. Kid version: Simply separate the ingredients on the plate - noodles, broccoli, mushrooms and peanuts. For me, letting my child put everything together is the key.

Day 5: Hearty Chili (spiced to taste) with Tortilla Chips

This chili was a last minute decision on a very busy night. I put in some kidney beans, zucchini and corn and made a quick chili sauce from tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and vegetable broth. A pinch of gluten-free flour and you've got a hearty soup. I sprinkle mine with nutritional yeast, but my other half likes to smother his in cheddar. Kid version: reserve some of the ingredients to heat separately. Serve beans, and veggies on a plate with tortilla chips.

Back up plans and lunches: Homemade Fried Rice w/ Spring Rolls, Chickpeas and Rice over Arugula, Smoked Paprika Potato Medallions and Arugula, Quick Stir Fry with Broccoli, Mushrooms and Brown Rice

You will notice that I repeat here – use Arugula for a few days, then rice, then broccoli, etc. I can use up leftovers and also plan on using items when they are most fresh.

Presentation is also key. My child would never touch chili, but if I keep some of the black beans and corn on the side, I can heap those up on a plate with tortilla chips and we are all happy without creating more dishes.