Moved

In a rare show of decisiveness, I have selected a new name for my blog.

littleapplecooking.blogspot.com is my new home.  Please come visit! I've imported all my old posts and even wrote a new one. Thanks

Christina

Lasagna for Cheaters

It's 8am on a Sunday morning, and your 4 year old is bored, because she's been up since 5.55am. Naturally, the 2 year old is still asleep, because that will guarantee that she will not nap, and that you will be on duty for a full 15 hour day, as contractually required by the Children's Union. On such a day, I decided that maybe we should prep dinner and stick it in the fridge to just pop in the oven later. To my delight, my four year old was able to actually make this very uncomplicated recipe herself, and then ate it for dinner with enthusiasm, even though it had red sauce. (She only eats plain pasta). I can prove this with the photos of her little hands demonstrating the "techniques". VICTORY! VICTORY! VICTORY!

This is adapted from a Real Simple recipe.

Ingredients: 

24 fresh extra large cheese and spinach ravioli (my local store makes delicious ones- if yours doesn't, just use a 30 oz bag of frozen, and you don't even have to thaw it)

1 26 oz jar of marinara sauce- or knock yourself out and make some

1 8 oz bag shredded mozzarella cheese

10 oz bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed and the water squeezed out (this is messy. You can skip but then it's sort of blah).

1/2 cup grated parmesan

a few leaves of fresh basil, chopped (if you have some)

Variations - You can use a meat sauce, or meat ravioli, or spinach ravioli. But not pumpkin ravioli. 

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven at 350° F. 
2. Mix the fresh basil into the jarred sauce.
3. Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Add about 1/3 the sauce to the bottom of the pan. 
4. Arrange half of the ravioli over the sauce and sprinkle the spinach over them. Sprinkle 4 oz mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan on top. Add another layer of ravioli and the remaining sauce and cheese. 
5. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 minutes more or until bubbly.

(note about the photos- we were making a half recipe. And we didn't put the sauce in the bottom the time I took the photos. That was a refinement developed later. Also, the fresh parsley is merely there for looks. We didn't use it.)

Hooray! 

Sorry-I'm behind

So this week I had a 2 distraught preschoolers with a horrible flu that included fever for 3 days, alarming rasping breathing, complete refusal to eat, and general, pathetic misery. The worst part was the insistence on keeping me up ALL NIGHT (how did I cope with newborns? Can't remember, must have been awful), with the final blow being the 4 year old who at midnight Thursday (her third night of fever), woke up and nonsensically refused to sleep anywhere but the couch. Since I was afraid she would fall out, I had to sleep on the ground next to her. Luckily she woke up every 30 minutes crying, so I didn't get a backache. While my other daughter slept in my bed, without me in it.  Of course I have a fairly new full time job with no vacation or sick days earned yet and was dodging in and out of work to the pediatrician's office, hoping no one noticed.  And compulsively calling my heroic nanny, who had her hands full without me pestering her all day. All the while their daddy is in the hospital recovering from back surgery, and wondering when we are going to come visit. Luckily my taxes had to be filed, since everyone needs a leisure time activity involving the federal government.
Therefore, I have not been blogging, and tonight I will be going to bed at an unreasonably early hour. I'll be back later, once I can string a few thoughts together, with the final apple recipe. I also have an idea for a post about lasagna, both a super easy cheating recipe, and a classic can't be beat recipe that takes a little longer.  Enjoy your Saturday night!

More apple delights- applesauce

This is a very quick entry. My sister Claire swears on the Holy Bible and her 1 year old's curls that the Ina Garten applesauce recipe cannot be topped. She claims that this is nothing like the jarred stuff. Plus, if you have a baby you can feed it to them. Not to mention you really should get to know Ina. Her recipes are failproof. So I'm just going to post a link.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/homemade-applesauce-recipe/index.html
XOXO Christina

So you went apple picking, did you?

And now you have 25 lbs of apples. Granted, they are the most delicious apples available, being that you and your offspring have just ripped them off the branch yesterday and drove them straight home. (The apples that made it out of the orchard, that is.) So here’s the deal. The easiest thing to do with apples is to just bake them and serve with (vanilla Ben and Jerry’s) ice cream and you will have a simple and surprisingly decadent dessert. So that’s the one I’m going to talk about first, because it is Monday and Mondays are not the appropriate day to tackle complicated things. Over the next few days (or weeks, depending on how disorganized I am), I am going to get progressively more ambitious on you and reveal various other apple treats. This will cumulate in my much lusted after apple pie recipe. So plan ahead, because you need to put some time aside to make that pie. I assure you that you will not regret it. But let’s charge ahead and do the baked apples as a warm-up.

Baked Apples

(A few tedious notes. Skip if you are not of an academic bent.

• Many people like to have a big long discussion about which sorts of apples is best for this. I say, use whatever variety you like. I don’t like McIntosh apples (I find them mealy). So I don’t use them. Many people suggest Granny Smith, but I think that any variety will probably be okay. But if you are nervous, Martha Stewart has written tomes on the subjects and Mark Bittman also likes to talk about this.
• Some people like to bake in a water bath but I don’t think this is necessary, and makes them mushy, actually.)

4 firm apples

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ cup raisins, or raisins and walnuts (optional, but I think they add a lot)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Scoop out the core from top of the apple, but don’t core it all the way through. You will be making a sort of basin. Stuff each apple with 1 teaspoon raisins or raisin/nuts, and 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon butter. Place in a shallow baking dish (they can leak a bit) and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 15 minutes. You will know they are done when the sugar begins to caramelize and apples are tender. Serve with a scoop of rich vanilla ice cream. If you have little kids, they will delight in scooping it out of the skin, but might need a little help.

Another note: I am currently researching a variation on this. By the end of the 25 lb bag I might have it  right and if so, I’ll let you know.

Guest post- Kid's Cuisine. I really mean cuisine.

Here's a contribution by my friend Jayn, blogger (Luckier, see link below), owner of the twitter feed @marisandvera, former co-worker whose hilarious emails made diet coke come out of my nose more than once and mother of two. Jayn claims that your children will eat high brow food if you follow her instructions. Thanks Jayn!!!
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This is the story of how my go-to kids’ dinner is a French dish that many cooks better than me are afraid to undertake.

I used to love to cook.  I used to spend late afternoon work meetings dreaming about what I would make for dinner and jotting down ingredient lists (shhh…. don’t tell, ok?). On my way home from work I would stop at the supermarket and then spend the rest of the evening preparing and consuming my gourmet meal.

And then I had kids.  While the boring late afternoon meetings continued (alas), I no longer had the time to stop on my way home or to cook anything more than pasta. And those rare times that I did have the time, and the inclination, my older daughter would not even deign to taste my creations.  My younger daughter was always game, but she would often bestow the ultimate backhanded compliment, “Mmmm, Mama, it’s just too good!” Pass the pasta, please.

Enter the vegetable soufflé.  Somewhere along the line I happened upon a recipe and somehow got it in my head that my kids might like it and – voila! – we have the perfect food, one that delivers protein and vegetables in a tasty, and adult, package.

Bechamel

Just a white sauce.  Don’t be scared.  Do stir frequently and keep an eye on it.  If the butter browns, start again.

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1/3 cup milk

2/3 cup broth (I use a vegetable broth)

Salt and pepper

In a small saucepan melt the butter.  Whisk in the flour until the mixture does not taste like flour.  Add the liquids and stir until the mixture thickens.  Season to taste.  Set aside and let it cool somewhat.

Soufflé

4 eggs, separated

1 cup of vegetables cut up in small pieces (drained if very liquidy)

¼ cup grated cheese (we don’t do this, as per my older daughter’s demands)

Beat the egg whites until stiff and set aside.  Beat the egg yolks with a fork and combine with the cheese.  Mix in the béchamel mixture.  Add vegetables and  stir until thoroughly mixed.  Fold in the egg whites gently.  Pour into a greased and floured soufflé pan (What?! You don’t have one? You can use a loaf pan.  And even bake in a toaster oven.  Not that I did that when my oven was broken.  For a year.) Bake at 350 F  for about 45 minutes, or until the soufflé  has risen and the top is golden.

Important note: While the soufflé  bakes, you cannot make any loud noises.  This is the secret benefit of making a soufflé – your kids must be quiet for 45 minutes! That’s like a day and a half in single people years.  Hmmm, why did I not claim that pasta needs the same treatment?!  Dammit - too late.

Are you brave? Cooking WITH little kids

Kids are more likely to eat food that they made themselves. We all know that, but the fact of the matter is that toddlers and preschoolers are unpredictable, still developing their manual dexterity, occasionally volatile and enjoy making unnecessary messes on purpose. Add to that the witching hour. You know, the demons that possess children around 5pm?  It's hard enough to watch little children, but try cooking dinner with children possessed by the afternoon demons, and it's all just a bit overwhelming. I actually may have made a call one very bad evening to the poison control hotline, since someone may or may not have drunk some dishwashing detergent. The poison staff told me that their call volumes skyrocket around dinnertime. Now, normally my solution to this problem would be to mesmerize them with the magic of TV, but the other night I had a very successful experiment with making pizza. I ordered the frozen pizza dough from Fresh Direct (sadly only available to New Yorkers, but I believe you can also gets some at Whole Foods, or make some if you are really ambitious). We just rolled it out together, spread jarred sauce on it, and sprinkled cheese. We even put VEGETABLES on it. It only took 15 minutes to cook, and they ate every bite. It was fun, very quick, had almost no cleanup, and was amazingly delicious. AND we skipped TV that night, and they ate their veggies. A modern miracle, no?

Fish Kids Love (with a fish tip that takes the stink out)

Everyone knows that you should be eating lots of fish. Three big issues with this for moms- 

1) Cooking fish can lead to a smelly cleanup, a problem that is exacerbated by apartment living.

2) A lot of kids are fish-adverse.

3) Why spend a lot time cooking something smelly that the kids won't eat? 

My friend Dana mentioned that her kids actually love a super easy fish recipe that our mutual friend Abby introduced her too. How fabulous is that? Easy fish that the kids love. If only it were easy to cleanup! Luckily I have the missing link to cooking fish - reduced stink. Just line your pan with tin foil, and THROW IT OUT after you cook the fish. Hooray! What’s gonna work? Teamwork!

On another note, The Pioneer Woman (www.thepioneerwoman.com) introduced me to seasoned salts, something I had never dabbled in. She’s a big fan of Lawry’s salt and often includes it in her recipes. I found I liked using it as well. The recipe leverages another brand of seasoned salt. Give it a try!

For 4 servings, you will need: 

4 tilapia fillets, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds

Olive oil

Jane’s crazy mixed up salt

Heat oven to 400°. Line a shallow baking dish or cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the fillets so they aren’t touching on the sheet. Brush them with olive oil, and shake the salt mixture all over it. Bake the fish fillets for 15 to 18 minutes or until cooked through. The time depends on thickness of the fillets. Fish will flake easily with a fork when done. That's it. Seriously. 

Enjoy. 

XOXO Christina

"Everything tastes good in puff pastry" quiches - Guest Post by Isabella

Hooray! Here is a post by my Aussie friend Isabella. And take it from me- Sydneysiders know how to cook! I haven't tried this but I am certain my kids will love it. I love how easy and tasty it looks.

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When Christina started her blog I was thrilled. Even though we live on the other side of the world from each other, and when she is making dinner I am generally making breakfast, it is reassuring to know that another mother suffers from the same dinner issues!  I am blessed with two children - an almost 4 year old who will try pretty much anything and will eat most things and an 18 month old, who defines the words 'fussy eater'.  If she was my first child, she would have sent me to the brink...as she is my second I merely serve up meals and then stand waiting with the dustpan and broom to sweep said dinner up from the floor.

I do have one failsafe meal however, that is also the easiest thing ever.  I am sure most other mums do a variation on this, but here is my version. 

"Everything tastes good in puff pastry" quiches.  Makes 4 (2 for each child).

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius.  *(note from Christina- that's 350 F for us Yanks)

Take out a sheet of puff pastry and let defrost for recommended time.

Once defrosted, cut out four circles - I use a small ramekin to make the shape. 

Find a 12 hole muffin tray - and spray four holes with a cooking oil spray - I use a healthy olive oil version.

If making 4 quiches, crack two eggs in a bowl, whisk with some milk and season with salt and pepper.  Put aside.

Put each circle of puff pastry into the holes - press down.  The sides may bunch up a bit but that's OK.

I generally then add ham to each, and a little grated cheese. You can also add a slice of tomato on top - I have also added broccoli (finely chopped) which was OK, as I had put in a LOT of ham so wasn't noticed by the fussy eater!  Really, you can use whatever your child will eat!

Then take spoonfuls of the egg mixture and pour over the ham/cheese.  Fill till it's even with the sides of the pastry.

Pop in oven for about 20 minutes.  Remove, cool slightly and serve with a side salad.

Generally all I have to do after is sweep up the side salad from the floor....

A grown up version I do for brunches is to cook some bacon and onion, add this to each pastry and then top with egg mixture (which I also add chopped up chives to) - delicious bacon and egg pies!

Pasta e Fagioli Soup: 3 Different Ways to Heaven

Like many other American girls who enjoy art, I spent a semester in Italy when I was in college. But I was not stuck in a cold foreign dorm room, or living with a family who had agreed to host an exchange student only because they had it confused with an au pair in their heads. No, no. Years ago, a Rockefeller gave Georgetown University a villa. Villa Le Blaze sits high in the hills above Florence in a town called Fiesole. And every semester  some lucky Georgetown undergrads get to live there for a few months. This modest villa has, amongst other essential amenities, an unsurpassed view of the city, about 10 bedrooms, a library, an olive grove, and its own staff. When I was there, the staff included a tiny Italian cook named Clara. I'm not sure where they found Clara, but it is indisputable that she was a genius. Clara put an average of 15 lbs on each of us that semester.  Amongst many other pleasures,  Clara introduced me to Pasta e Fagioli.


Clara was kind enough to give us her recipe, and since then I have experimented with various forms of this classic Italian pasta and bean soup. Over the years I found I liked the soup even better if I left the beans whole, instead of pureeing them, and it morphed into something totally different. My version of the soup is  perfect for moms because you can make a big batch and freeze it into portions. It's hearty enough to be the main course at dinner if you serve it with some salad and bread.  My girls really like it at lunch on cold winter days. I love to make it with rosemary  and chick peas, but I found that the flavors were a big strong for children and they seemed to prefer a more delicate version with thyme and cannelli beans instead. You can experiment with this as well. I'll detail three approaches to the soup and you can try them all or just whichever one sounds best to you. This soup freezes well, doesn't have too much hands on time, and the fresh ingredients are so simple you most likely have them on hand.


PS: If you are interested in Villa Le Balze, take a peek at the website.
http://www11.georgetown.edu/oip/os/villalebalze/ . In addition to photos and information about the program, it tells you where you can get the Villa Le Balze cookbook!

Version 1: Rosemary and chick peas

You will need:

1 large sprig fresh rosemary. Don't use dried. It's just too bitter for this recipe. If you can't be bothered with fresh herbs (we've all been there), try the thyme and cannellini bean version instead.

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 stalk of celery, chopped

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

5 cups chicken broth (I use low sodium)

1 cup of canned chickpeas, rinsed

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 cups of little pasta, preferably ditalini (but elbow macaroni is fine)

parmesan

Heat up the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Throw in the rosemary and stir it around for a few minutes. Enjoy the incredible aroma. Add the onion and the garlic, and stir that around for a few minutes as well. Add the carrot and celery and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Now add the chicken broth, bay leaf, tomatoes, and chick peas. Simmer for 30 minutes. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the pasta, until it is cooked according to the package instructions. Fish out the bay leaf and rosemary sprig. Spoon into bowls and top with grated Parmesan, if your heart desires (mine does). 

Version 2:

Replace the rosemary with fresh or dried thyme. You don't need to saute the herb- just toss it in with the  bay leaf. Replace the chickpeas with canned cannellini beans. 

Version 3:

In this version, use two cups of chick peas. After you simmer them, remove about half from the soup. It's okay if some veggies and broth is mized in there You need to let it cool first. Then put in a food processor and process into a puree. Return the puree to the soup after you have cooked the pasta, and stir until it is well incorporated. 

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Cookbooks - the good, the bad, the absolutely must-have

When I first got married, I discovered that my prowess as a baker was not going to put dinner on the table. And suddenly, it seemed unacceptable to eat cereal (or pie) for dinner. Since my husband did not seem able to produce a meal without a menu and a phone, I decided I'd better learn to cook more than stir-fry and salad. My very best friend became Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything".  The book lives up to its name. I've often bought a new cut of meat or an unusual vegetable at the store or farmer's market, come home and looked it up and sure enough, Mark can tell you how to cook it up in a tasty fashion. He can also tell you how to make a poached egg, bread, soup, chocolate chip cookies and curry. If you are suddenly called upon to cook Thanksgiving dinner - Mark will cover it for you. He's simple, he's clear, and he's encyclopedic.
Since the right cookbook can help inspire you, I'll continue to go over my favorite cookbooks, and I've already gotten some suggestions on new ones from friends. But I'm out of time for today. In the meantime let me know what your go-to cookbooks are.
XOXO Christina

Be not afraid of lamb

Ever since I had a baby old enough to crawl, the idea of Rachael Ray's "30 minutes" seemed laughable.  Not just targeting Rachael Ray here, but it seems all thirty minute recipes are designed for thirty minutes of hands on time. When you've got little kids, that is just way too long. This is where grilling can become very helpful. However, I live in Manhattan. We don't have outdoor space to put a grill. And the genius who designed my kitchen neglected to add a ventilation system.  Every time I broil something the smoke alarm goes off, and it is very difficult to convince the alarm that it's services are unnecessary. However, I persist in using it, as there are days when you have to get the dinner on the table in just a few minutes. (And a damp towel hung over the smoke detector can be a good foil). Now, instead of using your grill for burgers and dogs, or your broiler for steak, why don't you try lamb? I must admit that lamb is shockingly expensive. But actually, because the loin chops have such a small amount of meat, it's great for little kids because the portion size of one chop is really nearly perfect. So if you are at Costco one day, or see it on sale, do try this. My 2 and 4 year old actually love it, which is almost as shocking as the sticker price on the meat package.
Here's my very favorite marinade for Lamb Chops.  It is fast and so delicious.  The lemon really added a lot of flavor and zip. The best thing is you only need to marinate this for a short period- or you can let it soak all day.

You need:
3 lemons
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon dried thyme or rosemary. They are both delicious, but have a different flavor
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced (depending on how much you love garlic)
8 lamb loin chops. Try to buy them a similar thickness. It is much easier to cook them that way. You'll probably need at least 2 chops per adult, one per small child.
salt and pepper

Don't use a metal dish to marinate. Use ceramic or glass. Squeeze the lemons into the dish, adding the olive oil, garlic and spice. Season the chops with salt and pepper. Put them in the marinade, turn them over and spoon the sauce over to coat. Pop back the refrigerator to marinate, or if you are short on time, you can let them soak at room temperature for an hour.

Preheat your grill or broiler. If the chips are about an inch thick, and cook for about 5 minutes a side for medium rare, or 6 minutes per side for medium. Yay!

Enjoy! Christina

PS. I also tried this the other day on turkey tenderloin. It was great.

Hurricane Cuisine - Pasta with Cupboard Sauce

Personally, I am relishing the opportunity to spend two days inside, with a terrifying wind howling around my apartment while my children alternate between desperately hanging on me in fear of the wind, and bored out of their minds. Hurricanes are fun! Since I'm fairly certain we New Yorkers will be spending some time "electricity free", it's time to think about what you can cook from non-perishables. And I HATE canned soup, so that's out. One of my suggestions is to make a dish I'm going to dub "Pasta with Cupboard Sauce". Everything is from your pantry. Basically, start with:
- your favorite brand of pasta sauce
- a box of pasta (You probably have one in there. But I don't have a case of whole wheat pasta purchased at Costco last month for no reason. I would never do that.)
- a jar of marinated artichokes (might have to pick this up)
- a jar of sliced mushrooms
- a can black olives.
Just drain the various jars and add the to the pasta sauce (I only use a handful of olives, but the whole jar of artichokes and mushrooms) and warm up the sauce. Cook the pasta and add the Cupboard Sauce. It's surprisingly tasty, especially if you add Parmesan. This recipe is also great for those desperate days when you never made it to the supermarket.  Anybody got other ideas for hurricane meals?

Ingredients sold in large quantities, but used in small quantities

Sometimes food companies have got you where they want you. Take tomato paste, for example. Most recipes only call for a little dab of tomato paste- 1 or 2 tablespoons. And yet you have to open the whole freaking can to get that itsy bit out, and then you leave it open in the fridge for 3 months before you need tomato paste again, at which point it has become a brick with an odd white fluffy blanket of microbes over it. I've tried the tomato paste in a tube, which is an improvement in terms of use of use, but I still end up wasting most of it.  My friend Andrea gave me a great tip on how to make the most of it. She says, to open both ends of the can and pop it in freezer for about 30 mins. When it solidifies a bit, push out paste and cut into 1 tablespoon servings. Wrap it up and place in freezer for future use. I like this tip because it also makes the paste a little easier to deal with. I hate it when the paste sticks to the spoon, and then half the paste is on the spoon and half is on the knife you used to scrape it off with, so then you need another knife to scrape that part off, and then you are still unsure if enough paste actually made it into the pot. Same thing goes with fresh ginger, according to my cousin Elizabeth. Peel the whole root, and pop it in the freezer. Then you can use a small grater the next time you need some ginger. Awesome!

Banana Mania

Do you constantly have banana emergencies? Maybe you have no bananas, green bananas, or god forbid, bananas with brown spots that are deemed diseased, cursed and untouchable.  If you are in the later situation by some misfortune, I have a Banana Bread recipe for you. My kids love to help make it, which can also turn this into a rainy day activity. Even a very small child can mash the bananas for you, and they love to crack eggs with your help. I usually make this in a loaf format, but you can bake it into muffins if you reduce the cooking time to about 20-25 minutes. Sometimes I make the muffins and pop them in the freezer for consumption on a later date!
This is a great breakfast treat if you have kid that won't eat any breakfast foods and is hysterical by 10am every day. Not that I know any kids like that.
You need:
8 Tblsps of unsalted butter (1 stick). Helps if it is room temperature
3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour, and 1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking sode
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large (overripe) bananas
1 tsp real vanilla extract
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional, sort of). You can do nuts or raisins instead
I also like to add a half cup of shredded coconut.

1. Grease a 9x5x3 inch bread pan, and preheat the oven to 350F. Kids are good at greasing.
2. Whip out your Kitchenaid mixer. If you don't have one, just get out whatever sort of beaters you have.
Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Kids love to watch this. Then, carefully crack the eggs one at a time. Pick the eggshells out of the mixture. Because you know you let one get in there.
3. I'm sure I should tell you to sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, and fold it into the mixture. But I'm a realist. Nobody does that in real life. Just get it all in there.
4. Fold in the mashed bananas and vanilla and chocolate chips/nuts/coconut or raisins.
5. Put it into the pan and show to the children so they can oooh and ahh at the difference when it comes out.
Bake for about 50-60 minutes. It's a easy to take it out too early, so look to see that the sides are pulling away from the edges and put a cake tester in the middle to make sure it's not gooey. Actually you probably don't have a cake tester. I don't. Stick a fork or a meat skewer or a toothpick or whatever you've got in there to determine if it is still gooey. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then on a rack if you can fight the kids off for that long. Enjoy!

Roasted Chicken Leftovers

One of the main weapons in my arsenal is rotisserie chicken. How awesome is rotisserie chicken? Relatively healthy, easy and comforting. If, one day, you are lucky enough to have at least a half a chicken left, you can try this. The following recipe was originally inspired by my ambitious, glossy and mouthwatering Williams Sonoma slow cooker recipe book. However, it took on a life of it's own as I realized I did not have 3 hours for simmering. I had maybe 30 minutes before someone took me out if dinner wasn't ready. So, as my two year old threw herself repeatedly against my leg screaming, "I want MILK!", I managed to concoct this little dish. I couldn't believe it- but it was scarfed down by my husband and kids. I ate it daintily.

Ingredient list:
Leftover roasted chicken- at least a half chicken is best
1 Tblsp olive oil
1 carrot
1  stalk of celery
1 small yellow onion
1 cup of white wine for the recipe, 2 cups for drinking
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp of dried tarragon
1 bay leaf
1 lb dried pappardelle
3/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese
lemon zest (optional)


Here's what you do:
Heat up a big sauce pan with about 1 tblsp of olive oil.
Chop up 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery, and one small yellow onion as fast as you can without cutting any children or fingers.
Throw into pan and let aromas invade the room as you saute for 5 minutes or so, and stir.
Add 1 cup of white wine and 1 cup of chicken broth. Stir and let come to a boil, then reduce the heat.
Chop up remaining chicken into little pieces. Throw into pan.
Add about 1 tsp or more to taste of tarragon, to taste. Add one bay leaf. Simmer, uncovered, hopefully for about 30 minutes. This allow the mixture to reduce and soak into the chicken.
In the meantime, bring a large pot to boil, salt it, and cook 1 lb of pappardelle, which is a thick, ribbon like pasta that I love (although linguine works too).
Now, add 3/4 cup of heavy cream to the sauce and let it simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken it.  Add salt and pepper.  If you are ambitious, add the zest of one lemon. If you are tired, skip it. Drain the pasta, incorporate the sauce, and add Parmesan cheese to taste. YUM!
P.S. I know this has the dreaded heavy cream in it. My firm belief is that whatever else they would eat in a restaurant would be way worse. Seriously.

Don't worry, I'm here

So here's the last thing you need at the end of the day. You've been up since 5.30am, picking toys off the floor, and wrangling kids whose main occupation in life is to provide amazingly effective resistance to whatever you are trying to do. Or you picked a bunch of toys up off the floor before racing out the door and then spent 8 hours trying to navigate the latest non-issue invented by your overly driven co-workers.  And now, instead of heading to happy hour and throwing back a few drinks and eating the free appetizers as "dinner"...well, you need to cook. For said reluctant, non-real-food eating toddlers, dainty self, ravenous teenagers or whatever other motley crew is inhabiting your house around 6pm. Cooking used to be fun. Maybe it can be that way again. I'm going to try and help. Some days, I might have a really good tip. Other days, I might have a tasty recipe. Or I might just provide sympathy, because sometimes that's all a mom needs.