Healthier

• Instead of regular pasta, try a wheat blend or fiber-rich version. Wheat pasta has a very distinctive flavor, so if your family isn’t used to it, don’t go too far too soon.
• Add veggies. During the last 3 minutes of cooking time for your pasta, add 3 cups of chopped cauliflower or grated carrots to the water. Drain and continue with the recipe. (Above is our macaroni & cheese with cauliflower, which Estelle ate nearly a pan of.)
• Add protein. When you would normally stir the pasta into the cheese sauce, add ½ cup of crumbled extra firm tofu or slightly mashed white beans (drained and rinsed from a can).

Faster

• Instead of making buttery breadcrumbs try this: Sprinkle a thin layer of panko breadcrumbs on top before baking. Add a layer of grated Parmesan cheese, followed by a handful of panko. Drizzle with olive oil and bake.

Cuter

• It’s hard to go wrong with individual ramekins filled with toasty macaroni and cheese but if filling several portions is too much work, just serve the final product in pretty little bowls, perched on top of the plate. A special touch for a seemingly ordinary (but very tasty) dish.

We’ve got a lot of birthdays in May, my own, Phoebe’s, one grandmother, one great grandmother and a few days into June, we’ve got a first birthday party to plan for George. So, we’re making cake and quite a bit of it. The question is: Can I make chocolate cake healthier–or just less bad for you?

The first test run is something I’ve heard about for a long time. Black bean chocolate cake. This particular version is a riff from one I found on Healthy Indulgences, a blog about baking without sugar, flour or gluten. It was pretty good. But I’ll say this, you have to leave it in the fridge or it does taste a little beany. Two more things: The original recipe used Stevia or erythritol. I don’t know what those things are, so I prefer regular sugar.  And wow, what a lot of eggs! It was very chocolately and rich though, quite a good trick for a cake that doesn’t include flour–and packs a protein punch too!

I’m not sure if it’s top-5 worthy just yet, but we’re getting there.

FLOURLESS BLACK BEAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

ingredients

• 1-15 ounce can of unseasoned black beans
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted organic butter
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon water

instructions

Preheat oven to 375.

Prepare baking pan by greasing with butter, then dusting with cocoa powder.

Blend everything in the blender, like this: Rinse the beans and put them in the blender. Add 3 eggs, sugar and salt. Blend on high until it’s completely smooth with no lumps at all. Add butter, blend for 1 minute. Add 4th egg, blend for 1 minute. Add last egg, blend for 1 minute.  Add cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and water, blend again until completely mixed through, about 1 more minute.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Allow to cool and by all means, add chocolate butter cream frosting! I made this better-for-you version for Estelle’s first birthday.

What are your kids’ favorite dishes from the book?

Guacamole Tostadas, muffin tin meatloaf and shrimp gumbo.

• What kind of cooking tasks do your kids help with?

Measuring liquids, mixing salad dressing, washing and tearing apart salad.

• Do you have any food rules at your house? (take one bite, kids set the table, no snacking, etc.?)

No electronics or mobile phones in the kitchen and clearing the table is a must!

• Is there one ingredient that you’ve ever had a hard time getting the kids to eat? And what (if anything so far) made them believers?

My kids are adventurous but when they come across an item they don’t care for we talk about what it does for your body (Oh, that makes you grow taller! Or, that makes you jump higher.) and they make a connection to the results of food. It works every time.

• Is meal planning all or nothing? And if someone isn’t quite organized enough to plan a full week’s worth of meals at a glance (or even using your service) what can they borrow from your concept to save money and time where they can?

Nothing is all or nothing especially a meal plan. Flexibility goes a long way. An organized shopping list is my number one stress saver. And the best “The Fresh 20″ trick is using what you have on hand.

(And no, my kids will probably not eat arugula salad on top, but I will! And the little dumplings can just try one bite. That’s all we ask around here, and it usually works very well.)

Pan-fried Chicken Milanese With Arugula Salad

from “The Fresh 20″ by Melissa Lanz

Fried chicken is an American classic. This is a satisfying variation – lighter, full of flavor, and made with much less oil.  The key is getting the chicken breasts very thin and even.  That can be tricky, but it’s worth the effort. If you don’t have a meat mallet, a rolling pin and some muscle will do just fine.

Serves 4: 25 Minutes

For the chicken Milanese

• 2 boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts, sliced length-wise into 4 thin pieces
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
• ¼ cup olive oil

1.  One at a time, place each piece of chicken between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound to 1/8 inch thick. Season the chicken on both sides with the salt, pepper, and paprika.
2. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet until very hot.  Add the chicken cutlets, being careful not to crowd the pan (it may be necessary to cook the chicken in batches), and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown on both sides. Remove from the heat and transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

For the arugula salad

• 4 cups baby arugula, washed and dried
• 6 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes (about 1 cup)
• ¼ cup dressing of your choice
• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1.  In a bowl, toss the arugula and tomatoes with the dressing.
2. Top each chicken piece with about a cup of the arugula salad. Sprinkle with the feta cheese.

“…no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.” ― Julia Child, My Life in France

“Onions and bacon cooking up just makes your kitchen smell so good. In fact, one day I’m going to come up with a room deodorizer that smells like bacon and onions. It’s a fabulous smell.” –Paula Deen

“After a good dinner, one can forgive anybody. Even one’s relatives”–Oscar Wilde

“The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.” ― food writer, Calvin Trillin

“I am not a glutton. I am an explorer of food.” –Erma Bombeck

“Anyone who thinks they’re too grown up or too sophisticated to eat caramel corn, is not invited to my house for dinner” ― Ruth Reichl

“Soup is just a way of screwing you out of a meal.” –Jay Leno

“If there is a Nora Ephron signature anything it is that there’s slightly too much food. I have a friend whose mantra is: You must choose. And I believe the exact opposite: I think you should always have at least four desserts that are kind of fighting with each other.” –Nora Ephron

“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” ― Julia Child

“It seems to me that our three basic needs, for food and security and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others.” –MFK Fisher

“I wish my stove came with a Save As button like Word has. That way I could experiment with my cooking and not fear ruining my dinner.
” ― Jarod Kintz, Who Moved My Choose?

I’d say dinner in NC has definitely been kicked up a notch since we started: balsamic poached salmon, skirt steak, crispy kale and couscous with goat cheese sprinkled on top.  Part meal planner, part cookbook, part inspiring stories about families who are now cooking every night, this book is like a personal shopper, chef and coach rolled into one. And you can now win one of two signed copies.

“THE FRESH 20″ GIVEAWAY DETAILS

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW OVER.

Two winners will each win a signed copy of: “The Fresh 20″ by Melissa Lanz

If you would like to enter this giveaway, there are five ways to do it. This means each reader may enter several times if you choose to do one of everything below.

1. “Like” Foodlets on Facebook and comment below telling me you have or already do
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5. Tell me your favorite recipes or posts on Foodlets (so I know what’s working and what’s not!)

When Phoebe was born in Rome, I made almost all of her food. We had this great little baby food gadget that we bought in Paris before she was even born; About half the size of a regular food processor, you steamed the food first then switched a dial to puree. Voila, baby food. I used it all the time.When Estelle arrived, I still used it but it sort of died near the end of her baby food era. Plus, by then I’d discovered organic baby food at a health food store around the corner from our apartment, so I supplemented. (And by toddler-hood, made lots of muffins.)Now we have George. Our baby food machine wouldn’t have worked in America anyway (stupid voltage change) but I do kind of miss that thing. It’s not practical to buy another one since I’m fairly sure we’re done here. But I do have a new blender, a stove and a recurring subscription to Amazon Prime, delivering a box of organic baby food every other month.That’s right. When we’re eating out, or on the go, I always bring a store-bought serving for babies for two reasons: I know it’ll stay closed in the diaper bag (or my purse, ahem), and I can throw it away/recycle the container instead of lugging home a dirty cup. Also, it’s one less thing to worry about packing and preparing ahead of time.But for our day-to-day meals at home, which range anywhere from 2-3 per day, the little guy eats a lot of homemade food. These are my two favorite methods:

• Roasted: Roast any 1-2 vegetables + 1 fruit on a sheet pan with olive oil at 400 for 25 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
• Braised: In a heavy bottom saucepan, combine 1-2 vegetables + 1 fruit along with about 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until everything is tender.

Next steps:

For both options, pour everything in a blender or food processor and blend. Adding water as needed, particularly to the roasted food. It’ll be much drier.

For babies 4-6 months, add organic brown rice cereal to thicken, as needed. Once babies get big enough to gum their food (typically 8 months and up) you can leave it chunkier. You can also add cooked grains or proteins such as quinoa, lentils, brown rice, millet, whole oatmeal and so on.

Great combinations:

• Summer squash, carrots, apple (braised in chicken stock) + cooked quinoa
• Zucchini, kale, pear (braised) + cooked lentils
• Butternut squash, pear (roasted) + cooked brown rice
• Banana, avocado << a no-cook option we use all the time for breakfast, just mash it with a fork
• Spinach, apple, blueberry (braised) + cooked millet

The combinations go on and on and… Sometimes I actually look at the stuff on the shelf for inspiration. Or, even better, I’ll grind up what the rest of us are eating for dinner and make a portion for George. He’s 10 months old now and able to eat most anything, as long as it’s pureed or just soft. (You’ll see tons of muffin recipes in my “baby food” category, plus other things that are easy for those with no teeth to gum on down.)

Why even make such a thing? Particularly when there are pretty nice options available at Trader Joe’s, even organic options? Because any time I can make something at home, I know (and understand) exactly what’s going in. The ingredients in this snack are as follows: fruit, honey. End.

There’s no sugar involved at all, which is another bonus.

I also think it’s good to veer away from processed foods as much as possible, just as a family habit. Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist but there’s a lot of junk going on, and going into our food. From GMO crops and corn syrup fillers to basic pesticides and preservatives, it’s better to have a handle on what’s happening in the kitchen. As they say online…

So we did. They take forever, but the process fills your home with the lovely scent of fruit and honey. The kids can help too: Phoebe (age 3 1/2) threw all the fruit into the blender and pushed the button (like a pro). Later on she helped roll the strips and put a tiny finger on top while I tied the ribbon.

You could do this with tons of fruit combinations, like strawberry banana, raspberry and blueberry, and so on. All summer long…

And they’re great. Here’s how we did it.

NO-SUGAR STRAWBERRY APPLE FRUIT ROLL-UPS

This makes a very big batch: two half-sheet pans (13″x18″). I liked making a lot at once, since it takes so long in the oven. (Similar to baked apple chips that way, and also delicious that way.)

ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh organic strawberries
• 2 apples, (we used Golden Delicious)
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1/4-1/2 cup honey, depending on the sweetness of your strawberries

instructions

Stem the strawberries and toss in blender. Peel and roughly chop both apples. Into blender. Squeeze the juice from both lemons into the blender. Turn it on. Blend until everything is liquified and uniform.

Pour the mixture into a large, heavy bottom sauce pan. Add up to 1/2 cup of honey. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, simmering uncovered for about 40 minutes. The idea is to reduce the mixture, letting some of the liquid evaporate.

While that’s happening, preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line two half-sheet baking pans (13″x18″) with parchment paper or silicone mats (I used the mats).

When it’s more thickened, pour the reduced mixture onto the baking sheets and spread with a spatula. Try to get it as even as possible.

Now for the long part: Bake in the oven for 3-3 1/2 hours. Really.

Once it’s sticky but no longer pliable (you shouldn’t be able to poke your finger into the fruit anymore), take it out and let cool. You can even let it sit out overnight, it’ll only get drier in this process, which is what you want.

I used kitchen shears to cut big, rustic strips but you could use a pizza cutter too. Then flip it around so the shiny (pretty) part is facing you. Roll up on a sheet of wax paper, and tie with a ribbon. Pink, optional. I threw a couple into a zip-top baggie and took to our local bouncy house the other day. Our kids by-passed the snack bar there, brimming with popcorn and candy as though it were a movie theater, and happily chowed down on that fruity goodness.

Take that, bar.

This post is part of Melt In Your Mouth Monday and Mix It Up Monday

• Which dishes from the book do your kids like best?

My kids really love the quiche and frittata recipes in the book. My 5 year old often asks for quiche in her lunchbox. I change up the veggies depending on the season. My girls also really love the Spaghetti with Butternut Squash and Peas. You can hear my five-year-old saying, “More please! I told you I loved it!” in our video trailer for the book, which was completely unscripted.

• What kind of cooking tasks do your kids help with?

The kids’ cooking tasks have evolved as they have gotten older. When they were one and two-years-old I would have them play or dance in the kitchen with me and do more pretend cooking than real cooking–whisking in an empty bowl, lining a muffin tin with liners, etc. They are now three and five and can do everything from washing produce to measuring and dumping ingredients to cracking eggs. But let me assure you, it is not without mess! One of the food tasks that we all really love is having the girls run out to the chicken coop to collect eggs or grab some rosemary from the garden. They feel so proud and are fascinated to cook with ingredients straight from their natural source.

• Do you have any food rules at your house?

My biggest rule is that “Mom makes one dinner”. I have to say, I am shocked when I hear parents say they make separate meals for their kids. Once kids realize you’re not going to make something else when they say, “I don’t like this,” they won’t ask you to. We are also working on table manners right now, but three and five-year-olds are not the best at staying still for long. I know these things will get easier with time, so I’m sticking to them because I know how important family mealtime is.

• Is there one ingredient that you’ve ever had a hard time getting the kids to eat? And what (if anything, so far) made them believers?

My littlest will eat anything and has a very easygoing personality in general. My oldest, on the other hand, is another story. She has decided that she does not like cheese. I’m not pushing her to eat it because I know my strong-willed girl will push back even harder. Slowly she’s started to try some cheeses on her own, like fresh mozzarella on pizza, and a particular cheddar with carmelized onions in it (she loves onions!) but still won’t come near any other cheese. My bet is that she won’t go into adulthood with a cheese aversion. When my girls don’t want to try an ingredient I don’t force them to eat it, but I do continue putting in their dinners so that it becomes more familiar to them. I can’t remember when they realized they LOVE roasted Brussels sprouts, but it was not the first time I put them on their plates.

• What’s your best time-saving secret for preparing fresh meals like these?

My best time-saving advice is to keep it simple and focus on one-dish dinners. Making a main dish AND side dishes is just too much work for me two little ones during the week. I focus on one plant-based dish that has veggies, protein, and carbs in it. Some examples that are often on our table are: soups and stews, frittatas, stir fry, pastas with lots of vegetables in them, and big dinner salads. Keep lots of fresh produce around and know a few basic recipes that can be made with most any vegetables you have on hand, like the ones mentioned above. Fresh herbs can quickly spruce up a dish, so I like to keep some potted on my windowsill or planter box.

Sounds delicious. A few recipes to get started, right here on Foodlets:

• Spinach, pancetta and ricotta frittata
• Spaghetti with cauliflower and sausage
• Carmelized onion dip
• Homemade pizzas & sandwiches
• Toddler-friendly stir-fry with noodles
• Stick-with-you soup recipes

The fascinating thing about Charlene’s recipe was the total lack of one. She laughed when I asked about it and showed me a little list that someone had given her, one that causally mentioned ingredients and a loose suggestion of how to assemble them. I kind of love this type of “recipe” because it allows for ample updates but the gist is this: lasagna with strips of zucchini in place of pasta.

Actually everyone enjoyed it a lot. And there are many, many ways to do it. Charlene breaded the zucchini and baked it ahead of time (dredge thinly sliced zucchini in eggs, then into seasoned breadcrumbs and bake at 400 for about 25 minutes). Use these strips as your “pasta” when layering them between marinara sauce and cheese.

A second option came up when we were cooking through the More Peas, Thank You cookbook recently: Use salt to draw the liquid out of the zucchini ahead of time, and add a layer of cooked quinoa to create more of a main dish (quinoa = protein). (And we also tried a simpler version ourselves without the zucchini, more of a quinoa casserole.)

Then I decided on a third: Don’t bread them ahead of time, don’t cook quinoa ahead of time. Instead just add whole oats to the pan to soak up the extra liquid. They fluff up with all the tomato and zucchini juice, offering a really satisfying bite. It’s still a side dish this way but very easy and very full of zucchini and tomato–two things we hope to eat a lot of when the summer bounty starts to roll in. And when I say “we” I mean all of us, but we’ll have an extra scoop set aside for E.

ZUCCHINI LASAGNA

ingredients

• 2 large or 3 medium zucchini
• 2 cups of marinara sauce (I used the “Organics” brand from Kroger but you could certainly make your own)
• 1 cup of whole oats (uncooked)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper (3-4 cracks from a fresh mill)

instructions

Preheat oven to 375.

Use a knife or mandolin (on a thick setting) to horizontally slice zucchini. Then layer everything 3 times in a 9×9 pan, starting with sauce. The order isn’t crucial but this will work: Add a thin layer of marinara sauce, then sprinkle a very thin layer of oats. Sprinkle oregano, salt and pepper then add enough strips of zucchini to cover the pan once. Add 1/3 of mozzarella cheese. Cover with 1/2 the remaining marinara sauce. Add 1/2 the remaining oats. Season again with oregano, salt and pepper. Then another layer of zucchini, and cheese. Cover again with the last of the marinara sauce, last of the oats and seasoning. Add a third layer of zucchini. Top the zucchini with any remaining mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese.

Bake until browned and bubbly, about 45 minutes.