Today my friend Debbie Koenig of Words to Eat By is here to share a great Powernap recipe for parents and tell us about her great new cookbook, Parents Need to Eat Too!

I love the slow cooker nearly as much as Kelsey does. Around here we call it the New Mom’s Best Friend—after my son was born my parents foisted one upon me wisely gave me one. In fact, the second post-baby recipe I shared on my blog was Slow Cooker Ratatouille. The really telling part: I didn’t have a chance to post that until Harry was seven months old.

This new mom gig turned out to be way tougher than I expected, and although I’m a food writer it took a while to regain my kitchen equilibrium. Until I did, my husband and I bought Clif Bars in bulk and ate egg sandwiches until we clucked. That crazy time, the first year of my son’s life, inspired my new cookbook, Parents Need to Eat Too.

So there’s a chapter on meals you can eat with one hand, and another on nap-friendly recipes (slightly different from Kelsey’s take on it! Mine break down into stages, to do during multiple newborn naps). A chapter using galactagogues—foods that support breastfeeding, and another entirely based on shelf-stable ingredients, so you don’t have to stress about shopping for fresh stuff. And every recipe ends with instructions for using what you’ve cooked as baby food.

Of course, there’s also a chapter on the New Mom’s Best Friend. This recipe, for Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas, isn’t in the book—consider it a bonus. It’s not 100% authentic, since you won’t have the sizzly char of a restaurant fajita, but all the other flavors are there. When you’ve got a baby in the house (or when you’re super-busy), it suits my motto: Authenticity, shmauthenticity. We just want to eat!

To win a copy of Debbie’s new book:

1) Leave a comment sharing your favorite one-handed meal on the run.

2) Like The Naptime Chef on Facebook.

3) Like Parents Need to Eat Too on Facebook.

4) Sign up for The Naptime Chef newsletter (upper right hand corner).

5) Contest runs February 22nd at 7:00am ET through Monday February 27th at 12:00am ET. Winner will be announced here on February 28th at 7:00am. Winner will be chosen by random.org. If the winner does not claim his/her prize within 48 hours it will be awarded to another person.

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas

Serves 4 to 6

4	boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each), cut into strips
2 or 3	large bell peppers, your choice of color, cut into thin strips
1	large onion, halved and thinly sliced vertically
3	cloves garlic, chopped
2	tablespoons olive oil
¼	cup low-sodium chicken broth
3	tablespoons lime juice (from 1 or 2 limes)
1	teaspoon ground cumin
1	teaspoon dried oregano
½	teaspoon salt (use a little more if the broth is completely unsalted)

Whole grain tortillas, diced avocado, sour cream, and salsa, for serving

1. Put the chicken into the insert of your slow cooker. In a mixing bowl, toss together the bell peppers, onion, garlic, and oil, and place on top of the chicken.
2. Stir together the broth, lime juice, cumin, oregano, and salt, and pour over all. Cover and cook 4 to 6 hours on LOW, 2 to 3 hours on HIGH.
3. Serve with tortillas, avocado, sour cream, and salsa.

MAKE BABY FOOD: If you’re on purees, you can whir the chicken or the peppers with a splash of the sauce, or the entire thing. Mash up some avocado, too. Everything in the recipe works well as finger food.

 

• Main Courses
• Chicken

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Every so often I like to stop in and recommend a great read or two. It is next to impossible to recommend every single book I read, since I truly am one of those voracious readers who reads just about everything under the sun, but I like to highlight the best of the best and here’s a good one for you. Last month I received an advanced copy of a new novel, Julia’s Child by Sarah Pinneo. Sarah and I struck up an email correspondence last year when we were chatting about cookbook writing experiences. She also co-authored The Ski House Cookbook a few years ago and a few helpful tips for me.

Her newest work is an adorable story about Julia, Brooklyn-based mompreneuer fighting the good fight against expensive processed foods. To find a new solution to feeding her children healthy meals she starts an organic food company and comedic drama ensues. I would hate to spoil the rest of the story for you so I’ll leave the rest for you to read on your own.

What I enjoyed about this book is Sarah’s energetic writing and relatable characters. There were many moments when I recognized Julia as an amalgamation of many of the women I knew living in New York. While Julia is clearly the heroine, she is not without her faults and Sarah doesn’t shy away from pointing out the shortcomings of her seize-the-day New York supermom. She is hilarious, ambitious, smart and, above all, totally normal.

There has been a lot of advanced praise for Julia’s Child and I encourage you to read some of the well-deserved reviews. To read the book yourself (and find out what happens!) pick up a copy today. Or, enter to win a copy below!

To get to know a little more about Sarah I had a little chat with her about the book!

1) What do you envision Julia doing after this story is over?

Knowing Julia, she’ll probably find another great cause and stir herself into a lather again. One of the points I wanted to make is that all mothers need to find a place to stop and enjoy all the things that have gone well without belaboring those things we cannot control. But Julia has trouble with that. She doesn’t like to sit still.

I am honored that today Sarah is giving away a copy of her new book AND a gift basket of food made by 100% mom-owned companies. Like Julia, these moms have grand ambitious to produce and sell healthy, organic food for the whole family.

This awesome gift basket includes treats from Vermont Peanut Butter, Snikiddy and Little Duck Organics!

To enter to win a copy of Julia’s Child:

1) Tell me what food item you would package and sell if you could.

2) Like The Naptime Chef on Facebook.

3) Sign up for The Naptime Chef weekly newsletter (upper right hand corner)

4) Like Julia’s Child on Facebook

5) Contest begins February, 21 at 7:00am ET and runs through February 27th at 12:00pm. Winner will be announced on Tuesday February 28th at 7:00am ET. Winner will be chosen by random.org. If prize is not claimed within a 48 hours a new winner will be chosen.

What’s Going on Today: A little fun with the awesome King Arthur Flour package of pie making goodies that just arrived.

Naptime Goals: Make and bake Dried Cherry Apple Streusel Pie to celebrate National Cherry Pie Day

Tonight’s Menu: Dinner out with Mom!

Right before I left for Thailand I was invited to celebrate National Cherry Pie day with King Arthur Flour. Any chance I have to work with my baking mecca is a priority for me! I adore everything about their products and am a huge fan of The Baking Sheet, their bimonthly baking newsletter. The Editor in Chief of the publication, Susan Reid (a fellow bobcat!), is incredibly talented. Every recipe printed has been tested over and over by her skilled team until it is just right. Trust me, I bake a lot from that publication and everything always turns out brilliantly.

Today they’ve rounded up an awesome group of bloggers to celebrate National Cherry Pie day. For my contribution I whipped up this juicy Dried Cherry Apple Streusel Pie. My Mom was in town before my trip to Thailand and we had already planned to go out that night so I had plenty of time to bake that afternoon. Since my husband confessed to not being a huge fan of straight-up cherry pie I decided to experiment. I mixed some of the dried cherries I buy in bulk with sliced apples and topped it with a crunchy brown sugar streusel in lieu of a double crust.

We loved how the tart apple balanced the sweet cherries and the dark sugar streusel added notes of caramel. A particular favorite part of both of ours was the rich buttery crust. It will come as no surprise to learn the crust recipe is straight from King Arthur Flour. I even used the cool pie guard I received to make sure the sides of the crust tanned perfectly without burning. Genius!  To help you join the fun with King Arthur Flour they’ve generously offered the most amazing giveaway for National Cherry Pie Day!

They are giving away: 1 bag of Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, Pie-Filling Enhancer, Silicone Pie Crust Shield, Pie Essentials DVD, the latest Baking Sheet.

To enter to win the King Arthur Flour Giveaway:

1. Leave a comment telling us your favorite pie flavors for spring.

2. Like The Naptime Chef on Facebook

3. Like King Arthur Flour on Facebook

4. Sign up for The Naptime Chef newsletter (upper right hand corner)

5. Contest runs from Monday, February 20th at 7:00am to Monday, February 27th at 12:00am. Winner will be announced on Tuesday, February 28th at 7:00am.

6. Winner will be chosen by Random.org. Prizes can only be shipped within the continental US. If prize is not claimed within 48 hours it will be awarded by to another person.

* Thanks to King Arthur Flour for generously donated the gift bag for one lucky recipient and one for me.

Dried Cherry Apple Streusel Pie

 

For the crust: Make the Best Single Pie Crust from King Arthur Flour.

For the filling:

4	cups thinly sliced apples
¾	cup sugar
¼	cup all-purpose flour
1	pinch kosher salt
1	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1	cup dried cherries

For the topping:

½	cup all-purpose flour
1/3	cup dark brown sugar
½	teaspoon cinnamon
4	tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. For the crust: Make the Best Single Pie Crust recipe from King Arthur Flour. Place it in the bottom of a 9″ inch pie dish.

3. To make the filling: Add the filling ingredients together in one large bowl and toss them with your hands until the fruit is evenly coated. Pour it into the prepared pie crust.

4. For the topping: Mix the dry ingredients together in a small bowl. Cut in the chilled butter with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles small pebbles.

5. Bake the pie for about 40 minutes. Before baking, place the pie shield around the outside of the crust to prevent it from burning. Allow to cool completely before serving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Bread & Desserts

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1.Make Your Own Microwave Popcorn
2. Razzle Dazzle Strawberries
3. Valentine Sno-Caps
4. Raspberry White Chocolate Buttons

1) Baking with Dorie: This awesome app is Dorie at her best. Some of her choice classic recipes come with beautifully shot, instructive how-to videos. The recipes and photos are so thorough and well-written it will convince even the most novice baker the she too can make a gorgeous butter pie crust. More experienced bakers will relish the challenge of replicating Dorie’s masterful cookies and light as air cakes. Overall the app is clean and easy to navigate with a whimsical happiness that is pure Dorie.

2) Jamie Oliver: I’ve had a crush on Jamie for years, and now his app is out and I love him even more. In true Jamie style, everything is presented a casual, comfortable manner. Everything is geared toward the home cook and there are at least a gazillion (ok, maybe more like one hundred) easy dinner recipes for home cooks. Many of them are perfect for naptime cooking! Cooks and bakers alike will love the instructive videos and easy to read recipes. This all-around app is probably the best family cooking app out there.

3) Nigella: Ok, so this is an iphone app that can be used on an ipad as well. That doesn’t really matter to me, I love it anyway. In signature Nigella style, the information presented in this app is delivered with equal parts serious home cook and cheeky British humor. I love the clean format and gingerbread-style icons. The selection if recipes is small, but wide-ranging. True Nigella fans will love it.

4) Food52 Holiday App: Intended for holidays, but useful year round, this well-rounded app covers every meal of the day, plus entertaining recipes. I love the ideas for homemade gifts and sweet treats, and many of the dinner recipes I’ve added to our weeknight repertoire, no holiday needed. A fun app that is worth a spin all year long!

This is the latest installment of my Powernap column. The series where I share quick, easy food that can be made for all kinds of situations. Powernaps are short and sweet, and so are these recipes. These are the things I make in a jiffy when I need a quick snack, am in the mood for a recipe experiment, or simply need to clean out the pantry.

I am in packing mode so this week is all about speed and convenience without compromising taste, of course. One of my go-to quick meals is the classic panini. There are nearly endless combinations of what can be pressed between two slices of bread and this particular recipe was inspired by a panini I ate at LaGuardia airport last November. Yes, you read that correctly, a sandwich bought at an airport inspired me. I tell you – good food can be found just about anywhere!

This panini bar was brimming with all sorts of delicious looking sandwiches and I chose one that seemed light and flavorful. I didn’t want anything obscenely salty or heavy prior to boarding an airplane. Recreating it proved to be fairly simple since I had all of the ingredients on hand. I made the almond pesto quickly while my daughter was at school and simply assembled the paninis right before we were ready to eat. Like the sandwich I’d remembered, this one was brimming with silky goat cheese, crunchy radicchio and complimentary notes of blood orange and herbaceous pesto. As far as quick meals go this one bears repeating, perhaps I’ll be turning to it again when I return from my trip at the end of the month and need a few swift recipes on hand while I regain my bearings.

 Paninis with Radicchio, Goat Cheese, Citrus Oil, and Almond Pesto

makes two paninis

Almond Pesto:

1	cup packed basil leaves
1/3	cup almonds, not salted or roasted
1	garlic clove, peeled
4	tablespoons Parmesan cheese
¼	cup good olive oil

For the Citrus Oil

1	cup olive oil
1	blood orange, zested and juiced

Paninis

1	small loaf ciabatta
1	4-ounce log plain goat cheese
1	small head radicchio

1. To make the pesto: Place the first four ingredients in a food processor and pulse until a fine paste forms. Scrape down the sides and with the processor on low pour in the oil in in a steady stream until the pesto forms. Set aside.

2. To make the oil: Pour the olive oil into a small bowl containing the orange zest and juice until completely emulsified. Set aside.

3. To make the paninis: Slice the ciabatta into two pieces, then cut each piece in half. Brush one side of the bread with one or two tablespoons of pesto. Drizzle the other side of the bread one tablespoon of the olive oil. Slice half of goat cheese log into several pieces and lay them flat over the pesto. Then top that with radicchio and close the sandwich with the citrus olive oil bread. Cook on a panini press for about 10 minutes on low heat, or until the goat cheese is melted and the sandwich is heated through.

You’ll inevitably have pesto and citrus olive oil leftover. You can buy more goat cheese and bread to make more paninis! Or, use them for salad dressing and pesto-roasted salmon the next day!

10 minutes to assemble and make. Make the pesto ahead of time to save time!

A huge hit with my husband. Served with some quick couscous it was a great easy meal.

• Sandwiches
• Almond, Blood Oranges, Goat Cheese, Radicchio

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I’ll share the menu I am naptime cooking for tonight at a later date. I am experimenting with a few new techniques and I don’t want to write about anything until I know they work (!) In the mean time, since you are reading this on actual Valentine’s Day I thought I would post a few last-minute tips for wooing your sweetie tonight. Most parents I know, like us, will be spending the night in and celebrating with something more formal over the weekend must like Brooke and James told us about last week. If you are scrambling to pull together a romantic meal tonight here are a few naptime cooking tips for you:

1) Keep it Simple & Fun: Complicated dishes do not spell romance. In fact, they can sometimes kill the mood when nothing goes as planned and you’re dialing for take-out at nine o’clock. Try things like salmon-roasted pesto, tomato soup, or a simple busy day buccatini. If you have time to make things ahead today, do it. Then assemble for dinner and you are golden!

2) Splurge on the cocktails: I great cocktail can take a simple, classic meal over the top. Heck, why not serve margaritas with soup? I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. I like the Filthy Fizz a lot, it is perfect for tonight!

3) Chocolate: I mean, really, even if you are serving take-out or some pre-made food go all out with the chocolate dessert. Seriously – a sensual rich chocolate cake is a universally romantic gesture. Have you ever heard anyone complain that their rich chocolate tart simply wasn’t romantic enough? I haven’t either. There is a reason why.

4) Cook Together: My husband is a terrific cook. Most nights he isn’t home early enough to cook with me, but tonight he is coming home a little early. I’ll give him a few things to do in the kitchen and he is in charge of his signature roast potatoes. We love cooking together and don’t get to do it together nearly often enough!

5) Turn up the tunes: I don’t talk about music a lot here, but we are big fans of tunes in the kitchen. I don’t have a TV in the kitchen because I am terrified of slicing my finger off because I am watching the screen instead of paying attention to what I am doing, but we do have speakers!

6) Bring on your inner stylist: I generally don’t style our food very formally. It is just not my thing. But, when I need something to look more formal or have a little extra pop I slide it into a ramekin and unmold it back onto the plate. Voila – gorgeous! Sometimes I even drizzle a little sauce on the side of our dessert plate or dust food with confectioners sugar. It instantly looks prettier and makes you look like an expert.

7) Put away the toys: We used to joke that a sippy cup at the table was an instant mood killer. When you are taking on Parents Night In just put away the toys. Seriously, stuff them in the sofa or anywhere out of site and forget about them for a little while.

Do the dishes tomorrow: I mean, is there any better kind of break then dumping everything in the sink and bidding it farewell until another time?! Not that I can think of!

Congratulations to Dee Levang, the winner of the Scharffen Berger Chocolate Giveaway!

It doesn’t have to be a minefield. I always check out a restaurant’s wine list online before I visit. Pick out a few wines in your price range and spend a few minutes researching them. It’s a worthwhile investment of your time. Better to spend the evening gazing into the eyes of your loved one that staring at a wine list, no?

Tell the sommelier what you’re looking for, and don’t shy away from establishing a price range. Tell her you want something under $40 — or if you feel awkward saying a dollar amount out loud, point to a wine in your price range on the list and tell her you want something for around that price. Mention some wines you know you like (or ones you don’t) to give her a sense of your taste.

Word to the wise: asking for a “dry” wine is virtually meaningless. Almost every wine on the list will be made in a “dry” style. If by “dry” you mean mouth-drying and a little bitter, like oversteeped tea, then you really mean “tannic.” (Wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, can be quite tannic.) And if you mean zesty and mouth-puckering, like a glass of tart lemonade, then you mean “acidic.” (Sauvignon Blanc is the quintessential example here.) Being precise with these terms will help you get what you want.

Finally, look beyond the tried-and-true (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Napa) for the best values. Southern France and Spain are two regions I always look to, as well as off-the-beaten track regions in California. And this is just me, but I rarely order Pinot Noir-based wines when I’m out at a restaurant. It’s very tough to get this grape right. Inexpensive Pinots aren’t much to write home about–and good Pinots at a restaurant mark-up can be seriously pricey.

The most important thing is to develop a great relationship with the staff at your local wine store. Be a repeat customer — and give them plenty of feedback on the wines you do and don’t like (and why).

Also, choose your price range and stick to it. Don’t be intimidated into spending more; these days there are delicious wines at every price.

I wouldn’t stress too much about finding the “perfect” wine for what you’re serving, but if you do want some matching guidance from the wine store staff, be specific. How you’re preparing something (grilled vs. fried, for example) and what you’re pairing with (sauces, side dishes) can have a big impact on what to pair it with.

Some wine labels are incredibly detailed — others much less so. It might depend on the type of wine, where it’s from…and the predilections of the winery’s marketing department!

One wine label line item that’s mandatory: alcohol content. Most wines are in the 12-15% range. (Setting aside fortified wines such as port, sherry and the like.) This is one drinker’s opinion, but once you get north of 13.5-14%, you’re talking about wine that packs a serious kick! Everyone’s taste is different, but a lot of wine cognoscenti criticize these very alcoholic wines, as alcohol tends to blunt other flavors. If you’re talking about a romantic dinner for two where you anticipate splitting a bottle of wine, you would want to look for wines with more moderate alcohol levels.

And please, have no shame about choosing a wine for its label! One wine region that gets a lot of love (no pun intended) for its labels around Valentine’s Day is Saint-Amour. These are medium-bodied wines from the Saint-Amour region in Beaujolais. They’re really food-friendly, delicious, and versatile wines — often with amorous themes on their labels!

Usually we opt for meals that have a special meaning. A few years ago, my husband and I made b’stilla because we had eaten in during our vacation in Bandol, in southern France. We served it with a wine from the region. It wasn’t a “perfect” match — but it made sense to us and reminded us of our amazing trip.

As much as possible! Sparkling wine is great with any number of foods. You can start off with a lighter style, like a Blanc de Blanc champagne, that marries particularly well with salty or fried food. (It’s also great with sushi.) Try a fuller sparkling wine for your main course — think pink with Roederer Estate Brut Rosé from California or Avinyo Rosado Cava from Spain. There are even sparkling reds — Australia makes sparkling Shiraz, and there are some terrific Italian Lambruscos these days. Again, I don’t love sparkling and chocolate together, but if you have a fruit dessert planned, Moscato d’Asti can be a delicious accompaniment.

Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to drink a wine with some age on it. What better way to toast your enduring love? (Awww…) Try something you have stashed away that you’ve been meaning to open, or else a bottle from your local wine shop. (You’ll want to hit a store that specializes in wine, not just your local liquor store, to make sure they have a good selection and good storage for older bottles.)

As for me, I have a 1998 Hermitage (a Syrah-based wine from France’s Northern Rhône region) that’s begging to be opened.

1. X & O Valentine’s Day Treats
2. Baked X & O Donuts
3. Conversation Heart Martinis
4. 7 NOT Chocolate Valentine Desserts
5. Romantic Breakfasts in Bed

6. 10 No-Bake Valentine’s Treats