slow cooker pineapple teriyaki chicken

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/4 c flour
salt and pepper

why dirty up a bowl when you can prep the chicken straight in the crockpot

flour mixture:

add chicken:

1 can pineapple tidbits
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 tsp crushed ginger
1/2 c teriyaki glaze
honey, drizzle on top of whole mixture
1 tbsp mirin (rice wine)
sprinkle of cayenne (optional)

NOTE: pineapple is just for show.  most people wont tell you this but though crockpot cooked pineapple gives off a wonderful flavor it actually seems to take on a not so yummy one so we actually didn't eat it.  

4-6 hours on low (depending on your crockpot- my low setting is more like medium so I only needed 4 hours)

BEST WAY TO SERVE: cook your favorite kind of rice according to water rice ratio directions BUT instead of water use chicken broth, add two bay leaves, toasted sesame oil, and towards the end of cooking add some soy sauce.  mmmmmmmm

cheaters challah

No time to bake bread?  No worries!  Having guests you want to impress?  No problem!

1. Trader Joes White Pizza Dough
2. Trader Joes Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
3. Trader Joes Herbed Pizza Dough
Make a snake out of each dough and braid them together.
Let rise on a waxed cookie sheet covered for as much time as you have (3 minutes or 3 hours!)
brush eggwash on top
Bake at 350 for an hour (check on it your oven might bake differently)
halfway through brush more eggwash on top

Is it weird that I like mine slightly underdone like this:

School Lunches - my new favorite chore

Most people hate making lunches and will pay big bucks to avoid making them.  I, on the other hand, have come to embrace and LOVE making lunches.

TIPS:

1. Buy compartmentalized lunch boxes (i.e. bento box) and have the goal of trying to make the compartments as colorful and appetizing as possible.  

2. Listen to what your kids want and then come up with healthy solutions.  For example, M wanted cookies in his lunch so I bought cookie cereal- this way his "treat" is actually fortified with vitamins and minerals.

3. Buy vegitarian main dish options like Morningstar Farms.  They do NOT need to be heated so they can go straight from freezer to lunchbox.  

4. Variety is key.  If you're not sure whether your child will eat the main dish you chose pack a back-up main.  Same for fruits or vegis.  Kids are mood-driven eaters so their tastes may change from day to day.

5. Double dip.  If you're making spaghetti and meatsauce for dinner, make extra spaghetti to pack in their lunch the next day.  

Proteins keep them full and focused.  Try to incorperate as much as possible.

Worried your kid wont eat their vegis?  Add some fruit to the compartment to give them more taste and color.

The sweet potatoes in this pic are Trader Joes brand and have 50% vitamin A (vegi vitamin)!!  

Lemony Tilapia with slow roasted tomatoes, garlic, and herbs

Hey Ali-

Sorry for the hiatus but things have been insane around here.  On Labor Day we were all sick with strep- YUCK!  While we were at the pediatrician's office waiting for the strep test results, I was reading  an article about the importance of eating fish at least once a week .  As you know I am a sucker for all things in print so tonight I am making tilapia for dinner.  I had to come up with my own recipe since most of the ones I found either involved frying the fish or dousing it in lots of butter.  Tilapia is a great fish for kids because the flavor is mellow.  

Slow roasted tomatoes:

1 T olive oil

1 head WHOLE cloves garlic 

Fresh dill, parsley, thyme 

salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar to bring out the sweet juices

-Add all ingredients to a 9x13 pan, cover, and cook at 350 for 45 min

Lemony tilapia:

1 lemon, thinly sliced

4-6 tilapia fillets with just a touch of lemon pepper seasoning (optional)

and a pinch of sugar sprinkled on each side

-take tomatoes out of the oven and intersperse fish and lemon slices
-spray with olive oil spray
-bake covered for another 20 minutes or till done

PART ONE

mmmmmmmmmm fresh herbs 

PART TWO 

Bon Apetit my friend.

Ratatouille

A merry concoction of eggplant, tomatoes, onions, and zucchini.  Add olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and sautee forever. Grab a fork.

Shwarma!

Mollie, mentioning shwarma seasoning got me in the mood for this tantalizing version made with boneless chicken thighs.
I threw together kebab seasoning, olive oil, fresh parsley, paprika, turmeric and onion soup mix and baked it on a cookie sheet @ 425°F (gotta be specific these days) till beautifully browned.  Worth the flight to this side of the Atlantic.

white wine & herb lamb chops with toasted israeli couscous

MMMM lamb chops!  Our friends just brought us herbs from their garden so I knew this dinner would rock.  Ali- they were amazing.  I know you're all about the shwarma seasoning with this type of dinner but trust me this simple recipe will have you changing your tune in no time.

 5 branches of rosemary
1 large branch of mint
2 heads of garlic- cloves left whole
salt and pepper
4-6 lamb chops
white wine
1 T olive oil

1. place herbs on bottom of the pan

2. season lamb on both sides with salt and pepper

3. pour enough wine to coat the meat (a cup or two) and 1 T olive oil

4. cover tightly and cook at 325 for 2 hours OR grill/broil 10 min per side

1. toast israeli couscous in 1 T olive oil 

2. add 2 C chicken broth and a bay leaf

3. cook 10-12 min on low simmer 

Watermelon Blues

Watermelon, Mint & Lime Smoothie

Kind of crushing on obsessing over watermelon right now. The title of this post, Watermelon Blues, which my fingers randomly just typed out, was actually the name of a quirky toy store in Pittsburgh that my mom used to take me to sometimes when I was younger and I loved the random things you could find there. Like foldable paper flowers on a stick that I would play with for hours. Weird kid. 

Anyway, back in NY, where my friend's car registered 103f outside yesterday, I've been trying to stay cool. (I'm not great at keeping my cool in any temperature over 72).

Since watermelon has a high water content (hydration, people) and is so sweet and juicy, the obsession is a no-brainer. I have photojournaled my noteworthy watermelon moments of the week above and below.

   Melon and raspberry lemonade snack                        

Fruit stand by my office in Brighton Beach

Watermelon and Feta Salad prep (see recipe below)

Delicious meal (see below)

Watermelon Feta Salad Recipe:

(2 servings)

Ingredients: 

1 container of pre-cut watermelon squares (or can cut your own if you're not lazy)

1/2 cup mesclun greens

1 package feta cheese

1/2 container of grape heirloom tomatoes

2T olive oil

2T balsamic vinegar

(can also substitute the lettuce for 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves)

Instructions:

Slice chunks of watermelon into small cubes. Do this with the feta as well. Slice the tomatoes in half (if you choose) and toss ingredients all together. I personally think it tastes best with only a small amount of lettuce, making the other juicier ingredients the real showcase of the salad. When you bite into a piece of watermelon followed by a piece of slightly salty cheese - I'm telling you, there's nothing like it. I also wasn't sure how I would feel about the tomato-watermelon pairing, but since there were recipes for this salad all over Pinterest, I figured there must be something to it. There was. 

Obviously I drank lemonade out of a jar, with a straw, to accompany it [read: Pinterest has taken over by brain]. My friend Avi, who is kind of picky, was over for a visit and he surprised himself by loving the salad too. I also got my sister and a coworker hooked on it after sharing the recipe the next day. Mollie - I know, I just featured cheese on your blog. But you'll get over it :)....for the sake of our readers! (p.s. anyone out there? show us some comment love?)

Additional Links: 

just for funspiration, here's some other watermelon/salad ideas I'm digging: 

1. Been meaning to try out jicama for a while - Mollie/Ali - any other tips on that? -  http://melinaphotos.blogspot.com/2011/09/shapes-of-summer.html 

2. Kinda cute - http://drizzleanddip.com/2009/12/24/watermelon-and-feta-skewers-with-balsamic-sauce-drizzle 

3. Liking the addition of avocado - http://www.ilanafreddye.com/2012/06/summer-salad.html 

4. Yum - http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/170563929/sweet-salty-and-spicy-watermelon-refresher/

5. My friend Rebecca picked up on my melon love and posted this to my FB wall yesterday - http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/07/21/magazine/watermelon-recipes.html?smid=fb-nytimes&WT.z_sma=MG_WAD_20130718&_r=0 

I'll stop now. Enjoy the heatwave everyone :)

xo,

Rebecca (your nyc counterpart) 

idiot-proof candied salami

Hey Ali-

I am holding a parlor meeting at my house tonight.  Can't you fly halfway across the world in time to attend?  I miss you so much!!!!!!!!!!  Besides for learning about a great organization, our friends will partake in a wine tasting paired with meat apps so we decided to call it a "Meat and Greet" get it?? haaahaa

My favorite simple party food is my candied salami.  It always goes and its SO easy to prepare.  

and or course my FAVORITE secret ingredient: 

make a rub with pepper, cayenne, salt,

and smoked paprika

(dont stress about how many shakes of each you cannot ruin this!)

mix it all up (yes, I do wear gloves when I cook)

 Per 2 LBS Salami add:

1 jar Heinz Chili Sauce

2 T Lemon Juice (I squirt it in the empty chili sauce container and shake it around to make sure I got it all)

1/2 C brown sugar

I bake it low and slow covered at 300 for hours and hours.  if you dont have that much time bake it at a higher temp for a shorter time- you can't ruin it!

oven-baked french toast with blueberry maple syrup

FRENCH TOAST

1 XL or 2 medium sized challah loaves
3 T sugar

8 eggs

4 c whole milk

1 1/2 t vanilla

2 T maple syrup

1/2 t sea salt

1/2 t cinnamon 

1/4 t nutmeg (optional)

Marinate for 8 hours in the fridge

350 35 min covered 20 min uncovered

SYRUP:

1 pint blueberries

zest of a lemon

1/4 c maple syrup

cook on medium-low heat till heated through.