Finally! I found something that Anakin Skywalker, my 5-year-old incredibly harsh food critic, likes. And I am sad to say it's probably the easiest meal I've made to date. Literally Farfalle noodles, Butoni's Refrigerated Pesto, and some Chickpeas (though, if I had it to do all over again, I would ax the chickpeas). He even asked for seconds.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Chewbacca's Chicken Cutlets
After a long sabbatical for Thanksgiving and the weekend, I continue my journey with Chewbacca's Chicken Cutlets. Just a reminder that none of these meals are actually in anyway connected with the Star Wars franchise, I just name them special names so that the boys will be more inclined to eat them. (Note: I didn't have a enough time to arrange this dinner nicely for the photo. Here it is right out of the pan)
This is also an incredibly simple recipe. I chose to use "flavored" bread crumbs (Italian, if you're curious) making the seasoning bit a lot easier. First, you tenderize the meat and flatten out the boneless-skinless breast strip. Then you dip it in flour, then a mixture of egg and milk, and finally into bread crumbs. What is SUPPOSED to happen next is: put the cutlet into olive oil in a skillet and cook on each side for 2.5-3 minutes. What REALLY happened, was my first kitchen nightmare.
I was trying to let the kids help me with preparation. They were really intrigued by me tenderizing the meat and eagerly volunteered to dip the raw meat in the three mixtures. After each of them touched the cutlet and felt its "sliminess" I lost my unpaid assistants. BUT they never left the kitchen. It's sweet that they want to be with me but they were much more of a hindrance than a help with their constant distraction. Anakin (5) wanted me to read him a book and volunteered to follow me around the kitchen and turn the pages.
I lost track of what I was doing and let the oil go for too long scorching the bottom of the skillet. The room filled with smoke, there was lots of coughing but thank goodness no fire alarm. All I need is a Brillo pad to fix the mess, but come on, FATE! I used another pan but will have to clean the other one tomorrow.
Critique*:
Daisy Picker: Neutral
Anakin: Neutral
*A note on critiques: Anakin is a very mature 5 year old and an extremely tough food critic. I think he just enjoys saying that everything that isn't a hot dog or a chicken nugget is gross and the Daisy Picker tends to copy him. From now on, I am going to have to 'adjust' their critiques.
This is also an incredibly simple recipe. I chose to use "flavored" bread crumbs (Italian, if you're curious) making the seasoning bit a lot easier. First, you tenderize the meat and flatten out the boneless-skinless breast strip. Then you dip it in flour, then a mixture of egg and milk, and finally into bread crumbs. What is SUPPOSED to happen next is: put the cutlet into olive oil in a skillet and cook on each side for 2.5-3 minutes. What REALLY happened, was my first kitchen nightmare.
I was trying to let the kids help me with preparation. They were really intrigued by me tenderizing the meat and eagerly volunteered to dip the raw meat in the three mixtures. After each of them touched the cutlet and felt its "sliminess" I lost my unpaid assistants. BUT they never left the kitchen. It's sweet that they want to be with me but they were much more of a hindrance than a help with their constant distraction. Anakin (5) wanted me to read him a book and volunteered to follow me around the kitchen and turn the pages.
I lost track of what I was doing and let the oil go for too long scorching the bottom of the skillet. The room filled with smoke, there was lots of coughing but thank goodness no fire alarm. All I need is a Brillo pad to fix the mess, but come on, FATE! I used another pan but will have to clean the other one tomorrow.
Critique*:
Daisy Picker: Neutral
Anakin: Neutral
*A note on critiques: Anakin is a very mature 5 year old and an extremely tough food critic. I think he just enjoys saying that everything that isn't a hot dog or a chicken nugget is gross and the Daisy Picker tends to copy him. From now on, I am going to have to 'adjust' their critiques.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Herb Rubbed Pork Tenderloin Medallions
No cutesy names for this meal because I named it after The Daisy Picker (his real name) and I shall not divulge his try identity. You'll just have to settle for his alter-ego. I really enjoyed making this meal because I felt like a true chef. I had to follow instructions that sent me on my first "sear"-ing journey, and also baked the pork tenderloin in a skillet. A skillet–people– something usually reserved for the stove top. (Warning: I didn't get very good lighting on this photo so the colors are a little 'off')
Herb Rubbed Pork Tenderloin Medallions and Corn on the Cob
The beauty of this recipe is its simplicity [which is quickly becoming a common theme in my cooking]. I literally mixed olive oil, thyme, rosemary, garlic, salt, and fresh ground pepper in a tiny dish and rubbed it onto the tenderloin. I seared it on all of it's sides, cut it into 1-inch medallions and put it in the oven for a little over 20 minutes. Voila! Gourmet-on-the-Go.
Critique
The Daisy Picker: 2 thumbs up!
Anakin Skywalker: 1 thumb up
Critique
The Daisy Picker: 2 thumbs up!
Anakin Skywalker: 1 thumb up
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Darth Tator Tot Casserole
In keeping with the Star Wars theme, my second dish is named after the most evil villain of the series. I've wanted to try this recipe for a really long time because it's been featured in one of my favorite shows, 19 Kids and Counting. This show features the Duggar Family who I incidentally bumped in to a couple of months ago down the street from the National Zoo!
Darth Tator Tot Casserole
I actually took certain liberties with the recipe I found because the previous nanny to this family told me that the kids had very bland tastes. SHE WAS WRONG. I decided to keep it simple with just using tater tots, cream of mushroom soup, ground beef, a hint of minced garlic, and skim milk. The Daisy Picker (3) wouldn't eat it unless I sprinkled it with Old Bay Seasoning and Anakin (5) mostly just ate the tater tots off the top. Next time, I think I'll add in the onion and the seasonings.
Critique:
The Daisy Picker: Thumbs Down
Anakin: Thumbs Down
Critique:
The Daisy Picker: Thumbs Down
Anakin: Thumbs Down
Monday, November 22, 2010
HELLO and Han Solo Shells with Chicken and Broccoli
Let me introduce myself:
I'm a fresh out of college nanny in D.C. to two wonderful boys, Anakin Skywalker [age 5] and The Daisy Picker [age 3], and their lovely newborn sister, Pepperoni. No, those aren't their real names, but the oldest is obsessed with Star Wars, the middle one is easily distracted [especially by nature's gems] and the little one is so pink that the boys nicknamed her Perpperoni. As much as I would love to gush about my wonderful family, I've decided to protect their identity and their privacy and keep this blog strictly on topic. What is that topic, you ask? I reply to your query, "With a title like 'The Nanny Cooks', could you be expecting anything other than food?!"
The mom of The Family (a.k.a. my employer) gave me free reign in developing dinner menus for the boys and I was incredibly excited about practicing my cooking skills. I'm no expert, but I am really great at following directions and recipes and loved to force my cooking on friends in college. What makes the idea of cooking for the boys even more intriguing is the ease in which I acquire all of my ingredients. The Family chooses to shop at a supermarket called "Giant" that provides online shopping and home delivery to their customers. I never have to step one toe into a supermarket. I just plan out the menus for the following week, add my ingredients to the list, and it shows up LITERALLY on my doorstep on Friday morning.
For my first recipe, I decided to pick something simple in ingredients to get the boys used to trying new things. Like most kids their ages, the boys consider hot dogs and chicken nuggets to be gourmet. I also thought that naming the recipes after Star Wars characters may get Anakin to try food without protest. And I think it pretty much worked!
Han Solo Shells with Chicken and Broccoli
I'm a fresh out of college nanny in D.C. to two wonderful boys, Anakin Skywalker [age 5] and The Daisy Picker [age 3], and their lovely newborn sister, Pepperoni. No, those aren't their real names, but the oldest is obsessed with Star Wars, the middle one is easily distracted [especially by nature's gems] and the little one is so pink that the boys nicknamed her Perpperoni. As much as I would love to gush about my wonderful family, I've decided to protect their identity and their privacy and keep this blog strictly on topic. What is that topic, you ask? I reply to your query, "With a title like 'The Nanny Cooks', could you be expecting anything other than food?!"
The mom of The Family (a.k.a. my employer) gave me free reign in developing dinner menus for the boys and I was incredibly excited about practicing my cooking skills. I'm no expert, but I am really great at following directions and recipes and loved to force my cooking on friends in college. What makes the idea of cooking for the boys even more intriguing is the ease in which I acquire all of my ingredients. The Family chooses to shop at a supermarket called "Giant" that provides online shopping and home delivery to their customers. I never have to step one toe into a supermarket. I just plan out the menus for the following week, add my ingredients to the list, and it shows up LITERALLY on my doorstep on Friday morning.
For my first recipe, I decided to pick something simple in ingredients to get the boys used to trying new things. Like most kids their ages, the boys consider hot dogs and chicken nuggets to be gourmet. I also thought that naming the recipes after Star Wars characters may get Anakin to try food without protest. And I think it pretty much worked!
Han Solo Shells with Chicken and Broccoli
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)