follow-up to the roasted veggie post: what they went into next

This is a follow-up to yesterday's post about roasted root vegetables. The burning question from friends new and old seems to be "whether you really cook for your family every night?!" What do you think? I mean really folks. If you think I cook from scratch each day, then you overestimate me! But, what I do have is a fabulously stocked pantry/fridge/freezer so I can "make" dinner even on the busiest of days. A while back I mentioned those Maya Kaimal sauces. They came in handy again the other night. I purposefully roasted a ton of root veggies and tucked the remainder in the fridge. The next night, I knew everyone wouldn't want the same dinner, so I simply chopped the remaining pork tenderloin up into bite-size pieces, and tossed that and the root veggies into a pot with a Maya Kaimal curry sauce. Dinner was made in, oh, about 5 minutes. Fabulous.

I had intended to make this curry with just the root vegetables and some tofu I had picked up at the store. But, my meat-lover husband lucked out since we had the second pork tenderloin...and it ended up being a pork curry instead. For for those of you looking for more meatless meal ideas, the combination of roasted veggies + tofu + sauce (or just the hearty veggies alone + sauce!) would be delicious. I served our bowls over brown rice (those genius frozen packets that are ready in 3 minutes) + a dollop of Whole Food's Mango Salsa (found in the produce section). And it was really, really good.

Here are two more ideas of sauces to keep on hand for those who might like a few more ideas of things to keep on hand to make mealtime easy.

Full Plate is now on Facebook

I know, I know. I am a little slow on the draw, but after much nudging (really, it was more like a complete kick in the pants) Full Plate / Meals in a Snap is now on Facebook. "Like" it and you'll get little nuggets on simple, healthful meal ideas there too!

roasted root vegetables

I've written other posts about cooking once and reaping the rewards for many meals to come. Roasted veggies are a prime example of this. While simple, roasting takes twenty minutes or more. (And on a school night, that 20 minutes may not be an option!) For example, you can't beat the crispy sweet taste of roasted broccoli straight from the oven. It's certainly best right then. But there are plenty of healthful dishes I may make in days to come that could use a quick toss in of a handful of this roasted broccoli (like a quesadilla, scrambled eggs or a frittata...) so I like to roast a giant batch, enjoy it that day and then package up my remaining veggies...which is exactly what I did with this big batch of roasted root veggies.

Simple Roasted Root Veggies (and Fennel this time!)

On one rimmed baking sheet, I roasted chunks of celery root and rutabaga. On the other, I tossed fennel, a variety of purple, red and yellow new potatoes and carrots. Both sheets were drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with some kosher salt. To roast them, I simply preheated the oven to 375, and popped them in for about 30-40 minutes, or until they were fork tender (meaning a fork poked into them easily), tossing them 2-3 times during the cook time.

That night, I served them as a side with a zesty rubbed pork tenderloin like the one in this post. I always keep a rub or two in my pantry, because it turns a regular pork tenderloin into a fabulous main dish like that. On this particular night, I roasted two rather large pork tenderloins.

After we'd had our fill, I packaged up the remaining root veggies and the second pork tenderloin. I want you to do the same, because we're going to turn both of them into something fabulous in the next post!

perfect meal for a snowy day: slowly simmered beef ragu (my go-to Bolognese / meat sauce)

We knew we'd wake up to a thick blanket of snow this morning, that school was cancelled and that the trains would be a mess. So, last night sort of felt like a Friday night. Homework was put off, the kids stayed up later than usual, and the wine was flowing. It was a comfort food kind of night, and this slowly simmered Beef Ragu Chiantigiana (fancy word for meat sauce) hit the spot. Plus I tucked two more containers of it away in the freezer for nights when I don't have the luxury of time!

Beef Ragu Chiantigiana

(makes 12 servings and freezes perfectly)

4 T olive oil

4 T butter

1 large onion, chopped

6 carrots, chopped

6 ribs celery, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 lbs ground beef

fresh or dried rosemary, chopped

fresh or dried oregano

fresh sage, chopped

1/2 bottle red wine (about 2 cups*) 

two 28 oz. cans chopped tomatoes, drained

3 cups whole milk

splash of red wine vinegar

2 T capers (optional)

+ your favorite cooked pasta

+ Parmesan

* I use a full bottle, but the extra liquid necessitates a longer cook time b/c the liquid haste reduce more… If you have the time and patience, I recommend using a full bottle as the flavor will be even more rich.

Heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat in a large, heavy saucepan or soup pot. Add onions, carrots and celery. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft and lightly browned. Add garlic, ground beef and herbs. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is thoroughly cooked. Add red wine, chopped tomatoes, whole milk, a splash of red wine vinegar and capers. Lower heat to medium (or medium low, if it's splattering too much!) until the sauce is at a gentle simmer and cook for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. I keep the lid off when simmering the sauce. Toss with your favorite pasta and serve with grated Parmesan if you like.

This sauce freezes perfectly, so package any remaining sauce in the size containers that will be useful to you. Simply thaw the sauce in the fridge and then heat it in a saucepan.

loads of new "rainbow plates" for inspiration

When I reorganized all of the labels to make recipe searches easier I took out "kid-friendly". I did this because in my mind, unless something really spicy there's no reason it can't be "kid-friendly". But "picky eating" and "coming up with meals my kids will eat" is a question I get from friends a lot. I know I am fortunate that my two children typically eat most anything (except fish and mushrooms this week). So, I'm really not an expert in the picky field. That said, I think part of the reason they do eat a variety of foods is that I expose them to different textures, tastes and colors and don't make a big deal. A little of this and a little of that go down the hatch.

I do the same thing if we're having a playdate over (see pic above). The only difference is that I give each of the kids an empty sectioned plate, put a bunch of bowls of different things out, and let the kids make choices. Depending upon the age(s) of your kids, you can make the choices for them, or let have more of a say...

Children are supposed to have at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and I am still typically plating my kid's meals for them. So, when I do this, it's helpful for me to think about it being a "rainbow plate”. And if you need a little gimmick, turn it into a game by having your children count the colors on their plate. This creates excitement and a desire for colorful foods-- including a variety of fruits and vegetables which are a natural source of color.

Here are a bunch of my kid's "rainbow plates" to give you a little inspiration. Click on this link if you want to see more "rainbow plate" ideas from past posts.

mango, soy sauce, cucumber slices and brown rice California rolls


cucumbers, apples, freeze-dried strawberries and a cheese, bell pepper and broccoli quesadilla made with whole wheat tortillas

edamame, red pepper spears, cheese & crackers, a yogurt tube and an oatmeal cookie

roasted asparagus, jicama slices, a little bit of salmon (to try), some blueberries, wheatberry salad and chicken sausages

pesto pasta (pesto + whole wheat rotini), roasted sweet potato wedges, apples, and a sloppy joe (+ cheese) on a whole wheat bun

a yogurt, an apple sauce cup, some edamame, a handful of pistachios, and a few slices of pizza (which came from the freezer, clearly this was a pantry day, not a cooking day!!)

cheese & crackers, some red pepper chunks and a banana

edamame pods, honeydew melon chunks, pineapple chunks, cucumber slices, a cheese stick and a turkey-spinach meatballs

French toast with apricot jam and fresh blueberries

turkey-spinach meatballs, sweet potato chunks and broccoli-cheese Jolie Ravioli with tomato sauce to dip them in

roasted root veggies, edamame pods, fruit salad and pork tenderloin

mango, banana and a slice of veggie frittata

chicken sausages, a few appetizers that I was bringing to book club that night, a cherry tomato ("try it, you might like it"), bananas and blueberries

sweet potatoes, watermelon, edamame, and pecan-crusted chicken with mustard dipping sauce

apples, bananas, mozzarella cheese, and whole wheat penne with homemade bolognese sauce

risotto, edamame, steamed green and wax beans, and lemon-rosemary chicken

yogurt, apples and a Vitamuffin top

banana, apple slices, cucumber slices and homemade three-cheese pizza (which they helped make that evening)

roasted potato wedges, pineapples and berries, grilled chicken and roasted zucchini

teardrop tomatoes, strawberries, letter cookies and cheese tortellini in homemade creamy tomato sauce

nectarines, carrots, raisins and homemade curried chicken salad sandwiches cut into rounds

scrambled eggs (which one child requested), arugula salad, carrots and this chicken but they decided they didn't want the basil sauce, so I tossed theirs in a combination of orange marmalade and rice wine vinegar

black beans (one of my children's fav finger foods, odd but I'll take it), strawberries, and brown rice California rolls + soy sauce

edamame, grapes, cherry tomatoes and a few of my favorite beef meatballs

roasted root vegetable hash, veggie frittata, and berry fruit salad

a perfect day for baking cookies

A double batch of these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies made lots of people happy this snowy winter day. Plus, it's much easier to relish the snow day from inside a house that is cozy and warm, and smells like homemade cookies.

a little winter excitement: easier recipe searches!

How could I not have taken my own post's advice and done a little freshening up around here? In addition to paring down my wardrobe, my dear friend, Cobie, gave me the kick in the pants to clean Full Plate up a bit too. Check out the new recipe categories in the right hand column. By getting ride of extraneous labels and grouping recipes I hope to have made searches more user-friendly for all of you. Enjoy!

undies...recipes...it's all the same

I am belly laughing right now. Maybe that's because I feel lighter having (finally) vacuumed up the Christmas tree needles and put away the last stray ornaments, or because I gave in and went back to a nice cup of fully caffeinated coffee this morning, or maybe it's because this post my friend sent me is just so spot on. If you're reading The Happiness Project along with me, then you know that in January, you want to try to "toss, restore, organize". Undies, sweaters, toys, recipes...isn't it so true that when you pare down, you actually feel like you have more to choose from?

In the spirit of freshening things up a bit, I also updated the "Sites that Inspire Me" column here on the right (scroll down a bit). If you have other sites I should check out and possibly add, please make a suggestion here in the comments section. As with anything, I find the best ideas through my friends!

eeking out an extra hour by making meals ahead

New York Magazine says that "vegetables are the new meat". Meatless Mondays is a popular catch-phrase with a celebrity studded site to boot. And chances are, as we enter the New Year, you are either aspiring to eat more veggies, hoping to eat more meals as a family, or maybe both!

If you've kicked off your new year with a juice cleanse then you may find yourself drooling over my upcoming posts, because while my meals are always simple and healthful, I am not doing anything so extreme. My resolution was more of a macro one: focusing on getting a little more balanced...in the hopes that my overall health and happiness (and, achem, a svelte body) will follow.

If I am going to get more balanced, I am going to have to find another hour in my day. One area I know I can gain some of this time back in is the cooking department. The key is to figure out a few go-to recipes that freeze well or can be stored in the fridge for a few days. Once you get in the rhythm of cooking this way, you'll be able to enjoy homemade most meals, but you won't have to cook each meal each day. Sounds too good to be true? Here's my example from the past 5 days. Note that when we came back from vacation our fridge and freezer were bare. As in, no backlog of meals whatsoever, so I am starting this cache of meals right along with you this week:

Wednesday (cooked lunch)
We arrived home from 24+ hours of travel in time for lunch (which is another whole blog post...)
Breakfast: whatever my kids picked out with their $6 food voucher from the airline...gross
Lunch: Cilantro-Walnut Pesto over Whole Wheat Rotini
Dinner: Take-out pizza & salad for dinner

Thursday (cooked breakfast & dinner)
Breakfast: Make Ahead Oatmeal
Lunch: choice of pizza or pasta from Wednesday
Dinner: Polenta & (Soy) Chorizo Lasagna

Friday (cooked breakfast)
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs
Lunch: choice of Polenta & Soy Chorizo Lasagna or PB& J
Dinner: (New Year's Eve) Local gourmet shop Aux Delices' Mac & Cheese for the kids, and a decadent cheese, cured meat, dried fruit and nut selection from Darien Cheese Shop for the adults

Saturday (cooked breakfast and lunch)
Breakfast: Frittata loaded with broccoli, zucchini and kale
Lunch: Giant pot of 21 Bean Soup
Dinner: Out to a friend's home for dinner, where I brought a hearty homemade dip...and as an added bonus, she sent us home with a big plate of kid-pleasing fried chicken

Sunday (no cooking)
Breakfast: Frittata loaded with broccoli, zucchini and kale (which I made ahead on Sat morning)
Lunch: choice of Cilantro-Walnut Pesto Rotini or Fried Chicken with the last of the Mac & Cheese
Dinner: Bowls of the 21 Bean Soup and some of Saturday night's dip I kept around here for snacking

Still in my freezer to be enjoyed in coming weeks:
8 servings of the bean soup
8 servings of the Polenta & (Soy) Chorizo Lasagna

As I prepare more meals going forward, I'll make extra of some and tuck them in my freezer. As the meals build up, I'll get more time off. Also, we'll have more variety to choose from. (In the beginning, you may only have one or two things in the freezer to choose from...) It's a simple solution to that "What's For Dinner" question. I'll be sure to highlight when recipes I share are freezer-friendly so you can join me in "cooking ahead". This Polenta & Soy Chorizo freezes beautifully, and is actually a re-post of the very first recipe I ever shared on this blog. Here's the recipe in step-by-step photos:

First, one onion and two packages of soy chorizo were sauteed in a bit of olive oil. The soy chorizo is found in the produce section, because it's a vegetable product. (Trader Joe's has their own brand, and I also saw it at another supermarket by the brand, Frieda's.) That said, you can always substitute real sausage if you'd like, or you can use ground beef or ground turkey with your favorite herbs/spices if that's more your speed. The recipe is totally adaptable to your tastes.

I used ready-made polenta this time, which can be found in the pasta aisle of most supermarkets. If you want, you can make your own polenta using cornmeal and water or broth, but adding another step definitely isn't going to help my whole balanced gig so I'm sticking with store bought for this recipe!

The first layer is simply thinly sliced polenta...

next some dollops of Fage 0% Greek Yogurt...

and a layer of sliced zucchini.

Then, a thin layer of the sauteed soy chorizo and onion mixture,

and a sprinkling of mozzarella or Feta, your choice.

Topped by another layer of thinly sliced polenta and

a layer of canned diced tomatoes (partially drained).

Then I added a sprinkling of Feta

and a little more soy chorizo & onion mixture.

One last layer of thinly sliced polenta and a last sprinkling of Parmesan, mozzarella or Feta before it goes into a 350 degree oven for a half hour or so.

There you have it! Dinner is ready, house smells amazing, and the second dish of this I made at the same time gets popped into the freezer* for another day when we want a homemade meal but don't have time to cook. Now that is a beautiful thing!

* You can freeze the make ahead meal uncooked or cooked. If you freeze it uncooked, just double the cook time, and put the frozen dish into the oven as it is heating up so you don't shock the glass going freezer to oven. No need to defrost. Just enjoy the hour it is cooking!

first pages turned in 2011

Now that I have finished up the last batch of Christmas cards (yes, you read that right so don't be offended, just check your mailbox if you still haven't gotten ours...), I cannot wait to delve back into the book that's currently on my bedside table, the magazine I am always excited to find in my mailbox, and the cookbook I am currently reading cover to cover.