Dad’s House

David Mott is on vacation this week, and Dad’s House has been taken over by some great guest bloggers. Ending the week, Honey from HoneyAndLance.com heads into the kitchen…

We go out to eat, or buy takeout, or get pre-prepared (kind of redundant, eh?) food so often these days that the idea of cooking something from scratch makes people raise their eyebrows a little. However, it really shouldn’t! Pre-made food from the grocery store typically has way too many of one (or more) of the following: calories, fat, sugar, salt. And it’s tough to say which of these things is worse, as they all contribute to serious health problems, especially if they’re all someone eats from an early age.

If you want to eat healthy yourself, as well as save your kids from a life of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, then cooking from scratch is one of the best ways to do it. Keep your eyes peeled for reruns of an excellent TLC show called Honey, We’re Killing the Kids! if you don’t believe me.

Tons of people have already heard that involving your kids in the cooking process is one of the best ways to make sure that they eat what you make. With that in mind whatever you make has got to be easy—then you can not only involve younger children, but also so that you can concentrate on conversation to help make the experience fun for everyone.

What you may not know is that being vegan is not only an extremely healthy lifestyle, but also the single biggest contribution you can make towards saving the environment. A vegan who drives a Hummer contributes less greenhouse gas than a meat-eater who drives a hybrid.

So cooking these types of foods is a way to have conversations not only about healthy eating habits, but instilling your children with a desire to prevent animal cruelty and pollution. With that in mind, two of my favorite recipes, a main dish and a salad—both vegan and both super, super easy. My boyfriend and I have been making these together incessantly since it’s over 110 degrees in Phoenix in the summer.

Main Dish: Smoky Baked Tofu

I wish I could take the credit for this one, but it actually is a recipe that I stole from a friend. This doesn’t take much effort, but does require two days of preparation, since the tofu needs to marinade for 24 hours.

2 lbs. tofu, sliced into “steaks” about a half-inch thick
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp. liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. white pepper

Whisk together all the ingredients (except tofu) and pour into a flat bottom pan. The pan should be big enough to hold the tofu, but not so big that the liquid doesn’t cover the tofu. Submerge tofu in liquid, cover, and marinate in the fridge overnight. The next day, lay tofu out on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes on each side. Let cool and enjoy in a wrap—it’s delicious with vegan sour cream and fresh basil.

Side Salad: Canned Summertime

This I picked up in a magazine somewhere, but have made so many adaptations over time that I consider it my own. It’s best chilled. If you make it while the oven’s preheating and put it in the fridge when the tofu goes in the oven, it should be nice by the time dinner’s ready.

3 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. lime juice
3 tbsp. Tabasco sauce
1 15-ounce can black beans
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans
1 15-ounce can sweet corn (kernels)
Fresh basil (for garnish and color)
Salt & pepper (to taste)

Whisk the olive oil, lime juice, and Tabasco sauce in a medium-sized glass mixing bowl. Drain the cans of black beans (rinse these as well), garbanzo beans, and sweet corn, and mix into the vinaigrette mixture. You can add more of the olive oil, lime juice, or Tabasco sauce to taste at this point, as well as add some salt and pepper. Be careful if you have smaller children that it’s not too spicy. Cover with tin foil and put in the fridge for about an hour. Chop the fresh basil and add it on top as a garnish when served.

These dishes are not only super easy to make, they’re very filling without making you feel heavy afterwards. Make them with your kids (or a date!) tonight.

© 2008 HoneyAndLance.com. All rights reserved. Published by DadsHouseBlog.com with permission from the author.

Grilled salmon is a treat, and it’s simple to cook. My technique is based on a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks. And with the holiday weekend approaching, I figured it’s time to pull out this story from the family archives…

On Christmas a few years ago, my brother gave me a fabulous gift – a cookbook called The Best Recipe, by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated. They have a test kitchen where they try every method they can think of to cook different foods. And this cookbook tells all – what worked, what didn’t, and what’s best to do.

“Wow,” I said when I unwrapped it. “This is great.”
“It’s awesome,” my brother. “We use it all the time. We figured as a single dad, you might really enjoy it.”

I smiled and nodded, wondering what to do. This was a cook book I already had. Should I tell them? Or return it without saying a word?

“Read the inscription,” my brother said

To David – Buon Appetit! Love xox etc.

Ouch. “Nice,” I said.
But I must have grimaced, because they asked “What’s wrong?”
“I already have this book.”

Sighs all around. Then my brother took it back, opened it to the inscription, and scribbled with a pen. He handed it back. “How’s that?” he asked.

To Dad!! – Buon Appetit! Love xox etc.

“Perfect!” I said.

Our dad was very happy for the gift. And that’s what it means to be a family. (All except me blabbing it in my blog to the world…)

RECIPE

Start with salmon fillets (not salmon steaks), 6-8 oz. per person
Try to get fillets that are uniform thickness so no part cooks too quick
Sprinkle with salt and pepper
Place skin side down on medium-high heated grill
Cook 4 min. or so until top no longer looks raw – don’t over-cook! Skin should pull away a bit
Flip and cook 2-3 minutes more – cutting into the center should look translucent for medium rare
Peel off the skin
Serve on platter with the salt/pepper side up – it looks nicer that way!

Happy 4th. Merry Christmas. Jolly Whatever You’re Celebrating Today.

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

• How to Grill Asparagus
• Grilling With Grandpa
• Italian-style Carrots Recipe
  

© 2008 DadsHouseBlog.com. All rights reserved.

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Firing up the grill with family and friends this long weekend? Don’t forget the veggies. Grilled asparagus tastes great and takes only minutes to cook. It’s one of my kids’ favorite vegetables (second only to Italian style carrots). Here’s our recipe:

Rinse a bunch of asparagus in water
Snap the stalks and discard the bottom (Tip: by snapping with your hands rather than cutting with a knife, you’ll naturally locate the very spot that separates the good part from the bad)
Marinade the asparagus in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper

Let these sit while you grill your main course – tri-tip, chicken skewers, whatever…

Seven minutes before you’re ready to eat –
Grill the asparagus for about 3 minutes, then flip and cook 3 minutes more
Drizzle shaved parmesan cheese on the asparagus and melt

That’s it!

A funny anecdote – a few summers ago my kids and I toured the east coast, hitting Boston, Providence, Manhattan, Philly, and parts of Virginia. While in Newport, Rhode Island, we dined one night at the Red Parrot, a three-story tall restaurant that was packed (so we knew it was good).

They seated us on the third floor along with a bachelorette party, and Bob Marley reggae setting a festive mood. Just me, my kids, and twenty women – I was in heaven. I sipped a classic Gin Martini and basked in the view. (My back was to the water and I was facing the bachelorettes, and I must say the view was quite spectacular.)

Meanwhile, my son was wearing Heelys, those shoes with wheels in the heels. Our server was busy, and my son was bored, so he heelied around an empty part of the floor. He was a hit with the hottie bachelorettes (and it wasn’t his Axe body spray.) Note to self: no need to save up for a red Ferrari; red Heelys will do just fine. I was buzzed from my martini and in a great mood from all the sexy feminine energy in the room. Plus, I was on vacation with my kids – what’s not to like?

When the waitress took our order I asked what vegetable they were serving.
“Asparagus,” she said.
“Oh, is it grilled asparagus?” I asked.
“No,” she said. “But I can ask the chef if he can grill it.”
“Okay, but it’s got to have shaved parmesan cheese melted on top,” I said.
The waitress gave me one of those O-kaaaay looks, then headed to the kitchen.

I sipped my martini, my daughter watched the sunset, my son heelied around the room, the bachelorettes chatted, frequently laughing with heads thrown back, necks exposed, body language screaming they needed a man. (At least that’s my male gin-induced interpretation of their good time.) The whole of my existence felt sublime.

The waitress came back.

“The chef said he can grill the asparagus, no problem,” she said. “But the parmesan cheese is grated, not shaved.”
Say what?! That threw me for a loop. My brain was foggy from gin, my mind drunk from bachelorettes, and I scowled as I struggled to reconcile her words. Would grated cheese work okay?
My daughter saw I was stumped and came to the rescue, saying, “Grated would be fine.”

Thank God for girls.

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

• Classic Gin Martini Recipe
  
• Pasta With Peas Recipe
• Bruschetta Recipe
  
• How to Cook the Best Grilled Salmon
• How To Pick-Up a Woman in Front of Your Son

© 2008 DadsHouseBlog.com. All rights reserved.

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Here’s a savory appetizer that’s so easy to fix, you can serve it weeknights. As a snack for kids, it’s healthier than a big of chips, and they’ll love the taste. Try to mix the ingredients as soon as you get home from work so there’s ample time for the flavors to meld.

4 Roma tomatoes, chopped fine (or 1 can of petite cut tomatoes)
1 garlic clove, chopped fine
a few leaves of basil, torn into small pieces (dried basil is okay)
a shake of dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Let them sit on the countertop marinating for an hour or more. Stir occasionally. Serve on toasted sourdough bread that is torn or cut into two inch squares. (The picture shows parmesan cheese, but I usually do without.)

Mmmm!

© 2008 DadsHouseBlog.com. All rights reserved.

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No food in the fridge tonight? No problem! Here’s a quick and easy recipe that you can make from basic ingredients you already have on hand. (And if you don’t have them on hand, start stockpiling them for future empty fridge nights.)

First things first – go easy on yourself about the empty fridge. Pour a glass of wine, crack open a Guinness, or fix yourself a perfect gin martini.

Refreshed and ready? Let’s begin…

Pasta with peas is a rustic Italian dish that you can make in half an hour. I learned how to cook Italian food from my ex-wife’s Italian mother. It’s funny – she said this simple dish and a lot of ethnic cuisine in magazines like Bon Appetit is considered peasant food in Italy.

Single parent tip: cook more than you need and save the leftovers for your own lunch the next day, or for dinner on a night when the kids aren’t with you.

Recipe:

Start boiling water for pasta. Take 1/2 pound frozen peas and put them in a pasta strainer. Run water over the peas and break them up with your hands, removing all the ice. In a large frying pan, sauté 2-3 cloves chopped garlic in 4 tablespoons olive oil. If you’re a peas and onions fan, you can sauté half a white onion instead of garlic.

When the garlic is a nice golden color (don’t let it overcook and turn brown!), dump the peas into the frying pan. Stir to coat the peas. Add a generous amount of black pepper. Stir occasionally while the peas sauté.

Cooking tip: it tastes better when the peas are overcooked and a little black than undercooked.

When the water is boiling, dump in 8-10 oz. of pasta and some salt. Any small pasta will do: elbow macaroni, salad macaroni, bowties, or mezze penne are all good choices. How much pasta to cook depends on how many people are eating, and how hungry they are. I made this dish tonight and ate about 6 oz of pasta by myself. I usually cook 10-12 oz. when my two kids are here, and I usually have a bit leftover.

Cooking tip: an equal amount of peas and pasta is usually pretty good, i.e. 8 oz. of each. But it’s better to error on having too many peas. There’s nothing worse than a plateful of bland, sauceless pasta. If you need more pasta, cook more peas!

I always cook pasta al dente, no matter the dish. This means when you bite into it, it’s a little hard on the inside. I never time it, I simply bite into it, but go ahead and time yours the first few tries. With practice, your body’s cooking clock will tick on its own, and you’ll get a feel for when things should be done without the need for a timepiece. It’s all about being in the moment when you cook.

When the pasta is done, strain it to remove the water, then dump it into the frying pan with the peas. Stir it all together, and you’re done. Top with grated parmesan cheese.

I like to eat pasta and peas with some Pugliese or sourdough bread and my favorite cheese (which varies, depending on mood: Dubliner, Brie, or any soft cheese with herbs that my local cheese market swears is fantastic.)

One final parenting tip: let your kids voice their opinion about your cooking. Does the dish need more pepper? Should the pasta be less cooked? Are there enough peas? Do this over time to help them develop a sophisticated palette, and you’ll learn to be a better cook.

If you have a young son, by all means encourage him to eat “every pasta and pea on his plate.” See if he doesn’t crack up.

© 2008 DadsHouseBlog.com. All rights reserved.

My ex-wife’s parents came to the US from southern Italy. Through 14 years of Saturday picnics, Sunday dinners, and holiday meals, I learned the basics of Italian cooking from them. Here’s a carrot recipe that uses balsamic vinegar and garlic to create a flavorful dish your kids will love.

Single parent tip: cook more than you need and save the leftovers for another meal during the week. Though if your kids are like mine, don’t be surprised if the carrots get eaten as an after-school snack!

Recipe:

Take 1/2 pound baby carrots. Cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch matchstick pieces (I usually halve each carrot, then halve the thick ones again). Boil in salted water until tender, but still firm. The marinade will make them softer, so don’t overcook.

Drain the carrots and put in a bowl. Mash two garlic cloves by pressing on them with your hand, peel them, and bury them in the carrots. Add 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, some salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Pour olive oil to cover the carrots. Stir.

Let this marinade a few hours! Stir occassionally to help the flavors meld. The bowl can sit out on the kitchen counter (room temperature.) My daughter always adds more balsamic vinegar, and she’s half Italian, so I’m good with that. Just find the taste you like. You can make these in the morning and let them sit all day. Serve them cold with the meal. Leftovers go in the fridge.

Buon appetito!

© 2008 DadsHouseBlog.com. All rights reserved.