Fattoush Salad , Pita Bread Salad

serves 4-6

2        6-inch loaf pita bread

8        leaves romaine lettuce, chopped

1        punch parsley, chopped

2        tomatoes, diced

1        cucumber, diced

2        scallions, chopped

6        radishes, sliced

1        clove garlic, mashed

1/4   cup olive oil

1/2   cup lemon juice

zest of one lemon

2       tablespoons mint

2       tablespoons sumac

salt to taste

-Toast the pita bread in the oven until golden brown, and then break into small pieces.

-Place all the vegetables in a salad bowl.

-Whisk lemon juice with the olive oil, the garlic, the mint and the sumac.  Drizzle this dressing over the vegetables and toss until well coated.

-Add the pita chips and toss gently.

Chicken and Pita Bread In Tahini Sauce

serves 4-6

2        dry loaves pita bread

1        pound chicken breast

1/2   teaspoon allspices

3        cups plain low fat yogurt

1/2   cup tahini*

1/2   cup water

1/2   cup lemon juice

5        cloves garlic, mashed

1        teaspoon ground cumin

salt to taste

4        tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

-Cut the bread into 1-inch squares. Place the bread in deep serving plate.

-Place the chicken in a pot, add water, salt and the allspice.  Bring to a boil until it is cooked.  Remove the chicken breasts from the boiling water.  Remove and discard the skin, and then cut into small pieces. Return the chicken to the boiling stock.

-In a chilled bowl, whisk the yogurt, the tahini, the water, the lemon juice, the garlic, the cumin and the salt.

-Assemble this dish when you are ready to serve and eat.  To assemble: Bring the chicken back to a boil and then place the chicken pieces over the bread. Pour about 1 cup of the boiling stock over the chicken and the bread.  Spoon the yogurt tahini sauce over the chicken and cover completely.  Sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts and serve.

*Tahini: pureed sesame seeds paste.

While videos produced especially for You Tube are being prepared, they are not yet ready. However, two weeks ago, I held a cooking class on sauces at the local Hyvee on Minnesota Avenue. Hyvee sponsors a lot of great classes in their Club room each week, including fun courses for children and their parents. I did record this as a test video, and while the audio quality is sub-optimal (Turn your volume all the way up!) I thought I’d put it up for you to preview, as stimulus to ask what you’d like to see in the future!

Check it out here and learn how to make Pomogranite Walnut Sauce and Chili Pepper Paste in less than 10 minutes. Then, be sure to leave your comments and thoughts! Thanks in advance

This clearly is a widespread problem judging by the great numbers of books on store shelves that focus on how to cook with your kids, kid-friendly recipes, not fighting over food with your kids and so on.

The first rule is to set a good example for your children. We took my daughter to a birthday dinner at a local restaurant.  At the next table was a family of a father, mother and two young boys.  When the salad came for the father, he took off the tomatoes and cucumbers and put them on a plate for the boys, saying, “I hate these things.  You eat them because they’re good for you.” Then he proceeded to dump a hefty pile of ranch dressing on the iceberg lettuce that remained on his plate.

First of all, iceberg lettuce has no nutritional value.  After ditching the tomatoes and cucumbers, this salad with dressing then consisted of 35 grams of saturated fat and an array of chemicals the manufacturer had mixed in as preservatives, etc.

The message the boys received was that tomatoes and cucumbers were good for them but not good enough for their father.  From the tone of the father’s voice, putting the produce on their plate was, in a way, a punishment.  As the boys grow up, eating vegetables with be thought of as a punishment.

Never give up on offering healthy food and variety of food to children.  It took me couple years of trying to get my daughter to enjoy olives, watercress, hummous and tofu.

Avoid stocking your pantly with junk food.  Chips, cookies and other fattening snacks are temptation, and children are better off if these junk food not available whenever temptation strikes.

Eating junk food on occasion should not be an issue, though.  If your child wants ice cream or French fries at a restaurant, it might be better to concede.  Your occasional allowance of junk food will, hopefully, reduce a craving that could result in binge eating of the forbidden food.

Most research shows that by the time children reach their early teens, their tastes are established, and they will begin eating a greater variety and amount of food.  Research also shows that when children see their parents eating a variety of foods, they will grow up as adventurous eaters.

Penne with Chicken and asparagus

serves 4

1     pound penne pasta

1     pound chicken breast, skin removed

1/4 cup olive oil

1    small onion, finely chopped

2    cloves garlic, mashed

10  fresh asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces and blanched.

1     12-ounce can evaporated skim milk

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

2    tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

-In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil.  Drop in the pasta, and cook for 6-7 minutes or until pasta is al-dente.

-In a large skillet, heat half of the oil, and brown the chicken breasts on both sides.  Remove from heat, cool and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices.  Set aside.

-Put the skillet back on the stove, add the rest of the olive oil, and cook the onion in the oil for couple of minutes.  Add the garlic, stir and add 1/2 cup of water.  Bring to a boil.

-Stir in the chicken slices and the asparagus tips.  Add the evaporated skim milk, half of the chopped basil, salt and pepper.  Simmer for 5 minutes.

-Toss the pasta with the chicken mixture and the grated cheese.  Cook for 1 minute, and then remove from the stove.

-Sprinkle with the rest of the chopped basil, and serve hot.