This week in the Scramble, I write about how much my family, especially my DH Andrew, loves using tortillas into our meals, side dishes, snacks and desserts. We use tortillas to make quesadillas, burritos, tostadas, wraps, chimichangas, taquitos and tacos, tortilla pizzas, even homemade tortilla chips. We favor whole wheat tortillas, especially the handmade version from Trader Joes. Do you have any other recipes or uses for tortillas? My latest favorite is in this week's Scramble newsletter, Tangy Apple and Brie Quesadillas with Mango Chutney.
Also, if, like me, you celebrate Passover (no tortillas for a whole week!) and are trying to use up your leftover matzos, check out this hilarious utube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMSEFCQCKPo
Monday, April 28, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
I Have a New Toy: An Electric Skillet
When we were visiting my mom last month in California, I made dinner for everyone one night and had a chance to use my mom's beloved (and ancient) electric skillet. I loved it because it's size and shape (large and square) allowed me to cook about 6 boneless chicken breast halves at once, something I can't do in even my biggest conventional skillet. Andrew heard me kvelling over her skillet and surprised me with an electric skillet of my own for my recent birthday.
I'm still getting to know my new toy, but so far it has become my pan of choice for cooking larger meals on the stovetop. I'm still getting used to setting the dial according to temperature rather than heat level (low, medium, high), but the results so far have been great.
It makes me wonder--why has this popular pan from decades past faded in popularity? Is it because the electric skillet is often associated with deep frying, which we Americans do much less frequently now that we are more health and diet conscious?
I'm still getting to know my new toy, but so far it has become my pan of choice for cooking larger meals on the stovetop. I'm still getting used to setting the dial according to temperature rather than heat level (low, medium, high), but the results so far have been great.
It makes me wonder--why has this popular pan from decades past faded in popularity? Is it because the electric skillet is often associated with deep frying, which we Americans do much less frequently now that we are more health and diet conscious?
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
I'm on Fox Business News This Morning (Wednesday, April 16)
If you're reading your Scramble early, you might be able to catch me at around 8:40 a.m. Eastern Time on Fox Business News talking about how consumers can combat skyrocketing grocery costs. I'm continuing to reach out to Americans through the news media on this topic. If you have any ideas for me to add for my list of tips for saving money on food bills, please post them here.
Happy Passover
Speedy Quick Matzo Ball Soup
Prep (20 minutes) + Cook (30 minutes)
8 servings, about 2 cups each
If you have never tried matzo ball soup, it’s a treat. During the Passover Seder this filling soup signifies the beginning of the meal and is always the kids’ favorite part of the dinner. Our kids like it so much that I usually make it at least once more during the year. The round floating dumplings are so delicious and fun to eat. They even make a great soft baby food. Traditional matzo ball soup takes a couple of hours to make, and involves many pots, strained herbs and vegetables, and too many steps for a Scramble meal. This version takes only about 20 minutes of actual work, and makes enough for a couple of meals--it's not quite as good as my mom's traditional version, but it's a great quickie version.
1 box (4.5 oz) matzo ball mix (sold in supermarkets with kosher foods)
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. salt
2 boxes (32 oz. each) chicken or vegetable broth
3 large carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill (or use 1 tsp. dried)
Prepare the matzo ball mix according to the package directions. (For most packages, mix the matzo meal with 4 beaten eggs and 1/2 cup oil, stir and refrigerate for 15 minutes.)
Set a large pot of water to boil. Once it boils, add the salt to the boiling water. Using wet hands, gently form the matzo ball mixture into 1 inch balls and carefully drop them into the water. Cover the pot and cook them for 30 minutes (reduce the heat, if necessary, so the water doesn’t boil over, but keep it at a low boil).
After adding the matzo balls to the boiling water, bring the broth to a boil in a separate large pot. Add the carrots and celery and simmer for 15 minutes. When the matzo balls are cooked, using a slotted spoon, carefully remove them from the salted water and add them to the pot with the broth and vegetables. Add the dill and serve it hot, making sure to put a matzo ball and some vegetables into each bowl.
Prep (20 minutes) + Cook (30 minutes)
8 servings, about 2 cups each
If you have never tried matzo ball soup, it’s a treat. During the Passover Seder this filling soup signifies the beginning of the meal and is always the kids’ favorite part of the dinner. Our kids like it so much that I usually make it at least once more during the year. The round floating dumplings are so delicious and fun to eat. They even make a great soft baby food. Traditional matzo ball soup takes a couple of hours to make, and involves many pots, strained herbs and vegetables, and too many steps for a Scramble meal. This version takes only about 20 minutes of actual work, and makes enough for a couple of meals--it's not quite as good as my mom's traditional version, but it's a great quickie version.
1 box (4.5 oz) matzo ball mix (sold in supermarkets with kosher foods)
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. salt
2 boxes (32 oz. each) chicken or vegetable broth
3 large carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill (or use 1 tsp. dried)
Prepare the matzo ball mix according to the package directions. (For most packages, mix the matzo meal with 4 beaten eggs and 1/2 cup oil, stir and refrigerate for 15 minutes.)
Set a large pot of water to boil. Once it boils, add the salt to the boiling water. Using wet hands, gently form the matzo ball mixture into 1 inch balls and carefully drop them into the water. Cover the pot and cook them for 30 minutes (reduce the heat, if necessary, so the water doesn’t boil over, but keep it at a low boil).
After adding the matzo balls to the boiling water, bring the broth to a boil in a separate large pot. Add the carrots and celery and simmer for 15 minutes. When the matzo balls are cooked, using a slotted spoon, carefully remove them from the salted water and add them to the pot with the broth and vegetables. Add the dill and serve it hot, making sure to put a matzo ball and some vegetables into each bowl.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Is it Scramblicious? Tart Apple and Brie Quesadilla with Mango Chutney
I invented this recipe last week and would love feedback on whether it's Scramble-worthy! I loved it, but the kids weren't convinced (but this is so easy to modify to family members' taste). Let me know what you think:
Tart Apple and Brie Quesadillas with Mango Chutney
Prep + Cook = 20 minutes
8 servings
This interesting twist on Tex-Mex grilled cheese will tingle your taste buds! It would also work well as a hot appetizer, sliced into smaller wedges. For the kids, you can make the quesadillas with just the cheese and serve the apple slices on the side. Serve it with a green salad with dried cranberries and parmesan cheese?
8 large whole wheat tortillas
8 oz. light Brie, thinly sliced into wedges
4 Tbsp. mango chutney, Duck sauce or apricot jam
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly sliced
Preheat two large skillets (alternatively, bake all the quesadillas on baking sheets at 375 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes, until they are lightly browned and crispy.) over medium to medium-low heat.
Lay one tortilla in the bottom of each, topped with 1/4 of the brie and apples. Spread one side of two more tortillas with 1 Tbsp. of the chutney, and put those tortillas on top of the tortillas in the pan, chutney side down. Let the quesadillas cook for 3 – 4 minutes per side until they are starting to brown, then carefully flip then and brown the second sides, and remove them from the pan. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese, apples and chutney.
With a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the quesadillas into quarters to serve.
Tart Apple and Brie Quesadillas with Mango Chutney
Prep + Cook = 20 minutes
8 servings
This interesting twist on Tex-Mex grilled cheese will tingle your taste buds! It would also work well as a hot appetizer, sliced into smaller wedges. For the kids, you can make the quesadillas with just the cheese and serve the apple slices on the side. Serve it with a green salad with dried cranberries and parmesan cheese?
8 large whole wheat tortillas
8 oz. light Brie, thinly sliced into wedges
4 Tbsp. mango chutney, Duck sauce or apricot jam
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly sliced
Preheat two large skillets (alternatively, bake all the quesadillas on baking sheets at 375 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes, until they are lightly browned and crispy.) over medium to medium-low heat.
Lay one tortilla in the bottom of each, topped with 1/4 of the brie and apples. Spread one side of two more tortillas with 1 Tbsp. of the chutney, and put those tortillas on top of the tortillas in the pan, chutney side down. Let the quesadillas cook for 3 – 4 minutes per side until they are starting to brown, then carefully flip then and brown the second sides, and remove them from the pan. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese, apples and chutney.
With a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the quesadillas into quarters to serve.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Earth Day Tips for Reducing Waste
Next week, Scramble suscriber Heather Gradowski plans to write a guest column on reusing packaging and reducing waste in honor of Earth Day (April 22nd). Do you have tips to suggest, ways to recycle stuff you already have around your house, suggestions for reusing containers to pack lunches, store food, pack snacks, etc.?
Or, do you have suggestions for using food containers in other creative ways - like using plastic baby food containers to store jewelry when travelling, using wipes containers to hold household items, etc.? Heather and I are eager to share your tips! Please post them by commenting on the Scramblog.
Or, do you have suggestions for using food containers in other creative ways - like using plastic baby food containers to store jewelry when travelling, using wipes containers to hold household items, etc.? Heather and I are eager to share your tips! Please post them by commenting on the Scramblog.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Scrambling for Smaller Families
Deciding on portion and recipe size is one of the challenges in designing Scramble menus. I am very interested in your feedback on how the amount of food I suggest in Scramble recipes works for your family. Do the recipes generally make too much food, not enough, or are they just about right? What adaptations do you make to recipes to make them work for your family? Tonight my family of four had the Cheesy Tortilla Pie (see the Scramble recipe search) and we had zero leftovers, not even enough to pack Andrew a lunch for work tomorrow! But the good news is the kids absolutely loved it--I am thrilled about how their tastes just keep expanding, and they will eat almost everything I serve now! P.S. Next time I make this recipe, I'm going to try cutting the cheese down a bit and possibly adding some chopped vegetables or 1 can of drained and rinsed beans to make it even healthier.
Girls' Night In
A great website, The Well Mom (http://www.thewellmom.com/), created by journalist and mom, Heather Cabot, featured The Scramble cookbook and newsletter this week, along with a "Girls' Night In" menu for book clubs or other gatherings. Of course, "boys" would find this meal delicious, too. Here's the recipe for the sundried tomato and goat cheese spread I recommended on the site:
Sundried Tomato and Goat Cheese Spread
4 oz goat cheese
1 1/2 Tbsp. finely chopped sundried tomatoes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. finely chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp. minced garlic (about 1 clove)
1 tsp. pine nuts, toasted
1 sprig of rosemary for garnish (optional)
Pita chips or crackers for serving
In a medium bowl, combine the cheese, sundried tomatoes, oil, rosemary and garlic and stir until completely blended. Transfer the mixture to a small serving bowl. Top it with the toasted pine nuts and garnish it with a sprig of rosemary, if desired.
Sundried Tomato and Goat Cheese Spread
4 oz goat cheese
1 1/2 Tbsp. finely chopped sundried tomatoes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. finely chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp. minced garlic (about 1 clove)
1 tsp. pine nuts, toasted
1 sprig of rosemary for garnish (optional)
Pita chips or crackers for serving
In a medium bowl, combine the cheese, sundried tomatoes, oil, rosemary and garlic and stir until completely blended. Transfer the mixture to a small serving bowl. Top it with the toasted pine nuts and garnish it with a sprig of rosemary, if desired.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Give me a Break! You can blog for me...
Do you have a food-related topic on your mind that you want to share with other Scramblers? Are you struggling with kids and table manners, losing weight, lessening the environmental impact of your meals? You can be a guest blogger and start a new "thread"--just send me a note at aviva@thescramble.com with your thoughts and I can post them for you.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Great review of The Six O'Clock Scramble cookbook on Parent Hacks
This is a neat site and I was delighted to stumble upon this review of Scramble cookbook today: http://www.parenthacks.com/
The author grocery shops on Monday for the week--one thing I've noticed is that Monday is the worst day for grocery shopping because much of the produce looks like it's been sitting around for the weekend and shelves often haven't been restocked--this is unfortunate for me, because Celia's Monday soccer practice is just a few blocks from Trader Joe's, making that hour the ideal time for my weekly shopping! I wonder if any of you have noticed that Mondays aren't the best days to grocery shop?
The author grocery shops on Monday for the week--one thing I've noticed is that Monday is the worst day for grocery shopping because much of the produce looks like it's been sitting around for the weekend and shelves often haven't been restocked--this is unfortunate for me, because Celia's Monday soccer practice is just a few blocks from Trader Joe's, making that hour the ideal time for my weekly shopping! I wonder if any of you have noticed that Mondays aren't the best days to grocery shop?
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