Business Working Parents Blog Loves The Scramble!

I was tickled to read a terrific (and entertaining) review of The Scramble on the Business Week Working Parents blog. Author Lauren Young has been trying to cook more for her family after work and decided to give The Scramble a try, which she learned of from our mutual friend, Beth Levison. Her favorite recipe so far is the Smokin' Barbecue Meatloaf--I hope you've had a chance to try it, too! Here's Lauren's write-up: http://www.businessweek.com/careers/workingparents/blog/archives/2008/05/the_six_oclock.html

Is this Recipe too Exotic for Your Family? We Loved It!

I'm trying to decide if this recipe is Scramble-worthy. Can you find the Asian Sweet Chili Sauce at their local supermarkets? Is it too exotic? Let me know what you think if you decide to give it a try--we thought it was delicious!

Thai Sweet and Sour Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Prep + Cook = 20 minutes
4 servings (6?)

The key ingredient in these wraps, Sweet Chili Sauce, is a popular Thai seasoning sauce, which is getting easier to find in US grocery stores as those flavors gain in popularity. Serve it with steamed rice and diced mango or pineapple.

1 – 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup Asian Sweet Chili Sauce (also called Mae Ploy)
1 – 2 limes (2 Tbsp. juice, plus 4 lime wedges)
1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 – 1/2 cup fresh cilantro or mint leaves (optional)
1 head Boston lettuce, leaves separated

Put the chicken in a microwave save dish with a lid. Partially cover it and microwave it on high until the chicken is just cooked through, about 6 – 8 minutes, turning once or twice. Drain it.

Cut the chicken crosswise, and using two forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Toss it with the chili sauce and lime juice, and the cilantro or mint (optional).

Put the chicken, peppers, scallions and lettuce in serving bowls, and have each member wrap the chicken and vegetables in the lettuce. (note: use 2 lettuce leaves for each wrap to prevent tears in the lettuce). Squeeze lime juice over the fillings before wrapping, if desired.

Scambling Kids, I Want to Hear from You!

I'd like to know more about how your junior Scramblers feel about meal time, Scramble recipes, cooking and nutrition. Please ask your children to post on the Scramblog or email me their opinions as junior Scramblers on these or any other topics:

• Do they like cooking and helping in the kitchen?
• Do they think family dinners are a good idea?
• What do they think about kids doing chores and cooking?
• Do they have a favorite Scramble (or other) recipe?
• Do they make a recipe for a meal or snack that they think I should try?
• What would be their ideal dinner?
• Do they think kids should get dessert every night?

If you’d like to share photos of your kids enjoying a Scramble meal, please send them my way, too!

Mango Madness

I've got a case of ripe mangoes that came cheap and I'm trying to figure out how to use them while they are still in good shape. Here's what we've done to conquer mango-overload so far:

• Slice and eat them straight from the case or 'fridge--so juicy and delicious!
• Share some with a friend who helped me out in a pinch
• Made a black bean, brown rice, and mango salad

Tomorrow I plan to keep the mango supply dwindling by making a steak, mango and avocado salad for dinner, and I'll probably serve diced mangoes to the kids before soccer practice or make a mango banana smoothie.

If you love mangoes, will you share your favorite way to enjoy them? Please hurry!

By the way, in celebration of mango month in June, the National Mango Board is having a cooking contest for kids ages 8 – 14 who want to create their own recipe incorporating healthy and delicious mangoes. For more information, check out their site www.mango.org/risingstar.

How to Convince Your Friend to Try a New Food

My 9 year old daughter, Celia, wrote this illustrated booklet for school--I guess the (organic) apple doesn't fall far from the tree! I wish I was clever enough to scan in the funny illustrations that go with it:

How to Convince your Friend to Try a New Food, by Celia Goldfarb

First, say to your friend, "You're right, you win, don't eat it." (picture of a couple of very mad-looking little girls glaring at each other over a table)

If that doesn't work, tell him/her you will give them something and under your breath, whisper/murmur "Psych!". (picture of a happy girl giving a skeptical girl a present.)

If that doesn't work, say "It's soooooooooooooo good." (You're kidding, right?)

If that doesn't work, yell "It's rude to say something is bad before you try it!" (Slap a hand over your mouth after saying that.)
(Picture of an astounded girl gasping with a hand over her mouth.)

If that doesn't work, demand, "Try it right now!"
(Angry girls are pictured at a standoff)

If all that doesn't work, hold your fork to your mouth and say "I have a dream for (your friend's name.) For example, I have a dream for Sophie to try this food."
(Picture of reluctant girl now saying "Well....")

What food is your rival?

In response to my column last week about my fear that Andrew would leave me for a tortilla, I received this funny note from our friend Karen Murray, the wife of one of Andrew's college roommates:

"I was cracking up, reading about Andrew’s tortilla fetish. I have always thought David would leave me for a bottle of Cholula hot sauce. He douses everything in hot sauce: eggs, mac n cheese, minestrone soup. When I made the taco chili last week, I put a chopped jalapeno pepper in, and doubled the chili powder, just to spice it up for him. He came home, spooned the chili into a bowl, and poured in the hot sauce. I said, “You haven’t even tasted it yet! How do you know how much hot sauce it needs?” I may have actually shrieked at him…"

I'd like to hear what food your spouse/S.O. is passionate about.

Creative Uses for Leftover Ingredients

Longtime Scrambler, Julie Rocchio, shared her creative way to use up leftover parsley and feta cheese from a recent Scramble menu. She wonders whether other Scramblers would share their tips for using up ingredients before the next weekly trip to the store:

Julie Reports:"One weekend recently, I was pondering what to do with extra fresh parsley and feta crumbles from that week. So ... I did "breakfast for dinner" and made an egg dish served with bagels and fresh orange slices. The eggs were scrambled with minced parsley and feta stirred in. I think I used about 1/4 cup minced parsley and about 3TB feta with six eggs. It was pretty good.

The big bonus was that the eggs were very green! So, the kids were tickled that we were eating "Green Eggs" a la Dr. Suess, especially my three-year-olds. Not the most brilliant recipe in the world but just thought I'd share. I am extra vigilant these days about being creative with extras as I'm sure others are given recent high grocery prices.

P.S. The parsley was minced in the food processor. I do not think the effect would have been the same had it not been finely minced."

Let us know how you've used up your last tidbits in the 'fridge.