Every so often, we’ll be eating dinner at our kitchen table and Will will look up and say “Mommy, you’re a good cooker.” It warms my heart. Most of the time, he loves what I make (of course, there will always be a few duds … and we usually agree on those).

A lot of things that come out of my kitchen are made with the kids in mind. Two Cheese Meatball Grilled Cheese, Sausage Bolognese, Blueberry White Chocolate Buttermilk Pancakes and Cocoa Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies are prime examples. We eat a lot of pasta and broccoli and yogurt because they love these things. And eggs, Paige is crazy for all kinds of eggs.

But as a mom, I think it’s important to do things for yourself sometimes too. A woman I met online a few years ago used to always sign notes “Take care of you.” At the time, Will was in preschool and Paige was still a toddler. The sentiment was lost on me, probably because I was so busy taking care of them. But now, I totally get it. You can’t get lost in the shuffle. And sometimes all it takes is whipping up a simple hummus to do something nice for yourself, especially if you are a mega-fan of hummus like me.

Yes, Will and Paige would love the sweet roasted garlic, tart lemon and meaty walnuts in this tahini-free hummus. It has a terrific citrus quality that’s complemented by the garlic and walnuts. Such great flavors together. Will and Paige would happily reach for the sweetest of the veggies on the plate and scoop up big globs of hummus. But this one is for me … just for me. I like to load up a plate with bell pepper strips, sugar snap peas and carrots for dipping with a good hummus like this. It’s a perfect lunch. Or snack.

Maybe I’ll share another day. But today, this is mine. Read the rest of this entry…

This dip, made in a mere 10 minutes or less, made me want to kiss Mark Bittman in gratitude. Not in a creepy way, but more in an oh-wow-you-just-saved-my-day way.

Let me back up.

This morning I roasted a whole cauliflower with garlic and rosemary. It filled the house with this wonderful aroma that left me drooling and contemplating if I really needed to continue with the recipe I was working on. But the roasted cauliflower wasn’t for a side dish — it was for a dip recipe that I am working on. A lovely, creamy, pureed cauliflower dip. Except it was awful – a total epic fail. I couldn’t get it into the garbage fast enough.

Of course, that left me totally bummed. So much for spreading it on bread for a sandwich today or enjoying it with crackers. So much for having a successful and ready to use recipe by the end of the day. It needs a complete revisiting and overhaul.

That’s when Bittman saved the day. (Ha! Sort of.) I started looking around for an easy, fast dip that I could make from what I had in my kitchen already (I am trying hard to break my daily grocery store trip habit). I stumbled onto this amazing white bean dip recipe that Mark Bittman wrote about on Diner’s Journal back in 2008. He said the secret to it is something he learned from Lidia Bastianich: lemon zest. It gives the dip the essence of lemon without the overpowering acidity.

The creamy dip is filled with a wonderful mix of earthy rosemary, pungent garlic (use less if you aren’t a fan) and citrus-y lemon zest. It’s perfect for dipping crackers into, or serving with your favorite chopped veggies. It would make a good sandwich spread too. And since it can be made ahead, it makes a great holiday appetizer too.

Speaking of holiday appetizers, I will be a guest tweeter at the Mediterranean Snacks Twitter Party this Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST. Follow hashtag #holidaysnax to join in the fun as we talk about holiday snacking, shopping and more. Get the full details on the Mediterranean Snacks blog. Scroll all the way down for details on a delicious Mediterranean Snacks giveaway too.

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Family birthdays and Sunday dinners are sacred for our extended family. It’s a time when we all get together around the table and share food, laughter and smiles. And some of the best family conversations happen as we linger before dessert, after eating delicious foods.

But our dinners (and appetizers too) aren’t without some degree of restriction. To moderate our fat intake, we aim for more healthful versions of family favorites. So when I was asked to partake in the November 2011 SideCar Series, featuring Bush’s Beans, on Kitchen PLAY, I knew it was a good fit. Beans are good-for-you food.

My contribution is a Hot Spinach Artichoke White Bean Dip. Like many people, my family adores the traditional hot spinach artichoke dip. The cheese! The flavor! The dipping goodness! But it’s such a nutritional splurge that we almost never have it anymore.

Spinach Artichoke White Bean Dip waiting to be baked.

Now we can. I turned that creamy hot dip on its head, making it a way-less-guilt dip by trading cream cheese and other creamy (read: full-fat) ingredients for white cannellini beans pureed with garlic and vegetable stock.

The dip is still fabulously creamy with a mix of Romano and mozzarella cheese, chopped artichoke hearts and spinach. Oh, and the salt and pepper — which is a necessary addition to any savory recipe.

My family shared this dip at a recent family birthday dinner. I have to admit that as everyone went in for the first taste, I held my breath a little bit. Would they like it? Would they miss the decadent ingredients? Considering how fast the dip disappeared, it definitely didn’t disappoint.

Hot and bubbly from the oven ...

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Leftovers are a challenge in our house. If it’s pasta, you can pretty much guarantee that if there’s anything leftover (and usually there isn’t) then the kids will be all over it. It’s perfect for warming up and packing into Will’s lunchbox. But soup? It’s 50-50. Sometimes that’s great for lunch too but other times we don’t want to look at leftover soup. I’ve frozen it in the past, but we rarely go back to it. And leftover chicken, steak and other meats? It’s 50-50 on those too.

As a result, I try hard to not have leftovers from dinner. I make just enough. But sometimes leftovers can’t be avoided. For instance, earlier this week I was working on a recipe for Tablespoon that called for using leftover roasted chicken. I ended up buying a whole roasted chicken at the grocery store but only used a portion of it to finish off the recipe. A little of the chicken became Paige’s lunch one day, but there was still a good amount left. I hated seeing it there, knowing that it would go to waste if I didn’t do something.

Of course, I didn’t want to just eat it. With chicken especially, I am much happier when it becomes part of a whole new meal. Putting it on a salad was an option. But I had nachos on the brain and I’ve been on a long quest to make chicken work on nachos. Often, I feel like when you pair chicken with traditional nacho toppings it ends up seeming out of place — like your Thanksgiving dinner got into an argument with fiesta night. The flavors is just so different.

But I had an epiphany recently. If the chicken’s flavor was more Tex-Mex then it would blend in better. It’s a matter of narrowing the gap between the flavors. So I tried it (what good is a theory if you don’t?). It worked. All it takes is shredding the chicken and mixing it with a little salsa to make it a perfect nacho topping. Sweet.

Making these nachos, which make a perfect easy dinner, is simple as can be. Tortilla chips are topped with the chicken mixture, a load of black beans and red peppers. Then it’s all baked with a blanket of cheddar. Serve it with salsa, sour cream, guacamole or whatever you love with your nachos.

Did I mention that it’s ready in a mere 15 minutes, start to finish? Go ahead. Try them tonight. You totally have time.

What do you do with your leftovers?

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Every so often, a new ingredient gains popularity and you wonder why no one was cooking with it sooner. That’s how I feel about pea shoots. They have that fresh, just-picked flavor and pleasant cool crunch — similar to bean sprouts. When I saw a package of them in Trader Joe’s I couldn’t wait to try them out.

I wasn’t disappointed. As a longtime fan of sprouts of all kinds, these are pea shoots are just up my alley. I think they would be awesome in sandwiches too. But, my first experiment with them was to make Grilled Quesadillas with Pea Shoots.

Grilling quesadillas is easy to do. You start with a hot grill. It should be well-preheated (I made mine after grilling chicken, so it had been on and heated for awhile). Then you toss the tortillas on, cover them with cheese and other toppings and close with another tortilla.Then, they just cook on the grill in about 5 minutes or so (yes, you have to flip them once).

It’s super easy, and since there is no butter or oil on the tortillas, they are a little better for you than the traditional pan-made ones.  Serve them as an appetizer or side dish with dinner.

One more really fun idea for this: A grilled quesadilla party. Invite a bunch of friends over and offer a variety of fillings and cheeses. Everyone can design their own and grill it up in a few minutes. It would be a great summer gathering, and you could totally celebrate summer’s freshest bounty by offering a bunch of farmers market veggies to stuff the quesadillas with.

Have you had pea shoots? Did you like them?

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Grilled slices of Tuscan bread. Thin slices of fresh mozzarella, melted onto it. Garlic scape marinated roasted red peppers.

Hang on, I need to wipe away the drool. This open faced sandwich was so good.

I ate this for lunch last week, whipping it up in  just a few minutes over the grill. It’s a perfect summer dish. Served with a salad and it’s a whole meal — a light dinner even.

Making this is so simple. You brush the bread with olive oil (or spray it) and then grill for a few minutes until it starts to brown. Then you flip the bread and top with the cheese. Grill it for a few more minutes until the mozzarella starts to lose its shape. Then you top it with the marinated red peppers and cook for just a minute or two more. Remove from the heat and enjoy.

As for the peppers, they start with Garlic Scape Vinaigrette (a new recipe I developed for Tablespoon). It’s simple to make and is fabulous over salads or for a marinade like with these peppers. If you aren’t familiar with garlic scapes, they are the curly tops of fresh growing garlic. They are available right now, so if you see them, pick ‘em up (and freeze extras).

Of course, if you can’t get garlic scapes, any vinaigrette will work in this recipe. But I really have to recommend using the garlic scape vinaigrette.

Anyway, you mix up the vinaigrette with roasted red peppers, like the recipe for making roasted red peppers on the grill that I shared last week. Close the jar, chill for a day and then they are all ready to go.

Once that’s done, they can be used on everything from salads and sandwiches to crostini. Look, I wouldn’t normally ask you to make three recipes (roasted peppers, garlic scape vinaigrette and these marinated peppers) to get to the final dish … but this time, it’s totally worth it. Swear.

Have you had garlic scapes?

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The Super Bowl is this Sunday, and whether you are a football fan or not, it’s a perfect time to throw a party and invite a few fun friends.

Before I go any further, I have to confess that I feel like the Super Bowl should have been played weeks ago since I have been writing about it for nearly two months — for work.

Back when I wrote for newspapers, everything was done with little lead time. If we were going to write about a Christmas miracle, it would literally be the week of Christmas. If we were going to cover the start of the strawberry season, it would be on opening day at a local strawberry field. Everything happened in real time, and it was grand.

One unexpected consequence of transitioning from newspapers to magazines to the internet has been the gentle change in how coverage is planned. Sometimes, like on this blog, things are pretty immediate. I finish testing a recipe, write about it and post — and you are reading it within minutes. But other times, like with my freelance recipe development work, things have a lead time. It takes some getting used to — especially when it comes to holidays and celebrations.

The good news? I have tons of Super Bowl appetizers to share.

On BettyCrocker.com:

• Sarah’s Gorgonzola Bison Sliders
• Hot Pretzel Bites
• Mediterranean Crostini

On Tablespoon.com:

• Teriyaki Turkey Sliders
• Slow Cooker Teriyaki Wings
• Pretzel-Wrapped Pigs in a Blanket
• Chili Cheese Pizza
• Slow Cooker Turkey Chili (a mild recipe — perfect for young kids)

And then there is one more … this fabulous Chili Cheese Dip. It’s super easy to make — you combine sharp cheddar and chili and heat it until the cheese is all melted and combined with the chili. You can use homemade chili or canned — whatever you prefer. Heck, you could even buy chili from your fav local place and make it with that.

Don’t you love a flexible recipe? I do!

So, what are your Super Bowl plans?
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Intellectually, I know it’s December. The Christmas carols are playing on repeat in the local Macy’s and the front of the grocery store is filled with wreathes, poinsettias and other greenery. The Christmas cards have begin arriving. But all the same, I have this feeling of “Oh my goodness, it’s DECEMBER!” Like how did that happen? Wasn’t it just summertime?

And despite my good intentions to have a decked out house on December 1, the decorating has been slower, steadier. A mini-tree with food-related ornaments went up in the kitchen last week (an idea that I totally swiped from Cate). The wreath is hung outside. And today, I added the giant ornaments to our front porch. Next up? The lights outside, and the various angels and Santa’s inside. The tree won’t come until just before Christmas.

All the same, it is beginning to feel like Christmas. That makes me happy. And the kids too.

With the holidays already underway, holiday parties are abound. That means delicious drinks, great conversation and fab holiday appetizers (that is what parties are all about, right?) … and this amazing little Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Crostini is perfect. The bread lends a slight crunch. The hummus adds a whisper of creamy base and roasted red pepper and artichoke topping is sweet-cool-warm-savory. It sounds like a lot going on, but really all these flavors and textures are subtly working together to create a mouthwatering bite.

Want to make it an even easier, faster holiday appetizer to throw together — buy precut French bread. My grocery store bakery sells it at a slight premium, but it’s worth it when you are short on time (or just don’t want to cut the bread yourself).

Are you hosting a party this holiday season? What’s on the menu?

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Mmm. Guacamole. Just add chips or chopped up veggies.

But this isn’t your typical guacamole. This one is infused with the tart fabulousness of tomatillos, a relative of eggplants and gooseberries. It’s unexpected, but delicious all the same. We have a big crop of tomatillos growing in our garden this year, so I foresee a lot more Tomatillo Guacamole in our near future.

Recently I served this fun take on guacamole as an appetizer at a family birthday party and the bowl was completely cleared. Not a stitch of leftover guac. I don’t know who liked it the best: the kids or the adults. If you (or your kids) like avocado, guacamole and the like, then this is a fabulous thing to serve. Even if they don’t like avocado, this is delicious.

On a side note, kids do eat avocado. And like it. I know plenty of children who are practically addicted to it (and guacamole too!). But when I recently featured this recipe in my Tablespoon column, in a post about Kid-Friendly After-School Snack Ideas, I got a surprisingly negative reaction. I took some serious heat on Tablespoon’s Facebook Fan Page for suggesting that kids (or anyone) would enjoy this.

Guess what? Kids do eat this. They do. Not all of them (because seriously, everyone has preferences and tastes). But there are plenty who do.

When I spoke at BlogHer last month, I made the point that approaching food and eating with positivity is so important to getting kids to eat well — and really it is. Avoid negative statements (“I don’t think you will like this but..” “You usually don’t eat this …” “It’s okay if you don’t like it …”) and kids will be more likely to try things. Will this work every time for every child? Of course not! But even if it only works sometimes, it’s better than having your child married to a diet of white foods or whatever. Just my two cents.

What do you think?

Some more recipes you might like:

• Lime Guacamole
• Tomato Tomatillo Salsa

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Back to school is heavy on my mind these days. We are less than a week away from Will starting kindergarten. But as I wrote recently on Tablespoon, it’s Will’s school lunch that I think about most. Ok, think might be an understatement. I obsess.

I’ve checked out the lunch menu for his school and its … not good. A packed lunch it will be (and he’s okay with that!). Still, what do I pack? How do I keep it from getting too boring? Thank goodness for good friends like Cate, who give me fab ideas (like frozen grapes as a snack/way to keep the whole lunchbox cold. Love that!).

One snack that I know I will be packing is homemade hummus and veggies. Will adores hummus, as does Paige. Toss in some slices of cucumber, red peppers and carrots and you have a delish snack (or even a lunch item!).

This fast, easy hummus is filled with the warm, smoky-sweet flavor of sundried tomatoes and my very favorite herb: basil. I made it this afternoon for a very special video shoot (more on that later!) and it totally got rave reviews.

Now, I need some more ideas. What inventive foods do you pack in lunchboxes?

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