As much as my kids love helping in the kitchen, I always stop short of letting them help with meat preparation. The thought of food-borne illness just makes me steer clear entirely. I mean, yes, they can wash their hands like I do, but should I really take the risk?

Well, this weekend, I decided to let Will help making meatballs. With sleeves rolled up, he mixed and squished ground turkey with a mix of whole wheat breadcrumbs and a special pesto made just for the dish (instead of added oil, it uses an egg). Did it freak me out a little to have him touch raw meat? Absolutely. But like any other kitchen task, we talked about safety before we started and I made sure he understood why it’s important to be extra careful about washing up after touching raw meat. He did.

As nervous as I am about it, I do want my kids to be comfortable handling meat.

When I told Shawn, he wrinkled his nose and remarked about how gross it is to handle it. I agree, but I also think that if you are going to eat meat, you need to be willing to touch it and prepare it. That includes getting wrist-deep in ground meat mixtures.

After mixing, I didn’t have to ask Will to go wash his hands — he asked first and headed off to the bathroom for some quality time with soap and water. As for Paige? I let her stir the mixture a big, but held off on letting her touch the meat itself … As I told her, when she’s Will’s age, it will be different story.

If you aren’t ready for letting your young child touch meat, that’s okay. In any task involving your own kids, you need to make decisions that work for you and your family — just because let Will do this doesn’t mean that your child is ready for it too. Only you know whether they are or aren’t.

In any case, this recipe is great for cooking with kids since it affords much opportunity for them to help. Beyond the meat mixing, kids can measure ingredients for both the meatballs and the pesto, pulse the mixtures with the food processor, do the initial stir of the meatballs and also toss the pasta with the pesto sauce.

Do you let your kids touch raw meat? When will you?

Turkey Pesto Meatballs
serves 6

Why add milk to meatballs? Well, turkey meatballs can get dry but the addition of a little milk will offset the dryness. Add it if you are worried about that.

2 slices whole grain bread
2 tbsp low-fat milk (optional)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup packed basil
2 tbsp pine nuts
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/4 lb ground turkey

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In the bowl of a food processor, process the slices of bread to crumbs. Add milk, if using, and pulse a few times to combine. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and set aside. Rinse out the food processor and set back up.

KID STEP: Measure and add the garlic, basil, pine nuts, parmesan, egg and salt and pepper to the food processor, taking care to keep hands far away from the blade. Cover and pulse until well combined. Transfer mixture to the mixing bowl.

Add the ground turkey to the mixing bowl. Use a sturdy spoon or rubber spatula to mix the ingredients lightly. Then use hands to knead the ingredients until well combined.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking oil spray. Using your hands, form 1-inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Don’t worry about crowding — it’s okay if they are close together.

Cook the meatballs for 25-30 minutes, flipping once. The meatballs are done with there is no pink on the inside and the outside is lightly browned. Do not overcook.

Serve with pesto pasta (below).

Pesto Pasta
serves 6

1 lb pasta
1/2 cup packed basil leaves
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat a large pot of water on the stove to boiling. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.

KID STEP: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, cheese, pine nuts, garlic, 1/4 cup of the oil, salt and pepper. Process until desired consistency, adding additional oil if necessary. (Allow kids to hit the button to pulse the mixture, but be careful when adding items of the sharp blade.)

Pour the pesto into a large mixing bowl. Top with cooked and drained pasta.

KID STEP: Toss the pasta and the pesto together until well combined.

Serve immediately, with additional parmesan for sprinkling, if desired.

P.S. Please don’t forget to take my reader survey. I need your help to know how SCB is doing. Thanks!

Sometimes, I wish I could slow time down just a little bit. This month is flying by at warp speed and I just want to stop it for a little bit so that I can sit back and enjoy May. But time has other ideas, and we are just along for the ride.  Pretty soon, school will let out and it will be summer vacay for kids everywhere (Psst! Check out my guest post at Momversation on keeping kids of all ages occupied this summer).

Summer is a lovely time. It really is almost like everything slows down ever so slightly. We find ourselves outside more, basking in the sunlight and tending to the property. Weekends are spent strolling through farmer’s markets and picking strawberries and blueberries at pick-your-own farms. There are lazy days by the pool or on the beach and strolls near dusk.

And there are vegetables — many, many fresh, delicious vegetables.

We are still about a month away from the first harvest here in New England, but once we get there, this will be a perfect pasta to make from farmer’s market finds.

I’m the first to admit that I went through a phase where all I wrote about on this blog was pasta. Recognizing that it was a bit too much, I made a conscious decision to work on non-pasta recipes. That was probably two years ago or so … maybe even three.

So these days, if I write about pasta, you know it’s because it’s a pasta that I really, really love. That is totally the case with this pasta. Loaded with veggies, this one is a delicate, light, ever so slightly sweet (in that delectable, almost caramelized, way) dish. Serve this up with a tossed salad and some crusty bread. Then devour.

That’s exactly what the kids did tonight. Devoured.

Two Pepper Pasta
serves 4

Keep the vegetables cut pretty small for this so that they cook quickly and break down enough to coat the pasta.

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 green pepper, in a 1/4 in or less dice
1 red pepper, in a 1/4 in or less dice
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced – white and light green parts only
1 cup parsley
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup white wine
salt and pepper
1/2 lb pasta
1/2 cup grated Romano, plus extra for sprinkling

In a 12 inch skillet (a deep one), warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the green and red peppers, red onion and scallions. Stir briefly and then cover. Let cook 10 minutes, stirring once.

Meanwhile, combine the parsley, garlic and white wine in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour this combination over the vegetables and lower the burner heat to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Cook the pasta while you are simmering the sauce. When both are done, toss the veggies, the pasta and 1/2 cup of the Romano together. Sprinkle the top with a little grated Romano and serve.

When I picked up Will from school today, one of the other moms asked me about my writing. She’d noticed my email signature, which indicates that I am a writer and editor and a few of the sites that I regularly write for. The question caught me totally off guard — but in a good way.

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a writer. While other kids would pretend to be doctors or policemen, I used an old dressing table in my room to pretend that I was writing a novel or filing an important news story on deadline. It was just my thing.

Writing is very much a part of who I am. Someone on a message board recently remarked about how a profession can’t define you … I totally disagree when it comes to the arts. When you are a writer, an artist, a singer, musician or performer, it’s very much ingrained in who you are.

Since writing is such a big part of me, I am not used to people asking about it from such a ground level. It made me smile to talk — if only for a few seconds — about how I came to be a writer and what I write about.

What I failed to mention when I was speaking with her though was another important part of my job: creating new recipes. I love the art of creating. I love pulling together flavors that just work well together and using them in new and different ways.

One combination that I love is artichokes and lemon — particularly when we are talking about fresh lemon. After Cate confessed how she often uses bottled lemon juice, I started paying more attention to what I use and have found that the taste of lemon juice and zest are far superior than the bottle. Color me a total convert.

As for the roasted vegetables, I absolutely love roasting veggies and tossing them in pasta. Pretty much everything is better roasted. It really brings out the flavors in the veggies … so, when I read about a pasta that Patsy at Friends, Family and Food made with roasted tomatoes and asparagus, I had to make something similar for dinner.

The result? A slightly tangy, rich, light and fresh tortellini pasta … Mmmmmm.

Roasted Vegetables and Lemon Tortellini
serves 2

1 pint grape tomatoes
1 cup frozen artichoke hearts
1 cup broccoli florets
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 cup Romano cheese
cheese tortellini
1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a large jelly roll pan with nonstick aluminum foil. Spread the tomatoes, artichoke hearts and broccoli on the baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 12 minutes.

Remove the tray from the oven and sprinkle the vegetables with the Romano cheese. Place it back in the oven and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, cook up enough tortellini for two people — I used about a half a package.

Zest the lemon and juice the halves.

Toss together the tortellini, roasted vegetables, lemon zest and two tablespoons of the fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Things change. I still have a soft spot for Kraft’s obscenely orange powdered cheese, but I rarely indulge in it. More often than that I opt for tortellini tossed with some lemon olive oil, Romano and sea salt. As children do, Will loves macaroni and cheese — so does Paige, and Shawn for that matter. And I have learned that homemade food can be equally as accessible as convenience food.

That’s what this recipe is. It’s quick, easy and accessible macaroni and cheese, and it’s all made fresh. Honestly, this won’t take you any longer than the box if you start cooking the sauce at the same time as the pasta. Sure, it might not be the healthiest side dish, but this is comfort food and sometimes we all need a little comfort.

Quick Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
serves 6 as a side

1 slice bacon, uncooked and roughly chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper
1/2 lb pasta, cooked

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just about browned. Add butter to the pan and melt. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour. Cook for about 2 minutes, until a smooth paste is formed. Whisk in the milk and cook for an additional 5 minutes or so, until thickened. Stir in the cheese until melted and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix well.

Serve immediately.

Leftovers make great lunches.

A few years ago, Will was the kid on the beach afraid to leave his little chair and get his toes sandy. He used to scream about it being dirty. But children grow and change. Yesterday I watched at a distance as Will studied the periwinkles, hermit crabs and minnows that inhabit the tidal pools in this neck of the woods with his cousin. Separated by only a few months, it amazes me to see them play together. In a short span of time, they’ve grown from barely sitting infants to toddlers who weren’t quite sure how to play together to little boys who belted out songs on a little microphone last Christmas. They can now have conversations with each other. They’ve got opinions and ideas . . .

Time does fly, doesn’t it? It doesn’t seem like that long ago that I was the one playing with my cousins on the beach, exploring the pools and chasing the birds. Okay, maybe we didn’t chase birds because we were girls, but you get the idea. Now we’re the moms sitting at a distance letting our boys get a taste of the freedom that comes with childhood.

Back when we were kids, dinner was often pork chops, German sausages, or sometimes steak. For vegetables, corn, green beans and peas made frequent appearances. These days, it’s different. Tonight’s dinner packed a heavy wallop of veggie action with a side of sauteed Swiss chard and pasta with kale pesto.

Kale is one of those vegetables that people either love or hate. I happen to fall into the faction of people who love the earthy taste of this stubborn green. That earthiness comes through loud and clear in this pesto. Mix about 1/4 of this pesto with enough penne to feed four as a side, slice up some crusty bread, grill up some tasty chicken and then enjoy.

Kale Pesto

1 bunch kale, chopped (15-20 stalks)
2 large cloves garlic
2/3 cup freshly grated Romano cheese (you can substitute Parmesan, if you prefer)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
a generous amount of salt

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.

Kale pesto can be frozen in smaller portions to use thorugh the winter.

I love – LOVE – the ease of food that can do double duty. For instance, a roasted chicken like the one mentioned on the Everyday Food blog today can be Sunday dinner, Monday chicken tacos, Tuesday chicken and rice and Wednesday chicken salad. Talk about a blessing for a busy, harried mom — or any uber busy person.

That’s why I love this beef recipe. It doesn’t take long to throw together and it can feed a family of four for three meals. It’s adapted from a cookbook that I’ve had for several years, but rarely used, called Better Food for Kids. My version makes it a bit fresher and more to my style/taste.

Since you use it in different dishes, we didn’t get bored eating ground beef three times in a week. Will and Paige gobbled up the shepherd’s pie and devoured the beefy calzone that I made with this (see below for directions). And the bolognese was a huge hit too.

The recipe makes three cups of beef — three dinners worth. Now, I know, you are wondering how you can stretch three one-cup portions into three full meals for a family. Right? Actually, it’s pretty simple. Just forget the notion that protein needs to be the biggest thing on your plate. Toss that idea completely out.

Done? Okay.

Now, get used to the idea of using more vegetables and some good carbs too. It’s all about keeping meals well-rounded. A trip around the food pyramid, if you will.

So what can you do with this beef?

• Shepherd’s Pie: Mix one cup basic beef with two cups al dente vegetables in a casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes (garlic mashed, preferably). Cook in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes begin to brown very lightly.
• Beefy Calzone for Four: Stretch one prepared pizza dough into a large rectangle. Spread one cup of cheese along the center length of the rectangle. Top with a single layer of sliced tomatoes (down the center only) and one cup of beef, then a second layer of 1 cup of beef. Cook in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.
• Bolognese Sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine one can of tomato paste with 1/2 cup of water and two large tomatoes, diced. Season with salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Add one cup of basic beef. Heat through. Serve over pasta with a salad.

Beyond these ideas, you could make beef quesadillas or burritos, serve it with rice and lots of peppers and onions, make sloppy joes . . . the possibilities are only limited with your imagination.

Enjoy!

Basic Beef
yields 3 cups
adapted from Better Food for Kids

1 lb lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1 large tomato, diced
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef. At the same time, combine the garlic and onion in a food processor and process until chopped to a fine and uniform chop. Add to the beef and cook until the beef is browned. Pour off any excess fat.

Add tomatoes, Italian seasonings, salt and pepper to the beef mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

It all started with the beautiful marble cake that Shawn bought for me. It had this delicious creamy frosting and was decorated with a firm, rich buttercream that melted in my mouth. I loved it. Loved every part of it. It was so sensuously smooth that it made my tongue dance with glee . . . Except when I went to eat the last sliver of cake, something was missing: the scalloped buttercream edging from the bottom of the cake.

Yes, folks, my last bit of buttercream was stolen out from under me. Surely you can understand my devastation. It’s been all I could think about since then. I’ve been driving Shawn crazy with my musing about the delectable taste of that buttery buttercream . . . Like a jilted lover, it haunted me with conviction and certainty until he finally went and bought a little more for me to enjoy . . .

Oh, the sweet sensation of buttercream on tongue . . .

That’s why when I read this post on Smitten Kitchen about making Swiss buttercream, I just knew . . . I had to do it. I haven’t yet, but it’s coming . . . perhaps even for the birthday Will shares with his grandmother.

In the meantime, I did what any sensible person would do: I sent Shawn back to the store for a little more cake.

Do you have a favorite frosting?

I’ve gotten very into Rachael Ray lately. Girlfriend knows what she’s doing . . . My one complaint? Many of the 30 minute meals I have made are 30 minutes of active time . . . that’s quite challenging when you are home alone with two little kids. Often, making her recipes involves Paige at the hip and Will standing close-by to see what I am up to . . .

Being two and a half, I try to let Will help when he wants to. But that can be a challenge. Sometimes he “forgets” that when I ask him to make the salads, the fixings are supposed to go in the bowl — not his mouth. Other times he wants to taste ingredients (to which I usually acquiesce, as long as it’s safe).

I’ve also found that many of Rachael’s recipes are kid friendly.
Will has liked pretty much everything I have made from her — mac and cheese with broccoli (from the magazine), French dip paninis and the pasta you saw above: Tomato, Bacon, Cheese Pasta . . . This one comes from her 30-Minute Meals book. I made it for the first time a few weeks back in desparation when our fridge was devoid of fresh ingredients save some chicken stock, bacon and a tomato . . .

I do make some changes to the recipe though: I skip the pasta water and just double the amount of chicken broth. I substitute two small diced tomatoes for the grape tomatoes. And the onions? I’ve made it with and without them and prefer without . . .  That’s the nice thing about her recipes — they are easy to customize.

Pasta with Bacon, Tomatoes and Cheese
Adapted from the Rachael Ray recipe
Serves 4
Salt
3/4 pound penne
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 bacon slices, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Black pepper
sea salt
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 small tomatoes, diced
1/2 ball fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasonings
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the pasta. Cook as directed on the package.

Preheat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the chopped bacon and cook until just starting to brown — about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, red pepper, pepper and salt. Cook, stirring all the time, for 4 minutes. Don’t let the garlic brown.

Add the white wine and stir briskly to get up all the yummy scrapings on the bottom. Stir in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and cook them for an additional minute. Add pasta and stir to coat in the sauce. Let sit for one minute.

Remove from heat and stir in cheeses and Italian herbs.

Serve with warm crusty bread.

I think everyone must have that one person in their family whose food defines comfort for you. For most, it’s probably their mother. But for me, it was my uncle Hugo. Hugo was a big Italian man who served giant antipasti platters and perfectly prepared seafood dishes. He was the only one in my family who could convince me to down big servings of broccoli and cauliflower when neither were favorites of mine. His secret? A quick cheese sauce. And to this day, I love those two vegetables with a nice drizzle of cheese sauce.

Hugo loved to cook. He often would make our New Years Day dinner. We would gather in the townhouse he shared with my aunt Deborah and cousin Whitney and eat till we were all sleepy. Good times.

I honestly cannot remember if Hugo ever made baked ziti for us, but I could definitely imagine this being a creation of his. And considering that my aunt’s signature dish is eggplant Parmesan, this sounds like something that probably appeared on their table at sometime or another.

Anyway, I was craving a cheesy, ooey, gooey plate of baked ziti the other day. You know, the kind of ziti where the ricotta and marinara just melt together in your mouth in perfect harmony. That is the kind of dish that warms you up like giant arms folded around your belly on a cold winter day.

Honestly, baked ziti is something I rarely order in restaurants. Why? Well, when there are dozens of delicious items on the menu that combine unusual and exotic flavors, why would you order plain, old baked ziti? It’s the same reason I wouldn’t order other comfort foods like macaroni and cheese or grilled cheese. Still, when you want something tasty, quick and comforting, these are the meals that deliver every time.

Nonetheless, I wanted to be sure I could have my ziti without an extra slice of guilt (with all that cheese, this can be loaded with calories if you aren’t careful). I also wanted to add a little protein to balance it out a bit more. As a result, each serving is just under 500 calories and the half-portion of meat in each packs a tidy little protein and iron punch. If you wanted to add more iron to this dish while still keeping it under 500 calories, a cup of cooked spinach (drained well) would do the trick.

Being that this is a great comfort food, at least to me, I thought this dish would be perfect to share at Meeta’s Monthly Mingle, hosted by Meeta of What’s For Lunch, Honey?

Beefy Baked Ziti
serves 4

1 cup (8 oz) dried ziti
1/2 lb ground beef
1 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
3 oz mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook the ziti in boiling water, according to package directions. Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Pour off excess grease.

Layer ground beef, ziti and marinara sauce in an oven-safe casserole dish. Stir together. Add the ricotta in dollops and stir in. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted.

Serve immediately.

Why haven’t I ever made it myself? I don’t know. When I tried it, my cooking skills were subpar — I didn’t know what to do with it and I was afraid to try. As I’ve gotten older and developed my hand in the kitchen, I just haven’t taken the time to make this. But I’ve been thinking about that tasty dish a lot lately and decided to make my own version. It’s been years since I had it last, so I cannot remember exactly what was in it so I just threw some things together to make this.

MMmmmm, Mmmmm, Mmmmm. This was so tasty, I could have eaten the whole thing myself. Nonetheless, I shared it with Will. I told Will this was spaghetti and excluded the word squash. Why? Not because I thought he wouldn’t eat it, but because I think the specification might be a little much for him. In any case, he gobbled up a big bowl of this and told me it was “yum.” Good enough for me.

The cool thing about this dish, I think, is that it’s naturally low in carbs and gluten-free (and vegetarian too), so this is something I could serve without worries whenever anyone comes to my house.

1 spaghetti squash (I used a smaller one)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 plum tomatoes, diced
2 tsp capers
sea salt and pepper
freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Cut the squash in half, length-wise and seed. Put squash halves cut-side down on the baking sheet. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a small skillet. Add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Don’t let the garlic brown. Stir in tomatoes, capers, salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.

Scoop squash into a bowl. Pour in tomato mixture. Stir together. Serve warm, topped with freshly grated Parmesan.
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This veggie rich dish is a good submission for Sweetnicks‘ ARF/5-A-Day Tuesdays. Check out Cate’s site tomorrow night for a roundup.