So over dinner...

I hate to start off negative, but I am so over dinner time drama.  I get excited to try a new recipe, work hard at making it just right and then no one (besides me) enjoys it.  Here is the dilemma- Chad and I like a lot of flavor, spices, etc. but the girls do not.  Chad does not like "sweet" tasting things, ie sweet potatoes, butternut squash, etc, but the girls and I love a sweet flavor. Or I find a dinner that the girls do like, I fix it again, and their taste has changed so they no longer will eat it.  Usually I can motivate through this in my excitement to try new recipes, but last week I threw in the towel.

Tuesday night I came home from work and had no desire to cook.  I walked down to Trader Joes and picked up regular pasta (not gluten free) and regular marinara sauce.  The problem with cooking regular pasta in our house is that gluten can be left behind in the pot.  Gluten is very sticky, so it requires a lot more scrubbing and cleaning of everything it touches so that no cross contamination happens.  But I bucked up and decided the extra cleaning was worth an easy dinner.  I told everyone I did not want to hear any whining about dinner, that they were getting pasta (with gluten) and red sauce.  The dinner took as long as it takes to boil pasta and everyone ATE without complaint.  Yes, that means I had to fix another meal for myself, but so be it.  Everyone was happy.

Wednesday I was looking at recipes and then got my friendly, daily email from Metrofresh.  They usually have at least one vegan / gluten free option, but this day they had 2 soups and 3 sides that were vegan / gluten free.  I felt obligated to support them.  So, the girls and I walked down to Metrofresh and I let them each pick out their dinner.  I brought a big bag of food home.  Everyone was happy.

Thursday- black beans, rice, frozen roasted peppers from TJs and tortillas.  Oh, and I broke down, I made a new recipe.  But this time it was a HIT.  Low Fat Vegan Nacho Cheese from the Happy Herbivore.
It was OUTSTANDING, so yummy.  I drizzled it over my bowl of black beans, rice and peppers.  Both girls enjoyed it and Chad said it was not bad.  I think I would just call it Mexican sauce or something, because "cheese" will throw you.  It did not taste like cheese to me, but it did taste delicious.  Try out that recipe!

Making a successful recipe got me back into the groove of cooking again.  Sorry girls, no take out next week.

Lessons learned this week...

1) The amount of time spent in kitchen does not always equate  a successful meal.  (Success in my world means at least 3 out of 4 of us enjoy the meal!)
2) Allowing the girls to pick out the recipe does not always mean they will like it.  (I should have known this!)
3) Rice flour is not an appropriate substitute for all purpose flour.
4) Look at expiration dates.

Rainy Monday, I embarked on cooking a meal that my whole family would LOVE.  I got input from everyone, I went to Wholefood and Trader Joes to stock up, and even had to send Chad back to both.  So, 4 trips to a grocery store. I was motivated to make some serious food.  The girls picked out a quinoa, kale and potato stew and I chose a vegan cornbread recipe all from the Appetite for Reduction cookbook that I use often.  I literally spent all afternoon cooking. 

My only success was a third recipe I have mentioned before, an easy trail mix recipe, toasted pumpkin seeds, vegan dark chocolate chips and dried cherries, mix all together while seeds are still hot then let cool spread out on a pan in the frig. and it forms great little chocolatey clusters.  Well - that was the only recipe that two of us liked (me and S).

The stew was a disaster - I ate it (and am still eating it) but the girls attempted one bite and had a fit.  Chad attempted a bite and I saw a face that I had never seen before.  I think it took every ounce of his strength to keep the stew in his mouth.  Thankfully he did, and the girls did not see his face.  The corn bread was even worse.  Rice flour does not equal all purpose flour.  So much for my creative gluten free baking.  Oh - and expiration dates...  I have said before that this cooking thing is new to me, I truly started cooking a few months ago when I started this blog.  The expiration date on my baking powder serve as evidence.  October 2007.  This means this baking powder was packed up from our old house, unpacked in our new house and has not been used in 4 years.  4 years - no baking!!

I won't show pictures of the stew or cornbread.  No need to further embarrass myself.

Yesterday, was my dad's birthday. Happy Birthday Dad!  I was going to prepare a vegan, gluten free meal that would really impress.  But, after my lessons learned on Monday, and Chad's response when I suggested I cook for my dad "maybe we should go out??" I decided to pick up food from Metrofresh.  All gluten free (except for the rolls).  The quinoa and veggie trail mix were also vegan.  Picking up from Metrofresh is just so much easier!  And, everyone ate!

Thank you Metrofresh for saving the day.

I am a little obsessed with MetroFresh

Unfortunately for my bank account but fortunately for my taste-buds I signed up for the MetroFresh daily emails.  I used to pop into MetroFresh not knowing what was on the menu (menu changes daily).  But now that I get the fun, entertaining email everyday, my trips to MetroFresh are getting out of control.  

Remember my delight with the saying right on the menu of Root Down on my recent trip to Denver?  If not - here you go:
At Root Down we pride ourselves on striving to solve the ‘Omnivore’s Dilemma.’ We have created a dining spot where all dietary needs will be accommodated, including vegetarian, vegan, raw and gluten free; also allergies or intolerances are always handled professionally by the kitchen team.


I realized during my second trip to MetroFresh today that they have incorporated this philosophy exactly.  Everyday they offer something vegan and gluten free - now maybe there is only one option - BUT there is always an option.  And, I have seen as many as 5 vegan, gluten free options offered.  That is quite impressive.  And, down right thrilling.  So, when I anxiously open the email everyday, I almost feel obligated to go pick up some of their delicious, creative, unique vegan, gluten free soups and salads.  The combinations they put together are so amazing, and sometimes so unusual I have to try them.  I feel like each soup and salad has been created with a lot of thought, love of good tasting food and great consideration into what is healthy and in season.  I am seriously addicted.   This morning I stopped by with the girls and picked up fruit salad and yummy gluten free banana blueberry muffins.  The girls would not share their fruit with me!  They each ate an entire bowl.  So, I did not share my muffin with them :)  While I was there, I saw the lunch, so I had to go back to pick up chilled SPICY white grape soup - see what I mean on unique??  And, the Lady Pea, sweet corn, with artichoke hearts and baby spinach salad.  I ate it all - my taste-buds celebrated with every bite.

Now the really fun part - if someone frequents MetroFresh who is not a vegan nor GF, I would bet they dont think of the restaurant as a "vegetarian" place - it is not crunchy at all and always has several great meat, poultry or fish options.  This is place is truly solving the "Omnivore's Dilemma" right here in Midtown, Atlanta in a clean, trendy, beautiful spot. 

Embarrassingly, I will be returning to MetroFresh a 3rd time today - I left the grilled blackened chicken that Ry had requested during my second trip.  Ry is a very picky eater, so when her eyes lite up this morning when she saw the chicken, I had to get it for her.  Yes, sometimes she eats chicken - and I will buy it for her from MetroFresh - I just cant / wont cook it myself :)
http://www.metrofreshatl.com/

Fancy Monday Night Dinner

I have never cooked brussel sprouts before last night.  It was not until I tasted MetroFresh's brussel sprouts a few weeks ago, that I became a fan of brussel sprouts.  I cut the ends off and cut them in half, blanched them (which I just learned means put them in boiling water for a few minutes), then coated them with a very little grapeseed oil, salt and pepper, then roasted them on 350 for about 15 minutes.  I served this with polenta and tofu.  For the polenta, I cut them in 1/2 inches rounds, and put them in a hot pan with  oil cooking spray.  You can watch as they change to a darker yellow, then flip and wait for them to cook all the way through.  I served the polenta with a little cashew cream, basil, a drizzle of balsamic glaze and topped them with nectarines and strawberries.  Awesome new creation!!  For the tofu, I marinaded them in 1/4 cup agave syrup, 1/2 cup GF soy sauce, the juice of 2 limes, and lots of pepper.  After pressing the tofu to get the water out, I cut them in triangles, put them in a shallow pan with the marinade for about 30 minutes.  Then baked them at 300 for about 15 minutes.  After the oven, I put them on our stove top grill for a few minutes to get the grill marks and become a little more firm.  Yes, the dinner was  more difficult and time consuming, but the taste was out of this world.  BOTH girls loved it, and I saved the tofu sauce for Chad's dinner.  He just substituted a piece of chicken for the tofu.   I am trying to do one "fancy" dinner a week - I cant do this kind of cooking every night!!  (For those interested, Whole Foods as already cooked chicken breast by Bell that I pull out of the freezer for Chad's dinner.)  By the time he gets home it has thawed, and takes just a minute on the grill to heat up.  Cashew cream is a new discovery.  I now have little cups of it frozen in my freezer.  You soak cashews in a lot of water over night.  The next morning drain the water, and put the nuts in the food processor.  The result is delicious, and can be used in mashed potatoes, salad dressing, as cream on top of polenta, etc.  I hope to discover many more ways to use it.  Its a great dairy substitute.
MetroFresh mentioned above is a favorite restaurant of mine - amazing vegan, GF options EVERY day!!
http://www.metrofreshatl.com/