The Naptime Chef

This is the latest installment of my Powernap column. The series where I share quick, easy food that can be made for all kinds of situations. Powernaps are short and sweet, and so are these recipes. These are the things I make in a jiffy when I need a quick snack, am in the mood for a recipe experiment, or simply need to clean out the pantry.

Today’s Powernap: I have about 30 seconds to pull together a hefty side dish for our Cranberry Goat Cheese Baked Chicken and my daughter has informed me she wants something involving rice or couscous. With the giant tub of jasmine rice in the cabinet and some terrific saffron threads in the spice drawer it is time to pull something together lickety split!

We are a big fan of rice and couscous around these parts. So far I’ve found my daughter will eat nearly any kind of grain I put in front of her, especially when it is piping hot and paired with her favorite chicken. When I was whipping up the delicious chicken last week she asked for rice on the side but I didn’t have a lot of time to stand manning the stove while it cooked. So, in the interest of time and convenience, I decided to experiment with the idea of baking the rice. This technique involves a few seconds of active stirring followed by 30 minutes of complete neglect. Exactly the kind of recipe I needed on a busy day.

1. Jumbo Rice Krispie Candy Corn
2. Totino’s Pizza Stuffers
3. Hot Spiced Chai at Home
4. 12 Skinny Fall Pasta Recipes
5. New Ways to Eat PB&J

The Occasion: Taking treats to a friend for an afternoon playdate and some to my neighbor to celebrate her daughter’s christening.

Menu: Everyone to bring apple-themed treats to the playdate for a fun fall afternoon.

Attendees: Party of 8 (at playdate!)

Naptime Goals: Bake bars so they have time to cool, finish laundry, wrap up articles and pack snack for pick-up.

When I agreed to bring an apple-y treat to a playdate recently I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I experimented with this Apple Crumb Cheesecake bar recipe a lot last year but never posted about it. Now I’ve think I’ve got it fine-tuned and am finally ready to share! They were originally inspired by my husband’s love of cheesecake and my love of apples. I make a lot of apple breads and muffins during apple season, which are great, of course, but I really wanted to try combining cheesecake and apples to make one stellar bar we all would love.

What’s Going on Today: Normal school day, feeling very fall-like outside, enjoying the rhythm of the season.

Naptime Goals: Prep chicken, wrap up writing for the day.

Tonight’s Menu: Baked Cranberry Goat Cheese Chicken, herbed couscous, carrot souffle.

The lower temperatures of fall have arrived and they are slowly inspiring me to revisit my cold weather cooking favorites. The weather isn’t terribly cold yet, but it is too cool for gazpacho and cold chicken salad. I am turning the page to warmer soups and heartier baked dinners. This newest weeknight chicken dish was inspired by my daughter’s recent favorite snack, Craisins. I constantly toss them into salads and have always wanted to try them out in more savory dishes. When a bag literally fell out of the cupboard last week as I was reaching for some graham crackers I took it as a sign that it was time to try!

It is local apples season at our grocery store!

A few weeks ago I got a great comment asking me to share how I grocery shop with my daughter during the week. I know I am always chatting about my trips to the farmer’s market and gourmet shop, but I do hit our neighborhood grocery store on a regular basis as well. Not surprisingly, when I posted about how much I love to grocery shop by myself at night while my husband stays home with our sleeping daughter I got a resounding response. Casually strolling the grocery aisles sans children is a luxury you all love too! Of course, the reason we consider it a luxury is because it very rarely happens. Usually my daughter is in the cart begging for various treats while I politely ignore her and speed around checking things off my list, trying to steer clear of grumpy people and children waving candy bars (which inevitably leads to my child wanting one, too). The grocery store can be a minefield with kids, but it still necessitates frequent visits. Here is how I do it:

Congratulations to Rochelle, the winner of the Favorite Things Giveaway! Thanks to everyone for joining in the fun and celebrating Naptime Chef Birthday Week. Stay tuned for next month (which is only in a few days!) when we start our next celebration and challenge week centered around a fall theme!

Come over here to check out the LOCATION and TIME of the All-Clad Foodie Truck Stop on September 27th in New York City!