The Naptime Chef

What’s Going on Today: Finalizing things with the movers, taking advantage of last few days in New York!
Naptime Goals: Make Lemon Coconut Squares for picnic in Central Park tomorrow.
Tonight’s Menu: Leftover Roast Chicken, Green Beans with Walnuts, Lemon Coconut Squares for dessert (we don’t have to take the whole batch to our picnic, after all…)
Parenting Lesson of the Day: Don’t pack the toys ’til last.

I am trying to take advantage of everything New York has to offer over the next few days and tomorrow we are doing a picnic with friends in the park. We are all bringing homemade food to enjoy – kind of like a Central Park Potluck. It will be a really fun celebration for all of us. Though the kids will be running riot the parents will feast and I am going to do my best to contribute by making my favorite spring treat for potlucks or bake sales, Lemon Coconut Squares.

With leftovers in the fridge tonight this is a great day for baking. I am also baking these in honor of Big Girls, Small Kitchen and their Virtual Bake Sale. I love collaborating with Cara and Phoebe and when they wrote to ask for my participation in this event I jumped at the opportunity.

Big Girls, Small Kitchen will partner with Baking For Good, an online mail order gifting service for sweet treats that donates 15% of every purchase to a cause of the customer’s choosing. Big Girls, Small Kitchen will develop a cookie to be sold on the Baking For Good site and the confection will be available exclusively from April 19th – May 9th (Mother’s Day). BGSK will sponsor the Bake Sale event as a means of raising awareness for The Valerie Fund, an organization in the tri-state area that provides comprehensive health care for children with cancer and blood disorders. Baking for Good will offer an extra 5% donation to The Valerie Fund when people purchase the BGSK treat, even if another charity is selected as the primary recipient of the donation.

I can think of no better way to celebrate spring then by supporting a charity that helps families with cancer. I also can think of no better treat to share with you right now then these squares, they simply scream spring in every way and would be a surefire hit at any bake sale this season. Unlike my other favorite lemon bars, these are more like coconut squares baked on top of a shortbread crust with a lemon glaze. The bright citrus and coconut flavors are light and refreshing with a great balance of tart and sweet. Furthermore, they are easy to bake during naptime, as you’ll see. After they’ve baked I let them rest overnight (sneaking the occasional nibble here and there) and cut them the next morning for our picnic. Like a lot of desserts involving fruit I find that these squares are most delicious after they’ve been able to sit overnight. The flavor ripens and is more vibrant the next day.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. To learn more about the Valerie Fund please visit this website and thanks again for your participation in this great cause.

What’s Going on Today: Packing, errands, general chaos. Pick up birthday present for 3 year old’s birthday party this afternoon!
Naptime Goals: No time for Naptime Chef-ing today – instead I’ll use up some yummy leftovers in a salad tonight.
Tonight’s Menu: Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese, Almonds and Polenta Croutons
Parenting Lesson of the Day: When in doubt, bribe.

We are zeroing in on moving day and I am excited, but beyond stressed. It is craziness trying to pack a household, explain to a toddler what is happening and get everything set up at our new destination. We have had all the phone lines turned on and been given a new number by the phone company. But I still haven’t bought phones. Based on this state of preparedness I’d say we’ll be comfortably settled in our new spot by December.

With all of the packing going on here today I haven’t had time to Naptime Chef. My kitchen isn’t being totally boxed up until next week – I’ll be posting new food later this week and next week – but today I spent naptime wrapping picture frames instead of cooking. (Which, as you all know, I would have preferred to have been doing since I consider whisking much more fun then wrapping breakables.) So, like all resourceful home cooks in these situations, I turned to my stash of leftovers to see what could be combined with a few pantry items to make a yummy, nourishing dinner.

Luckily, upon opening the fridge I discovered some of my leftover polenta bars and lots of fresh spinach. With these two items a hearty dinner salad seemed like the perfect idea: spinach salad topped with polenta croutons (my polenta bars cut into small squares), crumbled goat cheese and toasted sliced almonds from the pantry. If I had time I would also cook up a chicken breast for added protein, but, in this case, the polenta croutons will suffice.

For a thrown together salad, I have to say, this one is pretty incredible. When topped with a light lemon vinaigrette it has a delicious tang to complement the goat cheese along with the oniony polenta croutons and crunchy almonds. After a long hot afternoon of packing this cool salad really hit the spot, it was both hearty and satisfying. While I ate it I was a little sad that I hadn’t gotten to cooking during naptime, a source of great relaxation for me, but was pleased with our dinner. I think all parent’s will agree, sometimes we all have these days where there is too much to do and not enough time. But, at least with a little ingenuity we can always cap it off with a good dinner, no matter the circumstances.

What Going on Today: Up waaaaayy too early this morning! Have to start packing boxes. We officially move in 2 weeks. Sad.
Naptime Goals: Make Polenta steaks using my new favorite recipe. Work on address changes, squeeze in a little R&R for me, too.
Tonight’s Menu: Chive Polenta Steaks, green salad.
Parenting Lesson of the Day: It’s easy to sell kids on a move with the promise of summer on the beach.

I only have a few more webisodes left in this kitchen before I move to a bigger, more gracious space. Unfortunately, in order to get to this space, it means moving out of Manhattan and up to the Connecticut coast. We are only moving a few miles really, but it feels like much longer than that. I’ll be sad to leave NYC, though I know it is time for open skies and grassy lawns. My daughter will love it and I’m sure we’ll come around, too. But, never fear New Yorkers, I’ll be back a lot. This will always be my daughter’s hometown and will always be especially close to my heart, as well.

Anyway, in the mean time I’m going to make the best of my current kitchen. I find it spacious and lovely, but it is pretty small and dark compared to what I’ll be moving into. I will always be able to say this is where The Naptime Chef all started. Maybe someday the management company will hang a plaque on the wall or even disassemble the whole thing and move it to the Smithsonian. Or not. Either way, this place perfect for making polenta steaks.

It’s only recently that I’ve gotten into making polenta steaks. Until a few months ago I liked to make polenta creamy and loose, like a dense porridge. Then, I read that some people fry polenta to make them into crispy steaks and decided to give it a shot. I was intrigued by the idea of polenta being a thick bar and cooked like a breast of chicken. Once I realized the brilliance of polenta steaks my wheels started turning. Why not, I thought, use this method and make new polenta steak flavors we all will enjoy. Since then I’ve been tinkering with it a bit, adding new flavors and adapting it so that it is perfect for making during naptime.

As you’ll see here, the great news is that I’ve succeeded in doing so. To prepare these steaks I add a little bit of extra cheese and some freshly snipped chives. I love the way this gives them a savory, almost oniony taste. Even better, all the stirring and adding things can be done while my daughter naps. Then the steaks only need to be cut and cooked – steps that take a few minutes – once dinner hour comes around. Enjoy!

What’s Going on Today: Finish nursery school registration for next year – yippee! Grocery store to pick up more cocoa powder.
Naptime Goals: Make carrot souffle and a batch of Double-Chocolate Espresso Cookie Dough.
Tonight’s Menu: Grilled Chicken Sausage, Green Salad, Carrot Souffle. Cookies to be baked after bedtime.
Parenting Lesson of the Day: It’s amazing the treasures you find at the bottom of a suitcase!

Yesterday I finally finished unpacking from our trip to Charleston earlier this month. It’s almost inexcusable that it took me so long to get reorganized, but we’ve been really busy since we returned and I just didn’t have time, or the energy, to tackle the suitcases. As I organized my closets I began reminiscing about everything I wanted to share with you. There is lots to tell, we ate at all sorts of wonderful places like Basil, Cupcake and Brixx – but, above all, the truly best meal I had in Charleston was cooked at the home of my friend’s Stuart and Jenny. That’s the one you all really should know about.

My friend Jenny of the Super Veggie Tomato Sauce is a great home cook and this meal lived right up to her reputation. The good news is that although her son no longer naps, he now attends preschool allowing her some free time to enjoy cooking each day. (Incidentally, this will be the scenario in my household next year, too.) So, during her free time one Tuesday while, her cutie pie (who wants to date my daughter) was off learning his A, B, C’s and Jenny was in the kitchen wrapping salmon in foil packets, marinating potatoes and baking one heck of a delicious blueberry crisp. I swear, her last name isn’t Stewart. But it could be.

When we arrived at their house that evening the kids went crazy playing with all of the toys and the adults settled in with a glass of wine to catch up. Jenny, having already coordinated the meal earlier that day, was able to relax with us. Stuart was in charge of the salmon on the grill – not a tough assignment – the potatoes and asparagus went into the oven to roast and the dessert had already been baked. Even more amazingly, her table was set simply and beautifully, check it out below.

The whole meal was perfectly balanced and delicious from start to finish. Ever the consummate hostess she kindly shared the source of her recipes with me so that I could, in turn, pass on her ideas to you. They are all worthy of attention, especially the blueberry crisp. It was filled with rich fruit, topped with soft crumbly crust and it melded perfectly with the small scoop of vanilla ice-cream in our bowls. I can’t wait for blueberry season to start here because this is first on my list to make. Thanks Stuart and Jenny for a great meal!

Jenny’s Perfect Menu:
Salmon in Foil with Lemon & Capers
Roasted New Potatoes
Roasted Asparagus
Green Salad
Blueberry Crisp

What’s Going on Today: Up earlier, sun is brighter, playground more active – everything is better in springtime. Off to the farmer’s market to pick up fresh veggies and all of my favorites from Ronnybrook Farm.
Naptime Goals: Make big batch of Pancake Mix for pancake breakfast on Saturday.
Tonight’s Menu: Leftover Browned Butter Asparagus Risotto. Leftover Easter candy dessert.
Parenting Lesson of the Day: The bigger the stack of pancakes, the happier the kid.

Tonight there are delicious leftovers in the fridge for dinner so this afternoon I am going to use naptime to stock up on my pantry basics. There many times I do this throughout the year like when I make large batches of pesto, Apricot Jam, Meatballs or Tomato Sauce. It makes so much sense to make these delicious basics in bulk, that way I can always have them on hand instead of making them from scratch every time I need them. Furthermore, I enjoy making them, I am always excited to set aside a naptime or two each month to replenish my supplies.

Today I am making a fresh batch of homemade pancake mix. I know that there are a lot of Bisquick devotees out there, but I am not one of them. I prefer this homemade version to anything store-bought – plus it is much less expensive. I got the idea to add malt powder from my brother, the infamous Uncle Will. He spent a summer working in the kitchen at the Otesaga Hotel and had a chance to tap the Chef for many of his secrets. The key, he told Will, to delicious Belgian waffles and sweet pancakes is malt powder. We took his word for it, tried it in our parent’s kitchen and, wouldn’t you know it, Chef was right! The malt powder gives the pancakes a nice texture and slightly sweetened flavor, erasing any trace of flour or baking soda on the palate.

These days I make my pancake mix in a big batch and keep it in a glass jar with a scoop. This way we have it on hand anytime we need it. Some weekdays, when I have slept especially well, I do a pancake breakfast with my daughter. But, admittedly, I mostly do them on the weekends. The beauty of this pancake mix is that it keeps for several weeks so you can easily whip up a stack anytime you want.

I often take the traditional route when serving pancakes, opting for real butter and delicious homemade maple syrup. But, when I want to change it up I add a dash of almond extract and some lemon zest to the batter to give it lemon almond flavor. Recently I even topped a stack with creamy homemade ricotta and some fresh berries – it was delicious! Any way you like to eat them is fine with me, just make sure the maple syrup is real – not imitation. Also, I think pancakes are best eaten when everyone is still in their jammies.

What Going on Today: Spring fever! Outside all morning, quick stop for tomatoes and organic rotisserie chicken before heading home for naptime.
Naptime Goals: Make Tamra Davis’ Ranchero Sauce and prepare Chicken Enchiladas for dinner. Make fresh batch of Mimi’s Tex-Mex Guacamole.
Tonight’s Menu: Chicken Enchiladas with Ranchero Sauce, Mimi’s Tex-Mex Gaucamole, Spanish Rice, White Wine.
Parenting Lesson of the Day: I don’t know who is more excited about spring, me or my daughter!

What is it about the warm weather that makes me want to run for the border? No, not the gross fast-food border, the yummy Tex-Mex border. I didn’t grow up eating a lot of Mexican food, we only ate it when we traveled to Mexico City to visit my cousins. I really developed a taste for it when I moved to New York. There aren’t a ton of great Mexican food places here, but enough to satisfy my curiosity and excite my palate.

I’ve recently become obsessed with the Tamra Davis Cooking Show and her cookbook, Make Me Something Good to Eat. Tamra really knows her stuff and is even becoming our stateside Jamie Oliver with her great initiative, Five For Kids, teaching cooking and healthy eating habits in NYC’s public schools. Since Tamra is from L.A. she knows her Mexican food backwards and forwards and, I am thrilled to say, devotes an entire chapter to it in her cookbook.

With the arrival of spring I’ve been craving lighter, spicier food. Over the past two weeks I’ve tucked away all of my heavy soup and casserole recipes, opting to cook with light, fresh spring flavors. And Mexican food, the way I make it, is exactly that. I don’t laden it down with heavy oily cheese and sour cream, instead I use fresh corn tortillas, light, spicy tomato sauce and fresh seasonings. When I made this yesterday my daughter and I stopped at Las Palomas, the awesome Mexican grocery store in my neighborhood, to pick up chilis and tortillas. (I could have bought the whole store that place is so great.) It’s not quite tomato season yet, but I was still able to find some beauties at my local grocery store which were perfect for the sauce. Then, to save myself time, I picked up an organic rotisserie chicken at Whole Foods to shred for the enchilada filling.

Enchiladas are a great dish to prepare during naptime. Yesterday I simply made the sauce, shredded the chicken and prepared a casserole dish full of the assembled tortillas. Then I left it, covered in the fridge, until I was ready to bake it later that evening. I also decided to change up our green portion of the meal and whipped up a naptime batch of Mimi’s Tex-Mex Guacamole, my first of the season. It is great for dipping the enchiladas in, I prefer it over sour cream.

When dinner time came around I baked the enchiladas, prepared the rice and our meal was served. It was a great Mexican feast that everyone was able to enjoy. My daughter opted out of the guacamole but was game for the basic chicken enchilada. My husband devoured his plate, as I did mine. The meal was a delicious and Tamra’s sauce recipe is a real treasure. Fresh, spicy and light, it really made the enchiladas tastier then ever before – the perfect meal for any foodie family. We especially liked that we were able to eat our meal while the sun was still out and the birds chirping at 6:30pm. Spring really has arrived.

What’s Going on Today: Visiting a friend in upstate New York, major arts and crafts projects with kids!
Naptime Goals: Relaxing with good friends while the kids nap, making cookie dough to prepare for decorating Linzer cookies.
Tonight’s Menu: Baked Chicken, Creamy Polenta, Carrot Souffle, Easter Linzer cookies.
Parenting Lesson of the Day: Sleepovers are so much fun, no matter how old you get!

This year we won’t have a big Easter celebration since we’ll just have returned from traveling, but that hasn’t deterred us from undertaking a few holiday related projects this month. When we were visiting our friends in upstate New York last week the other Mom and I decided it would be fun to bake some cookies with the girls. Ever the fans of baking projects – any chance to eat cookie dough (!) – the girls completely agreed.

Since they both still nap in the afternoon it was easy for us to set up the project. We simply prepared the dough in mid-afternoon and cut out the shapes with the cookie cutters. Then, we set out some fun sprinkles and let them go to town decorating when they woke up. You should have seen the mess on the kitchen floor! After the cookies had baked and cooled they finishing them by spreading the jam on – rather sloppily – and placing the cut-out cookie on top.

To play up the Easter theme we used a mini bunny cookie cutter instead of the usual smaller circle. It was a cute way to give our favorite jam cookies a holiday twist. Needless to say, holding the girls back from eating more than one before dinner was quite tough. However, in typical kid fashion, the cookies were the perfect incentive to get them to clean their plates!

Best wishes to everyone for a fun, family holiday this weekend!