Tuesday morning after the swarm of locusts that is the four year old and the one year old descended on my kitchen devouring everything in sight - bowls of oatmeal, baskets of strawberries, dozens of tangerines, loaves of cinnamon toast - I paused for a moment to heat up the three bites of leftover pasta from the night before - the pasta that itself had been composed of refrigerator detritus leftover from quality food prepared for my children. There was some cold penne that they had been snacking on, and a quarter cup of tomato sauce, and some sundried tomato pesto from the farmers market, a few slices of smoky eggplant that I cut in slivers, a handful of spinach for good measure and some dried chili to mark it as grown-up dinner. Paul and I pushed the books and whatnot off half of the dining table and had a tired dinner date at the end of the day. We ate most of the pasta, but there were three bites left. That would hold me for an hour or at least until I found my coffee cup.
As I stood in the middle of the kitchen, fork in hand, poised to eat bite one of three of my pathetic breakfast, the boys in turn shouted from their shared perch on top of the red step ladder stool:
"What's that?"
"That! I want that!"
I turned around, ate it really fast, and put the dishes in the sink.
I held out my hands in the universal toddler symbol for all gone and we moved on with our day.
And then later, after a gaggle of pals came over to play, when the peanut butter and jelly plate was empty and the apple bowl too, when there was just one pal left with his mom, and the boys were off playing quietly, the moms sat down and ate lunch. A really healthy, satisfying lunch. We even chatted and managed to carry several threads of conversation through to a satisfied completion. We peeled tangerines into our empty bowls, and then we ate them. Ourselves.
It was nice.
And I'm sure this sounds incredibly obvious, but it reminded me how essential it is to feed yourself too. And maybe not always the crusts from peanut butter sandwiches and the half a banana that nobody else wants.
It doesn't take long to whip up some salad dressing and stick it in the fridge for the week... for you. I'm finding that the recipes in Isa Chandra Moskowitz's newish Appetite for Reduction
are perfect for this sort of nourishing grown-up fare.
As the title suggests, these recipes are low in fat and calories, but packed with flavor, and what I like best, nutritionally dense.
The author worked with a registered dietician on this book, Matthew Ruscigno, and I like the results. The nutritional info is really easy to read. It's reassuring to see where your iron and calcium and vitamins are coming from.
I've made the baked falafel three times now, and there are currently two varieties of salad dressing in the fridge - the Caeasar Chavez and the Green Goddess Garlic dressing. They're both creamy and rich from ground nuts or tahini rather than tons of oil. The flavor is action-packed with fresh herbs and garlic or shallots and capers - so they are in no danger of locust infestation - they're all mine.
They have topped not only a variety of salads but also as the author suggests some simple meal bowls like the ones my friend and I shared for lunch. That lunch was just brown rice, edamame, and blanched spinach topped with the flavorful dressing, but it was so satisfying. I like this realistic approach to cooking. Near the end of the book, after all the recipes, there is a short chapter of simple spins that you might take - suggestions for sandwich fillings and potato toppings and bowl components - instant meals that will leave you feeling nourished. I love it.
There have been recipes that the boys have liked as well. Last Sunday we made the low fat creamed corn and pineapple collards to go with Susan's barbecued ribs and everyone was happy. And I have hopes for some of the hearty vegetable-laden stews that I think might appeal to my kids. Moroccan Chickpeas and Zucchini over whole wheat couscous and Veggie Pot Pie Stew thickened with yellow split peas might work. We'll see. If not, I've got lunch next week. Maybe I'll have my pals over.
From the book Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright (c) 2010.
Caesar Salad with Eggplant Bacon
Serves 4. Active Time: 20 minutes. Total Time: 30 minutes
(Can be made gluten free if using tamari in place of soy sauce.)
Briny Caesar dressing meets smoky eggplant slices in this spin on the classic Caesar. I love all the texture going on, with the crunchy fresh romaine, creamy dressing, and the eggplant bacon - crisp in some places, chewy in others. To make this into more of an entree salad, add some basic baked tofu or a handful of chickpeas.
Eggplant Bacon:
- 1/2 pound eggplant
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
Salad:
- 8 cups chopped romain lettuce
- 1 recipe Caesar Chavez Dressing
Preheat the oven to 425. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prep the eggplants while the oven is preheating. I slice them into half-moons because it's the easiest shape to slice consistently. Aim for eggplants that are around 4 inches in diameter at their widest. Cut off the stem and the bottom, then cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Lay the eggplant halves cut side down, and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Don't worry if your slices are a bit irregular; that just adds to the texture, which should be varied between tender and chewy to smoky and crisp. What we're going to do is bake them at a high temperature with just a bit of nonstick cooking spray, then let them cool, then give them smoky salty flavor and reheat. Place the eggplant strips in a single layer on the parchment paper. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Place in the oven and bake for about 8 minutes, keeping a close eye.
Remove the pan from the oven and flip the eggplant slices. They should be browning already, and if any are slightly burnt, don't worry. Just transfer them to a plate to let cool. Return the remaining slices to the oven for about 3 minutes.
Remove from the oven. The eggplant should be dark brown to burnt in some places, and yellowish white and tender in others. Transfer to a plate to let cool.
Lower the oven temperature to 350. When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, mix the soy sauce and liquid smoke together in a bowl. Dip the eggplant slices into the mixture and return them to the baking sheet. Bake for about 3 more minutes, until heated through. Serve within the next few hours.
Assemble the salad: Pour the dressing into a large mixing bowl. Add the lettuce in batches,using tongs to coat the lettuce after each addition. When all the lettuce is coated, transfer to bowls and top with the eggplant.
Caesar Chavez Dressing
Serves 4. Active Time: 5 minutes. Total Time: 5 minutes
- 2 tablespoons chopped shallot
- 2 tablespoons cashew pieces
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tablespoon miso
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon capers with brine
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Place everything in a food processor (I prefer a blender for wet stuff like this.) and blend for at least 5 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides often, until completely smooth. It's really important that you blend for the full time, otherwise your dressing may be grainy. Taste for salt. Keep refrigerated in a tightly sealed container until ready to use.
