This was part of the ‘Cajun Birthday Lunch’
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Once again John Besh to the rescue. His My New Orleans cookbook has a gorgeous recipe for Crabmeat stuffed tomatoes. I simplified it because cooking the tomatoes seemed unecessary – here in Los Angeles the Romas are near perfection year ’round so I figured why not accentuate that.

ingredients:
6 ripe Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup mayonaisse
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning (recipe here)
2 cups jumbo lump crab meat

Wash the tomatoes and slice them in half. Using a spoon scoop out the insides so you get a nice little cup.

Turn the tomato cups over onto paper towels to dry out.

In a bowl combine the mayonaisse, lemon juice, dijon and the crab meat. Add the creole spices and stir to combine.

Turn the tomato cups over and fill with the crab salad.

This makes a great party dish, it looks good and has it’s own serving dish!

This was part of the ‘Cajun Birthday Lunch’
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When I made plain old Tater Tots, I didn’t think they could get any better. But this is it. THIS. IS. IT! These came out so good, I made them for the Cajun lunch and they were WIPED OUT – totally gone by the end of the party. I will admit, I used my fryer this time and they came out extra crispy and delicious!

ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes
2 russet potatoes
1/3 cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sour cream
kosher salt
pepper

1-1/2 cups flour
kosher salt
pepper
paprika
3 eggs
2 Tablespoons milk
1-1/2 cups panko

oil
Creole seasoning (recipe here)

Set a pot of water to start boiling. Peel and wash the potatoes. Cut them into cubes and put them in the heating pot of water. Once it starts to boil, let them cook for 12-15 minutes until soft.

Drain the potatoes and transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the milk, butter and sour cream to the potatoes. Mix until just combined. Don’t go overboard or you will just get a gummy mess.

Start to heat up your oil in the fryer. If you don’t have a fryer, start up your skillet on the stove.

If the mixture is a little soft, place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Then you should be able to start forming them into tots. Using a small scoop make a small sized ball of potato and form it into a tater tot (i.e. marshmallow-ish but smaller) shape, set aside.

Once your tots are formed you can now set up your frying line. In one dish put the flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Stir to combine. The second dish whisk the eggs with the milk. The third dish set up the panko.

Dredge it in the flour first, making sure you tap off all the excess. This is the KEY to making any kind of fry coating stick. (That’s what O.G. told me was her secret anyway).

Then dip it into the egg mixture, again not too heavy on the egg. Then finally the panko.

Set the little Tots into their oil bath. I found that 8 minutes or so gives you a nice crispy texture, which made a world of difference.

Once browned let them drain and cool on a wire rack. While they are cooling I just sprinkle them with a touch of Creole seasoning, this is optional, it just adds a nice kick if you like.

These are so good. Crispy outside, with a nice creamy center. By using half potato and half sweet potato it gave these tots the perfect combination and texture.

These are fairly quick to make, you can even do the mash and form the tots the day before you serve them. Just keep them in the fridge and do the dredging when you are ready to eat!

I know what you’re thinking, “Why would anyone do this?” Believe me, I realize I need to get a life. But I try not to buy processed food for the kids and I talked myself into thinking I could make tater tots at home. It was pretty quick AND easy.

ingredients:
4 large russet potatoes
1/2 cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sour cream
kosher salt
pepper

1-1/2 cups flour
kosher salt
pepper
paprika
3 eggs
2 Tablespoons milk
1-1/2 cups panko

oil

Set a pot of water to start boiling. Peel and wash the potatoes. Cut them into cubes and put them in the heating pot of water. Once it starts to boil, let them cook for 12-15 minutes until soft.

Drain the potatoes and transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer. Now you can mash these by hand or for a more ‘tater-tot-y’ mealy texture, use a ricer. But a mixer does well for me.

Add the milk, butter and sour cream to the potatoes. Mix until just combined. Don’t go overboard or you will just get a gummy mess.

Set a skillet filled about 3/4 of the way with oil, on medium high. Now I could have busted out my deep fryer for this (I will next time) but I wanted to see how a shallow fry would work for these. It was just fine.

Now set up your frying line. In one dish put the flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Stir to combine. The second dish whisk the eggs with the milk. The third dish set up the panko.

Using a small scoop make a small sized ball of potato and form it into a tater tot (i.e. marshmallow-ish but smaller) shape. Dredge it in the flour first, making sure you tap off all the excess. This is the KEY to making any kind of fry coating stick. (That’s what O.G. told me was her secret anyway).

Then dip it into the egg mixture, again not too heavy on the egg. Then finally the panko.

Set the little Tots into their oil bath. Once it starts browning, turn it to brown the other side. Don’t fool with these suckers, the more you flip them and turn them THEY WILL RETALIATE. By popping at you (god I hate hot oil) and even busting open to the pure mashed potato center. Phooey. You do not want that. Do your best to keep them in tip top Tot form.

Once browned let them drain and cool on a wire rack.

That’s it! You’re ready to serve! Bring on the tots!

Ground chicken meatballs are pretty common in Japanese cooking. However I called mine Chicken Meatballs, What because that is what the Baby said when he discovered that I’d hidden edamame beans inside the meatballs. D’oh. It was worth a shot. Let me tell you, the Kid, LOVED them…the Baby, he feels a little betrayed right now.

ingredients:
1 pound ground chicken
1 egg
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon mirin
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup panko
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup edamame beans, shelled

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

If your edamame are still in their pods, shell them and place the beans in a small bowl, set aside for later.

In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, sugar, mirin and cornstarch.

Mix together with the ground chicken and the egg.

Add the panko and the black pepper, mixing well with your hands. Form small flat patties in your hand, and place one or two edamame beans in the middle, then seal it up to form a meatball. You shouldn’t see the beans. Shhh.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, turn over and then bake for another 10-15 until the meatballs are cooked through.

Even if you don’t want to trick your kids, just leave the beans out and these meatballs are great on their own. No trickery involved.

I am very excited to say that I was one of the 24 people chosen to participate in Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 . Foodbuzz selected 24 bloggers from around the world and had them write about their unique meals – all within a 24 hour period.

My proposal revolved around something I truly believe in: buying local produce at farmer’s markets and making healthy meals for your kids. The Kid has been asking for cooking lessons, but since losing my job, expensive classes just aren’t in the cards right now. So I thought, why can’t I do it myself?

The Kid has always taken great interest in watching me put together meals. At just 5 years old he already knows his way around the kitchen. We started off by planning a menu and came up with recipes that incorporated a lot of fruits and vegetables, then headed off to the Farmer’s Market.

My favorite Farmer’s Markets are the Santa Monica and the Hollywood. They are two of the biggest markets in the city. At the Hollywood you might run into celebrities, at the SaMo you might run into famous chefs – everyone in this town loves fresh produce, folks. Both markets are large and carry a diverse number of produce vendors. We started off with our ‘menu’ and went up and down the stalls looking for what we needed.The Kid has been my littlest sous chef on many of my meals, so I got him started washing and separating what was needed. I also tried to choose things that were easy prep and incorporated different cooking techniques for him to learn. Something in the oven, something on the stove, something on the grill. Perhaps a bit ambitious, but he was very excited to give it a go. Here’s a rundown of our menu, and what we bought for those recipes specifically from the Farmer’s Market:
Creme Fruit
strawberries, apples, grapes

Broccoli Salad
broccoli, red onion

Avocado + Grapefruit Salad
avocado, oro blanco grapefruit, ruby red grapefruit

Potato/Sweet Potato Fries
potatoes, sweet potatoes, lemon, garlic

Lettuce Wraps
garlic, ginger, carrots, green onions, mushrooms, lemon

Grilled Shrimp with homemade Tzatziki sauce
cucumber, dill, lemon, garlic

Cherry Buttermilk Ice Cream Sandwiches
Cherries, lemon, ginger

O.G. who was front and center for this meal, and in her O.G. ways – complained that “Food today is so fresh. We always used to cook it until it was completely limp and colorless. I like it like that.” Ok…well that ain’t happening at this meal, sorry. For the recipes I put together for this particular meal, most of the fruits and veggies are ever so slightly cooked, or not cooked at all. All the nutrients and it makes for a much fresher tasting meal. Unless you like lifeless broccoli – then head over to O.G.’s house.

I know we are lucky to live a place where food is colorful and available year round, but cooking seasonally can be a lot of fun wherever you live. The kids play a major part in my meal planning, because I like to make sure they are always trying different foods, testing flavors and seeing what they truly like to eat.Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore if you pick simple, fresh recipes. Fresh produce was a major part of this meal but what the Kid enjoyed most (so he said), was spending time working in the kitchen with me.

You can find all the recipes here:
Creme Fruit
Broccoli Salad
Avocado + Grapefruit Salad
Potato/Sweet Potato Fries
Lettuce Wraps
Grilled Shrimp with homemade Tzatziki Sauce
Cherry Buttermilk Ice Cream Sandwiches

And see all the photos, here.

Part of Food Buzz 24, 24, 24: Cooking with Kids and the Farmer’s Market

Two of the Kid’s favorite things: cucumbers and yogurt. Since he also a fan of shrimp, when I mentioned this as a possibility for Food Buzz 24, 24, 24, his eyes lit right up. Also it was really easy for a little sous chef to help out with.

ingredients:
1 pint Greek yogurt
1 sliced hothouse cucumber
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper
skewers
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails left intact

If you are using wood skewers as I like to do, make sure you soak them in water NOW. That will keep them from burning on the grill.

In a small bowl, mix yogurt, cucumber, dill, garlic, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in the fridge.

Prep your grill by brushing it with oil. Take your skewers and skewer the shrimp on, brush with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill on both sides until pink, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with tzatziki sauce.

Part of Food Buzz 24, 24, 24: Cooking with Kids and the Farmer’s Market

This works in a weird way you wouldn’t expect. It’s not for everyone, but it’s a great refreshing summer salad.

ingredients:
1 tsp honey
1/2 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 ripe avocados
1 Oro Blaco Grapefruit
2 Ruby Red Grapefruits

In a small bowl combine the honey, dijon, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the olive oil and whisk together.

Peel the avocados, remove the pits. Cut into small cubes. drizzle with a little of the dressing just so the avocado won’t turn brown while you prep your grapefruits. Peel the grapefruits, cutting off the white pith. Carefully slice between each membrane so that you get only fruit segments.

Toss with the avocados and the rest of the dressing. Serve cold.

Part of Food Buzz 24, 24, 24: Cooking with Kids and the Farmer’s Market

This was originally a Neely recipe, but I changed it up jesssst a touch. I’m not a fan of overdoing it with cheese, but I’m sure that’s just me. This salad is a BIG hit at parties, but isn’t anything with bacon?

ingredients:
6 slices bacon
2 broccoli heads or 8 cups
1/2 red onion, sliced very thin
1/3 cup jack cheese, grated
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Fry your bacon, and let drain. Crumble into pieces and set aside.

Ready an ice bath. Cut the broccoli into florets. Blanch in boiling salted water very quickly, only about 20 seconds. Take them out and put them directly into the ice bath. This will stop the cooking and keep a nice bright green color. Drain well.

In a bowl, combine the cheese, mayo, sour cream, celery seed, salt and pepper.Fold in the broccoli. Then add the onion and the bacon. Fold together until everything is combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill in the fridge to let the flavors set until you are ready to serve.

Quite obviously this is not a recipe. Just an idea of how to make your kids get interactive with meal time. One of the kids favorite books, “I will never, not ever eat a tomato” featuring Charlie and Lola, is all about picky eaters. In order to get Lola to eat Charlie comes up with fantastical ideas of what the foods could become. I took his cue and made race cars out of carrots.

I was making two race cars, one for each kid.
ingredients:
two carrots,
a radish
two sliced olives

Then I printed out teeeeny tiny little Charlie and Lola to sit in my carrot mobile.

The sliced olives were the steering wheels, and the sliced radishes were the tires. The kids were so excited to see race cars on their dinner plates, the Baby ate the whole thing!

Part of my own personal ‘Iron Chef: Battle Lemons’ series.

This a great side dish and since it’s baked, a little bit healthier. The lemon brings out a refreshing taste in the fries that you wouldn’t expect.

ingredients:
4 baking potatoes
1/8 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons garlic
zest of one lemon

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Wash and pat dry your potatoes. I like the skin on, but if you don’t – go ahead and peel them. Slice the potato into stick-like fries.

Toss all the ingredients in a bowl, and lay it out on a lined baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes. That’s it! Couldn’t be easier. You know what goes great with this? LEMON COKE. Honest.