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Straccetti, arugula salad with sizzling strips of steak and Parmesan cheese
THIS IS A CLASSIC ITALIAN MEAL, so naturally I’d never heard of it. That was before I moved to Rome and discovered that Italian food is more than pasta, tomatoes and cheese. (But they do that very...
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Arrosticini, meat on a stick (aka the easiest sell ever)
FOR PICKY EATERS OR TODDLERS (which are basically the same) sometimes it takes a stick. In Italy, they do amazing little kabobs called arrosticini, which are actually made from lamb. It’s a specialty...
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Chinese BBQ pork with noodles, carrots and broccoli
WELL, I REALLY MESSED THIS ONE UP. Let’s just say feeding the toddler two pieces of peanut butter toast 90 minutes before dinner wasn’t a recipe for success. Even when said dinner involved pasta and...
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Barefoot Contessa Makeover: Mini meatloaves
WE HAD COMPANY OVER CHRISTMAS, including a 3-year old guest from Amsterdam. Phoebe was thrilled to have another “big girl” around but as you may know (and be reminded daily), it’s not easy to guess...
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Beef & cheese quesadillas (with a secret good-for-you ingredient)
GRATE EVERYTHING, I say. That’s my philosophy for “Taco Night”, which has actually become quesadilla night–the one that’s easier to eat and less likely to fall on the floor wins in my house. And since...
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Simple beef, broccoli and carrot stir-fry
THEY DON’T REALLY DO TAKE-OUT IN ITALY. They definitely don’t do a lot of ethnic food either. And even if they did, stir-fry is one of those dishes that’s so easy to make at home, plus a million times...
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Beef tacos become Tex-Mex rice with beef and beans: two dinners in one
OK, I’LL FESS UP RIGHT NOW. This dinner was a double miss but that’s because I made a silly mistake early on: I accidentally used hot, spicy salsa instead of mild. You won’t do this and your family...
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The best roast beef sandwiches you’ll ever have
THESE PLAYDATE SANDWICHES WERE MADE WITH ON-THE-GO EATING IN MIND. Admittedly, they were more for the moms and dads than kids–who got turkey sammies smothered with honey mustard and mayo spread–but on...
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finally, a chili recipe my kids will eat
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF TRICKS to this one, though they’re both so simple that “tricks” makes these ideas sound more complicated than they are. Simple methods, why-didn’t-I-think-of-this-before moves,...
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very small shepherd’s pies (a step-by-step recipe)
WE’VE MADE THESE MINI SHEPHERD’S PIES TWICE NOW, once at a kiddie cooking school here in North Carolina, and once at home, both for St. Patrick’s Day. This version is our own recipe, which is really...
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steak & vegetable roll-ups with balsamic glaze, simplified (believe it or not!)
I CAN’T LIE TO YOU. THIS WILL NOT BECOME ONE OF YOUR GO-TO WEEKNIGHT DINNERS. But you might love making it once in a while. With a tangy, sweet sauce plus a built-in veggie and playful presentation,...
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perfectly flavored london broil (aka, meat your kids will eat!)
THE OTHER DAY I MADE CHICKEN CUTLETS for dinner and when I saw my four-year-old dunking each bite in her water glass, I had to ask… “This makes it softer on my teeth,” she told me. Note to self: Don’t...
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lettuce wraps with steak & carrots
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I JUST WANT TO TRY SOMETHING NEW. Despite how the kids might react. When I made lettuce wraps with steak and carrots, I knew there would be resistance from the knee-high critics...
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1 dinner 3 ways: stuffed peppers with beef, tomatoes & rice
LAST NIGHT’S DINNER WAS A DISASTER. Sometimes I use a lot of smart strategies for making dinner quickly and easily, but not last night. There I was at 5:30pm, stirring a pot on the stove to make a...
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Easy Meatballs Stroganoff, a Simpler, Kid-Friendly Version of a Classic
“IF YOU GUYS WILL TRY COUS COUS TONIGHT,” I heard myself bargaining, “I’ll make you pumpkin muffins for breakfast.” And with three nods we had a deal. I was desperate. I already had this delicious pot...
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Make-Ahead Sweet Potato “Cottage Pie” with Ground Beef (and Why It Isn’t...
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN shepherd’s pie and cottage pie? Lamb. This is what I just learned from Food 52. Shepherd’s pie is traditionally made with lamb, which makes sense when you think of a...
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cheeseburger hand pies
GOT PICKY EATERS? One of the (bazillion) lessons I’ve learned about feeding my tribe is about spin-offs. Keep your eyes open for flavors and ingredients they like, and make them again. Differently....
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Slow Cooker Cheesy Rice with Beef & Beans: A One-Pot Tex-Mex Meal
WE’RE ON A BIT OF A ROLL with meals like this slow cooker rice, beef, beans and peppers. There’s been quinoa enchilada casserole, slow cooker shredded chicken Tex-Mex, and one-pot Mexican...
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5-Minute Meatball Skewers
The season for packing school lunches is in full swing around here, and these 5-Minute Meatball Skewers are part of the reason I haven’t tried to climb into my morning cup of coffee. So far. These...
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How to Make Marcella Hazan’s Bolognese in 1 Hour
Have you ever made Marcella Hazan’s bolognese sauce? It’s amazing. But it takes almost 4 hours. If you have one, two, four or nine small kids at your house like I do, this just won’t work. So as part...
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