Iron Chef Mommy

I was raised by great cooks. In almost 23 years, I've never seen my mother shy away from a recipe. If she wants to make tomato basil soup from scratch for one, she'll do it. My stepmother, a vegetarian, manages to create meals that satisfy her carnivorous husband and dairy-allergic son. The last time I visited my maternal grandmother, she threw together the most delicious but simple dinners that had me passing Evelyn off to everyone else so I could keep stuffing my face.

And then there's me. For most of my life, my favorite meal was a famous blue box of noodles with unnaturally-hued, cheese-flavored powder. I tried my first egg at age 18 and still struggle to eat pretty much anything that sprouted up from the ground. Not to mention, I'm a grazer. It's a rare day that I sit down for three squares.

Enter motherhood. Now that Evie is an active toddler with a pretty regular schedule, I'm forced to prepare three meals a day for her even if I'm not hungry at all. In the process, I've learned a few things that save time and fill the baby. Win-win.

For years, I've seen my stepmom create meals with Pillsbury Crescent Roll dough that my brother devours in no time. So yesterday, I rolled slices of ham and shredded cheese into the dough and baked them into what look like teeny tiny calzones. Let's just say Evie loved them enough to toss aside her fork and start shoving fistfuls down the hatch. I suspect I could also throw some kind of shredded veggie in there too without protest.

Another way to be sneaky with vegetables and store-bought dough is to roll out individual biscuits and bake them just a little bit until they've firmed up a tad. Top with red sauce, (which you can easily enrich with pureed veggies) shredded cheese and maybe some kind of meat topping. I can't speak highly enough of turkey pepperoni. Freeze the individual pizzas and bake for your little one as needed.

One culinary staple we both love is chicken, and it's so versatile. Since we moved to our apartment, I've been buying large packages of boneless chicken breasts when they're affordable, then freezing them individually in baggies. I keep one chicken breast on hand in the fridge, and when it gets used, it's replaced by one from the freezer. One breast is typically enough to feed us both when prepared with a side dish or two. My favorite recipe:

Prepare this sauce by mixing the following ingredients:
2 tsp. minced ginger
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. hot sauce
1/4 cup (low sodium) soy sauce

Cut the raw chicken breast into bite-size pieces. Put the chicken in a pan on the stove on medium heat with a little oil. Lightly dust the chicken with salt and pepper. When it's cooked fully through and starts to brown, pour in the sauce mixture. 

At this point, I pull out enough chicken for Evie while it's only been just touched by the sauce, which is a tad on the spicy side. For grown-ups, let the sauce thicken and bubble while coating the chicken. When it's done, I recommend serving it with a side of rice and a green vegetable, like broccoli. I make the sauce in large batches, then store it in a re-purposed coffee creamer container. It's scrumptious.

These are just a couple of recipes I've come to love. Don't get me wrong. Sometimes boxed macaroni and frozen nuggets are still prepared by this mama. Luckily, Evie also enjoys some snacks that are easy to prepare ahead of time. About twice a week, I cut up an apple into bite-size pieces and toss them in a tupperware with a little lemon juice to keep them from browning. It should come as no surprise that "apple" is one of the words in my 15-month-old's lexicon.

Ultimately, I've learned that cooking, whether just for yourself or for a family, is a learned art that takes time and experimentation. Don't be discouraged by picky eaters or a small budget. Find what works and at the end of the day, bake some cookies.