08/20/2007

Back to Cooking

It's almost time to get back into a routine
as school starts

By CYMBRE FOSTER
Special to the Record-Eagle

Record-Eagle/Tyler Sipe
Old Mission Peninsula resident Julie Finch prepares chicken pasta with hollandaise sauce. Finch keeps a list of five to seven potential meals on her refrigerator and crosses them off as they are prepared.

Heather Perkette works full-time and has three busy elementary school-age children. But when the lazy days of summer end and school starts next month, she won't be worried about what they'll be eating for dinner.

The key, she says, is planning.

"You can be busy and your kids can still eat healthy,” said the Traverse City mom. "Once we go back to school, I plan weekly menus and I rely on leftovers on busy nights when I can't cook.”

Being organized is absolutely essential for eating well, agreed Laura McCain, a registered dietician and chef at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City.

"You need to make it as simple as you can for your lifestyle,” she said. "And be realistic about your life. Ask yourself how much time do I really have for cooking.”

Julie Finch, a mother of two young boys, always has a list of five to seven potential dinners posted on the refrigerator and crosses them off as they are prepared. Her list may include main dishes like ribs, grilled chicken or perch and she tries to feed her family a balance of meat and vegetarian dinners. When there are just a few items left on her list, she turns to her recipe collection for inspiration and makes a grocery list.

"Before I go shopping I go through the recipes and write down ideas. I don't take long to do this, maybe 10 minutes,” she said.

Like Perkette, she tries to cook on the nights she knows she will be home and have quick, healthy alternatives for other evenings when standing at the stove is all but impossible.

"The nice thing is that whatever the schedule deems, we always have food available,” said Finch. "If I don't plan, then I'm calling my husband to pick up something on his way home.”

McCain points out that carry-out is OK, but busy cooks need to learn where they can go to pick up higher quality, premade non-processed foods.

"You need to learn to think outside the box. Go shopping in different types of places. When you're driving home look at potential places to pick up part of a meal,” she said. "The other nice part of this is that you get ideas when you go to specialty stores.”

Examples in Traverse City could include picking up soup from Oryana or marinated chicken breasts from Burritt's or Maxbauer's.

"Then you come home, throw the chicken breasts in the oven with some potatoes, help your child with homework while it bakes, add a salad and you have dinner,” she said.

Also, write down all the items you can make in a half hour or dinners you can prepare with your eyes closed.

"So, you say I can make grilled cheese, that's great. Now use whole grain bread and real cheese, not processed cheese food, add a big salad and you have a healthy dinner,” said McCain.

Skip the frozen chicken strips, she suggested, and opt for homemade tenders, which take just 20 minutes to get on the table.

McCain also said not to forget to eat your veggies.

"Putting vegetables on a plate can really increase the quality of your meal,” she said. "You can have a burger but forget the French fries and add broccoli instead. Vegetables also don't require a lot of fancy preparation. Why does food need to run your life? Most of it is beautiful just the way it is.”

Busy cooks also swear by their crockpots.

"They are wonderful things,” said McCain, who added that pressure cookers, which reduce cooking time, can also be a great tool.

Perkette said she would be lost without her slow cooker.

"The crockpot is my best friend during the school year. I make a meal in it the night before, put it in the fridge, then in the morning pull it out, plug it in and you're done,” she said.

Both Finch and Perkette also make one-pot meals like stews, soups and chili that also ensure leftovers.

Another thing that works well for Perkette is doubling recipes and freezing half.

"I'm a freezer girl,” she joked. "Instead of one meatloaf, I'll make two. I'll double up on spaghetti sauce or make two pans of enchiladas. I put it in a family-size container that I can pull out the night before to thaw.

"You can come home heat up the sauce, cook some pasta and in 10 minutes you have a nice spaghetti dinner.”

When possible, Perkette also gets her children to help in the kitchen. One of their favorite dinners is also one that they can make themselves: turning English muffins, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and veggies into mini pizzas.

In a pinch, she also whips up breakfast for dinner. It's quick and kid-friendly.

"We'll have eggs or cinnamon French toast with real maple syrup and applesauce and they love it,” she said.

McCain knows that busy families may not get a chance to eat dinner together, but she said that shouldn't be a deterrent from making a meal.

"The person that comes home later will still need to eat and that way there's a healthy choice for them instead of grabbing a hot dog from the back of the refrigerator,” she said. "Mom is also more likely to sit down with them while they eat.”

Although planning is important, there will be days when plans fly right out the window. In that case, McCain said, a realistic goal for a busy household should be to make at least two to three meals a week.

"You can still fly by the seat of your pants and eat well,” she added. "Just go with how it works for you and your family.”

Chicken Asparagus Lasagna

• 2 .9-oz packages Hollandaise sauce mix
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 finely chopped onion and 2 c. sliced mushrooms, mixed together
• 8 cooked lasagna noodles; drained
• 1 lb. chicken breast, cooked and cubed
• ½ t. each pepper and salt
• 2 10.5-oz. cans cut asparagus, drained
• 2½ c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 2/3 c. Parmesan cheese
• ½ t. basil
• ½ t. oregano

Prepare Hollandaise sauce packets according to package directions; set aside. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté onions and mushrooms until tender. Preheat oven to 350°.

Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Spread ¼ cup of Hollandaise sauce in pan. Layer: 4 noodles, chicken, salt and pepper, mushroom/onion mix, remaining sauce, asparagus, 2 c. cheddar cheese and remaining noodles. Top with remaining cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, basil and oregano. Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

—Julie Finch, from Cooking Light magazine

Mile High Mexican Pie

• 8 6-inch tortillas
• 1 can (15-oz.) refried beans
• 1 jar (12-oz.) salsa
• 1 small can diced green chilies, drained
• 1 c. each diced peppers and onions
• 1 c. cooked corn
• 1 c. diced tomatoes (optional)
• Cumin, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste

Slow cooker directions: Prepare foil handles (see note below). Place the handles in the slow cooker.

Spread 1-2 T. refried beans on 1 tortilla and place at the bottom of the slow cooker. Add 1-2 T. of each of the remaining ingredients (not the seasonings) on top of the tortilla. Continue layering, using remaining ingredients. On the top tortilla, add only cheese and any seasoning to taste. Cook on high for 2½ hours or until the tortillas are soft and browned at the edges. This is great as a vegetarian dish, but cooked meat can be added as well.

Foil handles: Tear off three 18-by-2-inch inch strips of heavy foil or use regular foil folded to double thickness. Crisscross foil strips (making an X) on the bottom of the slow cooker and having handles hang over the top edge of the cooker. This enables the tortilla stack to be more easily lifted out of the cooker.

— Julie Finch, from "Favorite Name Brand Cookbook”

Zucchini Garden Chowder

• 2 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 T. parsley
• 1 t. basil
• 1/3 c. butter
• 1/3 c. flour
• ½ t. salt
• ¾ t. pepper
• 3 c. water
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 t. lemon juice
• 1 (14.5-oz can) diced tomatoes, un-drained
• 1 can (12-oz.) evaporated milk
• 1 package (10-oz.) frozen corn
• ¼ c. Parmesan cheese
• 2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Pinch of sugar, optional

In large pot over medium heat, sauté zucchini, onions, parsley and basil in butter until vegetables are tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Gradually add water.

Add bouillon and lemon juice; mix well. Bring to a boil. Add tomatoes, milk and corn and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until corn is tender. Just before serving, stir in cheeses until melted. Add sugar and garnish with parsley, if desired. Yields 8-10 servings.

— Julie Finch, from a friend