Oodles of Zoodles with Avocado Basil Pesto and Farmer's Market Tomatoes

Are you in on the spiralizer craze?  With enough machines and gadgets in my kitchen, this is one craze I was going to let pass me by.  Who needs to clog up even more valuable counter space with another big gadget?

But after a spontaneous substitution of Zoodles (spiralized zucchini noodles) in place of pasta at a local restaurant, I'm unquestionably hooked.  Losing the pasta carbs and adding even more vegetables to my veggie dish was good enough, but the glorious texture of the par-cooked zucchini noodles pushed me over the edge.  I totally get the craze and I simply MUST have a spiralizer!

As timing often works when it needs to, days later OXO sent an offer to to try their new Hand-Held Spiralizer .  Hmmm... hand-held??  Not cluttered counter space?  And does the same job as one of those bulky spiralizer machines bringing glorious spiralized zucchini (and beets... would those be Boodles?  and carrots... Coodles?) with the twist of a hand?  If I didn't know better, I'd say OXO had read my mind.

Seriously only a few inches tall and with an equally small circumference (but perfectly sized for even large zucchini!), the OXO Hand-Held Spiralizer fits in my gadget drawer yet spiralizes like a workhorse.  Add to it the fact that the spiralizer is BPA-free AND dishwasher safe, and I think I just may have a new favorite gadget.

But would my family like spiralized foods as much as I do?  In a word... yes.  Well, except for the "Boodles" (beet noodles).  Apparently I am the only one with a taste for beets no matter the shape (I promise that recipe including beets, balsamic, goat cheese and sugared walnuts is coming for beet lovers like me!), so today we bring you a new family favorite... Zoodles with Avocado Basil Pesto and ripe summer tomatoes, a bowl of fabulousness bringing together many of our all time favorite ingredients (avocado anyone??  ;).

I'll admit it took a bit of convincing, but when a carb-loving kid hesitantly takes a bite of a dish filled with only vegetables, turns your directions and utters, "Glorious... simply glorious.", a mom can't help but smile.

Thanks also to OXO for making me smile and reading my mind to making my spiralizing dreams come true with the twist of a hand (and not clutter on my counter).  I see twirly carrots, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, beets etc,. etc., etc., in my future!

Classic Pico de Gallo Salsa

Many times college days don't bring the best nutrition.  However, I have to admit I spent my college years practically living on salsa, and I hereby propose the concoction to be its own food group.

Filled with juicy tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro and a squeeze of lime, we can't really get more "fresh", can we?  And while it might be a

Instagram shot with a shot!  :)

stretch, if we add organic corn tortilla chips, we've now added corn too.  Heck... toss in a side of guacamole and we have a full meal!  But I'll save that one for another post.

In all sincerity, salsa really can be a healthy food, but you do have to be careful.  Many store bought jars can be filled with not so desirable ingredients, like added oils or sugars.  Really, do we need sugar in salsa?

Hence, making your own keeps the ingredients list in your control, and while your at it you can tweak the flavors to your personal preference.  This easy Pico de Gallo Salsa version is a snap to put together, and when you bring this bursting with flavor food group condiment to your next Cinco de Mayo gathering you're sure to be the hit of the party.

Fresh, simple, and so much more flavorful than the jar, keep an eye out for beautiful (or even not beautiful), ripe tomatoes at your local markets, and you too can call salsa dinner.

Smashed Avocado Toast with Oiled Tomatoes (and lots of pepper!)

Standing on the deck, our group of 11 huddled into our jackets as the ship turned towards the looming volcano, Stromboli.  The Captain had promised (with reservations) a fantastic show if we made our way up to the bridge at 3:15 AM - not an easy feat after a few glasses of the ever flowing champagne that had been served at dinner aboard the Seabourn Legend.


However this seemed to be one of those not to be missed, once in a lifetime moments that deserved the effort of pulling myself out of the warm bed.  And it was.  Some 20 minutes after arriving to the bridge, the Captain began a short apology, saying perhaps the volcano may be sleeping as well... and with that comment the sky lit up a brilliant orange as a fireball of lava launched into the air and then dripped down the sides of the volcano.  And then it did it again... and again!!  And it was one of the coolest things I've ever seen.  Truly, a once in a lifetime moment forever embedded in my memory.

Thankfully, some experiences in life are equally as fabulous, but not reserved for only once in a lifetime.  For example... Smashed Avocado Toast.  Add a few chopped up tomatoes drizzled with Italian olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and lots and lots of pepper and you have the:  Best.  Breakfast.  Ever.

You may be aware of  my complete and true California avocado love, but my family somehow doesn't embrace the fruit on quite the same level.  They like avocado, but I don't know as they would profess their undying love for it.

With health benefits abound, avocados bring high doses of vitamins K, C, B5, B6 and E in addition to folate and potassium, and living in California we have a near year round avocado season which keeps my avo bowl full at all times.  And I work tirelessly to incorporate my beloved avocados into our daily meals.

Trying to fill my girl with various plants every day I suggested my favorite smashed avo toast and she wrinkled her nose.  "No thanks..." was her answer, "How about toast with butter instead?"

But I insisted.  I've had a small can of Nudo Olive Oil with Basil on my counter which had been sent to me for an upcoming post, and I've been experimenting with it.  Being a food blogger often brings things into my life that I would never have otherwise known about, and this is one of those cases where I'm so happy I discovered this product!  More to come.

In any case... we tossed our organic farmers market cherry tomatoes in the olive oil and gently spooned them over the smashed avocado (on nicely toasted sourdough bread - but I must say a nice hearty, seedy bread works beautifully as well), then topped it all off with a sprinkle of Pink Himalayan Salt and lots and lots of freshly ground pepper.

Liv gave me an "I'm not so sure about this look..." then hesitantly took a bite.  Her eyes told the whole story as they opened wide and the worried lines on her forehead completely disappeared.

She took another bite, and then another, then looked up and said, "It's so good.  It's just so, so good..." as she finished the piece and promptly asked for another.

An easy recipe that I almost didn't share, but I've had so many people say, "I've never thought of that!" that I wanted to get this out there.

This is one of those experiences that ranks up there with those once in a lifetime moments, but luckily this one you can enjoy everyday.

No-Cook Summer Heirloom Tomato Sauce with Fresh Herbs

I'm always up for a good challenge!  However, occasionally the same challenge repeated over and over can get a bit old.  For instance... getting a rainbow of foods into a certain 18-year old boy shouldn't be so hard.  As a high school graduate (one with honors at that...), someone who lives for physical fitness, and one who has been counseled on nutrition his entire life by his mom, it shouldn't be such a challenge to get those good foods into his still growing body.  But it is.

Girard's Olde Venice Italian Dressing

Which leads me to my next challenge... one in which Girard's Dressings sent me a lovely care package along with a challenge to feature the dressing in some way other than simply dressing salad greens.

- Edited to say... a successful challenge!!  Ghirard's picked this recipe along with 5 others and flew us to Seattle to participate in the Ghirard's Culinary Collective in October of 2014.  Read about our amazing weekend... Dinner at Miller's Guild and then see how I had to work for my lunch at the Pike Place Fish Market! -

With both challenges on my plate, I think I've come up with a fabulous merger... one that features Girard's Olde Venice Italian Dressing in a fresh no-cook tomato sauce (reminiscent of our days in Venice I might add...) and one that will bring a bit of that rainbow of plant-based foods into my 18-year old boy.

While my son has never really been a tomato fan, he does love everything tomato sauce or salsa.  Go figure.  Hence, pasta with tomato sauce has been an 18 year vehicle to add veggetables to the table and have it gobbled up without question.

Living in San Diego I wait all year for tomato season, and right now it's at its peak.  Tables lined with sometimes oddly shaped and oh, so beautiful heirlooms have me arriving home from our weekly farmer's market with bagfuls of tomatoes, and as such, tomatoes enter our menu nearly every day.

San Diego Heirlooms on the left... Italian Romas in Venice on the right!

But back to school, dance and work schedules have my family eating dinner at different times, bringing make-ahead meals back onto the menu board.

Enter our no-cook tomato sauce.  Easy enough that my son could actually put it together himself should he be so moved (he wasn't...), and even easier when prepared ahead and simply added to freshly cooked pasta (he felt this option worked better for him).

Even my husband gushed as he arrived home from a week on the road claiming the sauce brought him back to our days wandering the canals of Venice where aromas of basil, garlic and tomatoes frequently fill alleyways as restaurants serve up their finest.

Thanks to Girard's - a company with a history closely paralleling my own (we both began in San Francisco, spent time in San Rafael and made our way south to San Diego) - for bringing a bit of my childhood into the kitchen.  With a recipe dating back to the mid 1930's, my mom says her father actually ate at Girard's French Restaurant on Ellis St., in San Francisco, where Girard's Original French Dressing came to be.

Easily recognizable in their familiar triangular-shaped bottles, Grirard's was a staple in our kitchen when I was little, and I smiled as my neighbor's 11-year old daughter pointed to the Champagne Dressing exclaiming, "Oh!  That one's my favorite!".  Her smile grew even larger when I handed her the bottle to take home after she helped me style and shoot a few photos.

Versatile and easy to make ahead of time, this No-Cook Tomato Sauce has been on our menu twice in the last week, and one night my husband spooned the sauce bruschetta-like over toasted ciabatta for an early evening appetizer with a glass of Italian wine.

Thanks for the challenge Griard's!  I easily fed my family at 3 different times in one day and brought some fabulous seasonal plant-based foods into our diets and... I had them reaching for more.  #success

Grilled Tomato Pasta Salad with Corn and California Avocado

As we've seen time and again, life can change in a mere moment.  Last week a leisurely beach walk left my husband and I wondering where we should head to lunch.  Then my phone exploded with texts from my kids at school showing photos of billowing smoke along with a query if our house was OK.  Little did we know the last 10 minutes had brought an eruption of flames less than a mile from our house.  Peering out the back window smoke clouded the sky and adrenaline kicked in.

Luckily for us, the westerly Santa Ana winds blew the fast moving fire away from us, but what we viewed as luck turned to devastation for others.  Hot and extremely dry conditions exasperated by the strong winds whipped the fire into a true fire storm in minutes and displaced thousands of residents as evacuation orders were sent by local authorities.  Homes, businesses and schools had people fleeing the flames as fire crews fought valiantly to control the fire.

Fire behind, fire in front...

While any loss is devastating, our incredible fire fighters saved hundreds of homes and businesses as well as a local school with no loss of life.  Stories of flames licking back fences have been common, but the fire crews in combined efforts with water dropping helicopters stopped the flames in their tracks for nearly all buildings.  Losses do include 18 apartment units and 3 single family homes, and the outpouring of support from our community continues to this day.

Evacuations lasted up to 24 hours for most residents, and families did what they could to grab pets and valuables before leaving their homes.  With panic to regroup, parents did what they could to gather kids from schools and reunite at a safe place, and our home became just such a meeting place.

Instructing my son to bring home Liv and a close girlfriend of hers they also stopped at another school to gather her friend's sister while the mom struggled through traffic to find her other daughter evacuating from the school in the fire's path.  Bringing their two pups and bunnies to our house they weathered the storm here and we made the best of it while keeping a close eye on the smoke direction as well as the constant fire news on the tv.

As my plans to head to Trader Joe's evaporated with the events of the day, a rummage through the kitchen found fresh tomatoes, avocados, and corn.  Running low on pasta, I don't think I've ever been so thankful for my job as a food blogger as I remembered a gift box from one of my favorite grain companies, Hodgson Mill.

Just a week or so earlier, Hodgson Mill had sent me a few packages of a new whole grain pasta to try.  Pulling out the bag of Ultragrain Penne with Quinoa, evacuation time and a captive audience seemed to be the perfect occasion.

Bringing our veggies outside to the grill we grilled the tomatoes and corn as the pasta simmered.  Fresh basil from the garden brought a freshness to the salad, and watermelon and a quickly tossed together focaccia rounded out our meal.

Grilled tomatoes... they are done when the skins wrinkle and pull off when touched

The verdict??  Absolutely fabulous!!  None of us had had good luck with whole grain pastas in the past, but this version brought a perfect al dente bite and a rich pasta flavor that had everyone, including the kids digging in for seconds.  As our friends returned to their home safe and sound later that evening, compliments abound for our tossed together dinner.

A big thank you to Hodgson Mill for feeding us during the fires!  You truly have a few new Multigrain Quinoa Pasta fans, and you can bet I'll be stocking up on pasta on my next trip to the store.

California Greek Salad

Crystal clear waters giving way to white sandy beaches, vibrant colors filling my lens and our Captain and Master Chef, Iakis, grilling on the back of his 20 metre boat...  Such are the memories I took with me from our day on the Nautilus as we cruised the shores of Corfu, Greece (Click here for a recap of our day in Corfu).

With traditional Greek treats including Saganaki, stuffed baby squid, homemade wine and a simple Greek Salad I've never forgotten, the food of Greece has stuck with me years later.  While the ambiance may have enhanced our day, Iakis put together a feast I can never hope to recreate in my own kitchen.

Corfu, Greece - 2012

However, the simple Greek Salad he served has become a favorite and finds its way to my table often.  Adding avocado for a California twist, this salad goes together in mere minutes and brings bright, fresh flavors to your table.

I've not thought to post it in the past as it's something I just toss together, but over the last few weeks I've had friends and my mom request a formal recipe for this fabulous Greek creation.  Fresh ingredients can make or break the salad, but beyond that you can adjust the ingredient measurements to suit your taste.  Love cucumber?  Add a little extra.  Not an onion fan?  Leave it out all together!

As we enter this spring season our markets are beginning to bring fresh produce and this salad just might become a regular in your kitchen too.

Creamy Pasta Bake

Twenty two years ago my husband, then boyfriend, made his favorite meal for me ... Baked Ziti.  Little did I know it was the only meal he knew how to make, but it was also one he had grown up with and still craves to this day.  Filled with pasta, tomato sauce and a good amount of creamy ricotta, this dish also became a favorite of our children, until they became lactose intolerant.  For years we've simply skipped this favorite dish in favor of alternative dairy-free pasta meals, but they alway have a little yearning for this old favorite.

A simple mention from my son last week of "I wish we could have that ziti" had me turning to the internet to see what I could do.  With alternatives including tofu, dairy-free milks, and brewer's yeast, I didn't see anything that I thought would do for our family until I spotted a recipe using cashews.

Cashews?  Could it work?  In a word... yes!  Is it exactly the same as the old ricotta version? No.  But did anyone care?  Again, no.

With one of those new high-powered blenders (my beloved Blendtec) on my counter, a simple spin in the Twister Jar had a cupful of cashews turning to a creamy cashew butter in no time.

With my sauce simmering along with the vegetables of the evening (this evening featured asparagus and mushrooms) I removed the pan from the heat and added a few Tablespoons of the creamy cashew butter.  In no time I had a sauce reminiscent of our creamy ricotta version and into the oven it went.

Serving up the dish to the family the first comment from my son held frustration as he asked for his lactose pills along with a reminder that "Mom... you know I can't have this...".

"Yep...", I responded, "you can have this.  It's dairy-free."

Quizzical looks fluttered through their eyes and hesitant forks speared the pasta as they asked "What did you do??".

Shortly thereafter the conversation switched to the usual what we did today topics and in mere minutes I had 4 clean plates.  No one commented through the meal what they thought of the dish, but the "Hey mom... don't lose that recipe!" tossed over my son's shoulder as he left to finish homework warmed my heart and confirmed what I  had already thought.  We have a winner.

Lightened Up Eggplant Parmesan… and a visit from Becky

Have you ever made a friend without meeting them in real life??  My fabulous blogging community has introduced me to so many people over the years, but a few of them are particularly special.  Such is the case with my friend, Becky, of Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves.

I have to admit, when I first starting reading her blog, I somehow got it in my head that the last word in the title was "loaves" not loves, but to this day when I think of her I think of sharing a loaf of bread with her, perhaps slathered with butter and sweet strawberry jam and alongside a cup of steaming coffee.  And someday, I'm really going to do that.

I've been reading Becky's blog almost since the day I entered the blog world, and I feel like I know her, her husband, her adorable little pup Bailey and even a few of her neighbors.  Becky has a heart of gold and a talent for food that has me visiting her kitchen often.  

While today my real life travels have taken me a different direction (I'll have more on that later), I'm ever so thankful to Becky to have taken care of dinner for my mom and the kids back at home.

Becky, one of these days we will share a meal in real life… I'm looking forward to it!

-----------------------------------

Lightened Up Eggplant Parmesan… a Guest Post from Becky 

Hi! I’m Becky from Baking and Cooking a Tale of Two Loves, and I am honored to be blogging for Kim today.  She and her husband are on a well-deserved cruise (without kids) for their 20^th Wedding Anniversary. Congratulations!  Have a glass of wine for me.

Kim was one of the first bloggers that I met, and one of my best supporters, when I first started blogging over three years ago. Kim has a son and daughter, now a Freshman and Senior in High School, plus her husband, so she is a busy Mom. Kim is always making marvelous, healthy meals, desserts, and snacks, and I have made many of them. She is also an accomplished photographer. I’m sure that you have seen many of her photos on her blog, and Facebook. So, when I was asked to be a guest blogger, I wanted to make a healthy dish as well.

Lightened Up Eggplant Parmesan might sound like an oxymoron, but it isn’t. I substituted lower fat Mozzarella for full fat Mozzarella, and Part Skim Ricotta for full fat Ricotta. In addition, I used fresh grated Parmesan cheese, and the taste was incredible. This dish tastes like Lasagna without the noodles, and all of those carbs. Layers of melted cheese between roasted eggplant and ricotta filling. 

The eggplant was roasted, instead of breaded and fried, then layered with a homemade red sauce and the cheeses.  Kim’s family eats and drinks a lot of vegetables, so I didn’t think that eggplant would be a problem for them. Eggplant doesn’t really have a taste of its own, and takes on the flavor of the sauce in the dish, so it is a lot like zucchini, in that respect. I used our homemade Marinara Sauce with Fresh tomatoes, or you can use a basic ***Marinara recipe.  If you are really in a pinch, you could use a jar of Trader Joe’s Arrabiata Sauce, I won’t tell.

If you have never cooked with eggplant before, one thing that you have to do before you roast the eggplant is to lightly salt the eggplant, and let the excess moisture drain out of the eggplant, so your dish isn’t watery. Lay eggplant slices on layers of paper towels or place in your colander for about 1/2 hour. Then you can proceed with roasting the Eggplant.

Lightened Up Eggplant Parmesan 

Inspired by Gina’s Skinny Taste

• 1 large eggplant (2 lbs)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 12 oz fat free ricotta I used Part Skim
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Pecorino Romano, I used freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 medium egg
• 2 cups reduced fat mozzarella
• 3 cups homemade tomato sauce**
• salt

Start by making the sauce if you don't have any already made. While the sauce simmers, slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices. Lightly salt the slices and put in a colander or lay on paper towels to release excess moisture for about 1/2 hour. Do not skip this step, or your dish might be watery.

Preheat oven to 450°. Brush eggplant lightly with olive oil on both sides and place on cookie sheets. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning half way through until eggplant is golden brown.

In a medium bowl combine ricotta, egg, parsley and 1/4 cup of grated cheese.

In a 9x12 baking dish, put a little sauce on the bottom of the dish and put a layer of eggplant to cover the bottom of the dish.Top with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese and sauce. Add another layer of eggplant and repeat the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and sauce until everything is used up. Top with sauce and the mozzarella cheese and the remaining grated cheese.

Cover with foil and bake until cheese is melted and everything is bubbling, about 30 minutes at 400°F. Remove foil and bake an additional 8-10 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it sit about 10 minutes before cutting.  Enjoy!

***Marinara Sauce

2 /Tbsp olive oil
1 med chopped onion
1/2c finely chopped carrots
3 cloves garlic crushed

2- 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

½ c red wine, optional

1 8 oz can tomato sauce, if needed

1 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning
Fresh basil

Sugar to taste

Directions:

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and garlic and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes.

Add  dry spices and all other ingredients into the pot and simmer for about 45 minutes, until thickened.  Add basil, and tomato sauce for a thicker sauce.

Roasted Tomato Soup with Basil... Panera Inspired

Life, all by itself, is busy enough, but throwing in the holiday season tends to kick the mix up a notch.  As I squeeze extra lines onto my already full list of shopping, card writing, wrapping, and baking, sometimes I need a moment to check that list twice.  Regular meals fall by the wayside as the extra miles add up on the car, and that all too precious "good night's sleep" has become a rare treat.

This is about the point where Panera came to my rescue.  Actually, not only came to my rescue, but gave me a nice midday break in addition to a special lunch with Mom and Dad.  About a month ago, Daily BuzzFood sent out an questionnaire asking if Tastmakers were interested in writing a review on Panera soup.  I think I took every bit of 2 seconds for me to sit up straight in my seat and stretch my hand high to the ceiling all the while squealing, "Pick me!!  Pick me!!!"  And they did.

Setting aside an afternoon, Mom, Dad and I met up at our local Panera and spent a leisurely hour filling each other in on our busy schedules.  With a gift card from Daily Buzzfood in addition to one free lunch from Panera's MyPanera Program, we ordered to our hearts content and soon had more food than we needed.  Sandwiches, salads, breads, and 3 different soups graced our table, and a good amount of time was spent tasting, critiquing (we didn't have many), and complimenting our choices.  With soups made from real ingredients, Panera has always been high on my list of "good for you food choices".

Amazingly, all three of us had different favorites, mine being the Black Bean.  Always a fan of beans, Panera simmers theirs to perfection, not bringing you mushy bean chunks, but whole beans with an ideal bite.  Big, bold flavor brings a heartiness to the soup, and a touch of spice warms the body on a cold day.

Mom chose the Chicken Noodle, and all three of us agreed that the noodles Panera uses are exceptional.  Thicker than your average pasta, the broad egg noodles gives one enough substance to be a perfect option in the restaurant's You Pick 2 lunch Choice. 

Dad, who is usually very calorie conscious, took a different route this day and ordered the Broccoli Cheddar.  Silky, creamy and nicely cheesy, the soup boasts enough broccoli along with a touch of carrot to make you feel like you still had your veggies and your soup too.

As part of our tasting process, Daily BuzzFood has asked participating Tastemakers to put together a soup of their own inspired by their day at Panera.  Taking a poll over the past few days, I've had requests to replicate nearly every soup on Panera's menu.

The funniest version though, came from my vegetarian neighbor who proclaimed her deep love for Panera's French Onion Soup.  Another vegetarian friend and I raised our eyebrows at her proclamation as we explained that French Onion is made with Beef Broth.  The first friend's eyes opened wide, she thought for a minute and stated, "I think I'll pretend I never heard that..." and refused to broach the subject again.

My husband's choice won for our inspiration with a special request for a simple Tomato version of Panera's Creamy Tomato.  A huge fan of tomato soups, he is not particularly fond of the cream found in many recipes.

Taking the lead from Panera as well as my time in Italy, I turned to just a few simple, fresh ingredients.  Ina Garten recommends roasting tomatoes, and as luck would have it, my local farmer's market still had a few perfectly ripe Romas on the tables.  Adding fresh basil leaves, good quality olive oil, onion and garlic had aromas of Rome wafting through my kitchen in mere minutes, and the addition of chicken broth turned the whole concoction into soup.

Setting a steaming bowl in front of my tired husband as he returned from a trip across the country, he wearily spooned a taste, and before long was requesting seconds.   Announcing that I had "done it" (created a Tomato Soup that tasted like tomatoes) he set off to bed with that comforting feeling that only soup can give.

Many thanks to Panera for giving us a break in our busy holiday schedule, and for being the perfect healthy lunch choice for an afternoon with Mom and Dad.

Hidden Valley's Lunch Break for Kids Program and Our Interview with Celebrity Chef, Susan Feniger

Susan Feniger's Ranch Yogurt Dip combining Greek-style yogurt and tomatoes with Hidden Valley Ranch Seasonings!

You've all seen that commercial on TV.  You know the one... the one in that gorgeous "Hidden Valley" with families gathered around an endless picnic table set out amongst the fields.  The bright colors of the commercial always stick with me, that and the smiling faces of kids and adults alike enjoying mounds of fabulous food while they spend a day at the ranch together.  I've always wanted to join them for a meal at the Ranch which apparently, is set just up the road from me in the lovely Santa Barbara area.

A close second though, is a some of that creamy Hidden Valley Ranch dressing that can to this day, almost always be found in my fridge.  A dip the kids have lovingly referred to as "Dip-Dip" since they were about the age of two, ranch dressing fits nicely into our lunch breaks.

Liv seems to have been born with a dislike of nearly all green food (with the exception of avocado), and try as I might to get her to eat veggies when she was little, every veggie with a green hue quickly found its way to the floor.  Visiting friends one day, they placed a small dollop of Ranch Dressing on her high chair table, and much to my surprise, she dipped her zucchini into the dressing and popped it into her mouth.  I was fairly certain that the rest of the zucchini would find it's way (now smeared with dressing) onto the floor, and you can imagine my absolute astonishment when she promptly picked up another piece, dipped it, and ate it too.

From that day forward, green food made its way into her diet as a vehicle for that creamy ranch.  Calls of "Dip-Dip" rang in my ears as her ranch bowl emptied, and I happily refilled both the dressing bowl and broccoli bowl as she would proceed to clear her plate again.  Ranch and broccoli, the perfect partnership to get good foods into growing bodies.

Hidden Valley seems to have a flair for good partnerships, and I'm thrilled to be a part of the Lunch Break for Kids program.  Working with the Chef and Child Foundation, Hidden Valley is promoting fundraisers across the country beginning today, October 15th, 2012.

Highlighting ways for parents and kids to come together with chefs and schools to learn more about how simple, good food can make healthier bodies and stronger family connections, celebrity chefs including Stephan Pyles, Susan Feniger (see our interview with Susan below!), and Ford Fry, will be holding fabulous fundraising events at their restaurants during this week.

Susan Feniger's restaurant, Street, in Los Angeles, is hosting a Lunch Break for Kids event this coming Wednesday, October 17th during the dinner hours, and we have been lucky enough to receive one of the recipes from the event!  Should you wish to visit the event in person, reservations are recommended, but not required.  We'd love to hear about your evening if you are close enough to attend!

Susan's Kids Falafel Wrap with Hidden Valley Ranch Yogurt Sauce looks to be a sure hit.  With our time limited last weekend, Liv and I didn't have time to make the entire recipe, however we did toss together the creamy yogurt sauce for an afternoon "dip-dip" snack.  Mixed with Greek-style yogurt, a touch of Hidden Valley Ranch's Seasoning Mix and a good dose of diced tomato, Liv once again ate her broccoli.  Thanks Ms. Feniger... we can't wait to try the entire wrap!

As part of the DailyBuzz Food's Tastemaker Program's partnership with Hidden Valley, Liv Life received the incredible opportunity to interview Ms. Feniger, who you may know as half of the amazing duo, the Two Hot Tamales.

Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken have together logged nearly 400 episodes on The Food Network, she has appeared on Season 2 of Bravo's "Top Chef Masters", "Chef vs. City", and "The Best Thing I Ever Ate".  Susan has also recently opened her restaurant, Street, in addition to releasing a new cookbook (it's on my Christmas list!), Susan Feniger's Street Food.

I personally discovered Susan nearly 15 years ago as my husband and I dined at the Mandalay Bay Border Grill which she owns with Ms. Milliken.  With additional Border Grill locations in Santa Monica and Downtown Los Angeles, the Tamales have now introduced the mobile Border Grill Food Truck in the L.A. area.

And now, I present, Ms. Susan Feniger:

Liv Life: Some 12 years ago my husband and I discovered the Mandalay Bay Border Grill as we enjoyed our first weekend without kids in over 5 years.  I vividly remember an extraordinarily tender skirt steak marinated with flavors of lime and cilantro.  What, in your opinion, is most important for a successful marinade? 

Susan Feniger: Trick to a great marinade is it has to be strong and powerful (not necessarily spicy) but powerful so you taste that the meat was marinated in the beginning!  We typically add fresh lime, not too much though, because too much will cook the meat, and we don’t want that.  Using skirt steak it’s the perfect cut, in my opinion, to marinate-it’s got great marbling making the skirt taste like butter (also cut across the grain)! Love that with a minty lime cooler which is made from tons of fresh mint, fresh lime, little sugar and sparkling water. 

LL:  Locally here in San Diego, food trucks are popping up all over the place with each gaining groups of dedicated followers.  I’ve read about your Border Grill Food Truck, and I’m curious about the challenges of cooking on a truck as opposed to cooking in a “real” kitchen? 

SF:  Mary Sue and I are used to teeny kitchens …we started in a very small one, and at my newest restaurant STREET the kitchen is about the size of the one Mary Sue and I started in!  But on a truck for sure there are some limitations (although you work around those!)  Not a lot of room to heat up dishes slow and without rushing.  Truck world is all about rushing, so we’ve had to be creative how to get to an event, get food hot, cook food to order and feel like it’s the quality of the truck.  I think we’ve gotten it figured out.  Trick with Trucks: it’s fast and furious… so cooks have to be the same!

LL:  Congratulations on your Street Food Cookbook!  In the promo you talk about your love of street food.  While much of your past work has had a Mexican flair, Street Food looks to go even more global.  What cultures do you feature in your new book?   Was there anything that stands out in your research that you immediately knew would NOT make the book?  Any spices/ingredients that have become new favorites?   

SF:  In the book we tell a few of my fave travel stories... India, Vietnam, Turkey... very food driven cultures, for sure some of the best… We touch a bit into India, South East Asia for sure, Ukraine, Japan, Middle East.  If  a recipe was too complicated it got booted!  My favorite street food in India: Pani Puri..too many steps…we did put Bhel Puri, similar but not the same… Maybe recipes we felt might be too complicated got booted… Even mandoo dumplings which are easy but they got cut…

LL:  My daughter, Liv, and I are thrilled to be a part of Hidden Valley Ranch’s Lunch Break for Kids Program.  How did you become involved in the efforts to support childhood nutrition education, and what do you believe are some of the most important nutrition ideas we need to be teaching kids today? 

SF:  Listen, it’s all about kids, always has been. They are the future, and their minds and the development of a healthy body and mind is critical in my opinion. Kids being taught to eat properly will change our healthcare system in a big way.   We all FINALLY (well, maybe not all of us) but most know feeding our children properly is a huge issue in our country. There are so many kids that are starving, that it’s scary, when you see the abundance we live in.

Mary Sue, my partner at Border Grill, and I have been involved with Share our Strength for many years. We have taught many young kids classes, from elementary on up. To help educate our young kids is a huge step towards change-they will, already do demand more!

Liv and her dance friends supporting Share Our Strength - 2011.  Our San Diego group raised thousands of dollars over the last two years at our annual bake sales.

So, for me anything I can do to fight childhood hunger and the flip side of the coin which is eating healthy, particularly at school as well as at home,  is such a big part of our responsibility to our kids.  How do we raise awareness? It’s starts with education.

The idea of Hidden Valley beginning this program to help teach our young kids about how to eat better and actually like it! That is a role, that we chefs love. Since we love to cook, the idea of really helping to effect change a little is fantastic. I believe raising money to support education, teaching kids about life and how to live healthy is the answer to so many problems in our society . 

LL:  Tell us about the Fundraiser for Lunch Break for Kids that you are holding at your restaurant, Street in Los Angeles, on Wednesday, October 17th?

SF:  Basically we are just trying to raise awareness to our public... trying to teach them about nutrition and the things we believe in: like the Monterey Bay Aquarium and our commitment to Sustainability, and how do you make something basic and simple for a kid but turn it into something they really want to have because it’s delicious.

On the 17^th we are going to be highlighting our new dish using Organic Greek Yoghurt, Hidden Valley spice seasoning, Tomato juice-fresh as a sauce for a very healthy wrap with chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes.  So the concept is take a great salad with a crispy crouton (sort of) drizzled with our yummy yoghurt sauce.

For me, I am lucky to be in this field. We have this incredible opportunity to possibly make a difference. Our goal in working with Hidden Valley is to help children eat better.  Secretly, my mom loved  Hidden Valley and that has stuck with me forever, so I was thrilled to find a great use for it that can also help!

Hidden Valley Ranch Yogurt Dip
Susan Feniger

1 cup Greek Style plain yogurt
1 packet** of Hidden Valley Ranch Original Salad Dressing and Seasoning Mix 1 large tomato, cored and rough chopped
Juice of one lemon

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Let chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.

**Liv Life Note:  Liv and I used about 1 Tbs of the Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning in our recipe.

Liv's weekend this last weekend was consumed with a Broadcasting Competition Project, and with two days at 9+ hours a day, the kids needed fuel, energy and a break now and then.

Telling the kids we had this post to write, I asked if they would like to pose with the bottle of dressing... not only did they pose, but they laughed, posed again, and tested the dip.  After about 10 minutes of fun though, one of the boys asked, "Can't we just eat it now??".  And they did....

VMS Broadcasting Competition Team... taking a break!

The Hidden Valley® Original Ranch®, dressings & dips has provided me with free product to help with my review, but anything I receive from Hidden Valley does not affect my thoughts on its company or their product.

Caprese Salad - Photography on White

Cruising Twitter a few days ago, I stumbled across a tweet from Jungle Frog Cooking regarding a photography and styling challenge featuring white.  I love white.  As many of my backgrounds are white, and my dishes are mostly white, I thought immediately, "I'm in!"

Simplicity at its best, my lunch of a basic Caprese Salad had vivid colors of red and green popping off of my white palette in no time.  As with my other styling challenges though, my lack of detailed styling perhaps leaves a little to be desired.

Gazing in envy at Jungle Frog's white linen lined table artfully strewn with white props including flowers, vases and adorable little square dishes, I realized that while I do have white, I don't have that much white.

My white wooden board filled in for her linen, and a lone white petunia clipped from my garden added a nice floral addition.  Filling my favorite white Ramekin with the tomato concoction, and using a white dipping dish to cradle the mozzarella chunks that also flavored my colorful caprese salad, my lunch was served.  Enough white?  I think so.

As for the salad, brilliant, organic, red mini tomatoes, fresh from the farmer's market kept me living the summer that I'm fighting so hard not to let go of.  Basil from my garden flavored the tomato/mozzarella  combo, and the last of my beloved Greek Olive Oil, treasured from my summer vacation, dressed the farm fresh ingredients with flair.  Sprinkling the medley with a touch of salt and pepper brought the flavors to a peak, and indeed, my lunch of ultimate simplicity made its debut.

Whether you are hanging on tight to summer or transitioning to fall, these simple, fresh ingredients bring lunch to a new level.

California Corn Salad with Avocado and Abbie Lee's Dance Moms go to Hollywood

Abbie Lee and the Dance Moms in Hollywood watching the In10sity competition.  Abbie Lee is actually recording one of our girls in this photo.  Can't blame her...

I'm a dance mom.  Yep, a real, honest to goodness dance mom.  With 3 years of practice under my rhinestone belt, I can whip out a bun in no time flat, handle costume changes in mere minutes, and keep my dancing girl fed and energized in between it all.  Have I mentioned that I'm also a Nationally acclaimed costume designer?  (That's my story and I'm stickn' to it!  You can read about The Boots, here and here.)

Their girls are good...

However, watching Lifetime's weekly version of Dance Moms, I can honestly and thankfully say my life is nothing like theirs.  Spending my weekends with my own group of Dance Moms, we have none of the back stabbing, no yelling and arguing, and nothing but pure support and encouragement.  These moms have become some of my best friends, just as the girls on the team have become some of Liv's best friends.

That being said, we are competitive, and given the chance to dance against Abbie Lee's talented team, we knew this was an opportunity not to be missed.  Taking our National Champion team to Hollywood's In10sity dance competition to meet up against Chloe, Brooke, Paige, Nia, Maddie, Kendall, and Mackenzie, was an afternoon filled with pure fun and competition.  While we didn't have a chance to compete against the little girls, our team did compete with Brooke and the group number.

California girls might be better...

While I will admit to being a tad envious of the private dressing rooms the Dance Mom girls had access to, we managed just fine in our own crowded room under the stage.  The girls, theirs and ours, all danced beautifully, and everyone had a good time meeting the tv girls and moms.

Personally, I didn't have much of a chance to speak to them, however I did bump into Dance Mom Holly in the hallway and she was nothing but happy and extraordinarily friendly.  Christi and Kelly on the other hand, literally turned their heads and wouldn't even make eye contact while walking by.  Understandable, I guess, as they are probably tired of making small talk with other moms.

As they sat in the audience, the moms appeared to be good friends, and with the addition of Jill, who has recently returned from the Candy Apples Studio, I was eager to see their interactions.  On tv they are portrayed as frequently arguing and bickering, however, here in the audience we didn't witness a single argumentative moment, and Jill seemed to be a welcomed part of the group.

Dance Mom Jill takes the stage during the Parent Dance Down

Seeing Jill on tv, my perception of her was not a super positive one, but after watching her interact with the other moms and then participate in a Parent Dance Down, she's quickly becoming one of my favorites.  She glowed onstage as she danced, cartwheeled and radiated pure fun, seeming to really have a good time while some of the other moms seemed to be more inhibited and not really happy to be up there.  Admittedly, you won't ever find me up there either.

Tomorrow's episode (9/4/12) of Dance Moms is this competition, so I won't give away the details.  But, just know that when Abbie Lee talked last week about going to Hollywood and the quality of "those girls in California" and how talented they are, she was talking about us...