This week I tried a new experience - Peruvian chicken. OMG! Amazing. Really. I also made a favorite vegetable side dish that uses pantry/freezer staples in my house and a potato side dish to use up some leeks that have been sitting in my fridge for weeks. Hope you enjoy!

This week is all about sides... Since shopping has become such a true chore I am really trying hard to make use out of what I have on hand. This week I am making:

• Fresh mushroom salad that reminds me of marinated mushrooms my grandmothers used to make.
• Fresh sweet corn sauteed with onions and cream topped with basil and parmesan. I served this with grilled chicken.
• Corn cakes (which are awesome with a saucy meat like BBQ pulled pork)  
• Sweet potato fries. 

Scroll down to get videos and recipes.

Scroll down to see what we have been doing at home.  Click on recipes to get a PDF view. There are videos included as well as the recipes. Enjoy!

• The granola was awesome - and pretty low in sugar:).
• The fish sticks were so much better than the ones I ate as a kid from the freezer (I think they were Van De Kamps).
• Pupusas are a favorite in our house. My husband is from El Salvador and pupusas are one of his favorite things to eat. I have to admit that I resisted even trying to make them for years. It just looked way too hard - BUT I think I have come up with a doable process to it. *Keep in mind that I am still learning and my method is clearly not traditional - but I tried. They are time consuming because there are so many parts involved but the finished product is super rewarding!

If you try any of them, please let me know what you think!

The past few weeks have been something of a bad dream to say the least. What has taken even more getting used to (other than staying at home...a lot) is the difference in shopping for food and supplies. As a very frequent shopper, I am floored at how different grocery shopping is during this viral crisis. Not to minimize what people have experienced during wartime, but the rationing at the markets is the closest experience I have ever had with such a concept. The fact that I must wait in a line at 7:00 am to get eggs is just beyond me! I am running out and I am not looking forward to going back to the store to pick some up. Having said all of that, it has been nice to be at home cooking more with my daughter. There's no rush to get to ballet class or other after school activities. Time is irrelevant for the moment and that clearly has some benefits in the kitchen. 
This is the page where we will post new recipes we've created. We hope you are able to try these out too!

This is the rice I grew up with. My mom always includes this rice with Lebanese dishes. Rice dishes can be intimidating because they can quickly ruin. Too much liquid or cooking it too long can affect the texture. I find this recipe to be almost fool-proof. The result is a flavorful rice with some unique add-ins (the pine nuts and the vermicelli noodles). 

This week we are making vegetable taste good. First, students are learning how to blanch vegetables so that the texture is crunchy and pleasing and the color is a deep green. We are also learning how to roast vegetables to extract the natural sugar in them and deepen the flavor. 

This is a super easy dessert to make. It's a great way to practice cutting fruit and it's fun to eat. Consider using whole wheat tortillas for more complex carbohydrate power.

Quiche looks complicated but it's basically a savory egg pie. Once you master pie dough, quiche is a breeze. It makes for an impressive brunch menu but can also be served alongside a salad for a lovely lunch or dinner. You can customize your quiche in endless ways or just keep it simple with something green (like chives or spinach) and some cheese. We made mini quiches shown below.

This is my favorite potato salad recipe. The best way to ensure a fully flavored salad is to toss the still-warm and drained potatoes in the dressing. You can even make this in advance and serve it at room temperature. This makes a perfect compliment to grilled chicken or meats.