By Lisa Golden Schroeder

For many of us who have made lots of noise for years about the sorry state of school lunches—and despaired with every new story about overweight, pre-diabetic kids –2011 was a banner year. I feel like it was the perfect storm as First Lady Michelle Obama made huge inroads with her Let’s Move campaign, more chefs engaged with local schools in the Chefs Move to Schools program, and historic reforms were made for improving school nutrition through the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Now the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, launched by local Dairy Councils all over the U.S., is advertising like mad to get students involved in healthier eating and being sports active, Kids LiveWell from the National Restaurant Association is helping family restaurants develop new, healthier menu offerings for children (wow, finally sides of fruit and something other than chicken nuggets or hamburgers on the kid’s menu!) and the largest consumer-governed health care organization in the country, HealthPartners, began a conversation with their members and patients about making better food choices, really focusing on kids with their yumPower initiative.

At the core of this national movement, groups like Slow Foods USA and Kids Gardening! have been instrumental in getting dozens of school gardens planted this year. Corporate underwriters (like Just BARE Chicken) have made edible schoolyard classrooms possible in many places where district budgets are being cut like mad. I feel so fortunate to be a part of this exciting time, and I actually think this awareness is here to stay—this isn’t a flash in the pan (so to speak). It would be easy to dismiss it as a faddish, cool-in-the-moment thing to focus on, but it appears that people in general are actually voting with their dollars. The support for, and sales of, local and healthier foods, along with empowering children (and in turn adults) with an enthusiasm to be active and eat better, seems to be growing. And it looks like the epidemic of overweight Americans might be cured by the little children. If we can get them to beg their mom or dad to buy a big bunch of grapes, a bag of multi-grain tortilla chips, or a container of Greek yogurt to snack on we might recover as a nation. At least we’ve made a real start this year—so here’s to an energy-filled, active, and delicious 2012!

By Lisa Golden Schroeder

I don’t know about you, but I’m moving so fast this week I can barely think about making dinners—and even if I did, I’m not sure who I’d be feeding! Between holiday parties, shopping, kids arriving home from college, and impromptu get-togethers with out of town friends visiting family, planning a few real meals is actually pretty important. Otherwise I know my family would survive for weeks on decorated cookies, my best friend’s famous caramel corn, and scrambled eggs. So I’ve got a short menu of quick-fix recipes I can count on—easy for me and ones that I can spin just for family or bump up for last minute drop ins.

As always, the key to making a few from-scratch suppers happen is being prepared. Like my Boy Scout-driven household, I really try to think forward, making lists and stocking my shelves and fridge with the ingredients I need for our favorite dinners. And I truly count on chicken because I know everyone likes it and I can make small meals or a serious spread—without much fuss. And leftovers will get eaten in sandwiches or just reheated by a passing kid. This week I’ve got boneless thighs scheduled for broiled kabobs (10 minutes under high heat—strips of the chicken threaded only on metal skewers because one of my boys hates the smell of burning bamboo), brushed with some mango chutney or apricot preserves mixed with a shake of curry powder. A pan of roasted cauliflower and green beans (25 minutes at 425˚F) & steamed jasmine rice (20 minutes on the stove) complete a satisfying and aromatic meal, with little effort. Another sure-fire crowd pleaser is any kind of chicken with Parmesan cheese—panko crumb & Parmesan-coated boneless breast fillets or the version I’m making tomorrow night—cut-up whole birds (the guys love the crisp skin and eating with their hands—having bone-in pieces automatically gives them permission) with a Parmesan-parsley stuffing under the skin. If you’ve got other fresh herbs about, use those either with or instead of the parsley. I’ll slide those pans of chicken into the oven and go wrap some presents…

By Lisa Golden Schroeder

I’m not much of an appetizer gal—I’m challenged when asked to bring something to share that’s not cookies. I’ll agonize for days before a party, changing my mind as often as my kids did when deciding on Halloween costumes, dog earring my cookbooks as I find a new idea. What it boils down to is simplicity—what will yield a lot with a minimum of fussing, looks very inviting (or even impressive), and tastes so good that party goers might ask “who made those yummy chicken bites?” So here is my handful of “heavy”, yet quick, chicken appetizer (that euphemism for “we aren’t serving dinner, so be ready to fill up on rich hors d’oeuvres”) suggestions…

• Barb’s Crispy Chicken Bites: chunks of chicken dipped in butter, then rolled in crushed Rice Crispy cereal, then baked until golden. This is a family “must have” for one of my colleagues.
• Juicy Lucy Cocktail Meatballs: ground chicken meatballs, wrapped around a cube of smoked Provolone cheese—baked and served with chili or barbecue sauce for dipping.
• Spicy Satay Skewers: thread strips of boneless breast fillets or thighs onto short bamboo skewers, brushed with teriyaki sauce or honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Bake or broil. Stir up a dipping sauce of creamy peanut butter thinned with a splash of pineapple juice or coconut milk; add a dash of your favorite hot pepper sauce (Thai Sriracha is mine).
• Mini Chicken-Chutney ‘Wiches: little sandwiches of sliced roasted chicken or poached chicken breast fillets, a small dollop of mango chutney, and a leaf or two of peppery arugula or watercress—layered on cocktail bread or in mini slider buns.
• Chicken Chile Turnovers: mix up some chopped cooked chicken (or some ground chicken that’s seasoned with chili powder), canned diced green chiles, and shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Place a spoonful onto 3-inch rounds of pie dough (short-cut with refrigerated pastry). Fold over and bake until golden. These are great done ahead and frozen before you bake them—I’ve made lots of these for big parties, baking them in batches so they’re eaten warm. Awesome!

Don’t underestimate the boost you’ll get by just arranging your hostess offerings on a pretty platter or garnishing a bit—search for cute appetizer picks (forgo the ones with the colored frills), line your serving plate or bowl with some crisp leaves of purple kale, create a bouquet of hearty herbs like rosemary or thyme, or use clusters of pretty grapes, halved kumquats, or wedges of clementines to add color.  Your appetizers will be the ones guests will gravitate to first!

By Lisa Golden Schroeder

As the weather cools and our hunger for comforting foods skyrockets, I start thinking about richer, more indulgent flavors. And a drizzle of high-quality oil provides an intense burst of unusual flavor to simply roasted vegetables, an ordinary salad dressing, or even a piece of bread. I especially love different nut and seed oils, which can be both healthful and deliciously different. But these oils are particularly perishable and need to be handled carefully—kept cool, preferably in the refrigerator—and tend to be more expensive than conventional cooking oils. So having a wide selection on hand isn’t practical, but it is fun to experiment with different kinds when you’re in the mood to discover new tastes. My favorites are walnut, hazelnut, and macadamia nut, which all have a delicately nutty flavor and are absolutely luscious in salad dressings, marinades, and baked goods. Pistachio oil is more strongly flavored, and a few dribbles of Asian toasted sesame oil is all you need to perfectly perfume a dish of steamed vegetables. Now avocado oil is a rising star among chefs, with its vibrant green color and soft buttery flavor, like a really good olive oil. I haven’t splurged on a bottle yet, but plan to soon.

However, if your pocketbook is strained this time of year, here’s a terrific cost-effective option for making your own deeply flavored oils for sautéing, marinating, dressing, tossing pasta, or just dipping some good crusty bread. You can easily infuse your own olive oil with garlic, citrus, chiles, or herbs, but it’s important to be careful about cleanliness. Because oils present an oxygen-free environment, they’re a good place for some naturally occurring pathogens on the surface of garlic or herb leaves to grow. So I like to make just enough oil to use over about a week or so—and always keep it in the fridge. You can either buzz up a good quality oil in the blender with whatever flavorings you want (cold infusion) or gently heat the oil and flavorings on the stovetop (hot infusion) until the temperature reaches 180˚ to 200˚F—then strain out the garlic, herbs, or whatever you’re using. I think this works best with woody herbs, like rosemary and thyme, or with finely chopped garlic, gingerroot, shallots, grated lemon or orange zest, or crushed whole spices because the heat helps release the flavor.

So for 2 cups of cold infused (in the blender) olive or canola oil, toss in about ¼ cup fresh basil, chives, parsley, tarragon, dill, or cilantro and process it until smooth, then pour into a clean glass bottle or plastic squeeze bottle and refrigerate. Add a bit of garlic or crushed red chiles if you want some zip. For a hot infused oil, use about 2 cups oil mixed with about 3 tablespoons crushed fennel, cumin, or cardamom seeds + a bit of garlic. Or about ¼ cup grated citrus zest, fresh gingerroot, or horseradish. Whatever sounds tempting to you—just play until you discover a combination you find pleasing.

So here’s a twist on my favorite autumn Waldorf salad, with sautéed chicken and a walnut oil vinaigrette.  It’s just apples and chicken dressed up for the holidays!

By Lisa Golden Schroeder

By now you’ve probably finished the last of the Thanksgiving bounty—reheated (with a good dousing of gravy), in a nice pot of steaming soup, or layered in towering Dagwood-style sandwiches, spilling over with cranberry sauce, sausage stuffing, and maybe a few wilting veggies? I’m totally ready to move on to the next flurry of holiday treats, but know we’re headed into the lull between marathon cooking sessions. I want what my great-grandmother called her “larder”, her cupboard filled with home-canned goods from the summer and fall harvests. She didn’t have the convenience of nearly-ready prepared pantry staples like we do now, but I think she bested us with her glittering jars of canned ripe tomatoes, tender string beans, fragrant blackberry jam, and thickly spicy oven-simmered ketchup. She didn’t have a freezer at her fingertips or even a very reliable “frigid-aire”, but she could still whip up simple, hearty meals on a moment’s notice with what she kept on hand.

So over these next couple of weeks, when you’re busy getting your house ready for guests, for holiday feasts—which ever ones you celebrate—and maybe even stirring up economical gifts from your kitchen, what’s a family to do for supper? I can tell you that I’m a whiz at good shortcuts—the kind that my Gammee would approve of (I know that she’d definitely frown on using a microwave, but would love a slow cooker). My favorite strategy leans heavily on leftovers—but the kind I plan for. Tonight I’m roasting TWO whole chickens. We’ll carve one up to eat hot from the oven, but bird number two will cool its jets in the fridge, until I can slice it for sandwiches, or shred it for tacos, enchiladas, or grilled paninis. I find that if I serve one “real” trinity dinner in a week—a center of the plate protein like chicken, a grainy pilaf or roasted sweet potatoes, and a favorite veg or salad—then I can get away with “pretend” dinners centered around dishes like a grilled pesto chicken sandwich dripping with melty smoked Provolone, butter-steamed eggs served over spicy chicken-potato hash, shredded chicken tacos wrapped up with avocado salsa, or a 3-minute chili made with chopped planned-over chicken heated with a can of chili beans, a large spoonful of corn, and a generous splash of tomato-vegetable juice and chicken broth. I’ll even bake up a quick basket of oven-baked garlic tortilla chips for dipping (cut whole-wheat flour tortillas into wedges—brush with a little olive oil or butter and sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake at 375˚F until crisp and golden brown.) Add some fresh fruit to any of the recipe ideas above and dinner is served. My own larder looks a little different from Gammee’s, but strategically cooking smarter, not harder, will make the next few weeks smooth sailing.