I entered parenthood later in life than most of my friends.  I recall my friends with kids complaining how little time they have to cook, or how they struggle with feeding their kids right, and I naively thought to myself then, hmmm, that sounded a bit exaggerated.  But now that I have two two year old toddlers tugging at me while I am trying to put together a simple sandwich, I finally understood what those mom friends of mine were saying.  And from what I can see from the mothers’ group forum I subscribe to, feeding toddler seems to be a passionate hot topic.  It’s not just the time it takes to cook, but also the shopping, schlepping, prepping, cleaning, scrubbing the food scraps off the floor, and worst, your toddler rejecting the meal you had just spent precious time to prepare.  The routine does get old fast and you longingly look at those fruit puree pouches with the twist off caps they love so much….then your guilty conscience takes over, and you think about how you need to offer a complete and nutritious, organic meal choc full of whole grains, high ANDI, low sodium, fiber, omega-3 etc,. etc…the good stuff to develop those little brains and body.

I know the experts say to serve the colors of the rainbow, and to introduce different types of fruits and veggies early on, don’t offer options, offer but not feed -  we all have heard them before. Perhaps it is my cultural background – fearing the kid would starve that I quietly give in and bring out his favorite food in desperation so that the kid won’t go to bed on an empty stomach (even if he gleefully tells me that would be a trip to where the wild things are.)  I have friends that serve their toddlers brussel sprouts and roasted beets….heck, I can’t even get my vegetarian husband to like them.

Even as a chef, it’s been a huge challenge catering to the needs of my fussy eaters with two very different palates!  How they came out that way when they both started on the same path baffles me.  One likes veggies, not fruits, the other is a fruitman and hates veggies.  One likes Asian flavors, the other likes stuff with cheese.  I was so excited when they started really eating thinking of all the yummy foods they may like – quiche, roasted sweet potatoes, beans but alas, these days, to keep my sanity and the power struggles at bay, I practically only make a handful of items – avocado sandwiches, bolognese sauce or soy ginger pork with pasta or quinoa, zucchini patties, and lasagna.  And of course, pizza!

Now about the pizza, I finally found something that they both love and easy to prepare!   I wouldn’t say this is the healthiest of meals, but at least my boys are eating it!  I use whole wheat lavash bread as the base, and top it with a low sodium pasta sauce, and shredded organic cheese.  Takes 2 minutes to assemble, pop it into your toaster oven for 1o minutes, and viola, dinner is ready.  I have been doing this thin crust “pizza” for years, but always threw in fancy toppings, but now scaling down to basic is a life saver!  Pizza purists would probably pooh pooh over the crust, but hey, with 2 minutes of prep, I am not going to complain.

Here is a recipe for the basic pizza followed by variations for fancier pizza to please the adults.

Chef’s tip: Dave’s Gourmet is significantly lower sodium pasta sauce than most other organic brands, and unlike TJ’s no-salt marinara, it does taste quite good and not too watery.  Of course, you can use that leftover bolognese sauce from dinner, too.  If you make your own sauce and looking for a glass-bottled option, Bio Nature and Middle Kingdom (or something like that) has a no sugar nor salt added tomato sauce that is wonderful.

THIN-CRUSTED QUICK BUT GOURMET “PIZZA”

Basic Ingredients:
Whole wheat Lavash bread – Whole Foods and TJ sell rectangular letter-size lavash bread
1 cup Shredded Monterey Jack (or other cheeses like Mozarella, fontina, cheddar, quattro formaggi mix)

Basic Directions:

Preheat oven: 400F

1. Line baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Place lavash on baking tray
3. For simple cheese pizza only: Smear on a very thin layer of pasta sauce
4. Sprinkle a layer of cheese
5. For fancier versions, omit tomato sauce:  Top with filling of choice (except green herbs/vege or infused oils)
6. Bake until cheese bubbles and is slightly golden, about 10 mins
7. Let cool for 5 mins.  Cut and serve.

Note:
If using green herbs or leafy vegetables, add immediately upon removal of pizza from oven
If using infused oils, such as truffle oil, drizzle just before serving

Fancier variation: Choice of remaining ingredients:

All recipes below is for one pizza

Tomatoes, Garlic and Basil
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced length-wise
A sprinkle of oregano (optional)
½ cup of basil, coarsely shredded

Top lavash with cheese, tomatoes and garlic.  Bake.  When done, add basil.

Potato, Taleggio and Rosemary
1 medium sized red potato, with skin.  Thinly sliced.
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 oz of taleggio cheese
¼ red onion, thinly sliced

Top lavash with cheese, potato and onion.  Dot with chunks of  tallegio, sprinkle rosemary.  Bake.

Wild mushroom and truffle oil
1 cup wild mushroom* – sliced ¼ inch thick (shiitake, hens of the wood/maitake, chanterelle, morels)
1 sprig thyme, leaves only
Drizzle of truffle oil

Top lavash with cheese, mushroom, thyme.  Bake.  Drizzle with truffle oil before serving.

Pecan, Gorgonzla and Caramelized Onion
2 oz of gorgonzola cheese
¼  cup honey roasted pecan
½ red onion, caramelized

To caramelized onion, sauté sliced onion with a little oil and water till golden, about 20 minutes.
Top lavash with cheese and caramelized onion.  Dot with small teaspoons chunks of gorgonzola. Bake.

Asparagus, Chevre Goat Cheese and Garlic Green
1 cup of peeled aspagarus, sliced 1/8^th inch diagonally
3 oz of goat cheese
¼ cup garlic green (or a mix o chives and 1 clove garlic)

Top lavash with cheese, asparagus, and garlic green.  Dot with chunks of chevre.  Bake.

Zuchinni, Ricotta Salata and Pinenuts
1 cup of zucchini. Sliced into ¼ inch rounds
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of shaved ricotta salata
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
¼ cup of toasted pinenuts

Top lavash with cheese, zucchini, dill, and pinenuts. Drizzle with EVOO. Bake.

Zuchinni blossoms, ricotta and tomato
8 squash blossoms
½ cup ricotta
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup of cherry tomatoes
½ cup basil, shredded

Stuff blossoms with ricotta mixed with salt.  Top lavash with cheese, stuffed blossoms, tomatoes.  Bake. When done, add basil. 

Butternut Squash, Teleme and Sage
1 medium sized butternut squash. Sliced very thinly.  Microwave 1 minute to soften.
2 sprigs of sage, chopped
2 oz of teleme cheese
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ red onion, caramelized
4 amaretti cookie, crushed

To caramelized onion, sauté sliced onion with a little oil and water till golden, about 20 minutes.
Top lavash with cheese, squash, onion and sage.  Sprinkle with brown sugar.  Dot with chunks of teleme.  Bake.  When done sprinkle with amaretti cookie.

Prosciutto, Arugula and Pecorino
½ cup of thinly sliced prosciutto
1 ½ cup of baby arugula
1 cup of shaved pecorino cheese

Top lavash with cheese and prosciuto.  Bake.  Add arugula and shaved pecorino.

Chicken Pesto
1 cup of cooked / grilled chicken breast
3 tablespoon basil pesto
1 cup of baby arugula

To make pesto, in a food processor, puree 2 cups of basil leaves with 1 clove garlic, ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup parmesan, ¼ cup of pine nuts and salt and pepper
Spread pesto on lavash.  Top with cheese and chicken.  Bake. Add arugula.

Shrimp and cilantro
1 cup of rock shrimp
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 cup of cherry tomatoes
1 jalapeno
3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced lengthwise

Top lavash with cheese, shrimp, tomatoes, jalapeno and garlic.  Bake until shrimp is bright red.  Add cilantro.

Littleneck clams, oregano, parmigiano & pecorino
1 cup of clams
1 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
½ cup shaved parmesan cheese
½  cup of shaved pecorino cheese

Top lavash with cheese, clams and oregano.  Bake.  Add shaved pecorino and parmesan.

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Ever wonder why the neighborhood Thai take out place always give you pad thai as the complimentary item if you exceed a certain ticket amount?  Because pad thai is so easy to make and the cost of the ingredients pretty darn low.  This is what they call it in business schools term, highly leverage items.  Low cost, low work, high flavor, high rewards.  The secret is really in the sauce.  Once you boil a vat of it, place it in jars and it will last forever, or at least till you run out. Everytime you feel like a pad thai, it will take you literally a few minutes to whip out the yummy dish.

Chef’s tip: Make it in small batches – no more than 2 servings at a time. You can sub the shrimp with meat of your choice.

Sauce:
2/3 cup tamarind concentrate
2/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup light soy sauce
1/3 cup fish sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup palm sugar
3 Tablespoons garlic powder
1/4 cup Sriracha chili sauce

Noodles:
1 lb dried rice flat noodles, soaked in warm water 30 mins, drained
½ cup canola oil
8 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 ½ cup firm tofu, cut into small ¼ X ½  X 1 inch strips
1 lb medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
12 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
6 Tablespoons pickled sweet radish, chopped finely
1 bunch Chinese chives, cut into 2 inch length (substitute with green onions if unavailable)
4 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 cup roasted and unsalted peanuts, finely chopped

2 Lime, cut into wedges, for garnish

Prepare the sauce:
1.     Combine tamarind, vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, salt, palm sugar, garlic powder and Sriracha in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce becomes thick, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
Prep mise-en-place:
2.     Separate all ingredients into 4 batches, including sauce and placed mise-en-place.
Cook noodles in batches:
3.     Heat a wok over high heat until smoking. Add a Tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the sides. Add the egg and fry for 1 minute, move it to the side.
4.     Next, add the tofu and fry till it is golden.  Move it to the side of the wok.
5.     Next add another Tablespoon of oil, then garlic and shrimp.   When the shrimp is pink, add in the radish.
6.     Next, stir in noodles, followed by the pad thai sauce. Toss back eggs and tofu. Toss to coat noodles.  Let the sauce boil and cook the noodles.  Stir occasionally to prevent sticking, until the sauce is absorbed.  Do not over stir or else the noodles will fall apart.  Check the noodles for doneness. If they are not completely cooked through, add more sauce or water. Immediately remove the wok from the heat.
7.     Stir in half the beansprouts and half the chives. Toss together and transfer noodles to a large serving platter. Scatter peanuts on top.  Place remaining bean sprouts, chives, and lime on the side. Serve immediately.
8.     Repeat for subsequent batches.

Serves 8

Tags: noodles, street fo, Thai.

Ah Ma, my father’s mother, made the most delicious acar.  She learned from her nyonya mother-in-law, Ah Chor, the lady we thought looked like the little old lady in the 1960′s sitcom, Beverly Hillbillies, in a kebaya!  Ah Ma’s acar is so well pickled, it could have lasted for months if we didn’t devour it all in a week!  Her trick was to wring the blanched vegetables real dry.  I never really appreciated the nyonya heritage in my dad’s family until much later when I got interested in cooking and realized that my grandmother was probably one of the best nyonya cooks around.  Since then, it’s been an endless effort to recreate many of her recipes from the memory of taste.  This is one of them.

Chef’s tip: Use a salad spinner to remove as much water as possible from the blanched vegetables.  Pack acar tightly in a glass jar and keep refrigerated.  Like kimchi, it will keep for several weeks.

Spice Paste:
10 dried long Asian chilies, rehydrated in water or fresh Fresno chilies, seeded
2 stalks lemongrass, sliced thinly
2 slices galangal
1 piece fresh turmeric, about 1 Tablespoon, sliced
8 shallots
3 cloves garlic
1 Tablespoon roasted belachan
4 candlenuts

Vegetables:
2 carrots peeled
¼ head cauliflower
1 Japanese Eggplant
½ small savoy cabbage
12 Chinese long yard beans
1 English Cucumber, seeded

½ cup canola oil
1 cup white vinegar
½ cup of sugar
1 Tablespoon kosher salt

1 cup roasted peanuts, crushed
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

1. In a food processor or blender, grind chilies, lemongrass and galangal till fine. Add remaining spice paste ingredients and process till smooth. Add a little water if needed. Set aside.
2. Cut all vegetables into 1 inch juliennes. Cut cauliflower into small florets.
3. Blanch vegetables. Blanched carrots, cauliflower and eggplant till tender, about 3 minutes, and cabbage and long beans two minutes. Spin and squeeze vegetables very dry. Add in cucumber.
4. Heat oil on medium high. Fry spice paste till fragrant, red and oil has separated, about 7-10 minutes. Add vinegar, sugar and salt. Fry till fragrant about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Remove from heat.
5. Mix in vegetables and toss to mix. Add peanuts and sesame seeds and mix to combine.  Let it sit for at last 30 mins for flavors to come together.  Can be prepared in advance.  Serve room temperature or chilled.

Serves: 6

Tags: Malaysian, Nyonya.