Chicken Tagine with Middle Eastern Couscous and Spinach

What is one to do when the freezer's only animal-based protein is a lonely pair of chicken thighs and there are four mouths to feed? Stretch it with beans and vegetables!

This North African-style stew is full of warm spices, and unlike the last tagine I had from a fellow student, isn't tooth-achingly sweet. The combination of spices, legumes, and fruits meld together for a well-balanced winter meal, and all of the ingredients are things I had on hand.

FYI - As is, this recipe is approachable for a child's palate. If made for adults, it would benefit from a little heat. We like Brother Bru Bru's hot sauce, which is African in style and works well with this dish.

Recipe of the Week - Root Vegetable Hash with Mustard Glazed Beet Greens

It's getting cold and brisk here in Maine! This hash recipe was just the thing to warm us up after an afternoon outdoors. I incorporated other root vegetables to boost the vitamin content and add layers of flavor, and found some beautiful beet greens to round out the healthfulness and color of this dish. My method of finishing the hash in the oven might be unconventional, but it serves two purposes: it frees up space on the stovetop for cooking the eggs and greens, and using the same pan for hash and greens boosts the taste of the earthy beet greens with the "fond" (stuck-on bits of hash) leftover in the bottom of the pan.

Recipe of the Week - Whole Wheat Pizza

Early this week, Molly requested homemade pizza for her birthday dinner. This ended up becoming a meal where the kids could work very independently on their creations! The recipe follows.

Recipe of the Week - Apple Crisp

Amelia, her friend, and I made this crisp for dessert this evening as a special fall treat. Again, the increased whole grains and fiber in this dish are helpful to wee bellies that struggle with the effects of chemotherapy, and the addition of a full-fat icecream provides much needed calories to prevent excessive weight loss - plus it's just good!

Recipe of the Week - Lemony Cannellini Bean Dip

Amelia and I developed this variation of hummus as a way to include more protein and fiber in our diets. It is wonderful as a sandwich spread (topped with grilled vegetables), or as a dip with fresh veggies and pita chips.

Garlic has natural antibacterial properties, and the beans and generous amount of olive oil contain healthy fats - all important for an infection-vulnerable child who is losing weight from chemo. Enjoy!

Rainy Day Pumpkin-Granola Muffins

Early in treatment (and sometimes beyond), kids often experience digestive problems. These muffins are high in fiber and low in sugar to improve the functionality of little tummies. Sweet foods can have a metallic taste as a result of chemotherapy drugs, so the mellow flavor of the pumpkin may be just enough, and the recipe allows for lots of help from the kids.

Amelia and I invented these muffins on one of the many rainy June days upon our return home from the hospital.

Cancer Mise En Place

In the June bug dusk between the close of my penultimate semester of culinary school and the naissance of the rainiest summer in Maine’s recent history, my 5-year old daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. Suddenly, life became alarmingly different – I quit my summer chef job, we were hospitalized to begin Amelia’s intense chemotherapy regimen, the counter-surfing puppy’s obedience classes were cancelled (and yet to be rescheduled-more to come on that story), and my family’s diet of Farmer’s Market victuals and Slow Food fare transformed to bland hospital chow and expensive organic convenience foods.