By Jennifer Howard from Chasing the Firefly

My two youngest children began going to school long enough this year to require a lunch. These two are the picky eaters of the family. One lives on air and Pixy Stix, the other would be happy drinking milk all day long. I knew I would have to be a little more creative when making their lunches. I decided that making Bento Box lunches would work perfectly.

There are many reasons why I chose to make Bento lunches but the biggest reasons would be:

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These are very simple chicken kebabs with a bit of zing from cumin and oregano.  Serve them with orzo, rice or couscous. The tzatziki is by no means essential to the success of the dish, but adds extra interest and helps the chicken and any starch you serve it with co-mingle deliciously. The salting, rinsing and squeezing of the cucumber is an added step, and if you find it annoying, skip it. The tzatziki will be a bit thinner from the liquid in the cucumber, but other than that, no real harm done.

Lemony Yogurt Marinated Chicken Kebabs
Serves 4 to 6

• 2 large lemons, washed
• 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons finely minced shallots
• Coarse or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup minced fresh oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless thighs or breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

1. Cut one lemon in half, and each half into 6 wedges. Then cut the wedges crosswise so that you have 24 small pieces of lemon. Pick out any pits. Zest the other lemon and squeeze and strain the juice; you should have about 1 1/2 tablespoons juice.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the yogurt, shallots, salt and pepper, lemon zest and juice, oregano and cumin.  Stir to combine.
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Makes 6 burgers

If your kids don’t like their burgers with a lot of punch you can separate out some of the meat, and season them with less of the spice mix, about a ½ teaspoon or so per handful of meat, so that the burgers have more interest, but aren’t too spicy

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 ½ pounds ground chuck (about 80% lean)
• Sliced Monterey Jack or Provolone cheese (optional)
• 6 hamburger buns to serve, toasted if desired
• Condiments, sliced tomatoes, lettuce to serve (optional)

1. In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, paprika, dry mustard, cumin, coriander, oregano, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
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Serves 4

How often do you buy a bunch or herbs (or two or three) for a recipe, and later that week find the remainder of those herbs laying listlessly in the vegetable drawer, with only days to live?  It’s so aggravating to less them go to waste, but sometimes you’re not in the mood to be hyper-creative about finding ways to use them up.

This is a simple, versatile recipe that allows you to turn most any kind of fresh herb into an uncooked sauce for dinner, kind of like an herb pesto, without the nuts.  I served it over sliced chicken breasts, but it certainly would work over fish and seafood or pork, or even beef. If you have an herb garden, you can keep trying different combos all summer long.  This is nice served with orzo, couscous or rice.

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup or so mixed fresh herb leaves, such as basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram and parsley
• Coarse or kosher and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing the chicken
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Preheat the grill to medium (or preheat the broiler).  Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and gri or broil for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until cooked through.  Let the chicken breasts sit for 3 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, combine the herbs, salt and pepper, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice and puree until completely combined.

3. Slice the chicken attractively on the bias, and drizzle/dollop the herbs sauce over the fanned out slices.  Serve warm, or at room temperature.

A simple pasta salad recipe is one of those things everyone needs all summer long.  This one is very easy, super portable, and kid-friendly while still a bit sophisticated.  The capers add a little salty punch, but if you don’t mention them to the little ones, they probably won’t notice.  Add more of those, and more red pepper flakes, if you want a bigger kick, and add diced cooked chicken or cooked shrimp if you want to make it more of a main dish.

• 3 cups roughly chopped broccoli
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Bring a very large pot of water to a boil  Add a couple of tablespoons of salt, return to a boil, and cook the pasta according to package directions, until just al dente.  About 2 minutes before the pasta is tender, add the chopped broccoli.  Drain when both the pasta and the broccoli are just tender, and rinse with cold water.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, rice vinegar, mustard, onion, capers, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.  Turn the rinsed pasta and broccoli into the bowl, and use a rubber spatula (or your clean hands) to mix everything together until the pasta is well coated with the dressing.  Add a bit more olive oil if it seems too dry.

By Helen Jane from HJ Entertains

So your Mother-In-Law (or Mom) calls and says she’ll be there in 30. You’re expected to be company ready, but you’re most certainly not. What’s the bare minimum you can you do to make your guests feel welcome (and maintain your sanity)?

1. Set a timer for 5 minutes and straighten the bathroom that guests will be using. Make sure the towels are straight, the tub toys are safely hidden behind the shower curtain and the mirror and counter tops are free from toothpaste splatters. This takes far less time than you think it will.

2. Get the drinks ready. Either heat up the kettle for tea, get the coffee pot ready for brewing or simply put some water in a pitcher and tuck in the fridge so it is chilled for your guests. Having a beverage ready for your guests can help your guests feel warmer and fuzzier.

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Cornbread goes with EVERYTHING, and while the store-bought mixes are just fine, with a handful of extra minutes you can make it from scratch.  A cast iron pan is really the secret ingredient.  Cast iron pans hold in the heat really well, and cook things very evenly.  Not to mention the fabulous exterior crust.   You can use a regular skillet if you don’t have cast iron; just make sure it’s one that can travel from stove top to oven safely.

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 2 cups cornmeal
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2½ cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup  honey

Directions:

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Serves 12

It’s strawberry season, and every little strawberry wishes it could grow up and become a strawberry shortcake.

For the biscuits:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse of kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus extra butter for greasing the baking sheets
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk

For the strawberries:

• 3 pounds strawberries, stemmed and sliced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• For the whipped cream:
• 2 cups cold heavy or whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease two baking sheets with butter.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Add the cold butter and using your fingers, a fork, or a pastry blender, blend the butter into the dry ingredients until the bits of butter are the size of small peas.  Gradually add the milk and using your hand (this is messy but keeps the dough light), mix just until the liquid is incorporated, stopping as soon as you have a dough that sticks together.  Do not overwork the dough.
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If you can find petite filets, which are small tenderloins, also called “beef shoulder steak” sometimes, then you can have the pleasure of cooking these small whole cuts of beef without the over-the-top expense of a whole filet mignon, which is also usually too large for an average-sized family.  These are very simply rubbed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic then roasted at a high heat until cooked to your liking.  Let them sit, slice as thin or thick as you wish, and a lush feeling steak dinner is on the table.  Salad or green beans, and a mound of mashed or roasted potatoes would round out a perfect steakhouse-esque meal.

• 3 petite filets or beef should steaks (about 2 pounds total)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Coarse or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F.

2. Rub the filets with olive oil, then rub with salt, pepper, and garlic distributing the seasonings evenly.  Place the filets on a rimmed baking sheet, with some space between them.

3. Roast the filets until the internal temperature reaches 140° for medium-rare, 15 to 20 minutes.  The steaks will continue to cook when they are out of the oven.  Remove the filets from the oven, transfer them to a cutting board and let them sit for 5 minutes to finish cooking and to allow the juices to re-distribute themselves in the meat.  Slice as you like and serve the medallions attractively on a serving platter or on individual plates.

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