Remembering My Visit to the White House and What’s Been Lost

 

Rose Garden, 2012

It’s been a while since I’ve written here. The last time I posted was to mark the ten-year anniversary of one of the most unexpected and special moments this little food blog ever brought me — an invitation to the White House on October 19, 2012. This week marks that anniversary once again, and recent headlines have brought it all rushing back.

Photo credit: Debbie Fenelon Photography

Some of the very spaces I stood in that day — the East Wing and the Rose Garden — are now gone. Seeing those photos and messages from friends who were there with me sent me scrolling through old snapshots, remembering what it felt like to walk those paths, to stand in the rain smelling the roses, and to take in the beauty of the historic space.

White House Fall Garden Tour Group Shot

I was invited to the White House back in 2012 for a special social media event connected to the Let’s Move! campaign. We had to apply and they were looking for social media influencers who were passionate about food, health, and community. We were told later that over 1,000 had applied and only 50 were selected. I still remember the excitement (and disbelief) when that email arrived telling me I’d been picked! 

We were treated to a private tour of the White House grounds, including the Rose Garden and Michelle Obama’s Kitchen Garden. We heard from Bill Yosses, the White House pastry chef, and Sonya Hebert, one of the official photographers at the time. 

Photo credit: Debbie Fenelon Photography

The grounds superintendent and horticulturalist shared how the gardens had evolved over the years and how the produce from the Kitchen Garden found its way into state dinners. It was fascinating, and the pride in their work was contagious. It was raining most of the day, but nothing could dampen our spirits. We were simply thrilled to be there and to be part of something that celebrated the connection between food, family, and public service.

Aimee, Joe, Me, Deb and Kelly

Now, seeing the East Wing torn down and the Rose Garden paved over feels like watching a piece of our  nation's history erased. The Rose Garden was a backdrop to countless historic moments. When places like that disappear, something in our collective memory dims too.

Preserving our history matters. The buildings and gardens we inherit tell the stories of who we’ve been, what we’ve valued, and how we’ve grown. Once they’re gone, we can’t get them back.

Preserving our nation’s history isn’t unlike preserving our own personal history and it is one of the reasons I started this blog. Amy's Food Revolution was written to create lasting memories in the kitchen, so my kids could remember the times we cooked together and the dishes that were their favorites. It’s about keeping those moments alive for decades to come, just like the memories that live in historic spaces.

That 2012 trip reminded me how powerful it is to experience history in person — to see, touch, and feel it. The White House truly is the People’s House, and that day we were reminded, again and again, that it belongs to all of us.

I hope you enjoy some of my favorite photos from that day. They feel even more meaningful and important now, a small glimpse into a day I’ll never forget.

 

Looking Back on my White House Visit 10 Years Later

I think you probably just need to look at the date of my last post (March 4, 2020) to figure out where I’ve been. Wow…that was a lot wasn’t it? I know at the time I promised a look back at favorite recipes and memories to celebrate the 10th anniversary of my blog but then 2020 happened and plans changed a bit. And while I wasn’t writing here I was still writing. But let’s talk about that some other time.

Today I want to talk about another anniversary. The anniversary of my trip to the White House on October 19, 2012. For those that are new here, here is a quick recap from the beginning.

In 2010, I was a young mom with a 2 year old and an 8 year old. I was a terrible cook. I could barely manage to boil water for pasta. I mean, on a scale of 1 to 10 we were starting at ZERO!

After watching the movie, Julie and Julia, about a woman that cooks her way through Julia Child's cookbook, I decided that I would do what she did. I’d pick a cookbook and cook my way through it. Hopefully along the way I’d learn to cook. For accountability, I decided I'd blog about the experience, just like Julie in the movie. At the time, blogging was a very new thing and I honestly thought my mom and sister would read it and that would be it.

I picked British Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution cookbook for my challenge. The idea behind the book was that everyone could and should learn how to cook, which went great with my plan. So, in March 2010 I started to cook my way through Jamie's Food Revolution cookbook. The goal was 173 recipes in 365 days.

About three months into the cooking journey, I got an email from someone on Jamie Oliver's team. They had found me and asked if I wanted to be one of Jamie Oliver's “Food Revolution Heroes!” That email kicked off a whole new leg of my crazy journey. I was also asked to be a lead in Jamie's Ambassador program. I taught cooking classes at Whole Foods. I was featured in newspaper articles. But the most surreal of them all was being invited to the  White House on October 19, 2012. We were actually invited two days. On the first day we could bring our families for a tour. The second day was the “social media meet-up.” It was one of the first in the city. There were about 50 of us and we had been chosen from a pool of about 1,000 from around the country. We had an amazing tour of the White House gardens, including Michelle Obama's kitchen garden. We heard from the White House pastry chef and the White House social media team. We even got a wave from President Obama as he made his way to the West Wing that morning. It was such an amazing day and I met so many lovely people that day. I love that we still keep in touch. 

My cooking journey was so much more than just learning to cook. It taught me to be brave and bold. It taught me that you just never know who is watching and appreciating you. 

As you can probably guess, my Food Revolution blog is a bit of a story within a story. I'm working hard to write the rest of that story. You never know, it could be a book someday! Stranger things have happened...like being invited to the White House!

Happy Cooking!

xoxo,

Amy

Where am I now? March 4, 2020

Today is the 10 year anniversary of starting my blog, Amy’s Food Revolution. That ten years went by really quickly. My kitchen is ten years older. My cookbooks are ten years older. Jamie Oliver is 10 years older. My little babies are ten years older. I am definitely ten years older. While my blog has been a bit dormant the last 3 years, my enthusiasm for cooking and talking about cooking hasn’t been as quiet. I still get questions from friends and neighbors about my blog and I still tell the story of how it started and what I learned along the way.

“The Kid,” as I called her ten years ago, is in the midst of selecting a college and she’ll be leaving home this summer. I’m so proud of her for so many things. She works hard in school, has found her passion and knows what she wants to do in life. She also knows her way around the kitchen and she definitely knows how important it is to feed yourself good food. She is also still a bit of a food snob. And I absolutely love that about her. During the last ten years, she has become an amazing sous chef. Her chief responsibilities in our kitchen are sauces, dressings and aioli. She is also 3 inches taller than me and is super handy at reaching the things on the high shelves. When it is time to make dinner she’s the first one there to help. She tells her brother, “you know, when I’m gone, you’re going to need to know how to help mom in the kitchen.” She’s vowed to teach him her secrets before she leaves. “The Baby” is now in middle school. He’s still my pickiest eater and I still get a great sense of accomplishment when he discovers a new (or old) food that he now likes. Keeping him on task to consume enough fruits and vegetables is still a weekly conversation. But, he tries and he is educated about why eating well is important and I take that as a huge win. We make one meal, no special requests, and there is no complaining. I know he loves being at the dinner table and the conversations we have. He is always the first to share details about his day. The family dinner experience has made us a stronger and closer family and no one appreciates it more than this loving, sweet guy. This winter he did a cotillion class and loved learning about table manners, what all of the forks are for and when and how to place your napkin. I know all of these skills and priorities will serve him well his whole life. I know that he will be the type of parent that knows how important it is to sit down with your children and spouse every day to connect. That means just as much to me as the food on the table.

As for me, I still challenge myself in the kitchen. I love to find new books or recipes. I love checking out the latest trends in kitchen gadgets. (Instant Pot anyone?) And my heart is full every time we sit down to a family meal and my dear, sweet husband tells me how good it is. The struggle is real but we manage to sit down together most nights. My Jamie Oliver Food Revolution cookbook is tattered and frayed and falling apart. The pages of my favorite recipes have stains and the spine of the book is barely hanging on. Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Ambassador program has since been disbanded but I still keep tabs on all of my friends that I met through the program that live around the world. Honestly, the idea of blogging again is always on my mind. Learning how to cook turned out to be so much more than cooking. The experience has definitely been something I have been processing and thinking about for the last ten years. I’m not sure what’s to come but I think we’ll start by revisiting some of my favorite posts and maybe even cooking the recipes again along the way.

Happy Cooking and Happy Blog anniversary!

XOXO,

Amy

Look Who’s Cooking

When I started my Food Revolution in 2010, my daughter–“the kid”– was seven (almost 8). She was a picky eater as a child but not your typical picky eater. She was a foodie. At a young age she would declare that a blueberry was not “round enough” or that the grape was “too squishy on top.” I swore she would grow up to be a quality control expert in some restaurant somewhere. She would choose asparagus over a banana. She dislikes pepperoni because it makes her “ears itch” and has always ordered the most expensive entree on the menu. I remember being so relieved when she finally would eat pizza or hot dogs because it made birthday parties and BBQs a bit easier for me. From a very young age she became my sous chef in the kitchen and she still makes all of the sauces and dressings for dinner. Need an aioli? “The kid” can whip one up for you.

Jamie’s Food Revolution challenge this year got me thinking. No one wants to read about me learning to cook anymore. Been there. Done that. But, how fun would it be if my blog now was about “the kid” learning to cook? Like I said, she is an expert at sauces and dressings but still steers clear of the oven and stove. How fun would it be to write about my little foodie (who’s not so little anymore) learning to cook Jamie’s 10 Food Revolution recipes?

So, that is what we are going to do. She started with her first recipe this morning. She made us an omelette (yes, I know, in the U.S. it is omelet. We’re going to stick with Jamie’s spelling) for breakfast. It was delicious! My picky eater was pretty hard on herself. She said it was ugly. I reminded her that my first omelette turned into scrambled eggs! The fact that it looked like an omelette was impressive enough. Not only did it look good, it tasted good too. I asked the teenager, “What do you think? It tastes good, doesn’t it?” I got a shrug of the shoulders. Again, picky. But seriously! Color me impressed. She did great!

 

How did your omelettes turn out?

Happy Cooking!

Let’s Get Cooking

It’s Food Revolution Day! 

We’re going to start your Food Revolution with a bang and celebrate with the world. You’ve spent the past month getting on track and setting goals, getting inspired and finally getting your kitchen ready. Now, it is time to get cooking! I’m sure you are a bit scared. I was! I put off the start of my food revolution for over a week. I had gotten everything ready but was too scared to start. Trust me. You just need to do it and today is the perfect day!

Jamie Oliver started Food Revolution Day in 2012 to inspire and motivate the world to start a movement and a conversation about good food. Access to nutritious food is every child’s human right. Over the last four years the Food Revolution Ambassadors have done all kinds of awesome events but, this year’s activity is what I am the most passionate about. This year, for Food Revolution Day, Jamie has given us 10 of his Food Revolution recipes that together can teach anyone the skills we need to feed ourselves and our families good, nutritious food. Teaching a generation of moms to cook that somehow missed learning those skills is what really resonates with me. It is why I started this whole thing in the first place. So, that’s what we are going to do! We’re going to cook these recipes together. We’ll start with the omelette recipe. Ready, class?

 

Step 3: Getting Ready

 Step 3: Getting Ready

May 19, 2016

The next step is to make sure your kitchen is ready. Jamie has a great section in the front of his Food Revolution book that lists what he thinks you need to be an efficient cook. It was a great help when I was getting ready to start my Food Revolution.

Below is my list of things that I think are “must haves” in your kitchen. There are a few things that I would suggest saving up to splurge on good quality items. I have starred those below.

• Pots & Pans*: Splurge on these! Any “set” should have all that you need but minimum should include: medium and large sauce pans, a frying pan, a dutch oven and an extra large pan with high sides. If you can, get a grill pan, it will change your life!
• Knives*: Another item you should splurge on if you can. Good knives are essential for efficiency and safety too. Be sure to take good care of your knives as well.
• Mixing bowls
• metal tongs
• Cooking utensils: spoon, spatula, slotted spoon, wooden spoon, whisk, ladle
• Prep utensils: vegetable peeler, measuring cups, measuring spoons
• Large cutting board
• Colanders and strainers
• can opener 🙂
• food processor: I have a big one and a small one that is an attachment to my mixer.
• blender*
• salad spinner (such a time saver!)
• Baking sheets and pans: these items you can add as you go and build up your stash
• garlic press: Life changing! I couldn’t live without mine. Isn’t that crazy?
• citrus press: I hate picking lemon and lime seeds out of my food. This little gadget is awesome!
• Grater: Food processor with an attachment could substitute for this

That’s it! Now we are ready to get started!

Amy

Step 2: Getting Inspired

 Step 2: Getting Inspired

May 16, 2016

Oh, I could go on and on for days about this one! Below are some of the books that inspired me to take on this adventure. I’ve also included some inspirational favorites that I have read since my 2010 Food Revolution. Let’s get started….

Julie & Julia, by Julie Powell

Well, of course we would need to start with this one, right? My original inspiration for this cooking adventure was actually the movie version of this book. Now, the book is a bit different than the movie. I read the book in the middle of my 2010-2011 Food Revolution challenge and I could totally relate to some of Julie Powell’s thoughts and feelings.

Jamie’s Food Revolution, by Jamie Oliver

In 2010, I had just seen the movie, Julie and Julia, and I had decided that cooking through a cookbook would be a great way to learn to cook. I went to the bookstore looking for a cookbook for my adventure and I found Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. His Food Revolution message on the back of the book was like a “sign” and it inspired me to do this crazy Food Revolution thing. This cookbook definitely taught me how to cook. My copy of it is well-loved and I couldn’t live in the kitchen without it.

Back to Butter, by Molly Chester and Sally Schrecengost

Molly Chester’s blog, Organic Spark, was one of the first blog’s that I ever read. Reading her blog definitely gave me the courage to try writing a blog too. I was so excited when her book, Back to Butter, came out. It is an awesome addition to any cook’s collection. If you want to learn more about “real food” this is a great resource.

100 Days of Real Food, by Lisa Leake

Speaking of “Real Food,” this book is awesome! Lisa Leake and I were working on our food journeys at the same time which I think is so cool! I am totally in awe of her. I love her recipes and her thoughts and advice on making changes in your family’s eating habits. While most of my Food Revolution revolved around cooking at home, she inspired me to rethink those pesky school lunches.

French Kids Eat Everything, by Karen Le Billon

This book will stay with you, parents. If you have a picky eater at home, be sure to read this. It will change your thinking about the dinner table. I picked this one up after getting questions about picky eaters at some of my speaking engagements. Remember, unless you have a three year old with a debit card that can drive to the grocery store, you are the one making the food decisions for your family. Take back control. You can do it!

American Grown, by Michelle Obama

I read this book after I was invited to the White House for a Social Media event. The story of the White House’s Kitchen Garden really made me think about starting to grow food at home. Our shady yard can only support a herb garden, but my trips to the farmer’s market and dreaming about my own kitchen garden definitely came from reading this book. It is a beautiful book full of amazing photographs and inspirational stories.

One last suggestion, read anything by Michael Pollan. I couldn’t pick one book to highlight but all of his books will make you think about food, where it comes from and how we interact with it.

What books inspire you in the kitchen? Visit me on Facebook and Twitter and let me hear some of your favorites.

Happy Reading!

Amy

Step 1: Getting On Track

 Before you start your Food Revolution, you need a goal. But, before you have a goal, you need to know where you are starting. A lot of us don’t even realize what is going on in our kitchens. Do you make the same thing over and over again? How many times a week do you eat out? Do some cooking tasks petrify you? This month I want you to keep track of your dinners. Feel free to track the other meals if you’d like but, at the very least, write down every dinner for one month. Find a cheap calendar (mine is from the Target Dollar Spot) and record what you eat every night. This isn’t a meal planning calendar (we’ll get to that some other time), this calendar is to record what actually happened. We all know that sometimes our best plans get thrown out the window so remember, this calendar is for what actually ended up on your dinner table each evening. At the end of the month, look back and see if you can spot any trends that bother you. Then you’ll come up with your goal (or goals) for your Food Revolution. Maybe you’ll decide you want to eat out less, or try a new recipe every Sunday, or maybe you just want to get really good at one recipe. Maybe there is a cooking challenge that scares you to death, for me it was roasting a chicken. Your big goal at the end of this might be that you will conquer that fear. But, before you decide your goal, I want you to monitor your habits for a month.

So, get to it! Find yourself a calendar and track what you eat.

Happy Tracking!

Amy

Coming Up Next…”Get Inspired.”

How To Start A Food Revolution in Your Kitchen

 It wasn’t that long ago that I was like a lot of you. Each night I struggled to figure out how to get dinner on the table. We were busy and time was an issue but the bigger issue was that I didn’t know how to cook. I mean, I really couldn’t cook, not even a little bit. I had left home for college successfully having dodged the kitchen despite my mom’s pleas. At college, there were food courts and dining halls and take out and I graduated still not knowing how to make a single thing. My first job out of college was extremely busy with long hours. My cute little apartment was in walking distance of a beautiful downtown restaurant district. Not knowing how to cook didn’t really ever bother me. It wasn’t even something that crossed my mind until one day I found myself standing in my kitchen with two small children and THEN, all of a sudden, it REALLY bothered me. I needed to be able to feed my family. I didn’t really know where to start but we had just navigated our way through the holiday season and I was a bit sad that I wasn’t making good food memories for my kids. They didn’t have a food that they could say, “My mom makes the best….” So, I decided I’d learn how to cook. If you’ve visited my blog before you’ll know that it started as a New Year’s Resolution (“Cook More”), and then I saw a movie (Julie and Julia) and lastly there was a trip to the bookstore where I discovered Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Cookbook. Mix all of these things together vigorously, add a blog and a ticking timer (I gave myself  365 days to cook my way through his book) and then you’d have my Food Revolution journey. That was six years ago. Along the way I heard from family, friends and strangers who could relate to my struggle. The struggle was happening to real people and I wasn’t the only one that was wrestling with it! Some of it was my own fault, I was an expert at disappearing when mom needed help in the kitchen. But, some of it was a change in our world. How we think about food, how we relate to others around food and the time we spend in the kitchen all changed quickly. So many times I’ve had people ask, “How did you do it?” or they would tell me, “There is no way I could do that.” Well, yes, I’ll admit my method was a bit extreme but there is no reason why everyone can’t start a food revolution in their own kitchen. Over the next several weeks, join me here on this blog for a simple step by step mini version of what I did. We’ll spend a few weeks prepping and then our big kick off will be on May 20, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Day. Be sure to join me on social media so you’ll be the first to know when a new blog post goes up. Next up is…”Getting On Track.”

Hope you’ll join me and as always,

Happy Cooking!

Amy

Resolutions 2016

 It is said that one in three people will ditch their New Year’s Resolution before the end of January. This is the time of year when I usually write and tell you about the only time I kept my New Year’s Resolution. In January of 2010, I made three New Year’s resolutions. I decided that each would have a positive spin and not include negative words. One of them was to “cook more,” how to accomplish it though completely stumped me. I had tried it before and had failed miserably and I was worried I would have to abandon this resolution yet again. That’s when I saw the movie, Julie and Julia and the inspiration for how I would “cook more” hit me. After letting the idea sit in my brain awhile and mustering up the courage to do this crazy thing, I went to the bookstore to browse the cooking section. I stumbled upon Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Cookbook and I knew that it was the key. So, I started to cook more. I challenged myself to cook every recipe in the book in 365 days. To keep myself accountable, I started this blog and wrote about my adventure and the journey to “cook more.” I not only “cooked more” but I also taught cooking classes, became a Food Revolution Hero and later a Food Revolution Ambassador. I even had the chance to visit the White House. Now, six years later, cooking more has been a journey that outlived its New Year’s Resolution status.

I hope for 2016 you will resolve to spend more time cooking. To help you with that, I’ll be starting a new series in the coming weeks on how to start a Food Revolution in your own kitchen. Make sure you are following me on social media so you can get timely updates on when it will start. Who knows, you might find out that it is the easiest and best resolution you ever kept!

Happy Cooking!

Amy

Holiday Countdown #3: Shrimp and Corn Chowder

 f you’ve been reading my blog since the beginning, you will know that this is our go-to family favorite meal on New Year’s Day. So, it should be no surprise that my third and final holiday favorite is this awesome recipe, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Shrimp and Sweet Corn Chowder. The blog post that I wrote when I first cooked this during my Food Revolution challenge is still one of my favorite posts. New Year’s Day always reminds me of my great-grandmother, Lena. If you’ve been reading since the beginning you’ll also know that she was a huge inspiration for me starting this blog. I hope you’ll take a minute to read the original post and also this other post about Lena. Then, when you’re done reading, give this recipe a try! I’m actually heading to the kitchen right now to make it!

Happy New Year and Happy Cooking from Amy’s Food Revolution!

Shrimp and Sweet Corn Chowder

Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution

pg. 294

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 large leek washed and chopped • 1 pound of  potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks • 1 quart chicken broth • Olive oil • 6 rashers of smoked streaky bacon sliced • 1 2/3 cups sweetcorn • 1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled  • 1 1/4 cups heavy cream • sea salt and pepper • 1 fresh red chili de-seeded and chopped (This is for garnish and is great without it if you don’t have it on hand)• 6 cream crackers crushed

To cook

Pour the chicken broth into a saucepan and bring to a boil

Add bacon rashers to casserole type pan with olive oil, cook until golden and crispy. Using tongs transfer cooked bacon to a plate leaving the fat in the pan.

Add the leek and potatoes to the pan and cook for 3-5 min.

Add sweetcorn and shrimp. Add hot broth and cream.

Add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 min until potatoes are tender.

Remove off heat and blend. Season again to taste.

Serve with chopped chili, crackers and bacon on the side. (the pictures in the book also appear to have parsley and not chili, I used that instead.)

Holiday Countdown #2: Spanish Style Grilled Steak

 In my last post, I mentioned that Food Revolution Lasagne is always a contender for Christmas dinner. Well, here is the other one…Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Spanish-Style Grilled Steak. I originally made this for Valentine’s Day during my Food Revolution challenge. Later that year, I made it for my family for Christmas dinner and it became another family favorite for the holiday meal. My grandfather used to cook steaks on the grill for Christmas dinner when my mom was little and my dad took over the tradition when I was young. The first time I made this recipe for Christmas dinner it was definitely a nod to that family Christmas tradition. Jamie’s recipe for Spanish-Style Grilled Steak is simple and unique with a few awesome tricks that you won’t believe!

Happy Cooking,

Amy

 

Jamie Oliver’s Spanish-Style Grilled Steak

Food Revolution, pg. 235

Serves 2

2 fresh red chiles

1 red bell pepper

2 x 8-ounce beef top loin steaks

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

A good sprinkling of normal or smoked paprika

Olive oil

1 large clove of garlic

Extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon

1 cup crème fraiche or sour cream

To prepare your steaks:

Put a grill pan on a high heat and let it get screaming hot.  Halve and seed your chiles and bell pepper, then cut both bell pepper halves in two. Season your steaks really well with salt, pepper, and paprika. Drizzle with a good lug of olive oil and give the steaks a rub on both sides, making sure they are well coated in the seasoning.

To cook your steaks:

Lay the steaks in your hot pan with the chiles and bell peppers.  Cut the tip off the garlic clove and discard.  Your steaks should take 5—8 minutes in total to cook, depending on how you like them — every minute, turn them over, rub the hot, charred side of the meat with the garlic, and press down again.  Don’t forget to flip your bell peppers and chiles over too.  Remove the steaks from the grill to a plate to rest for about 5 minutes.  Cook the bell peppers and chiles for another 2 minutes, or until slightly charred, then remove to another plate and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.  Halve your lemon and squeeze the juice from one half over the steaks.

To serve your steaks:

You can either leave the steaks whole or cut them into strips and serve them with the bell peppers and chiles piled on top.  Lovely with a dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream.  Drizzle with the amazing meat juices, sprinkle with a pinch of paprika, and finish with a nice drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and the juice from the other lemon half.

Holiday Countdown #1 Food Revolution Lasagne

 This week we are counting down to Christmas with three of my favorite holiday recipes.

Today’s recipe is one that my family begs me to make for Christmas dinner, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Lasagne. I first made it when I was doing my Food Revolution Challenge in 2010. My family talks about this every year and each year it is one of the contenders for our Christmas dinner. The best part about this is that you can make the sauce the day before, assemble the layers on Christmas afternoon and stick it in the oven. Have other family members bring a salad, bread and dessert and you are good to go! This is a real crowd pleaser!

Happy Cooking!

Amy

Jamie Oliver’s Lasagne – Food Revolution, pg. 169

Serves 4-6

For the bolognese sauce:

– 2 slices of smoked bacon, preferably free-range or organic

– 2 medium onions

– 2 cloves of garlic

– 2 carrots

– 2 celery stalks

– olive oil

– 2 heaping teaspoons of dried oregano

– 1 pound of high quality ground beef or pork or mixture of two

– 2 14 oz. cans of diced tomatoes

– sea salt and pepper

– fresh basil

– 2 oz of parmesan cheese

For the lasagne:

– 8 oz dried egg lasagne sheets (I usually use 365 brand No Boil sheets, and they worked great)

– 2 cups of creme fraiche or thick sour cream

– 4 oz of parmesan cheese

– 1 large ripe tomato, sliced

– 4-6 basil leaves

To make the bolognese sauce:

Finely slice the bacon and chop up the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery into small dice.  Place a large casserole-type pan on medium to high heat and add 2 lugs of olive oil, bacon and dried oregano – cook until bacon is lightly golden.

Add veggies to the pan and stir every 30 seconds for around 7 minutes or until softened and lightly colored. Stir in the ground meat and canned tomatoes.

Fill one of the tomato cans with water and add to pan

Stir in a good pinch of salt and pepper. Pick the basil leaves off and put in fridge for later.  Finely chop the basil stalks and stir into pan.  Bring to boil.  Turn the heat down and simmer with lid on for 45 mins, stirring a couple times.

To finish the sauce:

Preheat oven to 375. Remove the bolognese sauce from heat. Finely grate 2 oz of parmesan into the sauce.

Tear and stir in any larger basil leaves, keeping smaller ones aside for top.  Taste sauce and add more salt and pepper if needed.

To make the lasagne:

Grate 4 oz of parmesan. If you don’t use No Boil sheets, boil some water in a pan, then add the lasagne sheets with a drizzle of olive oil and blanch (slightly soften) for 3-4 minutes.  Drain sheets and carefully pat dry with paper towel to absorb excess water.  Spoon a third of the bolognese sauce into the bottom of a overproof dish.

Follow with a layer of lasagne sheets.  Dollop a third of the creme fraiche and smooth over the lasagne sheets. Sprinkle one third of the parmesan cheese.

Add another layer of sauce and repeat with sheets and cheese, ending with creme fraiche and parmesan on top layer.

Top the creme and parmesan with sliced tomatoes and small basil leaves, drizzle with olive oil.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.  After that, remove the foil and bake for 35 more minutes until the lasagne is bubbling and golden.

**Lasagna vs. Lasagne

You will noticed that I use the “with an e not an a” spelling in my posts. Lasagna is a flat, wide pasta noodle. For the dish made from this pasta, North American English speakers use the lasagna spelling and English speakers from outside North America usually use the lasagne spelling. The word is Italian, of course, and in Italian, lasagna is the singular noun for a single noodle and lasagne is the plural noun that is used for the dish, since it is made using many lasagna noodles. Jamie uses the correct Italian spelling in his cookbook and I choose to use it as well.

Fall Favorite #3: Simple Chili

 My third and final Fall Favorite recipe is a chili recipe that I have been using forever. I’m not sure where I got it or even what it originally looked like since I’ve tweaked it several times. What I love about this recipe is that the ingredients are simple and few. It makes for an easy and quick fall dish that tastes like comfort food without a lot of effort.

Happy Cooking!

Amy

 

Simple Chili

serves 8

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced onion

2 cloves of minced garlic (I recommend using a garlic press if you have one)

1 pound lean ground beef (can also substitute ground turkey for turkey chili)

1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

2 (15 oz) cans of kidney beans

2 tablespoons of chili powder (more or less depending on your preference)

1 tablespoon of white vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot, sauté garlic and onion in olive oil until soft.

2. Add the ground beef and brown. Pour off excess fat.

3. Stir in crushed tomatoes, beans, chili powder and white vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat and cover.

5. Simmer 30 minutes.

Fall Favorites #2: Pot Roast Meatloaf

 This is the second post in my series of Fall Favorites where I’m introducing you to my family’s favorite fall recipes. Today’s pick is Pot-Roast Meatloaf and it is also from Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution cookbook (page 161). This is another long standing favorite in my house and it is perfect for a cold, rainy Sunday. Pot-Roast Meatloaf requires a bit more time and attention then my first pick but I guarantee your family will definitely appreciate the effort and love that goes into making this recipe. I love the story that Jamie tells in his cookbook. This was one of his favorites to make for staff dinners at his restaurant and it is kind of fun to think about that when I’m making it. It is also a recipe that I’ve taught in my cooking classes. I hope you enjoy it…let me know what you think!

Happy Cooking!

Amy

If you missed my first pick, Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup, check it out here. 

From page 161 of Jamie’s Food Revolution

pot-roast meatloaf 

serves 4-6 

ingredients

• 2 medium onions

• Olive oil

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 level teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 heaped teaspoon ground coriander

• 12 cream or plain crackers, such as Jacob’s

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 2 heaped teaspoons Dijon mustard

• 1 pound good-quality ground beef

• 1 large egg, preferably free-range or organic

• 2 cloves of garlic

• ½ – 1 fresh chile, to your taste

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, such as Lea & Perrins

• 1 x 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans, drained

• 2 x14-ounce cans of diced tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

• 12 slices of smoked bacon, preferably free range or organic

• 1 lemon

To make your meatloaf

Preheat the oven to full whack (475 degrees). Peel and finely chop one of the onions—don’t worry about technique, just chop away until fine. Place in a large frying pan on a medium high heat with 2 lugs of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the ground cumin and coriander. Fry and stir ever 30 seconds for around 7 minutes or until softened and lightly golden, then put into a large bowl to cool. Wrap the crackers in a kitchen towel and smash until fine, breaking up any big bits with your hands. Add to the other bowl of cooled onions with oregano, mustard and ground beef. Crack in the egg, and add another good pinch of salt and pepper. With clean hands, scrunch and mix up well. Move the meat mixture to a board, then pat and mold into a large football shape. Rub it with a little oil. You can either cook it straight away or put it on a plate, cover and place in the refrigerator until needed. Place the meatloaf in a Dutch oven-type pan or baking dish, put into the preheated oven, and turn down the temperature immediately to 400 degrees. Bake for a half an hour.

To make your meatloaf sauce

Peel the other onion and chop into 1/4-inch pieces. Peel and slice the garlic. Finely slice the red chile. Place the onion, garlic and chile in a large pan on a medium high heat with 2 lugs of olive oil, the paprika, and a pinch of the salt and pepper. Cook for around 7 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until softened and lightly golden. Add the Worcestershire sauce, garbanzo beans, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down and let it slowly simmer for 10 minutes. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper if needed.

To finish off and serve your meatloaf

Pick the rosemary leaves off the woody stalks and put them into a little bowl. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and pour all the fat from the pan over the rosemary leaves and mix up well. Spoon your sauce around the meatloaf. Lay the slices of bacon over the top of the meatloaf and sauce. Scatter over the rosemary leaves. Put the pan back in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the bacon turns golden and the sauce is bubbling and delicious. Serve with a mixed leaf salad and some wedges of lemon for squeezing over—this will add a nice sharp twang.

Fall Favorites: Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup

Today is the first post in my series of “Fall Favorites” where I’ll introduce you to my family’s favorite fall recipes. Today’s recipe is my absolute favorite Food Revolution recipe by Jamie Oliver, Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup. You know it is a hit when it keeps coming to mind when you sit down to write. I think this is the third time I’ve written about this recipe, more than any others. It is simple, delicious and it showcases my favorite food in the world…sweet potatoes! This yummy soup is a fall staple in our house and I get asked about it all the time. It has even been included in some of my cooking classes. When blended, the soup becomes thick and creamy but without using any dairy products. It is loaded with veggies but the small bit of sausage brings a bit of spice and meaty flavor to it.

Happy Cooking!

Sweet Potato and Chorizo Soup

From Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution

Ingredients

1 3/4 quarts chicken stock

olive oil

2 large carrots, peeled

2 celery stalks, sliced evenly

2 medium onions, peeled and rough chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

1 3/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and rough chopped

7 ounces chorizo sausage, sliced

small bunch fresh parsley, fine chopped

1 heaped teaspoon Madras curry powder

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 fresh red chile, fine diced (This is just for garnish at the end, I bought very spicy sausage so I actually topped mine with either plain yogurt or grated cheddar and also some nutmeg)

Bring the stock to boil in a saucepan. Let it simmer on the back burner.

Bring a large pot to medium-high heat. Pour in the olive oil. Put all the chopped and sliced foods (all the veggies and the chorizo) into the hot oil. Add the curry powder and mix it all up.

Cook until the carrots have softened but are not falling apart and the onions have turned a little golden, about 10 minutes.

Pour in the hot stock. Give the soup a stir and let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup until the sweet potato is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Season the soup with salt and pepper. Stir. Taste. Season it to your taste.

Blend the soup with an immersion blender (easiest) or by pouring it into a large blender or food processor. This part is very important and totally “makes” the soup!

Jamie says top with diced chile and serve but I used some plain yogurt and nutmeg.