To moms everywhere:
Thanks for always feeding us. Thanks for putting little treats in our lunch bags. Thanks for making us soup and toast when we are sick. Thanks for letting us sit in the grocery cart even though you technically need the room for food.  Thanks for putting up with our picky eating habits. Thanks for making us dinner even though we don’t always appreciate what an effort it must be for you. And most of all, thanks for the love. Every day should be Mom’s Day – where would we any of us be without you?

Cook mom breakfast. It’s very low cost, it can be done as a last minute gift, and best of all:  it will make your mom super happy and give her something to brag about to her friends for a full week. Pulling off a brunch is much easier than doing dinner. There are less ingredients and it’s always a crowd pleaser – who doesn’t love eggs and French toast?

If you’re cooking somewhere else, just throw together the French bread recipe in a pan the night before. Grab some eggs for the omelet and fruit for a side dish and you have a full meal. It’s easy to transport and the kids can help prepare most of the meal – and make sure there is a small skillet wherever you are going so that you can show off your omelet-making skills.

French Omelet’s are the BEST. Before trying them, I preferred my eggs so dry they were brown but after trying a French omelet, I can’t go back. They are known for being very wet inside and pure yellow on the outside. No brown allowed. Practice a couple of times before serving other people – once you get the hang of it, you’ll be the most popular Sunday chef in town.

Classic French Omelet
The French prefer their omelets rolled, as opposed to flat, and generally should have a completely smooth unbrowned surface, while being slightly runny in the middle.

for the omelet:
3 large eggs (ideally, room temperature)
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

for the fillings:
¼ cup grated cheese
3 tablespoons caramelized onions
¼ cup chopped tomatoes
2 button mushrooms, sliced

Break eggs into a bowl and mix well with a fork, but do no overbeat (you do not want to incorporate air). Heat a non-stick 8-inch skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon butter.

When the butter foams, add the eggs and stir continuously with a fork until they are at a runny scramble stage. When the omelet is lightly set, stop stirring. (The point at which you stop stirring is the key to having a smooth omelet.)

Place the filling in the middle of the omelet. Fold the edge of the omelet over into itself, tilt the pan from the handle and lightly tap the handle so that the omelet moves up from the pan. Form the omelet with a fork. Roll the omelet onto a warm plate seam-side down. Adjust the form if necessary by shaping with a clean towel.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Serves 1
Recipe by Lauren Braun Costello, co-author of the brand new book, Notes on Cooking: A Short Guide to an Essential Craft -  www.notesoncooking.com

Make-Ahead Vanilla Orange French Toast
This can be made the night before you serve it – it doesn’t get any easier than that!

2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
12 thick slightly stale bread slices (brioche or challah bread are good choices)
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
Zest of half an orange (after zesting, slice up orange to serve as a side dish)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar, pecans and berries for garnish

Spread butter over bottom of large baking pan with 1-inch-high sides. Arrange bread slices in one layer across pan. Beat eggs, milk, syrup, vanilla, orange juice, zest and salt in large bowl. Pour mixture over bread so that each piece is covered. Turn bread slices to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 400°F. (Or you can pan-fry it the traditional way.) Bake bread for 10 minutes. Turn bread over and continue baking until just golden, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer cooked toast to plates and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve immediately with all-natural maple syrup and pecans and berries.

Preparation time: 20 minutes (not including marinating time)
Serves 4
Recipe by Julie Negrin © 2008

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!

I like teaching parents and kids how to prepare hummus because it’s the ultimate kid food (a smooth, creamy dip), keeps in the fridge all week long, and is easy to prepare. And most importantly, it’s a great source of protein – so it’s the perfect snack to serve with crackers or carrots right after school when everyone is cranky and needing an energy boost.

In my cooking classes, the kids prepare hummus old school style by mashing the garbonzo beans with a fork and then adding in tahini, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, water and salt without measuring each ingredient. If you need more specific instructions, the following recipe  is a little more sophisticated but equally as delicious! Enjoy.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

After living in Israel and working in a kibbutz kitchen, I’m a hummus snob. I like making this recipe for parties because it can be made in under a half hour using canned beans and jarred roasted peppers. Though, if you take the time to make the beans from scratch and roast your own peppers, you’ll appreciate the difference in taste. The tofu can be omitted but it’s a great way to double the protein – especially for kids who don’t eat enough of it.

*1 large red pepper (or 4 oz of jarred roasted red peppers)
1 15 oz. can (or 2 cups cooked) garbonzo beans
4 oz. silken tofu, well-drained
¼ cup parsley, chopped
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lime (or lemon) juice
2 tablespoons minced garlic (or jarred crushed garlic)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup sesame tahini
1 to 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

To roast pepper, preheat oven to broil. Make sure top oven rack is positioned so that the pepper will be 4-5 inches away from heat at the top of the oven. Place pepper on a baking sheet lined with foil. Roast until black and charred, flipping with tongs when necessary. When the pepper is nearly all black, remove from oven and place in a metal bowl and cover with saran wrap to loosen skin. When peppers are cooled, gently peel skin off and remove all seeds. Save the oil released from the pepper during the roasting process. Cut 2 or 3 slices for garnish and set aside.

Blend the roasted pepper, beans, tofu, parsley, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, olive oil, tahini and 1 teaspoon of salt in a food processor until desired consistency is achieved. Add in roasted pepper oil from pan or jar. Depending on your taste, add more garlic, lemon juice, olive oil or salt.

Serve warm or chilled. Garnish with slices of red pepper. This dish keeps for a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

*For plain hummus, just leave out the red peppers and add in some extra olive oil to make the dish creamy.

Preparation time: 30 minutes (once beans are cooked or if using canned beans)
Serves 6
Recipe by Julie Negrin © 2008

HIRE YOUR KIDS AS SOUS CHEFS – they can:

-Kids can rip up the parsley leaves or cut with a butter knife.
-Roasting peppers is easy but peeling them is the perfect task to give to kids 6 and older as it’s more time-consuming than most parents would like.
-Kids love squeezing lemon and lime juice – or if you’re in a time pinch, buy the organic Santa Cruz bottle of fresh lemon juice.

Enjoy this lighter version of your favorite comfort food – both adults and children love this easy-to-prepare dish. For a crispier fish, you can pan-fry it but throwing it in the oven keeps your hands free and is equally delicious. And best of all? You can make the entire dish for under $20.

Fish

6 four ounce cod, sole or tilapia filets
2 cup unbleached flour
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup water
2 cup panko crumbs (or breadcrumbs)
Canola or safflower oil

Preheat oven to 350° F. Mix flour, dried herbs, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl such as a pie pan. Whisk egg and water together in a shallow bowl. Place panko crumbs (or breadcrumbs) in a third shallow pan or bowl. Dredge one filet at a time in seasoned flour, dip into egg was and then dredge in panko crumbs.

Carefully place fish on baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. If fish is very thin, bake for 18-20 minutes. If fish is thicker, cook up to 25 minutes. Serve with tartar sauce or ketchup.
Preparation time: 35-40 minutes
Serves 4
Recipe by Julie Negrin © 2008

Fries

These taste so good, you wouldn’t know they were oven baked. My teenage students are very picky but these are always a hit. The trick is to cut them very thin and be generous with the olive oil and salt – it will still be a lot less than you’d find in restaurant fries and much better quality.

4 russet potatoes, washed and peeled
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher or sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 425º (or to 400º for convection, which is best for this recipe). Cut potatoes into 1/8 inch slices. Pat dry well with paper towels or dish towel to remove any extra moisture.

Toss with olive oil directly on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or foil. Spread out so slices they aren’t touching and sprinkle salt evenly. You can add more salt after you bake them if necessary.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until crispy.

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Serves 4
Recipe by Julie Negrin © 2008