The Food Nanny to the Rescue

Learn to cook simple, healthy meals every night.

When I was a child, I remember my mother cooking dinner almost every night. As she cooked, we would listen to music and, in between slicing and dicing, she would dance around the kitchen with me.
 
Things didn’t change much as I grew older. While we didn’t dance as much, I would sit and do homework as she cooked. And oddly enough, one of the aromas I remember most was of cucumbers. Mom always made a salad and, to this day, that smell brings me right back to that kitchen in New Jersey.

Catching memories like these is what Liz Edmunds, who’s also known as “the Food Nanny,” is all about. Edmunds is the author of The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner: Easy Family Meals for Every Day of the Week and also serves as part teacher, part counselor, and part coach for families in need of organizational help and cooking instruction. The wife of an airline pilot and the mother of seven children, Edmunds made a pledge years ago to have a home-cooked dinner every night with her family. And she did just that through advanced planning, simplifying menus, and incorporating her family’s favorites via “theme nights.”

“Nothing is more meaningful to our family each day than the consistency of having dinnertime together,” says Edmunds. “So I strive to help people take the stress out of mealtime by helping them plan.”

With encouragement from her family, Edmunds created her cookbook to help families reconnect via food. The goal? To sit down to at least five home-cooked meals a week—and she’s adamant that it’s an attainable goal. “It really is easy as long as you plan for it,” she says. “In 10 minutes, you can sit down and plan two weeks’ worth of meals.”

And her plan really is straightforward with a five-step outline. To start, pull out a calendar and look at the next two weeks. Next, go through her book—or use some of your own recipes—and choose meals based on the different theme nights. Remember, she says, to choose recipes that will fit within your food budget. Then write down your chosen meals on your calendar, which will help you organize for the next step: preparing the grocery list. Take note of what you already have in your freezer and pantry, so you don’t buy too much. The final step? Go shopping. And while all your notes can be written on a simple notepad, Edmunds offers free templates for both the two-week menu plan and the shopping list on her Web site at www.thefoodnanny.com.

It’s All a Balance
Edmunds’ entire book is broken down by days and themes, from “comfort food” on Monday, “Italian night” on Tuesday, “fish and meatless” on Wednesday, “Mexican” on Thursday, “pizza” on Friday, “grill night” on Saturday, and “family traditions” on Sunday. By dividing the week into themes, Edmunds keeps things interesting and also gives her family something to look forward to.

“I know my kids would be excited to come home from school knowing it was Mexican night or Italian night,” she says. “They looked forward to it and would help me decide which recipes they wanted to have that week.” The preplanned themes also help keep a balance to what you consume. “The recipes in the book are those I’ve used over and over again,” she says. “They’re family favorites, and you can add your own recipes into my chapters to expand your options.”

While Edmunds does not consider her meals “health food,” she understands the importance of eating healthfully and in moderation. She believes that a consistent dinnertime plays a key role in what and how we eat. “Prepackaged food is full of preservatives and calories,” she says. “Cooking fresh makes all the difference in the world, as does cooking on a consistent basis. If you cook things that you and your family enjoy and eat them in moderation, you’ll be less likely to snack. Children will also stop snacking when they know a good dinner will be served.”

Following this thought, throughout the book, Edmunds offers healthy substitutes in place of ingredients like heavy cream, mayonnaise, and regular flour. “The goal for any of us is to eat and cook what we crave,” she says. “Are my recipes always low calorie or fat free? No. But you’re satisfying cravings while watching portion control. You can eat all the foods you love as long as you eat in moderation.”

In The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner, Edmunds discusses portion control and cites a study from the University of Minnesota concluding that families who dine together tend to have healthier, more well-adjusted children. The researchers indicate that the more often children and teens eat with their parents—and the happier and more structured these mealtimes are—the more they acquire better nutrition, language, and literacy and the less they develop eating disorders and risky behaviors.

“I was witness to this with my children,” says Edmunds. “My cooking and mealtimes makes my kids feel nurtured and safe. It gives them a chance to come into the kitchen and unwind.”
With the University of Minnesota study in mind, Edmunds also offers “Table Talk Topics” beneath each recipe. Each topic is meant to stir up conversation and get your kids—or your other half—talking. Not only does this encourage discussion, it also helps you eat more slowly, which comes with its own set of benefits.

“There are so many great reasons to cook fresh each night,” says Edmunds. “I love the smells coming from the kitchen and the chance to slow down and reconnect with food. Cooking creates an atmosphere that you just can’t put a price on.”

— Jennifer Mellace

Basic Pizza Dough

One 16-inch medium-crust pizza or two 12-inch thin-crust pizzas or four 8-inch thin-crust pizzas

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm (105-115 degrees) water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour or half all-purpose and half whole wheat (See Note)

1. Mix the yeast and water in a small bowl, cover, and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Mix the oil, honey, salt, and yeast mixture in a large mixing bowl. If using a food processor, add 1 cup of flour at a time, up to 3 cups, mixing well after each addition. You may have to stir in the third cup of flour by hand, depending on your machine. Or mix in all 3 cups of flour by hand with a wooden spoon.

If the dough seems too wet, mix in more flour, 1⁄4 cup at a time, until the dough is soft. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead in more flour, 1⁄4 cup at a time, until the dough is moderately stiff and somewhat firm to the touch, about 6 minutes.

3. Lightly grease pizza pan(s) or a cookie sheet(s) with oil. If you are making two or more thin-crust pizzas, divide the dough. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough on the floured surface. Gently stretch the dough to fill the pan(s).

4. Let the dough rise (it will not rise very much) while you make sauce and continue with the pizza recipe of your choice.

Note: I like this pizza crust best with half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat. I now keep my whole wheat flour in a canister right beside my all-purpose so I can dip into and add whole wheat to almost any bread dough or pancake or waffle batter.

TD&N Nutrient Analysis (based on 8 servings): Calories: 213; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 74 mg; Carbohydrates: 38 g; Fiber: 2 g; Protein: 5 g

Arugula Pizza With Fresh Mozzarella and Cherry Tomatoes

One 12-inch thin-crust pizza

1⁄2 recipe Basic Pizza Dough

Fresh mozzarella cheese, or shredded regular mozzarella
Fresh baby arugula, torn into pieces
Fresh cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Olive oil, for drizzling
Salt and ground black pepper (See Note)

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a pizza pan with olive oil.

2. Prepare the dough and place it on the prepared pan.

3. Slice the fresh mozzarella cheese and place it on the crust, or top with shredded regular mozzarella.

4. Bake the pizza on the lowest oven rack for 12 to 15 minutes or until the crust is brown on the bottom and the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and immediately pile the arugula pieces onto the hot melted cheese and top with the tomatoes. Drizzle on a little olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

A Note About Pepper: If you have a pepper mill, freshly ground peppercorns will offer a more “lively” flavor than pre-ground pepper. If you do use pre-ground pepper, buy only small amounts as the flavors fade away over time, just as with other dried herbs and spices.

Baked Chicken and Potatoes Italiano

6 to 8 servings

6 medium russet potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and quartered lengthwise
2 medium white onions, thickly sliced
1⁄4 cup olive oil, divided
6 chicken thighs
6 chicken drumsticks
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place the potato and onion pieces in a sheet pan or other large baking pan. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the oil over them and stir to coat.

3. Remove the skin from the chicken pieces if desired. Rub the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the chicken and place in the pan between the potatoes and onions. Sprinkle the rosemary on the chicken. Sprinkle the salt and pepper generously over all.

4. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn the potatoes and onions and continue baking until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, 15 to 25 more minutes. Transfer to a large platter and serve immediately.

Serve with green vegetables and butter beans and your choice of bread, if desired.

TD&N Nutrient Analysis (based on 6 servings): Calories: 419; Total Fat: 14 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g; Monounsaturated 8 g; Cholesterol: 105 mg; Sodium: 126 mg; Carbohydrates: 42 g; Fiber: 3 g; Protein: 31 g

Variation: This recipe can be made with bone-in chicken breasts in place of thighs and drumsticks if you prefer white meat—one chicken breast per serving.

Recipes reprinted with permission from The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner: Easy Family Meals for Every Day of the Week by Liz Edmunds (“the Food Nanny”), www.palmerpletsch.com/thefoodnannyrescuesdinner.htm, www.thefoodnanny.com