Cambridge Mom’s Blog

Three o’clock many afternoons will find me in a distracted state - children have been collected from school, there is some sort of playdate supervising or extra curricular chaperoning or TV privilege negotiating going on in the foreground, and in the background I am spinning my mental wheels, trying to come up with a recipe somewhere between the more elaborate meals I enjoyed cooking pre-kids, and the new family standbys I know will get eaten without complaint, don’t involve a box of Annie’s mac and cheese, and won’t dirty every pot in the house. In my quest to simplify the process dinner can get really reductive: Protein. Veggie. Salad. Carbs. (accompanied by the usual mental dithering, of course - Are we eating low-carb this week? If I put this rice pilaf on the table the kids won’t eat anything else. Can I sell them on that whole wheat pasta? Maybe I’ll make this yummy wild rice. Crap, it takes too to cook. Rice pilaf?).

Most weeknights I’m ok with simple. But what about the nights when I’m too bored with my usual menus, too lazy to go out, and too cheap to pay someone else to cook dinner and bring it to my door?

Happily, there is a new cookbook that addresses just this issue: No More Takeout! A Visual Do-It-Yourself Guide to Cooking. Authors Stephen Hartigan and Jerry Boak aren’t making any assumptions here - so if technique is what’s standing in your way, it’s all demystified with simple instructions and photographs. The photo-illustrated DIY format also makes this a good cookbook to use with older children (on beyond smoothies and pizza!) or kitchen-phobic spouses who reach for the Monopoly set when you ask them to dice an onion. Would be a good gift for a budget-conscious graduate, too.

For those of us limited to the time window in which baby naps or pre and grade school aged children can be trusted *not* to strangle each other or break an arm vaulting from the top of the dresser to the bed, there are a few recipes that stand out as especially straightforward: Sesame Noodles with Teriyaki Chicken (calls for marinating, but that can be done earlier in the day - I’ve also often found you can cut marinating time down a bit and still get good results); Baked Frittata (from the breakfast section - but I make frittata all the time for dinner - once you master it - great way to use up random odds and ends of veggies!); Fish Tacos (very little actual cooking and assembly happens at the table - I probably don’t have to tell you, if you are reading this blog, how much kids love to fuss around with choosing their own toppings); and Rigatoni with Red Pepper Sauce (vodka-style sauce is lightened up with yogurt and cream cheese vs. the traditional heavy cream).

You can read the recent boston.com writeup here) and read a few recipes on the book’s website here. Co-author Jerry Boak, who had his first child last year and knows what it means to be a time-challenged cook, was also kind enough to share the following salmon recipe with our blog . Didn’t make the cut for inclusion in the book but it’s one of those lovely throw-it-in-the-oven-and-forget-it meals - a little on the fancy side, too, so would work for a no-fuss dinner for company. Mozarella and salmon seems like an unusual combination, but I’m sick of the usual - I am going to try this out and will report back! Let me know if you decide to try it, too.

Salmon with Basil and Mozzarella
Serves 4

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Gear
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Baking dish
Wide spatula

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds salmon fillet, skin removed
4 ripe plum tomatoes, ends discarded, sliced 1/4 inch
Leaves from 1 bunch fresh basil (about 30), washed
12 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups heavy cream
4 tablespoons bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
Cayenne pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Cut salmon crosswise into four equal pieces.

2. Lay the salmon in a baking dish (skin side down).

3. Place 2 slices of tomato on each piece of salmon, followed by 3-4 basil leaves, then 1-2 slices of mozzarella so that each piece of fish is covered. (Depending on the size of your salmon pieces, you may need more or less tomato, basil and mozzarella.)

4. Pour the wine and cream around the fillets. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne.

5. Bake for about 30-35 minutes. When done, the fish should be golden brown on top and the cream should be bubbling. If you’re not certain, gently insert a knife into the side of the salmon and pry it apart slightly to check. The fish should be a slightly darker pink inside and flaky toward the edges. If too dark or not slightly flaky, return to oven for 5 minutes more. Serve immediately with fresh basil garnish.