It’s no secret that I love eggs for dinner, whether a “proper” meal like my quickest curried eggs, a poached egg to complete a bowl of soup, or an egg salad sammy to save us from take out. So, the first thing I thought of to make my meal of french lentils over wilted spinach heartier was, you guessed it, an egg.
This rustic salad comes together effortlessly. The greens are dressed in the simplest vinaigrette (I used olive oil, white wine vinegar, dijon, salt and pepper; a bit of finely chopped shallot would be nice, too). The lentils quick cooked and finished with creamy dijon. And the eggs fried in a flash. Layer one over the other—spinach, lentils, eggs—break the yolks, and take a big bite. Serve with crusty bread and wine (for mama and papa), and you’ll be transported to the French countryside. Perfection. In no time flat.
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I love this meal. It’s simple. It’s quick. It’s hearty and affordable. You’ll spend about $15 and get a huge pasta meal that, unless you have 4 ravenous or 6 people total, will give you leftovers (yummy even cold). And, if you want to save a few bucks or keep it vegetarian, just skip the sausage. It’s still delicious.
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When planning my make-ahead brunch, I was looking for a hearty salad to pair with the Spinach and Cheese Strata. At first I considered something with, well, bacon (I told you I was conflicted about serving a brunch without breakfast meat!), but then I came across this salad. Hold the bacon, add the squash! It may not seem like the most exciting move but, trust me, you can’t get better than deeply caramelized chunks of butternut squash tossed with escarole, apple and high-quality aged cheddar. And then you get the satisfaction of having made a totally satisfying, meat-free brunch.
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Photo: Dana Treat

Yes! Those portobellos look good—and they are—but let me start with a quick update. Immediately upon returning from New Orleans, I got hit with a stomach bug. With a big project coming to a head (exciting details coming soon!) and having already taken a week off, the timing couldn’t have been worse. So, though I’m almost fully recovered, I feeling maxed out. Not good timing with so much to do and still having to put dinner on the table every night!
I know that you know the feeling. I’ve learned—the hard way—that I have to prioritize my work and life demands as soon as I start feeling maxed out. Otherwise, I run the risk of driving myself into the ground (yes, I’m one of those people). I hope you’ll be patient over the next few weeks as I close out my big project and rely heavily on go-to recipes, many of which I’ve already shared with you (ie, i’ll have fewer new recipes to post). During this time, I may not be able to consistently maintain the Weekly Digest and I’ll probably point to other people’s recipes more than usual.
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I’ve met so many wonderful, thoughtful, food-loving parents since I’ve started blogging, many of whom I’ve come to know through Twitter. One of my lovely Twitter friends is Jenna of Food with Kid Appeal, a self-proclaimed recovering picky eater who inspires parents to grow good eaters. Her recipes are wholesome, fun and thoughtfully take into account limited time, energy and budgets.
Without further ado, I’m thrilled to introduce you to Jenna. If you don’t already, check out her blog, follow her on Twitter (and me, too, while you’re at it!) and enjoy this great post inspired by the book 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life. You know that I’m a huge proponent of spicing up food for even the youngest eaters (offering such adventurous foods was the inspiration behind ChowBaby foods!), so I LOVE this post. Enjoy!
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When I’m asked by friends to give them some pointers on getting baby started on baby food, or the transition to table food, one of the things I like to tell them are about some super foods they might not think of as being good for baby. Most parents know that fruits, veggies and whole grains should be on baby’s spoon, but are herbs and spices front and center in your menu as good eats for baby?
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Photo: Roboppy

I’ve been working hard to eat less meat without substituting pasta and other carb-centric mains. And, because of this, cauliflower has become my best friend. It’s not only delicious and good for you, but also filling. Cauliflower makes a hearty curry and satisfying mash, and generally bulks up a meal while making it healthier, too. But, even so, I’ve never just all out made it the main entree. Didn’t even think of it until I saw “Cauliflower Steak” on the menu at famed farm-centric eatery Blue Hill. If Dan Barber could serve cauliflower as a main (at a pretty penny, I might add!), then I could too. As dinner. As all of dinner.
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