E AT + D R I N K / D I S H
Dinner Simplified Get healthy meals on the table without all of the fuss thanks to Cassy Joy Garcia’s latest cookbook A WORKING MOM OF TWO WITH A THIRD ON THE WAY,
Cauliflower Tinga Tacos Serves 4
Ingredients 3 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce, finely chopped ½ cup tomato paste ½ cup fresh lime juice 2 tsp. dried oregano 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. fine sea salt ½ tsp. ground black pepper 4-6 tbsp. water 6 cups roasted cauliflower (toss cauliflower florets with olive oil and bake in a single layer at 400 F for 35-40 minutes) 8 corn tortillas, warmed Garnishes 1 avocado, thinly sliced ¼ cup cilantro, chopped ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped 1 lime, cut into wedges
Preparation Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, whisk together the chipotle chiles, tomato paste, lime juice, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper and water. Add the pre-roasted cauliflower and toss to coat evenly. Spread the cauliflower evenly over a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the tops of the cauliflower florets start to darken. Divide the cauliflower among the tortillas. Add garnishes of avocado, cilantro and red onion. Serve with a lime wedge for squeezing over the top.
How can kids get involved in cooking or food prep at home? As the dad of a 13-year-old, I have a few ideas: Start with some basics, like preparing cereal or PB&J. Then, teach a simple vinaigrette (three parts oil to one part vinegar with a bit of Dijon mustard), to build some confidence. If you want your kids to help you make a recipe, clean your workspace and organize your ingredients before starting anything so it’s easy for you to give them tasks to complete. And be sure to allow extra time to make the recipe—something unexpected always happens. Want to go further? Consider a kid-friendly cooking class at Central Market, Sur La Table, Williams Sonoma or online with Outschool. Have a question for our resident foodie? Email asked@sanantoniomag.com.
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TACOS: KRISTEN KILPATRICK/COURTESY SIMON & SCHUSTER; ED: DAVID G. LOYOLA
Cassy Joy Garcia knows all too well the struggle of creating healthy meals that taste good without requiring her to spend the entire evening in the kitchen. Her latest book, Cook Once Dinner Fix, out Sept. 14 from Simon & Schuster, provides a solution. “How do we make life as efficient as possible and also not sacrifice flavor?” says Garcia, who first started sharing recipes 10 years ago as a blogger on her own journey to health. Instead of meal prepping on Sunday for the full week ahead or tackling a new complicated recipe every night, Garcia’s new book provides pairs of recipes that rely on one main ingredient. Cauliflower, for example, can be chopped and roasted on Monday to be used that night in a veggie version of General Tso’s chicken and rice. On Tuesday, that pre-roasted cauliflower is tossed with taco spices and turned into easy tinga tacos. Beef can become pot roast one night and barbacoa tacos the next and shredded chicken easily transforms into sloppy joes and an enchilada casserole. “This is how I really cook,” Garcia says. The idea behind all of her recipe pairings is that you can take one or more of the already prepared ingredients (or leftovers) from night one and create an entirely new dish on night two with minimal time in the kitchen. Those who want to plan meals for a full week can pair together several chapters while those who just need a few dinners at home can start with one chapter. The book features dishes that can be prepared gluten-, dairy- and grain-free and includes recipes for plenty of sides and vegetarian dinner options—two requests Garcia heard from readers after the release of her 2019 book, Cook Once, Eat All Week. “I’m a holistic nutritionist by training so a lot of thought and consideration went into the nutrient balance of each meal,” she says. “But it also means that if there’s a modification listed—whether grain-, dairy- or nut-free—it’s been thoroughly tested, and we know it will work and taste good.”—KP
SEPTEMBER 2021
8/5/21 4:37 PM
