I'm never shocked to hear that some families eat the same meals every week - Spaghetti Tuesdays, Pizza Fridays, Taco Night - because meal planning can be difficult. Not only that, but why mess with the few dishes that appeal to the whole family? If it ain't broke, don't fix it - the mantra of weeknight menus everywhere.
So I would never dare to challenge that, in fact, we have a few familiar staples ourselves. But, I will ask you to turn it up a few notches. Sometimes experimenting in the kitchen can inspire great things. With my kids, I often find that playing with new ingredients creates a renewed interest in trying other new things too - maybe that slide they thought was a little too high, a new shoe-tying technique, or even a game that the big kids play. We even have a food passport for my youngest where she can mark off the new ("weird") things she tries and record what they tasted like to her, and if she'll try them again. It's a great way for mom and dad to know which new items should stick around, and which ones should get that one-way ticket outta here.
The same goes for adults too. There is no other feeling like walking into a grocery store, picking up an ingredient you've never cooked with before and "owning it" in the kitchen. Talk to your grocer, your butcher, and your deli worker - they're mostly pretty knowledgeable. Do I need to stew this cut or is grilling okay? What does this vegetable taste like? Does fresh pasta take less time to cook than dried?
So next time you're considering eating the same old thing, turn up the dial - or in my case turnip the dial - to get the comfort of your old favorite and a little something new. If you never try, you'll never know. *Disclaimer: have the pizza delivery number handy, just in case. Happy eating!
- Hamburger steaks with crispy turnip petals
Ingredients
3 turnips
2 tsp olive oil
Salt & pepper (or any dry seasoning) to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350˚
- Peel turnips and remove hard root at end
- Slice thinly on a mandoline
- Add to bowl with olive oil, and seasoning, toss to coat
- Create one layer of turnips on a baking sheet or stone – be careful that they don’t overlap – you may have to do multiple batches to get a serving worth – they shrink considerably
- Bake for 20 minutes
- These are a perfect crispy topping to dial up any dish or a great substitute for potato chips