Spectator Sport

This week, Ben has been under the weather. I will follow that with the obligatory, “But he tested negative,” because that is the phrase we all wait for these days. Still, I didn’t want him near food prep, so he was a spectator this time. Like any good fan, he had many opinions, but he knew his main role was to cheer me on. If you’re tired of food prep, I recommend that you get yourself a hungry spectator to cheer for you as you cook. It’s the way to go.

Ben has a long history of enthusiastically observing daily chores. If you are a parent of young kids, you probably know all too well how rare it is to have a moment of privacy. Even going to the bathroom alone feels like a luxury. When Ben was about this age,

I made the mistake of thinking I could take a nice long bubble bath on a Saturday morning, uninterrupted. That was my first mistake. The second was not locking the door.

First, Sophie popped her head in to ask if she could use food coloring for a science experiment. Her understanding of the word privacy at that age meant that she closed her eyes when she talked to me. I told her to ask her father. You parents out there already know her refrain, “Dad said to ask you.”

Next, I heard a strange scrape-bump pattern repeat itself about thirteen times. Ben triumphantly flung open the bathroom door and opened up a step-stool he had managed to drag up the stairway. He plopped on the top step of the stool which he had placed right next to the bathtub, and began snacking on a baggie of goldfish crackers that he had packed for the event.

I summoned Phil to remove my cracker-munching spectator, but when he entered the bathroom and surveyed the scene, he just gave Ben a thumb’s up and said, “Stadium seating! Good call!”

Eventually, Ben was dispatched. After several more conversations about food coloring with both Phil and Sophia, (because I’m what…the food coloring czar?) I drained the bathtub and vowed to stick to showers and locked doors from then on.

Luckily, that event was a one-and-done, and Ben’s role as kitchen spectator this week was welcome. He helped me plan the meal, and oversaw its execution. We made a balsamic chicken dish, inspired by my friend, Jen, and a couscous dish that we’ve been making for years, then we piled both on top of lettuce to make a great meal.

Balsamic Chicken

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Salt and pepper to taste

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup pearl mozzarella balls, drained

Fresh basil leaves

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sauté the chicken thighs over medium-high heat until cooked through and lightly browned, about 6-8 minutes on each side.
2. Remove chicken to cutting board and let it rest, reserving pan juices. Sauté garlic a few seconds and immediately add balsamic vinegar. Cook for a couple minutes, then add tomatoes. While the tomatoes and vinegar are cooking, maybe 5 minutes or so, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. 
3. Return chicken to the pan, along with accumulated juices, and stir to coat the chicken in the balsamic tomato sauce. Remove from heat, stir in basil, and top with mozzarella balls.

The couscous dish couldn’t be easier, and it can be served warm, cold, or room temperature. It can be a side dish, a main dish, or part of a salad.

Couscous with Spiced Tomatoes

1 can chicken broth, reduced-sodium

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups couscous

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 teaspoon ground coriander

3/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2-4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. Bring chicken broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over couscous in a bowl. Cover bowl, and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and set aside, uncovered.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes begin to break down, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, spices, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook another 2 minutes.
3. Stir tomato mixture into cooked couscous. Just before serving, add mint and lemon juice.

For dessert, I made a peach almond crostata. It could not have been easier but since I was making it up as I went, I’ll tell you how I would bake it next time, for an even better result.

Peach Almond Crostata

1 8-ounce package almond paste

4 peaches, halved, pitted and sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices

2 tablespoons sugar, plus more for rolling

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. On a piece of parchment paper, sprinkle a little sugar (as you would flour when rolling a dough) and roll almond paste with a rolling pin until you have a 12-inch circle. Slide the parchment paper with almond paste round onto baking sheet.
3. Stir lemon juice and sugar into peaches.
4. Put peaches on top of the middle 8 inches of the almond paste round. Going in a circle in one direction, fold the outer part of the almond paste up over the edge of the peaches.
5. Bake 15-20 minutes in the middle of the oven, but check it earlier. Almond paste is not good if it burns. Note: the peaches will not be all broken down like they would be in a pie. If you wait for peach juices to thicken, the almond paste will burn.

I was lamenting the fact that we are well into July and I don’t even know where June went, but when I look through my photo roll, I see evidence that the first half of summer was well spent.