Colleen Lunn Scholer, a freelance writer in Auburn, Maine, who enjoys cooking with her husband and two (soon to be three) young children, shares her cooking experiences and some of her family's favorite recipes.
With school back in session, I find memories of my own childhood come flooding back. I remember that exciting feeling of learning new things everyday. Watching my son hop off the bus at the end of his school day with a big smile on his face, gives me renewed energy to learn and try new things too. And so the other day, I found myself leafing through some cookbooks on my shelf in search of a new dinner recipe.
As I searched, I kept my daughter Emily in mind and thought about what we might be able to cook together while her older brother was at school. I came across a fun recipe in the “C is For Cooking, Recipes from the Street,” by Susan McQuillan, RD. (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., $16.95). I decided that we would make Roast Pork with Bert’s Sweet Potato Stripes.
When I tell either of my children that it is time to cook with me, they excitedly run for the Learning Tower. On this particular day, Emily is thrilled that I have given her the task of scrubbing the sweet potatoes. While she gleefully scrubbed each potato several times, I was able to prepare the pork without her being tempted to put her hands all over the uncooked meat. Each time I use the Learning Tower, I am grateful for its sturdy design that allows me to feel confident in my child’s ability to complete a cooking tasking such as scrubbing the potatoes. I did not need to worry that she was going to fall off a chair while engaged in the fun act of scrubbing at the sink.
With that task completed, I cut the potatoes lengthwise into spears. Then, Emily helped me to mix the potatoes in a bowl with some olive oil and salt. We set everything aside in the fridge, knowing that it would be ready to pop in the oven just before our family dinner.
Sitting down together as a family for dinner is very important in the Scholer household. With a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old, we don’t have high expectations to spend hours at the table but we do a few things to let the children know that this is a special time. We say a blessing at the beginning of the meal. We all hold hands as we do it and we end the meal saying “Happy Family.” This was something that my best friend always said at her house when she was growing up and I remember thinking, “I like this saying and someday my family will do it too.” Then we ask everyone at the table to tell us their favorite thing about their day. When we first started doing this, I was surprised that our daughter who wasn’t even two yet, was able to participate.
We usually follow our dinner with a quick bath and move into bedtime routines instead of finishing with dessert. In fact, if we choose to have a dessert during the day, we will have it earlier rather than serving the children dessert right before bed. A wonderful dessert that could accompany this roast pork dinner or be served at another time of the day is Elmo’s Beddy-Bye Baked Apples. Made with apples, granola and raspberry jam, this dessert is quite healthy.
Roast Pork With Bert’s Sweet Potato Stripes
Preparation time: 15 minutes.
Roasting time: 20 minutes plus 10 minutes standing time
Makes 6 servings
Lean pork is both flavorful and healthful. Paired with sweet potatoes, the roast makes a hearty meal. And to make it fun, you can line up the potato wedges on the plate to resemble Bert’s orange striped shirt!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pounds lean pork tenderloin
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheets (2)
- Measuring spoons
- Small bowl
- Fork for stirring
- Knife
- Large bowl
- Meat thermometer
- Spatula
Method
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the tenderloin on a rimmed baking sheet or jelly-roll pan. In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of the oil, the garlic, and sage. Rub the garlic mixture all over the meat. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt.
- Cut each potato lengthwise into 8 spears.
- In a large bowl, toss potato spears with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Roast the pork alongside the potatoes for 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the pork registers 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the pork from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing (the internal temperature of the tenderloin will rise during this standing time). Use a spatula to turn the potatoes over. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast the potatoes 5 minutes longer or until tender.
Tip: Ideally, the pork and potatoes will cook alongside each other, but since the size and shape of tenderloins varies (and if you have a thick tenderloin), you may have to leave the meat in the oven for 5 or 10 minutes longer. If necessary, reheat the potatoes in the oven for several minutes just before serving.
Elmo’s Beddy-Bye Baked Apples
Preparation time: 5 minutes.
Baking time: 12 minutes plus 15 minutes standing time
Makes 4 servings (4 apples)
"Baking" apples in the microwave oven shortens the cooking time by 45 minutes without affecting the flavor. If you use a traditional oven, fill the apples with the cereal mixture before you bake them; cover loosely with foil and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour.
Ingredients
- 4 medium apples (such as McIntosh or Granny Smith)
- ¼ cup muesli, granola, or other flaky or nugget-style cold cereal
- ¼ cup seedless raspberry jam
Equipment
- Peeler
- Knife
- Microwave-safe baking dish
- Measuring cups
- Small bowl
- Spoons
- Dessert bowls
Method
- Peel apples two-thirds down from the top. Cut out the core to within ½-inch of the bottom, carving a 1 ½ -inch wide opening at the top.
- Place the apples in a microwave-safe baking dish, standing up. Add ¼ cup water to the dish.
- Microwave on High for 12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the cereal and jam.
- Spoon the cereal mixture into the cored apples. Microwave on High 2 minutes longer or until filling is bubbly and heated through. Remove the dish from the oven and let the apples stand for 10 to 15 minutes.
- To serve, place apples in individual dessert bowls. Slice or cut into chunks.
Tip: These apples make a tasty breakfast, too! Use any flavor jam you like or substitute up to an equal amount of honey or maple syrup.