Peeking Between the Pages

...escape into the pages of a good book

Guest Post with Aviva Goldfarb, author of SOS! The Six o’Clock Scramble to the Rescue & GIVEAWAY

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I’m pleased to welcome Aviva Goldfarb to Peeking Between the Pages today. I reviewed her cookbook SOS! The Six o’Clock Scramble to the Rescue yesterday (my review) and I have to say again how wonderful I think the cookbook is. My mom has snuck it out from under my nose now so I’m sure we’ll be seeing a recipe from there soon at home. lol. Without further delay let’s sit back, relax, and enjoy Aviva’s guest post entitled COMPANY COMING? A PROVEN RECIPE FOR STAYING CALM…

Did your husband just invite several colleagues and their spouses over to break bread? Have you offered to host a birthday dinner for your sister-in-law? These kinds of situations don’t need to send you into a tail-spin or cause a lot of stress. Below are a few easy and straightforward steps to help you pull off a day or evening of low-stress, casual entertaining while allowing you some time to socialize and enjoy yourself too!

1. Decide on a reliable, easy main dish plus two simple side dishes. The key words here are reliable and easy. Don’t try to prepare something that needs a lot of “babysitting” or attention right before being served or that is very labor intensive, like putting together massive amounts of homemade sushi! Some dishes that don’t require significant amounts of extra work are baked chicken recipes, pastas or casseroles. The new SOS cookbook (SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue: Earth-Friendly, Kid-Pleasing Dinners for Busy Families) contains many dishes that would be perfect for entertaining. Some of the lighter dishes such as Cream of Asparagus Soup (recipe below) could also serve as a first course or side dish for dinner. For an elegant yet snappy salad, use pre-washed greens, dried fruit, crumbled cheese, and chopped nuts.

2. Choose some trouble-free appetizers or munchies to set out before dinner. These can include sliced fruit or a bowl of grapes, cheese and crackers, and even popcorn or nuts.

3. Clear the kitchen counter and unload the dishwasher ahead of time. With a clear work space everything seems to go more smoothly. With an empty dishwasher, you can load the dinner dishes right after you eat, making room on the counter for ice cream and cookies, whipped cream and berries, or another near-effortless dessert.

4. Make a meal plan and set out the ingredients before you start cooking. Have you ever had the experience of cleaning up from dinner only to realize you forgot to serve part of the meal? Well I have, and ever since, I have started keeping a list on the counter of everything I plan to serve.

5. Set the table in advance, including bringing in extra chairs, if needed. Making the table look nice is a great job for the kids, and they might even like to make place cards, pick the tablecloth, or make a centerpiece with flowers, candles or other decorative items. Ideally, this should all be done before guests arrive, and it may even keep the kids busy while you cook.

If you stick to some of these basic guidelines, you’ll find that hosting a meal doesn’t have to be something that causes you to lose sleep or break out in a cold sweat the on the day leading up to the meal. The key here is to be organized and to have a plan. If you’ve got that squared away, everything else will fall into place and you’ll be able to create a relaxed setting for your guests and yourself to enjoy.

Cream of Asparagus Soup with Fresh Croutons

Prep + Cook = 30 minutes

6 servings

When we were in Costa Rica last year, we stayed in a tent camp in the rainforest that was very rustic, except for the French-trained chef who prepared our meals. I was shocked when our kids not only devoured his asparagus soup, but asked me to get the recipe so I could make it at home. Although the chef shared his recipe with no measurements or instructions (just the ingredients written in Spanish!), I’ve finally managed to create a very close facsimile to his soothing tropical elixir.

1 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 tsp. minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

2 russet (baking) potatoes, peeled and diced

1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

32 oz. low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 tsp. dried tarragon, or 1 Tbsp. fresh

1 baguette (use 1/2 for croutons and reserve 1/2 for serving)

1/2 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

¼ cup half and half or heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large saucepan, heat the butter and 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat. When the butter starts to bubble, add the garlic and stir it for about 30 seconds until it becomes fragrant. Add the potatoes and asparagus, and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often.

Add the broth and dried tarragon (if using fresh tarragon, add it with the salt and pepper) and bring it to a low boil. Cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, to make the croutons, cut half of the baguette into thin slices and lay them on a baking sheet. Brush the tops of the slices with olive oil and bake them for about 10 minutes until they are crisp and just starting to brown at the edges. Remove them from the oven and set them aside.

Add the salt and pepper to the soup and puree it using a standing or hand blender. Stir in the half and half or cream, and serve it with the croutons.

Scramble Flavor Booster: Season the soup with freshly ground black pepper or lemon-pepper seasoning. For a meatier meal, stir in some crisp crumbled bacon into the soup.
Nutritional Information per serving (% based upon daily values):

Calories 320, Total Fat 12.5g, 19%, Saturated Fat 4g, 20%, Cholesterol 10mg, 3.5%, Sodium 567mg, 23%, Total Carbohydrate 43g, 15% Dietary Fiber 4.5g, 18,5% Sugar 2.5g, Protein 10g

About the Author


Aviva Goldfarb is a mother of two and the author and founder of The Six O’Clock Scramble®, www.thescramble.com, an online weekly menu planner and cookbook (St. Martin’s Press, 2006), and is author of the new cookbook, “SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue: Earth Friendly, Kid-Pleasing Meals for Busy Families” (St. Martin’s Press, 2010).
__________

Thank you so much for this terrific guest post Aviva! This recipe sounds like a little piece of heaven. I can’t wait to try it myself especially as asparagus is a favorite of mine!
__________

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

I have a terrific giveaway to offer my readers! It’s for 1 copy of Aviva’s cookbook SOS! The Six o’Clock Scramble to the Rescue plus one 3-month subscription to the Scramble recipe service (described at http://the scramble.com – a $19.50 value)! That’s one really great prize! To enter…

  • Leave me a comment with a way to contact you and tell me what your favorite meal to cook is. No email – no entry so don’t forget it please.

This giveaway is open to US & Canadian residents only and I will draw for the winner on Sunday, July 18, 2010. Good luck everyone!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. This looks like a cookbook I really need. I have a 6 o'clock scramble every night. 🙂 fave meal to cook: pancakes, bacon, and eggs. We never have time to eat a big breakfast, so we have it for dinner every week.

    reneehood@comcast.net

  3. My favorite meal to cook is homemade pizza. But when I'm in a hurry, nothing beats quesadillas.
    fourkidsrgreat(at)gmail.com

  4. This sounds like something I could really use! Thanks for the info and chance to win.
    One of my fave homemade meals to make is roasted whole chicken. It's really so easy!
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

  5. My favorite meal is one that my hubby cooked! LOL That's why this book appeals so much to me. Easy recipes that even I couldn't screw up!

    colleenmkcie at eastlink dot ca

  6. I'm a retired grandmother, and I fix supper every Wed. evening for my son and his family. Favorite meal is spaghetti w/ clam sauce, easy to fix, and always a big hit with the kids.
    Thanks for the giveaway.

  7. Thanks for this wonderful giveaway. I enjoy cooking Salmon with asparagus. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

  8. These are some great tips. I always end up forgetting to serve part of the meal, particularly at Thanksgiving, though usually its the cranberry sauce.

    No need to enter me as I already have a copy.

  9. I love to cook the meals that remind me of growing up….a roast, turkey, pork chops, roast chicken, etc. with all the trimmings.
    Staciele(at)netins(dot)net

  10. Ooohhh…would love to read this! My favorite is pure comfort food: roasted chicken, roasted garlic potatoes, steamed broccoli, and a nice glass of wine. Heaven.

    Mywriter at gmail dot com. 🙂

  11. Meatballs and mashed potatoes and gravy Pure comfort food.

    Awesome giveaway Dar! This sounds like a cookbook everyone needs. Pick me! Pick me!

  12. I would love to win this one! My favorite thing to cook is Thai curry with Shrimp, chicken, and veggies. I serve it over rice and it is amazing!!

    zibilee(at)figearo(dot)net

  13. My favorite meal to cook would have to be Thai Green Chicken Curry with rice and steamed broccoli.

    freda.mans[at]sympatico.ca

  14. I really enjoy cooking but my favorite is probably lasagnae…please enter me!
    joannelong74 AT gmail DOT com

  15. I needed this when Vance was in high school – it was amazing how many kids showed up at dinnertime. My favorite meal to cook is probably spaghetti. milou2ster(at)gmail.com

  16. Great post and the recipe sounds delicious. This sound like a cookbook I need.

    My favorite recipe to cook is spaghetti and sauce – it's my favorite meal, it's easy and it smells so wonderful.

    carolsnotebook at yahoo dot com

  17. I so wish my asparagus was still going! That soup sounds great!
    All the postings have really great ideas.
    My favorite would probly be a big pot of chili.
    Throw my name in the hat Dar!

    cjay (at) iavalley (dot) edu

  18. great interview. Love all those suggestions. I have to work at not chosing items that need last minute attention. As for fav meal, I rather enjoy making variations of pad thai and trying new sauce combinations. I really wanted to say my fav to make is dessert/cake but somehow that is cheating.

    heatherdpear at hotmail dot com

  19. I'd love to win this for my niece who is getting married in August!

    mystica123athotmaildotcom

  20. My hubby loves asparagus! Thnkas for the recipe. And the contest 🙂

    jennygirl73(AT)gmail(DOT)com

  21. I forgot my favorite meal to cook: lasagna for the family. If it's just me for dinner, pasta with oil and garlic, and I throw in some grilled chicken and spinach too. Yummy!

  22. Some good advice there.
    Hm, fav meal…I do loooove pasta, and this lovely sauce with a lot of vegetables in it

  23. I like to make burritos. Simple is good. =] And I love to bake muffins and banana bread, but not usually with burritos.

    ihappydance at gmail dot com

  24. A great giveaway. A meal that I make often is pasta primavera with bruschetta. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

  25. I'm not much into cooking, especially on week nights so this book sounds great. My favorite is shredded beef for tacos or burritos – throw a rump roast and a large jar of salsa in the crockpot, cook for 7-8 hours, shred and you're ready to go.

    jen at delux dot com

  26. I can attest to simple and reliable when having guests over! When I first started cooking for others I thought I needed to impress but it's never a good idea to experiment for others!

    I can't resist this one, Dar! My favorite thing to cook is pork tenderloin. So easy and tasty, plus Scott loves it.

    trishsreadingnook at gmail dot com

  27. This sounds like a fabulous book. I am always on the look out for cookbooks to make cooking easier and simpler. The recipe sounds wonderful.

    redladysreadingroomATgmailDOTcom

  28. Oops…I didn't answer your question. My favorite thing to cook is chicken parmigian, quick and easy and looks and tastes great!

  29. My favorite meal is spaghetti because it's so simple to do. We eat a lot of it because it's economical.
    polo-puppy-fluffy[at]hotmail[dot]com

  30. This cookbook looks so useful. I love one dish wonders such as crockpots or hamburgers. Thanks for the chance to win.

    estrella8888 at roadrunner dot com

  31. I'm in SOS whenever I cook, lol. Love the idea of this cookbook so please enter me.
    My fav to cook is a roast in the oven with potatoes, carrots and onions in the same pot. Yummy in my tummy.

    yourstrulee(at)sasktel(dot)net

  32. I love making homemade pizza with my boyfriend. Seems like a great book to have!

    allisonsbj3(at)gmail.com

  33. This sounds good. I am always looking for a new cookbook.

    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

  34. Love cookbooks and that 3-month subscription sounds divine. My favorite standby is Sour Cream Enchiladas with corn and a tossed salad. Looking forward to trying the Asparagus soup.

    booklogged at gmail dot com

  36. My favorite meal to cook is Goulash or Spaghetti with veggies & a salad. Quick and easy. :0)

    Thanks!
    librarygrinch at gmail dot com

  38. Please enter me. I could use a new cookbook. I am so tired of making the same things.
    My fav meal is Linguine with white clam sauce.

    lizzi0915 at aol dot com

  40. I love to cook lasagna. My family always appreciates it.

    dftrew(at)gmail(dot)com

  41. Looks like a great cookbook. My favorite meal to cook would probably be beef roast in the crockpot.

    aksimmo at brainerd dot net