Foodie Friday: Celebrating dads in the kitchen

He’s not shy to get in the kitchen

With Father’s Day coming up this weekend, I got thinking about the things that I appreciate about my husband (and dad to my two daughters). One of the things I love is that he’s not shy to get in the kitchen and get his hands a little dirty. I’m no stranger to dads in the kitchen, considering I grew up with a single dad who kept the home cooked meals coming most days of the week. However, I do recognize that cooking remains a woman dominated arena in our society.

Most of the meal prep in my house does still fall on the shoulders of yours truly, mostly because my work day ends earlier so it just makes sense. This time of year though I notice a real shift in that balance as the barbeque and smoker re-emerge from the storage shed (what is it with boys and fire?!). Cooking with dad is a whole new experience for my girls then cooking with mom. For one thing, he is way better at harnessing their “kid power”, and is generally more playful while cooking then I am. This makes work in the kitchen feel like anything but! He tends to give them more autonomy with the knife and other kitchen tools (ack!) which I know gives them a lot of confidence in their abilities in the kitchen and other areas. And last, but certainly not least, whether he realizes it or not, he promotes a more free and flexible attitude about cooking, as illustrated by this frequently overheard dialogue: Daughter says, “Mom says that’s too much butter” or “Mom says we have to do it like this”, which is always followed by Dad saying, “Well Mom isn’t in here right now is she!” which is followed by copious amounts of mischievous giggling.

To all the dads out there getting dirty in the kitchen, I salute you! Happy Father’s Day!

Below is a recipe my husband and kids like to make together. It is adapted from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Meals.

Shells with Grilled Chicken and Mozzarella

Ingredients:

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound (450g) of chicken breast cutlets
• 8oz (or 225g) pasta shells
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tub of mini bocconcini, halved (or large bocconcini cut into 1/4” pieces)
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, heat grill to medium and lightly oil grates. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from grill and cut into thin strips.
2. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.  Add chicken, tomatoes, bocconcini, parsley, parmesan, and butter. Toss to combine. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time to create a sauce that coats shells (you may not need all the water). Serve with a little more parmesan if desired.

Note: You can substitute the pasta shells for whole wheat pasta and/or add a side salad to increase the fiber of this meal.