Playing at the table...

I am not sure the popularity of the show but Ashley, Kaleigh and I have been playing Chopped at dinner recently.  Basically, I cook dinner, then Ashley and Kaleigh critique it in the same fashion that the judges on the tv show Chopped would.

There are no mystery baskets which makes my job much easier but I think it is a good exercise for both myself and Kaleigh.  For me I get to hear some constructive criticisms of my food and get to think about meal plate and dish construction in a unique way.  For Kaleigh, she has been able to think about food and how flavors can work together or apart.  It is helping her develop a good palate while also helping her be articulate.  It has been a lot of silly fun.

Shepherd's Pie

Apparently, my Shepard's Pie needed me to transform the corn in some way.  The potatoes were the highlight of the well balanced bite.

Fried Banana

For dessert, I whipped up a fried banana.  It was a little too sweet and needed to be fried for a shorter amount of time on a higher temp to get that good crisp.

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

My Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash was in need of a crunch.  Maybe some walnuts tossed in at the very end of the cooking to add some more texture.  Additionally, the green peppers were out of place.  It was all I had so I blamed the lack of items in the pantry.  However, the dish would have benefited from a more earthy veggie like cauliflower.