5 Key Tips & Recipes To Ace Your Next Family Dinner

The family dinner is a beautiful end of day ritual full of love, laughter, and nutritious food. Except of course, for the times it is full of aggravation, fights, and forgetting to defrost the chicken. “The key to a family dinner is to realize that mistakes are welcomed,” says Pamela Salzman, chef and author of Quicker Than Quick: 140 Crave-Worthy Recipes for Healthy Comfort Foods in 30 Minutes or Less. In other words, be adventurous, be creative, and by all means, be forgiving when it all goes sideways.

Get the Kids Involved.

 “Create one place setting and put your kids in charge of completing the rest,” says Salzman. “They can mimic the setting you placed and learn what is expected for future family dinners.” Plus, no one’s family meal was ever ruined because the knives were on the wrong side of the plate.

Use Flexible Recipes.

“Find recipes that allow for optional sauce on the side, for example, and are customizable,” says Salzman. “If fish is on the menu, make it basic to start. Then place additional herbs and sauces in side dishes for those who want a little extra flavor. Kids are watching how you eat and one day will decide to try those herbs, too!” It may be an added step, but then you don’t have to make 2 completely separate recipes to accommodate everyone.

Throw Phones in a Drawer.

“Or place a small basket in your kitchen. This will become an indication that you are now entering the No Phone Zone,” says Salzman. “Although it may be tough at first, kids will get used to this rule.” So will you. Promise.

Play a Dinner Game.

Engage in conversation and promote connection with your children while you’re at the table. “Start dinner with something positive,” Salzman suggests. Maybe it’s “sharing a funny story of something that happened that day or giving a compliment to each person at the table.” It will set the meal off on a positive note. But be mindful that bad moods and bad days are absolutely allowed. The point is to create a place in which every member of the family feels safe, heard, and understood.

Fine Bad Manners.

Elbows on the tables? Pay one penny. Didn’t put your napkin in your lap? That’ll be five cents. It’s a valuable lesson: Good manners are a sign of respect and that starts with yourself and your family.

Clean-Up Assembly Line.

“Everyone pitches in, no questions asked,” says Salzman. But that doesn’t mean it has to be a drag. “We turn up the tunes and I let my kids pick the station. It really amps up the fun level and makes the clean-up process simple.” And relatively painless.

Recipes by Pamela Salzman

ROASTED BROCCOLI WITH TAHINI SAUCE, HAZLENUTS
AND RAISINS

SERVES 4-6

INGREDIENTS:
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1 ½ pounds broccoli crowns, cut into florets and then sliced in half through the stem
2 Tablespoons unrefined olive oil or melted ghee
¾ teaspoon sea salt, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup tahini
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 teaspoons mild raw honey or pure maple syrup (optional)
1 cup fresh dill leaves – leave the tender stems attached
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves – leave the tender stems attached
¼ cup roasted and skinned hazelnuts, roughly chopped
¼ cup unsulfured green raisins or currants, (if they are superdry, soak them in
warm water for 15 minutes and the drain)
¼ cup capers, drained from brine
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INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment
paper.
2. Place the broccoli florets on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the broccoli with the oil and
toss to coat. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste. Arrange in one layer on
the baking sheet. Roast until tender and just starting to crisp up on the edges, about 15
minutes.
3. Prepare the sauce: in a medium-size bowl, combine the tahini, enough water to make a
pourable sauce (start with ¼ cup and add more as necessary), the lemon juice, garlic, honey
and remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt.
4. Arrange the herbs around on the perimeter of a small platter. Place the broccoli florets in the
center. Sprinkle the hazelnuts, raisins, and capers on top and around the broccoli. Drizzle
everything with the sauce and serve extra sauce on the side.

 

SAUTEED BEEF with MIDDLE EASTERN SPICES

INGREDIENTS:

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1 ½ pounds grass-fed beef, such as rib-eye, NY strip, or sirloin, cut into thin strips
against the grain
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
¾ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons unrefined olive oil or avocado oil
1 medium-size onion, halved and sliced ¼-inch thick
2 Tablespoons shoyu, tamari or coconut aminos
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

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INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In a medium-size bowl, combine the beef with the cumin, coriander, paprika, salt
and pepper.
2. Heat a wok or a large (12-13 inch pan) over medium heat and heat the oil. If you
don’t have a large skillet, cook the meat in two batches in a smaller skillet. You
don’t want the strips of meat to be on top of one another. Saute for 2 to 3
minutes, just until cooked about medium. Transfer the meat to a fresh bowl or
plate.
3. Add the onion to the skillet and sauté until just softened, 3-4 minutes. Add the
shoyu and vinegar and scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden or silicone
spatula or spoon, trying to dislodge any cooked on brown bits. Bring to a simmer
and add back the meat. Toss to coat and heat through. Serve.

VEGGIE STUFFED GRILLED PORTOBELLO
MUSHROOMS

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS:
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4 large Portobello mushrooms
4 Tablespoons unrefined olive oil, divided
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar, not aged
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small yellow onion, sliced (or use leeks, shallot or green onions)
½ sweet bell pepper, any color, seeded and sliced
½ bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped finely
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
¼ cup jarred roasted tomatoes or sundried tomatoes in oil,
chopped
½ (15-ounce) can white beans, such as Great Northern or Cannellini,
drained and rinsed, (about ¾ cup-1 cup)
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INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
2. Prepare the mushrooms: remove, dice and reserve the stems. Scrape out the
gills with a spoon and discard. Wipe the caps clean with a damp paper towel.
3. Use 1 ½ teaspoons of olive oil to rub the outside of the mushrooms. Mix
together 1 ½ Tablespoons of the olive oil and all the balsamic vinegar in a
small bowl. Brush on the inside of the mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and
pepper to taste and set aside while you prepare the filling.
4. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the
reserved diced mushroom stems, onion, bell pepper and kale. Season with a
pinch of salt and pepper and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté until fragrant, about 60 seconds.
6. Stir in the jarred tomatoes and white beans. Taste for seasoning.
7. Divide vegetable mixture equally among the mushroom caps.
8. Grill the mushrooms for about 7 minutes or until tender. Serve immediately
or at room temperature.

MICROWAVE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

MAKES 1

INGREDIENTS:
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4 teaspoons unsalted butter or vegan butter
1 Tablespoon milk, any kind
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
2 Tablespoons maple sugar or cane sugar
4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
2 ½ Tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour or your favorite GF flour
blend ( I prefer gluten-free flour in this recipe)
Big pinch of semi-sweet chocolate chips
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INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Place the butter in a 12-ounce microwaveable mug. Microwave oh HIGH for 30
seconds to melt.
2. With a fork, stir the milk, vanilla, and egg yolk.
3. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and stir until smooth.
4. Stir in the flour until just combined. Drop in the chocolate chips (if using).
5. Microwave on 50 percent power for 1 minute 30 seconds, or until set and no
longer wet. (This was the perfect time for my microwave.) Allow to sit for 1
minute before easting. Best eaten right after microwaved.
If you need ideas for what to do with the leftover egg white, add it to a batch of
pancakes or waffle batter, or a frittata or scrambled eggs.

 

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Pamela Salzman is a chef, author, and cooking instructor based in Los Angeles, California. She has been featured in New York Magazine, The Malibu Times, KTLA, and NBC News, including several others. For more delicious recipes you can check out her website pamelasalzman.com and follow her on Instagram. 

Food photography courtesy of @pamelasalzman