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Gleaning Cooking Inspiration from Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay

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So I’ve spoken to Drew Barrymore on the phone, Skyped with Jeff Corwin, and met Dr. Alan Greene in person without my husband batting an eye (because men don’t typically do that sort of thing anyway).  But when I told him I was going to meet Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay, he was a tad bit jealous…in a good way, of course.

Bobby Flay teamed up with Hellmann’s and Best Foods Mayonnaise to launch the Real Food Project, “a nationwide initiative created to identify everyday dinner dilemmas.” The goal of the Real Food Project is to help Americans eat more real food. Through a series of webisodes, Bobby (because we’re tight like that now!) and real moms show you, step-by-step, how to create “real” food. The site provides moms with a resource and offers tips, recipes, and ideas on how to create simple meals using real food.  Bobby states that “real food does not have to be complicated.  With a few basic ingredients, it is easy to create a meal you can feel good about serving the whole family.”

While I’m not the savviest chef around, I do strive to avoid the take-out phenomena that is our country and offer whole foods to my family.  My challenge is moving beyond whole grain pasta and ground turkey to something a bit less boring.  So I asked Bobby how a mom like me, who doesn’t enjoy cooking but does so out of necessity, goes about creating interesting, varied meals. Bobby’s first tip was to think beyond the meal at hand, cooking one meal, as opposed to two or three.  I am a very poor planner, often shopping for dinner the very same day (talk about stressful!) so I really do need the basics.  He had a great idea for dinner this week, suggesting that I learn how to roast a chicken.   In true impromptu style, he told me to use a bit of salt and pepper, canola oil, and fresh oregano and parsley (not dried) and bake that chicken at 350F for 120 minutes.  With 2 1/2 of us eating, there is bound to be leftovers.  So he suggested that I make a chicken salad using the leftovers, mayonnaise, oil, vinegar, mustard, and herbs.  I imagine that Bobby doesn’t use recipes or measure anything, but this mama needs it laid out for her so I’m going to have to experiment a bit.  If I still had leftovers, he suggested making chicken tacos the following night for a total of 3 meals.  How easy is that?

Bobby emphasized how important it was for his children to eat what him and his wife ate (as opposed to making a meal for them and a meal for the children).  He also told me that it’s important for children to see where food comes from.  Rather than opening up a can of tuna (which I can’t say that I’ll stop doing altogether because it’s so convenient), he suggested that I pick up fresh tuna and make tuna salad sandwiches (something I never thought to do).

Here are some pictures from the shoot:

If you take a look at the site, you’ll notice that the recipes aren’t complicated and involve ingredients you’re familiar with. To celebrate it’s launch, be sure to play “The Wheel of Real” instant win game and enter the Real Food Sweepstakes for a chance at some great prizes including Bobby Flay cookbooks and products from Hellmann’s and Best Foods.

I did not receive compensation for this post.  But Bobby did sign a cookbook for me!

Caryn Bailey
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6 Responses to Gleaning Cooking Inspiration from Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay

  4. This was so cool! I really need to learn how to roast a chicken. I don’t know why I’m so scared to try it. I hear it is easy and it is also frugal!

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