Kate Gosselin's Love Is in the Mix (2 page)

A
s far back as I can remember,
my grandma would invite me and my sisters to bake in her kitchen, allowing each of us to choose our cookie project. She would set us up at our own stations throughout the kitchen and invite the chaos to begin. When we had trouble, she would patiently show us the correct way, saying “You do it like this, and then this. You see, Kate?”

I can still hear her sweet patient voice as she taught me, unknowingly at the time, to enjoy spending time in the kitchen creating masterpieces for those people I love the most. She would tirelessly place cookies in her wood-burning stove and remove them for us until we were bored with baking. Then we’d all run off to play, leaving the mess behind for Grandma to clean up—which she happily did.

In this book, I impart to you all that I have learned, invented, and stumbled upon. Most recipes are sized for my family of nine. You can make the recipe as is and freeze the remaining portions, or you can halve each recipe to fit the needs of your own family.

In an effort to remain true to my healthy and organic convictions, please note that despite the fact that I don’t list each ingredient in this book as “organic” or “low fat” or “fat-free,” I routinely use the healthiest options and most natural ingredients in
all
of my cooking and baking—as much as is affordable and available to me. I urge you to do the same for your family. After all, a very important part of the love that we can add to the mix for our families includes their health!

My hope for my children, in reading and owning this book, is that they learn from me the joy and satisfaction that creating in the kitchen brings. No matter the outcome, I have learned from Grandma that nothing that comes from the kitchen is a mistake when you add love to the mix.

E
very day is a crazy day …
and then there’s still dinner to be made. Despite each unique daily drama, I believe in making the effort to prepare hearty, healthy, and well-balanced homemade meals, and I especially enjoy eating them while sitting around the table as a family. Having dinner together each night is a great way to unwind and regroup while our family problem-solves, laughs, and dreams of our future together.

Anyone can master these recipes. Many require only a few ingredients—most of which you may already have in your pantry. Some involve only a few simple steps but yield a delicious end result. And for others, break out that time-saving slow cooker and get it to work for you. I set mine first thing in the morning on days I know I’ll have little time to spend in my kitchen!

These recipes have scored the highest ratings from all eight of my kids, and I bet they will rate high scores with your family, too.

T
his is a very quick, easy, and tasty recipe that I use when I know my day will start out somewhat calm (what?!?) and end crazy! The slow cooker does the work for me, and I get to cross dinner off my list early. Whew! I serve this with quinoa,
Mommy Applesauce
, and steamed
Jamie Broccoli
.

Brown both sides of the pork chops in olive oil on the stove top on high heat. Salt each side of each chop.

Place the pork chops into a slow cooker and top with the pear slices, the rosemary, and the pepper. Add the garlic, brown sugar, lemon juice, apple juice, and dry mustard.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 1 hour and then on low for 4 hours.

T
his recipe came to me out of nowhere while I was resting (with my eyes closed) during a long flight to Los Angeles. It was a rare moment that I wasn’t thinking about cooking—or anything at all—and it hit me! I rushed home and raced into my kitchen to assemble it. Cara helped add some additional touches before it hit the table, and the finished product is a very much-enjoyed recipe in our house.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add ½ of the sliced onion and the garlic and sauté over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 more minutes, then turn down the heat to medium-low and cook for an additional 15 minutes until the onions are soft, brown, and slightly caramelized.

In a large bowl, combine all of the remaining ingredients, except the ¾ cup shredded cheese, and mix well. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the additional ¾ cup of shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered until bubbly, about 30 to 35 minutes. Serve with your favorite veggie.

I
especially love this dinner recipe. The sauce is soft and thick, and the kids like it, too! Serve this with couscous and veggies.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until golden on both sides. Remove the chicken to a dish and cover.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the wine, chicken stock, and garlic. Bring to a boil until the liquid reduces to about ½ cup.

Whisk in the half-and-half and mustard and return to a boil. Cook until the sauce is thickened.

Add the tarragon, rosemary, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper. Whisk together well. Put the chicken back in the pan, along with the juice that has accumulated. Mix together and cook 5 minutes longer.

T
his is my simple attempt at Mexican cuisine. However simple, it is delicious, irresistible, and satisfying … and definitely one of our dinner staples.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread 1 cup of salsa on the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch pan.

Take one tortilla and add a heaping tablespoon of salsa, a heaping teaspoon of the cheese mixture, ¼ cup of chicken, and 1 teaspoon of sour cream. Roll up the tortilla and place it in the pan.

Repeat this process until the pan is full and each enchilada is loosely rolled and wedged into the pan. Cover the tortillas with the remaining salsa (you will have enough for a thin layer across the top) and the remaining cheese mixture.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until heated through and the cheese is melted. Top with more salsa and sour cream, if desired. Serve with refried beans and a Mexican rice blend.

I
came up with this recipe on my own out of pure necessity! I wanted to know how to make a delicious stir fry but never found a recipe I liked. One day, in the middle of the summer, when fresh beautiful produce was aplenty, I decided to experiment. I started by combining the oil and soy sauce together and was really just winging it. At some point, Cara came into the kitchen. She saw what I was making and said, “That needs sesame seeds” and kept walking. I added Cara’s magical ingredient and our stir fry was born! I made the dish three times that week. We just couldn’t get enough of it….

Mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, olive oil, and sesame oil together. Toss the mixture with the steak and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add all of the vegetables to the pan and sauté, turning occasionally until the vegetables are steamed but still firm in texture.