Feeding Family

Family reunions are incredibly fun, exciting, and at times, stressful...especially when it comes to food. The larger the number of people, the more dietary issues and preferences you have to take into consideration when planning meals. Sure, an easy solution is to eat out at a different restaurant each night - that way everyone gets to pick their own meal and you do not have to worry about satisfying everybody's needs. But that can get expensive, and depending on where your reunion is held, you may not have very many restaurants (if any) from which to choose. So what is plan B? How do you successfully feed your whole family? Here is what I did...

This past weekend I had a family reunion with my mom's side of the family. Some of the relatives I had not seen in almost 2 years! I was giddy, eager, and thus volunteered to be head chef and menu planner for the three day event. We were 13 people total, including: 1 vegan, 2 vegetarians, 2 pregnant ladies, 1 obstinately picky eater, and a hodgepodge of random "I prefer not to eat ____". Challenge accepted. 

I spent a few days skimming through cookbooks and magazines, trying to figure out what sort of meals I could make that would accommodate such an eclectic group of eaters. Once again, Bon Appetit saved the day with a wonderful suggestion for large groups of people: taco night. Naturally I heeded this advice and enthusiastically planned a Friday night taco feast. It was an absolute success. Everyone's palates were satiated and their stomachs full. 

Breakfast was much simpler - toast with jam was a perfect fall-back for anybody who did not like or would not eat whatever other options were served. On Saturday I played it safe - fruit salad (how can you go wrong with fruit salad?!), zucchini muffins, and carrot muffins. The muffins were both vegan, but as my uncle (a meat eater) said, "I would have NEVER guessed these were vegan...they are fantastic!" On Sunday I was a bit more adventurous - mini frittatas (half with veggies, half without), whole grain pancakes, fruit salad (again, how can you go wrong with fruit salad?!), and toast. Everyone except the vegan could eat Sunday morning's meal; so I made the lone vegan a lentil and veggie scramble with tortillas on the side (made from Friday night's leftovers). Again, everybody was satisfied. 

Lunch was incredibly easy. One day we went to a typical New England seafood place (most of us had lobster rolls...yum!). But on the other days, our house was fully stocked with all the fixings for sandwiches: four different kinds of bread, two kinds of sliced cheese, turkey, roast beef, three kinds of hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, alfalfa sprouts, spinach, avocado, mustard, and mayonnaise. Plus tortilla chips, potato chips, carrot sticks, and fresh fruit on the side. People made their own sandwiches and everyone was happy. 

One night the work was cut out for me - we went out for dinner to a favorite local restaurant. No planning or cooking necessary on my end. But Sunday night - the last supper - I had one more meal to successfully bang out. The final product: different types of burgers, fries, and salad. A classic combo that never gets old. And once again, bellies were full. 

Family reunion dinners - sitting down with that big group of people, eating good food, and having lively conversations - are an essential component of any family get-together. It is possible to make meals that accommodate everyone's needs. Some recipe ideas for taco night are below. So please, do not cut corners and just order pizza every night when your extended family has traveled to spend time with you. Show your family some love - make 'em a meal they won't forget and one they can all enjoy together. Feed your family...and do it well. 

TACO NIGHT
make sure to have difference types of tortillas: soft corn, soft flour, hard corn
Fillings:

Cumin & Chili Pepper Chicken

---Cumin and Chili Pepper Chicken (use ground chili pepper instead of Ancho pepper powder)
---Rajas Poblanos

Lentil Taco Filling

---Sauteed shrimp (heat skillet on medium-->add 2 tablespoons olive oil + 2 garlic cloves, minced-->add shrimp in batches - when they're pink and curled, they're done!)
---Lentil Tacos (from Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook)

Sides and Toppings:

---Guacamole (mash: two ripe avocados + 1 tomato, chopped + 1/4 white onion, chopped + 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped + juice from 1 lime + pinch of salt + 1/2 jalapeno, minced - if you want it spicy)
---Pico de Gallo
---Shredded cheese: Monterey Jack, cheddar, and hard Mexican cheese
---Cherry tomatoes, quartered
---Plain greek yogurt (healthy substitute for sour cream...no one could tell the difference!!)
---Radishes, sliced
---Purple cabbage, chopped
---White onion, chopped
---Cilantro, minced
---Tortilla chips!!