Weekend Equal Opportunity Kitchen

My kids offer to help me in the kitchen fairly regularly. But on most weekday evenings I'm just trying to 'get things done---fast' that I'd much rather go solo. Weekends are another matter. I look forward to and accept any offer of help.
It is a lot of fun! With so many sous-chefs bustling around and jostling for space in our small kitchen and accommodating the last minute improvisations which are the rule, it is always amazing that we do get everything on the table in time.

Here is one of our typical spring-summer, free-form, no-recipes-required weekend lunches:

• panini-style sandwiches
  Bread, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, fresh spinach, anything goes.
  For a sweet sandwich, peanut butter and bananas (Elvis Lives).
  We don't have a panini press, so we make do with a non-stick pan and a flat pot lid! Works for me. Especially since my son does the work!
  
• salad
  mixed greens with fruits and nuts mixed in.
  The vinaigrette is simple: 1 part vinegar (my current favourite is white balsamic vinegar) + 2 parts olive oil, salt, black and red pepper.
  The white balsamic doesn't colour the salad and lets the greens shine thru'.
  
• fresh fruit smoothies
  Fruits and yoghurt. No fixed proportions.
  One would have to try real hard to mess this!
  

Our Version of a Panini Press:

Mixed Greens with Oranges and Blueberries:

Our Lunch: Sandwiches, Mixed-Greens Salad and a Smoothie:

The spouse's involvement? He wisely left us to do our thang. But returned in time to join us for lunch and to lavishly praise our efforts!

Thanks, Trupti, for hosting this Spring Fling 2007 event.