So I thought I would, as an exercise of sorts and in preparation for a probably entry at urbanmamas, record our dinners for one week. Sometimes we have quite strange mixes of food, as I do try to balance between u.s. and Japanese food. I don't always cook all food I know mia and maika will eat, but I do try to include foods I know they will eat.

Anyway, here's today, inspired by the Iron Chef America fight between Rick Bayless (mexican food guy) and Bobby Flay (I find him annoying).

Chipotle-inspired psuedo Mexican night

Broiled lemon-pepper Halibut fillet
Chipotle cole slaw
Chipotle mashed potatoes
chopped avocado
tortilla chips

Chop avocado into pieces, put tortilla chips in a bowl. Squeeze lemon over halibut fillet and sprinkle with pepper and salt. Put under the broiler until down (maybe 10 minutes?) Buy a bag of cole slaw. Open it and put into a bowl. To make the dressing, mix a half cup of vegetable oil, quarter cup of vinegar, salt, pepper, and chipotle salsa (rick bayless' frontera chipotle salsa is good and available in many supermarkets) to taste. Whisk together and mix into cole slaw. Cover roughly chopped (i leave the skin on for nutritional reasons and because i am lazy) potatoes with water and boil until tender. Put a pat of butter and a quarter cup of milk or cream in the bottom of bowl. When potatoes are fork-done, drain them and put them in the bowl with the butter. Let the butter melt for a moment, then mash together with a fork. Add chipotle salsa to taste and mash further.

Anyway, in terms of making this, i made the potatoes while mia and maika were napping, and then reheated them in the microwave. the halibut and cole slaw preparation only took about five minutes each. Cutting up the avocado took another five minutes. not too shabby time wise. Eating-wise, the girls ate the fish, chips, and little slivers of carrot taken out of the cole slaw. Neither ate the potatoes or avocado.

Naoto liked the chipotle potatoes.