Our tasty and easy Dinnertime Crunch series continues with celebrity chefs and restaurateurs sharing their favorite 30-minute weeknight dinners that help Mom and Dad spend more time with the kids each night. Today's recipes come from Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson, chef and owner of Boulder's Frasca Food and Wine, Pizzeria Locale, and Caffè.
It doesn't have to be hot to be considered dinner, does it? Not in Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson's home. The 2008 James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Southwest and a Food & Wine Best New Chef may be known for re-creating the food of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy, in Boulder, CO, but when it comes to creating a quick and healthy weeknight meal, he turns to an all-American classic. Like his fellow Top Chef Masters contestant (and Dinnertime Crunch contributor) Michael Chiarello, Lachlan takes it easy when cooking for his 4-year-old daughter, Lydia, turning to a chef salad not only because it's quick, but because it is full of bright colors and various food groups. "This is something we make with Lydia once a week. [It's] quick to put together. She helps put it together and it's a complete meal full of all sorts of different textures."
Keep reading to see Lachlan's kid-friendly Cobb salad recipe.
Since I heard Michael Chiarello was competing on Top Chef Masters, I've been anxiously awaiting the chef's return to television. The suspense ended with last night's episode. Chiarello competed against Nils Noren, Rick Moonen, and Lachlan Mackinnon Patterson. There was junk food and the stars of 