April 2008 - Posts

• Dinners Under $15 - Sausage and Sage Pasta

  Pasta is huge in our house, so I like finding recipes that bring in other nutrients. This is a great dish for adding lots of protein to your routine, as well as great spice from the sausage and onions. I also suggest this meal for a romantic date night with your significant other. The smells filling your home are wonderful, add some candles and relax. •    16 ounces farfalle pasta •    1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil •    1 small yellow onion, chopped •    1 package (12 ounce) Sweet Italian Sausage, cut into 1/2 " slices •    1/2 cup Merlot or dry red wine •    1 can (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes •    1 can (15 ounce) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained •    1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage •    sea salt •    ground pepper •    2/3 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese Cook the pasta and drain. At the same time, heat the oil over medium heat in a skillet adding the onion and sausage. Cook until the onions are soft and sausage is browned. Add the wine and tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and add the beans, sage, salt and pepper, cover and cook until the beans are heated. Toss with the pasta and top with Parmesan.   Posted Apr 30 2008, 10:02 AM by chefmom with no comments Filed under: recipes, dinner, pasta, dinners under $15 [Edit Tags]

• Healthy Nachos?

  Nachos aren’t exactly known as a nutritious snack, but they can be with just a few adjustments. Since nachos are one of those snacks that kids can grab on their own, they are perfect for a break for Mom and Dad and make the kids feel independent at the same time! First, start with an organic chip that contains a lot of whole food ingredient, like Garden of Eatin’ Blue Corn Chips. The ingredients include organic blue corn, expeller pressed oleic safflower and/or sunflower oil and sea salt, making these chips wholesome and healthy. Next you want to include fruits and veggies with your nachos. I’m including a recipe for salsa because it’s packed with nutrients. Guacamole is another great choice, you can make your own or buy an organic version at your local health food store. Cheese is always a favorite in our home and you can find organic cheeses as well or opt for a fat free cheese in a pinch. Serves/Makes: 6 Ready in: 1-2 hrs * 2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced into 1/4-inch pieces * 1 1/2 cup ripe mango or peach, diced * 1/2 cup onion, finely diced * 2 cloves garlic, finely minced * 2 tablespoons lemon juice * 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar * 1 teaspoon sugar * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1/2 teaspoon pepper * 1 tablespoon parsley or cilantro, finely chopped * OR * 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley or cilantro Mix all ingredients.   Posted Apr 29 2008, 10:31 PM by chefmom with no comments Filed under: recipes, dessert, quick snack, gametime, snack [Edit Tags]

• Fun Funnel Cakes

  One of my kids favorite parts of the summer is visiting local amusements parks and fairs. They love the rides, the games, the shows, and of course having fun with friends and family. My favorite part…the food. Funnel cakes are at the top of my list of decadent, horribly unhealthy snacks. Yes, I might have to save up a weeks worth of calories, but it’s totally worth it. Now that the kids are a little older we can experiment with recipes that involve more dangerous cooking methods, and what better way to start than with Funnel Cakes! Once safety issues are covered with cooking with oil, you can launch into creating the batter and experimenting with different sized funnels. We’ve found that a funnel with a ½ inch opening works best, or even a squeeze ketchup bottle if a funnel proves to be disastrous. Serves/Makes: 4 Ready in: < 30 minutes * 1 egg * 2/3 cup milk * 3 tablespoons sugar * 1 cup flour * 1/8 teaspoon salt * 3/4 teaspoon baking powder Beat egg, milk and sugar until blended. In separate bowl, mix flour, salt and baking powder and then add to egg/milk mixture. Mix batter until smooth and thin enough to pour through funnel. If your batter is too thick, add more milk. Heat oil to 375F. Stop the funnel with your finger and fill with ¾ cup of batter. When you are ready, release your finger and swirl the batter into the oil in order to create the funnel cake. Flip the cake over to thoroughly cook both sides until golden brown. Once your funnel cake has been removed from the oil, let it drain on some paper towels and add your favorite toppings! I prefer the simple old fashioned powdered sugar, but you can add your favorite fruit to make the treat a bit more healthy, including peaches, apples, strawberries, blueberries or more!   Posted Apr 29 2008, 07:32 PM by chefmom with no comments Filed under: recipes, dessert, cakes, snack, cooking [Edit Tags]

• Dinners Under $15 - Citrus Chicken Fingers

  Isn’t it funny how kids like so many foods that are cut into smaller pieces? In our house, chicken has always been on of those foods where at some point each kid swore they didn’t like it, but when you gave them a chicken finger the story was completely different. There’s not much difference between fried chicken and a fried chicken nugget, but they would swear it tasted better in nugget form. So of course our kids love this recipe. (If we told them it had curry in it that would be a different story!) 1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken ***, cut into 2-inch strips 2 large eggs 5 cups honey frosted flakes cereal, crushed into crumbs 3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut 3 tablespoons light brown sugar 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon curry powder 3 tablespoons butter, melted Marinate the chicken in the orange juice and half of the garlic for 2-8 hours in the refrigerator. A plastic baggie works well as you can turn the chicken easily to make sure the marinade is even. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Mix the frosted flake crumbs, coconut, brown sugar, curry powder and the rest of the garlic in another bowl. Set aside half of the flake mixture. Using one hand, dip the chicken into the egg and then place it on the flake mixture to coat. Place on a baking sheet. Repeat until all chicken is coated, adding more flake mixture when needed. Bake for 20 minutes and serve with baby carrots and rice. Posted Apr 29 2008, 07:31 PM by chefmom with no comments Filed under: recipes, dinner, dinners under $15, chicken [Edit Tags]

• Picking Apart Picky Eaters

  Most children, and even a lot of adults, are known as picky eaters. Sometimes we just get into a rut, making the same things over and over, and other times we just refuse to try new things. As hard as it is for adults, we can make it even more difficult for children, especially in this day and age of prepackaged food. Here are six suggestions to help your children expand their tastes. The One Bite Rule – In our house we ask that each child try just one small taste of a new food, and to do so with an open mind. Sometimes we don’t even tell them what the food is so they don’t have preconceived notions, although that is sometimes hard to do. When a child is sitting before a pile of green beans the task can seem daunting. If you give them just a spoonful they don’t feel like you are trying to shove something down their throats, metaphorically speaking of course! Keep Trying – This is the big one in our house. One of our sons will like something one week and then hate it the next week. While this may be an issue that is more tuned into something else, like behavior issues, taste buds really do change over time. As an adult I enjoy foods I truly didn’t like as a child or teen. Be A Role Model – Make sure your children see you eating, and more importantly TRYING new foods, even ones you think you don’t like. Honestly this can be difficult, my children are constantly calling me on trying new vegetables, so sometimes I just have to suck it up and try one bite just like I ask of them. Change Up The Recipe – We all know how different recipes and cooking methods can change the taste of foods, think baked potato and French fries, so mix things up! Your child might not like bananas but really enjoy a smoothie that she doesn’t know is made form bananas and strawberries. It may seem like bribing, but if they are getting the nutrients, you really have won the battle. And chances are, they’ll eventually want to eat the banana all by itself. Keep Afternoon Snacks To A Minimum – As a young parent I know we always worried when our kids didn’t seem to eat anything one day or even a couple of days in a row. We soon learned that they will eat when they are hungry. This carries over to when they are older, by making sure that snacks are timed so that they don’t interfere with normal meals we can be assured that they are more inclined to eat at dinner time. Get The Kids Involved – Let the kids help with meal planning, table setting and cooking. If they are able to help make decisions they are more likely to eat the food. We actually set aside a week every now and then where the kids have complete control over the menu planning and food shopping. They usually choose pretty well with some guidance and especially love when they get to cook everything.   Posted Apr 29 2008, 07:30 PM by chefmom with no comments Filed under: tips, picky eaters [Edit Tags]

• The Hide and Sneak

  Sometimes no matter what you do you just can’t get your kids to eat the right things. Other than bribes, there’s really only one way to go, the hide and sneak. I remind myself that all is fair in love and war, and really, what they don’t know won’t hurt them! Here are a few ideas to help you pull it off. Meats and Casseroles – The easiest way to pull this off is in chili and meatloaf. Does anyone really know what goes into meatloaf? I’m pretty sure I don’t want to know, but as long as it’s coated in a nice ketchup crust, the kids won’t even notice that you’ve added some carrots and broccoli. I bet you could even fool your significant other, give it a try! Zucchini is a great bet for chili, just grate it up and it will blend in perfectly. Pasta Lovers – There are very few kids that don’t like pasta, so adding nutrients here is easy. First, I definitely suggest switching to whole grain pasta. There are some great brands out now that don’t cost much more than traditional pasta and you can’t tell the difference in taste at all. Now add some sources of vitamins to your favorite red sauce with broccoli, carrots and spinach. Macaroni and cheese is another great place to add something sneaky, mashed cauliflower! They’ll never notice, I promise. Pizza – If there is one food that never fails, its pizza. Remember our red sauce with special ingredients mixed in from the pasta? Try it on a pizza, the kids will never guess. If you’re daring, dice up mushrooms or other veggies and simply add them as toppings, and see what happens. Smoothies – A great way to introduce vitamins, potassium, and calcium into your child’s diet. Try bananas, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, papaya with milk, yogurt or ice cream. The perfect treat with an ulterior motive. Muffins – Muffins and breads easily mask carrots, zucchini, pumpkin and of course fruits like blueberries. Juice Pops – Now that summer is here creating juice pops is not only healthy, it’s a great activity for the kids to do on their own. Posted Apr 29 2008, 07:29 PM by chefmom with no comments Filed under: snack, tips, picky eaters [Edit Tags]

• Dinners Under $15 - Cheddar, Corn and Potato Chowder

  This chowder is perfect for a cold spring/summer day when the weather just isn’t cooperating. Make it a meal by serving a green salad and a slick slice of your favorite bread. •    3 tablespoons sweet cream butter •    1 yellow onion, chopped •    1 tablespoon all-purpose flour •    32 ounces vegetable broth •    2 1/2 cup diced Yukon Gold potatoes (about 4 large) •    2 cups frozen sweet yellow corn •    2/3 cup milk •    1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese •    sea salt •    fresh ground black pepper •    pinch of cayenne pepper and chopped parsley for garnish (optional) Melt the butter and sauté the onion in a large saucepan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Mix in the flour to coat the onion and then add the broth and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Once it’s smooth, reduce the heat and add the potatoes. Let simmer 20 minutes until they are tender and can be mashed a little in the soup. Stir in the corn and milk and cook another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese, season with salt and pepper to taste. Posted Apr 27 2008, 10:07 AM by chefmom with no comments Filed under: recipes, dinner, dinners under $15, soup [Edit Tags]

• Grilled Veggie Pinwheels

  Although I don’t grill, I love eating what everyone else makes on the grill! So this recipe is right up my alley for the beginning of summer. It’s perfect to take along to the park, beach, and of course for after school snacks for the kids. It’s also a great way to add vegetables to the menu. •    1 piece whole wheat lavash roll-ups (thin wrap bread) •    1/2 cup prepared hummus •    1 small carrot, shredded •    3–4 long flat slices zucchini and or summer squash, grilled or broiled until soft •    3–4 flat pieces red and/or yellow and/or green bell pepper, grilled or broiled until soft Spread the hummus over the bread, sprinkle with shredded carrot and then arrange the grilled vegetables in a single layer, going in the same direction. Roll the lavish tightly starting at the end of the vegetable strips facing you, then wrap in plastic wrap tightly and refrigerate an hour or more. Cut the roll into 12 equal pieces and enjoy! Posted Apr 25 2008, 09:58 AM by chefmom with no comments Filed under: recipes, quick snack, lunch, vegetarian, dinner, sandwiches [Edit Tags]