Mexican Turkey Stew

I made this up last night for my kids and one of their friends, and they all loved it... they even asked for seconds! It's a fairly thick stew, definitely something you could eat with a fork, so if your kids like something closer to soup, this may not be for them.

1 - 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey (or use roasted turkey cut into small pieces, about 2 cups)

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles

1 cup corn

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. coriander

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1. In large sauce pan, brown the turkey and break it into little chunks as it cooks. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add oil and saute onions until soft. Add garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.
3. Put turkey back in pot and add tomatoes, black beans, corn, green chilis and spices.
4. Heat to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve with corn bread on the side and grated cheese on top. (Some of us also added some Hot Giardiniera and it tasted wonderful).

Chicken Barley Chili

We had this last night and all loved it. It's great on a cold and blustery night.

3 can low sodium chicken broth

1 cup salsa

1 cup barley

1 Tbs. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 can black beans

1 cup frozen corn

2-3 cups cooked chicken, cut into small pieces

1. Combine broth, salsa, barley, chili powder, cumin and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes.
2. Add chicken and heat through.
3. This is great as is, but it's also wonderful served with grated cheddar, avocado and tortillas.

Egg in a Hole

These always feel kind of old-fashioned to me and definitely remind me of my grandmother. However, they're yummy and a really easy dinner.

Sliced Bread (I use 100% whole wheat)

Eggs

Butter

Grated cheese (optional)

1. Take a slice of bread and cut out a 2" hole or oval in the center.
2. Melt some butter in a frying pan over medium heat.
3. Place the bread in the pan (along with the piece that's the hole) and break an egg into the hole.
4. My kids prefer a scrambled egg, so I break the yolk and swirl the egg around, spreading it over the bread. If you like an easy-over egg, don't break the yolk.
5. Fry until lightly browned on the bottom and then flip over (along with the hole). At this point, I sprinkle a little grated cheddar on top and cover with a lid until melted.
6. Serve immediately... "Mmmm, just like Grammy used to make."

Szechwan Chicken

This recipe is really easy and is great served with rice or couscous. I found it in a cookbook "The Bountiful Arbor" from the Junior League of Ann Arbor and as always, I modified it a bit. I never would have thought of combining salsa a peanut butter, but it's really good! Make sure you use natural peanut butter and not the stuff that's full of sugar and partially-hydrogenated oils. 

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces

4 Tbs. soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp. minced ginger

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 red pepper cut into long, skinny strips

1/2 cut salsa (I use Pace Picante Sauce, medium, however go with a level of spiciness your kids like)

1 Tbs. natural peanut butter

1/2 cup chopped, unsalted peanuts 

1. Combine the chicken, soy sauce, garlic and ginger. Marinate for 10 minutes.
2. Heat oil in skillet. Cook mixture until chicken is no longer pink.
3. Add red pepper, salsa, peanut butter and cook about 5 minutes.
4. Serve over rice or couscous and top with peanuts.
5. Serves 4. My son tends to wipe off a lot of the sauce on the edge of his plate, so he only gets a little. But my daughter likes it. They both usually have seconds.

Garlic Chicken

This is really good served with rice or couscous. I always have to remind my son that the green stuff is parsley and not spinach so that he doesn't try to wipe it off. Serves 4.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks

1/4 c. flour

1 c. water

3 Tbs. rice vinegar

5 cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tbs. soy sauce

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped or 2 Tbs. dry

1. Place flour in a bowl and toss the chicken in it. Mix water, vinegar, garlic, soy sauce and parsley in a small bowl.
2. Heat oil in a skillet. Brown chicken on all sides. Add sauce and lower heat.
   
3. Simmer for 25 minutes, turning chicken pieces a few times. Liquid will reduce and thicken to the bubbling stage. Serve over rice or couscous.

Thai-Style Noodles

My daughter loves these. My son isn't as much of a fan, because he only likes peanut butter if it's on a banana. So, when I make them, I always set aside some plain noodles for him.

3 Tbs. natural peanut butter

2 Tbs. water

1 Tbs. soy sauce

2 tsp. sesame oil

2 tsp. honey

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 inch ginger, grated (I keep ginger in 1" pieces in the freezer. They're much easier to grate when they're frozen. You also don't need to worry about the peel -- I just grate the whole thing.)

8 oz spaghetti, cooked and drained

Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro, chopped dry roasted peanuts, chopped green onions (all optional)

1. Sauce: combine peanut butter, water, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, and ginger in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth.
2. In large serving bowl, toss spaghetti with the sauce. Garnish with cilantro, peanuts and green onion (I let the kids put these on themselves if they want).

Sweet Potato Fries

I probably make these once a week. My kids like them and I LOVE them. They don't really taste like regular fries, but they're yummy and it's much easier to get my kids to eat them in this form than it is when they're mashed at Thanksgiving!

2-3 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into thick french fry shapes (don't cut them too thinly or they won't fit on the pan and they're more likely to burn; mine are usually about 1/2" thick)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp. cumin (optional)

3 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine olive oil, cumin and garlic in measuring cup, stir to combine.
3. Place fries in a large bowl or plastic bag. Pour oil blend over potatoes. Mix gently to coat potatoes.
4. Place on large cookie sheet in single layer. (The single layer part is important. If you stack them, they'll end up kind of mushy.)
5. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until lightly browned.
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Eggs & Bacon Spaghetti

I think this has a fancy, Italian version, but this simple one is easy to make doesn't require special ingredients. If your kids like eggs and bacon, they'll probably like this.

Enough spaghetti for 4 people

5 eggs

1/2 cup milk

4 oz. shredded cheddar (or parmesan)

salt and pepper, to taste

6 slices bacon

1. Fry the bacon until crisp, chop into small pieces. Wipe grease out of pan, but don't wash it yet!
2. Mix eggs, milk, shredded cheese and salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Cook the spaghetti until done, drain.
4. In the frying pan (the one you fried the bacon in and haven't yet cleaned!), add a dollop of olive oil (around 1 Tbs.), and turn on heat to medium. Pour the spaghetti in the pan. Pour egg and cheese mixture on top and using a fork, combine with the pasta. Keep mixing until eggs are cooked. Sprinkle chopped bacon on top. Serve immediately.
5. This is also good if you saute some garlic and onions in the bacon pan before you add the spaghetti. But if you're short of time, skip it. 

Black Bean Soup

This is the first soup that BOTH my kids would eat and ask for seconds. I think the original recipe was in Family Fun magazine, but I've modified it a bit. I love this recipe because it's really quick -- I can have it on the table in 15 minutes.

2 cans black beans, rinsed

1 can chicken broth

1 cup salsa (I always use Pace Picante Sauce, medium -- but, I recommend using whatever your family's favorite salsa is, so that the flavors are familiar)

1 Tbs. lemon juice

1 cup frozen corn (optional)

Toppings: grated cheddar, chopped cilantro, tortilla chips

1. Heat beans and chicken broth to a low simmer. Add salsa.
2. Place in a food processor to puree or use an immersion blender in the pot.
3. Add corn and reheat until corn is hot. (If your kids don't like "chunks" in their soup, skip the corn.)
4. Add lemon juice
5. Serve with toppings on the table: grated cheddar, chopped cilantro and tortilla chips

Lemon-Cilantro Marinade

We used this on some chicken the other night that we grilled. Everyone loved it. For my kids, it was worth the step of putting the whole batch in a food processor so that the cilantro pieces got really small. If I just chop it, they see little green leaves on their meat and try to wipe them off.

1/2 c. olive oil

1/2 c. lemon juice

1 tsp. salt

pepper

5-6 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 bunch cilantro, washed and loosely chopped (if you don't want to use a food processor, chop it finely)

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Process briefly so that cilantro pieces are teeny-tiny.
2. Place chicken and marinade in a large plastic bag and marinate for several hours.
3. Grill chicken.
4. Yummy!

Whole Wheat Biscuits

I probably make these once a week -- my kids LOVE them and they're really easy.

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

8 Tbs. unsalted butter, frozen and then grated on the largest side of the grater (or cut into 1/4-inch cubes)

1 1/2 Tbs. lemon juice

3/4 c. milk

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

2. Measure milk and add lemon juice; set aside to curdle.

3. Place dry ingredients in a bowl. Add grated butter and combine. (If you've cut the butter into cubes, place dry ingredients and butter in a food processor and process with six 1-second pulses -- it should resemble course meal.)

4. Add milk/lemon juice -- it will be kind of thick and lumpy and that's okay. Stir until just combined.

5. Scoop out a large spoonful and gently shape into a ball. Place on a cookie sheet. You should be able to make 12 biscuits.

6. At this point you can cover the biscuits and put them in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake them, or you can put them right in the oven.

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until light brown.