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).

Stuffed Shells

When I've made stuffed shells in the past, Meriel usually complains if there's "TOO MUCH" cheese. In this version, I've reduced the amount of cheese and added some ground turkey. If you don't have time to stuff the shells, skip 'em and mix the filling with any shape of cooked pasta -- it'll taste just the same.

1 lb ground turkey

12 oz package of pasta shells

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. marjoram

1/2 tsp. crushed red peppers

salt & pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic, crushed

8 oz. cottage cheese

2 eggs

16 oz. grated mozzarella

26 oz jar pasta sauce (you probably won't use the whole thing)

1. Brown the ground turkey over medium heat, breaking up into little pieces. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Cook shells (or other pasta shape) according to directions. Add a bit of oil to the water so they don't stick together. Drain.
3. In a large bowl combine cottage cheese, eggs, herbs, salt & pepper, garlic, 1/2 of the mozzarella and the ground turkey.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" x 13" lasagna pan.
5. Stuff each shell with the cottage cheese/turkey mixture and place in pan. (Or, mix the cooked pasta into the cottage cheese/turkey and spread around pan.) Spread sauce over top (don't feel like you need to use the whole jar) and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until cheese starts to brown, about 10 more minutes.

Mexican Chili with Pasta

I cut this recipe out of the Tribune recently and we all really liked it. Meriel's initial reaction when she saw it was "GROSS!" But she went back for seconds, so I hope she's learning not to make assumptions based on how something looks. I modified the original recipe a bit by adding more pasta and making it less spicy.

1/2 lb. ground beef or turkey

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 can (15 1/2 oz) chili beans (don't drain)

1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilis

1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 1/2 cups pasta (rotini, shells, macaroni, etc.)

1 1/2 cups graded cheddar cheese

1. Cook the ground beef or turkey in a medium sauce pan, stirring to crumble, until no longer pink and starting to brown. Drain. Add garlic and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes.
2. Stir in chili beans, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a gentle simmer.
3. Add pasta to mixture and stir so that the pasta gets covered with liquid. Cover. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until pasta is done, usually 8-10 minutes.
4. Serve in bowls with grated cheese on top.

Chicken & Bean Main-Course Dip

My friend Maria passed on this recipe because her kids gave it rave reviews. Having made it the other night, we concur. It's awesome! It didn't come with a name, so we decided to call it "Chicken Dip" because you eat it on corn chips. If someone has a better name, let me know.

6-9 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces (If you choose to use breasts instead of thighs, increase the amount of salsa to 1 1/2 cups since breasts are dryer.)

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 cup salsa (use one that's a little spicy or it may come out kind of bland)

1 cup frozen corn

Corn chips

1. Put chicken in crockpot; it's okay if it's still frozen. Top with beans, salsa and corn.
2. Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or high for 4-5. Cooking time will vary depending on whether or not your chicken is frozen and how big the pieces are. Check on it at the minimum number of hours so that it doesn't get dried out.
3. Serve with corn chips used as dippers.

Corn Bread

We make this almost every time we have chili. It tastes so good with a little dab of butter and a drizzle of honey, it makes me lick my lips just thinking about it. It's really wonderful right out of the oven, but seems to lose something with time. Serve generous slices so you don't have much left-over.

2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

4 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 Tbs. lemon juice

1 1/3 cups milk

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square pan.
2. Combine lemon juice and milk in small bowl. Set aside to curdle.
3. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Push dry ingredients to the sides of the bowl and make a well.
4. Crack the eggs into the well and stir lightly. Then add the milk/lemon juice. Stir quickly until almost combined. Finally, add the melted butter and blend.
5. Pour batter into greased pan. Bake until the top is golden brown and lightly cracked, about 25 minutes.
6. Cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes and then serve warm.

Mexican Cheese Fondue

Fondue pots must be the most ubiquitous wedding present ever, so go find yours. I'll bet you have one. If you've never used it with your kids, now is the time. They'll think it's the coolest dinner ever.

Anyway, it's hard not to like fondue -- especially the cheese kind. This version is very kid-friendly as it doesn't include wine or expensive French ingredients. The kids and Dave made this for dinner last weekend and there wasn't a drop left-over. This makes enough for four -- 2 adults and 2 kids.

3 Tbs. butter

3 Tbs. flour

1 garlic clove, minced

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup chicken broth, plus more to thin the sauce if needed

8 oz shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese

3 Tbs. salsa (mild or hot -- you choose)

Possible dippers: cubes of French bread, pre-cooked broccoli or cauliflower florets, chunks of grilled chicken, sauteed whole mushrooms, red and yellow pepper strips, carrot sticks, jicama slices (almost everything tastes good when it's dipped in cheese!)

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until just starting to brown, around 1 minute. Whisk in flour until blended.
2. Whisk in the milk and chicken broth.
3. Continue cooking until it thickens and starts to boil, 2-4 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
4. Gradually add the cheese, stirring until it's melted.
5. Stir in the salsa. If sauce seems too thick, add a little chicken broth.
6. Transfer the sauce to a fondue pot and set the flame to keep it warm.
7. Start dipping

Vegetarian Tostadas

These are really easy to make and my kids like them because they get to choose what goes on top. Meriel tends to stick with black beans and cheese, but Gavin is a little more adventurous, adding onion and mushrooms. You can dice the vegetables ahead of time and keep them in the fridge until you're ready to use them.

Corn tostada shells

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 onion, diced

2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

Selection of diced vegetables: red pepper, yellow squash, zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, etc. All put in separate bowls.

Optional condiments: salsa, guacamole, hot pepper sauce

1. Microwave the diced vegetables briefly so that they're partially cooked. (Put in the fridge if you're not going to use them right away.)
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Give each person a tostada shell and have them layer their selected ingredients putting cheese on the top.
4. Place the tostadas on a cookie sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.
5. Serve with salsa, guacamole or hot pepper sauce.

Easy Chicken Curry

Both my kids really like this and it's surprising how easy it is to make! I found the recipe in an old Junior League of Denver cookbook, "Colorado Cache", but I modified it to fit what's usually in my fridge.

6 Tbs. butter

1 minced onion

4-5 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 Tbs. curry powder

1 tsp. dry mustard

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. paprika

dash of cayenne pepper

1 can beef or chicken broth

1 cup milk

3 Tbs. ketchup

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. chicken, cooked and cut into bite-size chunks (I always use boneless, skinless breasts and cook them ahead of time so that it's ready to go when I need it.)

1. Melt butter in large skillet.
2. Add onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until onion is limp. 
3. Combine all the dry ingredients and add to the onion mixture, stirring over low heat until blended.
4. Slowly add broth and milk; stir until smooth.
5. Add ketchup.
6. Cook for a few minutes and then add chicken and heat to boiling point. It will thicken as it cooks.
7. Serve over rice with any or all of the following condiments: shredded coconut, peanuts, chutney, chopped green pepper, chopped olives, raisins, crushed pineapple. (I love it with coconut, peanuts and pineapple, but it's good with nothing added.)

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. 

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!

Chicken and Dumplings

I've never made chicken and dumplings before, but these tasted great and the kids ate everything without complaint. It's based on a recipe I saw in the Chicago Tribune for Chicken Fricassee, but I modified it to fit what I had in the fridge. (The original recipe called for dill in the soup and the dumplings. I didn't add any because I was out, but it would probably be good in both.)

Makes about 8 servings.

Chicken:

1/4 c. flour

salt and pepper

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into quarters or thirds

1/4 c. olive oil

2 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

4 ribs celery, sliced

1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and sliced

2 cans low sodium chicken broth (15 oz each)

1 c. apple juice

Dumplings:

1 1/4 c. flour (I used whole wheat)

1/3 c. cornmeal

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 Tbs unsalted butter (frozen)

1 c. milk

1. Combine flour, salt and pepper in pie plate. Dredge chicken pieces. Heat 3 Tbs oil in Dutch oven. Cook the chicken in batches until browned, around 5 minutes per side. Remove to bowl.
2. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to Dutch oven. Add leeks and onions; cook unil lightly browned, scraping up the brown bits. Add the celery and apple slices; cook until slighly softened, 3-5 minutes. Add broth and apple juice, heat to a simmer. Return chicken pieces to the pan. Cover. Cook 10 minutes.
3. For the dumplings, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking power and salt in a bowl. Grate butter on largest side of a grater and add to flour. Stir with a fork until butter is coated. Add the milk , stirring until just combined.
4. Scoop the dumpling mixture with a large spoon (I used a soup spoon) onto the chicken mixture. Cover and cook over low heat until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean, 15-18 minutes.