All time favorite - 15 minute kids dinner

My friend Kristina told me that somebody once said to her: :If you don't know what you are cooking be 3:00PM that day it is going to be a struggle to get food on the table." Actually I have plenty of those days, when you are too busy with laundry, play dates, kids gym and preschool that you have no idea what to cook for dinner. This is when I serve my kids all time favorite...

Pasta, Chicken and veggies....the wonderful thing about this is that you can have all the ingredients at home at all times... the chicken and the veggies in the freezer and you'll be able to find some sort of pasta in the pantry.

Here is what I do:

I keep mixed frozen veggies and tyson's all natural chicken in the freezer and use it whenever I need a fast dinner. The chicken is easily prepared in the grill/toaster oven, while the pasta is cooking on the stove. The veggies I sear in a little pan or pot, either in oil or in butter adding salt and a tiny little pepper to taste. Some times I add some shredded parmesan cheese (my kids eat anything with cheese on it ;-))
After the pasta is cooked I usually toss it in a little extra virgin olive oil. Just for the taste...

That's it... tonight my kids wanted tortellini... (the benefit... a serving of beef. To get them to eat any other meat than chicken is pretty hard) .



For dessert we usually have fruit...any kind of fruit. Lately we love clementines...

Dawn's chocolate cake

My neighbor Dawn makes the yummiest chocolate cake. Needless to say, my kids LOVE it.

Here is the recipe for the easiest chocolate cake that will wow your friends.

Cherry Chocolate Cake
1 box of chocolate cake mix (I use Duncan Hines dark chocolate)
1 can cherry pie filling
3 eggs

mix together and bake according to the box

Frosting suggestions:
Buttercream frosting
3 3/4 cups powder sugar
1/2 cup butter softened
3-4 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

In a large bowl, with mixer at low speed, combine sugar, butter, milk and vanilla. Beat at medium speed 1-2 minutes until creamy.


No-Cook Fudge Frosting
3 cups sifted powder sugar (about a pound)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup softened butter
1/3 cup boiling water
1 tsp. vanilla

In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add butter, boiling water and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed/ If necessary, cool for 20 minutes or until mixture reaches spreading consistency.

Everyone enjoyed Dawn's fantastic chocolate cake at our neighborhood Christmas party...especially Ella

German/Hungarian Goulash Soup

This is not really a kids recipe... my kids tried it but didn't really like it. Nevertheless, it is everyone else's favorite and perfect on a cold snowy winter day like today...

Grandmothers German/Hungarian Goulash Soup...
2 lbs. beef (cut in small cubes)
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 medium onions (chopped)
2 cups of baby carrots
2 tbsp. sweet paprika
1 clove garlic (minced)
salt & hot pepper (I use black and red hot pepper) to taste
1 tsp. carraway seeds
3 tbsp. tomato paste
1 bay leaf
3 c. water
2 c. beef broth
1/2 c. red wine
4 medium potatoes (cubed)
8 oz (small container) half and half
3 tsp. flower to thicken the soup if desired

Brown the beef in the vegetable oil.
Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are transulactent.
Add red wine
Add water
Add beef broth, paprika, carraway seeds, bay leave, tomato paste, potatoes
bring to boil, then simmer on very low heat for 3 hours
add half and half...
thicken soup with flower (diluter in water before you add it to the soup) if desired.
tastes best the second day.

Pasta, pasta and more pasta

My kids Love pasta..it is a good thing Pasta comes in so may different shapes and sizes... we have bow tie pasta one night and fusilli the next night... here is another favorite recipe you can make with any pasta shape!

Ingredients
1 lb (1 box) Pasta of your choice
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon diced onion
1lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Cubed
Salt to taste
Black Pepper, Freshly Ground to taste
6 ounces Baby Spinach (minced... I do that for my kids!)
1cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2cup Parmesan Cheese, Grated

BRING a large pot of water to a boil.
HEAT oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high.
ADD chicken; season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken for 3 minutes.
ADD spinach and cream; reduce heat and simmer mixture for 5 minutes.
COOK Pasta according to the package directions. Drain and toss with the sauce.
STIR in grated cheese before serving.

Chicken Pasta

All time favorite.


Ingredients:

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup butter ( or olivol with less fat)
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1/2 cup white wine
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup
4 ounces cream cheese with chives (fat free cream cheese for less saturated fat in your dish)
1 pound angel hair pasta (or any other pasta shape your kids love, the angel hair is a little messy but a lot of fun for the kids)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in the package of dressing mix. Blend in wine and golden mushroom soup. Mix in cream cheese, and stir until smooth. Heat through, but do not boil. Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour sauce over.
Bake for 60 minutes in the preheated oven. Twenty minutes before the chicken is done, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta.


Nutrition per serving
Calories 528
Total Fat 18 g
Saturated Fat 10 g
Cholesterol 107 mg
Sodium 1265 mg
Total Carbohydrates 48 g
Dietary Fiber 3 g
Protein 37

This has a lot of fat but the kids just love it! I am substituting the cream cheese with fat free cream cheese and the butter with olivol. that cuts your total fat down and makes the dish a healthier dish! I am also not using the wine if I plan on serving it to the kids.

Tonight we had this dish with bow tie pasta...

Green Chicken Curry - for kids

I discovered that my kids love rice! They also love coconut! So this dish had to be a home run! The best about it: this only takes 15 minutes to cook!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 (14 ounce) can reduced-fat coconut milk
3/4 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1/2 tablespoons green curry paste (make sure it is not too spicy! I use the green curry paste from wholefoods and I am only using 1/2 spoon instead of 1 1/2)
3 cups skinned and shredded or cut cooked chicken
1 (8 ounce) can bamboo shoots, drained
1/2 cup slivered fresh basil leaves (I mince the leaves/ or use the dried spice, that the kids don't really realize that it is in there)
3 cups hot cooked rice

Directions
In a 4- to 5-quart pan, mix sugar and cornstarch smoothly with coconut milk, broth, soy sauce, and curry paste. Stir over medium-high heat until simmering.
Stir in chicken and bamboo shoots. When hot, add basil. Serve with rice.

We are back!

After a full year of "food fights" and tantrums at the dinner table, I finally came to the conclusion that I have to relax! My kids are not going to die, if they refuse to eat carrots and broccoli and even if have the occasional drive though at "Chick fil a" is not a problem either. My kids are going to be fine.

Food has become such a big deal in our socciety. Either you are too thin or too fat. Weight is never right and there are only 5% of people who are able to maintain a perfect weight throughout their whole life. Celebrities are getting bashed for being to FAT to too thin, while a whole generation of teenagers has no idea how to deal with the social pressure and falls into some sort of eating disorder before they even go to collage. This fear is a crucial one for us moms. Wanting only the best for our children we tend to overdo it, we tend to go the whole 100 yards trying to overachieve everything from diapering and nap schedule to feeding. We are so busy to listen to all those parenting magazines, grandmother, friends and blogs that we forget to trust our instincts and our kids. They know when they are hungry, they know more than we give them credit for. Food is just food and it won' kill your child to have fries here and there, or eat at the mall food court. It is all in our heads and the stress we feel about it is not necessary.
I have stressed, I felt guilty, blamed myself, had sleepless nights and wondered what I did wrong, seeking help and advice wherever I could get it, only to find out that nothing worked. I could do a dance, bribe my child, threaten her, try to trick her, negotiate... she just would not eat any vegetables.

Now she is almost 3 and all the sudden, just like anything else it stopped. She is interested in trying whatever I eat. She loves broccoli and edmame... eats soups with all kinds of vegetables in it...eats tomatoes, lettuce and raw carrots!

So the best advice I can give you is RELAX. Keep offering the foods, no pressure, no hiding foods, no bribes... just set a good example and eat it yourself and just like that one day they will mimic you just like they mimic you by putting their dolls into time out ;-)! Until that day comes, feed a lot of fruit and V8 Fusion juice ;-)

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup

-2 cans drained chicken breast (or cooked chicken off the bone)
-1 can Enchilada Sauce
-1 can evaporated milk
-1 can Pinto Beans, drained
-1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
-1 can Nacho Cheese Sauce
-1/2 cup Chopped Green Bell Pepper
- 1/2 cup Chopped Red Bell Pepper

-Combine all ingredients and heat on Medium until soup is hot, stirring occasionally. Serve with tortilla chips.

Recipe by Leigh Fahr

Yummi left over...

I remembered a dish today that my mom used to cook all the time as my brother and I were young. We loved it an Ella LOVED it too!

All you need is some left over pasta or rice. Frozen peas and corn or any other vegetables and one or 2 eggs.

- melt a little butter in a pan (or use olive oil)
- put the frozen vegetables
- add the pasta and some salt and pepper to taste
- add one or 2 eggs

and that it. Done is your left over dish... it is really easy and for some reason all kids love it. They don't even mind the vegetables in the dish.

Watch Ella enjoy it...




We always have fruit for desert. Usually Ella eats lots of watermelon which has been her favorite for the last couple weeks, but today I gave her cherries for the 1st time and she really liked it! It is funny, she really does not care for any vegetables at the moment but when it comes to fruit she can't get enough of it. So far she liked every single fruit I gave her. She eats everything from apples, over bananas, grapes, mango, melon, berries and now cherries...

Summer Spaghetti

This dish is great served hot or cold... and it goes perfect with a fresh lettuce salad and some bruscetta. My friend Leslie just reminded me of this delicious dish. We enjoyed this pasta on our Mommy and Baby Nantucket visit last August... the perfect pasta for a perfect time out...

Shopping list:

- angel hair pasta or spaghetti
- cherry tomatoes
- fresh basil
- mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese
- sip of white wine
- green onions
- green asparagus (or zucchini)
- garlic
- salt and petter to taste
- olive oil

1. Cook the pasta

2. While Pasta is cooking cut cherry tomatoes in half and chop green onions, garlic, mozzarella and asparagus. Heat some olive oil in a pan add tomatoes green onions and asparagus and pour a sip of white wine in there and add salt and pepper to taste. Let cook for 5 min (don't coo too long the asparagus is supposed to be crunchy and not overcooked).

3. Mix cooked al dente pasta under the sauce and add the mozzarella and chopped basil. Add some parmesan on top... and enjoy!

4. Don't forget to drink the rest of the white wine with it :-).

Spinach nuggets

I found these spinach nuggets the other day at Costco. They are reasonably healthy, very easy to prepare...and Ella loves them.
They have 3g of dietary fiber, 6g of protein, and 7g of fat (0 trans fat). The sodium is a little high though with 390mg.

Try them....

Brisket in the Crock Pot

So I made a brisket all day on Easter and it was sooooo good! This is super easy...and well worth it!
We made brisket sandwiches on Easter night...then we just had brisket tacos tonight! So good!

You will need:

One brisket...just as big as your crock pot is....it shrinks a lot....I cannot remember how big
One jar of your favorite BBQ sauce
One dark beer (you can drink the other 5 while you are waiting)
Red Onion
Brown Sugar
Maple Syrup
(If you want sandwiches)
Bread
?Cheese?
(If you want tacos)
corn tortillas
cilantro
cheese

Posted by Lea

Just put the brisket fat side down in the crock pot
Put the jar of BBQ sauce, beer, a little brown sugar and a little maple syrup in the crock pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours
I add some chopped onions in there about half way thru
Then just take it out and pull it apart! So yummy....

Minesrone Pasta

For some reason we are having a lot of italian food at the moment. Ella likes pasta and it is quick and easy to make with a lot of variety. Here is one more of our favorites...

Shopping list:

- 1 leek
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalk of celery
- 5 green beans
- 1 quart vegetable bouillon (or chicken stock)
- 1 1/4 cup purred tomato
- 2 bay leaves
- shell pasta (or any other kind, but the small shells are easy to eat for the kids)
- rosemary
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- fresh parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta.

2. Heat olive oil in a pan and add vegetables cook until tender. (I chop all vegetables very small that it is easier for Ella to eat them)

3. Pour bouillon and tomato puree over vegetables, add bay leaves, bring to boil the reduce heat and let simmer covered.

4. Add Pasta top with parmesan cheese and serve\

Bon Apetiti!

Ella is not a big fan of vegetables right now, but if they are chopped really small she doesn't always notice she is actually eating them ;-)!

Coconut Mango Smoothie

This is not really dinner but a great little desert or even mid afternoon snack we love.

Shopping list:

- 1 mango
- 14 oz can coconut milk
- 1 cup greek yoghurt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- ground cinnamon.

Throw everything into your blender and add ice!!! Yummi!!!

Dining in NYC...

Here is what my friend Leslie emailed me. Her daughter Grace is 16 months old and they live in the City. I thought I share this with everyone...

I pretty much keep it simple with Grace - she eats whatever we are having for dinner. Grace eats everything! Eating is her favorite activity. Haha.

Some of her favorite things:

Breakfast -
-Brown Sugar Oatmeal
-Frozen Pancakes

Lunch and Dinner -
-Chicken Hot Dogs
-Eggs
-American Cheese open-face toasted on bread
-Baked Salmon (she lvoes smoked salmon too....loves her lox like a NYC girl)
-Sauteed ground beef (I buy grass fed organic)
-chicken breast cutlet
-turkey meatballs (i buy them made!)
-rotisserie chicken meat
-Elbow Macaroni Pasta
-instant Mac N Cheese (only when i have nothing in the house!)
-Boiled Carrots
-boiled little potatoes (they're sweeter, I think)
-Frozen peas
-Avocado (loves)
-Steamed broccoli
-rice (we usally like rice pilaf or wild rice, she eats both)
-String Cheese
-Grapes, Strawberries, Bananas, Blueberries, Blackberries

Hope this helps

Chicken Meat Balls

As I said Ella loves chicken, so here is a chicken meat ball dish that can be served either with pasta or rice.

Shopping list:

- 1/2 pound ground chicken
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- salt, pepper olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 1/4 cup tomato puree or diced canned tomatoes
- pinch of sugar

1. Make meat balls by mixing chicken, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and egg. Season with salt an pepper. Form small meat balls. Fry meat balls in a little olive oil and set aside once done.

2. Cook pasta or rice.

3.To make the sauce put the garlic and oregano in a pan adding a little olive oil. Add tomatoes and a pinch of sugar.

4. Add chicken meat balls and cook until meat balls are heated.

Va bene, here is your italian chicken meat ball dish! Hope you like it!

Baked Rigatoni!!

Warm, cheesy pasta with a slightly spicy sauce: Yum! This dish is terrific the first night and works as well reheated later in the week. Or, take leftovers for lunch. I made this and it was awesome...I added a little more red pepper flakes than it has on here....because I like mine really spicy! I also added a few to the parmesan that I added on top...it was yummy! It was good the next day for lunch too!!

1
tablespoon olive oil
4
cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1
(28-ounce) can whole or diced tomatoes, with juices
¼
teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ½
teaspoons dried oregano
1
teaspoon kosher salt
1
teaspoon sugar
1
cup heavy cream
¾
cup grated parmesan (divided use)
16
ounces rigatoni
Preheat oven to 400 F. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until golden but not browned, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and their juices, red pepper, oregano, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer (crushing tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon, if using whole tomatoes) until sauce thickens slightly, about 20 minutes.
Stir in cream and 1/2 cup of the parmesan. Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni according to the package directions. Add the drained rigatoni to sauce and toss to coat. Transfer to a 2-quart casserole and top with remaining grated parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Makes 4 servings.

Easy and Tasty Bean Soup

Combine two different cans of beans (I used one can of black beans and one can of pinto beans) with juices, one can diced tomatoes with juice, 1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons taco seasoning. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve hot with a tablespoon of salsa, one tablespoon of sour cream, and chopped green onions. Add some love. Enjoy!

Ella's favorite...

Ella loves to eat chicken, so we have chicken for dinner a couple times a week. One of her favorites is pretty simple. We call it Cheesy Chicken Casserole.

Shopping list (serves 4):

- 1/2 cup penne pasta (try whole wheat)
- 3/4 cup broccoli floret, 1/3 cup cauliflower florets
- 1 large leek
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flower
- 3 cups of milk
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 cup grated cheese, plus extra sprinkles (cheddar, gouda or any cheese you like)
- 1 tbsp whole wheat brad crumbs, or ritz crackers ;-)
- 1 large chicken breast

1. Cook pasta accoring to package instructions.

2. Clean and dice chicken in small bits. Salt and pepper add a little spritzer of lemon juice and olive oil and let marinade while you make the cheese sauce.

3. For the cheese sauce melt butter, reduce heat stir in flower and cook (constantly stirring) until it turns into a thick light brown paste. Add milk while whisking and cook until texture has thickened. Add the oregano, mustard and cheese and heat stirring until cheese is melted.

4. Fry Chicken slices in a pan until lightly brown.

5. Add pasta, chicken, broccoli, cauliflower to a casserole form. Put cheese sauce on top of it and additional cheese sprinkles and bread/ritz cracker crumbs on top of it. Bake in oven at 375 degrees until cheese on top is melted and broccoli and cauliflower are ready.

Ella does not care for vegetables much but with the cheese sauce and the chicken she doesn't mind the broccoli and cauliflower at all. Next time I'll cook it I will take a picture for you all and add it to the blog :-).

So please everyone start sharing your recipes and we will build a nice little recipe book for our kids this way :-) Simply add a new post to the blog. It will walk you though everything....