Weekly Recipe Round-up

Hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving weekend!  Here are some recipes to help you get back on track toward healthy eating!

Moroccan Pumpkin, Chickpea, and Ginger Soup {via Mediterrasian}

I didn't have a pumpkin so I substituted a sweet potato and a small butternut squash that I had to use and it turned out fantastic!  Preheat the oven while you're cooking the soup to speed up the process.

Mediterranean Chopped Salad {via A Farm Girl's Dabbles}

This is a pretty filling salad but it also pairs nicely with your favorite whitefish or a homemade falafel. Take the leftovers for lunch!

Chicken Pot Pie {via AllRecipes.com}

This is hands down the best homemade chicken pot pie recipe I have ever had. It take a little over an hour, making it a great weekend meal.  Or prep the chicken and veggies during nap time and the rest for dinner.   I've also made a dairy-free version of this that tastes just as good using unsweetened plain almond milk and Smart Balance "butter."

Grilled Chicken and Spinach Salad {via SkinnyTaste.com}

I L-O-V-E, love this salad. The marinade for the chicken is to die for and the salad dressing is SO YUMMY! And you're using fresh ingredients and having a healthy meal that is still filling and just tastes so good. I do leave the onions out of the salad because the dressing itself is quite full of onion flavor with the shallots. Sometimes I add in other veggies that I have hanging around, like fresh mushrooms. We make this even in the winter, when it's too cold to use the traditional grill. We just use our griddler to grill the chicken inside.

Homemade Ground Beef Tacos

I found this recipe online years ago and have never bought a packet of taco seasoning since. It takes just as long, tastes way better, and you actually know what is going into your food. NOTE: I only use 1 TBSP of chill powder since I have to lower the heat for my 2 year old. Also, make sure the beef is 90% lean or you will end up with a large pot of grease tacos. Believe me. 

Beef Taco  Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 pound (90 percent lean) ground beef--very important that it is 90% lean!

1/2 cup canned tomato sauce

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar

Salt, to taste

8 crispy taco shells

Making Home Made Beef Tacos

1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until soft and transparent, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, spices, 1 teaspoon salt and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Stir in the ground beef with your hands breaking down into small chunks. Cook until no longer pink about 5 minutes, the whole while continue to break meat down into even smaller pieces using a wooden spoon.

3. Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, vinegar and sugar. The entire mixture will be very loose. Simmer until thickened, about 10-15 minutes (could take longer) to let flavors incorporate. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Serve with all the fixins!

Let us know how these recipes work for you or if you have any you would like to share!

Recipe Round-up

Kathryn and I grew up in the 80's and 90's when dinner time meant just that. Eating dinner. There was no 60-inch in the kitchen. A constant stream of texts didn't interrupt the dinner conversation. There were no iPads, no smartphones, no YouTube streaming cat videos (although 10-year-old me would have looooved those!). We sat down at the table and ate. And on occasion we even got to help prepare dinner! One of my fondest memories is of me and my Mom preparing a chicken when I was around 10 years old. She taught me how to brine it, season it, and tie it up for the oven. She made it dance across the counter top. And when I sat down for dinner that night with my family, I was so proud that I helped cook the meal, I ate everything on my plate.

Today, my husband and I and Weston try to eat dinner as a family every night. Of course there are days when one of us has to work late or goes out with friends, but for the most part, dinner time is family time.  Its a time to wind down after work, cook a tasty meal, and relax. At our house, no cell phones are allowed at the dinner table. There is no television in our kitchen area. Some nights we play music. Others we just sit and relax and bask in the silence that is not an element of either of our workplaces. We talk. We listen. We let Weston play with his food. He babbles to us. We babble back. We communicate. We laugh. We eat.

Family dinner time is not only a time to relax and talk, but it is a chance to better your family. Studies have shown that families who eat together have stronger bonds with each other, leading to better communication among family members. Family dinners significantly decrease a teen's chance of smoking, drinking, or doing drugs, and actually leads to kids who are more motivated, get better grades in school, and are more likely to succeed in the chances they take. Family dinners help to contribute to an individual's cultural identity from learning how to prepare family and/or cultural recipes to listening to the stories and memories that are inevitably intertwined with each recipe. And, kids who are offered nutritional meals at home are more likely to make healthy choices outside of the home. (Sources listed in the resources section below)

What's the point of all this? To convince you how awesome family dinner time is? Well, that's part of it.  But we'd also like to introduce our new blog series-The Recipe Round-up! We know that figuring out how to get healthy meals onto the table while trying to get the entire family to sit down for a meal can be frustrating and time-consuming, especially with packed schedules and fussy eaters (kids and adults alike!), so we’re here to help! Every Sunday, we’ll collect 5 to 7 recipes from around the web that we have tested in our own kitchens. They will be (mostly) healthy meals that the whole family can enjoy including the adventurous and picky toddler and teens in our lives. We hope to introduce you to some new foods that maybe you haven’t tried before as well as some delicious, healthy recipes for old staples like chicken and fish. We'll try to choose breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes that are realistically quick (30-45 minutes) from start to finish or slow-cooker recipes that take minimal effort but taste delicious after stewing all day while you're at work. We'll also try to share tips and tricks on getting your toddlers (and the rest of the family) to eat healthy. Occasionally we'll share more complicated recipes, but I promise they will be worth every bit of the time and energy when you see your family sit down and share a meal together.  

Without further ado, here it is- our first Recipe Roundup!

Delicata Squash with Orzo in a Sage Butter Sauce (via Herbivoracious)

For a light meal or a hearty side try this Delicata Squash with Orzo in a Sage Butter Sauce. Delicata squash has a delicious sweet, nutty, buttery flavor. It tastes like fall. We had it as an entree, but I think it would pair well with pan-fried Tilapia or other mild whitefish. 

Garlicky Baked Shrimp (via Gimme Some Oven)

This is a wonderfully delicious, quick, healthy, meal that was prepped and ready in under 30 minutes! We usually pair this with a hearty salad. 

Southwestern Stuffed Spaghetti Squash (via Comfort of Cooking)

This dish takes a little over an hour so its best prepared on a weekend or on a day when your not rushing around after work trying to get dinner ready. But it's totally worth it. The longest part is roasting the squash. If you have a sitter at your home, see if they can pop the squash in about an hour before you get home. Or roast and scrape the squash the night before so it's ready to add to the southwest mix and pop in the broiler.    

Pork Chops with Dijon Herb Sauce (via Skinnytaste.com)

This is a really quick recipe that yields a very "home cooked" tasting result. It's comfort food on the lighter side. It only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish and it is so good! I usually make some egg noodles on the side to really soak up the sauce.

Chicken Crock Pot Tacos (via WikiHow)

My husband found this recipe online years ago and I swear we make this at least every other week. It is beyond easy and the chicken is delicious. This recipe makes a lot--we cut it down to two chicken breasts for two people and a toddler and we still have enough for left overs the next day. But if you wanted to make the full recipe, you could easily use the shredded chicken for other meals during the week.

If you are having trouble getting your family to sit down for dinner or want to read more about the importance of family meal time check out these resources:

Power of Family Meals

The Family Dinner Project
Psychology Today Blog
The Surprising Power of Family Meals
Dinner: A Love Story: It all begins at the Family Table

Grandma Marie's Pork Chops

Happy Monday everyone!  Weston and I just got back from visiting my Grandmother in her new assisted living facility.  She has been sick these past few months, in and out of the hospital and rehab, battling various ills and maladies that befall the elderly. She seems to be doing really well today, but we're taking things day by day. Quite honestly, she is nearing the end of her life, and while it breaks my heart, I know she has lived a good life, raised an amazing family, and provided us with a lifetime of love and learning. She has always made it a point to pass down her home-keeping secrets to the next generation including her always-delicious recipes. In honor of my Grandma Marie, and in hopes that she hangs on just a little longer so we can love and learn a little more, I’d like to share her recipe for the best pork chops ever.

Grandma Marie’s pork chops are a legend in my family. Actually, most of her cooking is and I hope to share some of her recipes in the upcoming months. But her pork chops are at the top my list. They are always so juicy and full of flavor. When my husband first tried them, he was pleasantly surprised and now when we head over to Grandma’s for lunch or dinner and she asks us what we want to eat, these are always at the top of his list too! These pork chops are easy to make, take less than 30 minutes to bake, and are sure to be your next go to meal.

This recipe is for 2 pork chops. If you are making more, plan on using one garlic clove for each chop. The breading mix should last through approximately 4 chops, but you may need to increase the ingredients as needed. Just keep it at a 1/1 ratio.

You will notice that the recipe calls for frozen pork chops-it works with fresh chops too, but Grandma swears it works better if they are frozen!

INGREDIENTS

2 pork chops (frozen)
2 garlic cloves
2 egg whites
1 cup flour
1 cup plain bread crumbs
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Pork Chop Prep

You may choose to do this step the night before or in the morning before you leave for work. Remember to eat the chops within 24 hours of defrosting.

• Take the pork chops out of the freezer and unwrap them.
• Peel the garlic cloves and smash them lightly with the back of a fork or spoon.
• Rub the garlic clove on both sides of the frozen pork chop. 
• Let the pork chops defrost in the fridge 
• If your pork chops are fresh- let the garlic soak in for about ten minutes before you start the rest of the process.

When you are ready to cook:

• Preheat the oven to 350
• Prepare the breading
• Mix the egg whites in a bowl that is big enough to hold the chops
• Combine the flour, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper in a bowl that is also big enough to hold the chops
• Cook the chops
• Heat approximately two to three tablespoons of oil in a medium sized pan.
• Coat each chop in the egg wash.
• Then coat each chop in the breading mixture.
• Sear each pork chop on each side for approximately 3-5 minutes (until golden brown).

• Place chops on a baking pan and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or longer depending on the size of the chop- or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees (measuring the internal temperature is the best way to make sure your meat is thoroughly cooked as cooking time depends on a number of factors including type of oven, altitude, and size of the chop)
  
  
  

Serve with your favorite healthy side like pan-fried asparagus, steamed veggies, quinoa or brown rice- something that can be easily prepared while the chops are cooking!

Make it your own:

Use homemade breadcrumbs
Add some herbs to the breading mixture

ENJOY!

Black Bean and Quinoa Patties (Baby and Toddler Recipe)

When Dennis and I began experimenting with giving Weston solid foods we soon discovered that black beans were his absolute favorite. We began by smooshing black beans between our fingers and giving them to him. Then I made him a black bean, red pepper, onion puree. When he started to prefer picking up foods with his fingers and feeding himself, I came up with the recipe for these patties. When they are cooked, these patties crumble into nice finger sized pieces that he can pick up and stick in his mouth- all by himself!

INGREDIENTS
1 can of black beans
2 cups of cooked quinoa
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup of red pepper
1/4 cup of green onion
1/4 cup of corn
1 egg
2 Tbsp flour
salt and pepper to taste

COOKING DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix well until combined.
3. Spray two baking pans with oil.
4. Place heaping spoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking pans leaving about ½ inch in between each spoonful.

5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

This recipe makes 12-15 patties depending on how large your spoonfuls are.

After the patties have cooled place them in a Tupperware or glass storage container and freeze. Patties will keeps for about 1 month.

To prepare them for your baby or toddler, place patties on a microwave safe dish and microwave in 15-20 second intervals depending on your microwave until heated to desired temperature.

You may find that you don't have all of the ingredients needed to make a recipe or that you have something similar but not the exact ingredient. You may also find that your baby or toddler may not like some of the ingredients listed or you may not be comfortable feeding them certain ingredients yet, like seeds. For instances like these, I've offered some recipe variations below, but its always fun to experiment with what you have. Who knows? You might just find your babies new favorite combination!

Recipe Variations
Substitute green onion with red or white onion.
Substitute red pepper with yellow, green, or orange pepper.
Substitute egg yolk for the whole egg if your baby cannot yet have egg whites.

-Jenn

Sweet Potato and Lentil Patties (Baby and Toddler Recipe)

I love making these for Weston. One of the first solid foods he ate was sweet potato and he absolutely loved it. I can't get enough of watching his little hands scoop up pieces of these patties and shoving them into his mouth and then making the sign for "more."

These patties are still soft in the middle after baking so they are nice and mushy for babies and toddlers and with sweet potatoes about to be in season these are a great addition to the Thanksgiving and Christmas table for your little ones.

Ingredients
2 Sweet Potatoes peeled, chopped, and steamed
1 cup of cooked split peas
2 Tbsp of flax seed
1 tsp of cinnamon

Cooking Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. If you haven’t done so already, steam the sweet potatoes and cook lentils
(To cook lentils bring approximately 1.5 cups of water (or broth) to a boil. Add 1 cup of lentils.  Allow the water to return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until lentils are soft.)
3. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
4.  Spray a baking pan with cooking oil.
5. Spoon the mixture onto the baking sheet sheet.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

This recipes makes 18-24 patties depending on how big your spoonfuls are.

After the patties have cooled place them in a Tupperware or glass storage container and freeze. Patties will keeps for about 1 month.

To prepare them for your baby or toddler, place patties on a microwave safe dish and microwave in 15-20 second intervals depending on your microwave until heated to desired temperature.

You may find that you don't have all of the ingredients needed to make a recipe or that you have something similar but not the exact ingredient. You may also find that your baby or toddler may not like some of the ingredients listed or you may not be comfortable feeding them certain ingredients yet, like seeds. For instances like these, I've offered some recipe variations below, but its always fun to experiment with what you have. Who knows? You might just find your babies new favorite combination!

Recipe Variations
Substitute green lentils with yellow or red lentils or peas (cooking instructions are the same).
Substitute flax seeds with poppy, chia, and sesame seeds or omit the seeds altogether.
Omit the cinnamon.
Add 1/4 tsp of nutmeg.

-Jenn

Squash,Carrot, and Potato Patties (Baby and Toddler Recipe)

These squash, carrot, and potato patties are a great way to incorporate fall seasonal produce into your baby's diet and use up those extra vegetables from your CSA box. 

INGREDIENTS
2 russet potatoes – shredded
2 carrots- shredded
1 yellow Squash- shredded
1 egg
1 cup of flour
½ onion-finely chopped or shredded
3 garlic cloves –finely chopped or pressed using a garlic press
¼ cup of green onions- chopped
1 Tbsp of olive oil or other cooking oil
1 tsp of basil
1 tsp of oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

COOKING DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix until well combined.
3. Spray two baking pans with oil.
4. Place heaping spoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking pans leaving about ½ inch in between each spoonful.

 5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until patties are a golden brown.

This recipe makes 18-24 patties depending on how big your spoonfuls are.

Cooking tips: For shredding the potatoes I use the coarse side of a cheese grater and just grate it directly into the bowl. I use my Kitchen Aid to mix the ingredients together (mostly because I just love an excuse to use the Kitchen Aid) but it can always be mixed by hand.

After the patties have cooled place them in a Tupperware or glass storage container and freeze. Patties will keeps for about 1 month.

To prepare them for your baby or toddler, place patties on a microwave safe dish and microwave in 15-20 second intervals depending on your microwave until heated to desired temperature.

You may find that you don't have all of the ingredients needed to make a recipe or that you have something similar but not the exact ingredient. You may also find that your baby or toddler may not like some of the ingredients listed or you may not be comfortable feeding them certain ingredients yet, like seeds. For instances like these, I've offered some recipe variations below, but it's always fun to experiment with what you have. Who knows? You might just find your babies new favorite combination!

Recipe Variations:

Substitute russet potatoes with any other kind of potato.
Substitute herbs with other herbs such as parsley or Italian seasoning or omit herbs all together.
Substitute yellow squash with zucchini.
Substitute egg yolk for the whole egg if your baby cannot yet have egg whites.
Omit onions or garlic depending on your baby's taste.

-Jenn

Where's My Dinner?

5:30 p.m. We fade in on a couple, still dressed in business casual, staring into an open refrigerator…

"What do you want to eat for dinner?"

"I don't know, what do you want?"

"I don't care, whatever you want..."

An hour later...you are either eating take-out, again, or making some very unappealing meal out of whatever is left in the fridge.

Does this scene sound familiar?

I don't doubt that everyone has had this conversation and has wandered around the grocery store, dropping random things in your basket only to get home and realize you spent a lot of money on food and you have absolutely no plan for using it.

 Pizza, again? Blarg.

Many moons ago, after living together for a while and experiencing the struggle with what to make for dinner EVERY night of the week, Sean sent me a link to a Lifehackerpost about making a meal plan. We decided to go ahead and try the template from Unclutter. We used this method for years with great results. We started out using the exact template they created but over the year we edited to fit our exact needs. You can check out our old template if you like. There is a space for a shopping list on the side, so as you put the meal in, you can list the ingredients needed right away.