Toddler Meals

Oh... Toddlers. One minute they love broccoli, the next they are throwing that plate across the room for having something green on it. Here are some ideas from fellow moms of toddlers that are their go-to meals and will avoid the dreaded dinner meltdowns :)

• Chicken meatballs with hoisin sauce
• Spaghetti and meat sauce
• Grilled cheese (here are some fun ideas)
• Smoothies
• Buttered noodles
• Hamburgers
• Nachos
• Tacos
• Tuna casserole
• Tuna sandwiches
• Pasta with olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese
• Mediterranean Orzo (add chicken for protein!) 
• Breakfast for dinner--eggs, sausage, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, french toast, bacon etc.
• Quesadillas! Easy way to hide some veggies.
• Chicken & Rice
• Mac-n-cheese -- different add-ins can make it more healthy and fun:
• frozen peas
• hamburger
• hot dogs
• can of drained tuna
• This blog post has some amazing ideas as well!

On The Go Meals

Let's talk about on-the-go meals. Not just meals that are easy to make, but ones that are super-fast AND portable. There was a conversation in the LDW group recently about breakfast ideas for the DrHs. If your family is anything like mine, they like to grab the first thing they see in the fridge and run out the door.  Here are a few more ideas for grab-and-go meals:

Chipotle Chicken Tacos
1 can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion
1 can chipotle peppers in adobe sauce (cut open and take out most of seeds)
Combine in blender divide in 6 portions; 1 in a large fry pan and 5 in quart size freezer bags.
Use 2- 3 cans of chicken and heat. Serve with black beans, onions sour cream, cheese and white rice.

Kabob Wraps
Pita bread
Kabobs or any other pre-cooked protein (meatballs, chicken, etc)
Yogurt sauce
Cucumbers/lettuce/tomato
Roll everything up in tin foil and store in fridge.
*Veggies/sauce can be stored separately and added fresh.

Breakfast Sandwiches
Whole wheat english muffins or  thin bagels
Cook one egg for each
Add meat you want (sometimes we do Canadian bacon) and a slice of cheese
Let everything cool, assemble, wrap them individually in paper towels or wax paper, and stack them in a large tupperware container.

Breakfast Burritos
Whole Wheat wraps
Scrambled eggs
Meat of choice
Shredded cheese
Black bean salsa


Breakfast Muffins


Also just another quick tip: Store pre-boiled eggs in refrigerator, grab and go as needed. 

Shortcuts in the Kitchen

When life gets busy (as it usually is), who wants to spend all day in the kitchen?  To help make things a little easier,  we asked the LDW ladies about their favorite shortcuts in the kitchen: 

Prep Early, Be a Kitchen Ninja Later

 

• “In most quick meals the protein prep is the longest part. You can pre-cook dried beans, ground beef or turkey, shredded beef or pork, and cubed or shredded chicken, then once cooled, portion into quart bags and freeze the cooked proteins. (I do 2 cups of anything--that's the portion size I find most useful.) Do beans however you prefer, stove top or slow cooker; brown ground meat or cubed chicken on the stove top, and use a slow cooker for shredded beef, pork, or chicken.”
• “During the day (I'm a SAHM) I do bits of all the prep work for dinner for the family so that when it's time to throw it together, only takes me about 30 minutes.”

• “Microwave potatoes before baking them.  Just a few minutes of zapping can cut down the oven time significantly!”

• “I cook a bigger batch of rice and keep it in the fridge (for short term) and the freezer for longer term- then just reheat it when we are having something with rice.”

Shortcuts in the Kitchen

• “Use scissors (clean ones) to chop cilantro, parsley, green onions, etc. instead of a knife.”

• “My favorite tip is for prepping apples for my kids to snack on. I cut the apple in half, then use a melon baller to scoop out the core, then cut each half into quarters, and poof! So much easier and faster than cutting the core out of each section individually.”

• “After opening coconut milk, tomato paste, etc if you don't use the whole can, pop them into ice cube containers and freeze then transfer to a ziplock. You can just pop one out instead of wasting a whole can every time.”

• “I keep jarred Tikka Masala and Dopiaza sauce on hand. Especially handy if I can use leftover chicken, but I usually just put chicken in the oven and let it cook while the rice cooks in my rice cooker. I can be doing other things while the rice is cooking and the chicken is baking. Cut the chicken into pieces and toss with sauce. Serve over rice (we do veggies too). Even my kiddo likes the Tikka Masala.”

• “I save my plastic grocery bags and use them as 'garbage bowl' as Rachel Ray would say, but it saves multiple trips around the corner to my trash can. When I’m done cooking, tie it closed and into the trash it goes.”

Quick Recipes

• “Our favorite last minute meal is veggie curry...so I keep lots of coconut milk and curry sauce on hand...then can pick up the veggies quickly at the store and it’s done in 30 min! Also make a double batch and freeze half. http://sreelus.blogspot.com/2011/08/spicy-pepper-coconut-yellow-thai-curry.html

• “One quick dessert tip I got from Sandra Lee (I just love SemiHomemade!) is to purchase a pre-made angel food cake, pour a can of fruit pie filling in the center, and frost it with Cool Whip. It's super easy and goes over well. :D Light for summer time, too.”

 

 

Chicken Soup with Lentils and Barley

Brad made this from a recipe in Better Homes and Gardens. And it was wonderful!

1 cup onions
1/2 c chopped red or green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T butter
2 14 oz cans of chicken broth
1.5 c water
1/2 c lentils rinsed and drained
1/2 t basil
1/4 t oregano
1/4 t rosemary
1.5 c cooked chicken (or turkey after Thanksgiving)
1.5 c carrots (3 medium)
1/2 c quick cooking barley
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

Feeling poor?

Yesterday I was browning some meat for Hamburger Helper. I decided to brown the whole 2.5 pounds at once to cut down on cooking time. So, today, I had 1.5 pounds of cooked hamburger and no clue what to do with it. Shockingly, the family loved it so much, seconds and in some cases thirds were had by all. It's quick, it's easy, it's cheap. YAY! I made a ton, and Brad will be taking it lunch for a couple of days. :o) Feel free to half it.

I cooked 3 cups of rice. While it was cooking I put the browned hamburger into a sauce pan with 2 cans of cream of mushroom, 1 cup of milk, and 1.5 cups of frozen corn. Once the rice is done and the sauce is hot, just put it on top of the rice. Salt and pepper to taste. It was actually quite yummy.

Zesty Pork Loin

Made this last night in the crockpot....mmmm.

1 or 2 pork loins (I bought the twin pack available at Walmart and used both)
1 regular-sized bottle of Zesty Italian dressing
4-6 T dijon mustard

Place pork loins in crockpot, pour whole bottle of dressing, spread dijon mustard on top of pork loin. Cook for 4-6 hours on High.

We served this with rice and/or bread and a veggie.

Taco Soup

This was a big hit here last night, so I thought I'd share!

1 lb of Ground Lean Turkey (you can use hamburger or shredded chicken, also)
1 Medium Onion
1 pkg Taco Mix
1 can Kidney beans (do not drain)
1 can Black Beans (do not drain)
1 can Corn (do not drain)
1 can Diced Tomatoes

Brown your meat and onions. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Then simmer until you are ready to eat.

For Garnishes:
Sliced Olives
Sour Cream
Corn Chips
Cilantro

apple caramel dip

I found this awhile back online... have no idea where, but oh so glad I did.


Apple Caramel Dip

block of cream cheese or two, room temperature
container caramel apple dip (sold in produce)
package of Heath bits (by chocolate chips)
red and green apples

Spread cream cheese into thinish rectangle. (I use almost two blocks)

Top with container of caramel apple dip. I warm it in the microwave for maybe 30 minutes or so.

Sprinkle with about 1 cup of Heath bits.

Surround with alternating red and green apples.

Easy peasy. :)

Chicken (or beef) Tortilla Casserole

This is super easy and freezes well. I made it for Darrica last week, so she can tell you if it's any good. ;o) I grew up eating it and it was a family fave. There are two versions - chicken or beef (ground or shredded).

I usually cook without measuring, so bear with me! lol...

You will need:
Tortilla chips (I use the white corn - doesn't matter - leftover, stale, it's all good)
cooked shredded or cubed chicken - leftover is fine - about 1 1/2 cups (substitute beef if you want to!)
1 can cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom for the beef version)
1 can drained rotel tomatoes (if you don't want the spicy kick, use regular diced canned tomatoes)
1 small bag (approx 8 oz) frozen mixed vegatables - pop 'em in the microwave to thaw. Yes, you can use fresh if you've got the time, but I would steam them first since it doesn't cook long. Any veggies are ok but I like the carrots, peas, and corn mix.
Shredded cheese
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

Crush tortilla chips into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Crush enough to cover the bottom.

In a bowl, mix chicken, cream soup, drained tomatoes, steamed veggies, and 1/2 cup of cheese. Add salt, pepper, and garlic to taste. Spoon over chips.

Cover with more shredded cheese and more crushed tortilla chips.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Freezer alert: If you want to freeze it do so before adding the final layer of tortilla chips on top. You can do it when you are ready to bake it. That way they stay crispy.

This recipe easily doubles and is great with leftovers.

Mozzarella Stuffing Chicken

Soooo, in looking for recipes I could double and freeze, I found this one (copied below) at Kelly's Recipes (author of Kelly's Korner).

****
Mozzarella Stuffing Chicken

4 large skinless boneless chicken breasts
4 slices Mozzarella or Swiss cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/4 cup white cooking wine
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup herb-flavored crushed up Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix
1/2 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place uncooked chicken in shallow buttered casserole dish. Layer cheese on top. Mix soup, wine, salt, pepper; pour over cheese. Sprinkle stuffing mix on top and drizzle with melted butter. Bake uncovered for 1 hour.
****

Her recipe calls for either Mozzarella or Swiss cheese, so I used Mozzarella knowing that my kiddos would eat what I didn't use for the recipe (Swiss is too smelly for them-LOL). I also substituted the white cooking wine with chicken broth. And with the next batch, I will add a bit more than 1 cup of crushed stuffing mix (I *heart* stuffing) just to bulk up the 'gravy'.

IT WAS DELICIOUS! BOTH of my currently very picky eaters gladly ate ALL of it (this is huge). Kelly mentioned in her post that she prepared the recipe as directed and froze it raw before her daughter was born and it was just as delicious....I'm definitely adding this recipe to my baby preparation freezer meal list.

Pizza dough

Since a certain someone didn't have a great outcome with her pizza dough tonight *wink*, I thought I would post the recipe I use....it's so easy that I, a novice dough maker, can usually obtain a good result (using my Kitchen Aid--not sure how it would work with a bread maker).

******
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/2 t. salt
2 t. olive oil
2 1/2-3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add salt, olive oil and 2 1/2 cups flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Turn to speed 2 and mix about 1 minute.

Continuing on speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix about 2 minutes or until dough clings to hook and cleans the side of the bowl. Kneed on speed 2 about 2 minutes longer (I don't add any more flour, unless it's absolutely necessary).

Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Let rise in warm place, free from draft (I turn my oven on as low as it will go--250--for a couple of minutes, turn it off, and place my dough inside the warm oven, uncovered) for about an hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down.

Spread dough onto greased pan. Add toppings as desired. Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes.

Edamame (soy beans in the pod)

I read a long time ago on someone’s blog (I cannot remember whose), that Edamame was a perfect finger food for kids. I had never had Edamame, so I thought we would try it.

The food itself is extremely healthy and if you buy the frozen type in the pod, you only have to defrost it to eat it. This makes it a super easy and simple snack or side for any meal.

Tonight, I reintroduced Edamame to my boys. Bert liked it last time we had it, so I reminded him of this and showed him how to pop open the pod to expose the seed. In my opinion, Edamame have a nutty flavor, and Bert likes nuts…So, I made sure to remind him that they taste like nuts. He started eating them right away.

As you can see, he liked the Edamame. Please excuse my “shirtless” boys at the dinner table. I didn’t notice until they had already gotten dinner underway.

Ernie is not a fan of anything un-fruit-like. He still had fun learning how to open the Edamame. The green soybeans never once crossed his lips. He did get a math lesson in though…

Perfectly lined up and counted to 5! So, apparently Edamame doubles as a wonderful math manipulative.

In this household, 50% is passing when it comes to food. If I can get one kid to like it and eat it, I have succeeded! (kind of reminiscent of the Texas TAKS math test—well, I think they have to have a 65% or something…at one time it was 55% though).

You all have a wonderful day, and let me know how your kids like Edamame!

Darn Good Green Beans

I’ve been doing these A LA Ozuna style the last couple of times I have made them.  My in-laws make their beans similarly to these.  I have stumbled onto their secret.

Ingredients:

Fresh green beans (however many your family eats…I usually do a couple handfuls for me and my husband.  The boys eat carrots)

1/4 c.  Onion (a couple thinly sliced rings chopped up)

2 Tbsp.  Bacon Grease (you could cook some bacon or just use the grease that you have saved from cooking bacon, either way it’s yummy)

1 Tomato diced

mushrooms (1/2 basket chopped)

salt

pepper

Directions:

Heat pan to medium high.  Add bacon grease, onion, and chopped green beans.  Salt to taste.  Cover.  Let cook for a bit, stirring occasionally.  After green beans and onion have cooked down a little (become a little soft), add mushrooms and tomato.  Salt again.  Pepper. Cover.  When beans are cooked but still have a bite to them, and when tomato has cooked down, they are done.

Check the seasoning…add more salt/pepper if needed.

Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops

You guys can thank me later. This is SOOOOO good. And super fast and super easy. Here is the link:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/parmesan-crusted-pork-chops-recipe/index.html
Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Prep Time:
15 min
Cook Time:
12 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 servings
Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions
Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to plates and serve with lemon wedges.
Copyright 2009 Television Food Network G.P., All Rights Reserved

Tangy Hummus

This is definitely not traditional, but it didn’t matter to me because I have never had more than a bite of hummus in my lifetime, so I didn’t have any expectations.  Without knowing what it should taste like, I created this.

Ingredients:

2 cups Cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

2-3 tbsp. miracle whip

Juice of 1 lemon

6-10 basil leaves, chopped

1-2 tbsp. salsa (I used the salsa I prepared here)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.

I have been eating this with Fritos and as a condiment on my turkey sandwich instead of mayo.  I think it would taste good on crackers, veggies or anything else that one would eat hummus with.  Please let me know if you like it!!

Salsa Recipe

What you need:

couple tbsp olive oil

1-28 oz can of Diced Tomatoes

1-28 oz can of Rotel tomatoes with chiles

1 onion chopped

4-5 cloves of garlic minced

4 jalapenos with seeds minced

fresh cilantro (handful chopped)

blender

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in stock pot.  Add onion, garlic, jalapeno, and tomatoes.  Cook down for about 5-8 minutes.  Add cilantro.  Put into blender and blend down until it is the consistency you want.  This allowed me to freeze about 5 containers of salsa. 

Caution: This is spicy!!

Pan Fried Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy and Oven Potatoes

I made this the other night and scored an 8 out of 10 from the husband.  This score is almost unheard of sense it seems only Emeril himself could get a 10.  (yeah, I have never seen a 9 either)  I think this is a testament to his pickiness, but I am sure you will hear more of that as I post more recipes.  ;)

You will need:

For the Pork Chops

2 Pork Chops (prefer bone-in)

a couple tablespoons olive oil

McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning

Salt

Pepper

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp butter (I used reduced calorie sticks)

1 cup beef broth (you could use chicken or pork)

fresh mushrooms sliced

For the Potatoes

3 Potatoes

1/4 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix

A couple tablespoons of olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Cooking instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a square casserole dish with foil (for easy cleanup).  Peel and chop potatoes into bite size pieces.  Put into dish.  Add a couple tbsp. olive oil, salt, pepper, and 1/4 package of Lipton Onion Soup Mix.  Mix to coat.  Bake until potatoes are fork tender.  (you could leave the skin on too)

Heat a skillet to Med-High and add a couple tablespoons olive oil.  Season pork chops with McCormick seasoning, salt and pepper.  Put seasoned side down in hot oil.  Season other side of pork chops.  Cook till browned and turn.  Cook for another couple minutes until pink is gone and second side is browned.  Take pork chops out of skillet and let them rest on a plate.  Turn heat down to Medium.  Add butter and flour.  Mix to make a thick paste.  Wisk in broth until the flour/butter mixture is completely blended and lump-free.  Really scrape the bottom of the pan and get all the bits and pieces from cooking the pork chops—it adds lots of flavor.  Add chopped mushrooms.  Turn down gravy to Low heat and let simmer with a lid on it.  After about 10 minutes, return the pork chops and let them simmer for another 5 minutes before serving. (warning: my cooking times are an estimate—use your judgment)

I served my Pork Chops and Potatoes with Salad.  You can get more creative.  This took me about 30 minutes start to finish.  It is important to start the potatoes first because they will cook longer.  Also keep in mind that you can decrease their cooking time by chopping them into smaller pieces.

Beer Bread

Ingredients
3 cups self-rising flour
¾ cup sugar
12 ounce can beer, not cold

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350*

Mix together all ingredients and pour into buttered loaf pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Check halfway through to see if you need to cover with foil if browning too quickly.

Cut a slit down the middle before the bread hardens and pour melted butter all over top.

Corn Casserole

This is a yummy side to serve with mexican food!

Ingredients
½ cup margarine, melted
15 ounce can whole kernal corn, drained
14.75 ounce can creamed corn
8.5 ounce package dry cornbread mix


Instructions
Preheat oven to 350*

In large bowl, combine melted margarine, corn, creamed corn & cornbread mix.

Transfer to 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until center is set and top is light golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I got this from Reader's Digest. I am telling you ladies, I am totally in love with it. But my kids didn't like it at all. I went a little crazy with the lime juice though. :o) It really is yummy.

You Will Need

3 corn tortillas (6 inches each), cut into 1/4-inch strips

4 tsp. olive oil, divided

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 large onion, chopped

5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 lb. red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup frozen corn

1 can (4 1/2 oz.) chopped green chilies

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1/4 tsp. pepper

3 tbs. lime juice


What to Do

1. In large resealable plastic bag, combine tortilla strips, 1 tsp. oil, and salt. Seal bag and shake to coat. Arrange tortilla strips on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp, turning once. Remove to paper towels to cool.

2. In large saucepan, sauté chicken in remaining oil until lightly browned. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is tender. Add broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add corn, chilies, cilantro, and pepper, and heat through. Stir in lime juice. Top each serving with tortilla strips.

Yield: 6 servings ($1.62 per serving)


-- M. M., Traverse City, Michigan

Nutrition Facts: One serving (1 1/2 cups) equals 221 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 33 mg cholesterol, 757 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 19 g protein.