Salsa Chicken with Brie

This is kind of a cheater meal: it’s too easy.

Take a piece of chicken. Everyone always uses breasts. 

Personally I prefer thighs and other parts. 

I didn’t know this until recently when, in an effort to save money, we bought the thighs and whatever other parts come with them. (It’s a package at Costco, organic but less expensive than breasts.)

Well, after thirty some years of my mom convincing me that I prefer white meat, I discovered dark. 

And I like it.

Anyway, take a piece of chicken place it on a piece of tinfoil (big enough to make a packet out of)
Pour 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa on it
Close tinfoil
Repeat for the number of people you are serving
Bake at 375 for 36 minutes.
 
Open the biggest and slice through to make sure it is cooked through. 
(size of chicken may change cooking time)

Open each packet and place a slice of brie on top.

Place under the broiler for a minute to get it brown and bubbly.


Serve with barley, or brown rice, or any grainy side that sounds good and you happen to have. Or not. I don't mind if you want to eat it alone.

Tuna and Avocado Salad with White Beans

If this recipe sounds eerily familiar, it is because it is a knock-off of Erins Avocado Salad. I got so addicted to her salmon salad that I began to ponder my role in the decline of the Pacific Northwest wild salmon population.  And also, wild salmon is expensive (so, so worth every penny, however, but sometimes you have to remind yourself there are other fish in the sea).

1 can albacore tuna
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1 can of white beans, rinsed and drained (I took a strong liking to Great Northern beans for this, but garbanzos are great also, as are other white beans)
10-12 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 red onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup feta cheese (I also use Romano cheese often, either is delicious or go cheese-free if you prefer)
Lemon juice to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and sprinkle with lemon juice and salt and pepper.

There are endless variations to this. Sometimes I chop some Bibb lettuce leaves and toss them in, or sliced fresh basil if I have it. Chopped pecans are yummy in it. My husband has requested cucumbers be added but  sadly he has been overruled every time as I don't like them! And of course, sub salmon for tuna for the Cadillac version.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond Smoothie

Many add-ins can be used to make this treat even more yummy and nutritious, but the bottom line is it is a decadent, milk-shake-like concoction that satisfies the powerful, persistent variety of sweet-tooth that my entire family possesses. Blend it up and serve with a smile under that dark chocolate milk moustache.

2 c. dark chocolate almond milk (I use Silk brand)
1 c. frozen organic raspberries
1 8oz. container of raspberry or vanilla yogurt (I use Cascade Fresh, as it is the only yogurt I have found so        far that is sweetened with fruit juice only
1 big handful of spinach (or as much as I can stuff in the blender without my kids seeing)

Add all ingredients to blender and process until smooth.

Turkey Rolls

They're called turkey but any lunch meat works.

Well, not really, most lunch meat is full of nitrates and crap that is gross and really bad for you. So take your time, read the labels and find some lunch meat that is just that; meat.

Very simply, spread cream cheese on meat and roll.

So easy and so popular with the kids!

Variations;
Put a pickle in the middle.
Use a stick of cheese instead of cream cheese and roll it up in meat.
You can slice these and make pretty little appetizer snacks for ‘snacky meals*’

*Snacky meals are super popular around my house.
 They can consist of pretty much anything as long as it can be cut up and served in little pieces. A peanut butter and banana sandwich is only so exciting, but when it is cut up in 6 pieces and served with small pieces of cheese, grapes, roasted garbanzo beans, cucumber slices.... you get the drift; finger foods are popular for a reason, you’ll be amazed at what you can slip on your kids’ plates!

Fast Food Chicken Dinner

It's not technically fast food but as much effort when into this as driving to a fast food restaurant would.

Argue with me, go ahead. 

Steamed artichokes, baked sweet potatoes and slow cooker rosemary chicken.

 

Chicken: Put a whole roasting chicken in the slow cooker, cut fresh rosemary on top (dried will work as well), drizzle a little olive oil on top and salt. Set to low for about 8 hours.

Then go about your day. When you get home as everybody is getting homework started put a few sweet potatoes in the convection/toaster oven at 400 degrees.

Boil a couple inches of water in a big pot, squeeze some lemon in, put 4 artichokes in to steam. (Cut off the stem and leave tips first.)

Your now have about 45 minutes to set the table, pour some drinks, hang up the 800 coats your family inexplicably wore today, put lunch boxes away, silently question what was going through their heads as they chose what to eat and what to refuse today, refocus wandering 5 year olds who are supposed to be doing their homework, throw the laundry you forgot about in the washer into the dryer, wipe down the kids' bathroom because it ALWAYS needs to be wiped down and since you were too lazy to run upstairs use your own bathroom you used the kids' and now you are compelled to acknowledge its need,  find the gym bag that has not been unpacked for one too many days, throw its contents into the now free washer, where it will sit for too long once again, and sit down and have a relaxing glass of wine with your husband while he tells you amusing and witty quips about his day. (You did notice I said pour drinkS at the beginning of this.....) 

But I digress.  Often.

Be sure to put cinnamon on the table to season the sweet potatoes. (My kids have confused it with sugar and think they're getting away with something when they do this.)

For the artichokes serve yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, and a squeeze of mustard (I dislike mustard immensely but you can't taste it in this.) mixed in little individual bowls which everyone can season to taste. 

(Hot sauce or cinnamon work well.)

Salsa is a good dip as well.

Too Far Card

A brilliant invention for conversations. The too far card is used liberally in these circles. 

I have now found an additional use for it, though the possible use list is endless. 

Here's a little story for you.

I have healthy eaters. 
I throw spinach in the blender and nobody bats an eye. 
Brussels Sprouts: Yea!!!
Salad with dinner? Yes, please, may I have some more. 

I'm a lucky mom. 

With the first two anyway. 

What is it about the third that opens up the door to..... well.....

My dad likes to throw judgment away from himself and his liberal use of butter by quipping about Europe; where they butter their cheese....

Apparently my youngest, not only heard this popular remark of Grandpa's but liked the idea enough to make it her own, but better. 

My family came to town this Christmas and we were all out to breakfast. With 15 of us, and the kids getting older and not needing constant supervision to get through a meal everyone can relax a bit. 

Which gave my five year old ample time to butter her bacon. 

And there she sat; ever so happily munching away on buttered bacon. 


Too far, honey. Too far.

Avocado Salad

Or as I like to think of it; the pregnant girl manna.

A few years ago I make this salad and bring it to the beach to share.

Jessica, quite pregnant at the time oohs and ahhs over it and tells me it meets all her crazy pregnancy needs.

I’m happy to have provided a good lunch and all is well.

Until the next summer, when I am in her former state and she returns the favor.

It is only then than I truly understand what she was trying to say.

This salad was like food to a starving Ethiopian kid. (I guess that dates me.... my father would have said Chinese kid.. I don't know what the starving kid de jour is but let me tell you send him some of this salad and everyone will be good.)

Bottom line, I cried in gratitude.

Seriously.

3 Avocados, chopped in 1 inch cubes

10 Cherry Tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size

1 can of garbanzo beans

1/2 red onion diced

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 can of salmon

Mix it all together and serve over lettuce, in lettuce as a wrap, or with flax chips or flax crackers.

Apple Pancakes

These are good anytime of year but, in our house, when the apple tree is brimming and fall is in the air these are an absolute must!

Apples

1 cup Oats

1 cup Milk

1 Tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

Pinch of Salt

Cinnamon to taste

Slice the apples into 1/2 inch pieces and use a shot glass or whatever works to cut out the core.

Blend other ingredients into batter.

Dip apple slices in batter, cook on hot griddle as you would pancakes.

Serve plain, with cinnamon and sugar, peanut butter, peanut butter mixed with yogurt, maple syrup, honey.... basically whatever floats your boat.

Breakfast Tacos

Sometimes it’s about changing it up and being silly to keep everyone excited about their morning fare.

Tacos for breakfast?

Absolutely!

Taco Shells

Cheesy Scrambled Eggs *

Green Onions, Sliced

Black Beans

Salsa

Greek Yogurt

Guacamole or Avocado slices

Bacon or Sausage (optional)

Set it up as a taco bar or assemble them to your family’s tastes.

*Why must I call things by such weird but official sounding titles??

Besides the nerdy pleasure I derive from it, it makes things sound more exciting to the kids.

In the case of Cheesy Scrambled Eggs you scramble eggs and add cheese. Any kind, to taste.

Left Over Pizza Breakfast

Ok, I will accept that our days of eating cold left-over pizza standing at the kitchen counter are over.

At least in front of the kids, right?

But I refuse to banish leftover pizza from my breakfast options.

Solution; stick it on a  parchment paper lined cookie sheet, crack a few eggs on top (the number depends on the number of slices and size of said slices - I go with about one egg per large slice.)

Place it in a pre-heated 350 degree oven and bake until the eggs are the consistency you and your family prefer; about 4-7 minutes.

It sounds so simple but I get treated like a culinary genius, at least until they're hungry for lunch......

Picky Eaters

I was raised on white bread and macaroni and cheese. Not because I wasn’t exposed to nutritious and diverse foods but because I was picky and I was the baby of the family.

It took me until college to figure out what incredible cooks my parents are. I still smart at the things I missed; “Don’t you remember when I used to make french onion soup,” or “cannoli, NY cheesecake, the time we got really into Chinese cooking?”

No, I was being picky and refusing to even smell the offending foods, sustaining on packaged cookies (my preference over mom’s homemade which might contain nuts) and plain spaghetti noodles (no sauce mom spent 8 hours simmering on the stove for me, thanks!)

By the ironic whims of the cosmos I have been spared the experience of a picky child. My youngest does a pretty good impression of one but she’s up against two youngest children who have her number.

So you'd think I'd have some empathy for the picky among us. Those poor little children who would rather go hungry than eat something green.

Apparently not.

No, I went so far as to make a kid cry.

Not on purpose.

It was a long time ago.

But I'll tell the story anyway.

Jessica was over with her kids and her niece who was probably around three at the time and she was very excited that I was making macaroni and cheese for lunch. When I set it down in front of her and she spied the pretty green peas mixed in her bowl she promptly broke down in tears.

I think I broke a little piece of her heart that day. 

Don't worry, other kids are learning, or trying, different ways to deal with me.

Case in point: my daughter had a friend over who had been subjected to my 'sneaky' ways before. This kid tried to tell me she was allergic to vegetables.
She told me point blank she couldn't have a smoothie because she was allergic to some types of vegetables.
(It wasn't a random kid off the street, we happen to be good friends with her family and I can assure you she is not allergic to vegetables or any other foods for that matter, so don't go all peanut dangers on me.)

I know there will be a lot of posts on picky eaters and that Jess and Bretta both struggle with the issue so I just wanted to give a little background on me so that when I end up sounding crass or unsympathetic you'll know that actually I am trying to help, it is just not my strong point.

Quichitas

These are kind of amazing.

They, also, are just a spring board for your creativity.

Sure you can go with the traditional breakfast items to fill them; bacon, sausage, spinach, onions, cheese but I’ve had just as much success with random leftovers. Think taco left overs; meat, beans, cheese, tomatoes. Or chicken, artichoke hearts and kale. Salmon, cream cheese, and capers. Really, if it has gone together as a meal it will most likely work in this.

I use the raw tortillas from Costco for half and leave half with no shell. Both are delicious. Here is a basic recipe but the idea is fill muffin tins with yummy food (precooked meats, which is why leftovers are so perfect) pour scramble egg mixture to fill cups about 2/3 of the way full, bake.

Here is a basic recipe to get you started:

6 raw tortilla shells

5 eggs

couple handfuls of spinach chopped

bacon (cooked)

1/2 cup of milk

shredded cheddar cheese

Toppings; Salsa, yogurt, avocado

Grease the muffin pan.

Cut tortillas in half. Bring ends to meet to make a funnel sort of shape and stuff into muffin cup. (It should look like a little pie crust, and it is ok if you stuff some down, you’re just lining the cup and making the crust.

If you don’t want to use tortillas skip the above step.

Divide the filling ingredients into each cup: spinach, bacon and cheese.

Beat eggs and milk and fill* each cup 2/3 full.

*I use a turkey baster to fill the cups with the eggs mixture.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the centers don’t jiggle when you shake the pan.

Top with salsa, yogurt and avocado if desired.

These are great for breakfast on the go if you so need.   

Smoothie Pancakes

I promise to add pictures asap but I want to start putting this on now. The sooner you start making these the happier a person you'll be. You'll forgive the photo digression eventually. 

Smoothie Pancakes are far and above my favorite thing to make for the family. They are the easiest way to ‘sneak’ in veggies and other healthy foods while still appealing to the crowd. 

They are a great way to introduce your kids to different colored foods; green, purple, and yellow in natural ways which will make their appearance later less off-putting. The possibilities are literally endless and your creativity is your only limit. Here is a basic recipe from which to start.

2 very large handfuls spinach
1 1/2 cup oats (old fashioned rolled, not quick cooking)
1 cup milk (add more to desired thinness)
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
2 large eggs or 3 small eggs
10 almonds
1 frozen banana (fresh is fine, frozen is just more likely in my house)
1/2 tablespoon oil
pinch of sea salt
cinnamon to taste

Throw all ingredients in blender - the better your blender, the better!
Cook on hot skillet or griddle as you would traditional pancakes.

Topping suggestions: syrup (the real, pure, maple sort, in moderation of course), honey (raw, local), fruit spread, fruit salsa, regular salsa, lemon curd.
We put a fried egg on top for anyone in the mood and occasionally serve with a breakfast meat.

Alternative ingredient ideas that actually work~
Spinach: Kale, Chard, Brussels Sprouts
Oil: Coconut oil, flax seeds
Milk: any milk substitute works including yogurt
Almonds: any nut
Additions: Apples (quartered with peel and core)
Blueberries, raspberries, cherries
 
Once the family is used to the change from traditional pancakes you can  stir in some corn, peas, cocoa nibs, hemp seeds, or whatever other superfood of the moment floats your boat. 
 
You get the idea; the possibilities are endless.