Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Mexican Chicken Wraps

This recipe is one of the first things I learned to cook and it's been somewhat of a staple over the years. I do several versions of wraps depending on the season and my mood. The reality is that I love wraps with lettuce and tons of fresh veggies (chicken with greek salad or caesar salad, etc.), but my kids don't. The Mexican version, however, is pretty full of what they love (cheese, beans, meat). Lucas will not eat the onions and doesn't love the peppers, but they are easy enough to pick out. Jacob is more adventurous and he will eat them as is. He even loves the additions of sour cream and avocado. Both kids like when I wrap their meals up 'burrito-style' with aluminum foil they can peel off as they eat.

Mexican Chicken Wraps

Timing - 20 minutes

Ingredients
1.5 T olive oil
1.5 lbs chicken tenders or boneless skinless breasts, cut in to bite size pieces (about 1 inch cubes)
1 T chili powder, divided
1.5 t cumin
1.5 t salt1 red pepper, sliced into 2 inch strips
1/2 of a small red onion, sliced thinly
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
Whole wheat tortillas
Toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced avocado, chopped jalapeno, chopped cilantro (obviously only add what your kids like to their wrap)

How To Make
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and heat further until it's quite hot. Add the chicken in a single layer and sprinkle with half of the chili powder, cumin, salt and a little pepper. Cook the chicken, stirring once in a while, until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Turn down the heat to medium-low.

Add the peppers and onions and sprinkle with the remaining spices. Cook the chicken and vegetables, stirring, until the chicken is almost cooked through, about another 4-5 minutes. Add the black beans and cook, stirring, until the beans are warmed through.

Meanwhile, heat the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Top with the chicken and vegetable mix and toppings of your choice. Wrap either taco or burrito style.

Serves 4-6

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Honey Glazed Salmon

After the last few days of restaurant after restaurant and lots of junk food (grandma and grandpa were in town), we needed a bit of a healthy detox. For this, I turned to one of the kids favorites, honey glazed salmon. This recipe is from a great book, "The Six O'clock Scramble." I got the book as a free gift with another one I bought on Amazon and it's perfect for quick meals that are kid friendly and usually involve basic ingredients that most people have on hand. Best of all, the honey glazed salmon is the ideal Monday main since it's ready quickly and bakes in the oven with almost no hands on time. Tonight, I served it with steamed broccoli and cheese and some orzo with butter and salt. As always, be sure to check for bones in the fish before serving to your kids.

Honey Glazed Salmon (from the Six O'clock Scramble cookbook)

Timing - 20 minutes

Ingredients
4 pieces of salmon fillets (about 1.5 lbs)
2 T butter
1/4 cup honey
salt and pepper

How to Make
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Melt the butter and honey together either on low heat on the stove or in the microwave for about 45 seconds. Stir.

Salt and pepper the salmon and place the fish in the baking dish leaving room between each piece. If the fish has skin, place skin side down. Generously brush the fish with the honey mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serves 4

Monday, October 20, 2008

Tortellini Soup: dinner in 20 in one pot

Sometimes I hate Mondays. The rush begins in the morning and goes into the night. Tonight was an exception. In the spirit of the colder weather, I made one of the boys favorites, Tortellini Soup. I got a version of this recipe in a magazine a few years ago and make it every few months. I can't remember where I found it, but what I do remember each time I make it, is that it is simple, healthy and very popular at my house. Lucas loves the carrots and Jacob loves the peas. Yay vegetables! Plus, as an added bonus, it's made in one pot which doesn't require any scrubbing when you are done. The dishes even rinse clean with water. I always make a double batch (as written below) and then I have a whole other dinner for another night. Ahhh...Monday.

Tortellini Soup

Timing - 20 minutes

Ingredients
1.5 T olive oil
2 leeks, trimmed and cleaned
(to clean, cut lengthwise almost all the way through, and then run water through all of the layers; leeks are very dirty - so this is important.)
3 carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 quarts chicken stock (2 boxes)
2 10-ounce packages of refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 cup frozen peas
Parmesan cheese

How to Make
After cleaning the leeks, cut them into half inches slices. Use only the white and very light green parts. The slices should be shaped like half moons if you already halved them lengthwise all the way after rinsing.

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook, covered, stirring once in a while, for about 5 to 8 minutes. The vegetables should be slightly soft; they will finish cooking in the stock.

Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. When the soup is boiling, add the tortellini and cook according to package directions. When there are two minutes remaining, add the frozen peas and cook until the peas are warm and the tortellini is done.

Serve the soup with grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves 8 (once for Monday and once for later in the week!)

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Baked Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

This one is reaching a bit as a 'foodie' item, but it is so fast and easy that I had to put it out there for you when you need something fast, cheap and yummy. This is one of the kids (and our) favorite 'fast foods.' Serve it with some salsa, sliced avocado and light sour cream or plain yogurt. I sometimes also add leftover corn or chopped chicken if I have them on hand.

After a very crazy weekend, this made my night both in terms of ease and taste.

Timing - 15 minutes

Ingredients
4 whole wheat flour tortillas (large size)
1/2 can vegetarian refried beans
Shredded cheddar or mexican cheese

How to Make
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Microwave half of the can of beans for about 25 seconds, just to soften. Spread the beans evenly over the tortillas. Sprinkle half of each tortilla with cheese (amount to your liking) and then fold over the bean-only side to make a half circle. Four folded tortillas should fit on the baking sheet.

Bake the quesadillas for 10 minutes until crispy and then cut into triangles with a pizza cutter.

Serves 4

Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Apple-Ginger Chutney (and my roasted potato recipe and fall salad recipe)

Over the weekend, we had the in-laws up and our cousins over, so we had a full-on dinner party. We even opened some nice wine. I have to say that it really felt relaxing to make a slightly longer meal and to linger around the table. The kids were so starving by the time they sat down that they happily lingered with us and enjoyed their food.

I had to improvise a bit on the chutney because I realized, mid-preparation, that I didn't have cider vinegar. I also cut down on the amount of onion and ginger that was called for so that it wasn't too strong. The result was actually delicious. The onion and ginger amount were perfect. I would make it with cider vinegar next time though because I think the color would have been prettier (less brown). I doubled the recipe for the chutney with no problem by using a wide skillet. In the end, I was left with way more than I needed, but I plan to use the rest over chicken breasts later this week. Note that the chutney part of recipe below is as I made it (except that I doubled it).

For the pork chops, I grilled them outside instead of the preparation method in the recipe because I was making 8 pork chops and didn't want to wash all of the pans. If you do this, eliminate one tablespoon of the butter and all but a touch of the olive oil. You can simply rub the chops with a little oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and then grill, on medium-high heat, for about 5 minutes per side.

Included here are also two very simple staples that I make as sides. Lucas LOVES the potatoes. Jacob can take them or leave them. The truthful story about salad, all salad, is that I haven't figured out a way to get my kids to eat it, but they will pick the fruit out of this one at least. Adults always rave about it. Neither has a totally set recipe, so play around with them to get them they way you like.

Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Apple-Ginger Chutney
(adapted from Fine Cooking October/November 2005)

Timing - about 45 minutes

Ingredients
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut in the 1/2-inch dice
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup golden raisins
2 T minced fresh ginger
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup cider vinegar (I used half balsamic and half red wine vinegars because that is all I had)
4 T unsalted butter
1/8 t cayenne pepper
4 boneless center-cut pork chops, about 1 inch thick
1 T olive oil
3 T chopped fresh cilantro

How to Make
In a large saucepan, combine the apples, onions, raisins, ginger, brown sugar, vinegar, 3 tablespoons of the butter, the cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook until the solids are very tender and the liquid has reduced to a juicy, syrupy glaze, 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, once the chutney has been simmering for about 15 minutes, season the pork chops with salt and pepper. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with the oil over medium-high heat until the butter foams and just begins to turn a nutty brown. Add the pork chops and cook until the first side is deeply browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip the chops and continue cooking until the second side is well browned and the chops are cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir the cilantro into the chutney and season to taste with salt. Serve the chops topped with the chutney.

Serves 4

Roasted Potatoes (this is a loose recipe, but easy to eyeball it to your liking)

Timing - about 1 hour and 15 minutes

Ingredients
20-25 Potatoes (small round ones like German butter ball, baby Yukon or other farmer's market variety; you want about 3-4 per person)
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper
Sugar
Herbs De Provence (or other dried herb mix)
Olive Oil

How to Make
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. The dish should be large enough to hold the potatoes in a single layer with a little space between them. Cut the potatoes in half. Place the potatoes in the dish and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with a little garlic powder, salt and pepper (maybe a teaspoon of the salt and garlic and a bit less of the pepper) and a pinch of sugar. Add about one and a half teaspoons of herbs. Use your hands to mix all of the ingredients together, making sure to coat all of the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a single layer and bake for about 60-75 minutes, stirring after 30 minutes and every 15 minutes there after. The potatoes should be golden and crispy on the outside when they are done.

Serves 8

Fall Salad
(serve tossed with balsamic vinaigrette. I make my own by mixing balsamic vinegar, a little honey and Dijon mustard (maybe a teaspoon of each) and then whisking together with olive oil. Add a little salt to taste)

To make the salad, toss together the following with the dressing:

Mixed greens
Chopped apples, halved grapes or sliced pears
Toasted walnuts
Dried cranberries
Chopped cucumber
Crumbled goat cheese



Apricot Chicken with Almonds

It was a pretty good week in the kitchen last week. I made a few new things and overall, the boys really liked them. It's funny how their tastes are so different already, but with this recipe and the other one I made (pork chops - see the other post)...I solidified that they, like me, love the sweet and savory thing. Pretty much any meat with something sweet = good.

I really do try to cook with boneless skinless chicken breasts as much as possible, but they can get boring after a while. I was happy, as always, to find another use for them with this recipe, which I followed exactly as it was written. This dish was even pretty enough for company and I rounded it out with some brown rice and steamed vegetables.

Apricot Chicken with Almonds (from Gourmet Magazine January 2005)

Timing - 30 minutes

Ingredients
4 (6 ounce) skinless boneless chicken breasts
5/8 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 1/2 T soy sauce
1 T whole-grain mustard
1 T unsalted butter

How to Make
Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a 13x9 inch baking dish (something that can go under the broiler).

Pat chicken dry and sprinkle all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper total, then arrange at least 1/4 inch apart in the baking dish. Bake 10 minutes.

While chicken bakes, toast almonds in a small baking pan in the oven, stirring twice, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook apricot preserves, soy sauce, mustard, butter and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until preserves are melted. Pour sauce over chicken and continue to bake until chicken is just cooked through, about 10 minutes more.

Turn on broiler and broil chicken 4 to 5 inches from heat, basting once, until chicken is glazed and browned in spots, about 3 minutes. Serve sprinkled with almonds.

Serves 4

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Golden Chicken, Corn & Orzo Soup

OK, I had a puzzling time in the kitchen tonight. I admit it. I made a soup that had all of the components that the kids love, but they weren't totally in love with it. True, there were high points for each of them, but each kid had at least one complaint. In general, soup is a favorite because it is fun to eat, but Lucas complained that the broth was 'too lemony' and Jacob, while he loved the broth, celery and orzo, complained that the chicken was 'wet.'

So why I am I sharing this recipe? I think with a few modifications, I could have made everyone smile; so, I will tell you what I did and suggest changes in parenthesis. Make it your own according to your family's tastes.

Note that I used one helpful strategy to make this a quick recipe. Since the recipe called for cooked chicken, I roasted two bone-in chicken breasts last night while we were doing the night time routine. Simply cook the chicken in a sprayed baking dish for forty minutes at 350 degrees and then let it cool a bit and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Then, when you are ready to make the soup, you can dice it or shred it while the vegetables are cooking for the soup. You could also buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it up as well.

Golden Chicken, Corn & Orzo Soup (adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine, November 2005)

Timing - 25 minutes

Ingredients
2 T olive oil
2 large ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 pinch saffron threads
1/2 t dried thyme
2 quarts chicken broth (I always use the boxed kind; you could use less, but then you should cook the pasta separately and add it at the end with the corn and parsley)
2 1/2 cups finely diced or shredded cooked chicken
3/4 cup orzo (larger pasta, like noodles, might work better for little hands/spoons)
1 1/4 cups frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (this wasn't a huge hit for the kids, so maybe leave it out)
3 T fresh lemon juice (again, not a huge hit for Lucas, so maybe try a bit less)

How to Make
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, saffron and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and return to a boil then turn down to a rapid simmer and add the pasta, stirring to prevent sticking. Cook the pasta 8 to 10 minutes (or according to package directions if using something other than orzo).

When the pasta is nearly finished, add the corn and parsley (if using) and cook just until the corn is heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 6