SQUARE MEAL MAC 'N CHEESE

SQUARE MEAL MAC 'N CHEESE

This one is a shout-out to those of you with picky eaters...even my ultra-finicky daughter gets all the food groups in when I make this.

Ingredients:

(Makes approximately 2 kid-size portions)

1 packet Trader Joe's (or other single serving) Microwavable Mac 'n Cheese

10 baby carrots, sliced

Handful garbanzo beans, drained

Handful spinach leaves, torn or chopped into miniscule bits

Olive oil

Parmesan cheese

Water

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a small sautee pan over medium heat. Add garbanzo beans and cook for approximately 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, place carrots in a microwave safe bowl and add a few tablespoons of water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for one minute; stir; cook another minute; stir; cook one more minute.

3. Drain water from carrots and add to beans in pan.

4. Mash beans and carrots in pan with a fork until well mixed.

5. Follow directions for making mac 'n cheese.

6. Add spinach and a tablespoon or so of parmesan cheese to pan and mix well. Cook one or two more minutes.

7. Combine veggie mix with cooked mac 'n cheese. Sprinkle with more parmesan cheese.

Notes:

*Kids can help by stirring the cheese into the cooked macaroni (my daughter loves that).

*If necessary, feel free to recreate "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" with your parmesan pile...atleast they're getting dairy, grains, legumes and two colors (!) of veggies.

*This is a good one if you're trying to feed kids from different age groups...just leave out the extra parmesan for little ones when you're concerned about the sodium.

*My daughter will eat this despite a passionately-professed dislike of beans...I'm not sure she actually knows there are beans in it and I am not about to tell her. If you know her, please don't tell her either, okay?

SUPER-DUPER ONE POT RISOTTO

SUPER-DUPER ONE POT RISOTTO

Ingredients:
(Makes 2-3 entree servings)

1/2 - 2/3 box Trader Joe's Three Grains Blend (rice, barley & spelt)
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
Splash red wine
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
10 crimini mushrooms (stems removed), diced
1/4 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1 zucchini, diced
2 Tbsp. crushed garlic
2 Tbsp. light butter
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 shake dried thyme
1 shake dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
Couple shakes black pepper
1/4 cup + several Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
[Optional: red pepper flakes, to taste]
[Optional: few sprigs fresh parsley]

Directions:

1. In large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.

2. Add mushrooms, bell pepper and onion to pot. Stir frequently for a couple of minutes, covering with lid in between (oil should be hot and sputtering).

3. Add garlic and red wine. Stir and cover a couple more minutes.

4. Add broth and spices, stir, cover and bring to boil.

5. Add Three Grains blend and stir. Reduce heat to medium, cover and continue to stir occasionally for approximately 10 minutes.

6. Add zucchini, stir, cover and continue to stir occasionally, for 8 more minutes or until all broth is absorbed.

7. Remove from heat and stir in butter and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese [and red pepper].

8. Serve and sprinkle each portion with 1-2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese [and add a sprig of fresh parsley].

Notes:

*Great served with a spinach salad (add garbanzo or white kidney beans for protein!) and toasted slices of hearty ciabatta or other yummy bread.

*Kids can help by dicing up mushrooms.

*I used Trader Joe's Reduced Sodium Savory Vegetable Broth, 3 packets in 3 1/2 cups hot water.

*Surprisingly filling and rich! Doesn't taste like it has so little oil and butter. Just ask the hubby. :)

BETTER-THAN-TARTAR SAUCE

BETTER-THAN-TARTAR SAUCE

This is so much more than a mayonaisey, globby substance for trying to mask the flavor of less-than-fresh fish...

Ingredients:
(Makes 1-2 servings of dip)

2 Tbsp. mayonaise
1 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
Splash Tabasco Sauce
1 tsp. sweet relish
1 tsp. horseradish cream style

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together.

Notes:

*Use for dipping fish sticks, bread, veggies, and more!

*Kids can stir.

KABOCHA SQUASH & SAGE SOUP

KABOCHA SQUASH & SAGE SOUP





Ingredients:
(Makes 2 entree sized bowls)

1 Kabocha squash, sliced in half vertically, seeds removed
Olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 small apple, skinned, cored and halved
1 small yellow onion, sliced
6-8 small fresh sage leaves, cut into tiny bits
Fresh ground pepper
4-8 oz. half and half
8-12 oz. low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Rub cut side of squash with olive oil, prick once or twice with a fork, then roast in a lightly oiled pan for 30 minutes. Remove and cool down for at least 15 minutes before scooping squash out of shell.

3. Add apple and a bit more water if necessary. Continue roasting, turning apples occasionally, for 30 more minutes.

4. Meanwhile, heat approximately 4 Tbsp. olive oil in small skillet over low-medium heat. Add onion and stir. Heat for a few minutes, then sprinkle with pepper to taste and sage. Stir and cook several more minutes, until onion is tender and lightly browned.

5. Add all ingredients to a food processor and puree for approximately 30-45 seconds, until almost smooth.

6. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of parmesan or other strong cheese and a sage leaf for garnish.

Notes:

*I like to use a grapefruit spoon for de-seeding squash.

*Try substituting shallots or leeks for the onion.

*If you'd like to make this ahead, stop at step 5, store in the refrigerator in one container (so flavors mix). When ready to serve, proceed with pureeing, then microwave each bowl covered with a paper towel for approximately 2 minutes, stirring half way through.

*Start with the above proportions, adding broth and/or half and half to reach desired consistency.

*Set aside some of the cooked squash for feeding babies.

*Great served with a salad and parmesan garlic toast.

LOOSEY-GOOSEY PASTA

LOOSEY-GOOSEY PASTA

So, say you want to impress your family by making your own pasta sauce from scratch...and say that sounds too long and arduous and not at all compatible with your busy lifestyle - no matter! You can make this one on the fly, I promise. It's called "Loosey-Goosey" because, as usual, I threw it together and didn't measure anything, so all amounts and cooking times are approximate.

Ingredients:
(Makes 3-4 entree portions)

1/2 package angel hair pasta (capellini)
1 Applegate Farms Sweet Italian chicken & turkey sausage, sliced
12 tomatoes, whole but poked with a knife
Olive oil
Worcestershire sauce, to taste (approximately 1 Tbsp.)
1 can tomato paste
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Dried thyme
Black pepper
Minced garlic, to taste (approximately 1 Tbsp.)
1/2 bag TJ's organic spinach leaves (approximately 3 oz.)
1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped
Handful thickly sliced mushrooms (i.e., pre-sliced in the bag from TJ's)
Cooking sherry or other white wine
Parmesan cheese
Red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot of water with a dash of olive oil and salt in it. Once it boils, turn the heat all the way down to keep it hot while preparing the sauce.
2. Meanwhile, pour a generous amount of olive oil into a wok or other large pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add sausage and tomatoes to the pan. Heat for 2 minutes.
4. Start breaking up tomatoes with a wooden spoon and stirring sausage around to prevent burning or sticking. Cook several more minutes, until tomatoes are soft and starting to break apart easily.
5. When there is a good amount of liquid in the pan, add mushrooms and spinach. Stir for a minute or two, breaking up the mushrooms with the spoon.
6. Add tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, black pepper, dried herbs, splash of sherry. Stir well for a minute or two, then reduce heat to low and cover, stirring occasionally.
7. Turn water back up to boiling, add pasta and cook according to package (approximately 3 minutes), stirring frequently.
8. Remember that you didn't add the bell pepper to the sauce yet and decide to throw it in with the pasta. Realize later that this is an awesome way to cook it (for both texture and flavor), and commit to trying to remember to do it this way in the future. Feel really self-satisfied for being an innovator, conveniently ignoring that it was the result of being scatterbrained and a bit harried.
9. Drain pasta/bell pepper, douse with cold water and toss with a bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking.
10. Serve with a generous portion of sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and red pepper.

Notes:

*Angel hair is popular with the preschool set.

*Applegate Farms is a small company that makes a bunch of different organic, humanely-raised meat products. Look for it at health food stores and Whole Foods.

*I like the size and especially the flavor of the Campari tomatoes-on-the-vine from Costco - yum!!

*If your kid enjoys cooking, have her break up the mushrooms prior to adding to the pan.

CHEESY EGGPLANT SANDWICHES, TRADER JOE'S STYLE

CHEESY EGGPLANT SANDWICHES, TRADER JOE'S STYLE





Ingredients:
(Makes 4 sandwiches)

4 TJ's Organic Baby Baguettes, sliced down the middle but still connected at the bottom
1/2 - 3/4 eggplant, 1/2" slices
2 Tbsp. crushed garlic
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
8 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup TJ's Tuscano Marinara Sauce
1/2 cup TJ's Quattro Formaggio (shredded cheese)
Salt

Directions:


1. Cover each eggplant slice with salt, let sit for 15 minutes, then rinse well and dice.


2. Preheat toaster oven to 400 degrees.


3. Toss the eggplant with the olive oil, parmesan cheese and garlic until thoroughly and evenly coated (I like putting it all together in a tupperware container and shaking like crazy...my daughter likes doing that part, too!).


4. Pour the eggplant out onto a piece of foil and bake in toaster oven for approximately 7 minutes (keep an eye on it to prevent burning).


5. Fill each baguette with eggplant, cover with marinara sauce, and press shredded cheese down into each sandwich.

6. Bake for 5 minutes more, or until cheese is melted but not yet brown.

7. Slice each sandwich in half and serve.

Notes:


*Kids can stir/shake the eggplant, olive oil, parmesan and garlic.


*Don't skip the salting step! It keeps the eggplant firm during cooking and minimizes bitterness.


*Serve with gourmet olives or pepperoncinis on the side to "class" it up!

SUNSHINE LEMONADE

SUNSHINE LEMONADE

My daughter came up with this one...too good not to pass along!

Ingredients:
(Makes 2 servings)

4 lemons (enough to get almost 1 cup of juice)
2 Cuties (or other clementines)
1 cup sugar or powdered sugar
1 cup water

Directions:

1. Squeeze lemons and clementines.

2. Mix juice with sugar and water.

3. Stir well before each serving and serve over ice.

Notes:

*Kids can do the whole thing themselves, especially if you have a little electric squeezer.

*Those two little clementines make all the difference!