In this house, we love Mexican food. In fact, when I was pregnant with my son, there wasn't a salsa hot enough to satisfy me. My co-workers joked that my baby would come out doing a hat dance. :)
I have modified this recipe to make it slightly more 'healthy'.
Enchilada Casserole
2 lbs ground turkey breast, cooked
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 chopped onion ( I buy the frozen chopped onions, no chopping needed!)
small jar mild salsa
1 can enchilada sauce
whole wheat tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Spray crock pot with non stick spray. Cover bottom of crock pot with tortillas. (You will have to tear some to make them fit)
Alternate layers of 1/3 of each of the ground turkey, beans, corn, onions, salsa, and enchilada sauce and tortillas. Keep alternating layers and reserve a little enchilada sauce and cheese for the top.
Cook on low 4-6 hours, or high for 2 hours.
Eat a big helping and do a hat dance.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Breakfast Pizza
This morning, for something completely different, we had Breakfast Pizza. A friend shared this recipe while I was scaring her to death in my van on the highway en route to a field trip in Atlanta. I think she has since recovered.
2 rolls crescent roll dough
Jimmy Dean turkey sausage crumbles (precooked, precrumbled frozen sausage.)
Krogers "Real Bacon" bacon bits. These are found on the salad aisle and truly are real bacon pieces.
six beaten eggs.
handful of shredded cheddar cheese
optional: Green peppers, onions, mushrooms, chopped fresh tomatoes...if you swing that way
Preheat oven to 375.
Lay out crescent roll dough in a sheet pan, bringing it up the sides a little.
Sprinkle with a good handful of sausage crumbles and bacon bits. (y'all know I measure using Handful, Pinch, Dash, Blob....)
Pour over your beaten eggs. Top with a handful of shredded cheese.
Bake until eggs are set. This took me about 15 minutes, but the more toppings you add, the longer it will take to cook.
We served ours with fresh clementines and milk. I had mine with a splash of hot sauce. Yum.
This could also be a nice lunch alternative as well! And it took no time at all to put everything together.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Butternut Squash
I love the flavor of butternut squash! Yes, it's a pain to peel and cut. (Break out the machete and the chainsaw, right?) My favorite way to cook it is to roast it in a pan with sweet potatoes.
One butternut squash, peeled and cubed
Two or three sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
olive oil
salt to taste
Toss veggies in oil and spread on a sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt and roast in a 375 oven until soft and tender. (30 minutes? 45? Not sure how long...just keep in the oven til done.)
However, you can buy frozen butternut squash puree in the frozen vegetable section at the supermarket, and it is a very versatile ingredient. It makes a wonderful pasta sauce...
One box frozen squash puree, thawed
1/2 cup chicken broth
splash of heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
packaged cheese tortilloni
steamed shrimp, 1 lb, peeled
fresh sage, chopped fine
Cook tortilloni according to directions. Drain. In a large pan, combine squash and chicken broth, along with salt and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes to reduce the mixture then add a spash or two of cream. Stir in shrimp, tortilloni and chopped sage, stir till heated through. Sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese and serve to your happy children. Or eat it all yourself.
I wonder if the squash puree would work in the pumpkin muffin recipe I last posted? Hmm...
Butternut squash...a mild and homey taste of fall.
One butternut squash, peeled and cubed
Two or three sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
olive oil
salt to taste
Toss veggies in oil and spread on a sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt and roast in a 375 oven until soft and tender. (30 minutes? 45? Not sure how long...just keep in the oven til done.)
However, you can buy frozen butternut squash puree in the frozen vegetable section at the supermarket, and it is a very versatile ingredient. It makes a wonderful pasta sauce...
One box frozen squash puree, thawed
1/2 cup chicken broth
splash of heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
packaged cheese tortilloni
steamed shrimp, 1 lb, peeled
fresh sage, chopped fine
Cook tortilloni according to directions. Drain. In a large pan, combine squash and chicken broth, along with salt and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes to reduce the mixture then add a spash or two of cream. Stir in shrimp, tortilloni and chopped sage, stir till heated through. Sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese and serve to your happy children. Or eat it all yourself.
I wonder if the squash puree would work in the pumpkin muffin recipe I last posted? Hmm...
Butternut squash...a mild and homey taste of fall.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Gettin' My Pumpkin On
A friend shared this recipe...I hate to even call it a recipe, it's that easy. Let's call it an 'idea'. A friend shared this idea with me, and at first I was all "Shut the front door! Are you serious?" And she was all, "Totally serious!" And I was all, "Yeah, that can't possibly work."
But it does! And if you all already know about this...idea...don't rain on my parade because I am totally psyched.
Take one box spice cake mix.
Mix with one 15 oz can pumpkin puree.
Scoop into muffin pan and bake at 350 for 20 min.
No eggs. No oil. and yet...heavenly.
What are you sitting around for? GO GET YOUR PUMPKIN ON!
But it does! And if you all already know about this...idea...don't rain on my parade because I am totally psyched.
Take one box spice cake mix.
Mix with one 15 oz can pumpkin puree.
Scoop into muffin pan and bake at 350 for 20 min.
No eggs. No oil. and yet...heavenly.
What are you sitting around for? GO GET YOUR PUMPKIN ON!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Stealthy Healthy
I'm good at being sneaky when it comes to ingredients.
Oh yeah.
Now, let me just say that I fully espouse the notion that kids should eat what they are served. They need to learn and respect nutrional values. I have told my children from the beginning that I am not a 'short order' cook and I refuse to cook two or three separate dinners for different members of the family. They can eat what I serve or go hungry.
However, sometimes I take secret delight in sneaking healthy stuff into their diets and watching them enjoy something I know they would balk at on it's own.
Case in point: Spinach.
Plopped out of a can...I agree. Yuck.
But...
Fresh spinach sliced thinly and tossed in salads? On sandwiches or wraps in lieu of lettuce?
Stirred into spaghetti sauce until just wilted? (Just tell them it's parsley.)
Also, stirred into homemade chicken noodle soup or veggie soup? Chopped fine and mixed into
meatloaf or meatballs? And if you make homemade broccoli soup...its all green so it matches and looks pretty.
The possibilties are endless.
Wheat germ. My daughter thought they were bacteria.
Mixed with bread crumbs and used as a crispy coating for baked chicken nuggets...mmm.
Mixed in to yogurt or even a bowl of cold cereal. Added to cookies or brownies. Shhh...no one will know.
Same goes for flax seed meal. (Note- use the ground flax seed, not the whole seeds. Those whole ones just pass on through without doing much good.) You can even add this to sauces and soups. Mix it into ground beef, taco meat, meatloaf, etc.
You can also buy frozen, mashed butternut squash, which is bland enough to even stir into mac and cheese (well, a small amount, but it's still something!), sauces, stews, cakes and cookies and brownies..oh my!
Have fun sneaking some nutrion into your children's diets!
I promise...I won't tell. Shhhh....
Oh yeah.
Now, let me just say that I fully espouse the notion that kids should eat what they are served. They need to learn and respect nutrional values. I have told my children from the beginning that I am not a 'short order' cook and I refuse to cook two or three separate dinners for different members of the family. They can eat what I serve or go hungry.
However, sometimes I take secret delight in sneaking healthy stuff into their diets and watching them enjoy something I know they would balk at on it's own.
Case in point: Spinach.
Plopped out of a can...I agree. Yuck.
But...
Fresh spinach sliced thinly and tossed in salads? On sandwiches or wraps in lieu of lettuce?
Stirred into spaghetti sauce until just wilted? (Just tell them it's parsley.)
Also, stirred into homemade chicken noodle soup or veggie soup? Chopped fine and mixed into
meatloaf or meatballs? And if you make homemade broccoli soup...its all green so it matches and looks pretty.
The possibilties are endless.
Wheat germ. My daughter thought they were bacteria.
Mixed with bread crumbs and used as a crispy coating for baked chicken nuggets...mmm.
Mixed in to yogurt or even a bowl of cold cereal. Added to cookies or brownies. Shhh...no one will know.
Same goes for flax seed meal. (Note- use the ground flax seed, not the whole seeds. Those whole ones just pass on through without doing much good.) You can even add this to sauces and soups. Mix it into ground beef, taco meat, meatloaf, etc.
You can also buy frozen, mashed butternut squash, which is bland enough to even stir into mac and cheese (well, a small amount, but it's still something!), sauces, stews, cakes and cookies and brownies..oh my!
Have fun sneaking some nutrion into your children's diets!
I promise...I won't tell. Shhhh....
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
I've Never Been to Spain...But I've Been to Oklahoma
Quick-who can name the singer who sang that?
Okay. Spanish food. I admit I don't know a whole lot about it. One of my mother's best friends comes from Spain and has shared a few classic recipes- paella and tortilla.
Let's start with tortilla, shall we?
I'm not talking about Mexican tortillas here, the flat flour or corn that you use for wraps and tacos. I'm talkin' Spanish Tortilla, otherwise known as a potato and egg omlette, cooked at first on top of the stove in a skillet, then finished in the oven. Yum.
In order to make it a quick fix, I like to use the refrigerated hash browns or cubed potatoes that you find bagged in the dairy section of the grocery store. Also, frozen chopped onions and bell peppers are huge time savers, as well as the finely cubed ham from the lunch meat section and the minced garlic in a jar.
I will note now that you need a skillet with a handle that can stand going into a hot oven. Es muy importante.
Spanish Tortilla
1/4 c olive oil
2 or 3 cups of refrigerated hash brown or cubed potatoes
1 c chopped frozen onions
1/2 c chopped frozen bell peppers (or you can leave them out)
1/2 c chopped ham
1 tsp minced garlic
5 or 6 eggs, beaten
Preheat the oven to 475. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes and onions and cook until the potatoes are soft, but not mushy. I even like mine browned a bit. Now toss in your ham, peppers if you want them, and garlic and stir til the peppers are thawed and hot. Pour in the eggs and continue to cook, stirring so the uncooked egg runs to the bottom of the pan. When everything starts looking 'set' and almost cooked, put the whole pan in the oven and watch carefully as it finishes cooking the top. ( you can use the broiler, but watch it carefully!)
Let it come to room temp, slice into wedges and serve with fresh fruit or salad. A dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of Spanish paprika is nice too. Eat two or three wedges and re-enact the running of the bulls in your living room.
Next time: Easy Paella!
Okay. Spanish food. I admit I don't know a whole lot about it. One of my mother's best friends comes from Spain and has shared a few classic recipes- paella and tortilla.
Let's start with tortilla, shall we?
I'm not talking about Mexican tortillas here, the flat flour or corn that you use for wraps and tacos. I'm talkin' Spanish Tortilla, otherwise known as a potato and egg omlette, cooked at first on top of the stove in a skillet, then finished in the oven. Yum.
In order to make it a quick fix, I like to use the refrigerated hash browns or cubed potatoes that you find bagged in the dairy section of the grocery store. Also, frozen chopped onions and bell peppers are huge time savers, as well as the finely cubed ham from the lunch meat section and the minced garlic in a jar.
I will note now that you need a skillet with a handle that can stand going into a hot oven. Es muy importante.
Spanish Tortilla
1/4 c olive oil
2 or 3 cups of refrigerated hash brown or cubed potatoes
1 c chopped frozen onions
1/2 c chopped frozen bell peppers (or you can leave them out)
1/2 c chopped ham
1 tsp minced garlic
5 or 6 eggs, beaten
Preheat the oven to 475. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes and onions and cook until the potatoes are soft, but not mushy. I even like mine browned a bit. Now toss in your ham, peppers if you want them, and garlic and stir til the peppers are thawed and hot. Pour in the eggs and continue to cook, stirring so the uncooked egg runs to the bottom of the pan. When everything starts looking 'set' and almost cooked, put the whole pan in the oven and watch carefully as it finishes cooking the top. ( you can use the broiler, but watch it carefully!)
Let it come to room temp, slice into wedges and serve with fresh fruit or salad. A dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of Spanish paprika is nice too. Eat two or three wedges and re-enact the running of the bulls in your living room.
Next time: Easy Paella!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Taste the Rainbow!
Today I will devote an entire blog post to Skittles.
FOOLED YA!
Actually, a good friend of mine suggested I write on "eating the rainbow"...which in healthy eating terms means to have several different colors of food on your plate at a meal. Natural colors. I am sure Red Velvet cake and Blue Raspberry Icee's don't count. ;)
Think about the color wheel we all learned in art back in school. Now, think of the foods that fit into those color categories:
RED- watermelon, tomatoes, strawberries, red bell peppers, cherries, apples
YELLOW- cheese, yellow tomatoes or peppers, summer squash, corn, bananas, sliced hard-boiled eggs
ORANGE- carrots, cantaloupe, oranges (duh), cheddar cheese
GREEN- fresh spinach, lettuce, sugar snap peas, green beans, broccoli
BLUE- Blueberries, blue cheese (Okay..having trouble with blue. Sorry!)
PURPLE- blackberries, red cabbage shreds, plums, grapes. And as much as I hate them...beets.
Now, if you have a picky eater, my suggestion is to have them get involved in selecting items from the rainbow that they would like to have on their plate. If it's presented as being 'their' idea, it may go over more smoothly than if it feels like it is being forced on them.
One fun thing that we do on occasion is have a 'cold plate lunch'. I might arrange on a plate raw sugar snap peas, carrot sticks, raw summer squash sticks and have a small container of Ranch dressing to dip them in. On the side can be cubed cheese and whole wheat crackers with a small bowl of mixed berries sweetened with a little honey or topped with vanilla yogurt. Rainbowlicious if you ask me. I feel guilty even posting this idea because it's not even really an 'idea', putting stuff on a plate!
Have fun working in the 'rainbow' to your lunch schedules! The combinations and possibilities are endless.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Lettuce Wraps
This is a wonderfully light meal on a hot summer day- lunch or dinner! And there are so many ways to change it up.
Asian Lettuce Wraps
4 c. water
2 c. rice
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 bag of coleslaw mix ( cabbage, carrots )
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
Iceberg lettuce
Cook the rice according to directions in the 4 cups of water.
Brown ground turkey in 1 Tbsp canola oil. Add in soy sauce, garlic, green onion, hoisin sauce and coleslaw mix and stir till cabbage is slightly wilted. Stir in as much of the rice as you like. I prefer a more meat to rice ratio.
Spoon into whole lettuce leaves and fold over, soft taco style. And if you are feelin' frisky, toss in some crunchy chow mein noodles or chopped peanuts for crunch.
And for those who love Mexican like we do, you can change it up by adding taco seasoning and pinto beans to the ground turkey and basically adding taco-style ingredients...cubed avocado, shredded cheese, salsa.
It's a quick fix for a cool meal on a hot summer day!
Asian Lettuce Wraps
4 c. water
2 c. rice
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 bag of coleslaw mix ( cabbage, carrots )
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
Iceberg lettuce
Cook the rice according to directions in the 4 cups of water.
Brown ground turkey in 1 Tbsp canola oil. Add in soy sauce, garlic, green onion, hoisin sauce and coleslaw mix and stir till cabbage is slightly wilted. Stir in as much of the rice as you like. I prefer a more meat to rice ratio.
Spoon into whole lettuce leaves and fold over, soft taco style. And if you are feelin' frisky, toss in some crunchy chow mein noodles or chopped peanuts for crunch.
And for those who love Mexican like we do, you can change it up by adding taco seasoning and pinto beans to the ground turkey and basically adding taco-style ingredients...cubed avocado, shredded cheese, salsa.
It's a quick fix for a cool meal on a hot summer day!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
A Little Planning Goes a Long Way
Okay. I am a List Maker, so this works for me. So just listen to me first and then decide if this is worth your time.
Plan out lunch menus like you would dinner menus, and jot down everything you need to prepare what you have planned. Wouldn't you be more inclined to fix something really yummy and healthy for lunch if you didn't have to stand in front of the fridge waiting on inspiration? And it will help you avoid unnecessary purchases at the store, which equals more money for fun stuff!
Get a chalk board and hang it on your kitchen wall and write down your lunch and dinner menus. It's a visible reminder of what you have to work with and keeps you on track. Everyone who comes over to my house is intrigued by my chalk board! They think it's a sign that I am well organized. It's actually a huge sign that I am NOT well organized and need to be reminded why on earth I bought water chestnuts.
These little things are such a big help for me. I hope they help you too.
Plan out lunch menus like you would dinner menus, and jot down everything you need to prepare what you have planned. Wouldn't you be more inclined to fix something really yummy and healthy for lunch if you didn't have to stand in front of the fridge waiting on inspiration? And it will help you avoid unnecessary purchases at the store, which equals more money for fun stuff!
Get a chalk board and hang it on your kitchen wall and write down your lunch and dinner menus. It's a visible reminder of what you have to work with and keeps you on track. Everyone who comes over to my house is intrigued by my chalk board! They think it's a sign that I am well organized. It's actually a huge sign that I am NOT well organized and need to be reminded why on earth I bought water chestnuts.
These little things are such a big help for me. I hope they help you too.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Pasta Is Our Friend
Is there anything more versatile than pasta? You can mix it with just about any combo of vegetables and protein and top it with any kind of sauce and you have a meal. Yes, I know it has a lot of 'carbs'....but kids NEED carbs. It's what our bodies use for energy and it stabilizes our mood. And if you choose whole grain pasta, even better.
This is a tried and true recipe at our house. We happen to love Asian food, so if you are not an Asian food fan, this may not be for you. But it's totally tweak-able.
This is what you need to start with:
1 lb linguine pasta
1 or 2 chicken breasts, left over steak or shrimp, or any kind of meat you like. Even the thin 'breakfast pork chops' are good.
Cook 1 pound of linguine noodles according to package directions. Any long pasta will do, but I think linguine closely resembles the lo mein noodles we love. Save 1/2 c. of the pasta cooking water for the sauce.
While the noodles cook, start cooking your protien. I always have flash frozen chicken breasts on hand. Pull out one or two and cook in a covered pan with a little oil until done. Or the pork or steak can be added. Or you can make this vegetarian.
Then, the sauce:
1/3 c. peanut butter (smooth)
5 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp canola oil
dash of ginger
2 Tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
Whisk this together with the 1/2 c. pasta water. The water will give the sauce a creamier texture.
Now-I happen to love the steamable packages of frozen veggies. In my house, we would add steamed broccoli or carrots. Sugar snap peas are great too! What ever your kids will eat, toss it in.
The possibilities of this stir-fry are endless. It's so adaptable to so many different kinds of things you might just have lying around in your fridge.
This is a tried and true recipe at our house. We happen to love Asian food, so if you are not an Asian food fan, this may not be for you. But it's totally tweak-able.
This is what you need to start with:
1 lb linguine pasta
1 or 2 chicken breasts, left over steak or shrimp, or any kind of meat you like. Even the thin 'breakfast pork chops' are good.
Cook 1 pound of linguine noodles according to package directions. Any long pasta will do, but I think linguine closely resembles the lo mein noodles we love. Save 1/2 c. of the pasta cooking water for the sauce.
While the noodles cook, start cooking your protien. I always have flash frozen chicken breasts on hand. Pull out one or two and cook in a covered pan with a little oil until done. Or the pork or steak can be added. Or you can make this vegetarian.
Then, the sauce:
1/3 c. peanut butter (smooth)
5 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp canola oil
dash of ginger
2 Tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
Whisk this together with the 1/2 c. pasta water. The water will give the sauce a creamier texture.
Now-I happen to love the steamable packages of frozen veggies. In my house, we would add steamed broccoli or carrots. Sugar snap peas are great too! What ever your kids will eat, toss it in.
The possibilities of this stir-fry are endless. It's so adaptable to so many different kinds of things you might just have lying around in your fridge.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Lunch Lady Is In The House!
Okay...my first post as the Lunch Lady. Let's see if I actually have something worth saying...
As a stay at home and homeschooling mom, one of my least enjoyable tasks is planning lunches. If my kids would eat PB&J, this would be no problem. However, Lunch Lady has kids who don't care for regular old sandwiches. Lunch Lady's kids would rather eat healthy lunches. And Lunch Lady prefers they eat healty lunches. That are quick to fix. And that don't require tons of prepping.
Thus I bring you the Lunch Lady Village. I encourage you all to participate with your ideas and input! We can all learn something from each other and make our Mom journey a little more enjoyable.
I will try to post regularly on healthy, quick and easy lunch ideas.
I will now return you to your regularly scheduled program.
As a stay at home and homeschooling mom, one of my least enjoyable tasks is planning lunches. If my kids would eat PB&J, this would be no problem. However, Lunch Lady has kids who don't care for regular old sandwiches. Lunch Lady's kids would rather eat healthy lunches. And Lunch Lady prefers they eat healty lunches. That are quick to fix. And that don't require tons of prepping.
Thus I bring you the Lunch Lady Village. I encourage you all to participate with your ideas and input! We can all learn something from each other and make our Mom journey a little more enjoyable.
I will try to post regularly on healthy, quick and easy lunch ideas.
I will now return you to your regularly scheduled program.
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