Light French Onion Soup

What to do with all these onions from the farm...
From this months Sunset
Ingredients:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
3 large onions, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp flour
1/3 cup dry sherry
6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
4 to 8 baguette sliced
4 oz. gruyere cheese, sliced

1. Preheat oven tp 400. Heat butter and oil in a heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and salt. Cover and cook 5 min. Uncover and add sugar. Cook, stirring often, until onions are golden, about 25 min. Add flour, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring often, 1-2 min. Add sherry, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 1 o 2 minutes or until slightly reduced.
2. Transfer mixture to a medium saucepan. Add broth and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 min. Stir in soy sauce.
3. Put bread sliced on a baking sheet and bake until golden, turning once, about 7 minutes per side.
4. Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into oven-proof bowls and set in a sturdy-rimmed pan. Top each soup with 1 or 2 bread slices and some gruyere. Broil until cheese is bubbly, 1 to 2 min.

Yummy!!!!

Baked stuffed pattypan squash

Ingredients:

* 4 Pattypan Squash, washed
* 1 Onion, chopped
* 1/2 lb. lean sausage, chopped
* 3/4 lb. Parsley, chopped
* 1 1/2 cups Bread Crumbs
* 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
* 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut squash in half (horizonally) and hollow.
3. Chop onion finely.
4. Crumble the sausage into a pan and cook until no longer pink.
5. Remove sausage from pan and set aside.
6. Add onion to the pan with sausage fat and cook about 2 minutes or until soft.
7. Mix together in a bowl the sausage, onion, parsley, bread crumbs, pepper and 2 tablespoons water.
8. Divide mixture among squash halves.
9. Brush the tops of the stuffed squash with olive oil.
10. Place squash in single layer in baking dish just large enough to hold all of the squash.
11. Fill baking dish with 1/2 inch water.
12. Cover and bake 30 minutes.
13. Uncover and continue baking about 15 minutes or until stuffing is browned and squash tender.

Serves 4

I had some leftover mixture (my squash were small), so I stuffed two green peppers and baked them along with the squash.

Cabbage Summer Salad

I made this salad recipe that I found in this month's Sunset Magazine. However, I used the purple cabbage we received from the farm this week, to substitute for the spinach the recipe called for. Add grilled chicken for added protein!
Delicious!

Ingredients:
8 oz orzo pasta
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
4 oz feta cheese, broken into chunks
1/2 cup Greek olives, pitted and halved (optional)
2 cups purple cabbage (or spinach)
1 tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:
1. Cook orzo according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine tomatoes, basil, garlic, pine nuts, olives, feta, and spinach. Add the cooked orzo.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste; toss with salad.

Banana Smores

We've had a crazy few weeks with vacation and family in town... but here is a little treat for the kiddies after a bbq, or out by a campfire.

You will need:
Graham crackers
Hersheys chocolate bar
bananas

Cut the bananas into thick (1") slices, and put them onto a stick- we used skewers. Roast them over a flame as you would a marshmallow, and put them onto graham cracker with chocolate piece. Squeeze together and serve. Yum, delicious and not a choking hazard! : )

Nonna's Ratatouille

One reason I love having my mom come visit is because she always knows what to do with all my fresh farm vegetables. She makes this vegetarian ratatouille that's so delicious. She's a farm girl even though she'd never admit it!
We have so many vegetables from the farm this week so I decided to make up some meals to freeze to bring on our vacation next week.

Here's how I made this delicious dinner:

Ingredients

* About 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (add more later on if you think it needs more)
* 1 onion, any variety (I used lots of green onion)
* 1-2 large cloves, minced garlic (depending how garlicy you like it)
* 3-4 yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
* 3-4 zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch dice, about 1 1/2 cups
* 2 tomatoes
* 1 cup homemade marinara sauce or 1 can tomato sauce
* 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
* salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* grated Parmesan cheese (to sprinkle on when served)

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add all the vegetables, sauce, basil and seasonings. Simmer vegetables for about an hour, until it's all melded together.

You can serve along with pasta, or eat alone with good Italian bread. Delicious!

Fava bean potato salad

My little girl had so much fun peeling the fava bean pods. I was glad because the pods had been sitting in the fridge for over a week... too much work for me! It kept her occupied for about an hour- great activity!

I boiled about 1/2 lb of fava beans until tender, and peeled the second shell off of them.
At the same time, I boiled about a dozen small potatos (mixed variety), until tender, and cut them into chunks once they cooled. I added one diced onion, and 1 stick of celery, also diced.

For the dressing:
1 garlic clove
1 small wedge of fresh fennel (optional- I did not use)
1 tablespoons dijon mustard
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt
a squirt of honey
1/2 cup of olive oil

I put the ingredients into a sealed jar and shake until blended.
Toss the salad with the dressing and refrigerate until ready to eat.

This potato salad was great. Even if I didn't have fava beans, the dressing is great on any potato salad. Great summer salad. Enjoy!
p.s. No, the kids didn't eat any of it... but try it anyway, my kids don't eat much of anything!

Beet and Blueberry Smoothie

I came home a little early from work today and decided to go through the fridge to see what we had lying around. With beets arriving every week from the farm, I have run out of friends to pass them off on, therefore we have many beets. My husband does not enjoy the taste of them so I've been trying out different recipes that he will give a try.
I found a beet smoothie recipe which I modified. Here it is:

Ingredients:

* Fresh squeezed juice from 1 orange
* 1/2 cup diced beets (I used cooked/ boiled beets, but you can also use canned)
* 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
* 1 banana
* 1 cup plain yogurt
* 1 Tablespoon flax seed meal
* 1/2 cup cold water
* 1 cup ice

My husband did like it, but it could have been the fact that our kids have been so sick, and we'll try anything not to get what they have (lots of antioxidants in this one). The kids took about 1 sip of the smoothie, so I poured the remaining smoothie mix into the pop molds, since they will eat anything in pop form. We'll try that for a snack tomorrow!

Sweet Gingery Tofu

I found this recipe online and altered it a little. I recommended it to a friend, Danny, and he really liked it. I finally got a chance to try it, and it was delicious. Probably the best way I've ever made tofu. I served this on top of a bed of spaghetti, as well as fresh steamed green beans.
FYI: My little guy attempted to eat this, but spit it right out! Oh well!

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

1 Pound of Firm or Extra Firm Tofu, rinsed
1/4 Cup Mirin (I did not have this, so I used extra sesame oil)
1/4 Cup Rice Vinegar
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce or Braggs
2 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp Ginger, minced
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 Tsp Garlic, minced
Sesame Seeds, for garnish (I did not use)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wrap the tofu in a clean dish towel and weight down for 10 minutes to remove excess water.
3. Cut tofu into even 1/2 inch slices.
4. Mix the remaining ingredients in a 11 x 7 inch baking dish.
3. Mix tofu into marinade and bake for 40-45 minutes.
4. Serve.
* This sauce could also be used for baking fish or chicken. Adjust cooking time accordingly.

Roasted Beet, Onion, and Orange Salad

We received this recipe in our farm newsletter this past weekend and I thought I'd give it a try because I had a few weeks worth of beets in the fridge (not our favorite). It was a little time consuming but a good weekend project.

I thought the oranges would offset the strong beet flavor really well, and it really did. I kept the salad in the fridge for a few days and ate it along with lunch. Of course the kids didn't try it but they watched me eat it (a good thing, right?)!

Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello

Ingredients

* 1 pound beets, preferably very small ones
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground pepper
* 20 large pearl onions, about 1/2 pound
* 2 oranges, peeled and cut into wedges
* 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil
* 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh coriander leaves (also known as cilantro) plus extra for garnish
* 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
* 2 tablespoons hazelnuts, toasted and peeled (I omitted)
* 1-ounce pecorino, optional, grated on medium-sized holes of box grater

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the stems and tails off the beets. Do not peel. Line the bottom of a baking pan with foil. Place the beets in the pan and toss them with half of the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes.

Trim both ends off the pearl onions. Then toss them with remaining olive oil and salt and pepper. Add pearl onions to the beets and roast an additional 15 minutes, until beets and onions are tender.

Peel and remove the membranes from the oranges with a sharp paring knife. Cut the oranges in half lengthwise and then crosswise into thin slices. Seed the slices, if necessary.

Peel and quarter the beets. Lay the beets on a large platter. Top the beets with the orange pieces. Scatter the roasted onions around the beats.

In a medium bowl, combine the hazelnut oil, coriander, and orange juice. Whisk until well combined and season with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the dressing on top and sprinkle with coriander, toasted hazelnuts and grated cheese. Serve immediately.

Delicious Blueberry Cake

The kids had a great time picking blueberries at the Temecula Berry Company with friends, last week. I had to find a recipe to use them up. My daughter kept asking to make a blueberry cake, and since my husband came home from work early one night, they made this together. I'm lucky that my hubbie loves cooking as much as I do.
I found this Blueberry Cake recipe online.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif. We may have browned it a little too much but it was still delicious! The kids didn't eat it, but that just meant more for my husband and myself! Try this!

Here is the recipe:

Meyer Lemon Blueberry Cake
Serves 8

Note: Meyer lemons are sweeter than regular lemons. If you are using regular lemons, you may need to adjust the sugar in this recipe.

Ingredients:
- 1 cup, plus 1 tsp. all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla
- zest of 2 Meyer lemons
- juice of 1.5 Meyer lemons, separated
- 2 large eggs
- two 1/2 pints blueberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and dust with flour.
2. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour with the baking powder and salt and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add all of the lemon zest and the juice of one of the lemons and mix to combine. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until well blended. At this point, the batter may look a bit curdled from the lemon juice — don’t worry!
4. Reduce the speed of the mixer and gradually add the flour mixture. Beat together until the batter is smooth. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top.
5. In medium bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining 1 tsp. flour and the juice from 1/2 a lemon. Sprinkle the berry mixture over the top of the cake.
6. Bake for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Macaroni and Cheese + hidden squash/zucchini

My kids give me such trouble about eating anything. They have been known, however, to eat an entire box of mac and cheese. Of course this was discovered during one of my mom's (nonna) visits. Believe me, I don't subject the kids to eating steamed broccoli and spinach every night, I just am trying to expose them to more eating variety than I see many kids today. It's just one of my pet-peeves.
Anyway, about once a week I treat them to a box of mac and cheese, and hide about a half-cup of steamed and pureed squash or zucchini, along with the powdered cheese packet (yuk). I add the milk and butter (healthy butter)as usual.
The funny thing is that they love it more with the squash than without. The texture is much more creamy, too. Try it!

Zucchini-Apple Pancakes

My daughter loves to eat pancakes, especially on weekend mornings. I have to capitalize on this, and since we received many zucchinis from the farm this week, I decided to put some steamed and pureed in the mix. I thought that an apple would also sweeten it up.
This recipe was a big hit, and I was so excited to start the day off with a helping of veges.

Ingredients:
1 zucchini or squash (peeled, sliced and steamed)
1 apple (peeled, sliced and steamed)
Pancake mix (I use Fresh and Easy, Multigrain)

After steaming the zucchini and apple, puree together until smooth. Next, make pancake mix according to box directions, except, do not add the oil. You will use the squash-zucchini mixture as its substitute. I made servings for 4. FYI: I've found the best pancake mixes are the ones that use eggs and milk, not the "just add water" kind.
These pancakes were delicious! I will definitely make them again.

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili and pasta

We been having unseasonably cool weather here in S. Cali, which calls for a Crock-Pot meal!
We received many squash from the farm this week so I decided to use a few in this chili.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 (32 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 Italian squash (long green), peeled and diced
1/2 cup onion, chopped (any)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb elbow macaroni
2 Tbsp cayenne powder
salt
pepper


Brown the ground turkey in olive oil, and add to slow cooker. Add tomatoes, beans, squash, onion, garlic and spices to cooker. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. About 10 minutes before serving, cook up elbow macaroni. Serve pasta topped with chili.

My husband and I enjoyed this but the kids, not so much. They are just not big meat fans. I can't blame them as we don't make meat, other than chicken, all that often... but I have to try, right?

Broccoli Mac & Cheese

In an attempt to surprise my kids with "the best mac and cheese ever", I did some research to come up with this recipe. Pretty easy!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni
1 cup milk
8 oz (1 1/2 cup) low fat cheddar cheese
1 cup steamed broccoli, chopped
salt, pepper, garlic salt to taste

Boil water for pasta. As pasta is cooking, heat milk slowly in saucepan. Throw in the cheese, and keep stirring until melted together. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. When pasta is al dente, drain. Pour cheese mixture and broccoli on top of pasta. Stir together.

I never knew that homemade mac and cheese was so easy! I'm not saying it was all that healthy, but I guess compared to a box of mac n cheese, this had a little more health value. We received broccoli from the farm this week so i was excited to try to get it into something my kids would eat.
Well, the kids didn't eat any of it! I was so surprised. My husband and myself enjoyed it, for mac and cheese. Next time!

Amazing Carrot Cake

I found this carrot cake recipe through online searching because I was looking for a way to use the many carrots we received from the farm this week. It uses 3 cups of shreaded carrots, so it sounded a little healthy at least.
I don't consider myself a baker, so I was amazed with the results of this recipe! It was sooooooo good! My husband loves carrot cake and thought this was one of the best things I've ever made. My daughter didn't try it, but my son loved it. I'll definitely make this again!

Here is the link for the recipe, but I have it also copied below:
All recipes
INGREDIENTS
Cake:
* 4 eggs
* 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
* 2 cups white sugar
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 3 cups grated carrots
* 1 cup chopped pecans (I omitted)
Frosting:
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 4 cups confectioners' sugar (I only used 2 cups)
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup chopped pecans (I omitted)

Enjoy this one!!

Baby Polenta Pizzas

I wanted to do something simple with the prepared polenta roll I had in the fridge. I found a similar idea online for making little pizzas, and thought they were just perfect kid-sized portions.

Ingredients:

1 can (8 ounces) pizza sauce (I use Trader Joes Marinara that already has spices, for a quick meal)

1 roll (1 pound) prepared polenta

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella

1 cup fresh spinach, onion, or any other vege topping you like to put on pizza (optional)

Cooking spray (depending on your cookie sheets)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the polenta roll in 1/4 inch slices (these will be the pizza crusts) and place on cookie sheets. Spoon on tomato sauce, sprinkle each with cheese and put a small amount of veges on each. My kids loved making these.
Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes, until cheese is melted. Cool for a few minutes before serving as they stay together better after they're slightly cooler.

My husband and I thought these were delicious and thought they'd be an easy appetizer for an adult wine party. My kids however, did not even try them. But then again, they hardly try anything these days! I will make them again because I hear kids need over a dozen exposures to try something new!

Peach Strawberry Smoothie

A friend of mine gave me a bunch of peaches from her tree, and they were very ripe and had to be used asap. I looked up a few peach smoothie recipes, but modified because I had other fruit that also had to be used up. These smoothies were delicious- and the kids also enjoyed!

Here's the recipe:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 cup frozen strawberries (I've been freezing them on my own since we have so many these days)
1 banana
5-10 peaches and their juices (as many as you have on hand- peeled)
1 Tablespoon flaxseed meal
Handful of kale, or any other green

Blend until smooth and serve. Enjoy!!

Citrus marinated grilled chicken with grapefruit relish

Over the last few weeks we have received many grapefruits from the farm, so I searched for a citrus marinade to for our Memorial Day BBQ. I combined a few recipes but this tasted really great. Keep in mind that grapefruits are a really great antioxidant!

We made it for about 1 lb of chicken breast.
Marinade for a few hours.
Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons grapefruit juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Grapefruit relish (to top chicken after grilling)
2 cups grapefruit sections (yes, lots of cutting and scooping)
1 small red onion (or any other type onion)
2 Tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
1 Tablespoon honey
Ground pepper to taste

We paired the chicken with corn-on-the-cob, greens salad, pasta salad, and potato salad. The grapefruit relish was a really tasty treat with the chicken. The kids love grapefruit so they picked on both.

Mango Strawberry Carrot Smoothie

This smoothie required a little more preparation than my usual smoothies, but it was worth it. I mix-matched a few recipes to come up with this one because of the ingredients I had available- and I really wanted to use up carrots, since we have so many from our farm.
Here it is:
1 apple, peeled and sliced
1 cup frozen strawberries
3/4 cup mango juice (because I had it in the house)
1 cup cooked carrots (peeled and steamed)
1 cup milk or yogurt
handful of ice
1 Tablespoon flaxseed meal

Put all these ingredients together in a blender, and blend. Easy and delicious!

The kids enjoyed sipping on these smoothies, but I also used the leftover to make more ice-pops for tomorrow. They love anything in ice pop form! : )

Sauteed Garlic Scapes and Zucchini over Chicken breast

I found this garlic scape recipe on A Good Appetite, as we received garlic scapes in our CSA box this week and I had no idea what to do with them.

Directions:
Slice the zucchini into 1/4-inch slices. Cut the garlic scapes (bunch) into bite-sized pieces. Melt a good amount of butter (I used the healthy butter + about 2 Tablespoons olive oil) in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add in the garlic scapes & generously season with kosher salt. Let sauté for about 6 minutes. The garlic scapes will begin to soften & brown a little. Add the zucchini & cook for another 2 minutes until they begin to just brown.

I thought this would go well over chicken breast and brown rice. After the vegetables were done, I put them in a bowl for later, and added chicken breast pieces to the hot pan until they were cooked through, turning once.
I cooked the rice as suggested on the package.
I scooped rice on the plate first, chicken, then the garlic zucchini on top to serve. It was very tasty.
My kids picked on the chicken (I was pleasantly surprised), and just tasted the zucchini. It was an easy and delicious meal!

Salmon Fish

I'm not a huge salmon fan but since I had it in the house, I thought I'd try something a little different but familiar, especially for the kiddies.
I baked it as usual with a little olive oil brushed on both sides, on 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Before putting it in the oven, I also squeezed 1/2 grapefruit juice on the fish (citrus helps get the fishy-flavor out). After taking it out of the oven, I flaked it into a bowl and added mayonnaise and 1 cup frozen peas. I added lots of fresh cilantro and made up pita bread sandwiches for my husband and myself. The kids did not eat any of it. I really thought my daughter would, since she will eat canned tuna with mayo, with no problem (on a good day). I can't blame the kids though, because it wasn't my favorite thing to eat.

Carrot-Applesauce Pancakes

This morning I made pancakes, a weekend treat. We had so many carrots in our CSA box this week, that I decided to shread one, using a hand grater and put it into the pancake mix (this morning I used Fresh & Easy Multigrain). It came to about 1/4 cup shredded carrot, although I will put 1/2 cup next time since the kids didn't even notice the tiny orange bits.
As usual, I substituted 1/4 cup apple sauce for the oil or butter that the mix calls for, and added a tablespoon of flaxseed meal (omega 3).
The kids loved them and I have leftovers for breakfast tomorrow. I love starting the morning off with two full bellies!

Basil pesto pasta

Although I have tried a few pesto recipes, I have found this classic recipe from Sunset Magazine, to be the best. My kids love pesto pasta and since it has olive oil, it has those omega-3s that I love to include. Since we receive basil from our farm often, I make this recipe every other week, at least.

Here is the very simple recipe:
Prep time: about 10 minutes

Put all these ingredients into the blender and blend until creamy:
1/2 cup basil leaves, 4 large medium peeled garlic cloves, 1/3 cup shredded romano cheese, 3 tbsp pine nuts (optional- I don't put these in), 2 tbsp minced parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/3 cup olive oil


Prepare favorite pasta and pour pesto mixture on top right away, mix and serve.

Mother's Day Strawberry Shortcakes

Mother's Day was a beautiful day, celebrated with all the best mother's in my life. I wanted to make a homemade but low sugar dessert to enjoy, and since strawberries are still in season, I thought I'd try this recipe I found online, for the "original strawberry shortcake" from the early 1900's. It's got to be good... and this was as easy as making a boxed cake!

Ingredients:
* 2 cups flour
* 3/4 cup milk
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 6 tablespoons butter (I used the "healthy butter" and it was great)

* 1 quart fresh strawberries
* 1/3 cup sugar (although I used less... surprise, surprise)
* 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
* 2 baking tins and paper baking cups

Strawberries:
Prepare strawberries an hour or two before serving. Rinse the strawberries under cold water; drain well. Slice the strawberries in halves; place in a bowl. Sprinkle with the sugar; cover and let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Whip the cream until it holds a soft peak. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Shortcake:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Set rack at center level.

Use a large bowl to combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix thoroughly.

Cut butter into small pieces and work in with fingertips.

Make a well in the center. Stir in milk. Mix just until dough is moist. Let dough stand for a minute.

Spoon into baking cups, makes 12. Although the cups will be only half-filled.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until risen and tops are golden brown.

Serve with whipped cream topped with the strawberries.

Everyone enjoyed these, including the kids!

Soprano's Shrimp Scampi with linguine

This Shrimp Scampi recipe comes directly out of the Soprano's cookbook, go figure!

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (I use the healthy stuff)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
16 large shrimp, shelled and deveined (I used the frozen from TJs)
Pinch of Salt
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
lemon wedges
box of linguine pasta (or spaghetti)

In large skillet, melt the butter with olive oil over medium-low heat. When the butter foam subsides, stir in the garlic. Cook, stirring ocassionally, until the garlic is lightly golden, about 7 min. Do not let the garlic brown.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp and salt. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turning the shrimp once, until they are just pink. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice and cook 1 minute more.
In the meantime, cook the linguine al dente (slightly firm).
Serve shrimp over pasta with lemon wedges.

My husband and I love this recipe. The kids eat the pasta, minus the shrimp. It works. We tried to give our son a taste of shrimp but he wouldn't have it. Next time! Enjoy!

Pasta with Tomato-Squash sauce

I do try to add different veges into tomato sauce, when possible, because it seems the kids will eat pasta with virtually anything on top (most days). Today I had some yellow squash in the fridge, so I tried it.

Ingredients:
olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 yellow squash, peeled and diced
Optional: 1 egg (yolk only)

In saucepan, put 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, and cook onions until soft. Put in can of diced tomato and its juice, along with the diced squash, and cook until squash are soft. Pour mixture into blender and blend until smooth. Return to saucepan and boil, adding the egg yolk. Serve over pasta when ready.

The kids did okay with this dish. They did eat the leftovers the next day, however.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

Nope, my kids don't eat peanut butter... not even with tons of jelly! I thought I'd try out these Peanut Butter and Jelly muffins, courtesy of Cooking Light,
I did modify the recipe based on what I had available, and added the flax seed meal, as always.
Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (use 1/2 whole wheat flour for extra fiber)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons butter or butter substitute, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon flax seed meal (omega 3)
1/4 cup strawberry jam

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk and next 5 ingredients (through vanilla); add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups, coated with cooking spray (paper baking cups easier to use). Fill each cup half full with batter. Spoon 1 teaspoon jam into each cup. Spoon remaining batter on top to cover jam. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Let cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool on a wire rack.

My daughter really enjoyed making and eating these, and ate two for lunch the next day. They are delicious... definitely worth the trouble... but very easy. Great to pack for school lunches. I'll have to remember this one!

Yogurt Smoothie Pops

My son just loves eating my homemade ice pops (sometimes for dinner), so I found some other healthy ingredients to add to them.

Ingredients:
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup strawberries (use frozen if making a smoothie instead of the pops)
1 banana
1/2 cup swiss chard, green or rainbow
1 Tbsp flax seed meal (omega 3)
1 Tbsp light olive oil (omega 3)

Blend all the ingredients together. If making the pops, pour right into the pop molds and freeze. These are soooooo delicious. The kids want to eat them every night!

Meatless Crockpot Chili

As I've already mentioned, it's a struggle to get my kids to eat much protein. They don't eat any form of meat, besides chicken in chicken soup (don't know why); not even McDonald's chicken nuggets! Once in a while, they'll eat an occasional bean or two. I tried this meatless chili last night. It was soooo easy and very tasty. My husband and I loved it! I combined a few recipes, and ingredients I already had in the house.
Ingredients:
2 cans black beans
1 can chili beans (can also use white/canellini beans or pinto beans)
1 can (14 oz. diced tomatoes)
1 cup or 1 small can chicken broth (vegetable broth if you are vegetarian)
frozen corn (I used 2 raw ears of corn I had in the fridge/ cut into thirds)
1 tsp curry
1 tsp cumin
Shredded Mexican cheese

Toppings:
Cilantro
Soft Tortillas

Throw all these (except cheese and cilantro) into the slow cooker/Crock Pot for 3-4 hours.
Serve with cheese and cilantro sprinkled over top and tortillas on the side.

My daughter wound up eating about 10 or so beans. We made a game for her using a toothpick to pick up the beans. My son wouldn't eat any of it, although he does like beans, most times.

Beet "Pink" Pancakes

Well, I thought I'd try something ultra-healthy for dinner tonight... since my daughter loves pancakes and pink things, why not try this recipe for Pink Pancakes, right out of Jessica Seinfeld's, "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook, despite its controversy.
Here is the recipe right out of the cookbook... I own it.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup beet puree (oven-roasted at 400 for 1 hr, then pureed with water in blender)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup pancake mix (store-bought)
1/4 grated apple (I used apple sauce- easier)
Nonstick cooking spray
1 tablespoon canola or vege oil
Maple syrup or fruit for serving

1. In a blender or food processor, combine water, ricotta cheese, beet puree, vanilla, and cinnamon and blend. Dump the mixture into a medium bowl, add the pancake mix and apple, and stir until just combined. Do not overmix- the batter will be a little lumpy.
2. Coat a griddle or nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When hot, add the oil. Spoon the batter onto the griddle or skillet, using about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook the pancakes until bubbles form on top and the batter is set, 1-2 min. Then flip the pancakes with a spatula and cook until golden brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve warm, with syrup or fruit.

After this entire time-consuming project, and pink splattered everywhere from the kids "helping" stir, this recipe failed to entice the kids to eat. My daughter at least ate 2 bites covered with syrup, but didn't want to eat anymore. I was very frustrated after trying so hard... until I tried them. I am not a huge beet lover or hater, but these pancakes were hard to eat, even drowning in syrup. They left a strong beet aftertaste for hours afterward. I think I will try something less healthy today.

Strawberry Pizza

I recently saw a kids healthy sandwich idea, using cream cheese and strawberries on whole wheat bread. Strawberries are so plentiful right now, so I was trying to think of a way to incorporate these ingredients. My kids don't eat sandwiches yet so I thought to try in a pizza form. The kids had so much fun putting their pizzas together.
I used a whole wheat pita for the crust, cream cheese for the topping, topped with sliced strawberries. You can mix strawberry jelly with the cream cheese to sweeten it up before spreading it on the pita, but it's not necessary. Use the pizza cutter to cut into small, easy to handle pieces.
After the excitement of creating their masterpiece, both of my kids picked off a few of the strawberries, but refused to eat their pizzas. I, on the other hand, loved it! : )

Chicken Nuggets with tomato and radish salad

It's so hard to find the time to bread and fry when you have a toddler attached to your leg 24/7, but sometimes you get lucky and daddy comes home a few minutes early. This sounds like it took a long time to prep and cook, but it all took less than a half hour.
I unfroze a few chicken breasts from the freezer, in the microwave. I had a few pieces of whole wheat bread ends that I wanted to get rid of, so I quickly pulsed them in the cuisinart and mixed them with some already prepared breadcrumbs. I dipped the chicken pieces (I precut the chicken into small bite sizes for the kids) in egg batter, then in the breadcrumbs, then right onto the pan with olive oil. A few minutes on each side and done. As that was frying, I cut up tomatoes and radishes (thin), for a little salad. For my husband and myself, I made a traditional salad with chicken on top. Only drawback is that there were lots of dishes, plates to wash. The worst!
So, my daughter did not eat anything but the tomatoes... and my son ate a few bites of the chicken and the tomatoes. FRUSTRATING!!!

Nonna's Penne Vodka

Wednesdays are pasta night for us. I had a batch of frozen vodka sauce that my mom had made (a family recipe) when she visited a few weeks ago for last night's dinner. The kids LOVE any pasta, and I'm sure you'll love this sauce! It's a great idea to make a few batches and freeze for a day when you don't feel like cooking.
Ingredients for sauce:
1/2 cup vodka (yes, the real stuff)
1/2 tsp red pepper seeds or flakes (use less if you want it less spicy)
1 cup light cream
5 tsp butter (healthy stuff works)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 cup frozen peas

Simmer vodka and hot pepper on low, for about 5 minutes. Add remainder of ingredients and simmer for about 20 more minutes.
Meanwhile, cook up penne pasta or another favorite pasta.
Pour sauce over pasta and serve. Enjoy!

Swim Tuna Swim

For the passed four days it's been close to 100 degrees here in Southern Cali, so who wants to turn on the oven? Today for lunch I made the kids tuna fish, with a little creativity in presentation, which is sometimes key in getting them to try it. The tuna recipe itself is nothing new, except that I add frozen peas, along with mayo (lowfat or full fat). Here I cut the whole wheat bread (with flax seeds) into a fish shape, served with peeled and sliced apples on the side.
My daughter actually loves tuna, go figure... yet won't eat hamburgers or chicken nuggets! I can't complain I guess. Although the other day she said, "Mommy it's not a fish"! I said, "Of course it's not a fish"! : )
My son wouldn't eat the tuna, but picked on a few peas. I've heard it takes close to 20 exposures of a new food for kids to dig in... so maybe we need a few more tries?
Have a great Earth Day! More creative recipes to come...

Tortilla Men

My kids seem to do best with a variety of food in front of them. I trialed this idea for lunch yesterday. They loved creating the men, but did not want to eat them afterward! I guess it wasn't a total waste of time, because they did eat the remainder of the fixins.
For these Tortilla Men, I used whole wheat tortillas, and shaped them using a handy dandy cookie cutter (utilize any shape you have on hand). The kids love using knives (plastic play ones), so they enjoyed spreading the hummus onto the men. They enjoy it because they know that this is usally something they are not allowed to do.
To decorate, we used:
avocado
black beans
sliced carrots
shredded cheese
Have fun using anything your kids enjoy eating.
Although we ate this for lunch, I have done something similar for dinner when my husband and I eat tacos (because the kids don't eat this meat). Again, I don't like making two meals! : )

Green Pizza

Growing up in NJ, there were no shortage of great Italian restaurants and pizzerias. However, in Temecula, California, good Italian food is hard to come by. There is one place, Spuntino's, down the street actually, that serves woodfired pizza- the best. Worth the $20!
Anyway, We usually make pizza one weekend night per week in our house. We have a pizza stone, but note that pizza takes a little longer to cook than on a cooking sheet.
I received a healthy recipe from a member of our farm, called CSA Pizza, which we trialed this weekend.

CSA Pizza

1 pizza crust or dough (we prefer whole wheat)
1-2 ripe avocadoes
3-4 cups of greens (any and all)
asparagus, baby beets, onions, garlic (potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant eventually), mushrooms, sausage - or any toppings you like!
mozzarella cheese (sprinkle with gorgonzola or goat cheese also if desired)

If using dough, form into a pizza crust and bake first for 5-8 minutes until lightly browned. Mash avocado in a bowl and spread over crust as the "sauce". Cover with several cups of washed and chopped greens. Don't worry that it looks like a lot - they will cook down to almost nothing. Add other toppings and cover with cheese. Cook for about 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Okay, so I posted this recipe but want to leave a little feedback. We didn't like it at all! The kids wouldn't even touch it. I can't blame them because hot avocado is just gross to begin with... but I wanted to give it a try since it received rave reviews. Thankfully I made a traditional pizza as well. In the future, I would put the greens (fresh spinach), and cover with ricotta cheese, like a "white pizza" that I'm familiar with. If you like warm avocado, give it a try!

I Heart Eggs Toast

I don't know why, but my daughter stopped eating eggs a few months ago. Until then, she would eat such a great breakfast which included an egg, almost every morning. We are trying to figure out ways to reintroduce the egg nowadays. Here is a special weekend treat.
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare cookie sheet with cooking spray or butter. Also butter a piece of bread, on one side.
2. Using a heart shaped cookie cutter (or any other cookie cutter), cut out center of piece of bread. Place both bread and cutout butter-up on cookie sheet.
3. Break an egg onto a saucer and then carefully slide the egg into the hole you have cut out in the bread.
4. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes on the top rack of oven.
So it looked beautiful, but no takers. It didn't go to waste because my husband and I enjoyed it. Maybe next time I'll scramble the egg before pouring it into the bread?

kale smoothie?

Really, you can't taste it! A delicious way to utilize this green or any other bitter green. My daughter loved helping to throw all the ingredients in the blender. She told me, "It is very hard work". After making this smoothie, we poured some into ice-pop molds to freeze for an after dinner treat. If I was only using it for a smoothie, using frozen fruit would have thickened the mixture up a bit.
Here we used:
2 bananas
1 cup strawberries
2 handfuls kale, chopped
1 cup fresh squeezed OJ
1 cup cold water
Handful of ice

Success! My daughter ate two ice pops after dinner!! And my son, well, half the pop was his dinner. :(