Chicken & Gruyere Turnovers

I have not made these in a long time but enjoyed them immensely every time I did. They are not incredibly healthy, so it's more of a once in awhile treat type of food... but so worth it. I generally cut the puff pastry into 4 pieces (making 4 squares instead of 2 rectangles) and then fold them corner to corner to make triangular shaped sandwiches. This was all in an effort to make them easier for Max's little hands to hold them (when Max had super little hands). Note, this could also make it easier to eat just a triangle and not splurge too much on these. Once you have assembled these you can wrap them in saran wrap & tin foil and stick them in the freezer. Then just let them defrost for 10-15 minutes and tack on some extra baking time.

Hands-On Time:15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère
1 cup frozen peas
2 sheets (one 17.25-ounce package) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup Dijon mustard


Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, Gruyère, and peas.
2. Cut the 2 sheets of puff pastry in half to form 4 rectangles and place on a baking sheet. 
3. Dividing evenly, top half of each rectangle with the chicken mixture. Fold over and seal the turnovers; brush the tops with the egg. 
4. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. 
5. Serve with the mustard.

Recipe and photo courtesy of realsimple.com

Whole Wheat Pizza Puffs

 
Pizza puffs are genius! No surprise (since I got the recipe from cookingwithmykid.com) it is a great recipe for making with the kids. They vastly prefer the mini pepperoni version I make that doesn't use broccoli or olives but I generally make both. I have never once made a single batch of this recipe. They freeze amazingly well and are delicious. I prefer to eat them with ranch dressing but go great with whatever dipping sauce sounds good to you.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup lowfat or nonfat milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup broccoli
• 1/2 cup black olives (pitted)
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan.
2. Blanche the broccoli and chop small, set aside. (I generally cook the broccoli and then stick both them and the olives in a blender and hit pulse a few times... I like having fewer big chunks of anything).
3. Chop olives and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg.
5. Stir in the mozzarella, broccoli and olives and let stand for 10 mins.
6. Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20-25 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, microwave the marinara sauce until warmed through, then serve with the pizza puffs.

Recipe and photo courtesy of cookingwithmykid.com

Kielbasa Bow Tie Skillet

 
Not always, but in general if there is sausage in a dish my children (and often Eric) are almost guaranteed to eat it up. On our first try this one was not warmly received by the kids. However, Amanda was over that day with Gavin & Ethan so I am convinced that the issue was a lack of focus, as opposed to an actual dislike of the dish. How could one dislike this dish after all? Sausage... pasta... CHEESE. Need I say more? I live for one pan/skillet meals and, as long as you cook the pasta first and then do the sauce & vegetables in the same pan, this one fits the bill. It was not my favorite reheated dish, but also not the worst I've ever had. A respectable next day lunch dish.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked bow tie pasta
• 1 pound turkey kielbasa , cut into 1/4-inch slices 
• About 2.5 cups of your favorite vegetables (frozen peas & carrots are my go to)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute sausage (and vegetables if your using certain veggies: mushrooms, onions, red pepper) in butter. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.
• Combine cornstarch and milk until smooth; gradually add to the skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Drain pasta; add to sausage mixture. Stir in the remaining vegetables that did not require sauteeing and cheese; cook until cheese is melted. Yield: 4 servings.

Recipe & photo courtesy of tasteofhome.com

Really Awesome Black Bean Burgers

I went in search of this recipe to solve the problem of high sodium content found in the Morningstar veggie burgers I often eat for breakfast. That's not what I found (the original recipe for this is about 4 times the calories of the Morningstar ones and take a long time to cook) but what I found instead was an easily freezable, individual serving type of dinner for the nights I'm serving the kids something I am uninterested in (or not allowing myself to) eat: macaroni & cheese... chicken nuggets... etc.

Given the high calorie count in the original recipe (and hoping to use easier to find ingredients) I made a fair number of modifications. As such, I've provided a link to the original recipe for those interested in seeing it and reading the explanation of how the author came to this combo of ingredients to make a seriously delicious black bean burger.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/03/the-best-black-bean-burger-recipe.html
 
Ingredients

• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 large red pepper, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can roasted green chilis
• 1/2 cup roasted cashews
• 1/2 cup finely crumbled feta
• 2 whole eggs
• 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• Cheese as desired, such as pepper jack, cheddar, muenster, or Swiss (optional)
• 6 to 8 hearty hamburger buns, toasted (or thin sandwich buns...I find the burgers aren't quite hefty enough to warrant a full bun)

Procedures

1. Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 350°F. Spread black beans in a single layer on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven and roast until beans are mostly split open and outer skins are beginning to get crunchy, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
2. While beans roast, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and red pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add green chilis and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
3. Place cashews in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until chopped into pieces no larger than 1/3-inch, about 12 short pulses. Add to bowl with onions and peppers.
4. When beans are slightly cooled, transfer to food processor. Add cheese. Pulse until beans are roughly chopped (the largest pieces should be about 1/3 of a full bean in size). Transfer to bowl with onion/pepper mixture. Add eggs, and bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Fold together gently but thoroughly with hands. Patty mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days at this stage. Here, I usually place the patties between sheets of parchment paper and freeze them.
5. To cook on the grill: Heat grill to medium-high setting and preheat. Form bean mixture into 6 to 8 patties as wide as your burger buns and brush top sides with oil. Place on hot side of grill oiled-side down and cook without moving until first side is well browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Brush tops of burgers with oil. Carefully flip and continue cooking until second side is browned, 3 to 5 minutes longer, topping with cheese if desired.
6. To cook indoors: Form bean mixture into 6 to 8 patties as wide as your burger buns. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 4 patties and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until well browned and crisp on first side, about 5 minutes. Carefully flip and cook until second side is browned, about 5 minutes longer, adding cheese if desired. If cooking more than 4 burgers, cook in batches, keeping cooked burgers on a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet in a 200°F oven while second batch cooks.
7. OR To cook indoors:: Preheat oven to 425°F and cook on parchment paper for 30 minutes. (I tried pan frying once but they fell apart too easily and then I had another pan to clean. Now the oven is the only way I cook these. It takes awhile, but is completely hands off)
8. Spread top and bottom buns with chipotle mayonnaise or other condiments as desired. Add toppings to top or bottom bun as desired. Place patties on bottom buns, close burgers, and serve immediately.

Crock Pot Turkey Chili

 

If actually preparing this for picky eaters or small children the key is dicing the onion and red pepper very finely. My kids generally turn up their noses at my chili and then one day I saw Stella eating some for lunch at day care. I was incredulous! Why here? Why not at home? And then I looked at the chili and it was all beef and beans. No nice big chunks of onion or red pepper. Other than the corn (which the kids love anyway), the vegetables in here are such a non-issue. This may end up being the only chili I ever feel the need to make again!

I generally get everything ready the night before (it's a bit too much chopping to do in the morning before work) and let it slow cook overnight. Then I turn off the cooker in the morning and it just sits on the counter until the evening. Then the whole dinner prep that night is just nuking bowls of chili! The original recipe does not call for the beans, but my kids are big bean eaters so I added that. As with any chili, there is often playing around with the vegetables depending on what you have or like. I also leave out the salt (this is true of pretty much everything I cook... I can always salt it at the table). We usually serve this with cornbread because, my goodness, my kids love them some cornbread!

Ingredients:

• 1.3 lbs 99% lean ground turkey
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced fine
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
• 1 can reduced sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can reduced sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 10 oz can Rotel Mild Tomatoes
• 8 oz small can plain tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Optional Toppings:

• diced avocado
• reduced fat sour cream
• reduced fat shredded cheese
• baked tortilla chips

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the turkey, season with salt and cook, breaking up with a spoon until turkey browns and is no longer pink; place into the slow cooker. 
2. Add the oil to the skillet and sauté the onion, garlic and bell pepper over medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes. Spoon over turkey into the slow cooker.
3. Stir in corn and tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, paprika and salt, mix until well blended. 
4. Pour chicken broth into the crock pot and add the bay leaf.
5. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 hours or LOW 6 hours. Serve with desired toppings

Photo and recipe courtesy of skinnytaste.com

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

I am now attempting to catch up on loading some old recipes to the blog, so bear with me... there may be a bunch of posts in fairly short order. Broccoli cheddar soup is one of my favorites. The original recipe called for a light Velveeta style of cheese; being of French descent I just couldn't do it so I used some real (pre-shredded) cheese. As far as soups go this is such an easy one to make... a short list of ingredients, very little chopping, and quick cooking time. Easy even for me to make on a weeknight. It is suggested that you serve this with a crusty bread. I will offer a suggestion that, if serving this to small children, don't. My kids ate only the bread when I made this and had basically no soup. Maybe serve this with spinach or brussel sprouts... it will look super tasty to them in comparison.



Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (16-ounce) package broccoli florets
• 2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• 1-2 oz shredded pepper jack cheese

Preparation

1. Heat a large nonstick saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until tender. 
2. Add broth and broccoli. Bring broccoli mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes. 
3. Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. 
4. Stir in pepper. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.  
5. Place anywhere from one-third of the soup to all of the soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Return pureed soup mixture to pan.

Photo and recipe courtesy of myrecipes.com

Ramen Noodle Bowls

 

I got this recipe from my meal planning source again. My kids were not crazy about it (how I'm not sure... they mostly had noodles) but I thought it was delicious. The original recipe called for short ribs, but I swapped it for chicken to lighten things up. I really enjoyed the flavor of the bok choy but found it very difficult to eat gracefully so I may sub some chopped kale next time. Frankly, I may just play around with the vegetables and see what combo I like the best. I'm seeing carrots, another red pepper... maybe some peas too. Since the kids won't eat it anyhow I may try to up the vegetables and reduce the noodles to just two packets. You could also use less soy sauce and/or homemade vegetable broth to try to bring down the sodium content in this dish. (I could not find chili garlic sauce so I got sweet chili sauce instead.) Point being, there are lots of ways to modify this in an effort to make it work for you. But the vegetable broth & coconut milk base is very tasty.

 

SERVINGS : 6 PEOPLE COOK TIME : 7-8 HOURS PREP TIME : 10 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 8 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2-3 inches ginger root, unpeeled and sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 14 oz straw mushrooms
• 1 can baby corn, drained
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2-3 baby bok choy, sliced horizontally
• 15 oz light coconut milk
• 1-2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
• 3 packages Ramen Noodles, noodles only
• 2-3 tablespoons lime juice
• kosher salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Place chicken, stock, soy sauce, sliced ginger, sliced garlic, and onion in a slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. 
3. Remove the chicken breasts and shred.
4. Strain broth into a large bowl and pour it back into the slow cooker.
5. Turn slow cooker to high and add chicken, mushrooms, baby corn, bell pepper, bok choy, coconut milk, chili garlic sauce, and noodles (discard the flavor packets). Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until noodles and vegetables are tender.
6. Season with lime juice and salt and pepper.