Clam & Corn Chowdah Soup Week

It’s Soup Week here at Ma, What’s For Dinner.

It’s a cool cloudy day around here.

We’re expecting a boat load of rain this weekend.

This yummy soup will hit the spot!

veggies soups recipes for kids kid favorite recipes featured dinner    Clam & Corn Chowdah Soup Week

Serves: 6  Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 T butter

1 T Olive Oil

4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 T fresh thyme

S&P

2 T flour

2 cups half-and-half  veggies soups recipes for kids kid favorite recipes featured dinner    Clam & Corn Chowdah Soup Week

2 cups chicken stock

1 bag diced potato (near the hash browns in the meat section)

2 cans whole clams and their juice

1 10 oz bag frozen corn

WHAT TO DO:

In a medium pot over medium high heat sauté bacon with 1 T olive oil.  When just crispy add in butter and onions, celery and thyme. Season with S&P and cook 5-7 minutes. Add flour and cook for two more minutes.

veggies soups recipes for kids kid favorite recipes featured dinner    Clam & Corn Chowdah Soup WeekAdd half-and-half and stock and bring to a bubble, then stir in potatoes and clams. Season again with S&P.  Bring soup back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, until potatoes are cooked and soup has thickened up nicely.  Stir in frozen corn and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Serve with garlic bread and salad.

Blueberry scones with blueberry butter

I love fresh scones.

But I’m not a baker…

So I rarely make them.

But this is a relatively easy recipe to get yummy scones on the table on a weekend morning.

vegetarian kid favorite recipes featured breakfasts baking with kids    Blueberry scones with blueberry butter

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 T baking powder

1 t salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter, very cold, cut into chunks

3/4 cup cream

1 egg

1 pint blueberries (locally grown)

2 T sugar in the raw

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In your food processor bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Pulse quickly to combine.  Add cold butter and pulse quickly to cut butter in until it looks like coarse sand.

In a separate large bowl combine cream and egg.  Mix well.  Pour off just a bit into a small bowl then pour the flour mixture in.  Stir a bit just to combine.  Fold in your blueberries very gently being careful not to burst them.

Now comes the creative part…

You can turn out your dough and form into a large square or circle and cut them into traditional triangles or you can do what I do and just drop them into circles on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the scones with the reserved cream/egg mixture and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with Blueberry Butter.

 

Kids Fun Food Week – Meatloaf Cupcakes

Want to get your kids to eat?

Grab them and get in the kitchen and make these fun recipes together!

Back by popular demand…

Here is the recipe that started it all!

I couldn’t get the boys to eat meatloaf and mashed potatoes!

So foolish considering that they like everything in that dish.

But they wouldn’t actually put it in their mouth sooooo….

We came up with a fun way to make them together.

Meatloaf Cupcakes were born!

kid favorite recipes getting kids to eat featured dinner crafts    Kids Fun Food Week   Meatloaf Cupcakes

Here’s a lighter turkey meatloaf version…we’re slimming down for summer!

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 ½ lbs ground turkey

1 egg, beaten

1 clove garlic, chopped

½ c bread crumbs

2 T Worcestershire sauce

¾ c chili sauce (you can use ketchup too)

½ c onions, finely chopped

½ c carrots, finely chopped

½ c mushrooms, finely chopped

½ c red pepper, finely chopped

½ c canned fried onion strips

S&P

1 lb russet potatoes peeled and cubed

½ c milk

3 T sour  cream

2 T butter

S&P

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Place your peeled cubed potatoes in large pot of cold water over high heat.  Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender (about 8-10 minutes after water boils depending on the size of your cubes).

In a large bowl combine ground turkey, egg, bread crumbs, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, chili sauce, onions, carrots, mushrooms, red pepper, fried onions and S&P.  Mix together with your hands until combined.  Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray.  Mold your meatloaf mixture into cupcake sized balls and place in muffin pan.  You’ll get about 8-10 cupcakes.  Place in oven and cook at 375 for about 25-30 minutes.

Drain your potatoes and return to pan.  Pour in your milk, sour cream and butter, and season with S&P.  Using a hand mixer whip your potatoes until smooth and set aside to cool a bit.  Take a large plastic Ziploc bag (or a pastry bag if you have one) and cut a small hole in the bottom corner.  Spoon your mashed potatoes into the bag then pipe out the potato on top of the meatloaves to look like frosting on a cupcake.   Serve ‘em up hot, who doesn’t love cupcakes?  Especially for dinner!

Meaty Morsel:  Decorate the tops of your cupcakes with BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard, cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, anything you or your kids can think of.  Let them have fun with this, they’ll have more fun eating it!

Passover Week – Chocolate Covered Matzos

Best thing about Passover?

Matzoh!

Best thing about Matzoh!

Chocolate covered matzoh!

Make this!  It’s amazing.

kids desserts kid favorite recipes holidays featured baking with kids    Passover Week   Chocolate Covered Matzos

WHAT YOU NEED:

1/2 lb matzos

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 t vanilla extract

½ t cinnamon

1/8 t kosher salt

8 ounces chocolate chips

WHAT TO DO:

Line cookie sheet with foil  OR

Lightly oil a cookie sheet or spray with Pam.

Lay matzo on pan  – place whole matzo then need to break pieces to fit the pan.

Melt brown butter and sugar in saucepan.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and you have a smooth toffee.  Stir in vanilla, cinnamon and salt.

Brush matzo with toffee mixture.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 3-4 minutes until it bubbles.

Watch closely – burns easily.

Cover with chocolate chips – put back in oven until chips start to melt.

Remove from oven and and spread the chocolate until matzo is completely covered.

Place cookie sheet in freezer until hard then remove, break into pieces and store in tupperware.

kids desserts kid favorite recipes holidays featured baking with kids    Passover Week   Chocolate Covered Matzos

OPTIONAL – Sprinkle chopped nuts on top before freezing.

I usually do 1/2 w/nuts…1/2 without.

Cheesy Macaroni Surprise

veggies recipes for kids kid favorite recipes side dishes dinner    Cheesy Macaroni Surprise

Yes I’ve been on a casserole kick.

I can’t help it.

I just love the fact that they can be made in advance!

And with school starting and activities heating up I just like to know that a yummy dinner the boys will like can get on the table fast.

There is nothing not to like in this dish.

I toss in some protein and veggies to make it a complete meal in one.

Not to mention the fact the boys like all the stirring help they get to do.

Now let’s get to the good stuff!!

Cheesy Macaroni Surprise

Serves: 8  Prep Time:  10 minutes  Cook time: 35 minutes

1 lb wagon wheel pasta

3 T  butter unsalted

3 T all purpose flour

3 cups whole milk

1/2  t fresh grated nutmeg

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded swiss cheese

1/2 kielbasa link, diced

1 10 oz box frozen peas

S&P

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Set a large pot of water over high heat to boil.  In a large saucepan melt butter over medium high heat.  Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute.  veggies recipes for kids kid favorite recipes side dishes dinner    Cheesy Macaroni SurpriseSlowly whisk in milk, and bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly.  Once the milk has thickened add in nutmeg and season with S&P.  Reduce to medium low heat and melt in cheddar and swiss cheeses.  Allow to cook on low for a few minutes.

When water is boiling season water with salt and add pasta.  Note package cooking time and reduce by 2 minutes, the macaroni will continue cooking in the oven later.  Once pasta is cooked, drain and return to pot.

Add your peas and sliced kielbasa to your cheese sauce and pour over the pasta.  Mix well.  veggies recipes for kids kid favorite recipes side dishes dinner    Cheesy Macaroni SurpriseTransfer to a greased 13×9 baking  dish and top with additional cheese if desired.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.

veggies recipes for kids kid favorite recipes side dishes dinner    Cheesy Macaroni Surprise

veggies recipes for kids kid favorite recipes side dishes dinner    Cheesy Macaroni Surprise

veggies recipes for kids kid favorite recipes side dishes dinner    Cheesy Macaroni Surprise

veggies recipes for kids kid favorite recipes side dishes dinner    Cheesy Macaroni Surprise

Turkey Saltimbocca

This is a version of a recipe that I saw on America’s Test Kitchen.

I switched out chicken (or veal) cutlets for turkey cutlets instead, hey turkey cutlets were on sale at the store…can’t pass up a bargain!

I doctored up the sauce a bit as you all know I can’t follow a recipe to save my life what with my recipe OCD and all.

I like this dish because the kids can help with the prep and it’s a great light and easy meal.

Perfect for the end of summer.

Give this a whirl…you’ll be glad you did.

recipes for kids dinner    Turkey Saltimbocca

Serves: 4  Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook Time: 15 minutes

1 1/2 pounds turkey cutlets

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 T garlic powder

1/2 t ground black pepper

16 sage leaves, divided (8 minced, 8 whole)

8 slices thin prosciutto

3 T olive oil

1 cup dry white wine

1 large shallot, chopped fine

2 t lemon juice

3 T butter

1 T chopped parsley

Pat cutlets dry with paper towels. In a large bowl combine flour, garlic powder and pepper.  Dredge turkey cutlets in flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Lay cutlets flat and sprinkle evenly with minced sage. Place 1 prosciutto slice on top of each cutlet.   (These are great steps for the kids to help with, just be sure they wash their hands after handling the raw poultry!)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add whole sage leaves and cook for about 15 to 20 seconds. Using slotted spoon, remove sage to paper towel-lined plate and set aside for garnish later. Add half of cutlets to pan, prosciutto-side down, and cook until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook on other side until light golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and keep warm under some aluminum foil. Repeat with remaining cutlets.

recipes for kids dinner    Turkey Saltimbocca

Pour off excess fat from skillet, reserving about 1 Tablespoon. Add you shallots and cook until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes.  Add in you wine to deglaze your pan being sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom.  Simmer until reduced to about 1/3 cup, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Turn heat to low and whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Off heat, stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. Pour over turkey and top with fried sage leaves and extra parsley.

recipes for kids dinner    Turkey Saltimbocca

recipes for kids dinner    Turkey Saltimbocca

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