Getting your kids to eat what you cook!
You know how your hands can be a bit ripe after chopping lots of garlic and onions?
If you have ever tried to clean them afterwards you know that it’s super hard to get them smelling fresh again.
Here is a great way to get them clean.
Run them under some cold water and rub your hands with something made out of stainless steel.
Viola, fresh as a daisy.
They even make soap shaped stainless steel these days!
Hmmm, maybe a good Valentine’s gift for the cook in your life?
Just saying…
Sometimes you just have to throw logic out the window.
Today is one of those days.
It’s a breakfast for dinner kind of day.
This is a great and delicious recipe for breakfast or dinner.
The kids like to crack the eggs into little ramekins to make their own.
And they love to dip the bread!
Serves 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes
WHAT YOU NEED:
½ t minced fresh garlic
½ t minced fresh thyme leaves
½ t minced fresh rosemary leaves
½ t minced fresh oregano leaves
2 T minced fresh parsley
2 T freshly grated Parmesan
8 extra-large eggs
4 T heavy cream
2 T unsalted butter
S&P
Whole Wheat Toast for dipping
WHAT TO DO:
Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.
Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, oregano, parsley and Parmesan and set aside. Carefully crack 2 eggs into each of 4 small bowls or teacups without breaking the yolks. You aren’t going to bake them in these, you just want to have them ready to go.
Place 4 individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each dish and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Quickly, but carefully, pour 2 eggs into each gratin dish and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, 
then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked. (Rotate the baking sheet once if they aren’t cooking evenly.) The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to cool a bit and serve hot with toasted bread.
Noteworthy Nugget: I leave off the herbs for my pickiest eater. I give him extra cheese. You could make this with cheddar cheese too or any other kind of cheese your kids really like!
These are an ode to a recipe I made with my mom when I was a kid out of my favorite kids cookbook. Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Cookbook. These were sort of like Smee’s Baked Eggs. I think I made everything in that book when I was a kid. Wish I could find it!
It’s been a rough week around here for us. I promise to be back on schedule next week. Be sure to enter our Disney Princess – Ariel contest by midnight tonight. Winners of this and the Cinderella contest announced next week!
I love this dinner.
It’s quick.
It’s cheap.
It’s delicious.
It’s Whole Wheat Pasta with Meat Sauce
WHAT YOU NEED:
1 box whole wheat pasta
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jar Francesco Rinaldi ToBe Healthy Garden Vegetable Tomato Sauce
S&P
Chopped basil
Grated Parmesan Cheese
WHAT TO DO:
Heat a large pot of water over high heat. Once boiling, salt your water and cook pasta to al dente.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add your oil to the pan. Once the pan is hot, toss in your turkey. Brown the turkey, about 6-7 minutes.
Toss in your onions and garlic and season the mixture with S&P. Let the veggies cook for about 5 minutes. Pour in the pasta sauce and mix well.
Let the sauce simmer until your pasta is done.
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce. Top with basil and parmesan cheese.
Delicious dinner in no time!
Ever make chicken or turkey meatballs and have them end up all dry on you?
Well check this out!
These meatballs are good for you and your waistline….
They are totally juicy and delicious.
Best part is that you cook them in their own sauce.
You’ll never eat regular meatballs again!
Light n Lively Meatballs
WHAT YOU NEED:
1 pound ground chicken breast
1 small eggplant
3 T chicken stock
1/2 small onion, grated
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 egg white
1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
S&P
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1 jar store bought spaghetti sauce (We use Francesco Rinaldi ToBe Healthy Tomato Basil Sauce)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 box whole wheat pasta cooked to al dente
WHAT TO DO:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and set a pot of water on high for your pasta. Season your water with salt and cook pasta according to package directions.
Cut your eggplant in half and place on a baking sheet. Cook on 425 for about 10 – 15 minutes until soft. Allow to cool a bit then scrape out the yummy eggplant from it’s skin and add to a large bowl. Knock back the heat on your oven to 375.
To the bowl with the eggplant add in your chicken, chicken stock, grated onion, chopped garlic, egg white, bread crumbs, parsley, parmesan cheese, and S&P. Mix well to combine.
Grab a muffin pan. Yes a muffin pan! Place a healthy spoonful of sauce into each muffin well.
Next, form your meat mixture into golf sized meatballs and place on top of the sauce in the muffin wells. The boys each took a row for themselves and made their share.
Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. I like to flip the meatballs mid cooking process so they get all covered with sauce.
Serve on top of pasta and with a side salad and you’ve got a meal everyone will love and feel good about!
I love pasta.
I love rice.
I love starch.
But apparently, not always the best option for you to eat…
Whatever…
Sooooo,
I’ve found this!
Quinoa!
It’s like rice or pasta – that’s really good for you!
And the boys LOVE IT!!!!
WHAT YOU NEED:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water (or chicken stock)
2 t olive oil
1 portabello mushroom, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jar sundried tomatoes
15 pitted kalamata olives, chopped
10 basil leaves, torn
1 8 ounce package fresh mozzarella, diced
S&P
WHAT TO DO:
In a medium sauce pan bring quinoa and water to a boil. Cover and knock heat back to simmer. Cook for 15-18 minutes.
Meanwhile in a larger sauce pan add olive oil and garlic to the pan. Allow the oil to warm until just before the garlic begins to brown. Toss in your mushrooms and add a bit of S&P. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the mushrooms brown up.
Knock the heat back and add in your tomatoes and olives. Remove from heat and add in cooked quinoa.
Toss in your mozzarella and basil. Season with more S&P if needed.
Trust me, you’re going to LOVE this dish!!!
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!
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!
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