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Baseball Week – Sliders into home plate

April 9, 2012 by Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 12 Comments

Play Ball!!!!

I love this time of year.

Bring on the Boys of Summer!

What says baseball more than grilling burgers?

Well, sliders in this case.

Sliding into home plate?

Get it…?

Serve ‘em up with some garlic fries on the side!

This’ll be a home run for sure!

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I like 85/15 for burgers)

1 T dried onion

1 T montreal steak seasoning

1 T cold water

sliced cheddar

baby brioche buns

WHAT TO DO:

In a large bowl combine the meat, onions, steak seasoning, and water. Mix well to blend and then form the meat into sliver dollar sized burgers. Stick em on the grill for about 4 minutes on the first side. Flip ‘em and then toss the cheese on top and grill for another 3-4 minutes.

Place these little beauties on a brioche roll and serve to your little leaguers!

Keegan loves to help grill

I dress up the grown ups with drunken onions and mushrooms…

I sauteed onions and mushrooms in a pan with olive oil, S&P, and beer till they were nice and soft! Pile ‘em high on your burger!

How are you celebrating the start of baseball season?

Oh, yeah, I’d wouldn’t be a proud member of the nation if I didn’t end this post with…

GO RED SOX!!!

Grilling Week – Steak Fajitas

May 25, 2011 by Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 9 Comments

You all know about my Mexican food problems here in CT.

They don’t have any…

Well not anything good…

So it’s up to me to make it for us.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE fajitas.

Have for years.

I remember this one time when I used to wait tables at this great restaurant in Boston while I was in college.

It was called the Sunset Bar & Grill

I’ve told you about their AMAZING Nachos.

Well I had a customer once who ordered our famous Cadillac Fajitas but instead of pronouncing it “Fa – HEE – ta” they asked for the “Fa-JIE-tis”

Like “Fagitis” is some creepy disease you catch in the Amazon Jungle.

Still makes me laugh.

STEAK FAJITAS

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 pounds skirt or flank steak, organic if possible

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1 lemon juiced

2 limes juiced

1/2 cup olive oil

4 cloves or garlic, chopped

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 T sriracha sauce

1 T chili powder

1 T ground cumin

1/2 T ground corriander

1/2 T paprika

1 t oregano

1 t black pepper

1/2 head of chopped cilantro

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 orange bell pepper, sliced

2 onions, sliced

Toppings:

whole wheat tortillas

pico de gallo

guacamole

shredded cheddar

sliced olives

sour cream

WHAT TO DO:

Place your steak and veggies to the side while you build your marinade. Combine all remaining ingredients, other than your toppings, in a large bowl and mix well.

Place the veggies and steak into a large ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the top. Close the bag and let it sit in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours. One day would be great!

Remove from fridge and let come to room temp while you heat up your grill to medium high. Spray or oil your grill so the meat doesn’t stick.

Meanwhile heat up a cast iron skillet on the grill. I put mine in the back corner where it’s hottest. Cook your onions and peppers until nice and soft and charred.

Toss on your meat and cook to medium (or medium rare) about 5 minutes on the first side, then 4 on the second.

Slice your meat on an angle and against the grain into strips.

Serve in warm whole wheat tortillas with sauteed onions and peppers and toppings!

Better than a case of “fagitis” any day!

Serve these up with some Sangria and it’s a good day for the ‘rents and the kiddos!

Filed Under: Dinner Recipes For Kids, Featured, Kid Favorite Recipes Tagged With: bbq, fajitas, grilling, mexican food, onions, organic, steak, tex mex

Kids Fun Food Week – Meatloaf Cupcakes

May 9, 2011 by Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 10 Comments

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!

Filed Under: Crafts, Dinner Recipes For Kids, Featured, Getting Kids To Eat, Kid Favorite Recipes Tagged With: butter, carrots, cook with your kids, eggs, fun food, fun kids recipes, garlic, ground turkey, ketchup, kid favorite recipes, mashed potatoes, Meatloaf, onions, picky eaters, What's For Dinner

Salad Week – Tuscan Bean Salad

April 29, 2011 by Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 7 Comments

This is a quick and easy salad to throw together.

I love white beans and if you’re avoiding starches

say for bikini reasons…

This is a great side dish to serve with grilled chicken or shrimp!

The boys eat the beans first.

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 bag baby arugula (you can use baby spinach or mixed baby lettuce if you want)

1/4 red onion, sliced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 can cannellini beans

4-5 basil leaves, torn

handful of italian parsley, chopped

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 T extra virgin olive oil

S&P

WHAT TO DO:

In a large bowl combine, arugula, onion, tomato, basil and parsley. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then drizzle with vinegar and olive oil. Toss to coat and serve.

Filed Under: Dinner Recipes For Kids, Dinners on a Dime, Featured, Healthy Recipes For Kids, Healthy Salad Recipes For Kids, Healthy Side Dish Recipes For Kids, Kid Favorite Recipes, Vegan Recipes For Kids, Vegetable Recipes For Kids, Vegetarian Recipes For Kids Tagged With: arugula, beans, cannellini beans, farm to table, greens, onions, salad, salad week

Asian Week – Mongolian Beef

April 6, 2011 by Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 13 Comments

Who needs to order take out when you can make it yourself?

Make this dish next time you think of heading out to PF Changs!

It’s delish and the kids love it.

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 flank steak sliced thin

2 T vegetable oil

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup chicken stock

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup rice wine

2 t sriracha sauce

1 t sesame oil

3 T cornstarch

1 inch minced ginger

2 cloves chopped garlic

4 green onions, chopped

2 T peanut oil

WHAT TO DO:

Combine all the ingredients except the peanut oil and 2 of the green onions in a large plastic bag and allow to marinate for at least one hour.

Heat the peanut oil in a wok over high heat. When the oil is smoking add everything in the bag into the wok. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring almost constantly. Serve over brown rice or you can jazz it up with some stir fry soba noodles and veggies!

Toss the beef on top of the noodles, voila,

Mongolian Beef Noodle Bowl!

Filed Under: Dinner Recipes For Kids, Featured, Healthy Recipes For Kids, Kid Favorite Recipes Tagged With: bean sprouts, brown rice, chinese, flank steak, homestyle take out, mongolian beef, mushrooms, noodle bowl, onions, pea pods, soba noodles, steak, stir fry

Ready When You Are Pot Roast

October 20, 2010 by Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 14 Comments

I have decided that the inventor of the crock pot deserves a national holiday to recognize their efforts and the success they bring to families everywhere. I mean what’s better than grabbing the kids before school, letting them toss a bunch of stuff into a pot and pressing a button?

You go to school…

you head off to work…

you take the kids to soccer…

pick up your dry cleaning…

and head on home…

Walk in the door and voila…

Dinner is served!

Serves: 6 Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 9 hours

2-3 lb bottom round or rump roast

1 T canola oil

3 large carrots, cut in large chunks

3 large celery stalks, cut in large chunks

1 large onion, cut in large chunks

1 cup white mushrooms whole

1 lb small red potatoes, halved

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 package dry onion soup mix

1 10 oz can low sodium cream of mushroom soup

½ cup beef stock

S&P

Special Equipment: Slow cooker

In a large skillet heat oil over high heat. Season your roast on all sides with S&P. When oil is smoking add meat and brown on all sides. Meanwhile add your veggies to the bottom of you slow cooker. When your meat is browned, place on top of veggies. Add in your chopped garlic, and season with S&P. Sprinkle your dry soup mix over meat and veggies then pour on your soup. Pour stock over veggies and cover. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Serve this with a side salad and crusty bread or just enjoy as is…this is a one pot wonder!

I hereby christen the 3rd week of October

Crock Pot Week!

Gather your best recipes and send them in.

If I use one of yours…

YOU WIN!!

A copy of our cookbook to call your very own. Fire up your crock pots in honor of the guy (or girl – come on now, we all know it was probably a busy mom) who created them and pay some tribute. If you can actually tell me who did invent the crock pot you win too! Well, you win mad props from me anyway!

Filed Under: Recipes For Kids Tagged With: beef roast, busy mom, carrots, crock pot, fast dinner, garlic, mushrooms, onions, quick cooking

Baseball Week – Sliders into home plate

Grilling Week – Steak Fajitas

Kids Fun Food Week – Meatloaf Cupcakes

Salad Week – Tuscan Bean Salad

Asian Week – Mongolian Beef

Ready When You Are Pot Roast

Featured Cooking With Kids Videos

Join Our Mailing List

Find us on Facebook

Find A Local Farmer’s Market

Baseball Week – Sliders into home plate

Grilling Week – Steak Fajitas

Kids Fun Food Week – Meatloaf Cupcakes

Salad Week – Tuscan Bean Salad

Asian Week – Mongolian Beef

Ready When You Are Pot Roast

Featured Cooking With Kids Videos

Join Our Mailing List

Find us on Facebook

Connect With Ma

Find A Local Farmer’s Market

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