Kid Approved Egg Salad

I only learned that WP liked egg salad when he helped me make it one day, and couldn't stop sneaking bites of it. Normally, I don't think egg salad is a big hit with kids. But this isn't something I make 'especially for kids'. This is something I make for ME. All for myself. I first found the recipe for "Egg Salad Sandwich: the only one I'll eat" on 101 Cookbooks right after William was born. I was craving egg salad, and I don't even know that I'd ever had it. But I knew I wanted it.  Maybe all I really wanted a small sense of normalcy... and egg salad seemed normal. You know, like something you could order in a cute cafe at lunch with girl friends. The normal that existed before the bleary-eyed newborn days at home. So, for that reason, this egg salad is a sense of normalcy for me. Every once and a while, I make it for myself for lunch, and it feels like such a grown-up treat!  If you are a stay-at-home mom, make this for yourself and enjoy your lunch!  Give some to your kiddos to try too, but if they don't like it - no big deal. You made it for yourself anyways! And if you are a working mom, make this the night before and take it for lunch. It gets even better after it's been refrigerated.  

As a bonus: if your kid does like this egg salad, it's VERY nice to add to the lunch rotation and have a break from the usual!

Kid Approved Egg Salad

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

6 eggs (or 4 eggs and 2-3 egg whites)

2 stalks celery, washed and chopped

1/2 bunch green onions, washed and chopped

1 Tablespoon mayonnaise

squeeze of lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

First, hard boil the eggs.  I follow the method that Heidi uses on 101 Cookbooks, and it has never let me down. Place the eggs in a pot and cover them, by about an inch, with cold water.  Place the pot on the stove over high heat and allow the water to come to a rapid boil. Turn of the heat and cover the pot for SEVEN minutes (don't forget to set the timer!)  During this seven minutes, you can:

• put some water and ice in a bowl (you will be immersing the eggs in it later - to stop the cooking)
• chop the celery and green onions
• combine celery and green onions with the mayo, lemon juice, salt and pepper

After the seven minutes, immerse the eggs in a bowl of ice-cold water for THREE minutes to stop the cooking. Peel the eggs. I like to peel mine under cold, running water. Coarsely chop the eggs, then add them to the celery/green onion/ mayo mixture and toss lightly to coat. Serve on a slice of whole wheat toast, on top of salad greens, or with avocado slices. 

hard-boiled, peeled eggs

coarsely chopped eggs - look how rich and yellow the yolks are and how clean and white the whites are:
the "seven minute" method is GREAT!

lunch is served!  Note: WP picks around the celery, but otherwise likes the egg salad

Turn Left Over Chicken into Chicken Nuggets

Y'all, these chicken nuggets have been a huge hit with my kid!  And I love them because they can be made quickly from regular, boneless, skinless chicken breast... including leftover chicken from a previous meal! So, unlike many chicken nuggets out there, I know exactly what's in them. 

Why are these so popular with my meat-averse child? I think it's because of the smooth texture (the chicken is pureed in a food processor first) and the tang of flavor (from the butter/dijon/worcestershire coating.)  I am so grateful to Amy over at Healthy Meals for Healthy Kids for introducing me to the method of pureeing the chicken in the food processor - I never would've thought of this!  I took her original recipe and built on it to give the nuggets a bit more flavor.  Plus, her recipe calls for 1 boneless skinless chicken breast poached in boiling water for 10 minutes. While this is a healthy and easy way to prepare the chicken, I wanted to see if the recipe works with leftover chicken cooked various ways. And... it does!  I have made these several different times with chicken breast slow-cooked in my crock pot and even sautéed in some olive oil.  

So, as I mentioned, my 2 1/2 year old loves these (especially when I serve them with a 'dipping' sauce.) My husband and I like the way they taste, but I have to be honest: the pureed chicken texture does make them seem like "toddler" food. So, he and I have eaten them, but it's not our favorite way to have chicken! The good news: once the chicken is cooked, the nuggets only need about 10 minutes in the oven. One night recently, I made Mediterranean Chicken for the grown-ups, and turned the same chicken into nuggets for WP. It was a bit of extra work, but the nuggets have kept well in the fridge.

Chicken Nuggets from Leftover Chicken

makes about 6 nuggets; recipe easily multiplies

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked

1 egg

dash of salt (optional)

1Tablespoon butter

a splash of Worcestershire Sauce

a blob of Dijon mustard

1/2 cup bread crumbs

Spike seasoning (optional)

Add the cooked chicken, egg, and salt to the food processor and pulse until smooth. 

Shape the chicken mixture into tablespoon-sized balls or any desired shape (using a cookie cutter sprayed with cooking spray.) 

In one bowl, combine butter, Dijon and Worcestershire sauce. In another bowl combine breadcrumbs and seasoning (optional.) Dip each nugget into the butter mixture, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place nuggets on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. 

The Butter/Dijon/Worcestershire mix gives the nuggets a nice flavor

Nuggets before baking

If your family likes these, they will probably love Kim's Yummy Chicken Balls (I'm resisting the temptation to make a "Schwetty" joke here) and Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan.

Love, Lauren

Carnitas: Chipotle-Style

Our whole family really likes Chipotle, so it's no surprise that we all like this recipe for Carnitas: layered like a Burrito Bowl at Chipotle.  I will warn you ahead of time - this recipe requires a bit of forethought.  The carnitas cook for 10 hours in a crock pot, so you will at least want to start the morning-of.  And the Chiptole-style layering method calls for prepared rice. I recommend making a dish with rice earlier in the week (like Red Beans & Rice), and saving 2 cups of extra rice to go with the carnitas.  

If you do these few steps ahead of time, you won't have much left to prepare when dinner time rolls around. 

The recipe for Carnitas is the real keeper here.  I've tried it several times and made several variations - this is my favorite. The Chipotle-style layering is just one way that our family likes them served.  The Carnitas are excellent for tacos, gorditas, chalupas and flautas too.  

For the Carnitas

4 lb boneless pork shoulder roast, cubed... or 4 lb package of Carnitas)

2-3 ham hocks

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 bay leaves

2 cups chicken broth

Mix together seasonings (salt through cinnamon) in a bowl.  Coat the pork with the spice mixture, covering as much area of the pork as possible with spices. Place the bay leaves and ham hocks in the bottom of the crock pot and place the seasoned pork on top. Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the pork, being careful not to rinse off the spices. 

Cover and cook on Low until the pork shreds easily with a fork, about 10 hours. When the pork is tender, remove it from slow cooker, place on a rimmed baking sheet, and shred with two forks.  It will look like this:

Now, the real magic of these Carnitas is that AFTER spending 10 HOURS in the slow cooker, they go into a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.  This will give them that nice crispy texture that make Carnitas so good.  But wait... don't send the Carnitas into the oven alone!  This is where the layering comes in. You might as well throw some rice, beans, corn and cheese in there with them. And when everything comes out of the oven, you have a complete meal. The ingredients I use are listed below. But you could get creative and make yours reflect your favorite Chipotle bowl.  Just make sure that the Carnitas are on TOP when everything goes into the oven. 

For the Chipotle-Style Layering:

2 cups prepared rice

1/4 cup sour cream

1/8 cup salsa verde (I buy prepared salsa verde, but always check the label as some are very high in sodium)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can Mexicorn, drained

1 cup Cheddar and/or Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

Pico de Gallo (optional topping)

Sour cream (optional topping)

Preheat oven to 400. Combine rice, sour cream and salsa verde then add to the bottom of a casserole dish. Top with black beans, then Mexicorn, then cheese, then Carnitas.  Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until dish is warmed throughout and Carnitas are crispy. Serve with Pico de Gallo and/or sour cream (optional).

Note: you can do the layering ahead of time and store the casserole dish in the refrigerator until you are ready to top with Carnitas and bake. 


Print recipe.

Layer 1: Creamy Rice

Layer 2: Black Beans

Layer 3: Mexicorn

Layer 4: Cheese (Cheddar & Monterrey Jack)

Layer 5: Shredded Carnitas

This is after 20 minutes in the oven... don't the Carnitas look so good?!  

Note:  You will probably have twice the Carnitas that you need for one meal. You could make two casseroles by doubling the 'Chipotle-style layering' ingredients.  The dish travels well if you will be taking it to a friend. Otherwise, freeze any extra Carnitas and use them next time!


Enjoy!

Sami's Crockpot Chicken Tacos

I mentioned before about reaching out to the neighbs, asking for recipes, and Sami was right on top of it, sending me this gem!  Sami is the first one on my neighborhood friends that I have told about KidEats.  I keep pep-talking myself about telling more but it's a bit nerve-wracking.  This is really a perfect recipe.  I think it would be fun to serve like Lauren's Carnitas, layered with rice, beans, and cheese, like a casserole.  Click below for recipe!

Oven Ranch Chicken

This is an easy and flavorful recipe.  Throw some chicken in a bag with Ranch dressing and marinate for a bit. Toss them in some bread crumbs and cheese and bake.

Ravioli with Pesto, Sausage, & Spinach

In the search for easy recipes, I sent an email out to the moms in our neighborhood asking for input. One of the tips was to keep pasta on hand, specifically frozen ravioli or similar.  She suggested making soup or tossing it with anything you have on hand to make a hardy meal.  

Another momma said that she loved store-bought pesto.  In addition to putting it in the obvious pasta dishes and sandwiches, she puts it in her mashed potatoes! I always made our pesto but buying it premade is a great time saver- herbs, nuts, oil, garlic, and cheese READY TO GO!

My Kid Ate Zucchini!!

He has refused to eat it before, and he will refuse to eat it again... but, tonight, WP ate his zucchini!  I think he really liked it. This made me happy because there are SO MANY things that I prepare and put on his plate that he won't eat.  But to have him eat a green vegetable... I'll take it when I can get it!

From here, I diced WP's zucchini into even smaller "bite sized" pieces.

Here is the recipe for tonight's zucchini: maybe the mozzarella is what makes it toddler approved?  This goes well as a side dish with just about anything, but tonight, I served it with Mediterranean Chicken. (My husband and I have liked this long before we had a kiddo... ever since our friend Sarah made it for us.  It's tasty, healthy and colorful. I have included the recipe here in case you want it. The original recipe called for skin-on chicken breasts, but I use boneless skinless.)

I acknowledge that these pictures are no good. I wasn't even planning on taking pictures of this meal... but when the boy ate his vegetables, I wanted to share the recipe!

Skillet Zucchini

1 T (or less) Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2-3 zucchini (halved lengthwise, then cut into half-moons about ½” thick)

2-3 garlic cloves

¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

salt & pepper

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add Olive Oil. When oil is hot, add zucchini and garlic. Stir and sauté the zucchini and the garlic in the skillet for a few minutes until the zucchini is tender but not mushy – usually about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Top with the mozzarella cheese and allow the cheese to melt in the skillet, over the zucchini, before serving. (Dice zucchini even smaller before serving to toddlers.)

Print Recipes Here

Mediterranean Chicken

Crock Pot Bolognese with Buttered Angel Hair Pasta

I found the original recipe for Crock Pot Bolognese at Skinny Taste. I modified it a bit and am VERY happy with how it turned out. It was easy to make and turned out to be a nutritious, filling, delicious meal.  This tasted like one of those home-cooked meals that someone's grandma stood over the stove all day to make. And it is a home-cooked meal... but I didn't stand over the stove (very long AT ALL) to make it!

WP liked it.... not that it's hard to get a toddler to like pasta. But he took bites of it on his own, and that's a win in my book. The husband and I liked it too, and I will definitely make this again. 

The recipe makes a lot of Bolognese sauce, so I will be freezing half for a future dinner - another win!


Speaking of freezing, the recipe calls for red wine. I really think the wine enhances the flavor and is worth adding. Don't worry about the kids, the alcohol cooks out!  I had some red wine in the freezer (I freeze what we don't drink in plastic containers), and I just threw a whole frozen chunk of red wine right into the crock pot.  It melted and blended right in perfectly!
  

WP says "Mom, thanks for making dinner for us!"

Crock Pot Bolognese with Buttered Angel Hair Pasta

· 3 oz pancetta, chopped (or center cut bacon)

· 1 medium yellow onion, minced

· 2 celery stalks (about 3/4 cup), minced

· 2 carrots (about 3/4 cup), minced

· 1 lb ground sirloin

· 1 lb lean ground turkey

· 1/4 cup red wine

· 2 - 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

· 3 bay leaves

· salt and fresh pepper

· 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

· 1/2 cup half & half cream

· 8 oz angel hair pasta, cooked

· 1 tablespoon butter

· Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a large deep saute pan over medium heat. Sauté pancetta until the fat melts, about 4-5 minutes. Add onions, celery and carrots and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add ground sirloin, ground turkey and saute until browned.

Drain the fat then add the mixture to the crock pot. Add wine, tomatoes, bay leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine, cover and set slow cooker to LOW for 5-6 hours.  

While the sauce cooks, cook the angel hair pasta according to package instructions.  Angel hair pasta typically only takes 4 or 5 minutes to cook. When the pasta is done, drain the pasta water away. Return the pasta to the pot, add 1 tablespoon of butter and stir until the butter melts. Cover until ready to serve.

After 5 or 6 hours of simmering in the crock pot, add half & half and parsley to the Bolognese sauce. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. Serve over Buttered Angel Hair Pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.


Print Recipe Here. 

A whole quart of sauce is going in the freezer for next time!

I hope you enjoy this dinner as much as we did. If you need a good movie to go along with a good dinner: Money Ball. My husband and I watched it as I wrote this post and both loved it. What a GREAT movie.


Love, Lauren

 

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

I turned the leftovers into Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. Bread-sopping good!

I am not a person who gets sick often but this season has been tough on our family.  The boys got sick on Christmas Eve and my DH and I kissed the germs right into ourselves. That's the third time since October! Chicken noodle soup is the best medicine, right?  We all love soup and it's one of the few ways that the little ones will eat their veggies.

This recipe is easy and really has the slow, homemade taste that makes soups so comforting.

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Print Recipe

1 Rotisserie Chicken, meat removed from bones and juices reserved

1 medium Onion, diced

2-5 Carrots, diced

2-3 Ribs of Celery, diced

2 tsp dried Thyme (or about 5 sprigs fresh- I throw them in whole then pull it out before serving)

1 Bay leaf

8 cups of Chicken broth

2-3 cups of egg noodles

Put everything except the noodles in a large stock pot and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15-25 minutes, or until onions are soft.  Raise the temperature to bring back to a rolling boil. Add noodles and cook.  THAT IS IT! 

Serve with crusty yummy bread and a salad. I love it topped with some shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.  It can be expensive ($20+per pound) but a little goes a long way! It makes pastas extra special with no effort!

Variations:

Chicken Tortilla soup

Stir in a jar or your favorite salsa (add whitebeans if you have them) and top with tortillas, sour cream and green onions.  Fresh cilantro, sliced fresh jalapenos, and a squeeze of lime will put it over the top.

Creamy Chicken Noodle soup

After the noodles are cooked, remove a cup or two of liquid and combine with two cans of cream of mushroom or celery soup.  Add back into the soup and stir well. I added one can to our leftovers (pictured above) which was a great change up.

Slow Cooker

Cook all ingredients (except noodles) on low for 4-6 hours, turn to high and add noodles for 20 minutes.

If you're keeping up, add this one to you meal-planning binder;) Kim

Mini Meat Loaves (AND Meal Planning)

A friend of mine recently asked me about meal planning and I sent her a long email with a plan.  After sending it, I realized that the grocery bill was probably high  (especially since she lives in NYC) and maybe too much trouble for the results.  It really got me thinking about my own planning and why I get burnt out on cooking every night.  The kiddos being so demanding right before dinner is a huge part of it but it's easy to get in a cooking slump anytime, with or without kids.  I'm rethinking my strategy and have been on a mission to find recipes and meals that work for me and my family.

I am looking for recipes that have most or all of these qualities-

1. use few ingredients, keeping cost in mind

2. few dishes are needed to prepare = less dishes to wash

3. contain Protein, Produce, and Grain (Dairy is a bonus; Healthy is great too!)

4. can easily be made ahead and/or frozen (I seriously want no more than 15 minutes of hands on time when the kids are hungry)

I've tried a few recipes this past week and the favorite by far was the mini meat loaves. It is all over the internet as the 'lil cheddar meatloaves' so I don't know who to give credit to.  I doubled the recipe without having to get out a humungous bowl and I made it earlier in the day and popped it in the oven at dinner time.  The small meatloaves cooked quickly in the oven which was very nice.  I made Lauren's Green Beans (I use frozen beans) which were perfect, as always. To try and cut time more, I used boxed mashed potatoes.  I have memories of this being good but they were not at all good and not worth the savings- time or money.  I need to find an alternative quick potato . . . Suggestions?? 
Click 'READ MORE' below for the Meat Loaf recipe!!

Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan

This Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan has become a staple in our house - one of those recipes I make as often as I can because we all like it.  The first time I tried it was when my Mother-in-law made it. I loved it then and I still am impressed with it every time I make it: it's easy, tasty, and healthy not fried. I am never able to get chicken so tender unless I follow this recipe. And aside from Kim's Yummy Chicken Balls, this is one of the few meats WP will eat. Really, what kid wouldn't like it? It's like pizza with a chicken-crust.  

I have included a picture of the original recipe from my Mother-in-law. She and I have both made modifications to the original recipe, including:

• For the chicken breasts: trim off all the fat and slice each breast in half (so that they are half as thick).  This is easier to do if the breasts are partially frozen. You can slice them partially frozen, then completely defrost them in the microwave. (Note: if you want to make strips or nuggets for the kids, just cut the chicken before fully defrosting it.) After halving and defrosting the chicken breasts, place them in a freezer bag and use a meat tenderizer to pound them out. I like them very thin - 1/2" or thinner. 
• Dip the chicken breasts in butter mixture, then coat them in the breadcrumb mixture according to the recipe. 
• Bake the chicken at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and top with pasta (or pizza) sauce and mozzarella cheese. (I am obsessed with HEB/Central Market grocery stores. I do not get paid to say that - I just love them that much. Their HEB brand pizza sauce is delicious, so I always use it on this dish. My husband swears that the pizza sauce makes the recipe. If you don't live in South Texas, or near an HEB, my condolences! Please come visit one if you are ever here. I digress.) Return the chicken to the oven for an additional 15 minutes. 

The Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan goes well with many different sides. I usually serve it with a salad, a vegetable and/or buttered noodles with Parmesan. 

Set up an assembly line: half then pound out chicken breasts; dip in butter/sauce; dredge in breadcrumbs & Parmesan; add to pan

Enchiladas Verdes Lasagna

This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite 'Green Enchiladas' recipes. Rolling individual enchiladas takes a little time, so I prefer this method of layering the ingredients 'lasagna' style. The taste turns out the same, with a lot less effort!

I serve this with any of the following things I have on hand: rice and beans, chips and salsa, queso, avocado, extra sour cream, etc...  


This is a favorite in our house and is one of those meals I take to people who just had a baby! :) 

Enchiladas Verdes Lasagna

18 corn tortillas

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream

2 cans cream of chicken soup (low fat/low sodium)

1 large (7 oz) can green chiles

1 (7 oz) can Herdez salsa verde*

2 large (10 oz) cans white chicken meat, drained

2 cups (16 oz) cheddar cheese, grated

For the sauce: Heat olive oil in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Saute the onion in the oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and green chiles to the onion. Stir or whisk the sauce together and heat until warmed.

For the filling: Mix together chicken and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese in a medium bowl.

To layer: Spread 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of a lasagna pan, or 9X13 baking dish. Place 6 tortillas over the sauce, to cover the bottom of the dish. Layer on top of the tortillas as follows: half of the chicken mixture, one third of the sauce, 6 tortillas, the remaining chicken mixture, one third of the sauce, 6 tortillas, remaining sauce. Top with cheddar cheese and bake at 350 until cheese is bubbly (about 30 minutes.)

*Note: you can assemble the dish early in the day and store in the refrigerator until ready to warm and eat. If you refrigerate first, cook at 350 for about 45 minutes. If you can't find the Herdez salsa verde, use about a cup of any salsa verde you like, or substitute with another 7 oz can of green chiles. 


If you make this all the time (like I do) and want a new variation, you can use Monterey Jack instead of Cheddar cheese and add 1 box of de-frosted, frozen, chopped spinach to the chicken and cheese mixture. 


Print recipe here. 

Love, Lauren

Ramen- Two ways

Ramen isn't exactly the healthiest meal to give a tot but for some reason they love it.  It falls into the category with hot dogs and chicken nuggets- it's high in sodium and there is little nutritional value.  In Hawaii, there are Ramen shops where the primary food served is noodles!  They are wonderful and one of the things I crave when I go home.  There are really some great ideas to take away from these shops.  For example, you can put anything you'd like in Ramen and you can serve it hot, cold, soupy or dry.  Also, a few simple condiments can make a big difference. The two ways I am going to show you are simple and add some good stuff for your little ones (and you).

Ramen

Package of ramen noodles (Chicken is most liked by the little ones but I prefer the miso or kim chee)

1 egg, slightly beaten in a bowl

Frozen peas (or mixed veggies.  carrots work well)

EXTRAS:

Green onions or chives, sliced finely

a bit of white pepper (black is ok too)

some sesame oil

leftover chicken, pork, turkey or other meat (you can serve it as is or mix bit of soy sauce and sugar and heat it together in a pan)

More suggestions!

Frozen wontons or gyoza

Cabbage

Mushrooms

Tofu

Greens-spinach etc

Bean sprouts

Put a pot of 4-5 cups of water over high heat till it boils.  Break the ramen into 4-8 pieces put into boiling water. After about 2:30 minutes, add the soup base.  Do not use all of the soup base if you are using less water.  Turn the heat down and stir.  Slowly, drizzle the raw scrambled egg to make a circle in the soup.  Do not stir.  If the egg doesn't cook in a few seconds, turn the heat up to medium. Once it's cooked, turn the heat off and add the meat, green onion, white pepper, sesame oil, and the frozen veggies.  The frozen veggies will cool off the soup and the soup will thaw the veggies. 

Serve in a bowl with a fork, a spoon for slurping, and chopsticks if you have them.

KC couldn't get enough.  He had two servings then drank the soup out of the bowl.

Fried Ramen

Package of ramen noodles (Chicken is most liked by the little ones but I prefer the miso or kim chee)

1 egg, slightly beaten in a bowl

Pork or chicken in any cooked form

Pinch of sugar

Soy sauce

EXTRAS:

Frozen peas (or mixed veggies.  carrots work well)

Green onions or chives, sliced finely

a bit of white pepper (black is ok too)

some sesame oil

leftover chicken, pork, turkey or other meat (you can serve it as is or mix bit of soy sauce and sugar and heat it together in a pan)

More suggestions!

Frozen wontons or gyoza

Cabbage

Mushrooms

Tofu

Greens-spinach etc

Bean sprouts

Put the water on the stove.  While it's heating, chop your ingredients.  Scramble an egg in a non-stick pan, S/P, then place in a bowl.  Put noodles in the water.  Add your meat and veggies to the pan with some oil (a couple drops of sesame is great).  A minute early, remove the noodles and put them into the veggies.  Put a teaspoon of the soop base, a pinch of sugar and one turn of soy sauce in the pan.  Add the egg, and mix it up.  Top with green onion and serve.

Hmmmm . . . granola bar or noodles??

Noodles!