No-Recipe Dinner Ideas (podcast #108)

Have you ever had one of those days where you walk in the door at 5:00 pm and have no idea what to make for dinner? Tee hee hee … of course you have! With no dinner game plan, things like mac & cheese, frozen chicken nuggets, and pizza often become the evening’s meal. Easy … but not exactly the most nutritious. Lately, between scrambling to finish the manuscript for our new cookbook (can you say, “carpal tunnel syndrome?”) and end-of-the-year school activities, we’ve each experienced a lot of those, “what the heck should I make for dinner tonight” nights. Luckily, our game plan has included a lot of no-recipe meals that our families really love.

On this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast, we share our favorite last-minute dinners … which come together quickly with ingredients we tend to keep in our pantries.  We hope you’ll tune in, and we hope you’ll share your family’s no-recipe dinner favorites too. Here’s what’s cooking at our homes:

Liz’s go-to dinners

> Quesadillas made with leftover meat/shrimp/chicken, canned beans, all-natural barbecue sauce, thawed frozen corn kernels, sauteed red bell pepper, and reduced-fat shredded cheese. Arrange the mixture on one side of several flour tortillas, fold in half, and cook in a nonstick skillet with canola oil until crispy and brown on both sides.

> Latin black bean soup (from Trader Joe’s) topped with shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese and crushed tortilla chips and served with corn bread or guacamole and chips on the side.

> Omelette stuffed with sauteed mushrooms and low-fat cheese with a simple salad and whole wheat toast on the side.

> Boboli pizza topped with pasta sauce, sautéed red onion, mushrooms, and spinach, and part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese.

Janice’s go-to dinners

> Whole wheat blend pasta (Barilla Plus or Ronzoni Healthy Harvest) topped with chicken sausage (sliced into rounds and broiled), sauteed veggies (whatever is on hand), and pasta sauce.

> Black bean burgers cooked on the outdoor grill and served with a salad and sliced watermelon — or whatever else is in season.

> Cheesy egg sandwiches made with fried eggs, whole wheat English muffins, and slices of low-fat American cheese.

Liz’s boys finished school yesterday, so life feels like it’s finally slowed down … just a tad. But believe it or not, Janice’s daughter Leah, is still in school; she has another full week. Carolyn has officially graduated, and in case you haven’t heard, she’ll be entering Connecticut College in the fall. Go Carolyn! In fact, Janice is throwing her a graduation party this Saturday night, and is busy planning the menu of honey baked ham and Swiss cheese on finger rolls,  pasta salad, coleslaw, buffalo chicken calzones (Carolyn’s favorite) and a few other surprises!

If you have some no-recipe recipes you’d like to share, feel free to post them to the blog!

June 23, 2010 | Filed Under Beans, Dinner, Eggs, Pasta, Pizza, Podcast | 2 Comments 

‘Breakfast for Dinner’ Blogger Event & Recipe for Kale Chips (Podcast #103)

Last week, after a long day of recipe testing in The Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen, we took a break to attend a food blogger’s dinner at Stella restaurant in Boston’s South End (so much hipper than the MMM Kitchen). Hosted by Eggland’s Best Eggs and Mary Kate of Kitchenbelle, we feasted on a “Breakfast for Dinner” menu of Linguini Carbonara, French Toast, Duck Omelet, and a decadent Chocolate Torte for dessert.  Eggland’s Best (or EB as we like to call them!) has been a sponsor of our weekly radio podcast, Cooking with the Moms, since we launched the show, so we were excited about the event and eager to meet some of the folks we’ve talked to and emailed over the past two years. 

Stella Chop Salad with Chicken, Hard Boiled Egg, Tomatoes, Bacon & Red Onion.

Duck Omelet with Duck Confit, Crumbled Goat Cheese, Mushrooms & Baby Spinach and a platter of mile-high French Toast in the background!

Lots of fun goodies — including a stuffed EB Egg — to take home and sample.

Chocolate Torte with Vanilla Gelato & Chocolate Sauce completes the meal.

 Janice & Liz meet Bart, Director of Quality, and Roger, Marketing Manager.  Not seen in the photo (taking the picture): Lainie, EB’s Marketing Coordinator.

Seven million Eggland’s Best Eggs are produced every day, and like all eggs, they provide a host of important nutrients including high-quality protein and choline, a B vitamin essential for normal brain and nerve function. EB hens are fed a special vegetarian diet of grains and canola oil, supplemented with of rice bran, alfalfa, sea kelp and vitamin E. They even eat marigolds which imparts a beautiful yellow color to the yolks and boosts the antioxidant levels. As a result, compared to ordinary eggs, they are higher in vitamin D, vitamin E, and lutein (an antioxidant good for eye health), and each large egg contains over 100 milligrams of heart-healthy omega-3 fats (versus 37mg in other eggs). 


One of the best parts about the evening was getting to meet some of our fellow Boston-area food bloggers. 

Sitting at our table were the following foodies:

Athena — Forays of a Finance Foodie
Susan –  Transient Travels
Nicole — Healthy Chow
Sarah — The Pink Shoe Diaries
Peter – On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
April — Wicked Tasty Harvest
Will — The Boston Foodie

Janice sat next to April at dinner and somehow — don’t ask us how — the conversation turned to kale chips. Janice shared our previous experience making them … and our lack of success (after forgetting to take a batch out of the oven and burning the feathery “chips” to smithereens, we kind of gave up on the recipe). Re-inspired by April whose 4-year old daughter loves them, we decided to give kale chips another try. The results weren’t bad – most of our kids liked them a lot though they all agreed the chips were “weird but good.”

 

Crispy Kale Chips

Makes Lots of Chips! (Adapted from April at Wicked Tasty Harvest) 

 

  • One 1-pound bunch kale
  • 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Pinch chili powder
  • Kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 250° F. Remove the stems and woody ribbing from the tender leaves. Tear the kale into bite-size pieces. Wash and dry.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, ginger, paprika, and chili powder.  Stir in the kale leaves and toss with your hands, coating each leaf, front and back. Lay the kale out on a parchment paper–covered cookie sheet, and sprinkle with the salt (The Meal Makeover Moms had enough kale for three batches). Wash your hands so you don’t rub chili powder into your eyes. Just sayin’.

3. Bake in the oven until they are flat and crisp, about 15–20 minutes. (It took about 17 minutes for mine, although the recipe that inspired it online said 33 minutes.) * For The Meal Makeover Moms, it took about 25 minutes.

4. Remove with a spatula and let them cool. Serve them to someone who will try one and say, “Kale chips?!?” as they bite into one. In about 1 minute, they’ll come back for 10 more. You could also grate hard cheese, like Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano over them for a cheesy treat.

5. I stored the leftovers in an airtight container and three days later, the last stragglers are still crisp and delicate—and delicious.

Print Recipe

Okay, back to the EB event, which we left with a swag bag filled with a stuffed EB egg, a spatula and a bag of EB’s hard-cooked peeled eggs.  Talk about convenience!  You can use them for egg salad, deviled eggs, or sliced up for a salad topping.  If you’re inclined to hard-cook your own eggs but aren’t quite sure of the best method, read on for our tried-and-true technique.

How to Hard Cook an Egg:

Have you ever hard boiled an egg only to end up with an unsightly green-gray ferrous sulfide ring around the outside of the cooked yolk?  This can happen when the egg is overcooked and/or not chilled quickly enough.  For a perfect egg every time, follow these four steps:

> Place eggs in a saucepan in a single layer and add enough cold water to cover by an inch.

> Bring the water just to a boil, remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 17 minutes.

> Remove the eggs from saucepan and place in a bowl filled with cold water and ice (or carefully drain the hot water from the saucepan and refill with cold water and ice).  Cool for 5 minutes.

> To peel, gently tap eggs on kitchen counter to crack.  Then roll gently, pressing down just enough to crush the shells all over.  Peel under cool running water starting at the large end.

Thanks again to Lainie, Roger, and Bart from Eggland’s Best and Mary Kate from Kitchenbelle for a fun night out!

 

May 12, 2010 | Filed Under CulinaryAdventures, Eggs, Podcast | 6 Comments 

Cookbook Review: Joy Bauer’s Slim & Scrumptious

For the past few weeks, it’s been The Meal Makeover Moms versus Sweet Potato Fries. With the goal of including a sweet potato fry recipe in our new cookbook, we’ve been peeling and slicing sweet potatoes like there’s no tomorrow. After ten tries (I kid you not) we’re pretty close to coming up with a sweet potato fry our kids will happily eat!

Coincidentally, in the midst of all the sweet potato madness, I received a copy of Slim & Scrumptious: More Than 75 Delicious, Healthy Meals Your Family Will Love, a new cookbook by TODAY Show nutrition and health editor, Joy Bauer. I’ve known Joy for years (don’t ask me how we first met because I can’t remember) and was eager to review her book … especially after I spotted a photo of her crispy-looking Cinnamon-Sugar Sweet Potato Fries on the cover. Hmmm. What would my boys think of Joy’s sweet potato recipe?

The book features lots of healthy versions of kid favorites — AJs Mac-n-Cheezy, Sesame Chicken Tenders, Mediterranean Meatloaf, Pumpkin Pancakes, and Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies — as well as recipes for more adventurous palates: Garden Lentil Burgers, Cod and Lentils with Smoked Paprika Sofrito, and Creamy Curry Cauliflower Soup. I love the photos — they’re mouth watering to say the least, and I like the layout, the font size (I can read her recipes without having to wear my reading glasses!), and the nutrition information that follows each recipe.  I decided to make two recipes from the book: the sweet potato fries and Joy’s Turkey Meatballs.

Cinnamon-Sugar Sweet Potato Fries

Serves 4

I always consider dinner a success when every last vegetable is consumed, and that’s exactly what happened when I made Joy’s sweet potato fries. Her technique yielded crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside fries … just what Josh and Simon love. They were easy to make (a sharp knife will come in handy when slicing the sweet potatoes) and the flavor combo of cinnamon and brown sugar was kid friendly all the way.

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat or oat flour
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
  • 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 egg whites

1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Liberally coat a large baking sheet with oil spray. (The fries will be crispiest if baked directly on the baking sheet, without aluminum foil.)

2. Cut the sweet potatoes lenghtwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices; then cut each slice into 1/2-inch-wide strips to form fries.

3. Combine the flour, flaxseed, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Crumble the ingredients together with your fingers until they are evently dispersed.

4. Place the egg whites in a shallow dish and whisk until frothy. Dip the fries into the egg whites; then tap them on the edge of the dish to drain away any excess egg white.

5. Add all the fries to the plastic bag, seal, and shake vigorously to coat the fries evenly with the breading mixture. Delicately remove the fries from the bag and arrange them in a single layer, evenly spaced apart, on the prepared baking sheet. Mist with oil spray.

6. Bake for 15 minutes. Then turn the fries over and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until crispy and browned. Let the fries cool slightly before serving to allow the coating to harden.

Print Recipe

Joy’s Turkey Meatballs

Makes 4 Servings

My boys are spaghetti and meatball fans, and they gave this recipe two-thumbs!  I used one jar of pasta sauce  for the recipe and one whole egg instead of the two whites (I didn’t have the heart to throw out the super-nutritious yolks), and the dish came out moist and flavorful. I also used a small onion versus a medium since my kids tend to shy away from onions. I served the meatballs over whole grain blend spaghetti.

  • Easy Marinara Sauce or 2 jars (26 oz each) store-bought marinara
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, finely chopped or grated
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced, or 1⁄2 tsp garlic powder
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb blend (or 2 tsp dried basil plus 2 tsp dried oregano)
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey (at least 90% lean)
  • 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats

1. Prepare Easy Marinara Sauce or bring store-brought sauce to a gentle simmer in a 5-qt saucepan.

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the onion, carrot, garlic, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Add the ground turkey, egg whites and oats. Mix thoroughly until the ingredients are well combined.

3. Shape the meat mixture into approximately 20 meatballs, about 1 1/2 inch in diameter.  Carefully place all the meatballs in the marinara sauce. Do not stir; stirring will cause the meatballs to break apart. Don’t worry if some of the meatballs are not completely submerged in the sauce. Cover the pot and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

4. Remove the lid and gently stir the meatballs to thoroughly coat them with the sauce. Simmer, uncovered, for an additional 20 minutes.

Print Recipe

I plan to make both recipes again, and I look forward to trying a few more — Buffalo Chicken Chili, Chicken Lettuce Wraps, and Double Chocolate Pancakes. As for our sweet potato fries, Janice and I are definitely suffering from sweet potato envy, so we’ll continue to tweak our recipe with the goal of creating something that meets our kids’ criteria of crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and sweet all around.

May 10, 2010 | Filed Under Dinner, Eggs, Poultry, Sides, Vegetables | 9 Comments 

Podcast 84: Boon Fly Cafe … and Breakfast Any Time

The inspiration for this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast was our trip to Napa, CA in November and a rib-sticking breakfast at the Boon Fly Café. On our final morning, we ate at the Boon Fly, located at the fabulous Carneros Inn. Knowing we’d be flying all afternoon and into the night and knowing they’d starve us on the plane ride back to Boston, we went all out. The meal began with the restaurant’s signature Boon Fly Donuts (one small donut per Meal Makeover Mom was a wonderful indulgence). From there, Liz ordered the B.E.L.T.; applewood smoked bacon with one egg any style, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise on sourdough. Janice had the Breakfast Flatbread with two fried eggs, bacon, caramelized onions, and mozzarella.  As you can see from the photos, we had plenty of leftovers for the journey home.

The Breakfast Flatbread was so yummy (though clearly uber high in fat and calories) that it motivated us to create a brand new recipe for Green Eggs & Bacon Pizza. Wow. Where do we begin? There are so many great things to say about this recipe. For starters, it’s hearty thanks to the eggs and the bacon. Second, it’s nutritious thanks to the spinach, eggs, and cheese. And finally, Janice’s daughters and Liz’s boys all gave it two-thumbs up!  We consider four happy kids at the dinner (or lunch) hour a huge success.

Green Eggs & Bacon Pizza

Makes 5 Servings

  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 3 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped (about 2 packed cups)
  • 5 large eggs, beaten (we like Eggland’s Best)
  • 4 slices nitrite-free bacon, cooked, patted well between paper towels to remove excess fat, and chopped into small pieces
  • One 12-inch pre-made pizza crust (we used Boboli original crust)
  • 1 cup reduced-fat preshredded Italian cheese blend (we used Sargento 4 Cheese Reduced-Fat Italian)

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (or the temperature indicated on your pizza crust).  Bake the pizza crust according to package directions (in the case of the Boboli, about 8 minutes).

2. While the pizza crust is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 1 minute.

2. Raise the heat to medium-high.  Add the spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the eggs and the bacon and scramble until the eggs are set, about 3 minutes.

4. Remove the cooked pizza crust from the oven. Top evenly with the egg and spinach mixture. Top with the shredded cheese. Place back in the oven and cook until the cheese melts, another 2 minutes.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 slice):  320 calories, 14g fat (5g saturated, 0.2g omega-3), 660mg sodium, 27g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 20g protein, 25% calcium, 20% vitamin A, 15% iron

Print Recipe

> Dashboard Dining: We recently received an email from one of our listeners, Nicole P., asking for breakfast ideas for her 3-year old son who never seems hungry first thing in the morning but who often asks for breakfast on the ride to preschool. Here are a a bunch of suggestions when dashboard dining is your only option.

The second recipe in this week’s podcast also features nutrient-packed eggs. This B.L.T. with More hits the spot any time of the day.

B.L.T.  with More

Makes 4 Servings

  • 1 teaspoon canola oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 to 8 teaspoons light canola mayonnaise
  • Four 100% whole wheat sandwich thins, lightly toasted
  • 4 Romaine lettuce leaves, washed and dried
  • 4 to 8 thin slices tomato
  • 8 slices nitrite-free bacon, cooked, patted well between paper towels to remove excess fat, cut in half

1. Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Crack each egg open into the skillet. Gently break the yolk. Cook 2 minutes, flip, and cook 1 additional minute.  Season with salt and pepper.

2.  To assemble, spread the mayonnaise over each half of the sandwich thins. Layer 4 of the halves with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 to 2 tomato slices, 4 pieces of bacon, and an egg. Top with the remaining halves, slice in half, and serve.

Nutrition Information per Serving:  300 calories, 16g fat (4g saturated, 0.7 omega-3), 730mg sodium, 24g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 17g protein, 10% vitamin A, 10% vitamin C, 15% iron

Print Recipe

If you have a favorite breakfast recipe you’d like to share or a favorite breakfast cafe suggestion, please post a comment to our blog.  Cheers!!

December 8, 2009 | Filed Under Breakfast, CulinaryAdventures, Dinner, Eggs, Lunch, Pizza, Podcast, Vegetables | 8 Comments 

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