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 

No Whine with Dinner: Bowtie Pasta with Feta Cheese & Lemon Pepper Chicken

Here at Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen we encourage families to cook at home and eat together.  So when we discovered the blog, Eat at Home, we couldn’t wait to read it.  The tagline for Eat at Home is Everyday Food for Busy People. Written by Tiffany, a mother of four (18-year old Meredith, 15-year old Peter, 11-year old Isaac, and 7-year old Mia), Eat at Home helps families put dinner on the table … so they don’t have to spend lots of money eating out.

Since we liked her blog so much, we asked Tiffany to participate in our No Whine with Dinner Q&A guest post and to share a recipe that all her children love.   She chose Bowtie Pasta with Feta Cheese & Lemon Pepper Chicken, a recipe she created a few years ago and one that became an instant family favorite.  We think you’ll like it!

Bowtie Pasta with Feta Cheese & Lemon Pepper Chicken

Makes About 8 Servings

  • 3 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
  • Lemon pepper seasoning
  • One, 16-ounce box dried bowtie pasta
  • 1 small bunch broccoli, chopped
  • 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped
  • 2 to 3 carrots, chopped or ½ bag baby carrots
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 6 to 8 ounces crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 ½ cups half & half, warmed

1. Season the chicken on both sides with lemon pepper seasoning.  Grill until cooked through.

2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water according to the package directions.  If you have a pot that’s big enough, you can add the veggies to the pasta during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.  If not, steam the veggies in a small amount of water in another pot.

3. Drain the pasta and veggies.  Stir in the butter, feta cheese and half & half.  Slice the grilled chicken into thin strips and serve along with the pasta.  Serve the lemon pepper seasoning at the table for those who want more on their pasta.

Note: I used to buy the bags of fresh veggies meant to steam in the microwave, but I’ve noticed that the bags have gotten much smaller in recent years.

Print Recipe

Q: What do you like about this recipe?
A: I love the flavor combination of this dish.  The lemon pepper is bright and the veggies are fresh.  Pasta is one of my family’s favorite types of food, so this dish is a hit.

Q: What do your kids think about this recipe?
A: Because the recipe combines some of their favorite vegetables, pasta, and chicken I think it was a good way to introduce them to the new flavors of feta cheese and the lemon pepper seasoning. We are a homeschooling family and are often home for lunch.  We make it a habit to eat up the leftovers at lunch.  Now that the kids are older, there aren’t as many leftovers … sometimes only a serving or two.  The kids will “call” a serving of this for their lunch.  Anything kids willingly eat as a leftover is good, especially when it is healthy too.

Q: Other than the fact that this recipe makes everyone in your family happy, do you have any other tips you’d like to share with fellow parents for taking the “whine” out of dinner?
A: Some kids are naturally picky and others will try most anything.  I’ve got two of each of those types.  I’m sad to report that I’ve not been able to turn the picky kids into adventurous eaters.  But as they’ve gotten older, they like to experiment in the kitchen especially with spice combinations.  I think this helps broaden their tastes.

Although we do insist our kids eat enough variety of foods to have a balanced diet, we don’t have hard and fast rules.  I try to fix veggies that they like, but also introduce new things every so often.  And there are some foods that a child just won’t eat.  I respect that.  One of my sons really doesn’t like shrimp.  I don’t force him to eat it, but it doesn’t keep me from fixing it for the rest of us occasionally.  He can eat the other part of the meal and is free to snack on other foods to fill him up.  I don’t fix alternate foods if a child is just being picky, versus truly not liking a food they have tried.  Thankfully, it all becomes easier as they get older.

Q: Please provide a brief description of your blog:
A: Eat at Home provides recipes, menus and complete grocery lists to help families put dinner on the table fast.  The meals are easy, use common ingredients and are kid friendly.

Note from The Moms:  Janice made this recipe for her family the other night, and it was a huge hit!  Leah went back for seconds, and everyone enjoyed it reheated the next day.  The Bissex family will definitely be making it again!

April 2, 2010 | Filed Under NoWhineWithDinner, Pasta, PickyEaters, Poultry, Vegetables | 6 Comments 

Podcast 90: Casseroles with a Twist

Gooey and gloppy are just two of the words that come to mind when we think about classic casseroles.  Typically made with creamy soups and lots of butter and full-fat cheese, casseroles get a bad nutrition rap because they have a tendency to stick to the ribs … and to the waistline. In this week’s Cooking with the Moms, we add a contemporary twist to casseroles by skimming away some of the bad fat and the excess calories and by incorporating some good-for-you ingredients … and we do it without sacrificing the time-honored flavors. The inspiration for the show came from a casserole article we just wrote for Kiwi magazine.  The February issue hits newsstands soon, so be on the lookout.

For the Kiwi story, we featured three recipes: Crushed Tortilla Chip Casserole, Sweet & Nutty Rice Casserole, and a makeover of the classic kid favorite, tuna noodle casserole. For this recipe, we added an updated twist by switching from tuna to boneless, skinless canned salmon (salmon is one of the richest sources of brain-boosting omega-3 fats), using a whole wheat blend pasta versus white, and by adding peas for a kick of color and fiber. We also topped it with a mixture of Panko breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese. We promise you won’t miss the crushed potato chips on top!

Silly Salmon Noodle Bake

Makes 8 Servings

The soy sauce in this recipe may surprise you, but it adds a deep, rich umami flavor to the dish. Leftovers freeze really well.

  • 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • One 12-ounce package whole wheat blend egg noodles
  • Two 5-ounce cans boneless, skinless pink salmon, drained and flaked
  • 1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 ½ cups 1% lowfat milk
  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.  Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in a bowl and set aside.

2. Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and return to saucepan. Stir in salmon and peas and set aside.

3. While pasta is cooking, add butter to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until melted. Add mushrooms, salt, pepper, dill, and onion powder and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes (there may be liquid from the mushrooms in the saucepan, but that’s okay).

4. Stir in olive oil and flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly (it may look lumpy at first, but keep whisking). Whisk milk slowly into flour mixture. Add soy sauce. Raise heat and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat and continue to simmer and stir gently until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Pour sauce over pasta mixture and stir to combine.  Place mixture evenly into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan or dish. Top with breadcrumb mixture.

6. Bake until casserole is bubbly and topping turns golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 370 calories, 13g fat (5g saturated, 0.4 omega-3), 600 mg sodium, 22g protein, 47g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, 25% calcium, 10% iron

Print Recipe

We have other heatlhy casseroles on our website and blog.  A few you may want to check out include Simply Delicious Shepherd’s Pie, Chicken & Broccoli Casserole with Crunchy Almond Topping, and The Whole Enchilada Bake.

January 19, 2010 | Filed Under Dinner, KiwiMagazine, Pasta, Podcast, Seafood | 5 Comments 

Podcast 74: Kid Food Makeovers

For lots of families, dinnertime is a stressful exercise in figuring out something healthy to make, and then getting the kids to actually eat it. What if, instead of trying to get your child to taste a new veggie tonight, you gave in and had mac & cheese? You can do just that, minus the guilt, thanks to our healthy updates of some tried-and-true kid favorites. Recently, we wrote an article for Kiwi magazine on kid food makeovers.  In it, we took four traditional “kid” foods — mac & cheese, hot dogs, pepperoni pizza, and milk ‘n cookies and gave them all a “rescue.”

For this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast, we featured two of those recipes: Mac & Cheese & Carrots and Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies. Read on for the recipes or take a look at our Kiwi magazine story.

Mac & Cheese & Carrots
Makes 5 Servings

The carrots in this recipe are tiny so they blend right in.  Another option is to shred the carrots.

  • 8 ounces dried whole wheat blend elbow pasta (about 2 cups)
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup 1% lowfat milk
  • 1 cup all-natural chicken broth
  • 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and carrots and cook according to package directions until the pasta is done and the carrots are soft. Drain and set aside.

2. In the same saucepan, heat the canola oil and butter over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly (it may look lumpy at first, but keep whisking until smooth).

3. Whisk the milk and broth slowly into the flour mixture. Raise the heat and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.  Reduce the heat and continue to simmer and stir gently until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.

4. Remove from the heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, and honey until the cheese melts.  Stir in the cooked pasta and carrots, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Reheat if necessary, and serve in individual bowls.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 cup): 340 calories, 11g fat (5g saturated, 0.4g omega-3), 390mg sodium, 43g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 19g protein, 80% vitamin A, 30% calcium

Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 3 Dozen Cookies

Liz’s 11-year old son describes these cookies as “creamy.”  Tell us what your kids think of them!

  • 2 cups quick-cooking oats
  • 1 cup pecans, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup  dried blueberries
  • 1/4 cup  ground flaxseed or wheat germ
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup  canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly oil or coat two large baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Whisk together the oats, pecans, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, dried blueberries, flaxseed, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla until well combined. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients, and stir until just moistened.

4. Working in batches, scoop the batter by rounded tablespoon and place on the prepared baking sheets, flattening slightly with the heel of your hand, leaving about 1 inch between.

5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 cookie): 120 calories, 6g fat (0.5g saturated, 0.5g omega-3), 75mg sodium, 15g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 2g protein

For other kid food makeovers — things like fish sticks and chicken nuggets — check out the Kid Food Makeovers Recipe section of our website. By the way, whenever we make “kid” foods for dinner, the whole family eats them – including adults!

September 30, 2009 | Filed Under Desserts, Dinner, Pasta, Podcast | 5 Comments 

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