Ginger-Soy Chicken Thighs with Scallion Rice........The Kids Cook Monday!

I was feeling under the weather and the last thing I wanted to do was cook.  But I had some boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the fridge that needed to be cooked.  So, I thought my daughters (age 14) could make this simple chicken dish and I would just stand by and give them instructions. 

They made the rice.  Mixed in the sliced scallions.  Cooked the chicken in the skillet.  Made the sauce with apricot preserves, fresh ginger, soy sauce and garlic.  Cooked the sauce and coated the cooked chicken thighs in the sauce.  Placed the rice on a plate and put the glazed chicken thighs on top.  Added some string beans.  Dinner served.  Delicious.

Since this past August, my daughters have been helping me in the kitchen as part of The Kids Cook Monday program.  And I have seen some real changes in how they look at food.  They ask questions, they want to help and do more in the kitchen.  And the real plus is that they are trying more healthy and varieties of foods.  I could really get used to this Sous Chef thing.

For ideas on getting your kids to help more in the kitchen and to eat more family meals together, check out The Kids Cook Monday website.

My family wants to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!  Enjoy the time and food with your family, friends and loved ones. 

Click here for the printable recipe of Ginger-Soy Chicken Thighs with Scallion Rice on Myrecipes.com

Ginger-Soy Chicken Thighs with Scallion Rice

Recipe by Cooking Light, November 2010, Slightly adapted

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 thighs, about 1/2 cup rice, and about 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients

4 servings of long-grain rice
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 (2-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

1. Prepare rice according to package directions. Drain; fluff rice with a fork. Gently stir in green onions.

2. While rice cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Season chicken with a little salt and pepper.  Add chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm. Add preserves, grated ginger, soy sauce, and garlic to pan; bring to a boil. Cook sauce 2 minutes or until reduced to 1/3 cup, stirring occasionally. Return chicken to pan; turn to coat with sauce.  Serve with rice.

Note: Original recipe calls for 1/2 cup ginger preserves.  You can substitute 1/2 cup apricot preserves plus 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  If you need minced garlic in a recipe, a quick way is to run the peeled garlic clove over a Microplane Zester.  This was an easy and safe way for my daughter (or anyone) to mince the garlic needed for the ginger soy sauce. 

Spinach and Green Apple Salad.....The Kids Cook Monday!

This Monday, I have a simple but very good for you salad.  Baby spinach, green apples, walnuts, blue cheese with an apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard dressing.  We really liked the sweet, tart and crunchy apples in this salad.  This would be a nice salad for your Thanksgiving table or your dinner table.

Click here for a printable recipe of the Spinach and Green Apple Salad.

Spinach and Green Apple Salad

Recipe by Ellie Krieger, Food Network (slightly adapted)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper
5 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 5 cups lightly packed)
1 Granny Smith apple
1/3 cup walnut pieces, toasted in a dry skillet over a medium-high flame until fragrant, about 2 minutes
Blue Cheese (optional)

Directions

In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar and mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the spinach with the dressing until evenly coated then divide the spinach among 4 serving plates.

Core the apple and slice it into matchsticks. Sprinkle a quarter of the apple pieces on top of each salad.

Follow with the walnut pieces. If desired, crumble blue cheese on top of salad.  Serve immediately. 

For more information on getting your kids to help you prepare meals in the kitchen and eating together as a family, go to The Kids Cook Monday website. 



My daughter, Mariah, whisked the dressing.......

and cut up the apple.........

and tossed the salad with the dressing.

 Place on individual plates and top with apples, walnuts and blue cheese.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Here are some other wonderful salads with fruit in them.  Perfect for Thanksgiving or anytime......

Candied Walnut, Pear and Leafy Green Salad

Jamie's Cranberry Spinach Salad

Baby Mixed Greens with Pear, Pecans and Feta  

Orange-Glazed Salmon with The Kids Cook Monday!

This is some seriously good salmon.  Trust me.  It is.  And what makes it better is that I got my girls to help me prepare dinner and enjoy this healthy meal.  Even my, "I don't like fish", daughter, Mariah, ate a bigger piece this time.  The spicy rub paired with the slightly sweet glaze is the perfect match with the salmon.  This meal may look fancy but it is very easy and quick to prepare.       

"The Kids Cook Monday program is an initiative encouraging families to cook and eat together each Monday. Start your week off right: make Monday family night!"

Check out The Kids Cook Monday! updated website with more resources to help you start your Monday's off on a positive note.  Get more information on the other Monday campaigns, like Meatless Monday and Move It Monday! 

Orange-Glazed Salmon

Recipe by Cuisine at Home Preview Magazine

(Printable recipe)

Serving:  4 fillets

Ingredients

3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (use a prepared one or make your own like this one)

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 boneless, skinless salmon fillets (6 oz. each)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup Seville orange marmalade (like Crosse & Blackwell)

1 tablespoon lime juice

Directions

Combine Cajun seasoning, brown sugar and salt in a small bowl.  Rub over both sides of fillets.

Saute fillets in oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes.  Turn and saute an additional 2-3 minutes.

Blend marmalade and lime juice; swirl in skillet until melted.  Carefully turn fish to glaze on all sides.  The salmon is done when it begins to flake when tested with a fork.    

Marissa takes the Cajun seasoning and rubs it on both sides of the salmon.  Use less rub for less heat.  

The glaze is a mixture of Seville orange marmalade and lime juice.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Seville orange marmalade is more acidic than other orange marmalades.  I used the brand Crosse & Blackwell which states on the label, "Made with Seville Oranges".  If you can't find Seville orange marmalade, use a sweet marmalade and double the lime juice.

Barbecue Sirloin and Blue Cheese Salad.......The Kids Cook Monday!

My girls helped me in the kitchen last night before they went out trick or treating for Halloween.  This was a quick meal to put together and it was delicious.  The spice rub was perfect on the steak.  If you're a fan of blue cheese, you will love the combination of the cheese with the beef.  If your kids don't like Blue Cheese (like mine), just don't include it on their plate.  The salad dressing uses a few ingredients and it was light and refreshing.  This was a very good salad entree meal that my family will make again.  For other family meal tips, check out The Kids Cook Monday website.   

Click here for printable recipe on Myrecipes.com

Barbecue Sirloin and Blue Cheese Salad

Recipe by Cooking Light

Yield: 4 servings

(serving size: about 1 1/2 cups salad, 3 ounces steak, and 2 tablespoons cheese)

Ingredients

2 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 pound lean sirloin steak, trimmed
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups torn Bibb lettuce ( I used 1 bag of pre-packaged Sweet Butter lettuce mix)
3/4 cup thinly sliced peeled cucumber
1 cup red bell pepper strips ( I used a green bell pepper - that's what I had in my fridge)
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese


Preparation

1. Combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; rub evenly over both sides of steak.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak to pan; cook 5 minutes. Turn steak over; cook 4 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Place steak on a cutting board; let stand 5 minutes. Cut across grain into thin slices.

3. Combine vinegar, mustard, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil, stirring with a whisk. Combine lettuce, cucumber, bell pepper, and shallots in a large bowl. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad; toss gently to coat. Top salad with steak and cheese.

Note:  I did add a little more oil to my salad dressing based on my taste.  Adjust how much oil you use based on how you like the taste of your salad dressing.

Marissa read the recipe on her own and mixed up the steak spice rub...... 

.......and rubbed the spice mixture on both sides of the sirloin.  Marissa also mixed up the salad dressing and Mariah helped me cut the vegetables for the salad.

My husband, Mike, grilled the steak and cut it in thin slices.  The rub on the steak was delicious and it's one I will use again.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  All-in-one meals like this are a great way to get your lean protein and vegetables all in one plate.  You can take your favorite grilled beef, chicken or shrimp and add it to a salad with your favorite vegetables.  Try a light and flavorful vinaigrette like this one to complete the taste.   

Teenage Zombies!

Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!

Chicken and Rice with The Kids Cook Monday!

I have a Monday recipe for you today that I know your family will enjoy.  I just love the combination of chicken and rice.  Such a comfort meal.  The mushroom rice mixture and the addition of Romano cheese on top of the chicken makes this meal so flavorful.  The carrots and mushrooms in the rice and using skinless bone-in chicken thighs keeps this dish healthier.  Give this recipe a try soon and start your week off in a healthy and satisfying way.

Click here for the recipe link on Myrecipes.com.

Chicken and Rice

Recipe by Cooking Light, October 2010

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups chopped onion ( I used approx. 1 cup)
1 carrot, thinly sliced
8 ounces cremini (baby portabella) mushrooms, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup long-grain white rice
Cooking spray
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add 4 chicken thighs to pan; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Repeat with remaining chicken.
3. Add onion and carrot to pan; sauté 4 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add rice; sauté 1 minute. Spoon rice mixture into a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray; stir in broth, 1/4 cup water, and cream. Arrange chicken over rice mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until chicken is done.
 



My kids are busy in the kitchen.  Taking the stems off the mushrooms, browning the chicken and making the rice mixture.  Tips on getting your kids to help in the kitchen and to make Mondays (or any day) family night, check out The Kids Cook Monday website.  

The rice mixture is full of carrots and mushrooms which is started in a skillet before baking with the chicken. 

It may not be the most "pretty" food picture but it really, really does taste good.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  I don't shy away from recipes or cooking with ingredients I know my daughters don't like.  Take this Chicken and Rice for example.  My daughters do love chicken and they do love rice.  They, however, do not like mushrooms which is in the rice mixture.  They just picked out the mushrooms.  Funny thing is they loved the rice even though it was heavily flavored with mushrooms.  So, keep introducing the "I don't like that" foods to your kids.  Their likes and dislikes are always changing.  I have a feeling when my daughters get older, they will end up loving mushrooms.   

Grilled Barbecue Shrimp with The Kids Cook Monday!

Yes, it is October.  Yes, it is Fall.  The end of summer doesn't mean the end of grilling for us.  We grill all year round.  We eat and grill quite a bit of seafood.  So, for this week on The Kids Cook Monday is a very quick and healthy barbecue shrimp dinner.  We served this with rice that was mixed with some sauteed corn, green pepper and green onions.  

The Kids Cook Monday is part of a public initiative called the Monday Campaigns.  The Kids Cook Monday program helps parents along with their kids cook and eat healthful meals week after week.  Check out their website for more details and tools to help start your week off on a good foot.

Grilled Barbecue Shrimp

Recipe by Mom's Cooking Club 

Ingredients

1 to 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp

1 - 2 teaspoons barbecue rub (prepared or your own blend)

barbecue sauce (use your favorite)

canola oil

Directions

Place shrimp in single layer on baking sheet.  Drizzle some canola oil over shrimp.  Sprinkle 1 - 2 teaspoons of barbecue rub over shrimp.  Toss well to coat.  Place shrimp on grill over low to medium heat.  Grill about 3- 4 minutes, turn over and brush with barbecue sauce.  Turn again after about 3 minutes and continue brushing with barbecue sauce.  Continue to grill until cooked.  Pull off shrimp that is cooked through and place on platter.  Move shrimp to hotter parts of grill to finish cooking completely.  Shrimp cook fairly fast so keep a close eye on them.

Mariah helped me prepare and grill the shrimp.  Even though she doesn't like shrimp, she was willing and very able to help.  Mariah seasoned the shrimp with a prepared barbecue rub. 

My husband, Mike, does all the grilling but he gave it up this time to teach Mariah some of his grilling tricks.

Mariah showing off her grilled barbecue shrimp.  It was delicious! 

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Take it outdoors and have your kids help while grilling food.  They can learn about grilling techniques and you can teach them a different method of cooking.  Plus, it's fun to be outdoors and enjoying the fall weather together. 

Chicken Tortilla Soup with The Kids Cook Monday!

 

Is it starting to get a little cooler where you live?  It's still warm here in Florida but we've been having cooler mornings and nights so I know our Fall weather will be here shortly.  It's the perfect time for soup (even though I love eating homemade soup anytime of the year). 

I thought this would be a great chance to try a new soup recipe for a healthy start to the week.  Make sure to check out the website for The Kids Cook Monday!  for tips and ideas on how to start your week off in a positive way.  

This soup is comforting and filling.  It's full of good for you ingredients and was enjoyed by all.  I recommend adding salt to taste and adding more chili powder or cayenne pepper if you like your tortilla soup a bit more spicy. 

I love discovering new blogs.  I get so many recipe ideas and inspiration.  This recipe comes from the blog, Skinny Kitchen.   Check it out for more ideas on making meals healthier.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Slightly adapted, Recipe by Skinny Kitchen

5 - 6 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ - 2 cups chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 (6-inch) corn tortillas, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin 
⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper
6 to 6 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes - I used fire-roasted tomatoes
1 (14 oz) can yellow hominy, drained and rinsed
1 (14 oz) can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked chopped chicken - see cooking tip at bottom of post
Juice of one lime

Topping

1 ¼ cups tortilla chips, crushed
Shredded Cheddar cheese - optional

Instructions

1. In a large nonstick pot, add the olive oil, onions and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute.
2. Add the chopped tortillas, tomato paste, paprika, chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper and sauté for 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring up to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add the hominy, beans, chicken and fresh squeezed lime juice. Mix well. Cook 10 minutes more.
5. Garnish with shredded cheese and crushed tortilla chips.

I've never used Hominy before and honestly didn't know what it was.  Good time for a learning opportunity. So, Mariah looked it up on the internet. 

Per Recipetips.com, Hominy is:  "A corn product created by soaking white or yellow corn kernels in scalding water that is mixed with a chemical solution, such as a mild lye or slaked lime. The soaking forces the kernel to expand so the hull and germ split. This allows the kernel to be easily removed so that the remaining corn substance can be dried. After it has been dried, the whole kernels are soaked in water and a solution mixed with limestone or wood ash to expand the kernels, which are then boiled, creating a soft puffy food product referred to as Hominy.  Whole hominy can be boiled or fried and served as a side dish, with or without additional ingredients (meat, vegetables, or other foods), formed into cakes, or served as a filler in soups, stews and salads. Hominy grits are another form of hominy, produced by grinding the dried and processed corn kernels several times into a finer grained substance to be sold as fine, medium, or coarse textured hominy." 

The girls really helped me out in the kitchen today.  Marissa cut up the cooked chicken and helped pour in some of the ingredients like the beans and diced tomatoes.  Mariah sauteed the onions as I was busy prepping the other ingredients.

 

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Time saving tip for cooked chicken - Roast chicken breasts the night before or in morning.  Place in refrigerator.  You then have cooked chicken ready to use in your recipe that is moist, juicy and flavorful.  Directions:  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Use chicken breasts with bones and skin and place on baking sheet.  Drizzle some canola or olive oil over chicken and season with salt/pepper.  Place in top portion of oven and roast for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Pull off skin and discard.  Shred or cut up cooked chicken as needed in your recipe. 

The Kids Cook Monday with Oatmeal Pancakes

When I told my girls I was making Oatmeal Pancakes for this week's Kids Cook Monday dish, I got the look.  You know.  The "ewwww, yucky" look.  My daughters don't like cooked oatmeal.  Well, that doesn't stop me from making things they don't like.  I still do because I know how quickly their tastes can change.

These pancakes were a different change from my normal buttermilk pancakes that I make.  But they were a good change.  They were very good, hearty and filling.  Everyone really liked them except Mariah.  She's a textural eater and doesn't like oatmeal but she did eat 1/2 of one.  I give her credit for trying something new.  

I found this recipe on the blog, Smitten Kitchen.   

Oatmeal Pancakes

Slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

3/4 cup oat flour (you can buy oat flour but to save money I put 1 cup of old fashioned oats in my mini food processor and pulsed it until finely ground.  I then measured out 3/4 cup)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon Kosher or coarse salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (plus extra for the pan)
1 1/4 cups milk (I used 1% milk)
1 cup cooked oatmeal (I used Quaker Oats-Old Fashioned and followed instructions on package)
1 tablespoon honey
2 large eggs

Directions

Whisk the dry ingredients (oat flour, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk the butter, milk, cooked oatmeal, honey and eggs until thoroughly combined. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Heat a 10-inch cast-iron pan or griddle over medium heat.  Melt about 1 tablespoon butter in the pan. Scoop about 1/4-cup of batter onto the pan, 2 or 3 at a time. Once bubbles have begun to form on the top side of the pancake, flip the pancake and cook until the bottom is dark golden-brown, about 5 minutes total. Melt a small amount of butter in pan between batches.  Continue making pancakes with the remaining batter.  Serve and enjoy with your favorite syrup!

"The Kids Cook Monday is an initiative of the Monday Campaigns, a nonprofit organization that seeks to make Monday the day to start and sustain healthy behaviors."  Check out their website for a downloadable toolkit that will help you and your family cook and eat together every Monday.  It can be Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner. Enjoy your time cooking together and eating together. 



Marissa helped me in the kitchen today.  

Making these pancakes in my cast iron skillet really gave them crispy edges which was delicious.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Oatmeal has many health benefits and doesn't have to be just in a bowl for breakfast.  Have a breakfast night for dinner and try these better for you pancakes.  Add some fruit on the side for even more health benefits.    

Roasted Carrots with The Kids Cook Monday!

Today is Monday and it's another recipe for The Kids Cook Monday!  Today is all about Roasted Carrots.  Roasting carrots bring out their natural sweetness and carrot flavor.  Nothing could be simpler than roasting vegetables and it's more of a technique than a recipe.  But the results are wonderful and if your kids won't eat raw vegetables, then try roasting them and you may see your kids gobble them down.  My daughter, Marissa does not like raw carrots but she likes them cooked and couldn't stop eating these. 

The Kids Cook Monday is celebrating the 10 year anniversary of another public initiative, Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children.  This program like The Kids Cook Monday, focuses on the health and social benefits of frequent family dinners. 

To celebrate this Family Day, The Kids Cook Monday has released a toolkit on their website that is free and downloadable.  This toolkit gives tips and ideas to help you plan, cook and eat healthy meals with your family every week.  Go to The Kids Cook Monday website to download your toolkit.

Roasted Carrots

Recipe by several sources from cookbooks & internet

Ingredients

10 - 12 carrots

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Peel carrots if desired.  Cut carrots in half lengthwise.  Place carrots in single layer on baking sheet.  Drizzle olive oil over carrots.  Season with 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and some freshly ground pepper.  Toss carrots around to coat with oil and seasonings.  Bake in oven for approximately 30 minutes. 

 

I cut the carrots in half lengthwise.  These type of knife skills are too dangerous for my daughters so I took care of this task.

But, Mariah measured the olive oil and.......

........seasoned the carrots with salt and pepper.  Then she tossed it all together right on the baking sheet.

Marissa put the carrots in the oven.  About 30 minutes later out came these.......

Roasted Carrots!

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  The website Fruit & Veggies More Matters,  lists the nutrition benefits of carrots as:  "Fat free; saturated fat free; low sodium; cholesterol free; excellent source of vitamin A; good source of vitamin C; low calorie."  Well, that sounds good to me.  Add some carrots to your meals this week and give yourself a nutrition boost.