Almond Zucchini Sauté–Tired Mom Side Dish

I often seem to either make either a good side dish or a good meal but not both when I’m making supper. So I’m always on the lookout for quick, easy and healthy side dishes that I can manage to make in addition to whatever else I’m making for supper. When I saw this zucchini dish at Smitten Kitchen I knew I’d found a winner.

Almond Zucchini Sauté Recipe

• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 small handful of sliced almonds
• 1 normal sized zucchini (cut into sticks, you can cut them smaller than I’ve done above, I just don’t have the machinery or the patience)

optional: salt, pepper, parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the almonds and sauté for a couple minutes until they are browned.
2. Add the zucchini and cook for about a minute just until the zucchini is heated.
3. Add a little salt and pepper and parmesan if you want. It’s really good with them, but I often forget and it’s still good.

Per 1/2 of the almond and zucchini sauté: Calories – 131, Carbs – 6g, Fat – 12g, Protein 5, Fibre – 3.

Lentils and Ground Beef–Tired Mom Meal

Today I had a truly terrible sleep. My special needs brother had insomnia in addition to being agitated and anxious. This is not a winning combination. He tossed and turned and complained all night waking me up along with him.

Despite this bad start I was still going to go ahead with my plans to make cranberry turkey burgers. All I’d have to do was a little chopping and I was basically good to go. But the turkey was still really frozen. I seriously considered getting my husband bring home take out. I was just done.

Then I remembered Lentils and Ground Beef. My mother-in-law made it for my husband while he was growing up, but I had never had it before he introduced me to it. Now I make it fairly frequently. If you have cooked ground beef in the freezer, it couldn’t be easier. It’s not the most attractive dish, but it’s simple, quick and high in fibre, protein and iron.

Lentils and Ground Beef Recipe
1 can lentils
.5-1 lb of cooked ground beef. (really any amount is fine)

Directions
1. Defrost the ground beef in the freezer (or cook and drain it in a pan).
2. Add the can of lentils with the liquid and the defrosted ground beef to a pan.
3. Cook on a low heat until there is no longer liquid in the bottom of the pan. If you need it quicker you can use a higher heat, but you’ll need to watch it and stir it more often.
4. When it’s done, put the heat down to the lowest setting and it will be ready when you are.

Serve it with a salad, in a wrap, with a side of bread or some onion rings. I usually just eat it out of a bowl by itself.

Per 1/4 of the lentils and ground beef (1 lb 80% lean ground beef): Calories – 368, Carbs – 29g, Fat – 14g, Protein 31, Fibre – 7.

Peanut Butter Hummus

It’s funny how much how something is presented can change your attitude towards it. I’ve seen recipes for hummus that suggested you could substitute tahini with peanut butter on multiple occasions and I always thought that was kind of lame. Okay if you lived somewhere that you really couldn’t find any tahini, fine but otherwise?
Then one day my mom sent me a recipe for peanut butter hummus. Peanut butter hummus? Brilliant! Now I realize that this is actually the same thing that I previously thought was lame, but somehow now it sounds interesting and different instead of a cop out.
It’s pretty good too. The peanut butter taste isn’t overpowering but if your kid is a little adverse to hummus, this may be enough to win them over.

Peanut Butter Hummus Recipe
1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder
1/4 cup Lemon juice
1/4 cup Water (more if needed)
1 can (16 oz) Chickpeas ; rinsed and drained
4 Tbsp Peanut Butter (I just used a big spoon)
1 teaspoon Sea salt

Cooking with the Kids
The kids can:

• Measure and pour the ingredients
  
• Rinse the chickpeas and put them in the food processor
  
• Run the food processor (with supervision)

Directions
1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. 2. Add all the ingredients to the food processor (you can use a blender, but it’s not really  not as effective. I have tried and don’t recommend it. I ended up buying a food processor so I could make hummus). 3. Run the food processor until the hummus starts to appear to bounce up and down (this won’t take a really long time) . Alternatively just check it every 10 seconds or so. You’ll want to scrape off the sides of the food processor because I find some chickpeas tend to stick to the sides and then give it another quick blend. If you are finding it’s not as well mixed or creamy as you would like just add another 1/4 cup of water.

Per 1/8 of the hummus: Calories – 81, Carbs – 7g, Fat – 5g, Protein 4, Fibre – 2

Meatless Monday–Curry Gnocchi

Gordie was helping me pick out ingredients from the pantry and figured we should have Gnocchi. And then decided that he wanted chickpeas too. I was a little thrown. I usually just serve Gnocchi with a tomato pasta sauce. So I poked around the internet and that that some people combined these two ingredients with canned tomatoes. That was definitely something I could work with. When I run out of canned tomatoes I sometimes feel like I’ve lost the ability to cook. I decided to add some chopped spinach I had in the freezer which reminded me of an Indian dish so I added some currry spices. Gordie is a little iffy on the spinach (and green food in general at the moment) but loved everything else. The dish I made was a pretty mild curry without too much heat but you could always add more if you were so inclined.
Curry Gnocchi Recipe
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
1 block of chopped frozen spinach
1 package of Gnocchi
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon Garam Masala (an indian spice mix, you can get it here in Calgary in Superstore in the Indian spice section – not the baking aisle)
If you can’t find or don’t want to buy Garam Masala just use twice the curry powder.

Directions
1. Heat some oil in a pan. Mix in the spices, tomatoes and chickpeas. You can basically cook this for as long as you want on a low simmer. I’d recommend at least 10-15 minutes.
2. When you are about 10 minutes from serving, put a pot of water on to boil. Add the Gnocchi to the boiling water. After a few minutes the gnocchi will float to the top. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the floating gnocchi into a bowl (it would also be fine to put them directly into the pan with the tomatoes and chickpeas).
2. Defrost the spinach in the microwave. As soon as it has thawed, squeeze the water out of it. The spinach will look the best if you add it to the pan close to when you plan on serving it but it will still taste fine if it cooks for a while.
3. Cook the spinach, tomatoes and chickpeas until the spinach is heated.

Cooking with the Kids
The kids can:

• Pour the cans into the pan
  
• Measure and pour the spices
  
• Stir the vegetables under close supervision

Per 1/4 of the Curry Gnocchi: Calories – 316, Carbs – 56g, Fat – 6g, Protein 12, Fibre – 7.

Carrot Cake Oatmeal–Slow Cooker Method

I got the inspiration for this dish from Oh She Glows (great vegan recipe ideas). I thought the concept would be perfect for the slow cooker and simplified it so it would be easier for me to throw together before bed.
I’m really pleased with how it turned out. I would definitely recommend adding a little maple syrup (or your favorite sugar like substance) on top because that really takes it from good oatmeal to carrot cake. My husband liked it even though he always complains whenever I use pecans or walnuts. Gordie seemed to like it too even though it often rejects carrots recently. They didn’t bother him at all in this. Bottom line - I will definitely be making it again because I loved it.

Carrot Cake Oatmeal Slow Cooker Method (Serves 4-6)
1 Cup Steel Cut Oats
2 Cups Water
2 1/2 Cups Milk (I’ve tried skim and soy – both good)
2 cups of carrots finely grated (2-3 good sized carrots, I have used a coarse grate and it was fine, just not as good)
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup walnuts/pecans (I always substitute pecans, I find them less bitter)
1/4 cup raisins
top with milk and maple syrup

I think a little cream cheese mixed in would be great, but I haven’t had a chance to try it.

Directions
1. Place the first 8 ingredients in a crock pot and stir to combine.
2. Cook the oatmeal on “warm” for 6-9 hours (If I put it on low overnight half of it sticks to the side of the crockpot, you may be able to put yours on low overnight if yours doesn’t run quite as hot as mine. If you don’t have a warm setting reduce the cooking time or just deal with it).
3. When you get up, pop in the raisins and walnuts.and turn the heat up to low. Cook for 20-30 more minutes and serve with milk and maple syrup.
Per 1/6 of the oatmeal with 1 Tbsp of maple syrup: Calories – 235, Carbs – 46g, Fat – 5g, Protein 8, Fibre – 5.
Photography Note: It is hard to take appealing pictures of goopy things. Toppings really help make it look more attractive.

My Favorite Basic Hummus Recipe

I’m going to try out a few different hummus variations in the next couple of weeks, so I thought I’d first share my go-to hummus recipe. There’s about a million different hummus recipes out there but I do really love this one. I prefer the powdered garlic to fresh garlic as it gives it a more mellow flavor. I also strongly recommend making it a day ahead. The flavors have a chance to mix and the bitterness of the tahini (which I am a little sensitive to) is gone after a night in the fridge.     

Hummus Recipe
1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder
1/4 cup Lemon juice
1/4 cup Water (more if needed)
1 can (16 oz) Chickpeas ; rinsed and drained
1/2 cup Tahini
1 teaspoon Sea salt

Cooking with the Kids
Gordie really enjoyed making this and I enjoyed making it with him. Because there’s no heat required he’s able to be there through the whole process. Your child wouldn’t have to be much older than Gordie (nearly 2) to be able to do this with a lot of independence. 
The kids can:

• Measure and pour the ingredients
• Rinse the chickpeas and put them in the food processor
• Run the food processor (with supervision)

Directions

1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
2. Add all the ingredients to the food processor (you can use a blender, but it’s not really  not as effective. I have tried and don’t recommend it. I ended up buying a food processor so I could make hummus).
3. Run the food processor until the hummus starts to appear to bounce up and down (this won’t take a really long time) . Alternatively just check it every 10 seconds or so. You’ll want to scrape off the sides of the food processor because I find some chickpeas tend to stick to the sides and then give it another quick blend. If you are finding it’s not as well mixed or creamy as you would like just add another 1/4 cup of water.

I find this makes quite a lot of hummus so I usually freeze half. It freezes really well.

Per 1/8 of the hummus: Calories – 103, Carbs – 10g, Fat – 6g, Protein 4, Fibre – 3.

Welsh Rarebit (Usbourne First Cookbook)

Welsh rarebit, is a dish made with a savoury sauce of melted cheese and various other ingredients and served hot over toast. It’s also the last recipe that I’ll be testing for my review of The Usborne First Cookbook. (Overall review to come). This is another one that I figured Gordie would love, it combines two of his favorite things eggs and tomatoes, how could we go wrong?

I also tried Baked Egg Tomato Cups, Cheese Soufflé  and Tasty Rice make sure it check them out too.

Welsh Rarebit Recipe
3/4 cup grated cheese (I’d use a an sharp cheddar next time)
1 tsp mustard
1 egg, beaten
3 or 4 drop Worcestershire sauce
salt and black pepper
4 slices of bread
2 tomatoes sliced

Direction
1. Stir the cheese, mustard, egg, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper together in a bowl.
2. Put the slices of bread in the broiler (the toaster oven was great for this). Toast on on side.
3. Remove the toast from the broiler and spread the cheese mixture over the untoasted side of the bread. Lay a couple of slices of tomatoes on top depending on the size of tomato.
4. Put the toast back in the broiler until the cheese is bubbling and light brown.

So, Did They Eat It?
Gordie liked this, but not as much as I had expected. I made it for lunch so only the two of us were there to try it but that was probably for the best. At first I thought it was a little bit bland (it kind of is) but I kept going back for more! It was actually pretty yummy. I tried out two kids of bread a sourdough-like kind and a regular whole wheat. The Whole wheat actually turned out a lot better. I think the softer crust helped a lot. I’m not sure I’d bother making it again, but it would be a great recipe for young chefs. There is a lot they could do independently.

Per Welsh Rarebit: Calories – 183, Carbs – 17g, Fat – 9g, Protein 10, Fibre – 3.

Avocado, Grapefruit and Spinach Salad

I threw this salad together from things I happened to have in the fridge. It turned out so well and looks so pretty I now pull it out when I want an impressive looking salad that’s quick to put together when I’m entertaining. Although most of the time I make it just for myself.

Avocado, Grapefruit and Spinach Salad Recipe
1 bag of baby spinach leaves
1 grapefruit segmented (or a grapefruit fruit cup which are awesome)
1 avocado
almonds (sliced for sprinkling)
1/8 cup grapefruit juice
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper (freshly ground is nice)

Cooking with the Kids
The kids can:

• Scoop out the avocado
• Put the ingredients in the salad bowl
• Measure, mix and pour the dressing
• Toss the spinach with the dressing (this is fun with your fingers)

Directions

1. Whisk together the dressing ingredients: grapefruit juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
2. Cube the avocado (and slice the grapefruit if necessary).
3. Put the spinach in a large salad bowl and toss with the dressing. You will probably have made more than you need so go easy.
4. Top with the avocado, grapefruit and almonds and serve.

Per 1/4 salad with all of the dressing: Calories – 174, Carbs – 15g, Fat – 12g, Protein 3, Fibre – 4.

Tasty Rice (Osbourne First Cookbook)

My husband suggested making “Tasty Rice” for my third recipe from The Usborne First Cookbook because “Rice can be so plain”. 
If you missed first recipe I tried -  Baked Egg Tomato Cups or the second Cheese Soufflé  make sure it check them out.

Tasty Rice Recipe
4 tomatoes
1 cup mushrooms
2 onions
1 red pepper
6 slices bacon
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 cup peas
2 Tbsp tomato puree
8 oz freshly cooked rice (I used day old brown basmati rice)

Directions
1. Chop the tomatoes (the original recipe said to peel them but I didn’t find it necessary), mushrooms, onions, peppers and bacon.
2. Heat the oil, onion and bacon in a large saucepan over a low heat. (If I was doing it again I would use bacon I cooked separately so it’s crispier). When the onions are soft, add the rest of the vegetables and the tomato puree. Cook with the lid on for 20 minutes stirring often.
3. Mix the rice into the vegetable mixture over a medium heat until hot.

So, Did They Eat It?
This turned out really well. I served it as a side while my husband’s family was over for dinner. Everyone thought it was really good. The bacon was cooked when it was finished but I prefer crispier bacon and don’t feel the need for the bacon fat so I would definitely cook them separately next time. This is one I’ll be adding to my recipe index.

Per 1/8 Rice mixture: Calories – 146, Carbs – 18g, Fat – 6g, Protein 4g, Fibre – 2g.

Meatless Monday: Mexican Lasagna

This recipe was inspired by a joke cookbook that my husband and I got for our wedding called Mini Mart a la Carte. The cookbook’s premise is recipes that you can make while shopping only at a convenience store. In general, the recipes are things that I (or most anyone else) would even dream of making, but the one for “Lowrider Lasagna” actually looked pretty good. I tweaked it a little and the result is below. It’s a big hit at my house and it’s something I can whip up even if I don’t have a lot of time to cook or badly need groceries.
Mexican Lasagna Recipe
1 can refried beans (I like the ones with green chiles you could also use pinto beans)
1 large can diced tomatoes drained
1 cup frozen corn (or a can of corn)
1 cup shredded cheese
6 whole wheat tortillas

Cooking with the Kids
The kids can:

• Spread the refried beans on the tortillas
  
• Sprinkle the cheese, tomatoes and corn

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. 2. Rip half the tortillas into pieces so they cover the bottom of the baking dish. Any size is fine. I usually do 2 whole tortillas and then rip a third into a few pieces to fill the gaps. Spread half of the refried beans on half of the tortillas and arrange half in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish to cover the bottom. Top evenly with half each of the corn, tomatoes and cheese. 3. Cover the rest of the tortillas with the remaining refried beans and layer  on top and cover with the rest of the corn, tomatoes and cheese 4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese begins to brown, about 15 minutes longer.

Per 1/4 lasagna: Calories – 387, Carbs – 57g, Fat – 12g, Protein 18, Fibre – 12.

Spinach and Pickled Green Beans Dip

I’m starting to think that I need to go out for groceries more often because a lot of my recipes seem to be related to not having a lot of groceries. I had steak that I defrosted in the fridge but I couldn’t figure out what to serve with it. I was super low on groceries but I did have spinach so someone suggested making spinach dip and serving it on toast. I thought that was perfect and so this is what I came up with. I had spicy pickled green beans in the fridge (who doesn’t?) so that’s what I used but pickled asparagus or the more typical choice of marinated artichokes would also be great.
Spinach and Pickled Green Beans Dip Recipe
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp of butter or olive oil
1 cup hot and spicy pickled green beans chopped
1 box frozen chopped spinach defrosted
2 Tbsp mayo
2 Tbsp cream cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper


Directions
1. Heat the butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until softened.
2. Add the green beans, spinach, mayo, cream cheese and lemon juice.
3. cook for about 5 minutes, until hot stirring often. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve over toast, with bread or your favorite chips.
Per serving (1/4 of the dip): Calories – 116, Carbs – 6g, Fat – 9g, Protein 3, Fibre – 3.

Cheese Soufflé Recipe (Usborne First Cookbook)

For some reason that I do not really understand I decided to try making a cheese soufflé for my second recipe from The Usborne First Cookbook. I’m not sure what possessed me to try something that ambitious. Gordie and I were both not feeling well and loud noises make Gordie cry so I beat the egg whiles by hand instead of using a mixer. I do not recommend this. Especially not using a fork. At least use a whisk. In the end though, it actually turned out pretty well.

If you missed first recipe I tried - Baked Egg Tomato Cups make sure it check it out.

Cheese Soufflé Recipe

3 large eggs (room temperature not cold)
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup grated cheese
a pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Put your oven rack into the middle of the oven and preheat to 375F.
2. Grease a 1 quart round ovenproof dish.
3. Separate the egg whites into one bowl and the yolks into a different medium bowl. Beat the yolks.
4. Make a white sauce: melt the butter into a saucepan over low heat. Stir in the flour a bit at a time. Cook for a minute and then stir in the milk a little at a time. Turn up the heat and stir constantly. When the mixture boils turn the heat down and continue to stir until thick and creamy.
5. Add the cheese, nutmeg, egg yolks and a pinch of salt and pepper to the white sauce.
6. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks when you lift the beater. (or whisk. But use a beater, really your arms will thank you)
7. Use a metal spoon to stir in a spoonful of the white sauce and then fold in the rest slowly and gently.
8. Pour the mixture into your greased baking dish and put it in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes. It should be golden brown and puffy when it is ready. Don't peek!

Serve immediately as it starts to sink as soon as you take it out of the oven. I used a 1.5 quart dish so the presentation wasn’t quite as nice as it could have been.

So, Did They Eat It?

This was actually pretty good. The nutmeg added a really nice tone. Gordie and my SN brother loved it. My husband didn’t get any because we ate it all before he got home.

Per 1/4 Soufflé: Calories – 262, Carbs – 12g, Fat – 19g, Protein 15, Fibre – 0.

Baked Egg Tomato Cups Recipe (Usborne First Cookbook)

 

Gordie got The Usborne First Cookbook this year for Christmas so I thought I’d test out a few recipes. The first such recipe is “Baked Tomatoes”. It looked fairly simple and I was pretty sure that it would be a hit for Gordie since he loves tomatoes and begs me every day to “cook eggs”. I made them for breakfast on a Monday morning and served them with toast.

Baked Tomatoes Recipe

4 Large tomatoes (the biggest you can find)
salt and pepper
4 eggs
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Grease a shallow baking dish.
3. Slice off the top of each tomato and put the tops aside. Scoop out the insides with a spoon. Seriously, use a spoon, don't try to use a knife like I did.
4. Put the eggs into the baking dish. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Crack an egg into each tomato and then sprinkle the eggs with salt, pepper and parsley.
5. Put the tops back on the tomatoes and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the yolks are set. I found my yolks weren't even close to set after 10 minutes and in the end I might have over cooked them a little. I recommend poking one of the yolks to test. It can be hard to eyeball because of the extra moisture from the tomato.

So, Did They Eat It?

Predictably Gordie enjoyed it, but he did find it necessary to eat the tomatoes and the eggs separately. My husband who is not the biggest fan of tomatoes thought it managed to make two bland foods better, but suggested maybe cooking it with some lemon pepper next time to perk it up. My SN brother seemed to like them but he didn’t eat a ton. I thought they were good, but they seemed to be begging for some bacon.

Per Tomato Cup: Calories – 103, Carbs – 8g, Fat – 5g, Protein 8, Fibre – 0.

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

This is a super easy, delicious appetizer with a surprisingly low calorie count considering how decadent they taste. It’s still probably a good idea to go easy as their salt content is fairly high. This is best with thick asparagus stalks because the prosciutto can cook longer without turning the asparagus to mush, but still delicious with thin asparagus.

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Recipe
1 bunch of asparagus
1 or 2 packages of prosciutto (I used 1 but only wrapped half of the asparagus)

Cooking with the Kids

The kids can:

• snap the asparagus ends off (this is kind of fun)
• wrap the prosciutto  

Directions
1. Heat up your indoor grill to it's highest setting.
2. Wash the asparagus and snap off the woody portion of the stalk. If you try to bend it, it should naturally snap in two pieces. Discard the base.
2. Wrap each stalk with half of a slice of prosciutto if you have thick asparagus and less if it's thin. I used half a slice for thin asparagus and it was a little bit too much.
3. Place a few of the wrapped asparagus on the grill and cook for about 5 minutes for thin asparagus and 7 minutes for thick asparagus. The asparagus should be bright green but still crunchy and the prosciutto should be crispy.

I expect these could be made on a BBQ but I’ve never tried it.

Per Asparagus Spear with half a slice of prosciutto: Calories – 23, Carbs – 1g, Fat – 1g, Protein 2, Fibre – 0. (5.5% recommended daily intake of sodium)

Whole Grain: Farro & Balsamic Farro Salad Recipe

I’m a sucker for trying different kinds of whole grains. So when I saw a bag of Farro when I was at Costco the other day even though I had never heard of it before I didn’t hesitate to pick it up. It turns out that Farro is an ancient type of wheat that is now regaining popularity in Italy and with health conscious cooks. It’s great in soups and salads and can be used in place of barley or rice. This was my first attempt at cooking Farro. I found that there was still quite a bit of water left in the pot when I cooked it according to the package directions (3 cups water to 1 cup Farro for 15 minutes), so I cooked it a little longer and ultimately drained it. After some internet research, I found out this is actually normal. Unlike rice all the water is not supposed to be absorbed when it’s finished cooking. It’s chewier than rice but it did soften a bit after the salad had sat in the fridge overnight. Trying a grain all by itself is kind of boring so I put together this salad which I think is pretty good.

Balsamic Farro Salad Recipe

Dressing
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 
1 tsp. dried thyme
pinch salt
freshly ground black pepper

Salad
1/2 cup mild onion diced (red onions, shallots, chives, green onions)
1 yellow or orange pepper chopped finely
2 medium tomatoes chopped and seeded
1 diced avocado (coat in lemon or lime juice if you’re not using the salad all right away)
1 cups farro (Cooked barley or brown rice can also be substituted.)

Cooking with the Kids

The kids can:

• Pour the Farro and water into the pot
• Scoop the avocado out of the peel (if you halve and score it first)
• Put the chopped vegetables into the bowl
• Measure and pour
• Mix the salad ingredients together (using your hands is fun)

Directions
1. Cook Farro according to package directions (they should be al dente when done)
2. Chop onion, tomatoes and peppers.
3. Add all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
4. In a small bowl mix dressing ingredients.
5. Add dressing ingredients to the salad ingredients and mix well.

Per serving (1/8 of the salad): Calories – 172, Carbs – 23g, Fat – 7g, Protein 5, Fibre – 4.

Tomato and Ground Beef Slumgullion

Slumgullion is a name for a cheap stew made by boiling. In this recipe, only the pasta is boiled, but cheap (and easy!) it is. I’m almost embarrassed to call this a recipe because it’s so simple. But it is one of my go to dishes when I need something fast and healthy that everyone will enjoy. I’d be lost without it, so I thought I’d pass it along. My mom made almost this exact dish while I was growing up so it’s a comfort food for me too. One of the best things about it, is that if you cook and freeze some ground beef (I like grabbing a giant pack of lean ground beef from Costco) you can have all the ingredients on hand. Then, when you don’t really have time to cook, or haven’t managed to get to the grocery store, you don’t have to get take out. And it’s a lot less messy than spaghetti!

Quick and Easy Slumgullion Recipe
200g lean ground beef cooked (more or less is fine)
1 package whole wheat macaroni (I’ve tried other pasta, macaroni is best)
1 large can of diced tomatoes
salt and pepper

Cooking with the Kids

The kids can:

• Pour the macaroni in the pot 
• Pour in the ground beef 
• Pour in the tomatoes
• Stir the slumgullion
• Sprinkle the salt and pepper

Directions
1. Cook the macaroni according to the package directions.
2. It's best if the ground beef is warm when you add it to the pot so, cook, defrost or warm the ground beef as necessary.
3. Drain the macaroni in a strainer and put it back in the pot. Add the warm ground beef and the can of tomatoes (with the juice).
4. Mix well and sprinkle with salt and pepper. You can also just add the salt and pepper to the individual servings instead.

This recipe makes about 6 servings, so you could halve the recipe if you don’t need that much. We usually keep the leftovers for lunches. I prefer it fresh, but Gordie and my special needs brother are quite happy to have it the day after. I often fill up some ziplock containers and stick them in the freezer so Geoff has lunches ready for the whole week.

Per serving (1/6 of the slumgullion): Calories – 313, Carbs – 46g, Fat – 7g, Protein 16, Fibre – 7.

Baby Smashed Potatoes

I’m starting to think that just about every vegetable should be roasted at 400F for 30-60 minutes with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. This is now my third recipe in a row that follows this logic. You’d have to really hate potatoes to not like these. I liked these so much I made them for Christmas dinner last year – there wasn’t a single one left over!. They also provide a lot more nutrients than a lot of potato dishes because you leave the skins on. They take a little bit more time than some methods, because they are boiled and then baked but the result is amazing. If you want, you can boil and smash the potatoes ahead of time just refrigerate until you are ready to use them.

Baby Smashed Potatoes Recipe
2-2.5 lbs baby potatoes
2 TBSP oilve oil
salt, pepper and rosemary (I use dried but I’m sure fresh would be lovely)
2 garlic cloves minced (shortcut – buy pre-minced, look in the refrigerated section by the salads as they are much better than the shelf stable variety you get by the spices)

Cooking with the Kids

Like most oven recipes, this is a great recipe for the kids to help with because all of the work is done before it hits the heat. Squishing the potatoes is also pretty fun.
The kids can:

• put the potatoes in the pot 
• squash the cooled potatoes 
• .paint the potatoes with olive oil
• flip the potatoes
• sprinkle the salt, pepper and rosemary

Directions
1. Put the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. When the potatoes are tender, drain the pot and let the potatoes cool (if you are in a hurry you can grab the potatoes with a tea towel and smash them while they are still hot).
3.Preheat the oven to 400F
4.Get a (clean!) tea towel and put it on the counter. Place the potato on top. Fold the tea towel over and press down on the potato with your palm.
5. Place the smashed potatoes on a baking tray.
6. Brush each potato with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. Flip the potatoes and repeat on the other side.
8. Add a couple pieces of minced garlic to each potato and sprinkle with rosemary.
9. Put the tray in the over and flip the potatoes after 15 minutes. Continue to bake for 15-20 minutes more. When they are done the skins of the potatoes will be brown and crispy but the centre will be soft.

Leftovers can be eaten cold straight from the fridge or reheated in the oven or toaster oven.

Per serving (3 potatoes): Calories – 78, Carbs – 11g, Fat – 4g, Protein 1, Fibre – 2.

Roasted Butternut Squash

I took another crack at the butternut squash today. It turned out quite a bit better than the last time. I think the problem before was that the squash wasn’t as fresh as it needed to be. Not that it was bad, it just didn’t have the right consistency anymore – it was a little too mushy around the edges. So if you (like I usually do) buy pre-cut cubes (Costco’s are great) make sure you get the furthest away best before date and check to make sure they are nice and firm when you go to cook them. If they’re not, maybe make soup instead.
This isn’t the lowest calorie vegetable dish you can make but it’s a crowd pleaser and makes a nice side dish for special occasion dinners (or just for snacking!) Unless your kids are going through a really picky stage, they’ll like this dish. And you will like making it! The prep work is minimal and once it’s in the oven you don’t have to do a thing.
Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Recipe (based on this recipe)
2 lbs butternut squash cubes (shortcut – buy pre-cubed)
2 TBSP oilve oil
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese (or white cheese blend)
1 tsp salt
0.5 tsp pepper
2 garlic cloves minced and 2 Tbsp parsley chopped (both optional)

Cooking with the Kids

This is a great recipe for the kids to help with because all of the work is done before it hits the heat.
The kids can:

• put the squash cubes in the bag
• measure and pour
• mix the ingredients in the bag (even the littlest kids can do this).

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Put all ingredients into a large resealable plastic bag and combine (you can also mix in a bowl).
3. Spread evenly on a single layer on a shallow baking dish. I've found that lining a cookie tray with parchment paper works really well. The cubes pop right off. Whatever you do, don't put them directly on the cookie tray – trust me it will never be the same. 
4. Cook for 40-50 minutes. The edges should be carmelized and golden. You can flip one of the cubes over to check the bottom, but otherwise leave them alone.

I completely forgot the garlic, but they were still great. Adding the parsley makes for a nicer presentation, but I was all out.

If you have leftovers, you can mash up the cooked squash with some pasta water to thin it out and use it as a pasta sauce.
Per serving (1/8 of the recipe): Calories – 94, Carbs – 13g, Fat – 5g, Protein 2, Fibre – 2.

Making Icky Food Good: Roasted Brussels Sprouts

My mother-in-law is a big fan of Brussels sprouts and they are chalk full of vitamins but she wasn’t making any converts at home. I figure that just about anything can be appealing if you cook it the right way, so I set out to find something that everyone would enjoy. This is what I came up with.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe
1.5 pounds Brussels sprouts (shortcut - buy prewashed and bagged)
1.5 tablespoons oilve oil
1 teaspoon  salt (do not skip the salt, you need it to counteract the bitterness of the sprouts)
0.5 teaspoon pepper

Cooking with the Kids

This is a great recipe for the kids to help with because all of the work is done before it hits the heat.
The kids can:

• put the cut sprouts in the bag
• measure and pour
• mix the ingredients in the bag (even the littlest kids can do this).

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 375F (you can do 400 if you are in a hurry but you'll need to watch it near the end)
2. Wash and trim the Brussels Sprouts if necessary. Cut each Brussels sprout in half.
3. Place the Brussels Sprouts, olive oil, salt and pepper in a resealable plastic bag. Seal it up and mix well. (Obviously you could also use a bowl if you'd rather).
4. Put the Brussels spouts on a baking tray and bake for 40-50 minutes. Turn them every 7-10 minutes so they cook evenly and don't char.
5. When they are finished they should have a nice brown color but still have some green visible. The loose leaves may be blackened but nothing else should be.

If you have leftovers you can put them in a container in the fridge and eat then reheated in the oven/toaster oven or I actually like the leftovers cold, straight from the fridge. They store best if you let them cool down to room temperature first.
1/6 of the recipe: Calories – 79, Carbs – 10g, Fat – 4g, Protein 4, Fibre – 4.
You could lighten the recipe up by using a cooking spray or olive oil mister to coat the Brussels Sprouts instead of the olive oil.

Lemon Pepper Mushrooms

If you had told me a couple years ago that I would be sharing my favorite mushroom recipe, I would have said you were crazy. Mushrooms have not historically been my favorite food. And most of the time, I’d still happily do without. But one day my husband whipped up these lemon pepper mushrooms and much to my surprise, I really liked them! I like using Cremini mushrooms over white button mushrooms because they are higher in nutrients but they’ll both turn out just fine.

Lemon Pepper Mushroom Recipe

Ingredients

1-2 cups of sliced mushrooms (whatever fits nicely into your pan)
Lemon Juice
Lemon Pepper
oil or cooking spray (optional)

Cooking with the Kids

This is not the best recipe for cooking with kids because all the work is done in a hot frying pan.
Older kids can:

• slice the mushrooms 
• help sprinkle on lemon pepper
• squirt in the lemon juice

Directions

1. Heat your pan over medium-high heat. You can add oil or pam if desired but if you have a nonstick pan, it's not necessary.
2. Add your mushrooms and the juice from a lemon (or a couple squirts of your bottle of lemon juice).
3. Sprinkle with the lemon pepper. You should be able to see the pepper specks throughout, but it shouldn't coat the mushrooms. Go gently at first and try as they are cooking you can always add more.
4. Saute until mushrooms have browned on the outside and are cooked through but still firm.

A quick and easy healthy snack or side dish.

Per half cup mushrooms (assuming you don’t use any oil): Calories – 12, Carbs – 2g, Fat – 0g, Protein 1, Fibre – 1.