Mini-Egg Thumbprint Cookies

Happy Easter!

The kids and I made this fun little Easter treat today. I found this recipe on pinterest (where else?). They are short-bread cookies and they were good, but I think next time I would add an egg white as I found the dough quite crumbly which made it difficult to roll into balls. They were also a tad on the dry side when finished.

But look how pretty they are!

You will need:

• 10 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 C confectioner's sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 C flour
• (1 egg white)
• 1/4 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1.5 tsp corn syrup
• 1 bag of mini chocolate eggs (I used Cadbury)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

With an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until whipped.

Add the salt and flour (I would try adding an egg white at this point) and beat until well mixed and dough-ish.

Roll dough into small balls and place evenly on un-greased cookie sheet. 

Cook for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and using thumb, press down in center of cookie to create an indentation. 

Put back in oven for 2-5 minutes (until bottoms are turning golden).

Remove from oven and and let cookies cool completely on cookie rack. 

While cookies cool, in a small sauce pan melt the chocolate chips and mix in the corn syrup, stirring constantly. Let cool for a minute and then using a spoon or knife and add a dollop of chocolate to the center of the cookies. Top with a mini-egg. Makes ~24.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Look at the mess I woke up to this morning! Apparently Leprechauns visited us last night! My children are running around the house looking for them. My daughter is positive that if she sees one, she can keep her eyes on him until he leads her to gold. She's been practicing.


St. Patrick's day always gives me spring fever. Earlier this week, I thought it would be fun to make some spring-inspired sugar cookies and let the kids decorate them. (We colored them green for St. Patrick's day). 

And St. Paddy's day would not be St. Paddy's day without some green pancakes;

"May the Lord keep you in His hand and never close His fist too tight". Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

For the sugar cookie recipe, go here (note: I didn't want "poofy" ones this time, so no creme of tartar), and for the icing recipe, go here. 

Apple Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

Adapted from The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook: Great-Tasting Recipes That Keep You Lean

These are a nice breakfast treat. There is no one overpowering flavor in these muffins. Instead the flavors blend well, resulting in a nice, moist, slightly dense muffin.

You will need:

• 1 C uncooked oatmeal, plain
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 C all purpose flour
• 1/4 C whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 C apple juice
• 1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 C canned pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• canola oil
• 1/2 C dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 375 F

Prepare a muffin tin.

In a medium bowl combine oatmeal, pumpkin, applesauce, juice, eggs and oil. Mix until well blended.

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in wet ingredients. Mix until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in the cranberries. 

Spoon muffin tins 2/3 full. 

Bake 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned on top. 

Catch these when they are warm, spread a little butter on top, and enjoy! Makes ~12 muffins.

Banana Nut Oatmeal

I love oatmeal for breakfast, but I don't want to develop an oatmeal rut. like our cheerios rut.

I've been playing around with different oatmeal additives and combinations. Loved this one!

You will need:

• 2 C uncooked oatmeal, plain 
• 4 Tbsp all natural peanut butter, (I like smooth) 
• 2 C milk
• 2 C water 
• 1tsp cinnamon 
• 4 Tbsp chopped walnuts 
• 4Tbsp coarsely ground flax seed 
• 2 bananas, sliced for topping
• brown sugar for topping (optional)
• milk for serving

Bring water and milk just to a boil (watch you don't over boil it like I frequently do!). 

Stir in oatmeal, peanut butter, and cinnamon. Reduce heat and boil gently for 3-5 minutes or until mixture thickens and becomes uniform.

Remove from heat. Stir in walnuts and flax seed. Serve in bowls with desired amount of milk and top with bananas and brown sugar. Delicious!

You can of course play around with different nuts and fruit. Raisins are really good!

Snickerdoodle Muffins

Snickerdoodle cookies are a family favorite. This is the muffin version of those cookies.

I like to make my mini. A more suitable size for my kids, and more melt-in-your-mouth!

You will need:

• cooking spray for muffin tins
• 1/3 c butter, melted
• 1/2 C white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1.5 C all purpose flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 C milk

Topping:

• 1/4 C white sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 C butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

In a medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir until well mixed. 

Scoop batter into a prepared muffin tins (fill each one 3/4 full). This makes ~24 mini muffins (or 10-12 regular sized ones). 

Bake for 18-22 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix sugar and cinnamon in a small shallow dish. Place melted butter in a second small shallow dish. 

When the muffins are done, cool in tins until you are able to handle them. Then dip the top of each muffin in the butter and then in the sugar/cinnamon. Cool completely on a cookie rack. 

Enjoy! These are fantastic when they are still warm!

Here is a simple baby gift idea...

A couple in our small group just had a baby girl and I made this pretty package to give them.

I used a heart-shaped basket, lined it first with parchment paper, and then a layer of saran wrap. I filled it with the muffins, wrapped the muffins up in the saran and parchment paper. 

Then I wrapped the whole thing in tulle and closed it first with a pipe cleaner, and then pink ribbon. Simple and sweet!

Crock pot Porridge

Source: Adapted from Tosca Reno's The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook: Great-Tasting Recipes That Keep You Lean

I don't know about you, but I often find myself in a breakfast rut of Cheerios, Cheerios and more Cheerios.

A big part of that is because I often don't get going in the morning early enough to have time for anything but cold cereal.

I've decided to be a little more disciplined and introduce a little more variety into our breakfast routine (I know, New Year resolutions, right? You probably give it a week? Me too). 

This recipe was perfect because you set it all up the night before and just eat it in the morning! It is actually faster than cold cereal! Well, one downfall: cleaning the crock pot later that day sucks and pretty much evens out whatever time you saved in the morning. BUT at least you had a healthy, more exciting breakfast!

This recipe has a nice homey, stick-to-your-bones kind of taste. A perfect chilly morning treat. Just the kind of thing I envision eating in a mountain chalet before a day of skiing (if I did that sort of thing).

What you'll need:

• 2 C steel-cut oats
• 1/2 C oat bran
• 1/2 C brown rice
• 1/4 C wheat germ
• 2 Tbsp flax seed
• 3 C skim milk
• 3.5 C water (or any combination of fluids to equal 6.5 C)
• 1 C raisins (or anything, really - apple, cranberries, dates, nuts etc.) - optional
• 1.5 Tbsp vanilla
• pinch of nutmeg
• fruit toppings - optional (I like to top mine with berries and banana)
• brown sugar - optional

Place all ingredients in crock pot. Stir well. Cover. Set to cook overnight on low. In the morning, top with fruit and a sprinkle of brown sugar, and enjoy! 

Grandma's Snickerdoodles

These are my husband's favorite cookie and they are the ones we make for Santa every year.

This is one I like doing with my kids because they can get their hands dirty making the balls.

SNICKERDOODLES

You will need:

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (you may need a little more sugar and cinnamon)
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• 
  
• Combine 1 1/2 cups white sugar, butter or margarine and eggs. Mix well.
• 
  
• Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Blend well. 
• 
  
• Shape dough into 1 inch balls. 
• 
  
• Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon in a shallow dish. Roll dough in sugar/cinnamon mixture and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. 
• 
  
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool cookies on a cookie rack. 

These are awesome when they are still warm!

Also, my daughter's preschool xmas party is tomorrow so I shrank down and printed off more 

snowman wrappers and used them on boxes of smarties. Pretty easy for something pretty cute!

Rolo Turtles

As I mentioned in a previous post, I was invited to a Christmas bake exchange this year.  Last year my husband and I did a big one-day bake and in six hours produced all our baking, but it was exhausting and the clean-up took forever. So I'm excited and think this is a brilliant idea because you get all your baking done for the season but only have to make one item!

However, I had to make 8 dozen of that one item. And in a week where I have no fewer than 5 Christmas events and have to bring food to 4 of them, I went on the hunt for something quick and easy. I found the perfect thing on Pinterest (thank-you God for Pinterest!).

Rolo Turtles! These are so easy, I felt like I was cheating.

You will need:

• a bag of pretzels. I prefer Our Compliments mini-twists because they are smaller and compact so less caramel can ooze through and stick to the pan (I couldn't find pretzel snaps like the ones pictured in the original recipe)
• rolos (a pack of rolos has 10)
• pecans (I had no idea pecans were so bloody expensive!)

Preheat oven to 350 F

Line a baking tray with parchment paper unless you have a nice clean non-stick pan, then the paper isn't necessary

Place pretzels on pan in nice tidy rows

Place a rolo candy on top of each pretzel

Bake in oven for 4-5 minutes or until the rolos are shiny but still intact

Remove from oven and with gentle pressure, squish the rolos down with a pecan (watch not to burn yourself)

Cool on pan until pan is no longer hot to touch, then chill in fridge for 10-15 minutes. Voile! Brilliant!

The original recipe I found on pinterest came from So Wonderful So Marvelous

A train wreck with Candy-cane cookies

One of the biggest things weighing on my heart is my relationship with my husband. I know I am the source of a lot of unnecessary conflict and frustration. And I just know that things could be better.

In my quest to be less selfish, I am also trying to minister more often to my husband. I hate the way that sounds by the way, but it sounds better than "serving" my husband. The point is, I want him to see me as a place of comfort and support, and less as a place of agitation and annoyance.

I failed miserably in my quest today.

We decided to decorate our Christmas tree. Everything started out well enough. I made the fluffiest pancakes I've ever made (I think the secret was Our Compliments buttermilk pancake mix and the small soup ladle I used to pour the batter onto the skillet), but once we started decorating, things went downhill.

My husband likes to fiddle around with the settings on our camera. So while I tried organizing the decorations and putting them out for the kids to hang, he was fiddling. As soon as I opened the box of decorations, the kids dove in like maniacs. During the commotion I told my husband to forget the camera and just help with decorating. Instead he started snapping pictures of me.

My husband takes the worst pictures of me. Instead of getting the camera out when I'm all dolled up for a date-night, he gets it out when I'm in my pyjamas, my hair is frizzy from my shower, and I'm covered in pancake batter. What's worse, I look like a downright hag because I'm frowning and in the middle of telling him to stop taking my picture. "Stop being grumpy, like you always are!" he yelled accusingly.

Being told I'm "always" grumpy is a hot button for me (maybe because it's a little too close to the truth at times?), so I launched into the "what about you!?" sequence of our typical argument. Yay! What's more fun than a good game of "no I'm not, you are!"? Joy to the world...

Anyway, after wrapping that up we continued decorating the tree in stony silence. I know, the holiday cheer is overwhelming.

Feeling guilty about the lack of Christmas goodness, after the tree was done I decided to make some candy cane cake-mix cookies. The kids and I had been to the Santa Claus parade the week before and had accumulated quite the stash of mini candy canes. No one in our house cares for candy canes. I thought chopping them up and putting them into a cookie with chocolate might make them more appealing.

What are cake-mix cookies you say? Only the EASIEST cookie recipe out there! Remember when you bought like four boxes of cake mix at Safeway because they were buy one, get one free? Well now you have a way to use them!

Candy Cane Cake-mix Cookies

You will need...
- 1 box of cake mix (white or chocolate)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 C oil
- 1 C (or more) of chocolate chips
- 1/4 to 1/2 C chopped candy cane pieces

Mix together cake mix, eggs and oil with a wooden spoon for one minute. The dough will be stiff. Stir in 1 C of chocolate chips and 1/4 to 1/2 C chopped candy cane pieces. Bake 8-12 minutes at 375 until just set. Cool on sheet for 1 minute then on cookie rack.

If you like chocolate and mint, you are going to love these.

My daughter doesn't like chocolate and mint, so she took one bite and made a big production of spitting the candy cane bits out. Feeling a little downcast, I turned to my husband for his reaction. He doesn't like chocolate and mint either, so his reaction was,  "Ummm...". Now I'm feeling really annoyed, so I resorted to "you never like my baking!" (yes, I am guilty of making my own "always" statements). It's also a clear over-reaction stemming from my frustration over the lack of cheer I was managing to create.

And that's just it. The whole day was about me. I had a picture in my head of how I wanted the day to play out, and when it didn't go according to my plan, I got frustrated with the players. I also took it personally. I was trying to "create" Christmas cheer so I took their rejection of my fabulous cookies as a reflection of my ability to do something fun and Christmassy with my family.

Can you imagine how much more fun we could have had if I had just hammed it up for the camera instead and took their rejection of the cookies as a blessing because now I would get to eat more of them? I can. And it makes me wish I could kick myself in the butt.

Spicy Corn Cakes with Black Beans

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 4

These were a fun alternative to rice or potatoes as a side at dinner. They would be good as a breakfast food too! The kids love the corn cakes, but could take or leave the black beans. The only problem now is that I'll have to search out other recipes to use up the cornmeal and buttermilk, which I do not normally have around the kitchen.

What you'll need:

• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2/3 C ground yellow cornmeal
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• salt and pepper
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 C buttermilk
• 1 egg 
• 1/2 C frozen corn
• 2 tsp canola oil
• sour cream and salsa for serving

In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the beans, oregano, and 1 tsp of the chili powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are heated through. Set aside. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, remaining 1 tsp of chili powder, a bit of salt and a bit of pepper. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, buttermilk and egg. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until just blended. It will look lumpy. Fold in the corn. 

Heat a large cast0iron pan over medium-high heat. Brush with oil. Working in batches, add the batter like you would for small pancakes (~ 1/4 C at a time). Use a flipper to keep the batter in a small circle. Cook the cakes, turning once, until brown and puffy (about 4 minutes). Transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Stir the batter and brush the pan with oil in between batches. 

Top the cakes with the beans, and serve with salsa and sour cream.

Cinnamon Biscuits

This is a good one. Simple, yet tasty.

What you'll need:

• 2C sifted all-purpose flour
• 1Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 C vegetable oil
• 3/4 C buttermilk 
• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) butter, softened
• 3/4 C granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Combine flour, powder, salt and soda in a medium bowl and mix well. Stir in vegetable oil. Add buttermilk and stir until just blended

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll dough into a 15x8 rectangle.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Grease a 9 inch round baking pan lightly

Spread butter over the dough. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix well. Sprinkle over butter. Roll up rectangle jelly-roll style, starting from one long side. Pinch seam to seal.

Cut the roll into 1 1/2 inch slices. Arrange the slices, cut side up, in prepared baking pan. Bake until lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven. Serve hot. 

These are a great little treat, and quick to make. Perfect for brunches. 

Raspberry Lemon Muffins

Ease: 4/5     Kid-friendliness: 5/5     Taste: 5/5     Time: 4/5

Prep: 12 minutes
Cooking time: 17 minutes

Back in the summer, I had the luxury of having access to my in-laws raspberry bushes. I picked berries to my heart's delight. I happen to love raspberries, a love shared by my two kids. After two containers of raspberries were put into my freezer I went hunting for new raspberry recipes. This is one that everyone loved. The muffins were so moist and not overly sweet.

What you'll need:

• 1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 3/4 C white sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup frozen or fresh raspberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, oil, lemon juice, eggs, and lemon extract. 

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until just blended. Gently stir in the raspberries. 

Spoon batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick comes out clean, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool muffins in the tin on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com

Simple Spinach Salad

Ease: 5/5     Kid-friendliness: 3/5     Taste: 3.5/5     Time: 5/5

Prep: 7 minutes
Cook time: 1 minute

This is a super fast, super easy, but super tasty spinach salad. Makes a terrific side and I just love the dressing!

What you'll need:

• 12 oz or 350 g pre-washed baby spinach
• 2 oranges
• 1/4 C lowest fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 C french vanilla yogurt (low fat)
• 1/4 tsp poppy seeds
• 1/4 tsp milk (optional)
• handful of croutons or cranberries (optional)

Rinse spinach leaves under cold water in salad spinner and spin dry. Place in salad bowl. Slice orange wedges and toss into greens. Set aside in fridge.

Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, and poppy seeds in a small bowl in that order. Whisk together (you may want to whisk in a bit of milk if you like your dressing a bit runny). 

Toss a handful of your choice of croutons or cranberries into the spinach, drizzle with the dressing and toss again. Serve! Fresh and Yummy!

Recipe adapted from:
 

Thai Chicken Pizza

Ease: 4/5     Kid-friendliness: 3/5     Taste: 3.5/5     Time: 4/5

Prep: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 6 minutes

I have to admit, this was a weird one for me. After my first couple of bites, I wasn't sure if I liked it but it was such a unique flavor that I kept taking bites to see, and by the end I was quite enjoying it. It was a bit on the spicy side for my daughter, but I can see it being one of those recipes that as you make it, it grows on you until it's one in regular rotation. A fun twist on pizza anyway!

What you'll need:

• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 boneless chicken breast
• 1 tsp Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 3 Tbsp creamy or crunchy peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp water
• 12 " pizza crust (I got one of those pre-made ones from the bakery section)
• 3 green onions
• 6 mushrooms
• 1 C mozzarella cheese
• 1 C washed bean sprouts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in a small nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. 

Cut chicken into small bite sized pieces. Add to pan and sauté until chicken is no longer pink. Sprinkle with spice and set aside. 

Soften peanut butter in a coffee mug in the microwave for ~ 15-25 seconds. Whisk in soy sauce and water (continue adding a bit of water until the sauce becomes slightly runny).

Spread sauce over pizza crust. Top with sauteed chicken. Wash and finely chop green onion. Wash and slice mushrooms. Scatter both green onions and mushrooms over pizza base. Top with cheese. 

Bake for 5 minutes. When timer rings, change oven setting to broil. Watch carefully and remove when cheese begins to bubble. 

Rinse bean sprouts in a colander under cold water. Pat dry. Remove pizza from the oven and sprinkle uncooked bean sprouts over top. 

Enjoy!

The recipe is from my current favorite cookbook

Spaghetti Amatriciana

Ease: 4/5     Kid-friendliness: 4/5     Taste: 4/5     Time: 3.5/6

Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

We eat spaghetti a lot. It's kind of the go-to when we don't know what else to make. So I thought I would look around for alternate (but still relatively easy) spaghetti recipes to "spice" things up once in awhile. Everyone liked this one. The original recipe called for dry white wine. I used a little bit of apple juice instead.

This isn't a traditional amatriciana pasta sauce, because as wikipedia told me, amatriciana pasta sauce is made with dried pork cheek (I doubt my bacon is strictly made from the "cheek") and percorino cheese (never heard of it), but calling it "amatriciana" sounds like a more adult pasta sauce, so I left it in the title.

What you'll need:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 90 g thick cut bacon, chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 C apple juice (or dry white wine)
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2.5 C diced tomatoes, with juice
• salt
• 500 g (1 lb) spaghetti
• 1/2 C parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a large frying pan over medium-low heat, warm the oil. Add the bacon, onion, and red pepper flakes. Saute until the onion is softened and the bacon is lightly browned (~6 minutes). 

Stir in the apple juice, and tomato paste. Reduce the heat to low and cook about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and 1/2 tsp salt. Raise the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, add 2 Tbsp salt and pasta to the boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente according to package directions (~8 minutes). Drain, reserving ~ 1/2 C of cooking water. 

Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Sprinkle with one-third of the cheese and toss again. Add cooking water until the sauce is a nice consistency. Top with cheese, and serve.

Recipe from Weeknight Cook

Cashew Chicken

Ease: 3/5     Kid-friendliness: 3/5     Taste: 5/5     Time: 3/5

Prep: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 6 minutes

Cutting up chicken into bite sized pieces is probably my least favorite food preparation activity. It is so laborious! But I love a good stir-fry and this one is a new favorite. It's not the greatest for small kids because of the nuts, so I had to make a little bit without nuts for my son, but my daughter liked the nuts. My husband and I (before kids) used to go to a restaurant called Brewster's, mostly because they have an awesome beer sampler tray, but also because they had a really good cashew chicken dish. This recipe reminded me of that. All the meal needed was a cold Brewster's beer.

What you'll need:

• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
• 2 tsp ginger
• 500 g skinless boneless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp cornstarch
• 3 Tbsp canola oil
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 C salted roasted cashews
• streamed rice, for serving

In a large bowl, stir together 2 Tbsp soy sauce, the wine, and the ginger. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp water, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and cornstarch and stir to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch. 

Heat a large frying pan (or wok) over high heat and add 2 Tbsp canola oil. Remove and drain the chicken from the marinade, and discard the marinade. Add the chicken to the pan and stir-fry until opaque (~3 minutes). Transfer the chicken to a bowl. Return the pan to medium heat and add 1 Tbsp canola oil. Add the onions and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Return the chicken to the pan and add the cashews. Give the sauce a quick stir, add to the pan, and stir until the sauce thickens slightly (~1-2 minutes). Serve with rice!

And Happy September Everyone! Can't believe we burned through August like that...

Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Ease: 4/5      Kid-friendliness: 4/5     Taste: 5/5     Time: 3.5/5

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 to 12 minutes

Everyone loved these! A perfect backyard summer meal. Get your napkins out!

What you'll need:

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter or margarine 
• 1/2 C minced yellow onion 
• 1 C ketchup
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
• 2 good sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into halves
• vegetable oil
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 - 6 large sandwich rolls

Warm BBQ to medium high heat. 

To make the sauce, in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter or margarine. Add the onion and cook until soft (~3 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add the ketchup, soy sauce, lemon juice and tabasco sauce. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Set aside. 

Lightly brush or spray the chicken on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over direct medium heat until the meat is firm and no longer pink (~8 to 12 minutes), turning once. Remove from the grill and let rest 3-5 minutes. Shred the chicken, add the the sauce pan and heat through over medium heat. 

Grill the rolls over direct medium heat until lightly toasted, (~ 1 minute). Built each sandich with a roll and some chicken. Very tasty!

Recipe adapted from Weber's Real Grilling

Grilled Asparagus and Prosciutto Salad

Ease: 4/5     Kid-friendliness: 0/5     Taste: 3/5     Time: 4/5

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes

This recipe isn't really kidlet friendly. Unless you have a really sophisticated toddler, most small kids probably don't dig vinaigrette dressing, especially one made from red wine. That said, I enjoyed this salad. It made a nice side to the chicken I made and is something beyond the usual tossed or caesar salad I make.

What you'll need:

• 625 g asparagus, tough ends removed
• 7 Tbsp olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped chives
• 6 C mixed baby greens (I used a bagged mix)
• 90 g prosciutto, thinly sliced and cut into strips
• 60 g shredded or shaved parmesan cheese

Preheat a stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat (you could also cook the asparagus over a BBQ). Brush the asparagus with 1 Tbsp of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the asparagus in the pan and cook, turning occasionally, until slightly charred and tender, ~ 8 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, a dash of salt and a pinch of pepper. Slowly whisk in the remaining 6 Tbsp of oil. Stir in the chives. 

Add the greens and prosciutto (pronounced "pra-shoot-oh" - I looked it up. It's a dry cured ham, by the way) to the vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Arrange the grilled asparagus on plates and top with the salad. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma The Weeknight Cook: Fresh and Simple Recipes for Good Food Everyday

Grilled Chicken Panini's in a Hurry

Ease: 5/5     Kid-friendliness: 4/5     Taste: 4/5     Time: 5/5

Prep: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Sometimes, I am just at a loss for what to make at lunch time. If I don't have leftovers or sandwich stuff, it can be a real challenge to think of something quick and easy and not just have KD. Again.  Here is a quick, easy one I rely on.

What you'll need:

• 375 g frozen stir fry veggies
• 375 g cooked chicken strips or chunks (you can buy packaged ones now)
• 4 whole wheat paninis
• 4 large lettuce leaves
• ranch dressing (or BBQ or pesto sauce)
• shredded marble cheese
• sandwich press or grill 

Over medium heat, heat a bit of water in a nonstick pan. Pour in the frozen veggies. Cover with a lid for ~2 minutes to soften the veggies. 

Uncover the pan, add the chicken and saute until the chicken is warmed through, and the veggies are tender (~5 minutes).

Meanwhile, preheat sandwich press or grill. 

Spread ranch dressing on paninis, sprinkle with cheese and top with a lettuce leaf, and some of the veggies and chicken mixture. 

Press the panini until the cheese is melted (~1-2 minutes).

Serve!

Pita Pizzas

Ease: 5/5     Kid-friendliness: 5/5     Taste: 5/5     Time: 4/5

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

This makes a quick easy lunch for the kids. My daughter loves pizza, making it a great way to slip in some veggies (if I think she might pick them off, I mince them up and mix them into the tomato sauce - shhhh...).

What you'll need:

• 4 whole wheat pitas
• 1 C shredded cheese (I used marble)
• 1/2 C parmesan cheese
• toppings of choice (I used some orange pepper)
• 1 C tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Lightly spray a foil lined baking pan. 

Spread the tomato sauce over one side of the pitas. Add your toppings. Sprinkle liberally with shredded cheese and top with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted. Cut into 4 little slices and serve!