Kid-Friendly Food

My friend Theresa recently sent out an e-mail asking for easy, good recipes for her kids...we just had some success with a couple of new recipes so I figured I would post them here.

Bean Quesadillas (From Bush's Barbecue Baked Beans)
I made these this afternoon and thought they were a good, easy variation on the traditional quesadilla:
Tortillas
Baked Beans (I use the vegetarian variety)
Shredded Cheese (I like Sargento reduced-fat mexican)
Fresh Cilantro (I used a little dried)

Preheat grill and lightly spray one side of tortilla with cooking spray. Place tortilla, sprayed side down, on work surface. Spoon 1/4 beans over half of tortilla. Top with 1/4 cheese and 1 Tbs cilantro. Fold remaining tortilla half over filling, to make half-moon-shape quesadilla. Grill until tortillas are lightly browned and crisp 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve with sour cream.

Cottage Cheese Sundaes:
Top cottage cheese with Motts Natural fruit-flavored applesauce (we love the Peach Medley variety)...fresh sliced strawberries, craisins, and whatever else you can think of....granola, almonds (if kids aren't allergic), flax seed, wheat germ, and maybe some sprinkles for fun.

Chili Pizza
Another idea that Geoff does in the fall/winter. He makes a great turkey chili recipe. And for leftovers, he will lay tortillas flat on a baking sheet to cover the entire bottom. Then spoon chili on top of the tortillas, then sprinkle with cheese and bake for a different kind of pizza.

Pizza
Our guys like Boboli pizza with sauce (I love Newmans Own Sockarooni), fresh pineapple, green peppers, and cheese.

Chicken Nuggets
An easy healthy way to make chicken nuggets. Just brush chicken with dijon or honey mustard, dip in bread crumbs and bake.

Sweet Potato Fries
The guys eat a scary-large amount of these when I make them.
Just wash and peel a sweet potato. Cut into wedges and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake. I haven't paid attention to the best baking time or temp on this. I think the last time it was 15-20 minutes on 400 degrees.

Same as Leslie, my mom made the english muffin sandwiches when I was little. She made a tuna salad, put it on an open english muffin, sprinkled with cheese, and broiled it. She also broiled us bagels with cheddar cheese on top. Thanks for all the ideas! Anyone have something they have tried lately?

Muffin Tray Lunch

I like to use trays to feed the boys. It makes me think of the different food groups and to try to use lots of colorful foods. Well, I saw this great idea on many different blog sites about using muffin trays. Love it....especially since the boys can't do PB, and they won't eat lunch meat or cheese. I have to get creative. This makes me try to think of all the different fruits and vegetables I can use. Of course, they didn't eat the grape tomatoes or carrots but I will keep trying.

Our tray: graham cracker sticks, green and red grapes, grape tomatoes, carrots, cottage cheese and peach medley applesauce.

Pico De Gallo Quesadillas

I thought I would post a good recipe we have tried and really liked! Since the boys can't have peanut butter and they don't like lunch meat, our alternative sandwich has been quesadillas. Well, I wanted to give them a little more substance than cheese and tortillas and found this recipe. They didn't like them first try (I think it was too thick) but I made them again last week and they split one entire gigantic quesadilla. I'm talking tortillas that were a little too big for the pan I grilled them in...they ate...it...all.

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com and I really like that I can make the filling in advance and then just put the quesadilla together very quickly when it is time for dinner.

Pico de Gallo Chicken Quesadillas
Submitted by: Tony Cortez

Prep Time: 25 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
2 tomatoes, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 (12 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup sour cream, for topping
DIRECTIONS:
1.In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno, salt and pepper. Set aside.
2.In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add chicken and saute until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
3.Put the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the hot skillet and saute the sliced onion and green pepper until tender. Stir in the minced garlic and saute until the aroma is strong. Mix in half of the pico de gallo and chicken breast meat. Set aside; keep warm.
4.In a heavy skillet, heat one flour tortilla. Spread 1/4 cup shredded cheese on the tortilla and top with 1/2 the chicken mixture. Sprinkle another 1/4 cup cheese over the chicken and top with another tortilla. When bottom tortilla is lightly brown and cheese has started to melt, flip quesadilla and cook on the opposite side. Remove quesadilla from skillet and cut into quarters. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve quesadillas with sour cream and
remaining pico de gallo.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com

Irish Soda Bread

In honor of St. Patricks Day...I thought I would share one of my favorite recipes. I found this recipe several years ago in a random magazine (I think it was in Ladies Home Journal? Redbook?) and I have since made it numerous times. It is a no-fail, simple recipe. The ingredients are few...I keep everything on hand and just buy buttermilk when I am plan on making it.
I normally make two loaves at a time because it goes so fast and so I don't waste the buttermilk. It tastes like a very moist, yummy biscuit.

Irish Soda Bread

Cooking Spray
3 cups flour +1 tsp unsifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup raisins (I don't use)
1 tsp anise seeds (I don't use)
1 and 1/4 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat baking sheet with cooking spray. In small bowl, combine 3 cups of flour, baking soda, sugar and salt; sift into large bowl. With pastry blender or 2 knives used scissors fashion, cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal.

2. Stir in raisins and anise seeds (if using); toss until raisins are coated. Pour in buttermilk; stir with fork until dough comes together. Knead in bowl 5 times; turn out dough onto floured surface. With floured hands, knead 8 or 10 times. Shape dough into 6-in.-round loaf; transfer to prepared baking sheet.

3. Using small sieve, sift remaining 1 tsp flour over top of loaf. With floured serrated knife, using sawing motion, cut 1-in. deep by 4-in. long X across the top of loaf. Bake 45-50 minutes, until bread is golden and sounds hollow when top is tapped. Cool on rack.
Makes 12 servings.
Happy Baking....