I’m in a rut! (Get it? Rut…Mating season…Spring? I know at least ONE of my readers will get that reference)
No, no…not sexually or financially or professionally (well actually…). I mean, I’m in a dinner rut. I need new inspiration for cooking for the family. Currently, our dinner planning revolves around
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- ground turkey (as I type this, I’m eating Hamburger Helper leftovers using turkey instead)
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- steak
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- chicken breasteses
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- breakfast food (the old fallback)
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- seafood (typically either Salmon or scrimps)
And that’s about it. As you scan see, we’re carnivores, although we’re not averse to a good salad. I don’t cook much with pork really and I occasionally will do a roast, but the crockery in our Crock Pot cracked a while back and I haven’t gotten a new one, so slow cooking is out for the time being. This means no good soups or chili, or slow cooked roasts either.
Other exacerbating situations include a picky 4 year old who will sometimes eat, but usually not, and a 1 year old with front teeth but no molars, which requires soft foods and generally means that if we’re having a meat product for dinner, we have to come up something wonderful and different for him.
So I’m looking to you all for some mealtime inspiration. Here’s the requirements:
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- Use of “in season” ingredients. I’m not paying through the nose for pineapple in the middle of winter
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- Prep time under 30 minutes
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- Though we love spicy food, we should keep it on the down-low spice-wise for the kiddies
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- Relatively low fat and healthy
Gimme your best recipes, kid tested if possible and I’ll give them a try.
I had one that my daycare kids (ranging from 1-5) and my own 2 (3 and 5) love. It is f peanut butter noodles–I think. sounds odd but it has a thai taste to it so you can use it for adults too. I will look for it and return with it.
by the way–I am not sure how I found your blog but I love it!!!
Rose
Comment by Little Buddies Daycare — February 28, 2008 @ 2:03 pm |
I am back… here it is
bow tie pasta
2 large carrots–cut into half circles
1 red bell pepper
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup boiling water
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs sesame oil
1 tbs red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp dried ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup roasted peanuts chopped
Boil large pot of water add pasta adn carrots. Add pepper 3 minutes before pasta is done. Drain and return to pot. whisk together peanut butter, boiling water, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, ginger and garlic until blended. Add mixture to pasta stir until well blended.
I omit the veggies for daycare and my own children as you know they prefer things seperat. I will serve some steamed brocolli, carrots or peas seperately. If I make it for adults also I will add some diced up chiken or pork with snow peas. I just mix it all together for each individual then it looks as if we are eating the same thing and there really is not additional preparation time. I have substituted spaghetti or fettucine as well.
Oh another favorite of the kids is Rice, peas and keilbasa……cook it all seperately and mix together. You can use frozen or canned peas depending on your taste. My kids prefer the frozen. They are more used to it.
Comment by Little Buddies Daycare — February 28, 2008 @ 2:14 pm |
Excellent! Peanut Butter is always a hit!
Thanks!
Comment by dobeman — February 28, 2008 @ 2:18 pm |
Oh, I get the “in a rut” reference! I live in deer hunting territory! I don’t think that’s what you mean though, is it? The male of the specie can be rather ornery and dangerous during this phase…….and that would never be you! lol
Comment by trishatruly — February 29, 2008 @ 11:33 am |
We really like a recipe called Super-easy chicken enchilada skillet from a Kraft Foods magazine. I am a total wreck in the kitchen, so I know they’re not lying about the “easy” part if I can make it and people eat it.
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/recipedetail.htm?recipe_id=95164
Comment by Allison — March 2, 2008 @ 10:00 pm |