White Bean and Chicken Chili

Man, where have I been?  I'll tell you . . . maybe like yourselves, I've been in the car most of the day running my kids from one  sports camp to another, to friends' houses, to the mall, to the park, to the beach or where ever their sweet hearts are wanting or needing to go.  That's during the day.  At night, we live on softball fields, baseball fields and basketball courts. 

However, this week - it's VBS!  I'll tell ya, if you thought the above sounded tiring, try working at VBS.  I am dog tired every day and am ready to fall face first into anything that looks relatively soft.  But, it is quite the sight when you get to see 750+ kids learning, growing and having fun.  Quite rewarding!

So, I feel like I haven't cooked much these days.  Whaatttt???  Yes, we have fallen into the frozen tundra of pizzas, brats, and pizza rolls - all pulled from the freezer, tossed into the oven and off we go for dinner. 

But, last night - it was literally 55 degrees here and my ragged, tired, cold bones was craving something comforting and warm.  This was the perfect answer.  A friend of mine made this one night for us during football season and it was perfect football type food.  Even in the middle of June, as the wind blustered outside, it seemed perfect again. 

The recipe is originally a Giada de Laurentis recipe, and I changed it up a bit based on what I had in my house.  To find the original recipe, please click here.  But, I am posting my adapted recipe for you, and it was really good.  The biggest change - I cut the broth in half and I put in half the amount of chicken (I just didn't have enough on hand) but I kept the seasonings the same.  I LOVE my chili really chunky and flavorful with not a lot of liquid. 

White Bean and Chicken Chili
Original recipe by Giada de Laurentis
Adapted recipe by Kitchen Groovy

2 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound ground chicken
1 tsp. salt, plus more for seasoning
2 T ground cumin
1 T fennel seeds
1 T dried oregano
2 tsp. chili powder
3 T flour
1 15oz. can cannellini beans, or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 pkg. frozen spinach, thawed (I threw mine in frozen, and it was just fine)
1 1/2 C frozen corn, preferably sweet corn
1 15 oz. can chicken broth or stock
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Freshly ground pepper for seasoning
1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add ground chicken, 1 tsp. salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes.  Stir the flour into the chicken mixture.  Add the beans, spinach, corn and chicken stock.  Bringg the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.  Simmer roughly 30 minutes on low.  Add red pepper flakes and simmer.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in mozzarella cheese.

Ladle into bowls, spinkle with cheese and chili powder. 

I think next time, I'll use 2 lbs. of ground chicken.  My family loved this dish - even Miss Sunshine.  Hubby is never a fan of spinach in any dish, but he actually gobbled this up.  I could not believe it!  With that said, I think by adding in more chicken, it will be a bit more proportioned and not feel like there is so much spinach in it. 

Please click here for a printable version of this amazing recipe - Kitchen Groovy

Enjoy and live with gusto!!

Apple Craisin Chicken Pasta Salad

Welcome to my very first recipe series!  Picnic at the Park!  I am very excited to bring this to you and I hope that you will find inspiration here, or at least a couple of recipes that you and your family enjoy.

Picnic at the Park recipes have THREE requirements.   They must be 1) easy to make 2) easy to travel and 3) easy to eat (especially by my youngest).  Typically, during the months of May, June and July - our family spends alot of time on a baseball field or softball field.  This past weekend, we spent twelve hours in the hot sun cheering on our softball team of 16 year old girls.  And yes, they came in first place - woot woot!  Dinners become challenging when we are living on a field somewhere - and I refuse to eat out unless absolutely necessary.  It will bankrupt us, as we just don't budget to feed a family of 5 every single night at fast food restaurants.  With these three requirements for dinner, I hope you will enjoy them.  I will warn you - they will be simple and nothing fancy.  Well, are any of my recipes fancy??!!  I think not ;-)


I am kicking off this series with one of my favorite salads.  Could the name be any longer??  Honestly, I just didn't know what else to call it so this is about as creative as I get!  I first tried this pasta salad at a leadership meeting for the mom's group I once belonged to a couple of years ago - and I have been making it ever since.  It's light, delicious and perfect for summer. 

I also made brats with peppers.  In total, this meal took roughly 30 minutes to make.  I started at 3:00 by making the salad, then made the brats at 4:45 and wrapped them in foil.  Miss Sunshine had a plain hot dog :-) 

Apple Craisin Chicken Pasta Salad
original recipe source: unknown

1 box favorite pasta (I let my kids pick out fun shaped pasta)
1 bottle Poppy Seed Salad Dressing
2 green apples, cored - diced (leave skin on)
1 C craisins
3/4 C slivered almonds
1 large can of chunk chicken (if you have more time, use chicken breast or rotisserie chicken)

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain pasta, and run under cool water to remove the heat.  In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients.  Chill in refrigerator for a few hours.  Enjoy!

As an alternative, this salad is also really good with Vidalia Onion dressing - which is how the recipe came to me originally.  The great thing about salad is you can adjust according to what you like!  Add green onions or carrots or brocolli florets - go wild!

Okay, since we were sitting on the bleachers while we ate, the pictures are not that great - but it was a successful dinner! 

Please click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy

Enjoy and live with gusto!

Italian Wedding Soup

Just because it's spring doesn't mean we will always have the best weather.  It's always a mixed bag of beautiful sunny days, cold, damp rain, or a good heavy dumping of snow.  I'm glad that what we have dealt with for the last two days was just cold and windy versus a heavy dumping of snow.  I think we're past that - but I suppose Mother Nature is not to be tested!

I think this soup was absolutely perfect for a cold, windy day - it was hearty and just right for taking the chill out of the ole' bones. 

A couple of thoughts swirling around my head - I used a whole box of pasta rather than just 1 cup.  There was so much left over - a great thing for our family since we rarely have enough to actually make it to a second day.  But I noticed there wasn't much broth left over to accomodate another day's worth of soup.  Being that it was pasta, meatballs and spinach leftover and not much broth - I thought it would be delicious to make a creamy, gooey cheese sauce to mix it in for leftovers, then bake it similar to a mac n cheese dish.  Sound yummy?  Unfortunately, I'm a bit of a wimp in cold weather, and I never made it to the store to pick up what I needed to create this.  So, I just added more chicken stock and we had soup again.  No complaints - it was still delish.  SO, there you have it.  If you're feeling adventurous, you should try it and report back to me!

Italian Wedding Soup
Original Recipe by Ina Garten "Back to Basics" cookbook, pg. 72-73

FOR THE MEATBALLS:
3/4 lb. ground chicken
1/2 lb. chicken sausage, casings removed
2/3 C fresh white bread crumbs
2 tsp. minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 T chopped fresh parsley
1/4 C freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
3 T milk
1 extra large egg, lighly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SOUP:
2 T good olive oil
1 C minced yellow onion
1 C 1/4" diced carrots (3 carrots)
1 C 1/4" diced celery (2 stalks)
10 C Chicken Stock (Ina calls for homemade chicken stock)
1/2 C dry white wine
1 C small pasta such as tubetini or stars
1/4 C minced fresh dill
12 oz. baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork.  With a teaspoon, drop 1 - 1 1/2" meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper (you should have about 40 meatballs.  They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned.  Set aside. 

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy bottomed soup pot.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil.  Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6-8 minutes, until the pasta is tender.  Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute.  Taste for salt and pepper.  Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until spinach is just wilted.  Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan cheese.

I used a fork to mix together all the meatball ingredients, and also a small ice cream scoop to form the meatballs and transfer to the pan - I didn't even get my hands dirty!!  BONUS!

Soup in a pot!

The End Result: a soup with so much oomph - it will have you wanting more.

Please click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy

Enjoy and live with gusto!
Carina

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni & Cheese AND An Award!!!

I have been trying to find various recipes that will help my super duper picky 14 year old teenage son.  I've mentioned before that his approved list of dinners are steak, pizza and chicken wings.  I know how much he loves chicken wings, so I thought I would try this recipe.  I've actually made it several times, and 3 out of the 5 family members love it.  Guess what?  My son is NOT one of them.  Heavy, heavy sigh.  But, just because he doesn't like it shouldn't sway you from making this dish.  Remember, he's picky.  He politely eats it, but he doesn't like it.  Regardless, I love him to pieces and will continue to search for recipes that please his palette. :-)

I will put forth the following disclaimer - this is a spicy dinner.  If you are feeding a family of young kids, or older ones who just don't like hot spicy food, I would definitely cut back on the amount of hot sauce used.  Actually, the hot sauce is added in 2 places.  If you want to make it less spicy, I would start by NOT adding it to the cheese mixture and go from there.  Otherwise, if you like hot and spicy, then this is for you!!

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

Active Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 1 hr. 15 minutes; Serves 6-8

Original Recipe from Food Network Kitchens

7 T unsalted butter, plus more for the dish

Kosher salt

1 pound elbow macaroni (or other fun pasta, I used campanelle)

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

3 C shredded rotisserie chicken

2 cloves garlic, minced

¾ C hot sauce (preferably Frank’s)

2 T all-purpose flour

2 tsp. dry mustard

2 ½ C half and half

1 lb. yellow sharp cheese, cut into 1” cubes (about 3 ½ C)

8 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 2 C)

2/3 C sour cream

1 C panko crumbs

½ C crumbled blue cheese

2 T chopped fresh parsley

1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9x13 baking dish.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes.  Drain.

2.   Meanwhile, melt 3 T butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add ½ C hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.

3.   Melt 2 T butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth.  Whisk in the half and half, then add the remaining ¼ C hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes.  Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth. 

4.   Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni.  Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top. 

5.   Put the remaining 2 T butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted.  Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley.  Sprinkle over macaroni and bake until bubbly, 30-40 minutes.  Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Please click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy

And now - for more fun news!!  I am incredibly honored to be given my 2nd award from a fellow blogger, Nami at Just One Cookbook.  Please check out her blog as it features many Japanese recipes - and for those of you who know me well, I absolutely LOVE Japanese food!!

This is called the "Sisterhood of the World Bloggers" Award - and I am humbled that my fellow foodie bloggers would think of me.  What I think is so fun about receiving and giving these awards is that it allows me to share a little bit about myself - and I love to share :-)

1. Organization is NOT my gift, but I insist the clothes in my closet are color coordinated.

2. I would much rather spend $150 on a pair of running shoes than a pair of cute boots, heels or sandals.

3. As much as I LOVE food, I have an unsophisticated palette - I have a hard time identifying ingredients in a dish just by tasting it :-)

4. I love the idea of "change".  It sounds like so much fun!

5. I hate giving kids baths - that has always been my hubby's task.  

6. I love musicals, and would spend all my free time watching them whether it's a movie or a live production.

7. I would much rather watch a slap-stick comedy movie than a romance or thriller.

Okay - my turn to nominate other amazing foodie bloggers!  Woot woot!  I love recognizing others!!  I am a follower of these bloggers, and I so enjoy reading the recipes they are cooking and their stories to go along with it.  Cook on, bake on foodie loves!

1. Drick's Rambling Cafe

2. A Little Bit Crunchy, A Little Bit Rock and Roll

3. Vittles and Committals

4. Eizels

5. Sweets by Sillianah

6. Baking Junkie

7. Ryan Bakes

Please check out these wonderful blogs - they are sprinkled with stories and humor and loaded with great recipes that I only wish I had way more time to try all of them!

Enjoy and live with gusto!

Carina

Tandoori-Style Chicken

In the last month, I have come across two separate recipes for Tandoori-Style Chicken.  I'm not at all a believer in coincidence, so I took it as a pretty strong sign that I needed to make this dish.  Sounds like a stretch, doesn't it??  It definitely could have been the fact that the 2nd time I came across it, I was looking for a good chicken recipe and that I hadn't eaten in 6 hours.  You decide.  Regardless, it sounded intriguing to me as I read over the ingredients. 

It ended up being really good - AND, more importantly got the approval of Mr. Hubby, Miss Sunshine AND the hard to please 14 year old teenager.  Of course, my oldest teenager wasn't home, but I just know she would have enjoyed it,too.  Soooo . . . S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

Really, I was a bit surprised by the way it tasted.  Considering all the spices and the fact that the recipe includes yogurt, onions and garlic, it ended up tasting much like . . . baked chicken.  The flavors were not overwhelmingly strong like I thought it would be. So, for those of you with picky eaters in the house - young or old - this could be a safe bet for you!  The name alone might make you want to dismiss this dish, but don't let its name fool you.  It's not anything fancy, and I think anyone would enjoy this dish!

Note: The recipe calls for 1 4lb. chicken.  I couldn't find it at the store, so I picked up 4 lbs. of chicken quarter legs instead.  That's what you see in the picture.

Tandoori-Style Chicken
Original recipe by The Williams Sonoma Cookbook, pg. 191

1 chicken, 4 lb., patted dry and cut into serving pieces
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 C low fat plain yogurt
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T minced fresh ginger
2 tsp. ground coriander seeds
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. sweet or hot Hungarian paprika
1/4 tsp. each ground turmeric, cardamom, and cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 T canola oil
1 1/2 basmati rice, cooked according to package directions

Remove the skin from all of the chicken pieces except the wings.  Place all the chicken pieces in a 9x13 baking dish and brush them with the lemon juice.  To make the marinade, in a blender or food processor, combine the yogurt, onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, and cayenne.  Process until thoroughly combined.  Pour the marinade over the chicken and stir to coat well.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, turning occasionally, for at least 8 hours overnight.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  Select a baking pan large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer and line it with aluminum foil.  Transfer the chicken, with any clinging marinade, to the prepared baking pan.  Drizzle with the oil.  Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast (but not touching the bone) registers 160 degrees F and the meat shows no sign of pink when the thickest parts are cut into near the bone, about 30 minutes.  Serve hot with basmati rice.

This would go great with my Roasted Spicy Cauliflower recipe :-)

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy

Enjoy and live with gusto!
Carina

Buffalo Chicken Wings

Have I mentioned that one of my son's favorite things to eat is Buffalo Chicken Wings?  Seriously, this kid will eat 50 wings in one sitting, then ask for another serving.  He's 14, so he's basically a bottomless pit in which, seemingly only chicken wings, or pizza, or steak, finds itself into.  He's a teenager, so that's not weird at all.  :-)

I decided to make this for him, I think I made about 30, and he scarfed them down as if his life depended on it.  Obviously, he liked it.  I got one or two wings, and so did Miss Sunshine.  Blog worthy?  He thought so!

Also - I just updated my "Monthly Meal Plan" page for March - check it out!

Buffalo Chicken Wings
Original recipe by Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook, pg. 36

FOR THE WINGS:
16 chicken wings (about 3 lbs.)
1/4 lb. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 tsp. Frank's Hot Sauce, or 1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 tsp. kosher salt

FOR THE DIP:
1 1/2 C crumbled gorgonzola cheese or other blue cheese
1 C good mayonnaise
1/4 C sour cream
2 T milk
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Celery sticks, for serving

Preheat the boiler.

Cut the chicken wings in thirds, cutting between the bones.  Discard the wing tips.  Melt the butter and add the cayenne, hot sauce, and salt.  Put the wings on a sheet pan and brush them with the melted butter.  Broil them about 3 inches below the heat for 8 minutes.  Turn the wings, brush them again with the butter, and broil for 4 more minutes, or until cooked.

For the dip, place the blue cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Process until almost smooth.

Serve the chicken wings hot or at room temperature with the blue cheese dip and celery sticks. 

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy

Enjoy and live with gusto!
Carina

Chicken Picatta

This is one meal that I have been making for many years, and it's a family favorite.  It's simple, perfect for a quick weeknight meal, and has flavors that are sure to please everyone.  Nothing fancy here, but it's delicious!

Chicken Picatta
Recipe by Giada de Laurentis, Everyday Italian, pg. 153

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved crosswise (I pound mine flat for quicker cooking)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
All purpose flour, for dredging
4 T unsalted butter
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 C reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 C fresh lemon juice (from about 2 months)
1/4 C drained capers, rinsed
2 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper.  Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat lightly.  In a large saute pan, melt 2 T of the butter with the 2 T of oil over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 3 minutes per side.  Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a plate.

Add the broth, lemon juice, and capers to the same pan.  Bring the broth mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan for extra flavor.  Return the chicken to the pan and simmer until just cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter.  Whisk the remaining 2 T of butter in to the sauce.  Pour the sauce over the chicken, garnish with the parsley, and serve.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy

Enjoy and live with gusto!
Carina

Chunky Chicken Chili

A dear friend of mine gave me this recipe a long time ago, and I'll admit - I haven't had a chance to make it until now.  There are so many great recipes out there, and so little time! 

I have never made a white chili before, and this one was a winner!  I modified it a bit, based on what was in my freezer and pantry, but the base with the same and delicious.  I used ground chicken instead of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and I omitted the jalepeno peppers as I just didn't have it on hand.  I love the color from the salsa and cilantro and it was DE.LIC.IOUS.  Of course, my super picky 14 year old didn't care for it, but he dislikes just about everything.  Everyone else loved it!  I think pigs will fly when the time comes that my son likes the majority of what is placed in front of him.  Bless his stubborn tastebuds, as he is missing out on a lot of great food!

I'll post the original recipe, but this is what I did.   

Chunky Chicken Chili
Recipe from Amy (let me give credit where credit is due!!)

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 T olive oil
2 C chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 T ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, or more to taste
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
2 fresh or canned jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
2 C homemade or prepared chicken broth
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 C frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 C shredded white cheddar cheese
Sour Cream, for serving
Tomato Salsa, for serving
Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash the chicken breasts, pat dry with paper towels, and trim any fat.  Cut crosswise into 1/2" strips.
3. Heat 3 T of the olive oil in a 3-4 quart Dutch oven.  Add the chicken and cook, stirring, over hight heat until almost cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Remove to a dish.
4. Add the remaining 2 T oil to the pot and saute the onions, garlic, cumin and cayenne and cook, stirring, over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Add the oregano, salt, jalapeno peppers, chicken broth, beans, corn, and the partly cooked chicken.
5. Cover and bake for 30-45 minutes, until hot and bubbly.  Stir in the cheese and serve with the sour cream, salsa, and chopped cilantro.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - Kitchen Groovy

Enjoy and live with gusto!
Carina

Delicious Chicken Patties

On Monday, I posted this cool little tip about burger patty molds.  I loved the fact that I didn’t get my hands, my counter or my cutting board dirty (of course, I washed them anyway!).  As promised, here is the recipe for Chicken Patty Burgers courtesy of the great Guy Fieri. 

I must say that I am not a huge fan of chicken or turkey burgers – if not made right, they can be quite dry so I tend to shy away from making them at home.  However, this recipe intrigued me due to all the juicy ingredients included.  I did adjust to my own tastes – for example, I replaced the olives with mushrooms and omitted the artichokes.  I think mushrooms hold moisture better than olives.  And next time, I will add less onions. 

Susie loved the burger (but again, there were too many onions so she ate around it) but even more importantly, it passed the “Hubby Test”.  My husband, I'm sure like many men out there, loves a good and greasy  red meat burger.  He is skeptical anytime I try to go “all healthy” on him.  But, he tried it and loved it so that was good enough for me!  Added bonus: in addition to taste, it’s packed with veggies!

Another tip: I recommend serving with mayo instead of ketchup and mustard.

Enjoy!

Chicken Patties

·         Cook Time:10 min

·         Level: Easy

·         Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 ounces olive oil 1/2 red onion, diced 4 tablespoons diced black olives 1/2 red bell pepper, diced 1 jalapeno, diced 2 cloves garlic, diced 1/4 cup diced artichoke hearts 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken 1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon celery salt 1/4 teaspoon ground sage 2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs 1 egg Ketchup Mustard Toasted sesame buns Lettuce Tomato

Directions

In a medium saute pan over medium heat add, 1-ounce oil and all raw vegetables and saute until translucent. Remove and cool.

Add veggies to raw chicken and mix thoroughly. Add all dry ingredients and egg. Thoroughly mix all ingredients and form into 4 patties. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In same saute pan add remaining 1-ounce olive oil, and cook patties 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Serve with ketchup and mustard on toasted sesame buns with lettuce and tomato.

Taking Turns: Taking it to the Dinner Table

Not only do my kids vary in age, but they range so far from each other in personality, including their taste in food.  Camrie has a more sophisticated pallette and loves sushi and authentic Italian food while Cole has more pedestrian taste and favors more meat and starches such as potatoes or rice, or americana type fare such as buffalo wings, pizza, burgers.  He hates things with sauce - I honestly don't know how you eat anything without sauce!  But that is my sweet 14 year old. 

As a parent who aims relentlessly at keeping the dinner hour a happy one, cooking meals that makes everyone happy is like trying to find a pearl in a bank of snow.  I know, the analogy is a bad one - but it just won't happen!  I recently came to terms with this - yes, it took me many, many years of trying to please everyone.  It was a slow journey, but am now appreciating - not condemning - their varying tastes in cuisine. 

I used to try to find meals that would please everyone and was always disappointed.  There was always something that someone didn't like.  So, I changed my approach.  Now, I find meals that are favorites of each person in the family, and make that meal once per week.  This very idea is so simple, yet it took me years to discover!!  Maybe you've already figured that out, and to you - I tip my hat.

There were a few lessons our family learned through this process:
1) I learned that I just cannot please everyone at once.  That expectation was unrealistic! 
2) My kids learned that they may not always like what is placed in front of them, but they should attempt to put a polite dent in it.  After all, our home will not be the only place where food is placed in front of them that they are "not crazy about".  Think: friend's homes, future in-law's homes, etc!  But, out of courtesy to the one who made it, they should eat - unless it's totally disgusting and they just can't scarf it down.  To that I coach my kids: tell the cook they just had a huge meal somewhere else and really can't eat any more! 
3) Each of us is valued and I want to show how much they are valued by making something they enjoy.  While Cole may eat something he doesn't like one night, hopefully he will realize that he is making a small sacrifice for his sister who loves the meal and that another day, she will do the same for him.
4) Who knows - they may someday appreciate the meal they once didn't like! 

Don't misunderstand: we don't make our kids eat the food placed in front of them.  I have vivid and disturbing memories of my parents forcing me to eat everything on my plate.  The idea is to bring a better understanding and respect of dinner and of our fellow family members.  Thirty years later, I still feel guilty about not ever making it in the "Clean Plate Club". 

So, tonight - I will be making Susie's absolutely favorite meal.  This child would eat it every day if she could - Lord knows she asks for it every day!  Camrie and Cole are not big fans of this, but they tend to eat more rice these nights than any other night, but out of respect to the rest of the family - they politely take a few bites. 

Chicken and Cheese and Brocolli Casserole
1 pkg Chicken Breasts, bone in, skin on - cooked and shredded 
        (I use a Costco rotisserie chicken - it's much faster & cost effective!)
1 C Your Favorite Mayonnaise (I prefer Kraft Real Mayo)
1-2 bunches of brocolli, cut up
2 cans Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup
3 C Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Curry Powder - to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium sized bowl: mix soup, mayo & curry powder (be very generous with the curry).
In a 9x13 dish, spread chicken along bottom.  Then layer brocolli.  Pour soup mixture over the chicken & brocolli.  Spread and smooth.
Top with cheddar cheese.
Bake for 45 minutes.  Top over rice.

Note: this is a very "saucy" recipe and recognize not all kids are going to like this.  Or - maybe everyone in your family will love it, it's a very Minnesota casserole! 

Also, this notion of "taking turns" may not be easily adapted into the family.  It's hard to introduce new ideas to those (i.e. toddlers!) who are not open to this type of idea.  It took a while for my kids to understand this concept.  However, be patient - be realistic - don't give up! 

Carina