Springtime Dinner Date!

Spring is in the air... well, almost. It's still quite chilly in Massachusetts most days lately, but Friday is the first day of spring, and last night happened to be deliciously warm (i.e., 60 degrees. That's warm for us). Celeste and I took the kiddos to the playground and then came to my house for a dinner date that paid tribute to spring!

Baked Veggie Sandwiches
(a.k.a. Miracle Sandwiches*)

1 recipe Super Easy Pizza Dough, prepared through the first rise
2-3 cups shredded cheddar
1 cup finely chopped asparagus
1 cup finely chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped spinach, stems removed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
Marinara sauce for dipping, optional

Divide the pizza dough into two portions. Set aside until puffy, about 30 minutes.

Heat the 1 Tbsp olive oil in a medium-size skillet. Add the asparagus, broccoli, spinach, and garlic. Saute over medium heat for 5-8 minutes, until spinach is wilted and the vegetables are softened. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 400F. Coat an 8x8" baking dish with non-stick spray. Gently stretch one half of the pizza dough to fit the bottom of the pan. Top with 1 - 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar. Layer on all of the cooked vegetables. Top the vegetables with remaining cheddar. Gently stretch the other half of the pizza dough to fit over the top.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the crust is slightly golden. Slice into bars to serve, with marinara sauce as desired.

(* why are these Miracle Sandwiches? Because Abby actually ate spinach, broccoli, and asparagus. That is a miracle!)

Oatmeal Flower Cookies

3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
colored sugar for decorating (can be made easily by adding 1-2 drops of food coloring to a tablespoon of sugar, mix well)

Grind the oats in a food processor until finely ground. In a large bowl, stir together the ground oats, whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add in vanilla and eggs; beat until creamy. Stir in the oat-flour mixture until well-combined. Chill dough for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Gather half-teaspoons of dough and roll into balls. Dip the top of the balls in colored sugar. Arrange 6 balls together to form a flower. The flowers will spread, so keep them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. (Getting tired of forming all these flowers? Round out the batch by taking a tablespoon of dough, shaping it into a disk, and dipping the top in colored sugar.)

Bake for about 9 minutes, until the cookies are golden. Let cool completely before eating.

* * * * *

This dinner went over well with both big girls - and with baby Lizzy, too, who was very happy to chomp away on bits of the sandwiches! The cookies are low-sugar, but the girls didn't mind one bit. So I say, if you can "treat" your kid with a low-sugar option, why not? They didn't miss a thing, but still felt like they got dessert.

Tea Party!

Abby and I hosted a tea party for Neko and Celeste last night! This dinner date was a big hit, if for no other reason than the toddlers loved using the tea set. The food went over pretty well, too! We rounded this menu out with cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, but I'm not including a recipe - they're pretty self-explanatory! (neither girl really liked them, anyway)

Scones and Finger Sandwiches

Roasted Vegetable Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp butter (cold and cut into pieces)
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk (skim worked fine)
3/4 cup diced roasted vegetables
(I diced up some peppers, onions, carrots, and squash - tossed them in a little olive oil and roasted at 400F for about 20 minutes. What I didn't need for these scones, I scrambled into eggs for breakfast. Yum!)

Preheat oven to 425F. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Sprinkle the pieces of butter on top and pulse about 20 times, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Pour the flour-butter mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the egg, milk, and vegetables until a dough comes together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until a smoother dough forms.

Split the dough in half; shape each half into a 6-inch disk. Cut each disk into 6 wedges and place each wedge on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until scones are beginning to turn golden.


Peanut Butter Bread
(for making the ultimate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!)

7 oz milk, slightly warmed
2 oz water, at room temperature
1 1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast
1/4 cup natural-style peanut butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 cups bread flour

In a large bowl, stir together the milk, water, and yeast. Whisk in the peanut butter and brown sugar until the peanut butter is fully mixed in. Stir in the salt and flour with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough comes together.

Turn the dough onto a work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding tiny amounts of water or flour as needed (if your dough is too sticky, knead in flour, about one teaspoon at a time. If your dough is too dry and stiff, wet the palms of your hands to knead in a tiny amount of water. A little goes a long way!).

Grease a large bowl with non-stick spray. Put the kneaded dough ball inside, rolling it around to grease the dough lightly. Set aside in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours. Punch down and shape the dough into a loaf. Set inside a loaf pan and let rise for about 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F. Bake the bread for about 30 minutes, until it sounds slightly hollow when tapped and is nicely browned on top. Add peanut butter and jelly for the yummiest pb&j in town!

Banoffee Bars

(these couldn't be easier or more delicious!! No sugar needed in the crust or whipped cream - the toffee center is sweet enough!)

14 oz can condensed sweetened milk (fat free worked great!)
5 sheets of graham crackers
1/2 cup rolled oats
4 Tbsp butter, melted
bananas
1 cup heavy cream

Caramelize your condensed sweetened milk: Preheat oven to 425F. Pour the milk into an pie pan and cover tightly with foil. Set the pan inside a larger baking dish, and fill the larger dish about halfway with hot water (creating a water bath). Bake for about 45 minutes, until the milk has caramelized and turned thick. Let cool a little.

Lower the oven to 325F. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers and oats together until finely ground. Pour crumbs into an 8-inch square baking dish. Drizzle with the melted butter and stir together, then press the crust evenly across the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for about 5 minutes, until golden.

Pour the toffee filling over the hot crust. Top the toffee with thinly sliced bananas. Refrigerate until chilled. Whip the heavy cream and top each bar with a little whipped cream.

Guest Post at Kid Appeal!

Abby and I made turkey-rosemary meatballs in white whole wheat pitas and blogged about it for Kid Appeal. The sandwiches were tasty, but my main focus was finding ways to have Abby help me with every step of the dinner prep - even with the meatballs!

Kid Appeal is a great blog of recipes, ideas on getting kids eating, and tons of great information! If you're in the Houston, TX area, check out the information on Jenna's "Kid's Nutrition Class"!

Comfort Food Dinner Date!

The chill of the October air has me in a never-ending mood for comfort food. I thought it best to build this association into little toddler brains.

Turkey Meatball Alphabet Soup
(serves about 6)

1 lb. ground turkey
2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
3/4 c. breadcrumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 shallots, minced
1 tsp. Italian seasoning (or oregano/basil/etc.)
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 cups chicken broth or stock
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 stalks of celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
3/4 c. alphabet pasta (I found organic vegetable abc pasta at Whole Foods)

For the stock:
1. In a crock pot or large stock pot add the chicken broth, chopped shallot, garlic, bay leaf, celery, carrots and Italian seasoning. If you are using a crock pot set it to high and cover. If you are doing it on the stove, set the heat to med-high and cover.

For the meatballs:
1. In a medium mixing bowl combine the turkey, cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, minced shallots and Italian seasoning by hand.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.
3. Form 1" round meatballs and put in single layer in preheated skillet. Cook meatballs, turning occasionally until cooked through. Remove from heat and add to soup.
4. Let soup simmer until vegetables are tender. Mine cooked in the crock pot for about 2-1/2 hours.
4. In a separate sauce pan prepare the ABC pasta according to the package directions.
5. Ladle out portions of the soup and add pasta to bowls individually. (If you add it to the crock pot or stock pot while the soup is cooking the pasta will turn to mush.) Serve!

Grammy Cynde's Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
(serves 2)

This sandwich pays tribute to Neko's Grammy Cynde who was the first to introduce me to the magic that is grilled cheese on cinnamon raisin bread. If you've never had this combination it probably sounds pretty weird but if you have had it you know how delicious it really is!

2 slices of cinnamon raisin bread (I actually baked homemade bread in the bread machine but am not including the recipe because it wasn't the best recipe out there. Really any cinnamon raisin bread will do.)
1/4 c. shredded muenster cheese
1/2 tsp. butter

Put cheese between two slices of bread. Butter the outside slices. Fry in small skillet over med. heat until both sides are golden brown. Serve!

Both the soup and sandwich got "Yums!" and "Mmmms" from the girls so I would definitely call this meal a winner.

And for dessert:

Individual Peach Crisps
(serves 2)

1 c. frozen peaches
1/2 c. quick cook oats
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2. Tsp. cinnamon
1/2 Tbsp. butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Divide the peaches evenly between two baking ramekins.
3. In a small bowl combine the oats, sugar, cinnamon and butter. Spoon mixture evenly between the two ramekins of peaches.
4. Bake on a cookie sheet in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
5. Top with whipped cream and serve! So fast, so easy, so delicious!!

Picnic Dinner Date!

My kitchen is currently torn to pieces as we do a complete overhaul, so Celeste was nice enough to host us even though it was my turn to cook for our dinner date! This meant that I wanted a meal that could be entirely prepared ahead of time (in my parents' kitchen!)... so I came up with foods ideal for a picnic!

Tri-Color Sandwiches with Pink Potato Salad

Tri-Color Sandwiches
Prep time: 15 minutes

1 cup baby carrots
1/4 cup shelled walnuts
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp plain yogurt
1/4 tsp salt
Pesto (store-bought or homemade)
Whole wheat bread

In a food processor, grind together the baby carrots and walnuts until finely ground together, 2-3 minutes. Scoop out the carrots and set aside. Give the processor a quick wipe down and then grind together the chickpeas, olive oil, yogurt, and salt until a smooth paste forms, 2-3 minutes.

On one slice of bread, spread a generous helping of the carrots. Carefully top with a generous layer of the chickpea puree. Spread a scant layer of pesto on another piece of bread, and sandwich together.

Pink Potato Salad
Prep time: er....

My kids were wild while I was making the potato salad so I have no idea how much time it needed to take. It took some time, but most of it was hands-off (waiting for things to boil or cool), so it wasn't bad. It should ideally be made a day ahead of time for maximum flavor.

4 red-skinned potatoes (or 2 larger potatoes), scrubbed and chopped
1 small beet, scrubbed but not peeled
1 dill pickle, diced
2 tsp brine from the dill pickles
6 oz Greek-style plain yogurt
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp white wine vinegar

In separate pots, boil the potatoes and beets until tender. Let cool. When the beet is cool, hold the beet in one paper towel and scrub off the skin with another paper towel. Dice the beet. Toss the potatoes, beets, and dill pickle together in a bowl and let cool completely.

Whisk together the brine, yogurt, salt, and white wine vinegar. Toss with the potato-beet mixture until well-mixed. Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours, or ideally, overnight before serving.

Jam Squares

Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 25 minutes

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil (or melted butter)
2 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp brown sugar
6 Tbsp jam or jelly of choice

Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8x8" baking pan with aluminum foil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, applesauce, oil, milk, and brown sugar. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. Stir in the jelly until combined. Spread the batter in the pan and bake for about 25 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges are golden.

* * * * *

This all went over pretty well, although the girls were a little wild and not totally in the mood to sit down and eat. The sandwiches had a great flavor - I left the carrot and chickpea mixtures a bit unsalted so that the saltiness of the pesto would not be too overpowering. The potato salad was wild - I didn't expect it to be quite so pink!! For grown-ups, I would add in capers as it needed a touch more salty flavor, but I thought the girls might object. It would be fun to serve at a princess party - it was so pink!!

The jam squares are barely a dessert - they are only very lightly sweet and definitely have a nutty whole wheat flavor. Both girls gobbled theirs down in two seconds flat, so clearly, they didn't mind not having an overly sweet dessert! I'm bringing the rest of the squares to a playgroup this morning, as they will be perfect for a light morning snack.

Granny New Englander

I made this one while we were on vacation in NH but didn't end up putting it on the blog. I keep thinking that I should have because I think its a good one so here I am. Unfortunately I dont' have a photograph of it so you'll have to use your imagination. :o)

Mini Whole Wheat Pita Pockets (The ones you can buy at Whole Foods that are slightly larger than silver dollar size)
Extra Sharp Vermont Cheddar Cheese (I reccomend the orange kind for a little visual interest since all the other ingredients are white)
Boar's Head "Bacon Lovers" Deli Turkey
1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled and cut into slices

Cut an opening in the pita. Stuff with a slice of cheese, half a piece of the turkey and a slice of the apple. Serve!

Neko loved the components of this sandwich individually...meaning she took the sandwich apart and ate all the parts seperately. I ate one (assembled) and thought it was really, really delicious!