Food with a Dash of Fun

Last weekend some grandparents came to watch J’s baseball game in the morning. They were staying for lunch and I wanted to have something in the house besides deli sandwiches (or peanut butter & jelly). I did not however want to cook anything - particularly because the weather is warming up and who wants to heat up the kitchen? So that morning I grabbed a rotisserie chicken and dug out an old recipe. As I ate these sandwiches I kept asking myself why I don’t make them more often.

I love this twist on chicken salad and the original recipe came from Cooking Light so it’s even a healthy twist on chicken salad. Make some tomorrow and you’ll have it in the fridge all weekend for easy sandwiches!

Cashew Chicken Salad Sandwiches
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
2 TB light mayo
1/2 tsp curry powder
4 cups roasted, skinless chicken, chopped (one rotisserie chicken works perfectly)
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 TB chopped cashew pieces
2 TB finely chopped green onions
buns or bread

Combine the first three ingredients in a large bowl and stir to mix them together. Add the chicken, celery, cashews and green onions and stir until well mixed. Serve on bread of your choosing. We used pretzel rolls last weekend and I like the addition of a little bit of lettuce or spinach on my sandwich.

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running, heading to the beach, on Twitter and writing her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be talking about.

I’m running a half marathon Saturday. There are a handful of things that I do differently in the days leading up to a long race. I do a little extra stretching. I rest my legs. I pay attention to how much water I’m drinking so I go into race day well-hydrated. I pay attention to what I eat too - keeping things light. And the night before I like to have lean protein and pasta. I don’t pile it on the plate but I do think having the right balance of carbs the day or two before a race makes me feel better and makes me run better. So this morning I’ve been looking through recipes trying to decide what to make Friday night.

I could go with the standard kid favorite - homemade mac & cheese and grill some chicken. (And I might.) But I just found this recipe in my binder that I tore out of Runner’s World. I love a good peanut chicken recipe. I made a few tweaks to this one and I think it’s both kid friendly and fairly easy.

Soba Noodles with Peanut Sauce
6 TB reduced sodium peanut sauce
2 TB sesame oil
2 TB peanut butter
4 TB rice vinegar
1 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
1 10oz package of soba noodles or whole wheat fettuccine
2 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
5 green onions, cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup peanuts

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the first six ingredients (thru the garlic)
2. Bring water to boil and cook noodles according to package directions.
3. Add sauce to noodles and toss to coat. Add chicken, green onions, sesame seeds & peanuts and toss again.

I always put the peanuts on the table and let the kids add another handful on top - it’s kind of fun that way. And when food is fun, they usually do a better job eating it. To round out the meal, I’ll probably steam some broccoli and serve it on the side. Enjoy!

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running, looking at the pretty spring flowers, on Twitter and writing her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be talking about.

I’m often asked how I come up with my recipes. And while I do make some of them up - nearly every recipe I’ve got in my kitchen started from a cookbook. I might make something straight from a recipe and then write all over the page with adjustments and new ingredients and before you know it - the recipe is barely the same. Other times a recipe inspires me to try something of my own. And still other times I’ll take a couple recipes and combine pieces & parts of them to come up with something new. I really enjoy cookbooks as starting points and inspirations. In no particular order, here are a few of my most-used cookbooks:

Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook
The first cookbook I ever bought for myself - this is the stand by of all stand bys. Need tips on how to cook vegetables? Want to make some muffins? In the mood to bake cookies or pies? Looking for a soup recipe? Need new ideas for different cuts of meat? It’s all in here. Plus some very handy tips, technique guides and ingredient substitutions. I honestly think every kitchen should have this book.

29 Minutes to Dinner
Next time you’re invited to a Pampered Chef party don’t cringe and wonder what you could possibly buy. Bring $15 and buy this cookbook. It’s broken into four sections: poultry, fish/seafood, beef/pork, meatless. And each section has quick and easy recipes that are ready in less than half an hour. And while I was looking up this image, I just found out there’s now a Volume 2 - I need to get invited to a Pampered Chef party.

Weight Watchers Make It In Minutes
The subtitle of this one is what hooked me - Easy Recipes in 15, 20 & 30 minutes. That’s how they divide the book - first by the time each recipe takes to make and then by Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. This is not a new cookbook but I use it all the time. Easy, healthy recipes that have launched me into creating some of our favorite dinners. It’s a great way to start cooking healthier or to keep cooking healthy foods - even when things are hectic.

Rachael Ray’s 365: No Repeats
(Are you sensing a theme here?) I have two Rachael Ray cookbooks and I’d still buy another next time I’m out shopping. While I have a hard time watching Her Perkiness on television, I think her recipes are fantastic. They are usually crowd pleasers and don’t take a ton of time in the kitchen. I think this particular cookbook is good because it’s got lots of variety with fairly basic ingredients.

The Crockpot Ultimate Recipe Collection
You didn’t think I’d have this list and NOT include a crockpot cookbook did you? I have at least five different crockpot cookbooks on my shelf but I’m listing this one because it’s the granddaddy of them all with more than 500 recipes. Pages ranging from appetizers to stews to main dishes to sides to breakfasts - this book covers all sorts of options for all sizes of crockpots and all types of appetites.

But you want to know the cookbook that sees the most use in this house? My three-ring binders. I picked up a couple one year and they are stuffed full with handwritten ideas, recipes printed off the Internet, pages ripped from magazines. If the recipe isn’t already on an 8×11 piece of paper I quickly glue it on - that way it fits in the binder and I have plenty of room to scribble my tweaks and adjustments. The other nice thing about binders is you can organize them in anyway that makes sense for you. I have one that has sections for meat, chicken, seafood and casseroles. Another that has sections for soups, pastas, breakfasts and appetizers. My husband’s grandfather has shelves of three-ring binders and each binder has its own theme.

It doesn’t matter if you like to cook straight by the book or need an inspiration or are just looking to change things up for dinner. These cookbooks fit the bill. (And no, I was in no way asked to write about these books or any cookbooks for that matter. I’m just sharing ideas in the kitchen that work for me.)

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running, looking at the pretty spring flowers, on Twitter and writing her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be talking about.

Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables, especially in the spring when it’s so fresh. I knew I wanted to serve some for my Easter brunch but wanted to find a recipe with a new twist. And wow did I find it. Even the kids who don’t normally eat asparagus loved this one. I think it was the hit of brunch and I can promise you it will make an appearance on my table again often.

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
All credit to HowSweetEats on Tasty Kitchen - one of my favorite recipe sources. My only change was to double her original recipe.
3 TB olive oil
1 TB sesame oil
3 TB brown sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
2 bunches of asparagus (approx 40 spears total)
8 slices of thick cut bacon
1 TB sesame seeds

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray the rack with non-stick spray.
2. In a small bowl mix together the oils, sugar & garlic.
3. Bunch together 4-5 spears and wrap tightly in bacon. Lay the bundle down on the rack. Repeat to make approx 8 bundles.

4. Using a pastry brush, spoon or fingers rub the spears & bacon with the oil mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and roast for 40 minutes (or until bacon is well done).

Then watch them disappear! The sugar caramelizes the bacon… the bacon keeps the asparagus from getting overcooked… this combination is fantastic!

And here’s the original, easily printable version for four servings. Enjoy!

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running, looking at the pretty spring flowers, on Twitter and writing her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be talking about.

Easter is just around the corner and I’m starting to come up with a brunch menu in my head. I don’t have anything firm yet but I’m contemplating a finger-food sort of meal. I’m curious to see if I can come up with enough brunch items that don’t require a fork or a spoon. This oldie but goodie got me thinking along these lines: Mini Bacon Potato Frittatas (soooo good).

In my menu searching I dug up this idea. I’ve made it before but it’s been a very long time. I do believe it started as a Cooking Light recipe - which means it’s even a healthy (ish) addition to my potential brunch menu - but when I searched their sour cream coffee cake is different than mine. Whether you make it for brunch or a teacher’s breakfast or just because it’s Thursday - I hope you enjoy it.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 egg whites
1 cup low fat sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
dash of salt
cooking spray

1. Combine first two ingredients and set aside.

2. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat with a mixer until creamed. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Mix for another minute or so. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups and combine with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to the sugar mixture, beating well between additions.

3. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Pour half the batter in. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture over the batter. Spread remaining batter in pan. Top with remaining brown sugar/cinnamon mix.

4. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

Note: I like to add nuts to the brown sugar/cinnamon mix - any variety of small chopped nuts will do - but my husband doesn’t like them so they aren’t included in the recipe. You, however, might be more open to the nut family and if so - a 1/4 cup of nuts added to the brown sugar/cinnamon makes a lovely topping.

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running, looking at the pretty spring flowers, on Twitter and writing her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be talking about.

I’ve been wanting to bake cookies for a while but I can’t decide which kind to make. I was thinking about making these yummy oatmeal cranberry cookies because they are some of my favorites but I don’t have enough oatmeal in the pantry. While I was digging around in there I found a couple boxes of devils food cake mix. Then the idea of cake mix cookies crept into my head. I’ve got some cream cheese frosting in there too so I’m going with a classic combo of cream cheese & chocolate.

Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. devils food cake mix
red food coloring
handful of chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 tub of cream cheese frosting

1. Cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add the egg and vanilla and once mixed in, add in the cake mix a little at a time. The dough gets pretty thick so you might need to mix by hand towards the end. Add red food coloring a few drops at a time, stirring between, until the dough takes on a slightly red color. If you’re adding chocolate chips, mix them in at the end.

2. Roll the dough into balls, place them on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees.

3. Once the cookies are cool. Scoop half a tub of frosting into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for one minute so it gets thin and drizzly. Then drizzle the frosting over the top of the cookies.

Note: You could do this with yellow, vanilla or even lemon cake mix (but they wouldn’t be red velvet cookies so please omit the red food coloring).

Note #2: I think someone makes a mix of red velvet cake mix, obviously that would work in place of the chocolate/food coloring combo too.

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running, watching the sky for snow, on Twitter and writing her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be talking about.

Today’s recipe came from the pages of Cooking Light and is designed for pork tenderloin, which I love but is usually a little out of my price range when I’m at the store. However, there was a side note to the article that suggested buying boneless pork chops and cutting them in half to make the “medallions.” So I waited for a week when boneless pork chops went on sale and tried this recipe. It was easy, delicious and only 210 calories per serving (2 medallions). We had roasted veggies (red potatoes, carrots, red onions, asparagus) on the side which (at a 3/4 cup per serving) only adds another 150 calories. So not only is this meal yummy it is low in calories.

It’s like I’m helping you keep your New Year’s Resolutions (do you still have those?) and make a budget-friendly, yummy, easy meal all at the same time. That’s definitely a recipe worth sharing!

Crispy Pork Medallions
2 TB Dijon mustard
1 lb pork tenderloin cut into 8 medallions OR 4 boneless chops cut in half
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (can substitute with regular)
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp parsley
1/8 tsp salt & pepper
2 TB olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Combine breadcrumbs with seasonings in a small bowl. Rub mustard evenly over the pork medallions and then press the breadcrumb coating onto them. Flip the pork and repeat so they are coated on both sides.

3. Heat a large oven proof skillet over medium-high heat (if the handle is plastic wrap it in foil). Add oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add pork and saute for 2 minutes on one side (until golden brown); turn and then place skillet in oven. Bake 10 minutes or until done (when cut the juices run clear, if you have a meat thermometer that’s at 145 degrees).

Want those roasted veggies on the side? Here’s my foolproof roasted veggie - you can swap out asparagus and add green beans or add in bell peppers if you have them on hand:

- 1/2 lb small red potatoes, quartered
- 2 carrots cut into chunks
- 1/2 red onion cut into wedges
- 1 lb asparagus cut into 2 inch pieces

1. Put veggies in a large bowl. Toss with 1 TB olive oil, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper. Spread veggies out on a cookie sheet and cook at 450 for 30 minutes. Stir once in the middle of cooking time.

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running, watching the sky for snow, on Twitter and writing her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be talking about.

We all have a recipe for banana bread. Some of you mix it in a blender. Some of you involve chunks of bananas. Some of you think brown bananas are only good for the trash can. (I shake my head at that last group.) But no matter which group you belong to - I have the last banana bread recipe you’ll ever need. And trust me, I’ve tried enough of them to know.

This is the very first recipe I posted on this blog nearly four years ago. I decided it was time to bring it back for an encore because, quite simply, it’s that good. When I’m really on the ball I make this in the afternoon so it’s waiting for my kids when they get home from school. I get extra long hugs on those days.

Barb’s Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

• 2-3 ripe bananas
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 6 TB butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp lemon peel
• chocolate chips, if you insist on measuring it’s about 1/2 cup

First, mash 2-3 bananas in a bowl and set aside.

Put the sugar and butter in a large bowl and cream together with a mixer. Add 1 egg and mix well. Then add the mashed bananas, again mixing to incorporate all ingredients.

Now put all the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, salt & lemon peel - together in a 2 cup measuring cup and add them to your wet ingredients in two batches to make sure it all mixes well.

By hand, stir in your handful of chocolate chips. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for 52 minutes.

Eat a slice while it’s still warm before the kids get home.

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running, watching the sky for snow, on Twitter and writing her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be talking about.

Chinese New Year is just around the corner (Jan 23). In my house this is also known as an excuse for Mom to teach the kids about different cultures. Also known as an excuse for Mom to bust out some fun foods in the kitchen. One of the things I like about the Chinese New Year feast is that the foods carry meanings. Their colors, shapes or textures are supposed to bring certain wishes for the new year. With that in mind, I’ve got a recipe that features cabbage (bok choy) for prosperity and long noodles for a long life. Prosperity, long life and a yummy dinner - it’s a winning combination.

You can make this meal spicy or tame. My husband & I like it on the spicy side but I’ll give you instructions at the end if you want to tone it down. But come on… who doesn’t want a little spice in their life??

Shrimp & Bok Choy Noodle Bowl
Courtesy of Rachael Ray’s 365 No Repeats Cookbook with minor modifications by yours truly

2 TB cooking oil
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or less to taste)
4 tsp minced garlic
1 small piece of ginger (approx 2 inches long) peeled and cut into very thin matchsticks
1 package (8 oz) of shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 medium bok choy, trimmed and cut into 3 inch matchsticks
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup clam juice (in the soup aisle)*
1 lb peeled shrimp
1 box thin spaghetti
4 green onions, cut into 3 inch matchsticks

1. In a soup pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add crushed red pepper, garlic, ginger, mushrooms and bok choy. Season with a bit of salt & pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken stock and clam juice. Cover and bring to a boil.

2. Add shrimp and noodles and cook at a rolling boil for 5 minutes. Add green onions and turn off the heat. Let sit for another five minutes so all the flavors come together.

Serve it in big bowls. My kids love to use chop sticks to eat this dinner - another fun way to work in the Chinese New Year theme. I alternate between using a fork and a spoon (I’m terrible with chop sticks) and I’ve been known to slurp up the broth at the bottom of the bowl.

Don’t want it spicy? Omit the crushed red pepper. Some of you want it spicy? Divide and conquer - get two pots and make half with the spice and half without.

Oh and that * by the clam juice… in a pinch I’ve used a can of vegetable stock with a splash of Thai fish sauce. Seafood stock would be great if you can find it instead. The added seafood taste adds a very nice layer to this dish. You could just add another cup of chicken stock if you can’t find any fish-related substitution.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running, watching the sky for snow, on Twitter and writing her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be talking about.

Oh that Paula Deen. I think her recipes just might be fool proof. (Yes, and often full of butter.) I needed to bring an appetizer to a New Year’s Eve celebration and was looking for something new to bring when I stumbled across this recipe from Paula’s Southern Cooking Bible. It was featured in an article about the cookbook, a cookbook I might just have to buy considering how yummy this appetizer turned out. I made one little change and contrary to the name, they had just a little bit of kick - not very spicy. Kids and adults alike came back for seconds (and thirds).

Make these for this weekend’s bowl games or NFL playoffs or college basketball games or just because they’re so good darn it!

Sizzling Jalapeno Sausage Balls
3 cups Bisquick
1 bag of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 pound mild Italian turkey sausage, squeezed from the casings
3 tablespoons cold butter, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

1. Knead it all together in a large bowl, adding a bit more water if the mixture is too dry and won’t stick together.

2. Form into 1 inch balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

3. Serve with this easy dipping sauce: 1 cup mayo and 1 TB Dijon mustard, whisked together.

Notes: Paula used regular sausage and had to drain her meatballs on paper towels. I used turkey sausage and they weren’t the least bit greasy. Recipe makes approx 4 dozen - unless you have better self control than I do and make these uniformly small - Paula gets another dozen out of it.

Barb lives in Crown Point with a hungry family that includes three kids. You can find her out running, watching the sky for snow, on Twitter and writing her daily blog, Quick Like A Bunny where you never know what she’ll be talking about.