Kid Approved
Salmon Chowder
I know that you can eat fish pretty much any time of the year, but let’s be honest, it’s the best during the Summertime, right? When I think of fish in general, I think of the ocean and that usually leads me to thinking of the beach and that ultimately is the goal for most of us during the Summer!
If you love Salmon as much as I do, YOU MUST TRY THIS RECIPE! This might not seem like it would be very “kid friendly”, but I swear….. my little BABIES eat this up!
Maybe they are just weird or maybe they just can’t taste the salmon, or ……. yeah, maybe they are just weird………. 😉
Regardless the case, they really do love this one!
Salmon is probably one of the healthiest kinds of fish out there. The best part is that this meal is very light too!
Check out the Recipe below!
Recipe: Salmon Chowder
• 1 lb. fresh skinless Salmon
• 1 – 2 Tbsp. of Olive Oil
• 2 cups Shredded Carrots
• 1 cup Chopped Onions
• 1/2 cup Thinly Sliced Celery
• 2 1/2 cups Cubed Red- Skinned Potatoes
• 4 cups Reduced-Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 (16 oz.) package Frozen Corn
• 1 Tsp. Fresh Chopped Dill Weed , plus more for Garnish (Optional)
• 1/4 Tsp. Salt
• 2 Cups Milk (I used Skim)
• 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch (for thickening)
• Water for Poaching Salmon
Directions:
• Rinse Salmon and pat dry. Set aside.
• In large pot, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Cook and stir carrots , celery, and onion in hot oil about 10-12 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in another large pot, bring water (about 2 cups) to a boil. Add salmon. Return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 6 to 8 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork. Remove salmon, flake into 1 inch size pieces and set aside. Discard water.
• Stir the broth, potatoes, corn, dill, and salt into cooked veggies. Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium low heat . Cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
• Stir together 1/2 cup of the milk and cornstarch. Add milk mixture to pot.
• Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups milk to pot.
• Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and slightly bubbly. ( about 5-6 minutes)
• Gently stir in poached salmon and heat through.
• Serve in bowls and top with additional fresh dill.
• Goes GREAT with Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread!
ENJOY!
XOXO,
Esther
Spiced Apple Cider
Oh! How I loooooooove Apple Cider. I’ll drink it cold or hot, but there is just something about a cool crisp Fall day and a cup of Warm Spiced Apple Cider.
I think I’m getting a little excited for Downton Abbey to come back on because I thought to myself, “Why not fancy it up a bit and put it in a tea cup?”
I know I know! Downton Abbey isn’t coming back on for quite a while still, but a girl can dream, right?
Well, if you fancy yourself some fancied up Warm Spiced Apple Cider, why not have a go at this easy recipe? When I say easy, I mean SUPER easy!
Here is what you need to do:
Take a teaspoon of pre-packaged mulling spices and add it to a saucepan. A new Fresh Market opened up here the other day (Insert: Angels Singing). I bought it there, but you can easily pick this up at any grocery store.
That is also where I picked up the Apple Cider, but again, you can get Apple Cider anywhere.
Add 1 cup of the cider to the mulling spices and wisk together.
Simmer the cider on low in the saucepan for 10 – 15 minutes.
Take any cup and add a cinnamon stick to it.
Add warm cider to cup and enjoy!
NOTE: This recipe is good for an individual cup of cider. However, lots of mulling spice packages (including the one I bought) have directions for making larger quantities.
This would be great for any day, but especially good on those chilly ones! Also great for little sore throats……… or BIG ones for that matter! 😉
XOXO,
Esther
Chili Mac and Cheese
The other day, I was thinking back to when Z and I first got together. I was a young new bride and didn’t know much about cooking.
So, I did what any other sane person would do……..
I went for the man’s heart and I bought Hamburger Helper! Awe yeah! You know you do did too! Right????
I remember being in the grocery store and thinking……..”Man! They have a million different varieties! They have Cheesy Hamburger Helper, Hamburger Stroganoff, Bacon Cheeseburger, Cheesy Broccoli.” *It was like I was in that scene from Forrest Gump….. Shrimp creole…..
One for every night of the week! I had totally SCORED!
Fast forward 11 years later and the man can hardly look at a box of it without his stomach turning.
I have to say though, this homemade Chili Mac and Cheese recipe conquered his fear had him coming back for more. Your’s will too…. not to mention your kids will love it as well!
From the cheesy macaroni,
To the diced tomatoes with green chiles. Your family will be hooked with the first bite.
The only thing I can suggest is that you may just want to double the recipe!
*Now, the only thing I need to work on is his fear of Shake-N-Bake!
Recipe: Chili Mac and Cheese
– 1 lb. Ground Beef
– 1 tsp. Canola Oil
– 2 tsp. Chili Powder
– 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
– 1 tsp. Cumin
– 2 cups Lower Sodium Beef Broth
– 1 cup Water
– 1 (10oz) can Mild Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles, Undrained
– 12 oz. Uncooked Elbow Macaroni (*Go for whole wheat if you can find it!)
– 1/2 cup Fat-Free Milk
– 4 oz. 1/3-less-fat Cream Cheese (about 1/2 cup)
– 4 1/2 oz. Reduced- Fat Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Directions:
– Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil, and swirl to coat. Add beef , chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin. Cook meat until no longer pink and cooked through. Drain Meat in a colander.
– Return meat to pot and add broth, water, and tomatoes. Bring to a Boil.
– Stir in macaroni, cover and cook 10 minutes or until macaroni is done.
– Heat milk and cream cheese in a saucepan over medium heat.
– Cook 4 minutes or until cheese melts stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
– Stir in cheddar.
– Add cheese sauce to macaroni mixture and toss well.
– Serve immediately. Goes great with Roasted Broccoli or Salad!
Ghoulishly Good For You Smoothie
I love smoothies! They are yummy and sweet and best of all, GOOD FOR YOU!
Goulishly Good For You, that is! *Pretty sure that’s a word?
You can use any kind of blender, but recently, I bought a Blendtec and I haven’t regretted it for one second!
This thing makes a mean smoothie, amongst other things.
It literally makes it as smooth as the ones you would buy in the store. Most people wouldn’t care about that, but I have never been able to get that consistency until now. 🙂
Here is what I did:
I took a couple handfuls of fresh spinach, 1 kiwi, 1/2 cup fresh blueberries, 1 apple (sliced into wedges), 1 whole banana (peeled of course), and 1 1/2 cups water.
Then I tossed all the ingredients into the blender, secured the lid and pressed the smoothie button. *For a regular blender, just blend until completely smooth.
I should also mention that I like my smoothies more on the thinner side so that they are easier to drink. If you prefer yours on the thicker side, I would use a little less water. You could also add some ice cubes to the smoothie as well to have a thicker consistency.
In the end, you are left with a great energy boosting drink that has loads of fiber and vitamins.
Did I mention that my children would probably sell me to the highest bidder for one of these drinks? They love it!
They have absolutely no idea that it is so good for them.
I promise that you can’t taste the spinach. They always have to ask me if I put spinach in it. 😉
It’s a good thing that they can’t taste everything in the smoothies. It would just be too awkward to explain things after the neighbor’s cat went missing…….
Mooooohaahaahaahaahaa! (*Evil Laugh)
Yeah, Z didn’t get it either. Guess I’ll have to work on my jokes.
XOXO,
Esther
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