Our Fabulous Bites

 Hazel chose this for dinner and it was a hit for most of the family.  There is a lot of flexibility with the recipe.  Feel free to swap out veggies for different ones.  We are planning on trying out some variations and see what we think.  I was a big fan of purple cabbage and spinach in mine. It is a bit time consuming to make with all of the prep work. Ingredients for 4 bowls: 1.5 cups rice 3/4 pound ground turkey, or thinly sliced beef, or a plant-based substitute 1 cucumber 2 cups shredded carrots 4 eggs 3/8 cup soy sauce 3 Tablespoons honey or white sugar 2-3 Tablespoons sesame oil 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup white vinegar 1 tablespoon gochujang or another red chili paste (we used sambal oelek because it was what we could find, and we loved it, but we need to try the more authentic gochujang) The following are optional toppings: purple cabbage, thinly sliced  sautéed spinach  chopped and sautéed zucchini  seaweed flakes...

 I was surprised when most of the kids really enjoyed this.  I was afraid of the awesome sauce, but when I tried it with the squash, I thought it paired well.  By itself, I thought the sauce strange.  Isla loved the sauce, with or without the squash.  I like that you don't have to peel this squash, the skin was tender enough to eat.  I did peel off some of the bumps.   Ingredients : 3-4 medium delicata squash (2 pounds) 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper For the awesome sauce / dip 1/2 cup sour cream or crème fraîche 2 tablespoons hot sauce (we used a Mexican hot sauce) 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1/4 garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon dried dill Instructions: Preheat the oven to 450. Wash the squash.  Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.  Slice into half-moons, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.  Place slices in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Bake squash on a baking sheet ...

 The kids saw a princess torte cake on The Great British Baking Show and they have wanted to make one ever since.  I recently found a simplified recipe so Isla gave it a go.  A true princess torte cake is domed, but this recipe is in a more traditional layered form. Isla wants to try it again with some modifications.  She wants more custard and less jam.  She is considering not doing jam at all but simply smashing some raspberries and using that. Ingredients : Custard - 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) whole milk 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 3 large egg yolks 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (125 grams) sugar 1/2 cup  (50g) cornstarch, plus extra for dusting  Cake - 1 1/4 cup (250 g) sugar 8 large eggs 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour, sifted Finishing Touches- Lime zest from 2 limes a few drops green food coloring 9 oz (250 grams) marzipan 1/2 cup raspberry jam (original recipe called for 3/4 but we want to cut it down and see what we think) Directions : Start by m...

 Serves 4 - According to the recipe, this freezes well but I haven't tried that yet.  All I know, all the kids ate this, even the ones that don't like spicy, so I need to keep this recipe. You can serve this with flatbread or pitas.  We had it with hummus.  I think it would be nice with tzatziki.  The recipe suggested serving it with a slaw.  We didn't like the slaw recipe we used but I hope to find one that I like. Ingredients : 2 Tablespoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried cilantro 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 tablespoon cayenne 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 lb 10 oz boneless chicken thighs, halved Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and slightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.  (like a bread pan) Mix the together the the cornstarch and all the spices.  Put oil into a bowl.  Add the chicken and stir it around.  Add the dry spice mix and stir to coat al...

 This was a hit in our house.  When Isla cooks, she leaves out the tomatoes, but I think it is better with the cooked tomatoes. Serves 6 Ingredients Pesto (or use a recipe you already like, or store bought) 2.5 cups fresh basil 3/4 cup toasted pine nuts (or other nuts. I'm often cheap and use a less expensive nut like almonds) 3/4 cup parmesan cheese 1/2 cup olive oil salt and black pepper to taste Pasta Ingredients 24 cherry tomatoes 6 T olive oil salt and black pepper to taste 14-18 ounces linguine (preferably from the dairy section, not the dry aisle) 3 minced garlic cloves, minced 30 large shrimp, peeled and deveined Directions 1. Make the pesto by blending all the ingredients in a food processor.  Cover and set aside until ready to use. 2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Drizzle 1 T olive oil over the tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast in oven for about 8 minutes. Set aside. 3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the...

 I have no idea if this tastes like cafe rio chicken, but I know it is an easy recipe when I'm cooking for a group.  I often use it for taco salad.  I'm happy with beans for my protein but I others seem to really like having some meat.   Ingredients : 2 lbs chicken breasts 8 oz zesty Italian dressing 1/2 T minced or crushed garlic 1 packet ranch dressing 1/2 T chili powder 1/2 T ground cumin 1/2 cup water Directions Add chicken to crockpot.  Pour the Italian dressing on top.  Mix the garlic, ranch dressing powder, chili powder, and ground cumin into 1/2 cup water.  Add to the crock pot.  Cook on low for 5 hours, or until chicken is fully cooked. Shred chicken with a fork and you can serve with salad, or as a taco/burrito filling.  

 Another recipe based on a Curtis Stone recipe, but with some adjustments.  This was a yummy breakfast and a change from what we normally do.  You can do smaller tortillas and only 1 egg per tortilla per person if someone isn't super hungry.  With my pregnant stomach space, I needed a smaller portion. Serves 4 Ingredients : 4 10-inch flour tortillas 3 T butter or olive oil 1 small jalapeño, finely chopped 6-8 cups spinach leaves, chopped salt 8 eggs 1 1/3 cups cheddar cheese, or another kind of cheese (also optional) hot sauce / salsa 8 slices ham /cooked bacon/ Canadian bacon, optional - my kids like with the meat, me not so much Directions : Preheat oven to warm, but not hot.  Cook tortillas 1 at a time, until hot and barely crisp, on a griddle or in a sauce pan.  Set tortillas on baking sheet, if using ham, place that on tortillas, and place in oven to stay warm.   Melt 1 T of butter in sauce pan, over medium-high heat.  Add the chopped jalapeñ...