Is there anyone in the world who doesn’t like tacos (except for my dad)?! Tacos are fun to eat and equally fun to make…especially for kids! I highly recommend trying this recipe for your family…or another taco recipe. Taco night can quickly turn into a healthy, fun, simple, and inexpensive weekly family dinner. Plus…it’s a really great way to encourage your kids to try new foods…especially veggies!

Recipe: BBQ Turkey Tacos with Broccoli Slaw (serves 4)

Ingredients (tacos):

• 1 lb 99% lean ground turkey breast
• 1 tablespoon of canola or olive oil
• 1/2 – 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
• Garlic powder (1 teaspoon)
• Sea salt and black pepper (to taste)
• Tacos shells (6-8)
• Suggested garnishes: broccoli slaw, corn salsa, sliced avocado, lettuce, shredded jack or cheddar cheese, ranch dressing, cilantro, fresh lime juice

Ingredients (broccoli slaw):

Recipe adapted from this recipe by Closet Cooking

• 2 cups broccoli slaw mix (shredded broccoli, shredded carrots)
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 tablespoon of grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 large bunch of fresh cilantro (chopped)
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• sesame seeds (garnish)

Directions (slaw):

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients (except the broccoli mix and sesame seeds). Stir until combined.
2. Add the broccoli slaw mix and stir until thouroughly combined.
3. Now transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Ready to serve!
4. Store in the refrigerator for later use if you are not planning to use immediately.

Directions (tacos):

1. In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of canola or olive oil on medium/high heat until oil is heated and the bottom of the pan is coated with oil.
2. Next, add the 1 lb of turkey meat to the pan. Cook on medium/high heat, stirring frequently with a metal spatula, until turkey is fully opaque white/tan in color (usually takes about 15-20 minutes). You will most likely need to add water (1/2 – 1 cup) a little bit at a time to keep the meat moist as it cooks because it is so low in fat.
3. Add the garlic powder, salt and pepper to the turkey meat and stir.
4. Add the BBQ sauce and stir to combine.
5. Now the meat is fully cooked and you are ready to assemble the tacos.
6. Load taco shells with taco meat, broccoli slaw, lettuce, cheese, avocado, and any other garnishes!

This is a simple healthy spring/summer recipe that kids enjoy eating and helping to prepare!

What is your favorite kind of taco? Veggie, chicken, beef, pork, fish, etc.?

Try my scallop tacos!

Chicken parm is a recipe that has intimidated me for years. I enjoy eating it at restaurants or when someone else makes it but I have avoided making it myself…probably because the stakes are so high. I was afraid that I would make it for someone in my family then seriously mess it up and never live it down (this is a legitimate concern, I’m Italian).

A few months back Kevin’s Mom gave me a bunch of cooking magazines. In one of the magazines I found a recipe for chicken parm roll-ups. (side note – preparing food in roll form intimidates me less …exception being sushi). This happens to also be true for lasagna….see my recipe for lasagna rolls with spinach. Finally I faced my fears and fiddled around with the recipe ultimately to arrive at this one (which we really enjoy). I am now convinced that both chicken parm and lasagna are tastier in roll form. Hope that you enjoy it too!

Recipe: Chicken Parm Roll-Ups

This recipe has been adapted from a recipe by Cook’s Country

Ingredients

• 1 lb of thinly sliced boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (anywhere between 2-4 chicken breasts depending on thickness)
• 1.5 cups of tomato sauce (Simple Italian Tomato Sauce)
• 2 tablespoons of fresh basil – chopped
• 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley – chopped
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• salt and pepper
• Garlic powder
• Served with steamed green beans and side of whole wheat linguini

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese, basil, parsley, and a few pinches of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Set bowl aside.
2. In a 9×9 baking dish pour the tomato sauce into the bottom and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Rinse the chicken breasts and pat dry with a clean paper towel.
5. Place chicken breasts into a plastic Ziploc bag and cover with clean kitchen towel. Using a meat tenderizer or rolling pin, beat chicken breasts until they flatten out/become thinner.
6. Place clean paper towel on flat surface and lay out each chicken breast.
7. Top each chicken breast with some of the basil/cheese mixture.
8. Roll up each chicken breast tightly and arrange in the baking dish seam side down.
9. Cover the chicken parm rolls with the remaining mozzarella cheese and panko bread crumbs.
10. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Is there a recipe that you are intimidated to make?

Holy smokes, today is December 1st!

I had planned to cook and photograph 4 different recipes today, but plans changed. I decided to do nothing instead. Sometimes you have to stop and do nothing. I’m not talking about being lazy, just taking time to rest.

Today, instead of cooking, I rested and listened to a message by Rob Bell about Advent. You may be thinking, “what could Advent possibly have to do with a recipe for chili?”. As it turns out, very little. Nevertheless, the message was hopeful and encouraging, and let’s be honest, who couldn’t use a side of hope and encouragement with their chili?

Sometimes the month of December is stressful, chaotic, and basically the exact opposite of what Advent is intended to be. It is easy to lose the anticipation and excitement that children have because we load ourselves with responsibility and never take time to rest.

Mini Confession #1: I don’t take enough time to rest and as a result, I can get easily discouraged.

If you are at all like me in that you feel tired and discouraged because you have unfulfilled dreams and desires that you are barely hanging onto…hang on! I am saying this mostly to myself because it’s easy to forget that those dreams and desires are there for a reason – a very good reason.

Mini Confession #2: Sometimes I make chili just so I can eat lots of toppings…especially the avocado and fresh cilantro.

I’ve heard some people say “cilantro tastes like soap”, but the way I see it, there are really only two kinds of people in this world – those who like cilantro and those who should.

If I could encourage you to do two things today it would be these two:

1. Take 30 minutes to really rest and listen to this message by Rob Bell. You won’t regret it.
2. Make this chili.

Simple Chicken Chili

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion (diced)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 pound of ground chicken
• Salt and pepper (about ½ teaspoon each used to season the onions)
• 1 cup of corn kernels
• 1 can (15 oz) of organic kidney beans
• 1 can (15 oz) of organic garbanzo beans
• 1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes (no added seasonings)
• 1 small can (6 oz) of tomato paste (optional)
• 1 can (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon of salt or to taste
• ½ teaspoon of freshly cracker black pepper or to taste
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• Toppings (scallions, avocado, diced tomatoes, diced cilantro, diced red onion, shredded cheddar cheese, low-fat sour cream, etc.)

Directions

1. In a large saucepan with a lid, cook the onions in the olive oil (about 5 minutes until slightly translucent and brown around the edges), and then add the salt and pepper.
2. Add the ground chicken and then cook on medium-high heat until fully cooked (meat will be white-ish and opaque in color).
3. Add the beans and corn.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste along with the spices.
5. Allow the soup to come to a complete boil and then turn the temperature to low-medium heat and continue to cook for 20 minutes.
6. Serve the soup topped with shredded cheddar cheese, avocado, scallions, diced cilantro, diced tomatoes, diced red onion, and sour cream.
7. This recipe make a bunch of chili….maybe 8-10 (8 oz) servings. It is perfect for freezing in individual containers.

What are you thankful for this Advent season?

This is a less greasy version of the classic meatball recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 pound of ground chicken
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• ½ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of pepper
• 1 onion (finely diced)
• 3 cloves of garlic (finely diced)
• 1 cup of shredded freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, and salt, and pepper and mix with large wooden spoon or clean hands (you can wear gloves if you prefer).
2. Next, add the onion, garlic, cheese, basil, and parsley and blend well.
3. Form small meatballs about 1 inch in diameter and place them on an oiled baking sheet.
4. Bake the meatballs at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.
5. Once the meatballs are done, transfer them to the pot with the sauce and allow them to flavor the sauce (about 15-20 minutes).
6. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and sprinkle with parsley.

How do you make your meatballs?

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I can’t compete with my Nani’s stuffed peppers…

…nor would I dare to. My Nani’s stuffed peppers were sensational. I can’t find her recipe but I remember that she used green peppers, sweet Italian sausage, ground beef, Italian seasonings, white rice, and breadcrumbs. I figured that there was no way for me to contend with the memory of those peppers, so I decided to create my own stuffed pepper variation. I chose yellow and orange peppers with a stuffing of zucchini, tomatoes, wild rice, and ground turkey. Thank you for inspiring me, Nani!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of wild rice
• 1 small onion (diced)
• 2 cloves of garlic (diced)
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 bell peppers (I used 2 yellow and 2 orange), rinsed, seeded, tops removed
• 1 pound of ground turkey
• 2 zucchini (diced)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
• 2 cups of Monterrey Jack cheese (shredded)
• Baking sheet or casserole dish lined with aluminum foil

Directions

1. Start to cook the wild rice (use directions on the side of the package. This generally takes about 45-60 minutes)
2. Sauté the onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until brown (about 5 minutes)
3. Add the ground turkey into the onion and garlic mixture and continue to sauté until the meat is fully cooked and brown (about 7-10 minutes)
4. Remove the meat mixture from the pan and place into a separate bowl
5. Add the additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and sauté the zucchini and tomatoes until the zucchini is soft and brighter in color (about 5 minutes)
6. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
7. At the same time, blanche the peppers in boiling hot water for 3 minutes
8. Add the zucchini and tomato mixture to the meat
9. Add the wild rice to the zucchini, tomatoes, and meat, mix thoroughly
10. Stuff the peppers with the mixture and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes
11. Add the cheese to the tops of the peppers and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned

What special meal did your grandma make for you?

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