Fantastic kid-friendly recipes
Michelle Obama's Shortbread cookies
When I created my 4th of July lunch, I knew I had to make these! From the original recipe, I switched the amaretto for vanilla, and the nuts&fruits to dried cranberries. The results blew my mind- for a chocolate driven family to announce this was the best cookie we ever ate was astounding! See for yourself...
Ingredients
* 1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
* 1-1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
* 2 egg yolks
* 2 tablespoons vanilla
* 1 teaspoon each orange and lemon zest
* 3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 beaten egg white
* Chopped dried cranberries
Directions
1. Heat oven to 325°F. Line a 17 x 12 x 1-inch baking pan with nonstick foil or parcment. In large bowl, cream together butter and 1-1/2 cups of the sugar.
2. Slowly add egg yolks, and beat well until smooth. Beat in vanilla and zest.
3. Stir in flour and salt until combined.
4. Spread dough evenly into prepared pan, flattening as smooth as possible.
5. Brush top of dough with egg white; sprinkle with cranberries and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
6. Bake at 325°F for 25 minutes or until brown, turn off oven and allow cookies to sit in oven (with door ajar) for 15 minutes. Cut while slightly warm.
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Aunt DD's Kid-Friendly Meatloaf
Making meatloaf? Make a couple of mini patties on the side for your kids lunch tomorrow- kids love "Sliders"!
Ingredients:
2lbs Lean Turkey
1 onion
1 clove garlic
2 carrots
1 egg
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 cup tomato sauce or ketchup
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
Directions:
Mince onion, carrot and garlic in food processor. Combine with all ingredients (do not over work it). Reserve enough to make small patties. Shape remaining mixture into loaf shape- dampen your fingers and smooth the loaf shape so there are no cracks in the meat. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours or until done. Refrigerate the patties overnight and grill them up in the morning!
For gravy: Using the meatloaf juices, remove all but 1tbsp of fat from the pan. Over medium heat, stir in 3 tbsp of flour to the juices and cook until nutty brown. Add 2 cups chicken stock and whisk until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
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Grandmom Jaine's Fresh Roasted Turkey&Cranberry Salad
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Aunt DD's Kid-Friendly Meatloaf
Making meatloaf? Make a couple of mini patties on the side for your kids lunch tomorrow- kids love "Sliders"!
Ingredients:
2lbs Lean Turkey
1 onion
1 clove garlic
2 carrots
1 egg
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 cup tomato sauce or ketchup
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
Directions:
Mince onion, carrot and garlic in food processor. Combine with all ingredients (do not over work it). Reserve enough to make small patties. Shape remaining mixture into loaf shape- dampen your fingers and smooth the loaf shape so there are no cracks in the meat. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours or until done. Refrigerate the patties overnight and grill them up in the morning!
For gravy: Using the meatloaf juices, remove all but 1tbsp of fat from the pan. Over medium heat, stir in 3 tbsp of flour to the juices and cook until nutty brown. Add 2 cups chicken stock and whisk until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
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Grandmom Jaine's Fresh Roasted Turkey&Cranberry Salad
Grandmom came over the other day and whipped this up out my leftover turkey. I was thrilled. Use chicken, tuna, turkey or salmon (canned or fresh) to make this easy salad or sandwich filling!
ingredients:
2 cups roasted turkey, chopped into chunks
2 tbsp. dried cranberries ( you can use them dried or soak them overnight in juice to plump them up)
2 tbsp. mayonnaise of your choice
1/2 c. chopped celery
1 tbsp. finely chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste
lettuce leaf and cucumber slices for garnish
Combine all ingredients, set in a lettuce leaf and slices of cucumber and enjoy. So easy!
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Homemade Biscuits
There's nothing better than the smell of homemade biscuits wafting up to my slowly waking kids early in the morning. These days are the only days they are happy to get up for school. The night before, I pre-set the oven to go on, and set out all the ingredients-in the a.m. I just whip it together!
Makes 10 to 12 biscuits
Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes
ingredients:
2 cups flour (plus 1/2 cup for dusting)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
1 cup buttermilk, chilled
Heat oven to 400. Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter and shortening into the dry ingredients until it resembles a coarse meal. Make a well in the middle and pour in the buttermilk. Stir with large spoon until the dough just comes together, then knead in the bowl until all the flour has been taken up. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and fold the dough over itself, gently kneading for 30 seconds or until the dough is soft and smooth. Press the dough into a 3/4 inch thick round and cut out biscuits with a 3 inch round cutter or seasonal shaped cookie cutters. Make your cuts as close as possible to limit waste. Place biscuits on an aluminum sheet pan so that they just barely touch. Re-roll scraps and punch out as many biscuits as possible. If you would like to use colored sprinkles to make the biscuits even more festive, just brush the tops with a bit of butter so the sprinkles will stick- it's real cute and my kids loved it! Bake until the biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.
Let cool before placing into the lunch box, or butter and devour while hot!
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Each month I add another recipe- so more to come!