Your kids always want to spend time with you and what better way than helping you at mealtime, right? At times you’re stumped for a nutritious meal and it’s a good thing you’ve got children who love to try new foods or aren’t picky eaters! In our last blog we discovered three simple, tasty meals that your family is sure to keep asking for; today, we have four more easy recipes that are delicious as well as quick and simple to prepare.
Spaghetti Squash Casserole (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. of 93% lean ground beef
- 1 2 lb. spaghetti squash
- 20 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 handful of spinach, diced fine
- ½ of a red onion, cubed
- 1 egg
- ½ tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 tbsp. of minced garlic
- 2 tsp. of oregano
- 2 tsp. of garlic powder
- 1 tsp. of onion powder
- Salt and pepper, to season
Directions:
Preheat your oven at 400˚ F.
Slice the spaghetti squash in two, lengthwise, and take out the seeds. Put each squash half on the baking sheet, cut side facing down; bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the beef in a large skillet on medium-high heat until it’s no longer pink, about 10 minutes; drain off the fat when cooked and put aside.
Prepare the veggies as the beef and squash cook. Start by sautéing the garlic, red onion and tomatoes with EVOO in a large sauce pan. Add the spices; then add in the spinach when the onions start to become translucent and cook until soft and liquid has reduced a bit.
Take the squash out of the oven when it’s cooked—do not turn off your oven. Using a fork, shred the inside of it. Add the shredded squash, egg and beef to the veggie mix. Stir until completely blended.
Pour the squash mixture into a 9″ x 9″ baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. Enjoy!
Skillet Chicken Thighs with Butternut Squash (Serves 4-6)
Ingredients:
- 4-6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- ½ lb. of bacon
- 2-3 c. of cubed butternut squash
- Chopped fresh sage
- Extra coconut oil for frying
- Pepper and a pinch of salt to season
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425˚ F.
Using a large skillet on medium heat, fry the bacon until it’s crisp. Let the bacon cool, then crumble and put aside.
With the bacon grease still in the skillet, sauté the squash until it’s tender and as it cooks add in the pepper and salt. Transfer the squash to a plate when it’s done.
If the bacon grease has evaporated somewhat, pour a little coconut oil into the pan. Place the chicken thighs in the pan, top side down; season lightly with pepper and salt and cook them for 10 minutes. Turn the thighs over; return the cooked squash to the pan, spreading it around the chicken.
Put the skillet in the oven and bake until chicken isn’t pink inside, 12-15 minutes.
Take the pan out of your oven; scatter the fresh sage and crumbled bacon on top. Bon appétit!
Tomato Basil Cauliflower Rice (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp. of oregano, dried
- ½ tsp. of marjoram
- ½ tsp. of garlic, chopped
- ¼ c. of tomato paste
- 1½ tsp. of basil, dried
- ½ tsp. of onion powder
- ⅛ of black pepper
- 1 lg. cauliflower head
Directions:
First, chop the cauliflower into little florets. Put the florets in your food processor; you might need to do this in batches. Process the florets until it looks like rice.
Add the cauliflower “rice” and the remaining ingredients to a large sauce pan. Cover the pan and sauté on medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes. Transfer to dinner plates and enjoy as a tasty side dish.
Garlic Roasted Shrimp with Zucchini Pasta (Serves 2)
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. of deveined and peeled shrimp (or thawed if using frozen shrimp)
- 2 zucchini, medium-sized and shredded in thin strips for zucchini pasta
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp. of salt
- 4 tbsp. of olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- Black pepper, to season
Directions:
Preheat your oven at 400˚ F.
In an medium-sized baking dish, blend all the ingredients excluding the zucchini.
Put the dish in your oven and cook for 8-10 minutes; turn each shrimp over once halfway through cooking time.
Remove the dish from the oven, mix in the zucchini pasta and serve.
Tip: If you like your zucchini softer, when the shrimp is finished cooking transfer them to a plate and cover with aluminum foil. Place the zucchini pasta in the baking dish, stir to coat with the sauce and bake for 3 minutes or to desired tenderness. Then add the shrimp back in, mix and serve.
No doubt you’ll want to add these meals to your recipe box to enjoy over and over again. But whether it’s helping you prep a meal or just helping to set the table, you can always find a way to get your children involved. Letting them help with your daily cooking is not only great time together—and a chance to let them try new foods and learn new skills—but it will strengthen the bond between you and that’s what matters most of all.
