Date Night Dinner: Pan Roasted Flatiron Steak in a Red Wine Sauce topped with Mushrooms for Mommy and Daddy

I made this last weekend for our at home date night dinner. The at home date night is totally under rated. It's so nice to put our little guy to bed and then step into a delicious smelling kitchen where candles are lit, music is playing, and wine and my hubby are waiting. To me it's not only more cost effective, it's more romantic (even if we're both in sweats!).  This steak is melt in your mouth delicious, and so easy to make. I served this with roasted broccoli and cauliflower, but you can serve it with any veggie you like. Enjoy!

Here's what you need for 2 servings:
2 flatiron steaks
1 tbsp Herbs de Provence
salt
pepper
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp onion powder
2 cups cremini mushrooms
1/2 cup red wine

Melt 1 tbsp butter in a medium sized skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and onion powder. I'm always reminded of Julia Child every time I'm cooking mushrooms "don't crowd the mushrooms". Saute mushrooms until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. Melt 1 tbsp butter with 2 tsp olive oil in the same skillet. Season steaks with salt, pepper and Herbs de Provence. Place in skillet and cook for 4 minutes on each side. Add the last tbsp of butter. Pour wine over steaks in skillet. Spoon wine over steaks.  Let wine reduce and spoon over steaks again. Add mushrooms back to skillet. Cook for 1 more minute. Place steaks on a plate, top with mushrooms and spoon sauce over steaks. Serve and enjoy!

Milano Chicken with Whole Wheat Spaghetti, Broccoli and Cauliflower for the Whole Family

I found this recipe in the 30 minute meals or less section of Simple & Delicious magazine. Now you know I love a yummy quick meal, so I had to give this recipe a shot.  I modified it to make it a little healthier and more kid friendly. It was a big hit with the whole family and it really did take 30 minutes or less! You can serve this to your whole family starting 10+ months.

Here's what you need for 4 to 6 servings:
12 oz whole wheat spaghetti
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast tenders
1 tbsp minced garlic
4 1/2 tsp olive oil
3/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
3/4 tsp pepper, divided
1/4 cup flax meal
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 cups fresh organic broccoli florets and cauliflower
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 lemon

Cook pasta according to package, drain and set aside. While pasta is cooking, saute garlic in 4 1/2 tsp olive oil in a large deep skillet for 1 minute. Stir in parsley and 1/2 tsp pepper. Remove to a small bowl and set aside. Combine flax meal, flour, basil, salt and remaining pepper in a shallow bowl. Whisk eggs in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken tenders into egg and then dredge in flax meal mixture. Cook chicken in 2 tsp olive oil over medium high heat in the same skillet for 8 to 10 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove chicken to a plate and cut into bite size pieces and set aside. Pour chicken broth into the same skillet over medium high heat and add broccoli and cauliflower, cover and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add spaghetti and chicken back into skillet. Pour garlic mixture over spaghetti, chicken and veggies and toss to coat. Squeeze 1/2 lemon over pasta and toss to coat again. Serve and enjoy! Remember to cut your little one's portion up into bite size pieces.

Turkey and Spinach Taquitos

I was watching Giada's cooking show on Saturday. She was making these taquitos for her friends and family. They looked and sounded so yummy,  I just had to make them! You can serve these to your whole family starting at 15+ months for the taquitos, and 10+ months if serving just the filling (no taquito shell).

Here's what you need for 6 to 8 servings:
1 package whole wheat tortillas
1 lb ground turkey
1 large onion minced
1 can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups finely chopped organic baby spinach
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 cup sour cream
1 tbsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup shredded white or extra sharp cheddar cheese
3 tbsp olive oil
cooking oil spray

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a large nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Heat 3 tbsp of oil over medium high heat in a large deep skillet. Cook the onions, salt and pepper, stirring frequently until tender, about 6 minutes. Add turkey and cumin. Cook until the turkey is cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Remove the skillet from heat and add the beans and sour cream and set aside.

Place another skillet over medium high heat. Brush each side of the tortillas with olive oil. Cook the tortillas in batches until warm, about 30 seconds. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the filling into each tortilla and roll up into a cigar shape. Place the tortillas, seam side down, on the baking sheet and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake until the cheddar is melted and the tortillas are crisp and golden,  about 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve with salsa and guacamole.  Enjoy!

Brown Rice with Sweet Italian Sausage Kale and Bell Peppers

I made this dish months ago and completely forgot to post it. I came across the recipe today in my notebook when I was going over the recipe I was originally planning on posting today. So, game change, I decided to post this one instead. This is a super easy dish the whole family will enjoy. You can make this with microwaveable brown rice, or leftover brown rice from your chinese food delivery (come on you know you're always trying to come up with ideas for all that leftover rice. I'm not the only one am I?) You can serve this to little ones 12+ months.

Here's what you need for 4 to 6 servings:
1 1/2 cups microwaveable brown rice (or your leftover delivery food brown rice)
4 sweet Italian turkey sausages (casings removed)
1 cup finely chopped organic kale
1 handful pine nuts
1 organic green bell pepper diced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Pepper to taste

Cook microwaveable rice according to package. If using leftover rice just set it aside till later in the recipe. Put sausage in a large deep skillet and cook over medium high heat (about 5 to 8 minutes). Add diced peppers and cook for another 2 minutes. Add rice, kale, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, garlic and pepper. Add chicken stock and toss to coat. Cook for another 2 to 5 minutes. Let cool, serve and enjoy!

Spinach and Ricotta Chicken for the Whole Family

This is another delicious dish from Jillian Michael's book Making the Cut. It's light, yummy, easy to make,  and great for the whole family. It's got your healthy protein, calcium, folate, vitamin A and iron all in one rolled up bite. I served this with whole wheat couscous. You can serve this to the whole family starting at 10+  months.

Here's what you need for 4 to 6 servings:
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup fat free or part skim ricotta cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 (10 oz) package frozen organic chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 large egg
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
salt
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp parsley

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, black pepper, spinach, and egg in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4 inch thickness using meat mallet or rolling pin. Mix bread crumbs, dash or 2 of salt, rosemary and parsley in a shallow bowl. Dredge each chicken breast through the bread crumb mixture. Divide and spread cheese and spinach mixture evenly over chicken breasts. Roll up jelly-roll fashion. Tuck in sides and place chicken seam side down in a deep baking dish (think lasagna dish). Pour wine and chicken broth over the chicken and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, basting chicken with wine and broth every 10 or so minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until chicken is done. Spoon wine and broth mixture over chicken and serve. Make sure to cut your little one's portion (1/2 cup to 3/4 cup) into bite size pieces. You don't need to serve your little one's portion with sauce. Enjoy!

Family Pizza Night - Chicken Picatta Pizza & Spinach and Mushroom Pizza

Whenever I am visiting my family in New York I always have to have 2 things, pizza and bagels. I tried lemon chicken pizza the last time I was home and have been dreaming about it ever since. I decided to try to make my own recipe. It's not as good as the NY version, but it is really yummy and satisfied my craving for it.  I always love spinach and mushroom pizza, so I made that too just in case the chicken picatta pizza came out tasting gross. Luckily both pizzas came out really yummy, so we had lots of leftovers for lunch the next day :) You can serve these pizzas to your whole family starting at 12+ months.

Here's what you need:

Chicken Picatta Pizza:
Sauce:
3 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 to 2 tbsp capers

Pizza:
1 package whole wheat pizza dough
1 package grilled chicken strips cut into chunks
handful of shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
olive oil

Preheat oven to 450F. Take dough out of package and place on a lightly floured surface. Let rest for 20 minutes. Using your hands or a rolling pin, roll out the dough and place on a pizza stone or a cookie sheet. Brush the dough with olive oil and set aside. Now we're going to make the sauce. Put 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant (30 seconds). Add the rest of the olive oil and the flour. Mix until a paste is formed. Add the chicken broth a little at a time while continuously stirring. Add lemon juice and capers and stir for another minute or two. Add chopped chicken and toss to coat. Pour chicken and sauce over pizza dough. Spread out chicken to cover all the dough. Cover with mozzarella cheese and place in the oven to bake. Back for 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool and then cut into slices. Make sure to cut your little one's piece up into tiny pieces. Serve and enjoy!

Spinach Mushroom and Pancetta Pizza
1 package whole wheat pizza dough
2 to 3 handfuls organic baby spinach
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
1 package diced pancetta (you can use grilled chicken instead if you want)
1 handful part skim mozzarella cheese
Olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning

Preheat oven to 450F. Take dough out of package and place on a lightly floured surface. Let rest for 20 minutes. Using your hands or a rolling pin, roll out the dough and place on a pizza stone or a cookie sheet. Brush the dough with olive oil and season the dough with garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Place baby spinach, mushrooms and pancetta around the dough. Sprinkle with cheese and drizzle with a little olive oil. Place in oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool and then cut into slices. Remember to cut your little one's portion up into bite size pieces. Serve and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Souffle

Yes, you can eat chocolate chip souffle and not feel guilty about it! This is made with garbanzo beans, kale and lots of other yummy ingredients. I know you're thinking "garbanzo beans, kale? How can this be a delicious dessert?" Well trust me it is so melt in your mouth delicious you probably wont be able to just eat one! You can serve this at a dinner party, or as cupcakes at your little one's birthday. They are sure to impress, and your guests will not believe they are eating garbanzo beans and Kale!

Here's what you need for 12 to 16 servings:
2 cans garbanzo beans drained
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup organic oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup finely chopped organic kale
1 tbsp flax meal mixed with 3 tbsp water
1/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cup semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all ingredients, except for chocolate chips, in a large food processor and blend until smooth. Spray cupcake tray with cooking oil. Spoon batter into cupcake tray (about 2 spoonfuls per slot). Place in oven and bake for 14 minutes. Serve warm for souffle texture, or let cool for a cupcake texture. Enjoy!