Chili con carne (Chili) is Spanish for “chile peppers with meat.” Traditionally, chili is a simple stew made of chile peppers, meat, cumin, garlic and onions. In my variation of chili, I include tomato paste to get the flavor of tomatoes in the broth without the chunks of tomato. I also use pinto and black beans for extra lean protein and fiber. Serve it with warm corn bread and honey.
Appreciate the vivid colors and natural beauty of fruits, vegetables and spices: dye your Easter eggs with everyday foods rather than boxes of chemical colorings. This is a great family project and learning experience. Though it will take a little more planning than your basic Easter egg dye kit, I think you will find the extra time well worth it. Even though I’m a “grown-up,” I felt a child-like excitement watching the eggs turn colors in bowls of cabbage, spinach, blueberries and more!
Spain is known for tapas, originally just an olive or two on a plate to literally “top” a drink. Over time, the olive or piece of cheese has been replaced by more elaborate “little bites” of truly gourmet food. But even the gourmet bites highlight the natural, simple flavors of the fresh ingredients. Each region of Spain has their own specialties, but some tapas, like Gambas al Ajillo, can be found throughout the country.
When I was little, my family would always celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a feast of corned beef, boiled potatoes and boiled cabbage. For me, the meal was never that exciting. It was our traditional leftover meal on March 18, however, that was always my favorite: corned beef hash.
The following recipe is my family’s take on loaded baked potato skins. The beauty of this appetizer is that you can load them up with whatever you would like: cheese, bacon, sour cream, salsa, chili, guacamole, you name it. It is also a meal where the whole family can get involved. Everyone can “load” their own potato skins.
The morning after we had potato skins, we used the leftover potato flesh to make hash browns with our Ziploc omelets. They are simple to make and are more tender and flavorful than the frozen bags you buy at the grocery store.
Adding sweet potato or pumpkin purée to your buttermilk pancakes is a great way to sneak veggies and vitamins into your family’s breakfast. You can make the pancakes any time of year but they are especially comforting during the autumn and winter months.
I like serving mashed sweet potatoes and yams instead of mashed potatoes with most meals. They have more water than regular potatoes so I find that I use less milk and butter to get the creamy texture that we like. And the yams especially add a great pop of color to any plate!
The combination of peanut butter, bananas and maple syrup is one of my favorites. You can either add mashed bananas and peanut butter to the pancake batter or slather the hotcakes with peanut butter and sliced bananas, or both.
I love how colorful this salad is, which is also an indication of the vitamins and nutrients that you’ll get with each bite. The salad doesn’t try to hide the veggies but the bright rainbow colors and seasoned taste of the Italian dressing help make them more palatable if your kids are not fans of eating vegetables.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
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