Are you looking for new easy meals ideas for your family? Below are two ideas to add to your menu planning repertoire.
Idea #1: Get an app. A good family friend of ours, Ryan Smith, just launched a new app for iphone designed to make meal planning fast for busy families. His site is www.spinningcook.com. A cool introduction video about his new app can be found here: http://spinningcook.com/2012/spinning-meals-the-movie/ It’s only about 2 minutes long. You’ll want to check it out!
Idea #2: We hope to update our blog with semi-regular recipes for you and your families to enjoy. If you have a favorite family meal and a kid fare to share, please submit to blogger@fullhousemoms.com to see your recipes featured here. Thank you, Charla, for our first entry!
Be sure to add the recipes you find on our site to the Spinning Cook app!
Family Fave
I stumbled across this recipe after I’d been through the cookbook about a thousand times looking for something new to try. Couldn’t believe it took so long. Just about every dinner in my house comes out of the crock pot and being real, sometimes it just gets old. This recipe is flavorful for my husband’s tastes while still being kid friendly, thank goodness. My kids really prefer it with quinoa, but also like brown rice. Both are a mess and a guarantee of floor cleaning after. Pasta… They still just won’t eat.
Saucy Italian-Style Chicken Thighs
- 12 chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), skinned
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 1/2 chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Place chicken in a 4-quart electric slow cooker. Combine tomatoes and next 6 ingredients, stir well. Pour sauce over chicken. Cover and cook on HIGH 1 hour. Reduce heat to LOW and cook 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender.
Serve over brown rice, quinoa, spinach fettuccine, or mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese.
Kid Fare
The first time I served this to my kids, they just kept looking from the pile on their tray to me and back. After that they were hooked and this has become a lunchtime favorite. The cheese coats the zucchini and they pick up clumps of it to eat. I usually still include another vegetable as a side just to encourage variety and to have vegetables be a staple in their diet. So far it’s worked, they don’t balk at vegetables… Most days.
Cowboy Black Bean Rice Bake
- 1 1/2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 2/3 cup cooked black beans
- 1 zucchini, thinly sliced or shredded in food processor
- 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly spray an 8″ square baking dish. Mix rice, beans, and yogurt in a small bowl. Spread mixture into the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a single layer of squash slices over the rice mix. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the squash. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool and serve. Freeze leftovers in individual packets for a quick meal.
Submitted by: Charla K., 2012 FHM Newsletter Editor & mommy to Raya & Silas, 15 months