Category Archives: Kid Friendly

Taylor Ham and Cheese

If you’re from the NY Metro area, then right away you know what I’m talking about 😉 But if you’re not, you’re probably scratching your head. Taylor ham is a very regional item – I have never found it anywhere other than the Northeast and only part of the NE ! It is a compressed product of pork and spices / flavorings. It comes presliced or in a roll like a big roll of bologna. It has a flavor like NOTHING ELSE. It is served as a side to eggs (like bacon or sausage) or on a roll. A BIG breakfast sandwich here is Taylor Ham, Egg and Cheese on a hard roll. (Don’t even get me started about a HARD roll – in the NE it is a type of roll, it does NOT mean a stale roll – hehehehe).

I’ve skinnied up the extras so that this sandwich comes in at only 265 calories per serving. To my fellow NJ and NY peoples, enjoy 🙂 (those of you out of state will have to wait to you visit the area – when you do, be sure to try this incredible product).

Taylor Ham and Cheese
Taylor Ham and Cheese

1 serving
265 calories per serving

2 slices light wheat bread (Stop and Shop has a great one that is only 35 calories per slice)
1 slice Kraft fat free singles cheese
2 thin slices Taylor Ham (pork roll)

Brown the pork roll in a hot skillet. Make a sandwich. Enjoy 🙂

(I cut into the pork roll a couple of times before frying – this helps it to not curl up during the cooking process).

Very Veggie Minestrone

You can taste the pepperoni in each and every bite and it makes this soup just a bit different from the usual minestrone. It’s a welcome change. All the veggies add up to a nice low cal soup that leaves plenty of calorie room open for adding a nice spoon of parmesan cheese 🙂

Very Veggie Minestrone
Very Veggie Minestrone

6 servings
206 calories per serving

1 T oil
1/2 c green bell peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 c beef broth
3 c water
1 1/2 t oregano flakes
1 t thyme flakes
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
2/3 c small pasta
1 lb. frozen mixed soup vegetables (including corn, peas, carrots, celery, onion), thawed and chopped
1 c frozen baby lima beans, thawed
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 c diced turkey pepperoni
3 c lightly packed escarole, rinsed and roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c chopped basil
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish (not in calorie count above)

Heat oil in a soup pot. Saute peppers 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds. Add broth, water and spices and bring to a boil then add pasta and cook according to package instructions minus 3 minutes. Mix veggies and beans and add to soup and bring back to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, pepperoni, basil and escarole and simmer 3 minutes to wilt escarole. Garnish with cheese.

PB and Chocolate Chex

Yup – my friend poured these in a bowl, added milk, and had them like cereal – they’re just that good. They are so crunchy, so sweet, so awesomely good !

PB and Chocolate Chex
PB and Chocolate Chex

36 servings
90 calories

9 cups crispy rice and corn cereal squares
1/2 c peanut butter
1 c semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 c confectioners’ sugar

Melt chocolate in a saucepan then add peanut butter and stir until smooth. Pour over cereal and mix well being careful to not crush the cereal. Work in batches adding sugar to a large zip loc bag then adding the cereal and shaking to coat. Store in an airtight container.

Zesty Mexican Pork Chops

Cheesy, spicy without being hot, cheesy, filling, – oh, and did I say ‘cheesy’? 🙂 I don’t know what is better in this meal, the perfectly spiced pork chops with the cheesy sauce or the cheesy rice ! Why don’t you decide 🙂

Zesty Mexican Pork Chops
Zesty Mexican Pork Chops

4 servings
390 calories per serving

1 lb. boneless pork chops
2 t chili powder
1 1/2 t ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 t oil
3/4 c white rice, uncooked
1 3/4 c water
1/2 c chunky salsa
3 oz. Velveeta 2 % cheese, cut into cubes
2 T chopped parsley

Sprinkle meat with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet and cook chops 5 minutes or just until browned on both sides. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm. Add rice to skillet and cook 1 minute then add water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 16 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in half of the salsa and half of the cheese and place the chops on top. Simmer 5 minutes. Melt the rest of the salsa and cheese together with the parsley in the microwave for 30 seconds then pour over meat and serve.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Just the perfect little spice cake with a great ginger icing to top it all off. These are sooooo tasty !

Gingerbread Cupcakes
Gingerbread Cupcakes

12 servings
160 calories per serving

1 1/3 c flour
1 T ground ginger
1 t dry mustard
1 t baking soda
½ t cinnamon
¼ t salt
1/8 t ground cloves
½ c packed Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
¼ c molasses
3 T vegetable oil
2 egg whites
½ c low fat buttermilk
2 inch piece of fresh ginger (to make 2 t worth of juice)
½ c confectioner’s sugar
Pam

Preheat oven t 350 degrees. Spray a cupcake pan with Pam. On a sheet of wax paper combine flour, ginger, mustard, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cloves. Beat brown sugar and molasses and oil and once combined add the egg whites one at a time and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Alternately fold the flour mix and the buttermilk into the sugar mix beginning and ending with the flour. Spoon into the cupcake pan and bake 20 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan.

Grate the ginger finely and squeeze to extract 2 t of juice. Combine juice with confectioner’s sugar and spread on the top of the cupcakes. (if too dry, add a t of more of water)

Pasta and Cece Beans

Cece Beans is just the Italian name for Chick Peas or what the Spanish call Garbanzo Beans – all the same thing 🙂 They are a great source of fiber, healthy and a great addition to many meals. This dish is somewhere between a soup and a pasta tossed with veggies – I guess it is like a gruel, though that has a negative connotation and there is NOTHING negative about this dish. It’s healthy, filling, has super flavor and is one of the best dishes I’ve made in a while !

Pasta and Cece Beans
Pasta and Cece Beans

6 servings
316 calories per serving

1 T olive oil
1 c chopped onion
2 c sliced leek
1 t rosemary flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 c water
4 c vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1 t garlic powder
¼ – 1 t red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like it)
14 oz. cece beans, undrained
1 c diced zucchini
1/2 c frozen petite green peas
1/2 c frozen baby lima beans
1/2 c frozen green beans
2/3 c uncooked orzo
2 T chopped parsley
1/4 t pepper
2 T pesto (available in the refrigerated section of your market)
2 T grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a Dutch oven and cook onion, leak, rosemary and garlic 10 minutes. Add tomato, water, broth, spices, salt and pepper and ceces and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and simmer ½ hour then add zucchini, peas and beans. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Bring back to a boil then stir in pasta and parsley and cook 8 minutes at a low boil. Spoon into bowls and top with 1 t pesto and 1 t parmesan.

Chicken Hash

Simple ingredients combined to make a perfect complete meal – chicken, potatoes, spinach and a few other yummy things.

Chicken Hash
Chicken Hash


4 servings
295 calories per serving

2 6 oz. chicken breasts (bone in)
2 t oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T fresh thyme leaves
1 ½ lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, in ¼ inch pieces
2 large shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T water
½ lb. spinach, chopped
Fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put chicken in a baking dish and drizzle with 2 t oil and season with salt and pepper and thyme. Roast 35 minutes or until done. Cut meat into bite sized pieces. Bring potatoes to a boil in salted water and cook 15 minutes or until tender. Heat 4 t oil in a skillet and cook shallots 3 minutes then add garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Add potatoes and cook 7 minutes or until browned. Then mix in chicken and spinach and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with salt, pepper and some fresh lemon juice.

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

This is more like an asian noodle bowl with a bit of broth than it is a soup with some noodles. It is filling and scrumptious.

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup
Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

4 servings
290 calories per serving

1 T oil
1 T minced garlic
1 T bottled or fresh grated ginger
1 t lemon pepper seasoning
2 c water
28 oz. chicken broth
1 lb. chicken breast tenders, cut into bite-sized pieces (Perdue Shortcuts or leftover chicken pieces work great here !)
4 oz. uncooked fine (spaghetti-like) asian rice noodles (I use Japanaese Somen rice noodles)
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
1 T lime juice
1 t lemon zest
1/2 t salt
1.4 t pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Heat oil and sauté ginger, garlic and lemon pepper 3 minutes. Then add water and broth and bring to a boil. Add chicken, zest and pasta and cook 4 minutes then remove from heat and stir in cilantro, juice, salt, pepper and scallions. Let stand 5 minutes for flavors to mingle. If you like it spicy, add 1 t of hot chili and garlic sauce (available in the Asian section of your market).

PB and Chocolate Smores

Smores – sweet, delicious and they bring out the kid in you – here we do it all without the camp fire !

PB and Chocolate Smores
PB and Chocolate Smores

9 servings
170 calories per serving

3 T creamy peanut butter
9 reduced fat Honey Grahams, broken in half to make 18 squares
3 T hot fudge sauce
1/2 c mini marshmallows

Take 9 squares and spread each with 1 t peanut butter, then 1 t fudge then place 3-4 marshmallows on top. Cover with another cracker to make a sandwich.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place Smores on a baking sheet and cook 9-11 minutes or until chocolate is melted and marshmallow are puffed.

Creamy Beef Dinner

This is like a cross between a stroganoff and a goulash – very, very good and quite satisfying. The cream sauce is just delicious 🙂

Creamy Beef Dinner
Creamy Beef Dinner

4 servings
390 calories per serving

1 T oil, divided
1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into strips
1/2 t pepper
3 c whole wheat egg noodles, uncooked
1/4 c Light Zesty Italian Dressing
2 onions, chopped
1/2 lb. Portobello mushrooms, sliced
3 T minced garlic
1 T paprika
3/4 c beef broth
1 c frozen peas
1/2 c light sour cream
1 small tomato, chopped

Heat 1 ½ t oil in a skillet and add beef. Sprinkle with pepper and brown meat 2 minutes. Work in batches with the rest of the meat and oil so as not to overcrowd the pan and make sure meat is patted dry – these 2 things will help make sure it browns nicely. Cook noodles according to package instructions. Heat dressing in skillet and add onions and cook 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic and paprika and cook 12 minutes. Stir in broth and peas and simmer 2 minutes then add meat and cook 5 minutes to heat through. Stir in sour cream at the very end and serve over noodles with the tomato sprinkled over the top.

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