Kale and Fontina Panini

When my family first started getting the bulk of our fresh veggies through a CSA, we had to open our minds and taste buds to some new flavors.  Kale - hailed as a super food - was one that I really wanted to like but had a hard time in doing so.  I tried it many different ways - kale chips, in smoothies, in combination with other greens, and more - but the first recipe that I tried that I absolutely loved that had kale in it was this one.  Honestly, you could use just about any cheese that you have, but we really enjoyed the not-so-cheap fontina as a special treat.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 8 cups chopped kale
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8-10 slices country bread (1/4 inch thick), preferably whole wheat
• 1 cup fontina or Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1-2 medium tomatoes

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 5-7 minutes.  Add vinegar and cook until almost evaporated, about 1 minute.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  
2. Add kale, water and salt (the pan will be full).  Stir, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is wilted and the water has evaporated, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.
3. To prepare panini: Preheat panini maker to high.  Coat one side of each slice of bread with cooking spray.  With the sprayed side down, spread the kale mixture on 4 slices of bread (about 1/2 cup per sandwich).  Top each with 1/4 cup cheese and 2 slices of tomato.  Top with the remaining bread, sprayed-side up.  Press in the panini maker until crispy, 3-5 minutes.

Note: If you do not have a panini maker, make these sandwiches in a skillet.  Place a medium pan on top of them and add four 15 oz cans to the pan to weigh it down.  Cook 2-3 minutes per side.

Difficulty: medium

Time:  ~40 minutes

Source: eatingwell.com magazine May/June 2014

Lunchbox Meal #1 and Bentgo Kids Giveaway

We are excited to announce a new addition to our blog and thrilled to pair it with an awesome giveaway!  Family meals are important to both of us and so are healthy lunches for our kids.  While we don't make lunches everyday, we try to as often as we can.  We like to keep things easy and nutritious, and though the fancy lunches with cookie cutter shapes, food markers, and themes are awesome (and make us a bit jealous), we tend to lean more towards the simple side.  So, on occasion, we would like to share with you our simple packed lunches.

Recently, we were contacted by Bentgo to test out a new product that they are launching today - Bentgo Kids - a durable and leak-proof children's lunch box designed with kids ages 3-7 in mind.  We have tried it and it is a hit!  The age range is appropriate, as the lunchbox has compartments sized just right for kid-sized portions.  My nearly eight-year-old (?!) son needs a bit more than the Bentgo Kids can hold, but it is just right for my 5-year-old daughter.  She LOVES this lunchbox - it is easy for her to use, and everything has its own place.  Plus, it fits inside the canvas lunch bag that she picked out at the beginning of the school year that she is not willing to give up.  I love it, too, because it is so easy to use and to clean - just pop out the insert and throw it in the dishwasher (top rack).

We are thrilled to share with you our first lunchbox post - and that we have one of these great Bentgo Kids lunchboxes to giveaway to a lucky reader!  Just enter at the bottom of this post!

The Bentgo Kids fits nicely inside my daughter's lunch bag for easy carrying, but it would also fit easily inside her backpack.

 INSIDE THIS LUNCHBOX:

• 1/2 of a sandwich - turkey, salami, american cheese on whole wheat bread
• grapes
• carrots and cherry tomatoes
• ranch for dipping
• half of a package of Annie's Bunny Grahams

The Bentgo Kids lunchbox goes on pre-sale at www.bentgo.com TODAY (11/13/14)! Enter to win one below!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Aloha Chicken Sandwiches

My children are finally at an age where two of them can play for 30 minutes without needing me.  I try to encourage this time while the toddler takes his nap.  I try to do as much as humanly possible in the half-hour of non-chaos.  Last week, one of my breaks including searching Pinterest for crock-pot recipes for chicken.  While I love seeing all the pins of my friends, I didn't have time to peruse...I headed for the search option.  I found this AMAZING chicken dish.

After opening the slow cooker to shred the chicken, my husband arrived in the kitchen following the aroma.  He remarked twice how great it smelled and how he couldn't wait to eat!  I started to worry that the meal would meet his expectations.  I had no need to worry; everyone ate the tender, marinated chicken hungrily.  The high praise from John continued, "I think this is the best meat dish you've ever made-it's tender, perfectly shredded, moist, tangy! I could eat it all! Make sure you write this one down."

INGREDIENTS:

• 5- 6 chicken breasts
• 8 oz. pineapple juice (the amt in the can)
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 cup barbecue sauce 
• slider buns

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place 5-6 chicken breasts in the bottom of slow cooker.
2. Mix pinapple juice and soy sauce.  Pour over chicken.
3. Add one cup barbeque sauce.  Cook on low for 4 hours (since I tend to use frozen chicken, I bump my cooking time to 5 hours.
4. Remove chicken from slow cooker.  Shred with two forks.  Put back in slow cooker for 30 minutes.
5. Serve on buns, garnish as desired.

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 4 hours

Source:  Pinterest

Avocado-Chicken Salad

One of my self-imposed summer projects is to figure out school lunch ideas for my upcoming first grader; packing lunches is something I am really not looking forward to.  If he had a microwave handy, I would be golden...I am pretty good at maximizing leftovers.  I am also good at grabbing random ingredients from the fridge in the morning, throwing them in a bag, and making my lunch on the spot at work.  Unfortunately, these are not options for my son.  I am intent on providing at least a few healthy packed lunches for the week (other days, he may have to buy) that don't take me forever to prepare the night before.  I made this amazing chicken salad twice already this summer and plan to make it several more times while my cilantro is still growing and avocados are a reasonable price.  I may have to bite the bullet in the fall and buy the herbs and off-season avocado, though, as this lunch is that good.  (Oh, and my son loved it, too...and we put it on the lunch ideas list.)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups shredded chicken
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20-30 minutes. 
2. Serve on your favorite bread, crackers, pita pocket or on a bed of lettuce.

Difficulty: very easy - even easier if you make extra chicken while cooking dinner (like Pulled BBQ Crescents)
Time: 5 minutes (after cooking and shredding the chicken)
Source: www.familyfreshmeals.com

Pulled Pork

This is a surprisingly simple, yet amazingly delicious recipe.  This year, I made it on New Year's Day, in lieu of the traditional pork and sauerkraut, and my husband remarked that it was the best New Year's pork that he has had his entire life.  Now that's a compliment!  We have made it for birthday parties, Superbowl Parties, and just because pork roasts were on sale; it is always a hit.  I think using the right cut of meat is probably the most important part in making this so darn good.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 lb pork shoulder or butt roast (I use shoulder)
• 2 large onions
• 1 cup of ginger ale
• 1-2 18oz bottles of barbecue sauce (I LOVE Sweet Baby Ray's)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Dice one onion and put in bottom of large slow cooker.  Place meat on top.  Dice remaining onion and put on top of the meat.  Pour ginger ale over the meat and onions.  Cook on low for 12 hours or high for 5-6.  (I generally cook mine on high and it is amazing.  One thing I do when cooking on high is to slice into the largest part of the meat about 2/3 of the way through before putting the second onion or ginger ale into the slow cooker.  This really isn't necessary if cooking on low.)  
2. Spoon out onions using a slotted spoon; set aside.  Remove all liquid from the slow cooker.  Shred the pork with two forks.  (It should be practically falling apart anyway.)  Add onions back in with the meat.  Pour barbecue sauce on, mix, and cook on low for another 1-2 hours.

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 10 minutes prep, 7-14 hours total cook time (depending on slow cooker setting)
Source: adapted from a recipe on food.com

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