Working Mom's Recipe of the Week

Pasta Primavera

Servings = 6

Time = 30 min

Ingredients

1 lb rotini pasta

1/2 onion, diced

2 T olive oil

2 heaping T flour

1 c chicken or vegetable broth

2 c milk

salt/pepper

1/2 t dried basil

2 T olive oil

2 carrots, sliced

1 small head of broccoli, cut

1 small zucchini, sliced

1 small yellow squash, sliced

8 button mushrooms, halved
Parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting the oil. In a small sauce pan, saute the onions in olive oil until opaque. Stir in flour until it is moist. Slowly add the chicken broth while stirring until the flour is thoroughly mixed in. Add the milk. Add salt, pepper and basil. Slowly bring to simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat to allow further thickening.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots and saute to just tender. Add broccoli and saute until just tender. Add zucchini, yellow squash and mushrooms. Continue sauteing to desired consistency. Pour sauce over veggies.

In a large bowl, mix pasta and veggies in sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve with additional cheese.

Notes - You can use any summer veggies and herbs (fresh or dried) in this dish. Or you could add chicken.

Working Mom's Recipe of the Week

Moroccan Lamb Patties
Servings = 4
Time = 20 min

Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon salt
1½ cups couscous
Freshly ground pepper
1 pound lean ground lamb (or beef)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground allspice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 Roma tomato, diced
Tzatziki (0r plain yogurt)
4 pitas


Directions
1. In a small saucepan, bring 1½ cups water and salt to a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover and remove from the heat. After 5 minutes, fluff the couscous with a fork; season with pepper. Cover to keep warm.
2. In a bowl, combine the beef, garlic, onion, paprika, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons parsley and 1 teaspoon salt. Form into 8 patties.
3. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef patties and cook for about 3 minutes on each side for medium-rare or until done.
4. Fluff the couscous again with a fork and add remaining parsley and tomatoes.
5. Serve two patties with couscous and tzatziki in a pita.

Notes
Humus, olives and cucumber are good additions to this meal. My daughter doesn't like the couscous with parsley and tomato, so I reserve a little plain couscous for her.

Work Mom's Recipe of the Week

Huge Cookie with Fruit
Servings = 10
Time = 1 hr

Ingredients
2 sticks butter, room temp
1 c shortening, room temp
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla or almond extract
5 c all purpose flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 pint strawberries
1/2 pint blue berries
1/2 pint raspberries
1 package cream cheese
1/4 c confectioners sugar

Directions
Preheat overn to 400 F. In a large bowl, beat butter, shortening and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. In another bowl, mix flour, salt and baking powder. Add flour mix to butter mix; combine with fingers until it forms dough. On a large round stone, press the dough into a 1/4 inch thick round cookie (should be 12 inches in diameter - if you have too much dough, make a couple small cookies to eat). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until just golden on edges. Remove and cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, wash the berries. Trim the strawberries and halve. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese with sugar - first with a spoon, then with the electric mixer - until smooth. When the cookie is cool, spread the cream cheese over and decorate with the berries. Cut like a pie to serve.

Notes - The finished product is lovely and great for BBQs. It's a perfect desert to make with kids. They can measure and mix the ingredients and decorate with fruit. You can add a drop of food coloring to the cream cheese to make it light yellow or pink. You can substitute any fresh fruit for the topping - blackberries, sliced plums, kiwi are good options.

By: Mindy Brooks

cityMama Weekend Meet Up

Meet up with other cityMamas, their families and friends. Saturday, June 17 @ 10:00 @ Jamison Square in the Pearl. Hope to see some mamas and kids.

Working Mom's Recipe of the Week

Quesadillas with Rice
Servings = 4
Time = 30 min

Ingredients
1 1/2 c water
1 c white rice
1 T taco seasoning
1 T butter
4 large flour tortillas
2 c Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
1 c cheddar cheese, shredded
1 c pre-cooked chicken, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 c cilantro
olive oil
sour cream

Directions
Bring water to boil. Add rice, taco seasoning and butter. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until all water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered.

Meanwhile, spread 1 cup Monterrey jack and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese evenly on one tortilla. Spread 1/2 c chopped chicken, half the tomatoes, half the green onions and half the cilantro over the cheese. Place a second tortilla on top. Repeat with the other tortilla. Heat a large skillet over medium heat; add about a tablespoon of olive oil. Carefully lift one quesadilla into the pan. Cook 2 minutes. Carefully flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm. Add more oil to the pan if necessary. Cook the second quesodilla on both sides. After the quesadillas have cooled slightly, cut each into fourths. Serve 2 triangles, with a dollop of sour cream and a large scoop of rice.

Notes: My daughter doesn't like cilantro or tomatoes (yet) so on her half I only put cheese, chicken and green onions. Other yummy additions to the quesadillas are corn and/or black beans. If you're vegetarian, omit the chicken. Finally, I posted a recipe for homemade taco seasoning that works great in this recipe. You can add more or less of the seasoning depending on how spicy you like your rice.

Working Mom's Recipe of the Week

BBQ Sauce

½ cup molasses
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. lime juice
¼ cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. honey
1 t liquid smoke
1 t Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. lightly packed brown sugar
1 t ground ginger
1/2 c thinly sliced green onions
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Use right away or store in a bottle in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Notes: I have been trying to develop a homemade BBQ sauce that fits my tastes - tangy and sweet. After many tried and tossed recipes, I finally came up with the perfect combination. This is great on chicken and pork. If you like a bit of kick in your BBQ sauce add some red pepper flakes.

Healthy Eatting

Here is a great list of ways to help your child become a healthy eater. My favorite tip: They won't eat the way you want all the time. Have an occasional treat, and allow your child to experiment with all foods. Most important of all, don't take the pleasure out of food. Create healthy eating memories, and at the same time, don't surrender or become a short-order cook. If they don't eat what you've offered for one meal, hunger will eventually kick in.

http://www.superkidsnutrition.com/nutrition_answers/pr_10-mindful-eating-tips.php

Food Preservation presentation

Hi cityMamas,

In case you missed the June mtg, here is the presentation:

Food Preservation 101.

I made my first-ever batch of strawberry-rhubarb jam this past weekend and hope my garden starts growing soon for a fall harvest...

Happy Jamming!

Darcy

Working Mom's Recipe of the Week

Moo Shu Pork
Serves 4
Time = 40 min

Ingredients
1 c white rice
3 T hoisin sauce, plus more for dipping
3 T rice vinegar
2 T pineapple juice
2 cloves garlic, diced
salt and pepper
1 3/4 lb pork tenderloin, cut in thin strips
2 T olive oil
8 oz shitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 14-bag coleslaw mix
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

Directions
In a large bowl, whisk hoisin sauce, vinegar, juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Add pork and marinate for 10 minutes. Prepare rice according to directions and keep warm.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over high heat. Add pork (reserve marinade) and stir-fry until browned. Transfer to a plate. Add 1/4 c water to the skillet to deglaze; pour over pork with the remaining marinade. Add remaining oil to skillet. Add mushrooms and stir-fry until lightly golden. Add coleslaw and cook until wilted. Add pork and scallions; heat through. Season with salt. Serve over rice.

Adapted from Food Network Magazine