Goat cheese, Tomato and Bell pepper Frittata

Frittatas are one of those things that defy description.  I mean, they can be everything you want them to be.  You can change any ingredients or flavor profiles.  So long as it's egg based, and open faced, right?

This was my Easter Sunday last minute fridge version.  I meant to do a well-loved frittata recipe from The Bride and Groom First and Forever Cookbook (which is actually a great resource for 2 person dishes), but I forgot to take the shopping list to Central Market with me, and I couldn't remember what I needed.  So I just figured I'd get some goat cheese, since you can't go wrong with that, and sort it out later based on what was in my fridge.  This one came out delicious, but you don't have to go by my "toppings".  Put whatever you want in it. The sky (and your wallet) are the limit.   I'm a sucker for presentation, though, so I try to get a diversity of colors.  In this case, we have white (cheese), red (tomato) and green (bell pepper), yellow (eggs).  My grandma once told me that a balanced meal has at least 3 colors, and I've always tried to honor this advice.

The main thing to remember is that the skillet will end up in the oven, so make sure there's cheese to melt on top.  Oh, and make sure you have good oven-friendly cookware.  We have some nice cast-iron pans, and they rock.

Ingredients

• Half yellow onion, diced
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 - 3 oz goat cheese
• 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat broiler
2. On an oven proof large skillet, saute onion and bell pepper until onion is translucent and peppers are soft.  Set aside.  Make sure you do this step, otherwise the onion and pepper wont release their yummy sweetness
3. While the veggies are sauteing.  On a medium bowl, whisk eggs and milk together.  Add salt and pepper.  
4. Pour mixture on skillet, and add the previously cooked onions ad peppers.  Add chopped tomatoes.  Cook uncovered on medium-low heat.  Scatter goat cheese on top
5. Cook until the eggs are set on the bottom, probably about 5 - 10 minutes (depending on how preheated your skillet was).  While the eggs are cooking, lift an edge of the frittata with a spatula and let the uncooked eggs flow underneath.  Repeat in a few places.  This is also a good time to season.
6. When the eggs are almost cooked, put skillet in the broiler.  Cook for 2-5 minutes, until the eggs are set  n the center.
7. Let cool for a few minutes and... Enjoy!

Now for a confession... Babygirl didn't really eat this.  This doesn't, however, mean that it's not toddler friendly.  She has a mild egg allergy, where she gets a slight rash on her face when she eats them.  It really feels like something she'll grow out of, but as a result she hasn't developed a taste for eggs.  Her loss, I guess, right?  She's got the rest of her life to embrace breakfast foods.

Toddler Ratings   hearth healthy: not on its own, but this should be part of a balanced breakfast     spicy: no      easy to chew: yes      ease of preparation: easy      reheating:  yes      food groups: eggs, dairy, veggies

Spanish Chicken with Rice

Great easy recipe and one of our go-to dishes.  It's made in the crock-pot, which means that it takes some upfront dedication. In fact, the prep takes a bit longer than I'd like, so I reserve for a Sunday afternoon cooking session.  But after it's done, it's mushy goodness, easy to store and reheat for at least 2 weeknight dinners. I've been embracing our crock-pot a lot, so much that we recently upgraded to a brand new model.

It also passes our toddler seal of approval: heart healthy, has 3 food groups (protein, carbs and veggies), easy to chew, and easy to reheat.

Babygirl loves this dish, and will eat it heartily.  We've also experimented with adding zucchini and yellow squash, and it works pretty well.   Please note that we don't give our kid sausage, as we feel it'd be too fatty.  However, we cook it all together for the flavor.   More sausage for the adults...

The recipe is slightly adapted from the "Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Bible"

Ingredients

• 2 table spoons olive oil  * we don't use oil, just heat ingredients in a Teflon pan
• 11 oz cooked kielbasa, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs *for a leaner option, you can use chicken breast, and it still tastes juicy
• 1 onion, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 2 cups white rice 
• 1 cup diced carrots *or more
• 1 bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• salt and pepper for seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth  *preferably homemade or sodium-free
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

Directions

1. On a medium skillet, brown sausage on both sides.  Transfer to crock-pot with slotted spoon.  You could also blot them with a paper towel to reduce the fat content
2. Add onions, garlic to skillet.  Add chicken and brown on all sides.  This is easier if the chicken is cut into small pieces.  Transfer to crock-pot
3. Add rice, carrots, bell pepper, salt, black pepper and saffron to crock-pot.  Pour broth over mixture until everything is just covered.  This should be about 4 cups.  Cover, cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
4. Before serving, stir in peas.  Cook for about 15 minutes.  It helps if your crock-pot has a WARM setting.

Super Simple Chicken Soup

We made this because Babygirl is sick, and you know what they say, chicken soup is the best for colds. My mom taught me this recipe, and it is one of those things that's in the family and has never really been written down.  I like it because it tastes great (always a plus), and is super easy to make.   

My personal rule with chicken soup is that you should be able to make it for yourself when you're sick.  So efficiency is of the essence.

Ingredients

• 1 lb of chicken drumsticks or thighs (the soup comes out tastier if the chicken has bone, but then it's harder to eat later)
• 1 onion, cut into quarters
• 2 potatoes, cut into large pieces
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 carrots, cut into large pieces (if using baby carrots, about a third of a pack, no need to chop)
• 2 tomatoes, cut into quarters
• salt and pepper
• oregano
• 1/3  pack of angel hair pasta

Directions

• Put a bit of water on large pot, add chicken, onion, potatoes, carrots, celery and tomatoes.  Add water until all ingredients are covered
• Put on high heat until boiling, then lower temperature to lowest setting and simmer covered for at least 30 minutes.  The longer it simmers, the softer the veggies.   Check that chicken is cooked with a fork.
• At the very end, season with salt, pepper and oregano.  At this point, also put pasta and boil for only 5 - 8 minutes
• Enjoy

Notes

• This soup can be as easy or complicated as you want.  Personally, I keep my veggies very large because the whole boiling process makes them mushy.  Also, I like eating big chunks of onion.  If you want to chop the veggies into tiny pieces, suit yourself.  I'm just lazy.
• It's very easy to make substitutions. Sometimes, I skip the tomato or celery, depending on what's in the fridge.  Though I keep the veggies in the Mediterranean family.  
• This is a recent tip I learned from my aunt: put the oregano at the very end.  Apparently, if the oregano boils and simmers for too long, it can taste bitter.  While if you throw it in at the very end, it keeps a fresh taste
• Many times we substitute sweet potatoes for the potatoes.  Babygirl loooves sweet potatoes.
• For kids, it's probably easier to substitute soup pastas.  When I was a kid, I loved alphabet or star pastas.  Easier to put on the little spoons.
• The veggies and chicken should come out very soft and mushy.  Excellent for kids without molars.
• It's very important to choose a part of the chicken with natural fats.  We currently prefer boneless skinless chicken thigh, making sure to keep the pieces the fatty sections.  Without the chicken fat, the soup lacks flavor.  It tastes even better if the chicken has skin, but it's a hassle to serve with a toddler.   If you're using lean chicken breast, I'd recommend adding a bit of olive oil.