Freezer Smoothie Packs

Ingredients:

1 cup spinach, packed
1/2 banana, cut up into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt, frozen (about 2 frozen cubes)*
1 cup mixed frozen fruit (mangos, pineapple, strawberries)
1 to 1 & 1/4 cup water or milk (cow, almond, coconut, cashew, whatever kind you like)

Instructions:

In a zip-top sandwich bag, add the spinach, banana pieces, frozen yogurt cubes, and mixed frozen fruit.  Squeeze out the air and zip the bag shut.  Place in freezer.  Repeat for additional packs.

To prepare: Pour 1 to 1 & 1/4 cup water or milk in a blender.  Add one frozen smoothie pack and blend until smooth, adding extra water or milk if desired to preferred consistency.

Yield: 1 smoothie pack makes one 2-cup smoothie.

Find more recipes at superhealthykids.com

*To prepare frozen yogurt cubes,  place yogurt into ziplock baggie. Cut a small hole in corner of bag to create an open tip to squeeze yogurt out of.  Squeeze into ice cube tray and freeze.

Flat Enchiladas

Ingredients:

2 C. dry Masa
2 rounded Tble. melted lard
1/3 C. cottage cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg (slightly beaten)
Approximately 3/4-1 C. chicken broth (you can broth and water 1/2 and 1/2 if you want)
1 16 0z. jar Frontera Gourmet Enchilada sauce Classic Red Chile
Shredded cheese
Chopped green onions (whites and greens)

Directions:

Mix masa and salt with a fork.  Add melted lard and stir with fork until combined.  Add cottage cheese and stir with fork until combined.  Add egg and stir with form until combined.  Add chicken broth ( you could use more or less of the chicken broth as you want the wet masa to cling together to form a ball). Should hold together when pinched with your fingers. Make pliable like play doh. Do not knead. Form patties ( I make mine 3 1/2 - 4 inches round and 3/4 inch thick but they can be made into whatever size you like).  This recipe makes about 12 patties this size.

Fry patties in 1/2 to 1 inch of oil until golden brown on each side. Make sure oil is at frying temperature so masa patties don't get oil "logged".

Warm enchilada sauce.  In a 13X9" pan place sauce in the bottom of pan to cover.  Dip fried patties into sauce lightly. Place in pan and lightly cover with remaining sauce.  Cover with shredded cheese.  Bake in 400 degree oven until warmed through, sauce slightly bubbles and cheese is melted.  Approximately 15 min.  Top with chopped green onions.  As a kid we used to eat these at the Sunset restaurant in Coolidge and they would put chopped green olives on them (loved them that way).  We would also eat them at Tag's restaurant in Coolidge but they didn't use the green olives.  I like to eat them with a dollop of sour cream on top.....YUM!

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
6 ounces egg noodles
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. salt
ground black pepper to taste
1 cup crumbled buttery round crackers
1/2 cup butter

Directions:

1. Poach chicken in a large pot of simmering water.  Cook until no longer pick in center, about 12 minutes.  Remove from pot and set aside.  Bring chicken cooking water to a boil and cook pasta in it. Drain.  Cut into small pieces or shred chicken and mix with noodles.*(see Tweeks)

2.  In a separate bowl, mix together mushroom soup, chicken soup, and sour cream.  Season with salt and pepper.  Gently stir together cream soup mixture with the chicken mixture.  Place in a 2 quart baking dish.

3.  Melt butter in a small saucepan, and remove from heat.  Stir in crumbled crackers.  Top casserole with the buttery crackers.

4.  Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes, until heated through and browned on top.

Tweeks: I used 2 chicken breasts and added 8-10 sliced Portobello Mushrooms to make up for the other 2 chicken breasts.  Also added 3-4 Tablespoons finely chopped onions.  The canned soups I used were: Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic and Cream of Chicken with Mushrooms. * I added the Mushrooms and onions to the chicken and noodles mixture.  Mine took 5-10 longer to cook.

Avocado Chicken Wrap

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken, cooked and cubed (or shredded)
2 large avocados, cut and cubed
1 tsp. garlic powder or 1-2 cloves fresh minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp lime juice
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 c. plain greek yogurt
Whole Wheat tortillas (I used regular because that's what I had on hand)

*Tweek: I added 1 shallot chopped finely and 1 Tble. cilantro chopped finely

Instructions:

Cut and Cube avocado.
Add to a large bowl with cubed or shredded chicken.
Mix in seasonings, lime juice, *(shallot & cilantro)mayo and greek yogurt.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.
Spoon mix onto tortilla.
Fold like a burrito.

Hungarian Goulash

Ingredients:

1/3 c. vegetable oil
3 onions, sliced
2 Tble. Hungarian sweet paprika
2 tea. salt
1/2 tea. ground black pepper
3 pounds beef stew meant, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1-1/2 cups water (adding 1 tea. of "Better than Bouillon")
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tea. salt

Directions:

1.  Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Cook onions in oil until soft, stirring frequently.  Remove onions and set aside.

2.  In a large ziplock baggie, combine paprika, 2 tea. salt and pepper.  Coat beef cubes in spice mixture, and cook in onion pot until brown on all sides.  Return the onions to the pot, and pour in tomato paste, water(broth), garlic and the remaining 1 tea. salt.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1-1/2 to 2 hours, or until meat is tender. (I cooked for 2 hours).

Serves: 8

Beef & Bacon Stroganoff Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)

• 5 thick-sliced bacon strips, chopped

• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth

• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup, undiluted

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

• 6 cups uncooked egg noodles

• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

• 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese (I omitted this)

• Minced fresh parsley, optional

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the beef, bacon, mushrooms and onion until beef is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in flour until blended. Add the broth, soup, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, salt and paprika. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
3. Stir sour cream and horseradish into beef mixture; heat through (do not boil). Serve with noodles. Sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with parsley if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

Chef John's Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients:

1/4 C. butter
1 (16 oz.) package sliced mushrooms
salt to taste
1/4 C. all-purpose flour, or as needed
3-1/2 C. beef stock
1 pinch ground black pepper to taste
fresh thyme leaves, to taste (optional) I used a slight pinch of dried ground thyme

Directions:

Heat butter over medium heat in a saucepan until it foams.  Stir in mushrooms.  Season with salt.  Simmer until liquid evaporates, maybe about 20 minutes (could be less).
Stir in the flour, cooking and stirring for about 5 minutes.  Add about 1 cup of beef stock, stirring briskly until incorporated, then pour in the remaining stock and mix thoroughly.  Season with black pepper and thyme.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes, stirring often.