sunday in the kitchen

It's Halloween tomorrow - in case you forgot. I've had little chance to forget as Finn has been counting down the days since the first day of school. And it's here...finally! It's been a busy Sunday of costume planning, trick-or-treat route mapping and pumpkin carving. 

Oh, and making something nutritious before the sugar on-slaught begins. Of course the boys wouldn't eat it - not shocking at all! But for this mama who likes to sneak a miniature chocolate bar, or two, or three, out of the boys' Halloween bags, this salad hits the spot! Happy Halloween everyone!

Carrot Salad

4 carrots grated

Sliced red onion - about 1/4 onion, or to taste

1/4 C roasted pumpkin seeds

3-4 leaves of kale shredded

Dressing

1/3 C olive oil

1/4 C balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 tsp sea vegetable flakes or sea salt

Mix together dressing and toss into salad. Tastes great eaten right away, but even better the next day!

What's for dinner?

Dinner time is a pretty important time of day in our house. Mornings are so hectic as we run around trying to get ourselves ready and out the door on time while trying to maintain our sanity! But it is at supper time that we can reconnect and share our day's experiences over a nutritious meal. It is our family time and enjoying it over wholesome food, well, what could be better? 

I'm sure for most of us out there, cooking at the end of a long work day is a dreaded task. It is easier to grab for the pre-packaged convenience food, and there are many nights when I wish I could go this route. But, as I've mentioned before, with the food allergies in our house, this just isn't possible. So I have a rotation of quick and easy meals that I thought I would regularly share through this space - hopefully to inspire homecooking on a weeknight! The following recipe came together as a mix of the fresh peppers and onions we had in the garden, the homemade salsa that I just can't seem to get enough of, and the bags of tortillas we found stuck to the bottom of our freezer. This dish was made pretty quickly and was perfect served with a garden salad. In no time at all, you will have a nutritious and delicious dinner that I hope your family will love! 

So here's the recipe for this yet-unnamed-dish:

1 chicken breast

1 can of black beans

1 onion

1 green or red pepper

2-3 cloves of garlic

cilantro to taste
18-20 tortillas (corn or flour)
1-2 cups of salsa
Cheddar Cheese (optional)
Plain yogurt or sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375F. Cut chicken into strips and fry in a little olive oil until no longer pink. Add sliced onions and peppers, and minced garlic. Fry until soft and add rinsed black beans. Line baking dish with a thin layer of salsa and one layer of tortillas. Top with half of the chicken and veggie mixture, and enough salsa to cover. Add another layer of tortillas and top with remaining chicken and veggie mixture and salsa. Add one more layer of tortillas and top with salsa to cover and cheese if allowed. Bake about 15 mins. If baking without cheese, cheese can be added individually afterwards for those in your family who are able to eat dairy. Top with yogurt, if allowed.