Going to the restaurant? Be thrifty and healthy :)

Let's face it. We all have days when we don't want to cook or clean. But we still have to eat. We like to enjoy lunch every Sunday after church at a local restaurant. Because we are in Texas, we have lots of tex-mex options and thankfully the kids love tex-mex.

Now when you get to your seats, you will notice the hostess provides your kids with their own kids' menus.  DON'T LET THEM. The childrens' menu is filled with very unhealthy meals like corn dogs, grilled cheese and fried chicken AND they are offered at a much higher price. Seriously, look at the kids' menu the next time you go out to eat--that grilled cheese (basically two pieces of cheap processed white bread with a slice of processed cheese) is a whooping five bucks! Oh but they do throw in a soda usually--yet another thing your child doesn't need.

So what do you do? Well, if the kids insist on the same fare as on the kids' menu, check out the appeitzers--almost the same food for the same price but double to triple the portions. For tex- mex, I get the loaded with veggies and smoked chicken quesadilla that all four of my kids can share as a meal for about 1/2 the price of four plain tortillas with processed cheese (the kids' quesadilla). Talk about a better deal!

If your kids are more into the healthier choices, look into splitting adult portions--you can feed three small children easily with one plate (there may be a plate splitting charge but most places will overlook this if you are sweet to your server ;) ). 

Now will it be the healthiest? Not always but staying away from the kids' menu will always be the healthier option.

Happy Dining!

Note--This August, I am featuring recipes to help with back to school. I'll have tips for stocking the pantry, quick breakfast recipes, lunch ideas and a couple of give aways. Stay tuned!

Chorizo with Beans and Kale

Loosely adopted from Nigella Lawson, this dish is a snap to make, and pretty darn yummy.

Kale as I may have mentioned is one of the super greens--it makes spinach look like a wimp ;)

If you are not familiar with chorizo, be warned it packs a little heat so you may want to go easy on the hungarian paprika. Also, most chorizo is pre-cooked; if it is raw, obviously cook until cooked.

Chorizo with Beans and Kale

Bunch of kale, washed and torn off stems into bite-sized pieces

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 lb. chorizo sausage in links, sliced

1 can (reg size can) cannelli beans (white kidney beans)

Hungarian paprika

Salt and pepper

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat, add chorizo for about 5 minutes (the pan will also turn bright orange at this point. At rinsed beans and carefully mix until beans are heated. Sprinkle with paprika.

Remove sausage and beans. Set aside.

Add kale and cook until bright green and slightly wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Place cooked kale on large plate and pour sausage bean mixture on top.

Serve. It doesn't get any easier!

*You may want to sprinkle final dish with more paprika depending on your tastes.

Turkey Meatloaf with Red Pepper sauce (*no ketchup needed*)

One of the most popular comfort foods in good ol' meatloaf. Men especially enjoy this very 'meaty' dish. This turkey one  is adopted from one of my favorite food network chefs, Dave Lieberman (he makes healthy food on the cheap!). And I have to admit I have made very little changes to his original recipe.

I am not a fan of meatloaf but I enjoy this one--especially the red pepper sauce. I promise you will love this sauce--maybe so much you'll never want to ketchup covered meatloaf again.  Hmmmmm...wonder how this sauce would taste with fries?

Meatloaf:
2 pounds ground turkey (1 lb. white; 1 lb. dark preferred--play with the combinations)
2 eggs
3 ounces tomato paste (1/2 of 1 small can, reserving rest for the sauce)
1 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) 
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

Red Pepper Sauce:
3 ounces tomato paste (from reserved 1/2 can)
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 large red pepper, seeded, cored, and roughly chopped
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

15 grinds black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and then add all other ingredients. Mix by hand (this is a fun kid task--just be sure to wash those hands before and after). Place mixture into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and shape into a loaf. Place in center of the pan, allowing room on sides for the sauce (in other words, don't press into the sides). 

Now make the red pepper sauce. Add  all ingredients, liquids first,  in a blender and puree until smooth--about one minute. Pour all the sauce over the raw meatloaf; allow the sauce to pour over the sides.  Cover pan with aluminum foil making sure the foil does not touch the sauce or meatloaf. Bake for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake 45 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes. Now slice and enjoy.

Theses also make great next day sandwiches

Christmas in July Salmon

I got the basis from this recipe from the Whole Foods website. I love the colors of this dish--the bright pink of the salmon, the crisp green of the chard and the glowing red of the red chard stem. It looks like Christmas on a plate.

I also use a plastic baggie in the recipe but you can use a shallow pan instead--I find the plastic baggie a bit easier and neater--it also ensures even distribution.

Christmas in July Wild Salmon


juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp tamari
salt and pepper
1 lb wild salmon fillet, skinned
1 bunch red swiss chard
4 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced


In a large heavy baggie, mix lemon juice, tamari and salt and pepper. Slice the salmon in appoximately seven slices. Place in baggie and refrigerate.

Wash the chard in the sink--give a swish in a full sink to shake off dirt. Dry off with towel and tear leaves of stems into bite size chunks. Now slice stems horizonaly into bite sized pieces. Set aside

Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes until garlic softens . Add chard stems, cover and cook 2 minutes. Stir chopped chard leaves and cover and cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add water if it dries to create enough steam to cook greens quickly. Greens will be a lovely bright green and red when ready (like Christmas).

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Remove salmon and discard baggie. Add the salmon pieces in a single layer and cook 2 minutes on each side or until done (flaky yet bright pink). When done, place it on top of the chard and serve immediately.

Salmon with Pesto Pasta

We still have a good few weeks of wild, fresh salmon available. I like to make this recipe with salmon and I buy and freeze later because texture and appearance is not as crucial. However, my girls love and I mean love this dish. My oldest wants it every year for her birthday and it is a sure fire hit for anyone who comes over--who I ask you does not love pasta?!

It's also a snap to make if you have some leftover pesto (jarred pesto is OK too).

Salmon with Pesto Pasta

1 1b. wild salmon

1 box angel hair pasta nests

1/2 C pesto

olive oil

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season salmon (skin on OK) and rub 2 tablespoons pesto on top. Fold up in parchment paper, sealing edges. Place on cooking sheet and bake 9-11 minutes (remember the fish should flake easily when done and should be a nice pink).

While cooking, boil water. Season with salt and add angel hair. Cook based on package instructions (mine is two minutes). In a large bowl, add pesto. When pasta is complete, drain and add to bowl with pesto. Quickly mix (if any sticks, add some olive oil).

Remove salmon from the oven. Carefully unwrap (lots of steam escapes from the paper so be careful). Using a fork, shred small pieces and add to the pasta until you have added the entire fish.

Serve immediately (And because it is fish, left overs are not OK. Fish has a very quick shelf-life and can go bad quickly.).