This meal is very kid-friendly and easy to make. I love serving little individual foods like this because it just seems fancy and fun! Put 4 or more on a plate alongside a nice green salad for a complete meal.

1 pound chicken breasts, boneless, skinless and diced small
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 onion, diced small
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa, divided
1 (8 ounce) package Cheddar cheese, divided
36 wonton wraps

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray a large skillet with a non stick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Put chicken in the skillet and sprinkle the taco seasoning over the chicken, stirring slightly to coat.

Cook the chicken in the skillet for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken in cooked through. Remove chicken and put in a large mixing bowl.

Add the onion, and half of the jar of salsa and half of the package of Cheddar cheese to the chicken and stir well to combine.

Coat the cups of a mini muffin tin with a non stick cooking spray. Press the wonton wraps into each of the cups. Place the muffin tin into the oven and bake 3 to 5 minutes or until wontons are a light golden brown.

Remove from oven, let cool slightly, then fill each cup with the chicken mixture. Top each cup with the remaining salsa, then with the remaining Cheddar cheese.

Put back in oven for 5 to 8 minutes or until heated through and the cheese has melted.

These are the carrots that kids LOVE. This yummy carrot dish is great for a special meal – perhaps alongside a beautiful Easter ham.

4 cups baby carrots
2 Tablespoons brown sugar, packed
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine sugar, honey, and margarine in a saucepan. Heat and stir constantly until melted and starts to foam.

Put carrots in a casserole dish, one with a lid if possible. Pour hot sauce over carrots and stir well.

Bake covered at 400 degrees F for one hour.

When chicken breasts are a steal at the grocery store, I always stock up. The problem is finding new ways to cook them! Using unique glazes like this one keeps my family from getting bored having chicken once again for dinner.

6 chicken breasts – boneless skinless
1 cup orange marmalade
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons dried mint leaves, crushed

Combine orange marmalade, lemon juice, and mint leaves in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until mixture forms a pretty glaze is heated thoroughly.

Place chicken breasts on broiler pan which has been sprayed with cooking oil.

Broil chicken 5 minutes, flip and broil 5 minutes more. Brush glaze on chicken, broil 3 minutes, flip and brush chicken with glaze, broil 3 more minutes.

Depending on the size of the chicken breasts, the cooking time may vary. Be sure to broil long enough before adding the glaze so that the chicken is no longer raw in the middle.

Making a deliciously different chicken dinner couldn’t get any easier! The cherry preserves are not only a wonderful flavor choice, but the color adds a lot of pizazz to this simple dish.

4 chicken breasts (boneless & skinless)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup cherry preserves
dash ground allspice

Place chicken on broiler rack. Brush first side with lemon juice.
Broil four inches from heat for 6 minutes.

Turn chicken over and brush second side with remaining lemon juice. Broil about 7 minutes more or until tender and no longer pink.

Heat cherry preserves and allspice. Spoon mixture over chicken breasts and serve.

This dish is extremely kid-friendly, but it doesn’t have to be only for the little ones in the house. Grown ups can enjoy this dish without too much guilt if you choose all-natural or vegetarian frankfurters. Don’t just grab the hotdogs you used to at the grocery store. There are many health-conscious varieties of hotdogs to choose from now.

1/2 C. finely chopped onion
1/2 C. finely chopped bell pepper
1 (15 oz.) chunky tomato sauce (any kind your choice)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 (16 oz.) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
8 oz. diced, frankfurters or sausages
Cooking spray

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and saute the onion and green pepper until both are softened.
Stir in tomato sauce and brown sugar.
Add beans and frankfurters. Mix well.
Lower the heat to a slow simmer, cover and continue to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

This is a great alternative to red sauce or white Alfredo style sauce on your spaghetti pasta. Buy low-fat cottage cheese and you’ll have a figure-friendly spaghetti that the whole family will enjoy.

Use fresh or dried herbs, but just remember if the herbs are dried, use about half as much. Taste test before you add more.

8 oz. spaghetti pasta
1/4 C. margarine or butter
1 C. cottage cheese
1/2 C. slivered blanched almonds
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon fresh marjoram
1/2 teaspoon fresh basil
salt and black pepper to taste

Cook spaghetti pasta according to package directions and drain.

In a large skillet, heat margarine or butter over medium low heat and saute almonds, stirring until they start to brown.

Add cooked spaghetti, cottage cheese, and seasonings to skillet and stir constantly until heated well.

When it’s cold outside, just the smell of baked apples and cinnamon seem to warm the house. This is probably one of the simplest pleasures I can think of to treat your family on a cold, winter’s night.

4 medium baking apples, unpeeled, (Granny Smith are good)
2 teaspoons margarine or butter, cut into 4 chunks and softened to room temperature
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons brown sugar, packed

optional: whipped topping

Wash and core apples, being careful not to cut through the bottom of the apple.

Mix cinnamon and brown sugar in a bowl. Divide this mixture evenly between the 4 apples, filling the opening in each apple. Stuff a chunk of butter inside each apple.

Arrange the apples in shallow baking dish so they stand upright.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cool slightly and top each apple with a dollop of whipped topping.

Looking for a dish that’s filling but easy to make – one that even a beginner can make with success? This fried rice is delicious as well as filling. To stretch this meal a little further, try adding a handful of frozen peas or even some crispy bacon. (This is a perfect meal for a struggling college student!)

2 T. oil
1 cup brown rice, uncooked
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
2/3 cup canned hot chilies, chopped
1/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes
2 cup broth (your choice)
Optional: frozen peas, crispy bacon

Heat oil in a heavy skillet and sauté rice. Stir until rice is golden brown. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer thirty minutes.

Sweet roasted red peppers along with fresh red bell peppers make this dish special.  Of course, the tangy feta cheese makes this side dish really sing!   Serve alongside any grilled or roasted fish or chicken for a very flavorful and colorful addition to your plate.  Of course, if you’re not a fan of barley, choose a good brown rice as a substitute.  You may need to increase the broth, just check a couple times while the dish is baking to be sure it stays moist.

1/2 C of pearl barley
1 C vegetable broth (chicken broth may be substituted)
2 C feta cheese, crumbled
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 C roasted red peppers packed in oil
1 red bell pepper, cleaned and cut in strips
1 T of lemon juice
4 Portobello mushrooms, sliced thin
3 C of spinach, roughly chopped

Set the oven temperature to 450 degrees and allow the oven to preheat.  Spray the inside of a cast iron Dutch oven with a non stick cooking spray.

Place the barley into the bottom of the pot.
Pour the vegetable broth over the barley and spread the barley out into an even layer.
Scatter the cheese and garlic over the barley.
Layer the roasted peppers and the bell pepper strips into the pot.
Drizzle the lemon juice over the peppers.
Spread the mushrooms over the top of the peppers.
Stuff as much spinach into the pot as you can fit and still have a tight fitting lid.
Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until the barley is tender.

Makes 4 servings

The flavor that sun dried tomatoes add to this dish are incredible.  If you haven’t cooked yet with them, you’re in for a treat.  I wouldn’t substitute diced tomatoes for the sun dried tomatoes.

Also, brown rice adds a nice nutty background flavor that you’ll appreciate in this dish.  Most casserole dishes can be tweaked quite a bit, but this is one recipe I would stick pretty close to.  However, use whatever kind of fish you can get if you can’t get halibut, just be sure it’s a nice, solid white fish.

1 C of brown rice
2 C of vegetable broth
1 1/2 lbs. halibut fillets
4 T of olive oil
2 T of soy sauce
1 t garlic minced
1 t of red pepper flakes
2 T of sun dried tomatoes
3 C of cauliflower florets
1 zucchini, halved horizontally and cut into half moons
1/2 t of salt
8 mushrooms, sliced

Preset the oven temperature to 450 degrees and spray a Dutch oven pot with olive oil cooking spray.

Put the rice into the pot, add the broth and stir to coat the rice well.
Lay the fish fillet over the rice.

In a mixing bowl whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, red pepper flakes and tomatoes.  Then pour half of the mixture over the fillets.

Add the cauliflower and zucchini to the pot.
Sprinkle the salt over the vegetables and pour the remaining olive oil mixture over the top.
Spread the mushrooms evenly over the coated vegetables.

Cover and bake 45 to 50 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender and the fish flakes easily.

Makes 4 servings