Kid friendly meals adults love too!
It is a question we get quite often, “What meal can I cook that both my kids and I will love?”. Mom’s and Dad’s yearn for the nights that everyone goes back for seconds and no one makes a request for a bowl of cereal. So, what does such a dinner look like?
First here is what it is not, it is not a plain meal that lacks flavor and therefore offends no one. Kids actually enjoy rich flavors and textures as much as adults. You can have those rich flavors without over spicing your food. Something else it is not, is a meal that takes a long time to prep and cook. Parents are busy, and kids have schedules for schoolwork, sports, activities, etc. A meal that takes an hour to prep, 20 minutes to cook, and then 40 minutes to eat is not for a busy household nor family friendly.
With that in mind here are a couple of easy 5 star recipes that are kid friendly, adult pleasing, and take less than 30 minutes to prep AND less than 15 minutes to cook.
Tortilla Crusted Tilapia
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
8 corn tortillas cut in quarters
1-1/2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
Salt
¾ teaspoons onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 eggs
½ cup All purpose flour
1 ½ lbs tilapia filets, cut in half from Joe’s Butcher Shop
Vegetable oil for cooking
1 lime cut into wedges, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the tortillas, paprika, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, onion powder and garlic powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until the tortillas are ground into coarse crumbs. Place the crumbs on a dinner plate.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Crack two eggs in a wide shallow bowl and beat until blended. Place the flour on a dinner plate. Set up an assembly line with the flour first, then eggs, then the crumbs, followed by the baking sheet.
Working one filet at a time, dredge the filet in the flour shaking excess over the plate so that light coating remains. Dip the filet in the eggs and coat evenly, then dredge in the tortilla crumbs turning to coat evenly. Place the breaded filets on the lined baking sheet. Repeat with all the filets. Cover and refrigerate the baking sheet until ready to cook (this can be done several hours ahead of time.)
Coat a large non-stick pan generously with oil and place over medium heat. When the oil is hot, place 4 tilapia half filets in the pan and cook until the first side is golden brown (about 3-4 minutes.) Flip and continue cooking for about 2 minutes more. Transfer the fish to a serving plate, wipe the pan clean with a paper towel and repeat with remaining filets. Serve with the lime wedges to squeeze on the fish.
A great side is a boxed or homemade Mexican rice!
Not everyone will eat even a mild fish like tilapia so here is a great beef dish sure to please everyone!
Beef with Broccoli
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1.25 lb Flat Iron Steak cut into ¼ inch thick strips by Joe’s Butcher Shop.
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup Dry Sherry (available at Joe’s!)
2 teaspoons corn starch
¼ cup oyster sauce
1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 scallions finely sliced
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
3 tablespoons Vegetable oil
1lb bite sized broccoli florets (from about 1 ½ lbs of broccoli crowns)
1/3 cup water
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the beef with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the Dry Sherry in a bowl and toss to coat. Let marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, combine the remaining soy sauce with the cornstarch and stir with a fork until dissolved. Add the remaining Dry Sherry, oyster sauce, chicken broth, sugar, and sesame oil. Stir and set aside.
Combine the scallion, garlic, and ginger in a bowl and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan or wok over high heat until just smoking. Add the broccoli and stir fry for 30 seconds, then add the water. Cover the pan with a lid or foil and lower the heat to medium-low, steam the broccoli until tender-crisp (about 2 minutes) then transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
Wipe any excess water out of the pan. Turn the heat back to high and heat another tablespoon of oil until just smoking. Add half the beef in a single layer and cook without moving for about 1 ½ minutes. Continue cooking while stirring until the beef is lightly cooked but still pink in spots (about 30 seconds.) Transfer to a plate. Repeat the process with the remaining beef, except when starting to stir the beef add in the scallions, garlic and ginger and cook for about 30 seconds. Return the reserved beef and the broccoli to the pan along with the reserved sauce, stir constantly until the sauce is thickened (about 45 seconds.) Transfer to a serving plate and serve with rice.
And there you have it! Two easy adult and kid friendly meals to try at home. If you have questions when shopping, ask one of our team members for help or suggestions. We are happy to assist in making your family meal delicious and enjoyable.