Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Lydia DeGaris-Pursell Quick Chicken-Corn Chowder 2 tablespoons margarine ¼ cup chopped onion ¼ cup chopped celery 2 tablespoons jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (1 pepper) 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 cups reduced-fat milk 1 pound chopped, cooked chicken 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen corn ¼ teaspoon dried thyme ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups cream-style corn Melt margarine in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and jalapeño. Cook for 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add flour and cook one minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk, roasted chicken, corn kernels, thyme, pepper, salt, and cream-style corn. Bring to a boil and cook until thick (about 5 minutes). Makes 10 servings for 3-5 year olds at lunch/dinner. Meat/Meat Alternate Source: http://www.myrecipes.com
Photo by: Randy Mayor; Jan Gautro North Woods Bean Soup 1 cup baby carrots, halved 1 cup chopped onion 2 garlic cloves, minced 14 ounces turkey kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into ½ inch pieces 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning ½ teaspoon black pepper 3-14 ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed 1 ¼ cups fresh baby spinach leaves Heat a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, and kielbasa. Sauté 3 minutes while stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broth, Italian seasoning, pepper, and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove soup from heat. Add spinach and stir until the spinach wilts. Makes 12 servings for 3-5 year olds at lunch/dinner. Meat/Meat Alternate Source: Cooking Light, January 2002; http://www.myrecipes.com
Orange Introduction Besides being juicy, refreshing, and delicious, oranges are a benefit to your diet because they are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Oranges are very versatile and can be eaten fresh or used in any type of dish from entrees to desserts. The most popular varieties of oranges are the navel and Valencia oranges. Navel oranges are at the best quality during the months of January through March. They received their name from the belly button looking formation on the end opposite of the stem. Look for a bigger navel on these oranges because that means it will be sweeter. Valencia oranges are best May through July and are usually thin skinned. Sometimes Valencia oranges look greener than other oranges. This is due to the warmer weather causing the orange skins to reabsorb some of the chlorophyll while they are still on the tree. This type of orange should still taste great even if it is a little green. Enjoy the sweetness of oranges in many different ways, especially this time of year when they cost less. Source: Sunkist.com Orange and Corkscrew Pasta Salad Recipe 1/2 pound dry corkscrew or bowtie pasta 1 cup oranges, peeled, separated into segments then halved (about 2 oranges) 1-15 ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained 1 1/2 cups broccoflower or cauliflower florets 1/4 cup sliced olives, drained 1/4 cup sliced green onion Orange Herb Dressing: 1/3 cup white or red wine vinegar 1/3 cup orange juice 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 tablespoon dried basil, crushed 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed 1 garlic clove, minced ¼ teaspoon pepper Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cool water and drain. Combine dressing ingredients in small bowl and whisk until well blended. In a large bowl, toss together cooled pasta, orange segments, garbanzo beans, broccoflower or cauliflower, olives and onion. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Cover and chill at least 1 hour before serving. Makes 16 servings for 3-5 year olds at lunch/dinner. Grain/Bread Source: http://www.sunkist.com/recipes/orange-and-fusilli-pasta-salad_1194.aspx
Segmenting Citrus Segmenting or sectioning citrus means cutting the fruit so the skin, or pith, is gone and all that remains is the fruit. Follow these steps to successfully segment your citrus fruits. 1. Using a sharp knife, cut the top and bottom off the fruit. 2. The fruit should lay flat, making it easier to cut the peel vertically off the rest of the citrus. 3. Once the peel is off, look for the white lines of skin separating each segment. 4. Cut as close to each side of the skin membranes as possible. Remove the fruit segments. 5. Once all the segments are removed, there will still be some fruit left. You can juice the remains, put it in a smoothie, or discard.
Orange Broccoli 5 cups fresh broccoli florets 2 tablespoons margarine, cubed ¼ cup orange juice 1 teaspoon grated orange peel ¼ teaspoon salt 1/3 cup slivered almonds Place 1 inch of water in a saucepan and add broccoli. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 5-8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and keep warm. In the same pan, combine the butter, orange juice, orange peel and salt; heat until margarine is melted. Return the broccoli to the saucepan; toss to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl; sprinkle with almonds. Makes 21 servings for 3-5 year olds at lunch/dinner. Source and photo: Taste of Home 2012
Muffins in an Orange Peel These muffins are simple and fun to make with children, and they add a great orange flavor to muffins. Cut the oranges in half and spoon out the inside fruit. Eat the fruit, save for a snack, or make some fresh orange juice. Mix up your favorite muffin recipe or use a boxed muffin mix. When the muffin batter is ready, place the orange peel halves in a muffin tin. Pour the batter in and cook according to the recipe directions. Source and photos: http://www.ayummymommy.com/2010/02/muffins-in-orange-peel.html Cranberry Muffins 1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder pinch of salt 1 cup milk 1/4 cup melted margarine 1 medium egg 1 cup chopped cranberries, fresh or frozen In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In small bowl, combine milk, margarine and egg. Beat to combine. Add to flour mixture and stir until just moistened. Fold in cranberries. Bake 20-25 minutes at 375 F or until browned and cooked through. Makes 25 servings for 3-5 year olds at any meal or snack. Grains/Bread Source: http://www.muffinrecipes.net/cranberry-muffins.html