30-minute Meals | Smart & Sassy Mom

Delicious 30-Minute Skillet Stir Fry Recipe

February 4, 2013 by Smart & Sassy Mom 1 Comment

Who needs take-out and all the sodium and MSG when you can whip up your own delicious version of Chinese stir-fry in about 30 minutes? It actually took me 36 minutes, but who’s counting? Of course, if I’m posting it, it was a HIT! Enough of the gabbing. Ready for the recipe? OK, here goes!

You’ll need:

12 inch skillet or wok
2 lbs of chicken or (flank) steak or tofu, cubed
1/2 bag of frozen peppers and onions (stir-fry blend)
1 bag of frozen broccoli florets
1 TBSP of minced garlic
1 TBSP Ginger flavored soy sauce
2 TBSP honey
2 TBSP of olive or sesame oil
1/2 bottle of stir-fry sauce
2 bags of “boil-in-a-bag” rice (white or brown)
OPTIONAL:
Red pepper flakes
Mushrooms
Snow peas

1. Boil your rice according to instructions.

2. Take a TBSP of oil and sauté your meat. Once its done, remove. Add remaining TBSP of oil and sauté your veggies. Even frozen, they don’t take that long to cook, so turn the heat down to medium and while this is going, let’s prep your stir-fry sauce…

3. In a bowl, pour half a bottle of stir-fry sauce (the whole bottle if you’re doubling the recipe). Add your soy sauce, honey and garlic. Stir and mix well.

4. Finally, add your meat to your veggies in the skillet/wok and pour your delicious stir fry mixture over everything. Stir and serve over rice.

A nice touch AND if you have the time, add egg rolls or spring rolls as a side. Three out of the five us are not fans of mushrooms, so we leave them out – but on the rare occasions that my kids are not eating this and we also want to kick it up a notch, we add the red pepper flakes, along with mushrooms.

This recipe is 4 adult servings, with no leftovers.

Even in the kitchen…Keep it Smart & Sassy (KISS),

Filed Under: 30-minute Meals, Food

30 Minute Meal – Potato Kielbasa Recipe

January 1, 2013 by Smart & Sassy Mom 8 Comments

Hey Guys! I found another 30 minute meal. I re-pinned this from a friend on Pinterest of course. This is a really hearty meal that I consider “comfort food”. As usual, I substituted the sausage with turkey sausage and the bacon with turkey bacon, which I’m sure it would be even tastier if I didn’t, but that is what my family is accustomed to, so I just rolled with it. I’ve made this twice and both times, it was a hit! The sweetness of the brown sugar and the tangy vinegar make the taste of this perfect. I saw a variation of this meal on Pinterest and I may post it as well if I decide to make it.

Ingredients
1 pound red potatoes, cubed
3 tablespoons water
3/4 pound smoked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups fresh baby spinach
5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions

Place potatoes and water in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 4 minutes or until tender; drain.
In a large skillet, saute kielbasa and onion in oil until onion is tender. Add potatoes; saute 3-5 minutes longer or until kielbasa and potatoes are lightly browned.
Combine the brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, thyme and pepper; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Add spinach and bacon; cook and stir until spinach is wilted. Yield: 4 servings, but I doubled everything, because I am the Leftover Queen!!
Let me know if you make it and as always, share your 30 minute meals here with us as well as any variations of it!

Keeping it Smart & Sassy (KISS),

Filed Under: 30-minute Meals, Food, Pinterest Tagged With: 30 minute meal, dinner, Pinterest, quick dinner

30 minute Chicken & Biscuits Casserole

November 29, 2012 by Smart & Sassy Mom 13 Comments

After a busy weekend, I met Sunday night with the challenge I absolutely HATE…No dinner plans. My family is spoiled and actually look forward to Sunday Dinner. I headed straight over to Pinterest and searched casseroles and I found this cool looking “QUICK” recipe from a delightful blog called, “If I Could”. I was in such a hurry, I didn’t tweak it all…which is weird for me, because I’m always putting my spin on recipes.

This meal is as big on taste as it is in calories. I am always promoting healthy living, but we all know that any recipe with the word biscuits in it, is not diet-friendly. OK, so my tough crowd of a family gave it a thumbs up, so I will make it again. The only thing is, I used a can of green beans in haste. Of course, next time, they will be fresh. Here’s what you need:

2 c of cooked chicken (I pulled apart a rotesserie chicken)
1 can of green beans (Please use 1 1/2 c of fresh if you have the time)
1 can of Cream of Chicken
1/2 c of mayo
1 to 2 c of shredded cheese
1 tsp of lemon juice
1 can of refrigerated flaky biscuits (8 count store bought or Pillsbury Grands)

Cooked Chicken, 30 Minute Chicken & Biscuits Casserole

Shredded Rotesserie Chicken

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F. Combine all the ingredients EXCEPT for the biscuits in a saucepan over medium heat until the cheese melts. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 . After you ope the can of biscuits and jump (LOL!) Peel each biscuit in half (so they are half as thick) and top the mixture with the biscuitsside by side 3 x 5….Topping the mixture with 15 biscuits, then bake for 25-30 minutes. YUM-MY!!

If you try it, let us know. We’re always looking for 30 minute (delicious and hopefully HEALTHY) meal ideas, so point us in that direction by leaving a comment below! Please share, pin and tweet. Even in the kitchen…Keep it Smart & Sassy (KISS)!

Filed Under: 30-minute Meals, Food

Easy & Healthy Salmon Dinner – A Weekly Dinner Favorite

November 14, 2012 by Smart & Sassy Mom 8 Comments

Do you know why its so important to incorporate salmon into your family’s diet? It contains essential fatty acids which are essential to overall health and the prevention of various diseases. In addition to this, Omega-3′s in salmon:

helps reduce cholesterol level by increasing the good cholesterol and reducing the bad cholesterol.
help to repair heart damage and strengthen heart muscles.
help to prevent or reduce the risk of heart disease.

The amino acids in salmon in combination with Vitamin’s A and D:

help with brain and nerve functions.
help to prevent the deterioration of the brain and nerves caused by aging.
help to lower the risk of blood clots which cause strokes.

Salmon also helps speed up the metabolism. (Who doesn’t want this??) In addition to helping provide your skin and hair with added nutrients. One 4-0z serving of salmon contains 30 grams of protein and a full days worth of Vitamin D. (Are you in love with this fish yet, or what??)

I’m so happy that I have acquired a taste for this healthy fish. (If only I could get my son on board.) I’ve also found that its quite easy to prepare and it cooks well with different types of marinades. If you remember a while back, I posted a 30 minute meal featuring Honey Soy Salmon. It is so easy and delicious, I just don’t think its fair that its my husband’s favorite meal to eat. (wink wink)

So, in an effort to inform you of the wonders of this “super fish”, I just wanted to share with you, what exactly had me “winning” with my husband the other night. It was like taking candy from a baby…Wait, why do people say that? They must not know my babies.

Anywho, I won’t bore you with any more fish facts, but I will share my quick and easy salmon dinner secret with you.

First, find the type of salmon you like (Wild, Atlantic, Sockeye, etc), marinate it for at least 30 minutes or (like I prefer) overnight in your favorite marinade. There are sooo many varieties out there now, its mind-boggling. I like a Bourbon or a Teriyaki sauce with [a little] sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, minced garlic and lemon juice. Bake this for 20 minutes on 400 degrees F and broil for the last 10 minutes. While you’re preparing the salmon, you can prepare and be done with your Uncle Ben’s Fast Cook Recipe Rice. If this is not in my pantry, I must be losing brain cells….My family loves it!

Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice Fast Cook Recipe

All you need is your favorite green veggie or a salad and there you have it. The meal that makes my husband in love with me all over again.

Easy Salmon DInner

The only other thing you need to do, is pair your “super fish” with an “awesome white”. Any varietal will do. This particular night, I had a California White Table Wine and it was a match made in heaven. The notes of the wine danced all over my taste buds and complimented our meal to perfection. By the way, I get two of these wonderful bottles of vino: one white and one red every month, courtesy of California Wine Club. Its like Christmas every month!

Bixler Vineyards California White Wine

Bon Appetit…and as always, I’m Keeping it Smart & Sassy (KISS),

Filed Under: 30-minute Meals, Food, Health, Wine Tagged With: 30 minute meals, California Wine Club, easy meal, food, healthy lifestyle, healthy living, Omega 3 fatty acids, quick meal, rice, salad, salmon, super fish, white wine, wine, wine pairing

Toddler Breakfast: Mini Banana Pancake Muffins

November 5, 2012 by Smart & Sassy Mom 5 Comments

Here comes another episode of “When Pinterest Becomes Reality“…. Starring Smart & Sassy Mom AKA June Cleaver AKA Martha Stewart. Give me a Pinterest idea that contains 5 or less steps and look out world! I am unstoppable…OK, not really, but I really do get excited and my family does too. They can’t wait to find out if my adventure will be BLAST or a BUST! And trust me, they will tell the truth.

I found this neat little recipe on Pinterest which led me to this site by Once a Month Mom for these amazing little pancake muffins for my little “Muffin” who is super excited about self-feeding right now! They were so easy (about 20 minutes), cheap (only had to buy the Bisquick for $1.39 had everything else at home) and tasty. I made them for the baby, but between my middle daughter and myself, we gobbled up the poor little baby’s breakfast food! They taste like little pancakes with syrup on them…Yum!

Here’s all that’s to it and don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest. As you can see, I pin some really cool stuff!

You need:

1 cup Bisquick Complete (just add water kind)
1 Banana (sliced and quartered)
2/3 cup syrup
2/3 cup of water

Preheat your oven at 350 degrees F.

Mix your Bisquick, syrup and water together in a bowl and spoon contents into a lightly greased muffin (preferably mini muffin) pan.

Drop bananas in the mixture and bake for 12-15 minutes for mini muffins (and 15-20 minutes regular muffin size). Let them completely cool and you can even freeze them for serving later!

And this is what makes me happy!

I want to hear from you…Let me know when/if you make these and what other easy toddler foods you love!

Keeping it Smart & Sassy (KISS),

Filed Under: 30-minute Meals, Baby, Children, Food, Pinterest, Thank Me Later Tagged With: baby, Bisquick recipes, DIY baby food, easy baby food, mini muffins, Pinterest, self-feeding, toddler food, toddlers

Honey Grilled Pork Chops

October 2, 2012 by Smart & Sassy Mom 4 Comments

Summer is almost a DISTANT memory, but gone nonetheless. That doesn’t mean that grilling is not an option. I used my indoor grill for this meal and it was DELICIOUS!!!

Honey Grilled Pork Chops

This is a quick dinner idea for one of your busiest weeknights. But for best results, requires an overnight marinade for optimal flavor!!

You’ll need:

Boneless pork chops (or turkey chops) I used 12 for a day of leftovers
Honey
Soy Sauce
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Minced Garlic

Sides (Uncle Ben’s 5 minute Fast Cook Recipe Rice and your favorite green veggies)

Place in a 9 x 13 and cover your chops completely with seasoning above and refrigerate overnight. The next day, throw those babies on the grill for about 5-7 minutes each side and plate them with your sides.

Wondering about wine pairing? A nice crisp Viognier would be ideal!

Bon Appetit and Keep it Smart & Sassy!

Filed Under: 30-minute Meals, Food Tagged With: 30 minute meal, busy mom, fast meal, grilled, grilling, honey, quick dinner, quick meal, soy

Easy Pinterest-Inspired Recipe

August 14, 2012 by Smart & Sassy Mom Leave a Comment

This is a Pinterest-Inspired recipe that I pinned from a friend. So easy that my 12 year old son did everything except clean and cut the chicken!!!

Place your chicken, potatoes and green veggie in a 9×13 dish. Sprinkle a packet of Italian Salad Dressing mix over everything and top with EVOO/butter/both. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for one hour and Vóila!!! Enjoy!

Follow me on Pinterest. See the Pinterest icon on the sidebar to your right!

Keeping it Smart & Sassy (KISS),

Filed Under: 30-minute Meals, Pinterest Tagged With: dinner, easy, food, meat, Pinterest, quick meal, veggies

30-Minute Meal: Smoky Corn & Black Bean Pizza

July 17, 2012 by Smart & Sassy Mom Leave a Comment

I spotted this great recipe on Eating Well. It looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it! A great recipe that’s ideal for Summer and under 500 calories!

grilled pizza, black bean and corn pizza

The secret to a grilled pizza is having all your ingredients ready to go before you head out to the grill. This recipe is 6 servings:

1 plum tomato, diced
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1 cup fresh corn kernels, (about 2 ears)
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 pound prepared whole-wheat pizza dough
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella, preferably smoked mozzarella

The original recipe didn’t give detailed instructions, so I’m thinking that you layer your barbecue sauce, then your veggies and cornmeal – then top with your mozzarella

To make the meal complete just toss the extra black beans, diced tomato and some avocado with pre-washed salad greens and a tangy vinaigrette and you’ve got a meal!

And you know me….a nice glass of Syrah to compliment the smoky flavor….Ahhhh… Love it!

If you like it, share it with a friend!
Keeping is Smart & Sassy (KISS),

Filed Under: 30-minute Meals, Food Tagged With: 30 minute meals, food, grill, healthy, pizza, wine

Yummy, Quick & Easy Seasoned Chicken Strips « Pennylove

June 26, 2012 by Smart & Sassy Mom 3 Comments

Yummy, Quick & Easy Seasoned Chicken Strips « Pennylove.

Please check out this quick and easy Recipe from Pennylove, an amazing blog all about healthy, recipes that will impress your hubby, your guests and even yourself! I’ve never made my own crispy, tender chicken strips, but now I just might have to! Here’s the recipe:

I like to use Chicken Tenderloins for this recipe because they are, as their name suggests, tender. However, Chicken Breast cut into 2 inch strips work just as well. I also use Pan Searing Flour because it is already seasoned and gives the chicken a bit of a crispy coating. I have only been able to buy it at Wegmans. So if you do not have it at hand, you can just use regular flour. One other thing I prefer is Garlic Flavored Olive Oil. However, non flavored EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) works just as well.

Ingredients

1lb Chicken Tenders

2 Tablespoons Pan Searing Flour

1 Teaspoon Paprika

2 Teaspoons Seasonings

1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon EVOO

1 Tablespoon fresh garlic

1 Tablespoon fresh or dried herbs

In a large bowl, lightly season the chicken with your favorite chicken Seasonings (Lemon-pepper, Seasoned Salt or Salt & Pepper) and the dried herbs. Also, add 1teaspoon of the EVOO. Mix everything so that the chicken is evenly coated in the oil & seasoning. Be careful not to over season the meat as the Pan Searing Flour already has seasoning in it. Let the chicken marinate for 15-20 minutes. Place the strips on a large cutting board & lightly coat the chicken with the Pan Searing Flour.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO & add the garlic. Once the oil is hot, place the chicken strips in the skillet. Let the chicken cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees.

Once done, remove the chicken from the skillet & place on a paper towel lined plated to absorb any excess oil. These strips are great by themselves, or served as the entrée (as shown below) along with your favorite side dishes for dinner. Bon Appetit!

Crispy Chicken Strips w/ broccoli and pasta | photo credit: Pennylove

If you like it, share it and make sure you “like” Pennylove” on Facebook.

Filed Under: 30-minute Meals, Health Tagged With: 30 minute meals, chicken, food, meals, quick

30-minute Meal of the Week: Honey Soy Salmon

May 22, 2012 by Smart & Sassy Mom 10 Comments

Honey Soy Salmon

photo credit: @carlyklock

I got this recipe from our friends over at Greatist and tweaked it, of course. It is healthy and SUPER easy…This should take about 20 MINUTES!!

Honey
Soy Sauce
Salmon filets (as many as you wish)
Sea salt
Pepper
Minced Garlic
Uncle Ben’s Fast Cook Recipe Rice/Or Microwavable Rice
Broccoli florets (optional)

Preheat the broiler and combine 3 TBSP of honey with 1 TBSP of soy sauce. Double it if your making more. My meals generally serve a family of four with leftovers.

(In my house, we have to eat something GREEN everyday so I’m adding the steamed broccoli to it). Prepare your water and vegetable steamer. Once it comes to a boil, add your broccoli, drizzle with olive oil and sea salt. Cover and steam for about 5-7 minutes. I like mine bright green with a little snap/crisp still. If you are making the Fast-cook rice, cook as directed, usually takes about 10 minutes.

Season the 5-oz. salmon filets with A LITTLE sea salt, pepper and minced garlic broil for five minutes. Drizzle with honey-soy sauce and broil an additional 5-7 minutes. Serve with rice and steamed broccoli. Voila!