Mom and Dad need time alone sometimes! Prepare a casual romantic kid-free dinner for two with these delicious recipes from our friends at Cooking Light.

Posole with Turkey and Heart-Shaped Chipotle Gorditas

A gordita, which means “little fat one” in Spanish (no offense intended), is a thick corn tortilla. In this recipe, we used a heart-shaped cookie cutter to make sweet designs – perfect when creating this dish for someone special. Also, because gorditas are more practical to make in larger quantities, this recipe makes enough for two meals.

Ingredients 

• Gorditas:
• 2/3 cup masa harina or cornmeal
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced seeded, canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• Cooking spray
• Posole:
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 pound turkey tenderloin, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from canned chipotle chile)
• 1 (16-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can white hominy, rinsed and drained
• 2 poblano chiles, seeded and chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. To prepare gorditas, combine first 4 ingredients. Stir in water, 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, and chipotle chile. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; roll dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with a sharp (1 1/2-inch) heart-shaped cookie cutter into 12 gorditas. Place gorditas on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; discard any remaining dough. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes. Reserve 6 gorditas for another use; refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
3. To prepare posole, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Combine turkey and 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, tossing well to coat. Add turkey mixture to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Combine 1/4 cup broth and 1 tablespoon flour. Add broth mixture, remaining broth, hominy, and poblano chiles to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Remove 2 1/2 cups posole for another use; refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
4. Arrange 6 gorditas on top of posole in pan; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Spoon 1 1/4 cups posole into each of 2 bowls, and top each serving with 3 gorditas. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Chicken with Prosciutto and Tomatoes Over Polenta

Lightly breaded chicken thighs are seasoned with sage and white wine, topped with a tomato mixture, and served over polenta. Time-saving tip: while the chicken cooks, prepare the polenta.

Ingredients 

• 4 (6-ounce) chicken thighs, skinned
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup chopped seeded peeled tomato
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 very thin slices prosciutto or ham, cut into thin strips (about 1/4 cup)
• Sage sprigs (optional)

Preparation

1. Sprinkle the chicken with sage, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side. Add wine; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 180°.
2. Place the cornmeal and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a 1-quart casserole. Gradually add water, stirring until blended. Cover. Microwave at high 12 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes.
3. Remove chicken from pan. Add tomato to pan; cook 1 minute. Stir in juice and prosciutto. Spoon polenta onto plates, and top with chicken. Serve with the sauce. Garnish with sage sprigs, if desired.

With holiday cookies and festive feasts galore, ensure your family begins Christmas day on a healthful note with a well-balanced and tasty family breakfast. Make sure to try these quick, easy, and scrumptious breakfast ideas from our friends at Cooking Light, that the whole family will love! AND the best part is the casseroles can be made ahead and feed a crowd, so you won’t miss a blink of the Christmas morning festivities!  

Egg and Hash Brown Casserole

This dish is like enjoying an omelet stuffed with spinach, Swiss cheese, and mushrooms, with hearty sides of bacon and hash browns, all in one package.

Ingredients

8 center-cut bacon slices

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

8 ounces sliced shiitake mushroom caps

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups shredded hash brown potatoes

1/4 cup no-salt-added chicken stock

5 cups fresh baby spinach

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

3 ounces reduced-fat Swiss cheese, finely chopped

Cooking spray

1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Increase heat to medium-high. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic to drippings in pan; sauté for 6 minutes. Add potatoes and stock; cook 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add spinach, basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in crumbled bacon and cheese. Place mushroom mixture in an 11 x 7-inch broiler-safe glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 350°.

3. Uncover dish. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, milk, and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour egg mixture over mushroom mixture. Bake at 350° for 28 minutes.

4. Preheat broiler to high; remove dish while broiler preheats. Broil 3 minutes or until top is browned and just set. Let stand 5 minutes.

David Bonom, Cooking Light
DECEMBER 2012

Sausage and Polenta Breakfast Casserole

Creamy and savory collide in a wonderful way—everyone gathered around your holiday breakfast table will love this one.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

10 ounce diced chicken andouille sausage

2 cups sliced green onions

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 1/2 cups fat-free milk

1 1/2 cups uncooked quick-cooking polenta

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

1.75 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/3 cup)

2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add sausage; sauté 3 minutes or until browned. Add onions, thyme, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Bring milk to a simmer in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in polenta and salt; simmer 7 minutes, stirring frequently with a whisk. Remove from heat. Add cheeses; stir until cheeses melt. Place the polenta mixture in a large bowl; let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper sauce and eggs. Add sausage mixture; stir well to combine. Spread polenta mixture into a 2-quart glass or ceramic broiler-safe baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cool to room temperature. Cover surface with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 425°.

4. Uncover dish. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or just until set.

5. Preheat broiler to high; remove dish while broiler preheats. Broil 2 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes.

David Bonom, Cooking Light
DECEMBER 2012

 Pineapple and Orange Salad with Toasted Coconut

Serve this all-purpose side with any of our casseroles. Assemble the night ­before, but stir in and sprinkle with coconut just before serving. Omit the red pepper if you prefer a very mild mix.

Ingredients

2 cups orange sections (about 4 oranges)

1/2 cup pomegranate arils

4 sliced peeled kiwifruit

1 (4-pound) pineapple, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 teaspoon grated lime rind

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted and divided

Preparation

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine rind and next 3 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl. Gently stir lime mixture into fruit mixture; cover and chill.

2. Just before serving, stir 1/4 cup coconut into pineapple mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup coconut.

David Bonom, Cooking Light
DECEMBER 2012

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner.  Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children.  She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.