These oatmeal muffins with fruit and nuts are a quick and delicious way to ensure a nutritious breakfast for busy, on-the-go families!

Servings: 12

What you need:

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup 1% low fat milk

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

3 cups oats (old fashioned or quick cooking)

2 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup chocolate chips (or chopped apple, walnuts, raisins or craisins)

 

Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix all ingredients, spray muffin pan (or use liners) with cooking spray and pour the batter into 12 muffin cups. Cook for 20-30 minutes or when muffins start to brown. Cool on a wired rack.

A simple sauce and a seasoning rub makes these pork tenderloins and mashed potatoes taste like heaven!

Pork + sauce

Servings: 4

What you need:

4-6 thick boneless pork tenderloins

1 tsp of cumin

1 tsp of garlic powder

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of pepper

⅓ cup of shallots or onion

¾ c pomegranate juice (or cranberry juice)

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

Run seasoning on pork. Heat pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Grill pork. When cooked through, remove from pan, set aside and cover in foil to keep warm. In the same pan, grill the onions for 1 minute. Add the vinegar, juice and sugar. Stir for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Drizzle sauce on top of pork and mashed potatoes. YUM!

 

MONSTER MASH POTATOES (makes 4 servings)

4 large Idaho potatoes

½ cup 1% low fat milk (+ more if needed to loosen the mixture)

½ stick butter

salt & pepper

Peel and cube potatoes. Place in a pot filled with cold water while chopping to prevent browning. Over medium heat, cook the potatoes until tender (use a fork to determine this). Drain the water, keeping the potatoes in the pot. Add the milk and butter. Whip the potatoes with a hand-held blender or a potato masher until fluffy.

Nutritionist Jill Castle shows teens how to make this homemade chicken soup that’s perfect for a school lunch or dinner.

Servings: 4-6

What you need:

2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded

3 chicken bouillon cubes or 3 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 carrots, sliced

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon basil

32 oz. chicken broth

2 cups wide egg noodles

salt & pepper to taste

To cook chicken: Poach chicken by placing breasts in a large skillet; cover with water and 3 chicken bouillon cubes (or 3 teaspoons chicken granules). Bring to a simmer over medium to low heat and let cook, turning over the breasts, about 20 minutes or until cooked through. Chicken will be white. Set aside to cool, and shred by hand.

For the Soup: Saute the onions in olive oil over medium heat until they become translucent. Add the carrots, celery and herbs; saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add broth and chicken, heating until it starts to boil. Turn down the heat and add the noodles and simmer until cooked through, about 6 minutes.

Nutritionist Jill Castle demonstrates a delicious, easy-breezy way to get the recommended daily intake of veggies!

* To learn how to make a Caesar Salad Wrap, go HERE

Servings: 4

What you need:

1 head Romaine Lettuce, washed and cut into bite-size pieces

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Homemade croutons (below)

Caesar salad dressing (below)

 

Place lettuce, croutons, and Parmesan cheese together in a large salad bowl. Add Caesar dressing and toss. Serve immediately.

 

Homemade Croutons

Leftover bread such as French, Italian or sourdough, cut into 1” cubes

2 Tablespoons Olive oil

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions:

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes to the pan, sprinkle with salt and toss. Brown over medium heat, stirring and flipping the croutons until crunchy (about 10 minutes).

 

Caesar Salad Dressing

¾ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

½ cup Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons milk

 

Add ingredients to a food processor (or whisk by hand) and blend thoroughly. Add more milk to thin dressing if necessary.

Welcome to Kate’s Kitchen with Teens.

Who thought a grilled cheese could be THIS good and healthy!

Servings: 1 grilled cheese

What you need:

2 slices of whole grain bread

1 slice each of american, cheddar, mozzarella cheese

¼ avocado

2 pats (teaspoons) butter

Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Spread each slice of bread with butter. Place 1 slice butter side down on the hot griddle. Add cheese and avocado. Cover with second piece of bread, butter side up. Flip when bread is browned. Cook until browned and cheese is melted.

The delicious crumb topping makes these the best blueberry muffins ever!

Servings: 12

What you need:

1½ cups whole wheat flour

¾ cup white sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup Plain Greek yogurt (Chobani)

1 egg

1 cup fresh blueberries

 

Rocky Topping:

¼ cup white sugar

3 tablespoons cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup cold butter, cubed

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners. Combine 1½ cups flour, ¾ cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Add to the flour mixture yogurt and egg. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Welcome to Kate’s Kitchen with Teens.

If you love fettuccine alfredo at a restaurant, you will love this healthier version even more!

Servings: 4-6

What you need:

1 pound whole grain fettuccine

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup cold low fat milk

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup evaporated non fat milk

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup grated parmesan cheese

Boil fettuccine according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, whisk the flour and low-fat milk in a bowl. Place the garlic and 1 tbsp. olive oil in the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, about 30 seconds. Add the flour-milk mixture and bring to a boil, whisking. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add the evaporated milk, 1/2 tsp. salt, and the grated parmesan cheese; stir to melt, 1 minute. Toss with the fettuccine pasta.

Nutritionist Jill Castle shows you how to make this delicious, whole-grain chicken caesar wrap in minutes!

Serving: 1 wrap

What you need:

½ cup shredded chicken

caesar salad (recipe HERE)

caesar salad dressing (recipe HERE)

flour tortilla wraps

 

Spread a flour tortilla with caesar salad dressing. Add shredded chicken and about 1 cup of salad. Wrap the tortilla into a tube and secure with a toothpick. Slice in half at a diagonal and serve.

Welcome to Kate’s Kitchen with Teens.

This is the perfect meal for a busy after-school night when you don’t have a lot of time.

Servings: 4-6

What you need:

3 tablespoons butter

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (Watch cooking video for instructions)

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon seasoning salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

Combine the seasonings in a small bowl. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and sprinkle with some of the seasoning mixture. Saute about 7-10 minutes on each side or until the juices run clear.

 

Incredible  Cous Cous (makes 4 servings)

1 tablespoon of canola oil

½ cup packed baby kale, chopped

⅓ cup dried cranberries

1 cup cous cous

2 cups chicken broth

¼ cup pine nuts

In pot with a lid, bring the broth to a boil; add the cous cous, cover and take off the heat and rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, saute the pinenuts over medium heat, stirring constantly until toasted.  Throw in the chopped kale and cranberries, cover for another minute. Fluff with a fork. Last, add the toasted pine nuts and mix together.