Here’s a new recipe I tried out last night. The boy liked it and everything had a very nice cider-y flavor.

Prep: 20 min. | Total: 30 min.
Makes 4 servings

The Stuff
1 onion
1 red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
4 whole chicken legs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

The Work
1 – Peel and slice the onion. Seed and chop the bell pepper. Peel and mince the garlic. Remove the skin from the chicken legs if desired.

2 – In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

3 – Add the onion, bell pepper and garlit to skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cider, thyme, pepper and salt and bring mixture to a boil.

4 – Return the chicken to skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, turning the chicken occasionaly, until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Serve the chicken with vegetables and pan juices spooned on top.

Dan’s Recommendations
I suggest using chicken breasts or thighs since there would be more meat. I like lots of garlic, too, so I put 4 cloves into the mixture and to be honest, I couldn’t even taste it. I usually season to taste, as opposed to putting in the amount a recipe calls for.

Prep: 15 min. | Total: 35 min.
Makes 4 servings, about 1 1/4 cups each

The Stuff
3 cups farfalle (bow-tie pasta), cooked drained
1 jar (14 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

The Work
Combine pasta, spaghetti sauce, ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese in large skillet or large saucepan – probably the same pot you cooked the pasta in.

Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and remaining 1/2 Parmesan cheese; cover. Let stand for 5 minutes or until mozzarella cheese is melted.

Dan’s Recommendations
Some sort of bread-type side would go well with this: rolls, french bread, biscuits, etc.

My Wife
She is a Pescatarian and doesn’t eat meat except for the occasional seafood.

My Daughter
She follows in her mother’s foot steps and … sort of. Our daughter goes in phases where she wont eat any meat, then there will be times where she’ll mooch some of my bacon or have some chicken. Did I mention that she also hates most veggies? Her fickleness is a constant challenge.

My Son
He’ll eat pretty much whatever is put in front of him. Of course, he is still a toddler so nothing relating to food is a guarantee.

Myself
I’m a meat and potatoes kind of guy. Not too hot for the vegetables, but with the kids, I try to set a good example… which also involves teaching them to smother their broccoli with mashed potatoes so they can’t taste it.

With all of this going on, it’s obviously a challenge finding meals that are time and cost effective, which everyone will eat.

My hope is that with this new series of posts, I can post recipes which have received seals of approval from all of us. We’re very busy and after searching fruitlessly online for kid tested, parent approved recipes, and after hearing other parents complain about the same thing, I thought I would try to do something to help. I hope these posts will help families out there looking for the same things I have been.

Enjoy!