We couldn’t resist this simple Tomato Basil Pasta recipe from Apron Strings—it’s literally made in one pot! Even better, it’s got tons of healthy veggies, making sure your little ones get the nutrition they need. Sounds like a dinner winner. For even more easy dinner ideas, check out our collection of 30-minute meals.
Tomato Basil Pasta Recipe Ingredients:
12 ounces linguine pasta
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid
1 large sweet onion, cut in julienne strips
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 large sprigs basil, chopped
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth (regular broth, not low sodium)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese for garnish
Cooking Method:
1. Place pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and basil in a large stock pot. Pour in vegetable broth. Sprinkle on top of the pepper flakes and oregano. Drizzle top with olive oil.
2. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer, keep covered, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated – leave about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot–but you can reduce as desired.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stirring pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot. Serve garnished with parmesan cheese.
This no-brainer crock pot recipe is as easy as it can get
For an easy dinner, nothing beats relying on your crock pot. This crock pot chicken recipe—from Phyllis Good’s new book, Stock the Crock—is truly a slice of heaven. Convenient, delicious, and adaptable to Paleo diets, we’re betting this recipe will soon become a part of your nightly rotation. Read on for the crock pot recipe below, and then check out her book by clicking here.
You’ll need a 6 qt. oval slow cooker
Serves 4 to 5
Prep: 10 to 15 minutes
Cook: 4 to 5 hours.
Chicken Crock Pot Recipe Ingredients:
1 lemon, sliced
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4- to 5-pound whole chicken
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1⁄2 to 2 cups chicken broth (make your own, page 256) or dry white wine, or a combination of the two
3⁄4 to 1 pound gluten-free noodles, cooked, optional
1⁄2 pound peeled baby carrots, cooked, optional
1 1⁄2 cups peas, cooked, optional
fresh toppers: fresh rosemary and lemon slices
Method:
1. Grease the interior of the slow cooker crock with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place the lemon slices and rosemary sprigs into the cavity of the chicken.
3. Holding the chicken over the crock, sprinkle salt and pepper all over the bird. Place it in the prepared crock.
4. Pour the chicken broth and/or white wine down along the sides of the crock so you don’t wash the seasoning off the chicken.
5. Cover. Cook on Low 4 to 5 hours, or until the legs move freely and an instant-read meat thermometer stuck into the breast (but not against the bone) registers 160°F or stuck into the thickest part of a thigh (but not against the bone) registers 175°F.
6. Remove and discard the lemon slices and rosemary sprigs. Cut up the chicken, and serve with noodles, carrots, and peas, if desired. Add fresh rosemary and lemon slices, if desired. Reserve the broth for gravy or as a soup base for another meal.
Good to Know: Simple Swaps
Add 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder in addition to salt and pepper in Step 3. After seasoning, put the chicken in the crock, breast down, and sprinkle in a pinch of saffron just before cooking. Saffron isn’t cheap, but it really boosts the wonderful flavor of this chicken!
For more broth, add 3 to 4 cups of water in Step 4.
Place half of an onion into the cavity of the chicken in Step 2 for additional flavor. Remove it in Step 6 before cutting up the chicken.
How to Make It Paleo-Friendly
Use sea salt instead of iodized salt.
Eat the chicken with vegetables (remember, no legumes, potatoes, or grains) for one main meal and with fresh salad ingredients for another (steering clear of commercial salad dressings, of course).
Phyllis Good is the most trusted name for slow-cooker recipes. According to the New York Times, her books have sold more copies in the US than the combined works of popular Food Network hosts Ina Garten, Giada De Laurentiis, and Jamie Oliver. With her new cookbook Stock the Crock (Oxmoor House, September 2017, $21.99), Good has compiled 100 delicious must-have recipes as well as 200 easy-to-follow variations for any dietary preference (gluten-free, paleo, vegan, etc.). Crowd-sourced from Good’s massive fan base and tried-and-tested by Good herself, the recipes in this book promise to be made time and again.
What did the angry pepperoni say? What museums do NY comedians love?
Kids and jokes are a match made in heaven. (We find the sillier, cornier, and punnier, the better.) Take your family’s joking up a notch with these NYC-centric goofs that hopefully won’t make you gag! (See what we did there?)
1. What's a New Yorker's favorite storm?
A Cyclone.
2. How do the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges communicate?
In span-ish.
3. Why was the bagel store robbed?
The lox were broken.
4. What did the angry pepperoni say?
You wanna pizza me?
5. Where do New York chefs get their broth?
The Stock Exchange.
6. What do you call a barber in the Bronx?
A Yankee Clipper.
7. What did the Atlantic Ocean say to the sand?
Nothing, it just waved.
8. Where’s the best place to charge your phone in NYC?
Battery Park.
iStock
9. Where did the rooster live?
In a co-op.
10. How do New Yorkers show affection?
They’ll give you a hug and a knish.
11. How did the sailor get around the city?
He took Ocean Parkway.
12. What’s the best street for moving trucks?
Broadway.
13. What is the landscaper’s favorite museum?
Mow-Ma.
14. Where do the Rolling Stones love to perform?
Rock Center.
15. What museum do comedians love?
The Wit-ney
16. What’s the coziest spot in New York?
Snug Harbor
17. Where did the math teacher like to hang out?
Times Square
18. Who do kids in Chelsea hang out with?
Their piers.
19. Can a kid jump higher than the Statue of Liberty?
Of course, silly. The Statue of Liberty can't jump!
Fireworks and noodle soup are two fun Lunar New Year traditions for families
Whether it’s called Chinese New Year, Seollal, Shōgatsu, or Tết, Lunar New Year (running officially from New Year’s Eve on Jan 22. through Feb. 5) is a special holiday for more than 1.6 billion people of Asian descent across the globe. Think of it as a cross between the Fourth of July, Passover, Christmas, and the biggest birthday bash ever—all rolled into one. There are some essential customs that many people hold dear, and each one revolves around family, food, fortune, and fun; these Lunar New Year traditions will help you teach your kids about this important holiday.
Prepare for the Lunar New Year
Kipp Jarecke-Cheng
Although it happens in the middle of winter, Lunar New Year is also known as the Spring Festival in many Asian countries. As such, it’s also a time when many families prepare for the new year (and the coming spring) with major house cleaning. Asian superstition dictates that household organization extends to finances too, which means paying off or collecting debts before the new year.
In addition to decorating the house with red paper cutouts and banners—particularly rabbit-themed decorations in 2023—during this festive time, a fun activity to do with kids is folding origami boxes and putting small lights in them as a way to remember ancestors and wish for good luck in the coming year.
Pro-tip: Plan to do housekeeping before the new year commences. Many celebrants believe that sweeping around the house on Lunar New Year’s Day is akin to sweeping away all of your good luck for the year!
Have Some Noodle Soup
Kipp Jarecke-Cheng
There are many different traditional dishes that are enjoyed during Lunar New Year, but one of the most common dishes served across Asian countries during the holiday is a bowl of noodle soup. On Lunar New Year’s Eve and Day, families often eat handmade wheat noodles in a savory broth that includes vegetables and hard-boiled eggs. Long noodles represent longevity and long life, while eggs symbolize rebirth and starting anew.
Pro-tip: Don’t cut the noodles! Slurping is OK and expected. Also, it’s traditional to serve elders and the little ones before serving yourself.
Mo’ Money, Mo’ Fortunes
Kipp Jarecke-Cheng
During Lunar New Year, kids may receive festively decorated red envelopes that are filled with “lucky money,” along with written notes wishing them health, happiness, and success. Known as lai see (Cantonese), ang pao (Hokkien) or hong bao (Mandarin), these red packets also are given during other holidays and special occasions. Increasingly, money is given via red envelope mobile payment apps in many parts of Asia.
Pro-tip: While the amount of cash isn’t as important as the intent behind the gift, many Asian people believe the number or denomination is very important, so you’ll want to make sure you’re putting a “lucky” number inside the red envelopes. Also, make sure to include clean, crisp bills because no one wants to start the new year with crumpled cash.
While many people in America set off fireworks that light up the night sky only during Fourth of July celebrations, firecrackers are the noisemakers of choice for those who commemorate Lunar New Year. Traditionally, the sounds from the small explosions are meant to drive away evil spirits, while strings of firecrackers are invariably red, which is an auspicious and lucky color.
Pro-tip: Since most places require special permits or have banned fireworks and firecrackers outright, take the kiddos to your city or town’s Chinatown, which often has firecracker displays and lion dances during the weeks of the Lunar New Year. Alternately, ringing bells to usher in the Lunar New Year is a perfectly acceptable way to ward off evil spirits this time of year. Plus, you’ll have an excuse to use those jingle bells left over from Christmas.
Dress for Success for Lunar New Year
Kipp Jarecke-Cheng
Dressing in bright colors—especially in red—is common practice during Lunar New Year. Revelers wear their fanciest duds as a way to scare away evil spirits and invite good fortune to them. Some devotees will even go as far as wearing red underpants! Wearing new clothes from head to toe also symbolizes new beginnings for the new year, and wearing something red is the luckiest color of them all.
Pro-tip: Red looks good on everybody.
Take a Family Photo
Kipp Jarecke-Cheng
Most importantly, Lunar New Year is about spending time and celebrating with family and loved ones. For many Asian families, Lunar New Year is the one time in the year when entire extended families get to see each other, so it’s the perfect opportunity to snap an annual family portrait. If you live far away from relatives, this might not be possible, so try other ways to stay connected like these sweet ideas for keeping in touch with grandparents from a distance.
Pro-tip: Your family portrait shouldn’t be too staged or too pose-y. It’s a celebration. Have fun!
This Japanese noodle soup recipe is easy to make and hearty enough to make a meal
Scallions and fresh ginger spice the broth, while carrots, mushrooms, and noodles make a hearty base in this Japanese Vegetable Noodle Soup recipe. Your little chef will love squeezing lime juice into this flavorful soup, served alongside orange slices.
Ingredients for Japanese Vegetable Noodle Soup
64 ounces low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger
2 cups bok choy, sliced, or 2 cups Napa cabbage, sliced
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
2 carrots, sliced on the diagonal
8 16-ounce extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
6 ounces ramen noodles, flavor packet discarded
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 lime, juiced
1/4 cup cilantro, mint or basil, chopped
6 oranges, cut into wedges, for serving
Method:
1. Adult: Place the broth, soy sauce, and ginger in a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil.
2. Together: Add the cabbage or bok choy, mushrooms, carrots, and tofu, stirring after each addition. Cook for about 2 minutes.
3. Together: Add the ramen noodles, taking care to discard the flavor packet. Reduce heat and keep the soup at a low boil. Keep at a low boil for 3 minutes more, or until the ramen is just cooked.
4. Kid: Add the scallions, lime juice, and fresh herbs to the pot. Cook for about 1 minute more, or until all the ingredients are heated through.
5. Together: Divide the soup into 6 bowls, place on plates with the orange wedges, and enjoy!
These Laxota recipes will appeal to everyone at your table this holiday season
November is Native American Heritage Month and it’s an important opportunity to recognize and honor the original inhabitants of North America. Help kids (and their grown-ups) make that connection by filling their tummies with indigenous cuisine. These Native American recipes are also great for cooking with kids. We caught up with Chef Kimberly Tilsen-Brave Heart of Etiquette Catering in Rapid City, SD for some mouth-watering menu items that incorporate traditional Lakota ingredients.
“As the original inhabitants of this land, it is important to teach all children the significance of indigenous foods, history, and existence,” says Chef Kimberly Tilsen-Brave Heart. “We all reside upon the ancestral lands of indigenous people.”
With full recipes below, Chef Tilsen-Brave Heart has curated a special menu for Native American Heritage Month and beyond. The following mouth-watering dishes incorporate ingredients like pumpkin and bison, which are major food staples for the Lakota people. You’ll also find foods like cranberries and rice that are also indigenous ingredients.
Braise 2 lbs of Buffalo meat (1-inch cubes) with half an onion (fine chop), in a warmed stockpot with 3-4 tbsp. olive oil
Spice 1 tbsp. garlic powder, 2 tbsp. kosher salt, 1 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. paprika, 1/2 tsp. turmeric, and 3-4 bay leaves
After browned, add Mirepoix (chopped onions, carrots, celery), and a can of diced tomatoes
Add 2 cups of water or stock/broth and simmer on medium-low heat for 30-45 mins or until tender. (Stir occasionally, more water or stick/broth may be needed) times will vary with the size of the meat and location
When meat is tender add 6-8 cups of beef broth/stock or water and bring back to boil 6-8 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces or bigger
Cook an additional 15-20 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender
Remove from heat and let stand for 10-15 minutes, serve
While there is no actual cure for the common cold, there’s plenty you can do to ease your symptoms. Before you reach for that cold medicine, however, the best remedy might simply be soup—specifically, chicken noodle soup.
One dietitian explains exactly how chicken soup can help fight colds: “Studies have shown that a hearty bowl of chicken noodle soup may help clear nasal congestion and ease cold symptoms,” said Sandy Allonen, a clinical dietitian at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. “It’s all about the ingredients.”
Besides the obvious nutritional benefits of carrots, celery, and even onions and chicken, chicken noodle soup has some other healthy tricks up its sleeve. As Allonen explains, the warm broth can soothe a sore throat and provide hydration, the steam can help clear your nose, the salt can stimulate your tastebuds (encouraging you to eat more even when food tastes bland), and even the chicken can help.
“Chicken is high in tryptophan, which helps your body produce serotonin that can enhance your mood and give you the feeling of ‘comfort’ that helps make chicken noodle soup a true comfort food,” Allonen said. With all the bugs going around these days, it’s time to put the soup on.
Most fans of The Mandalorian would admit their fave character is “The Child.” Also known as Baby Yoda and his actual name of Grogu, this adorably sweet figure is coming to shopDisney with four new plush dolls!
The collection shows Grogu in adorable states of being that include sipping bone broth from a cup, chowing on a bowl of squid, snacking on a Sorgan frog and meditating on Tython. Each plush measures at just over 7″ and has coordinating collectible pins that are sold separately.
The new plush and pin collections are available starting Sat. Mar. 6 on shopDisney. Each plush retails for $16.99 each and each pin for $15.99.
The collection is a limited release and a collector’s dream. Don’t wait around to snag because it will sell out.
Editor’s Note: The availability of indoor dining has fluctuated significantly recently in counties in and around the city of Chicago. Please reach out to the restaurant before planning an in-person visit to inquire on procedures or support restaurants by ordering take-out or delivery.
Slurp it. Stir it. Make waves. Blow on it. Nibble the good stuff and use a straw for the rest. No wonder kids love soup; it’s so fun to eat. And it keeps us warm and cozy, which right now is a very good thing. (Can you even believe we’ve already seen snow?) In Chicago, soup comes in all kinds of varieties. From a Jewish deli with great Matzah balls to an Argyle Street pho haven, here is where to get your fix and support Chicago restaurants at the same time.
Urbanbelly
Chef Bill Kim’s original ramen restaurant is full of soups worth guzzling. The namesake ramen is a favorite with braised pork belly, mushrooms and egg. For a pint-sized pot, try the kids chicken noodle soup with thick udon noodles and crispy chicken in a mild broth. Housed in an artsy loft building, the space itself is a feast for the senses—communal tables, funky lighting and all.
R.J. Grunts
R.J. Grunts is the very first Lettuce Entertain You creation and holds the honor of having the very first salad bar in America. They only have two soups on the menu: Broccoli Cheddar and Chicken Noodle, but they are both the ultimate comfort foods. And, as a bonus, R.J. Grunts is just steps away from wintery fun at Lincoln Park Zoo.
Soupbox
Soupbox is small, with just a few tables, and the focus is on the cauldrons of soup from which you serve yourself. Twelve kinds of soup are served daily and you can try samples of them all. Ladle soup out into a bread bowl for an even tastier treat. The signature lobster bisque is perfect for adventurous eaters, and we guarantee they’ll be too busy scarfing down the broccoli and white cheddar soup that they’ll forget it has veggies. Bonus: You can get it delivered by DoorDash, UberEats, Postmates, Caviar or GrubHub for those souper cold days and they have vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
2943 N. Broadway St., Lakeview; Online: soupbox.com
Artopolis
This café has a storybook of Greek specialties in a bright and open space. Kids love checking out the myriad of colorful pastries that line the bakery when you first walk in. The traditional soup—chicken and rice—is a must-order. The luscious lemon-y broth is studded with chunks of chicken and a smattering of white rice. Order it with the homemade bread and you have yourself the perfect winter lunch.
Max and Benny’s
Ask any bubbie and she’ll tell you that matzah ball soup is the cure for just about anything. This homey Jewish deli follows that train of thought and dishes out matzah balls so big your kids may mistake them for giant snowballs. Try the Mish Mosh, a ginormous bowl of chicken soup with a heaping of noodles, rice, kreplach, matzah balls, kasha and carrots. The kids’ menus double as coloring books for added mealtime fun.
Hai Yen
Venture to Argyle Street in Uptown for pho, a traditional Vietnamese soup made from beef stock and spices. It’s served in a number of restaurants up and down the strip, but our favorite is this modern, minimal spot. For the first-timer, try the Pho Tai, a beef noodle soup full of steak and noodles, and a side plate of Thai basil, bean sprouts, jalapeno and lime.
Larsa’s Fine Mediterranean Food
If you find yourself looking for a place to eat after ping-ponging from store to store in Westfield Old Orchard Shopping Center, it’s worth the short trek east to try this colorful, family-owned spot. Its lentil soup is made fresh daily and is a traditional (and healthy) favorite. Ask for fresh-from-the-oven pita bread and sop it up.
Frontera Grill
If you haven’t tried Frontera Grill’s chicken tortilla soup, you are missing out. Seriously. It will ruin you on all other chicken tortilla soups because very few compare. It’s light and brothy with just the right amount of kick. From the presentation—where it’s brought out in the copper pot and poured over tortilla chips and cheese right in front of you—down to the last slurp, you’ll be begging for more. Be sure if you hit up this favorite date night spot, you start with the soup. Tip: If you ever find yourself delayed at O’Hare, grab a bowl at Tortas Frontera in Terminals 1, 3 and 5.
Disney+’s Mandalorian has one new character that’s getting major attention—The Child. The super-popular “Baby Yoda” is suddenly popping up everywhere. From ugly Christmas sweaters to t-shirts, this adorable alien is all over new Disney merch—and now Hasbro has a talking plush toy.
The Star Wars The Child Talking Plush Toy ($25) would be the perfect addition to your kiddo’s holiday wish list. Sadly, the popular plush is only available for pre-order right now.
photo: Amazon
The new “Baby Yoda” toy officially debuts May 18, 2020. If you want to make sure you get your hands on one (before they sell out), you can pre-order the Mandolorian merchandise on Amazon, from Target, at ShopDisney.com or from other fave retailers.
The Child plush, which is age-graded for children three and up, comes with 10 sound effects, poseable arms, a bone broth bowl and a Sorgan frog.
