Tortellini, Spinach, and Black Bean Soup

by writerredtriDecember 10, 2022

There’s nothing quite like the magic of throwing simple ingredients into a pot and ending up with a delicious and comforting soup. It’s a kind of kitchen magic that never gets old. If you need some inspiration for just such a concoction, we’ve got your back with this hearty tortellini soup recipe from Jen, of How To: Simplify. This comfort soup is sure to warm you up, fill you up, and even sneak some tasty spinach into your picky eater’s bowl.

Ingredients:

32 ounces of chicken stock
1 15-ounce can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tablespoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon cumin
1-2 dashes of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper (to taste)
1 9-ounce package of Buitoni Sweet Italian Sausage Tortellini
1 cup fresh spinach

Method:

1. Pour the chicken stock and the entire can of diced tomatoes into a large pot. Add the black beans, basil, cumin, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Add the tortellini and cook for 8-10 minutes (according to the package instructions).
3. Add the fresh spinach into the pot and cook for an additional minute.
4. Season with salt and pepper (to taste). Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy Jen at How To: Simplify. By day, Jen is a Senior Account Executive and Project Manager at Mom It Forward. In her spare time, she can be found in her kitchen covered in either flour, sugar, or both. Her philosophy when it comes to cooking and baking is “the more from scratch, the better.” Her aim is to share tips and tricks, as well as simple recipes that require very few ingredients (many of which you probably already have in your kitchen) and only a small amount of prep and cook time. Check out the How To: Simplify blog for more great recipes!

Easy One-Pan Shakshuka

By Catherine McCord

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

February 20, 2021

Photo: Weelicious

This one-pan meal from Catherine McCord of Weelicious is the perfect weekend brunch dish. Catherine says, “Shakshuka has existed in mediterranean countries for centuries and you will find different variations on it depending on where it’s served.” With eggs, spices, cheese and veggies, your kids will go wild for this dish.

2-3 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, roughly chopped (whichever you prefer)
4 large eggs
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
bread or pita, toasted for serving
avocado, sliced for serving

Preparation:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes or until becoming translucent. Add the bell pepper, garlic and salt and continue sautéing for 3 more minutes or until vegetables have softened.

2. Add the smoked paprika, cumin and coriander and sauté for 1 minute to toast the herbs. Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and stir the sauce until combined. Simmer the sauce over medium low for 15 minutes to med the flavors.

3. Using the back of a large spoon make 4 indents spaced out in the sauce and gently crack eggs into these “wells”. Cook the eggs and sauce for 5-6 minutes or until the whites are set and the eggs yolks are still jiggly. If you want your egg yolks fully cooked through cook for a total of 8-9 minutes.

4. Serve in bowls with toast and sliced avocado if desired or eat right out of the skillet like we do.

This post originally appeared on Weelicious.

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Catherine McCord

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Catherine McCord is the co-founder of One Potato and the founder of the popular Weelicious brand, a trusted content resource synonymous with family and food. She has written three cookbooks including her latest Smoothie Project. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children.

3 Diverse Recipes Kids Will Love

By Kristen Denzer

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

January 15, 2021

Tricking your kids into eating healthy can be a struggle for parents. And finding new and creative ways to fit in fruits and vegetables without getting caught only gets more difficult.

Certified food managers experienced in preparing food for children with special food needs from Tierra Encantada, the leader in Spanish Immersion Early Education developed a variety of recipes that are kid and allergy friendly, nutritious, culturally diverse and easy to make for multiple children. Read on for three great recipes!

Chickadillo

A chicken-y spin on the traditional Latin American favorite, Picadillo!

Ingredients:

- 1 pound chicken breast

- 1 onion

- 1 green pepper

- 1 red pepper

- 2 Potatoes

- 3 cloves of garlic

- 1 can of tomato sauce

½ cup of chicken broth

- 1/3 cup lemon juice

- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

- 1 bunch asparagus

- 2 bay leaves

- ¼ cup golden raisins

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- Salt

- Pepper

- Fresh cilantro leaves (garnish)

- 2 tablespoons green olives (optional)

- 6-8 corn tortillas

Instructions:

- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, peppers, and garlic, and sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.

- Add the chicken cut in small squares and stir-fry for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the chicken has cooked through.

- Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, lemon juice, cumin, bay leaves, potatoes, asparagus and raisins.

- Cover the pan and reduce the heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

- Before serving remove the bay leaves and garnish with fresh cilantro and olives.

- Enjoy with corn tortillas, you can even create your own Chickadillo tacos!

Kids love this dish, make it your own by adding cheese and your favorite garnishes!

One Skillet Mexican Quinoa

The perfect meal for when you want to wash as few dishes as possible!

Ingredients:

- 3 tablespoon olive oil

- 3 cloves of garlic

- 1 can black beans

- 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

- 1 cup yellow corn

- 1 cup quinoa

- 1 cups water

- 1 onion

- 2 teaspoons chili powder

- 2 teaspoons cumin

- Salt and black pepper to taste

- 1 lime

- Cilantro

- Avocado (optional garnish)

Instructions:

- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic in hot oil until fragrant, about 1 minute.

- Stir black beans, tomatoes, yellow corn, quinoa, and water into skillet, season with chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper.

- Bring to a boil, cover the skillet with a lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer until quinoa is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed, about 20 minutes.

- Stir lime juice and cilantro into quinoa until combined.

Make this dish your own by adding meat and other veggies!

Cheesy Ham & Potato Soup

The perfect recipe for this chilly weather!

Ingredients:

- 3 large potatoes, diced

- 3 celery ribs, chopped

- 1 medium onion, chopped

- 3 carrots, chopped

- 8oz of ham, chopped

- 4 cups chicken broth

- Salt (to taste)

- Pepper (to taste)

- 5 tablespoons butter

- 3 tablespoons flour

- 2 cups milk

- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

- Extra cheese to sprinkle on top (optional)

Instructions:

- Melt the butter and sauté the onions and garlic.

- Add ham, celery, carrots, and potatoes.

- Stir in flour.

- Add broth and milk.

- Add salt and pepper.

- Cook over medium heat until potatoes and veggies are tender.

- Add cheese in small amounts, stir until melted, repeat until all your cheese is gone.

Top with extra cheese and enjoy!

This post originally appeared on Tierra Encantada.

Kristen Denzer

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Tierra Encantada is a warm, community-oriented Spanish Immersion Daycare and Preschool headquartered in Minneapolis, MN and currently expanding nationwide. We offer quality child care for children ranging from 6 weeks – 6 years of age. We focus on the growth of the whole child and believe children learn best by doing. Our award-winning bilingual education program fosters early cognitive development and teaches a respect for diversity.

Make Room in Your Spice Cabinet, Trader Joe’s Just Released “Everything but the Elote Seasoning Blend”

by Jennifer SwartvagherFebruary 22, 2020

Trader Joe’s has our back when it comes to spice blends. We sprinkle Everything but the Bagel Seasoning on everything and cooking is not the same without their Chile Lime and Onion Salt blends. Now, Everything but the Elote Seasoning Blend will become a welcome addition to your pantry.

View this post on Instagram

📷: “Elote-Jalapeño Cornbread #Pancakes,” feat. #TraderJoes Everything But the Elote #Seasoning • Link to #TJsRecipe is in our bio! 🌽🧂🥞 #WeLikeItElote • Throughout Mexico & across the U.S., street vendors sell mouthwatering, well-seasoned corn on the cob known as #elote. While the fixins may vary from vendor to vendor, anyone who grew up visiting the neighborhood #elotero or making elote at home can attest to its crave-ability. • In the spirit of our #EverythingButTheBagel that came before it, TJ’s #EverythingButTheElote is "Everything" you might find on elote—chile pepper, Parmesan cheese, dried cilantro, salt, etc.—minus the corn itself. We add a bit of corn flour & cane sugar* in its absence, though, so there’s no mistaking what this stuff meant to mimic. ..................................................................... *FUN FACT FOR FOOD NERDS: 🔍 Ingredients must always be listed on product labels in descending order by weight. However, according to federal food labeling guidelines, values listed in the nutrition facts panel must be rounded to zero if the amount is considered “insignificant.” For example, if a product contains less than .5g of sugar per serving, which this one does, then the value must be rounded down to 0g of sugar per serving, even though sugar is listed as an ingredient.

A post shared by Trader Joe's (@traderjoes) on Feb 17, 2020 at 5:32pm PST

This mix of salt, chili pepper, cheese, chipotle, and cumin is delicious on corn or roasted vegetables, but you can use it on many other nontraditional elote recipes as well.

According to Trader Joe’s Instagram post, “Throughout Mexico & across the U.S., street vendors sell mouthwatering, well-seasoned corn on the cob known as #elote. While the fixins may vary from vendor to vendor, anyone who grew up visiting the neighborhood #elotero or making elote at home can attest to its crave-ability.”

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Trader Joe’s

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5 Chef-Worthy Holiday Cooking Ideas to Try

By Ruthi Davis

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

January 3, 2020

Chef Ryan Rondeno, a private chef to the stars like Ashton Kutcher, Diddy, Ben Affleck, Will Smith, Common, Tyrese Gibson, and Robert Smith has holiday cooking tips to help prepare you for the season’s festivities filled with family, friends, and of course, unforgettable food. Check out the tips below and plus a couple of lavish recipes, using simple techniques, so that everyone (including you, the host!) can enjoy.

1. Stay Seasonal: Fall is one of my favorite times to cook! Food that’s flavorful with the mixture of spices and reminds us of hearty comfort food. Everyone should visit their local farmer’s market and learn what items are featured each week.

2. Try New Spices and Seasonings: Try new seasoning blends. The use of spice blends enhances the flavors of chicken, pork, lamb, beef, seafood, and vegetables. The Rondeno Spice Collection would be a great addition to your pantry!

3. Research New Recipes: Oftentimes we find ourselves in a cooking funk, often asking, “How can we keep it interesting in the family kitchen?” Use recipe Apps, videos, and articles to learn and try new recipes. Cooking classes and social media cooking groups are other options to be engaged and learn from people around the world.

4. Follow Cooking Trends: Following cooking trends allows you to be consumed with what’s relevant on the dinner table. Whether it’s avocado toast, toast, BBQ, seafood boils, or even becoming a vegetarian, trends keep the dinner table interesting and you’ll become a better cook in the process.

5. Make Your Dinner Interactive: Cooking together is significantly important in the family. Tacos, making fresh pasta, cupcakes, cookies are some examples of interactive cooking. Parents should allow each member of the family to take the lead of cooking dinner too! As parents, you have an opportunity to pass on your family culture through stories and food.

The featured recipe has been paired with a carrot top pistou and spiced creme fraiche sauce. This side dish can stand alone or become a beautiful addition to seafood, beef, lamb, or poultry.

Cumin Roasted Carrots with Spiced Creme Fraiche

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

2 bunches of heirloom carrots 8oz. creme fraiche

1 cup olive oil, plus 2 tbs 2 tsp. curry powder

2 tbs. butter 1 tsp. ground ginger

6 cloves garlic 1/4 c sunflower seeds

2-3 tps cumin 1 cup carrot leaves, packed

1 lemon, juiced salt to taste

1-2 tps. crushed red pepper pepper to taste

4-5 sprigs of thyme

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Remove carrot tops and reserve. Peel carrots. Thoroughly clean the carrots removing any dirt.
3. In a 12 inch saute pan, add butter and olive oil at medium heat.
4. Add cumin, 4 cloves of garlic smashed, crushed red pepper, and thyme. Toast for 30 seconds.
5. Add carrots and mix in the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes.

For the Carrot Pistou:

In a food processor, add carrot leaves, sunflower seeds, garlic, juice of half a lemon. Pulse until finely chopped. Slowly drizzle olive oil until fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.

For the Creme Fraiche:

In a small bowl, add, creme fruit, curry powder, ground ginger, and juice of 1/2 a lemon. Whisk until smooth. Season with salt and white pepper. Taste for seasoning adjustments.

To Assemble:

Smear creme fraiche on the base of the plate. Add roasted carrots. Spoon pistou on top of carrots.

* This recipe was written by Private Chef to the Stars Ryan Rondeno of Rondeno Culinary Designs.

Ruthi Davis

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Ruthi Davis is a the Founder of Ruth Davis Consulting LLC with over two decades of success in advertising/marketing, media/publicity, business development, client relations, and organizational optimization for a variety of clients. Ruthi is a proud mom and influencer in the parenting and family market as founder of the Superfly Supermom brand.

The Surprisingly Dark History of Baby Food

By Saskia Sorrosa

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

December 19, 2019

Photo: Life is Fantastic on Unsplash

We work hard to be good moms. We do our research, give up sleep, and ensure our kids have the best chance at health, happiness, and success. At a minimum, we hope product choices we find are honest in their offerings, giving us one less thing to worry about.

This is why we’re taken aback when we hear news stories that shake the foundation of these facts. Like the latest news from the CDC that found that kids under a year are eating the equivalent of seven teaspoons of sugar PER DAY. That’s more than the recommended sugar intake for adults! What? How? The last thing we want to do is train our kids to crave sweet foods like candy, leading to the risk of diabetes, childhood obesity, and heart disease.

And yet, if we take a hard look at the history of baby food commercialization and the marketing tactics still used today, we find clues that explain how we got here.

I asked Amy Bentley, NYU Professor and author of Inventing Baby Food, about the history of baby food advertising. Here are 5 surprising facts you should know before you purchase food for your baby:

“DOCTOR RECOMMENDED” WAS A CLEVER AD PLOY

Original baby food advertisers latched on to the popularity of “expert culture” during the rise of organizations like the American Medical Association. Big baby food brands began to use “Doctor Recommended” as a way to advertise and sell their products, but what consumers didn’t know was that these health claims were often paid for. What was meant to be “better for your baby” was not always as transparent as it seemed. This continues to be a common practice among big brands today.

MOM GUILT PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN MARKETING

A big trend during the first half of the 20th century was to guilt moms into buying jars of baby food by suggesting that time spent making baby food meant less time taking care of husbands. True story. Cue the eyeroll!

THE SOLID FOODS DILEMMA

During the 1950s, Doctors began to encourage feeding solid foods after just one month (you read that right: ONE MONTH). Some doctors even pushed for solids just days after birth. Baby food marketers jumped on the bandwagon and capitalized on the opportunity to sell more jars.

MARKETING HAS HISTORICALLY CENTERED AROUND BLAND BABY FOODS

White rice cereal and bland foods were once the gold baby food standard. But it’s now known that broadening your baby’s palate is important, and spices like cardamom, cumin, garlic, ginger, and turmeric help them develop taste. Not much has been done from an industry perspective to spice up baby food, which is why bland foods still dominate the grocery aisle.

SUGAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEM

Since the beginning of commercial production in the early 20th century, the problem with baby food has been added ingredients to make kids’ food more attractive. More recently, sugars from fruit predominate, meaning that products with less than one serving of kale can be marketed as a “healthy and organic” vegetable flavor.

While learning about marketing tactics and the history of baby food may be frustrating, understanding how we got here empowers us to make better choices. Knowing that most baby foods primarily use fruit sugars in kid’s products—even those marketed as veggie flavors—makes us aware of the problem and smarter about how we read labels. Always review nutritional information carefully and remember that in order to raise healthy eaters, we have to teach them to eat healthily.

Contrary to popular belief, kids are not born picky eaters. Picky eating is a learned behavior, so the more we focus on training their palates to accept a variety of flavors, the more kids can learn to enjoy bitter, tangy, earthy and savory foods that ease their transition to table foods and family meals. Try to skip or minimize the sugars in everyday foods and keep in mind that with a lot of practice and exposure, kids can learn to eat almost anything. Eating healthy is hard work and a long-term commitment that starts as early as a baby’s very first bite and continues through the rest of our lives.

Saskia Sorrosa

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

I'm the Founder & CEO of Fresh Bellies baby food brand. I've won foodie awards, pitched to Shark Tank and appeard on Forbes and CNBC. Originally from Guayaquil, Ecuador, I live in New York with my husband, Fernando and daughters, Isabella and Alexa Luna.

Healthy Nachos

by Susie ForesmanNovember 13, 2017

Who said nachos have to be bad for you? This recipe from Rani Hansen of You Totally Got This proves otherwise. They’re a great way to sneak extra veggies into your kids’ diet, but they also feel like a special treat.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups corn chips
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Pinch chili powder (or more if you like it hot)
1 small red onion
2 cups canned corn kernels
1 cup canned black beans
½ avocado
Fresh cilantro to garnish
1 long red chili to garnish (optional)
¼ cup yogurt (regular or coconut) or sour cream to serve

Method
1. Turn on your broiler.

2. Dice the avocado and red onion, and thinly slice the chili (if using). Set aside.

3. Add the crushed tomatoes, cumin, paprika, garlic powder and chili powder to a small saucepan and place on the stove over medium heat, stirring for 2 minutes or until warmed through.

4. Take the saucepan off the heat and set aside.

5. Place the corn chips in the bottom of a small shallow baking dish and sprinkle with cheese. Place under the broiler until the cheese has melted. This will only take a minute, so keep your eyes peeled.

6. Remove the tray from the grill and top the melted cheese with the nacho sauce before layering on the chopped red onion, corn and black beans. Place the tray back into the oven for 5 minutes or until the ingredients are warmed through.

7. Remove your nachos from the oven and top with avocado, cilantro and chopped chili (if using). Serve with yogurt or sour cream.

Rani Hansen shares lots more healthy recipes like this one on her blog, You Totally Got This. Head to her site to find more kid-approved meals that’ll come together in half an hour or less.

Weeknight Meal: Vegetable Shakshuka

by Leigh WeinbergMay 9, 2017

In Partnership With Eggland’s Best

Take things a bit further with your Shakshuka and add delicious vegetables!

Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 25 min Yield 4 servings

You will need:

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely diced

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)

½ tsp. cracked black pepper

½ tsp. turmeric

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 small eggplant, peeled and diced

2 poblano peppers, diced

1 cup diced Portobello mushrooms

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

Salt to taste

4 oz. feta cheese

5 large Eggland’s Best eggs

Directions:

Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium high.

Add the oil, then the onions, garlic, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and turmeric.

Cook just until the spices become fragrant, then add the tomato paste. Cook for about an additional 1 – 2 minutes.

Add the eggplant, poblano pepper, and mushrooms and cook until the vegetables are softened.

Add the crushed tomatoes, and salt (you may not need much as the feta is quite salty) then cook for another 4 – 5 minutes.

Add in the feta cheese in small clumps throughout the mixture. Make sure the cheese is submerged into the tomato sauce.

Create 5 wells in the pan and add the eggs into the wells.

Lightly run your spatula into the whites to break it slightly and allow it to incorporate some of the tomato. Leave the yolks whole.

Cook for about 2 – 5 minutes, depending on how hard you want the egg whites.

Cover and cook for 1 minute to lightly cook the top of the egg whites, but not much longer, or else you risk cooking the yolks.

Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper over the eggs and serve hot with a side of bread.

At Eggland’s Best, their commitment is to produce a more nutritious egg, which is also the finest, freshest, and most delicious egg possible. From unique hen feed and strict quality standards to their network of USDA-inspected local farms all over the United States, you can be confident that a classic, organic, or cage-free egg with the EB stamp on the shell is a nutritionally superior egg that delivers farm-fresh taste.

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Crispy Cauliflower & Potato Tacos

by Veggies Don't BiteNovember 24, 2015

Crunchy, crispy, creamy – you can already tell this cauliflower and potato taco is going to be a smash hit with the kids. Baked, not fried, this stellar recipe from Veggie Don’t Bite is as healthy as you can get! Just don’t forget to blend up Veggie Don’t Bite’s tangy dill crema. It brings the whole meal together. You can also opt for bottled dressing.

Serves 8 tacos

Ingredients:
4 cups diced red potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes)
½ head medium cauliflower, cut into thick strips (about 6 inches in diameter)
4 cups shredded cabbage
3 cups almond milk
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 ½ cups plus ¾ cup almond meal
½ cup cornmeal
½ cup ground unsalted raw pepitas
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
8 soft corn tortillas
Tangy Dill Crema

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine almond milk, vinegar, and 1 ½ cups almond meal in a bowl and mix well to form a thick batter-like liquid.

3. Combine ¾ cup almond meal, cornmeal, pepitas, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and salt and mix well.

4. Coat diced potatoes and thick slices of cauliflower by first dipping in the almond milk batter and then covering in corn/almond meal mixture. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets.

5. Bake at 400 for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown.

6. Meanwhile make Tangy Dill Crema.

Once baked, serve on soft corn tortillas with shredded cabbage and drizzled with Tangy Dill Crema. Eat as many as you can, they are that good!

Who knew vegetarian tacos could get so tasty? Tell us what you think of this recipe in the Comments below!

Sophia DeSantis is the author of Veggies Don’t Bite, a vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free food blog targeted to all types of eaters. She is the mom of two beautiful boys and wife to an amazing husband. Her and her family live a vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free life 90% of the time because she believes that the stress of having to be perfect shouldn’t overpower the benefits that their healthy lifestyle brings. Through her website, she hopes to reach anybody interested in making a positive health change in their life.

Healthy Asian Lettuce Wraps

by writerredtriAugust 31, 2015

As long as you are comfortable with the term “browning meat” and know how to chop veggies this recipe from the food blog, Our Family Eats is a breeze to make. You may want to cut the Poblano pepper if you are serving this dish to little ones, though it is not overly spicy.

Ingredients:
1 head iceberg lettuce
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 small onion, diced
1 small Poblano pepper, diced
1/4 cup grated carrot
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 pound ground turkey
salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup soy sauce (use San-J to make this dish gluten free)
2-3 green onions, sliced
Cilantro, if desired

Method:
1. Cut the stem from the head of lettuce and gently separate leaves. Set leaves aside.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, pepper, and carrots to skillet and sauté for about 3 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add ground turkey to skillet and cook until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add red pepper flakes, chili powder, cumin and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Pour in soy sauce and continue cooking about 3-4 more minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

4. Place one or two lettuce leaves on a plate and spoon about 1/2 cup of the turkey mixture into them. (If the leaves seem too brittle you can double them up.) Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Note from the Chef: If you are sensitive to spicy foods, or are making these for young children, you may want to reduce or eliminate the Poblano pepper and the crushed red pepper from the recipe.

Did you sub anything in or out of this recipe? Tell us below!

Susan Schuman is a working mom with two small kids and a hungry husband. She writes Our Family Eats to share ideas for fun, wholesome meals that anyone can fit into their hectic schedule. You can connect with Susan on Twitter @ourfamilyeats.

photo: Crystalflickr via flickr

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