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Cooking for teens: Chicken Parmesan Nuggets Garlic Roasted Potatoes Pasta and Peas Mom's Cut Up Snack Meal Banana Bread Lasagna Spinach Roll Ups Chicken Parmesan Nuggets Serves 2 teenagers Try these "oven-fried" chicken nuggets – they rival Micky D’s, according to the guys. 1-3/4 cups corn bread stuffing mix 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup plain lowfat yogurt 2 egg whites, beaten Salt and pepper, to taste 2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 16 chunks Preheat oven to 450°. Measure stuffing into a resealable plastic bag. Seal bag, and crush crumbs by pressing a rolling pin over the bag. Add cheese, salt, and pepper, and shake bag to mix thoroughly. In a medium size bowl, mix yogurt and egg whites. Dip four chicken pieces into egg mixture, then drop into crumb mixture. Seal and shake bag to coat evenly. Place chicken on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken. Bake 5 minutes, then turn over each piece. Bake 5 minutes more. Remove from oven, and serve with your favorite dipping sauce. back to top Garlic Roasted Potatoes Serves 4-6 These spuds are quick and a great accompaniment to the chicken nuggets. If adding little green things is okay with your eaters, add some fresh parsley or rosemary with the salt. 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbs. butter 2 Tbs. olive oil 6 Yukon Gold potatoes, washed, unpeeled, and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 tsp. coarse salt Heat oven to 400°. In a 9x13 baking dish, place garlic, butter, and olive oil. Bake about 10 minutes, until garlic is lightly browned. Remove pan from oven; add potatoes and salt. Toss to coat potato chunks. Bake about 40 minutes, stirring the potatoes every 15 minutes or so, until golden brown and crispy. back to top Pasta and Peas Serves 4 The kids grew up eating this simple dish, which was inspired by their love of frozen peas. The peas are just thawed by pouring hot pasta water over them. It’s cheap, fast, and nutritious. Also good left over. 1 lb. dried pasta 8-10 oz. frozen peas 1 Tbs. butter 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook the pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Place the frozen peas in a colander. When pasta is ready, drain pasta into the colander. In the now empty pasta pot, place the butter, the drained pasta, and the peas. Mix. Serves pasta and peas in bowls. Sprinkle cheese on top. back to top Mom's Cut Up Snack Meal Serves any number you need The absolute ultimate in ease and nutrition, we have eaten this meal countless times, especially on Sunday nights. Zero cleanup. The fun of being able to pick up ready to eat, bite-sized pieces of food always results in an empty platter by the time the credits roll across the screen! Cut up apples, bananas, oranges, peppers, celery, steamed broccoli, melon, pears, etc. Cut up chunks of cheese, rolled sliced turkey Pita Bread, cut into triangles Popcorn/pretzels Arrange all artistically on a big platter. It’s the volume and variety that is important here. Eat sitting on the floor, watching a movie. back to top Banana Bread Makes 2 loaves 4 cups flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 3/4 cup margarine 2 cup sugar 4 eggs 2 cups mashed banana 2 tsp. vanilla Preheat oven to 350°. Grease two large loaf pans. In a large mixing bowl, cream margarine; gradually add in sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Add banana; mix well. Stir in dry ingredients. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake until bread feels firm to the touch, 60-70 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool. back to top Lasagna Spinach Roll Ups Serves 2-4 This recipe comes from the boys’ Aunt Gayle. It doubles or triples easily. If you’re serving garlic bread with it, heat the bread in the oven during the last 15 minutes while the casserole heats through. Sauce: 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. olive oil 2 cups chopped tomatoes 1/2 tsp. basil Salt and pepper Filling: 1 lb. fresh spinach, finely chopped 2 Tbs. Parmesan cheese 1 cup part skim ricotta 1/4 tsp. nutmeg Salt and pepper, to taste   8 cooked lasagna noodles For the sauce, in a medium pan, sauté garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer gently while preparing remaining ingredients. For the filling, steam spinach until limp. Squeeze out liquid. In a bowl, combine spinach with Parmesan, ricotta, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. To assemble casserole, spread each noodle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of mixture. Roll up, turn on end, and place in an 8x5 inch casserole. Pour the sauce over the noodles. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Serve with huge amounts of garlic bread. back to top