The Search for New Recipes

I have been trying to shake things up regarding our dinner lately. Usually I make a dinner of chicken or beef, with some tofu, shellfish, or pork now and then. We usually have rice or pasta with some corn, potatoes, or bread/pastry now and then. We have vegetables with every meal, sometimes with salad on the side. Same old, same old.

I started looking for new recipes because on Wednesdays and Fridays the kids have Tae Kwon Do from 5pm-6pm and when they get home they’re hungry. I can’t start making dinner when we walk in the door and have it ready fast enough to please them, so on those days I have to have something ready on the stove, in the oven, or in the crock pot for when we get home. We’ve had casseroles and lasagne; we’ve done soups, stews, and chowders; we’ve had all sorts of slow cooked meals; I’ve made pizzas, pies, and breakfasts. And still when the kids come to the table and look at their plates they’ll invariably say “This again?”

So I borrowed lots of different cookbooks from the library and picked some yummy-looking bubbly suppers to try. With varying success. Also, a friend put together a recipe exchange email group where we can send our healthiest recipes and she would forward them on to the group (I’ve almost exhausted my list of tried and true “healthy” recipes for her). The family have been my guinea pigs while I’m trying out all these new dishes, and some have gone over better than others. I’m still mixing in some of the old favourites too just for comfort.

At best we’ll find some new faves to add to our list of usuals, and at worst we’ll sample some new tastes to break up the monotony. Do you have any favourite healthy family dinners? Would you care to share the recipe?