Consistently across all cultures – food is probably the most present in traditions. It plays an inextricable role in each of our daily lives, ingrained from a young age on. A simple taste or smell can bring up a loving pang of nostalgia and bring us a source of comfort, security, and pleasure.
In most cases, food is also irreversibly tied to a sense of family. Maybe the smell of fresh bread brings up a memory of assisting grandma in her kitchen before Sunday dinner or the taste of sugar cookies make you think of decorating cookies with your mom for Santa Claus.
Especially in the South, recipes are passed down from generation to generation with reverence. Many of us can relate to the feeling of wanting a home-cooked meal, just the way mom made it. It’s something we try to replicate on our own and in restaurants over and over again. Many children can relate to spending countless afternoons helping mom in the kitchen – whether it be baking or cooking. These memories help shape our individual food preferences as we age and influence cooking styles as we go on to cook for ourselves.
As life moves on, we spend less time in the kitchen with our moms. We move out of the nest, start our own families, and try our own recipes. We cook for necessity, to feed our own hungry families, not out of the same pleasure and joy that came with helping mom in the kitchen.
Next time you’re looking for a way to spend quality time with your mom, consider hopping back into the kitchen – with you taking the lead! While we think recreating family recipes is the best, here are 4 new, healthy recipes to cook with your mom.
Chicken-Broccoli Mac and Cheese with Bacon
By CookingLight
Hands-on Time
25 Mins
Total Time
25 Mins
Yield
Serves 6 (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups)
Ingredients
6 ounces uncooked large or regular elbow macaroni
3 cups pre-chopped broccoli florets
3 bacon slices, coarsely chopped
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/4 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/4 cups)
How to Make It
Step 1
Preheat broiler to high.
Step 2
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add broccoli to pan during last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain.
Step 3
While pasta cooks, place bacon in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon; reserve 1 1/2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add chicken to drippings in pan; cook 4 minutes. Sprinkle with garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with turmeric; cook 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
Step 4
Combine remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, milk, stock, and flour, stirring with a whisk. Add milk mixture to pan; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Add pasta mixture and 2 ounces cheese; toss to coat. Sprinkle with remaining 3 ounces cheese and bacon. Broil 2 minutes or until cheese melts and just begins to brown.
Almond Joy Blondies
By MyRecipes
Hands-On Time
15 Mins
Total Time
50 Mins
Yield
Serves 9 (serving size: 1 blondie)
Ingredients
Cooking spray
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup Almond Joy flavored creamer (such as International Delight)
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 large egg
12 snack size Almond Joy candy bars, divided
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (about 5.6 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons almonds, chopped
How to Make It
Step 1
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Step 2
Coat an 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Melt butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Stir in sugar, creamer, and coconut; let cool 10 minutes. Whisk in the egg.
Step 3
Place 3 Almond Joy candy bars in a medium microwave-safe bowl; microwave 30 to 45 seconds or until completely melted. Add cocoa powder, stirring to combine. Set aside.
Step 4
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, stirring to combine. Stir in almond extract. Add ⅓ cup batter to cocoa powder mixture, stirring to combine.
Step 5
Add ½ of the white batter to prepared pan. Dollop with ½ of the chocolate batter. Top with remaining white batter. Dollop with remaining chocolate batter. Using a knife, gently swirl batters together, leaving large streaks of white. Press remaining 9 Almond Joy candy bars into batter to make three rows of Sprinkle with nuts. Bake at 325° for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean.
Cornbread Crab Cakes
By Southern Living
Hands-on Time
45 Mins
Total Time
2 Hours 40 Mins
Yield
Makes 16 cakes
Ingredients
1 (8-oz.) container reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeño pepper slices
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 cups Light Cornbread crumbs
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat
Vegetable cooking spray
How to Make It
Step 1
Stir together first 3 ingredients. Cover and chill up to 3 days.
Step 2
Sauté bell pepper and onions in hot oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 1 minute; add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; cool 15 minutes.
Step 3
Combine bell pepper mixture, mayonnaise, and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Fold in cornbread and crabmeat. Shape mixture into 16 (2 1/2-inch) cakes (about 1/4 cup each); place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and chill 1 hour.
Step 4
Lightly coat cakes with cooking spray. Cook crab cakes, in batches, in a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Serve immediately with cilantro-jalapeño sour cream.
Step 5
Note: Nutritional analysis is per cake (including 1 Tbsp. cilantro-jalapeño sour cream).
Dark Chocolate Sables
By Southern Living
Active Time
20 Mins
Total Time
1 Hour 40 Mins
Yield
Makes about 4 1/2 dozen
Ingredients
1 cup salted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 (4-oz.) 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking bars
Sea salt or chopped toasted pecans (optional)
How to Make It
Step 1
Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy; add vanilla, and beat until combined. Stir together flour, cocoa, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed until combined after each addition. Finely chop 1 of the bittersweet chocolate baking bars, and stir into cookie dough until well incorporated.
Step 2
Divide dough in half; shape each into an 8-inch-long log. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. (Dough may be frozen up to 1 month.)
Step 3
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and place 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. (Keep dough logs refrigerated while cookies bake.)
Step 4
Bake in preheated oven until bottoms are lightly browned, 11 to 13 minutes. Cool on pans 5 minutes; remove cookies to wire racks, and cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Step 5
Chop remaining 1 1/2 bittersweet chocolate baking bars, and place in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH until chocolate is melted and smooth, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.
Step 6
Dip half of top side of each cookie in melted chocolate. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt or chopped toasted pecans, if desired. Place cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and chill just until chocolate sets, about 15 minutes. Layer cookies between wax paper, and store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.
We’d love to see what you’re cooking up in the kitchen with your mom. Share with us on Facebook a picture of your final dish!
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