As much as my kids love helping in the kitchen, I always stop short of letting them help with meat preparation. The thought of food-borne illness just makes me steer clear entirely. I mean, yes, they can wash their hands like I do, but should I really take the risk?

Well, this weekend, I decided to let Will help making meatballs. With sleeves rolled up, he mixed and squished ground turkey with a mix of whole wheat breadcrumbs and a special pesto made just for the dish (instead of added oil, it uses an egg). Did it freak me out a little to have him touch raw meat? Absolutely. But like any other kitchen task, we talked about safety before we started and I made sure he understood why it’s important to be extra careful about washing up after touching raw meat. He did.

As nervous as I am about it, I do want my kids to be comfortable handling meat.

When I told Shawn, he wrinkled his nose and remarked about how gross it is to handle it. I agree, but I also think that if you are going to eat meat, you need to be willing to touch it and prepare it. That includes getting wrist-deep in ground meat mixtures.

After mixing, I didn’t have to ask Will to go wash his hands — he asked first and headed off to the bathroom for some quality time with soap and water. As for Paige? I let her stir the mixture a big, but held off on letting her touch the meat itself … As I told her, when she’s Will’s age, it will be different story.

If you aren’t ready for letting your young child touch meat, that’s okay. In any task involving your own kids, you need to make decisions that work for you and your family — just because let Will do this doesn’t mean that your child is ready for it too. Only you know whether they are or aren’t.

In any case, this recipe is great for cooking with kids since it affords much opportunity for them to help. Beyond the meat mixing, kids can measure ingredients for both the meatballs and the pesto, pulse the mixtures with the food processor, do the initial stir of the meatballs and also toss the pasta with the pesto sauce.

Do you let your kids touch raw meat? When will you?

Turkey Pesto Meatballs
serves 6

Why add milk to meatballs? Well, turkey meatballs can get dry but the addition of a little milk will offset the dryness. Add it if you are worried about that.

2 slices whole grain bread
2 tbsp low-fat milk (optional)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup packed basil
2 tbsp pine nuts
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/4 lb ground turkey

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In the bowl of a food processor, process the slices of bread to crumbs. Add milk, if using, and pulse a few times to combine. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and set aside. Rinse out the food processor and set back up.

KID STEP: Measure and add the garlic, basil, pine nuts, parmesan, egg and salt and pepper to the food processor, taking care to keep hands far away from the blade. Cover and pulse until well combined. Transfer mixture to the mixing bowl.

Add the ground turkey to the mixing bowl. Use a sturdy spoon or rubber spatula to mix the ingredients lightly. Then use hands to knead the ingredients until well combined.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking oil spray. Using your hands, form 1-inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Don’t worry about crowding — it’s okay if they are close together.

Cook the meatballs for 25-30 minutes, flipping once. The meatballs are done with there is no pink on the inside and the outside is lightly browned. Do not overcook.

Serve with pesto pasta (below).

Pesto Pasta
serves 6

1 lb pasta
1/2 cup packed basil leaves
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat a large pot of water on the stove to boiling. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.

KID STEP: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, cheese, pine nuts, garlic, 1/4 cup of the oil, salt and pepper. Process until desired consistency, adding additional oil if necessary. (Allow kids to hit the button to pulse the mixture, but be careful when adding items of the sharp blade.)

Pour the pesto into a large mixing bowl. Top with cooked and drained pasta.

KID STEP: Toss the pasta and the pesto together until well combined.

Serve immediately, with additional parmesan for sprinkling, if desired.

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There is something amazing about biting into the crispy coating of fried chicken. It crunches between your teeth, revealing layers of flavors. It’s salty and wonderful … Before you know it, you’re biting into juicy chicken, just below the skin. Well, at least I hope it’s juicy. I’ve had a lot of flavorless meat on fried chicken in my day. Haven’t you?

This chicken is the total package: crispy and packed with flavor inside and out.

In 2010, I am focusing a lot on healthy, budget-friendly dishes. Chicken drumsticks are definitely budget friendly, and since these are baked, this is lightened up. (Don’t worry … only a portion of the 2 tbsp of butter actually makes it onto the chicken). Perfect for a night when you are craving comfort food … but not willing to break your healthy resolutions.

Psst … are you participating in the Ten in 2010 challenge? It’s a community effort to support each other to a healthier, happier 2010. Don’t worry — you don’t even need a blog to join. Click here to learn more.

Crunchy Oven Fried Chicken Drumsticks
serves 4
view the printable recipe at Tablespoon

2 cups corn flake cereal
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp skim milk
1 tsp garlic salt
4 chicken drumsticks (about 1 1/3 lbs)
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Spray an oven-safe 13×9x2 inch pan with cooking oil spray.

Place the cereal in a resealable bag and crush with a rolling pin. Add 2 tbsp parsley and the paprika to the bag and shake to incorporate. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a small skillet. Remove from burner and let cool for a few minutes. Then, whisk in the milk, 1 tbsp parsley and garlic salt. Wash and pat dry the chicken. Then, roll it in the butter mixture. Transfer chicken pieces to the resealable bag and shake until well-coated (do then all at once — it’s easiest). Place the chicken into the prepared pan. Spray lightly with cooking oil spray.

Slide the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Gosh, I love these meatballs. Made with ground turkey, which is a little lighter in calories, they are filled with flavor and bathed in a sweet-savory sauce. Over rice, the whole concoction is just awesome.

The first time I made these meatballs, Paige was a newborn who counted her age in weeks. She was tiny and sweet. A few weeks ago, we celebrated her second birthday. Now, she is a sweet and fierce little girl. Doesn’t time fly? It feels like yesterday that we were bringing her home from the hospital. Sigh.

Back to the meatballs. I came across this recipe recently while looking through my archives and realized that it’s been a long time since I made it. So long, in fact, that Paige has never had it. Knowing that Will, Shawn and I love it, I made it — and Paige loves it too.

I can’t tell you how fast Will and Paige cleaned their plates … and that’s a big thing. We don’t belong to the clean plate club here, instead insisting only that the kids eat until their bellies are full and they’ve tried a little of everything on them. So clean plates? That’s a good and significant sign.

Now, I know the ingredients list is long. But I swear, it comes together quickly and has a ton – a TON – of flavor. As for the special ingredients: rice vinegar and fresh ginger. Rice vinegar can be substituted with a mild vinegar, if it’s not something you normally use. As for the ginger, do buy fresh. It costs pennies for a small nob.

Earlier this year, I picked up a good tidbit about fresh ginger from Melissa D’Arabian of Food Network’s $10 Dinners. When you purchase fresh ginger, peel the whole thing right away. Then stick it in a resealable bag and freeze it. It will last a long time and be easier to grate.

Don’t you just love little tricks like that? I do!

Hawaiian Turkey Meatballs
serves 4

Meatballs:
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 small onion, finely minced or processed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp grated ginger
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp packed brown sugar

Sauce:
1 20 oz can pineapple tidbits with juice, separated
1 cup water
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 red pepper, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

Mix together the ground turkey, onion, garlic, ginger, egg, panko, salt, pepper, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Knead with your hands to combine well.

With your hands, grab meat and roll into 1 inch meatballs. Place on the baking sheet. Don’t let them touch, but they can be close together.

Place the meatballs in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes until cooked through. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the pineapple juice, water, brown sugar, vinegar and soy sauce until sugar is fully dissolved. Whisk in the cornstarch and raise the heat to medium high. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously.

Stir in the pineapple bits and the peppers. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Add meatballs and re-cover. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve with rice.

In my defense, I knew that I had a ton of baking to do for the holidays. And I also knew it would be even harder than usual to focus on eating better when I would be surrounded by unhealthy foods. So, I figured I would just kick off the New Year with a bang. Beginning on January 1, I will track what I eat on SparkPeople and cutting out all the bad stuff – fried foods (even if they were homemade), fast food, excessive amounts of sweets, etc. I’ve already started a little bit of exercise (just a very small ab workout so far) and will increase that to include a little cardio too. And with any luck, my husband will be joining me in these pursuits.

In the meantime though, I have been working on some new recipes with a healthier slant. This one, which is zesty but not spicy (don’t be fooled by the hot sauce — it’s just a bit for tang), was fantastic with the Fettuccine Alfredo pictured but let’s face it — that’s not the healthiest side dish. For a healthier slant, I would serve it on a salad bed or with a bit of rice and a vegetable like corn.

Pan-Grilled Zesty Turkey Scallopini
serves 4

3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasonings
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp hot sauce
freshly ground black pepper
1 lb turkey scallopini (very thinly sliced raw turkey – Shady Brook Farms makes and sells it)

Whisk together the garlic, Italian seasonings, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, paprika, hot sauce and pepper.

Pour over turkey scallopini and let sit for 30 minutes.

Preheat a grill pan over medium. Spray with cooking oil.

Cook the turkey for 2-3 minutes per side, spooning extra marinade over when you flip each piece.