FOR KIDS

S P I N A C H A N D R I C O T T A P U F F P A S T R Y C H R I S T M A S T R E E

HANDS-ON 20 MIN TOTAL 2 HR SERVES 24 SUBMITTED BY TEA

★★★★☆ 18 REVIEWS Simply fill, roll, chill, and slice ready-made puff pastry to make these flaky, party-perfect pinwheels.

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1 tsp. vegetable oil 2 cups chopped red onion (about 2 onions) 1 (10-oz.) pkg. chopped fresh spinach, thawed 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper 1 (17.3-oz.) pkg. frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed 1 egg, lightly beaten Multicolor cherry tomatoes, halved

1 . Stir together ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and nutmeg in a bowl. [To make some pinwheels that are more kid-friendly, set aside 1/2 cup of this cheese mixture for the kids’ portion and halve the amount of spinach, onion, and red pepper for the grown-up portion.] 2 . Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir into ricotta mixture. 3 . Put spinach in a colander and squeeze out liquid until dry. Stir spinach and red pepper into bowl with ricotta mixture. 4 . Roll out both puff pastry sheets into 11-inch squares. Evenly cover each with spinach-cheese mixture [or plain cheese mixture] to within 1/2 inch of edges. Tightly roll up each sheet and firmly press edges into logs. Wrap logs in plastic wrap; chill at least 1 hour or freeze 15 minutes. [Don’t skip this part; it makes the pastry much easier to handle.] 5 . Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 6 . Wrap a string of plain dental floss around logs; pull ends to slice into 24 pinwheels. [Or you could use a very sharp serrated knife.] Arrange pinwheels 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet in the shape of a Christmas tree: 6 for a bottom row, then 5, then 4, and so on. Arrange remaining 3 wheels at bottom for a tree trunk. Brush pinwheels with beaten egg. 7. Bake until pinwheels are lightly browned and puffed, 30 to 35 minutes. Decorate with cherry tomato halves. armagazine.com/spinach-and-ricottapuff-pastry-christmas-tree

HIDDEN GEM VEGETARIAN

PER PINWHEEL: 73 CAL; 4G FAT (2G SAT); 2G PRO; 6G CARB (1G FIBER, 1G SUGARS); 131MG SODIUM

T U R K E Y M E A T B A L L S W I T H S W E E T S O Y D I P P I N G S A U C E

HANDS-ON 20 MIN TOTAL 40 MIN MAKES 40 MEATBALLS  SUBMITTED BY REESA’S FAB KITCHEN ONLINE

★★★★★ 1 REVIEW These tasty turkey bites brown beautifully in the oven. And they look even better when you dip them in the sweet, glossy dipping sauce.

For Meatballs 1 egg 1 lb. ground turkey 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs 1/2 cup minced cilantro 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion 2 Tbsp. less-sodium soy sauce 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil 1/2 tsp. salt For Dipping Sauce 2 (1/4-inch-thick) crosswise slices fresh ginger, or more to taste 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup less-sodium soy sauce 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar Make Meatballs

1 . Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2 . Lightly beat egg in a large bowl. Add turkey, bread crumbs, cilantro, green onion, soy sauce, vegetable oil, sesame oil, and salt. Gently mix together with your hands until combined. Roll tablespoon-sized scoops between your palms to form meatballs; arrange slightly apart on prepared baking sheet. 3 . Bake until well browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, Make Dipping Sauce

4 . Smash ginger with the heavy side of a knife and put in a small saucepan. Add brown sugar, soy sauce, and rice vinegar; cook, stirring, over mediumlow heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Strain out ginger. Divide sauce among small cups. Serve with meatballs and toothpicks. armagazine.com/turkey-meatballswith sweet-soy-dipping-sauce

HIDDEN GEM

PER SERVING (3 MEATBALLS AND 1/2 TSP. SAUCE): 120 CAL; 6G FAT (1G SAT); 9G PRO; 8G CARB (0G FIBER, 4G SUGARS); 380MG SODIUM