Kid Friendly

Aug
31

Black Eyed Peas, Carrot and Kale Minestrone Soup

A lot of things I learned about cooking came from people along the way. I was inspired by friends’ mothers, cooking shows, my own mother and my own imagination. One of them, a dear lady ,told me once: “if you want kids to like your food you’ve got to add sugar to everything”. Of course I rather not use sugar and I love to discover something sweet that is actually good for you. In this soup a secret surprising ingredient adds the sweetness- dates! Everybody likes this soup and it is my favorite for winter but it’s good any time you feel like you need a warm hearty comfort food.

Usually, Minestrone soup has pasta in it, I did not add it this time. Its “rich” enough for me the way it is, I mean have you seen the purple and yellow carrots? I’m always fascinated when I see unique, rare colors in the vegetable kingdom. Whenever I see them I have to try them. Purple asparagus, yellow beets and here these beautiful carrots. I recently learned they’re called Heirloom, How interesting…

This soup is a meal by itself. It has the protein, the carbs, the vegetables, a hint of sweetness from the tomatoes and the dates, and the Megastar Green… The kale!

I served it with a freshly baked Ciabatta bread and it was gone before you could say Minestrone…!

Ingredients

1 large Onion, diced

3-4 Carrots, diced

2 Celery Stalks, diced

1 Bunch Kale, chopped

5 Medium Tomatoes, Crushed (In a food processor or store bought Can)

1½ Cups Black Eyed Peas, drained and rinsed

2-3 Medjoul Dates, chopped

2 Cups Vegetable Broth

5 Cups of Water

2-3 Tbsp olive Oil

1 tsp Italian dried Herb Mix (Basil, Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary, Parsley)

1 tsp Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Preparation

1. In a large pot, sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent.

2. Add the celery and carrot and cook for a few minutes until soften.

3. Stir in the beans, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

4. Add the chopped Kale , dates and spices and cook until tender -about 20-30 minutes, add water and adjust the spices if needed.

Serve with freshly baked bread and stay warm!

Category: Blog, Kid Friendly, Lunch, Recipies, Soups, The Main Dish, Whole Meal

Aug
31

The Real Happy Meal

One of the challenges I had with cooking vegan food for kids was competing with “classic” kids- menu food like chicken nuggets, Mac n cheese and such. Why is there a kids menu anyway? I’ll get to that in a later post… But really, when it comes to kids I think it all depends on the presentation and the consistency of the parent. I would like the food I feed my daughter to be tasty but still healthier and more wholesome than the junk food that surrounds us everywhere. This recipe is my answer to this challenge. Finger food like tempeh nuggets and sweet potato fries served with a coleslaw salad make a kids-friendly happy meal that you’ll be happy to serve your family, and I even have the toy prize. 🙂

These vegan strips are made out of Tempeh. Tempeh is a soy product made from cooked and slightly fermented soybeans. It is a good source of protein and calcium with a nutty flavor. I have tried three types of tempeh: Three grain, Soy, and Flax. My favorite is the three grain type. Some people find the taste of tempeh a bit bitter. The solution to that is to boil it first but I did not try it yet because my family and friends like it just like that. I served it with fiber-rich sweet potato fries, a tricolor coleslaw salad, and organic ketchup. In your face McDonalds!

*Serves about 4 hungry kids

Vegan Nugget Strips

Ingredients

2 Packages Tempeh

For the Marinade:

½ Cup Soy Sauce

1 tsp Mustard

1 Tbsp Water

1 tsp Ground Flaxseed Meal

For the Breading:

1 Cup Bread Crumbs (I prefer the Panko breadcrumbs)

½ Cup Sesame Seeds

1/4 Cup Corn Flour

1 tsp Adobo Seasoning (or any spice mixture you like)

½ tsp Salt

Oil for frying

Preparation

Cut tempeh into half inch strips.

In a shallow bowl mix in the marinade ingredients.

Dip the tempeh strips into the liquid mixture so it is fully submerged . The flax seeds helps the tempeh stick to the breading.

In another shallow bowl mix bread crumbs, sesame seeds, flour and salt.

Transfer the tempeh into the breading mixture and fully coat.

Lightly fry on both sides until golden brown.

Tricolor Coleslaw Salad

Ingredients

½ Purple Cabbage Shredded

½ White Cabbage Shredded

2 Carrots Shredded

Juice from ½ Lemon

1½ Tbsp Sunflower Oil

Drizzle of Toasted Sesame Oil

Sea Salt to taste

Preparation

In a big bowl mix all ingredients together.

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients

4-5 Sweet Potato

Oil for tossing

Sea Salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450º.

Peel and slice the sweet potatoes.

In a large bowl toss sweet potatoes with oil and sea salt to taste.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Spread out sweet potato in one layer so it will get crispy.

Bake until golden brown and crispy. If needed turn the fries halfway through baking.

Enjoy and be happy!

And here is an interesting video to watch about: Tricks to Get Kids to Eat Healthier at Home

Category: Kid Friendly, Lunch, Recipies, Whole Meal

Aug
31

Have You Ever Supremed an Orange?

How To Supreme Citrus

Supreming an orange (or any other citrus) is a way to cut into its inner sections. This looks so complicated but is actually pretty easy. You’ll end up with clean beautiful segments that can be added to salads or as a finger food for toddlers.

It’s important to use a sharp paring knife. I use my favorite ceramic knife.

Start by slicing off the top and bottom of the orange so that it can comfortably stand on the cutting board.

Carefully cut off the peel around the fruit and try to remove all the white pith.

Slice into each side of the segment and remove it, staying as close as possible to the white membranes that divide up the orange.

I like to squeeze out the juice from the leftover “skeleton” of the orange into the salad dressing.

It’s a great addition to fruit salads and is an easy quick decoration to desserts.

Category: Kid Friendly, Misc., Salads, Snacks, Tips and Techniques

Aug
24

Spicy Tofu Scramble Shakshuka Quesadilla

They say that when you make food, you have to make it with love. Otherwise, it will not be tasty. This is probably the reason why mom’s food is the best… it’s because she makes it with love! One place I felt the Love in the food, was a restaurant in Las Vegas called: Pura Vida. A Vegan Latin Bistro and the lovely Owner-Chef Myra is so warm and inviting, you can feel her love and care in the food! If you are in the Sin City area… I defintely recommend it. (and say Hi to chef Myra!)

Dining there, inspired me to make this recipe. Full of flavors, it tastes like Vegas to me… I made the Shakshuka filling (which is a north african dish of poached eggs in tomato chili sauce) to go with the traditional latin Quesadilla and replaced the eggs with the scramble tofu Oh So Yummy… you will not be able to stop! Just don’t forget to add ♥LOVE ♥

Ingredients

4-6 Tortilla Wraps (I like Brown Rice wraps and it also makes it a gluten free recipe).

1 Package Tofu (about 14 oz)

2 Ripe Roma Tomatoes

1 Medium Onion

2 Jalapeño Peppers

2 Small Colorful Bell Peppers

½ Cup Tomato Sauce (You can use store bought pasta or pizza sauce)

½ Cup Shredded Vegan Daiya Cheese

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Handful Chopped Parsley

1 tsp Adobo Spice Mix (or any spice mix you like)

1 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Red Paprika

1 tsp Ground Coriander

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Chop the vegetables.

2. Sauté the onions in the olive oil. Gradually add the peppers, jalepenos, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce to the pan and stir for a few minutes.

3. Crumble the tofu with your hands and add to the pan.

4. Add all the spices, stir until the tofu gets a nice yellow color.

5. Add the parsley and the Daiya cheese.

6. Transfer onto a wrap and fold in half. Place into a panini maker/toaster until the cheese melts and it all comes together.

Serve with fresh salad and enjoy!

Category: Breakfast, Kid Friendly, Lunch, Recipies, Sandwiches and Wraps

Aug
16

Vegan Vanilla Banana French Toast

Since I became a mom, every weekend breakfast is special. There is more time to make it and its the only breakfast we have together as a family. When I was a child, my father was in charge of breakfast on weekends. We used to wait for his “Bird in the nest” toasted sandwich quietly so to let mom sleep till late. In my case, there are no more birds, no nests and my hubby’s cooking expertise includes only one thing: Popcorn. and even than, when he makes it, the kitchen looks like a war zone… Hey, but no complaints here! he makes the best popcorn ever! ;).

One of my daughter’s favorite weekend breakfast is a french toast, especially if she can help. If you have kids, It’s great to get them involved in the kitchen. I find that my picky eater is more likely to eat something we make together.

I like to use good quality bread. Spelt bread has a more gentle and pleasant taste than regular wheat bread in my opinion, the idea is you can use any bread and it doesn’t have to be fresh.

In this recipe I used banana as a binding agent (instead of eggs) and of course for taste.

Ingredients

1 Ripe Banana

1 Cup Vanilla Almond Milk (or Soy Milk)

2 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Shredded Dry Coconut

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/8 tsp Baking Soda

Pinch of Cinnamon

Pinch of Salt

6-8 Slices of Bread

Coconut Oil for frying

Maple Syrup for serving

Preparation

In a blender, blend the banana, almond milk, sugar, coconut, vanilla extract, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until thick and smooth. transfer the batter into a shallow dish.

Dip the bread into batter so it is fully coated.

Use coconut oil generously and fry lightly in a non-stick pan on medium heat until brown on both sides. When you flip the toast, make sure to scrape carefully so the batter doesn’t stick to the pan.

Serve with your favorite seasonal fruit and maple syrup on the side.

Optional: sprinkle with cinnamon and confectioners’ sugar.

Yumm!