Category: Recipes

Cucumber Tomato Salad

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Cucumber Tomato Salad (2)

Just a few simple ingredients come together in this vibrant summer salad. My kids love it plain, with chips for dipping, or served on top of fresh bread! It’s the perfect side dish with your favorite vegan chick’n or other easy protein.

Cucumber Tomato Salad alt

Ingredients:

  • 4 tomatoes
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  1. Finely chop the tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion, and place in a large bowl.
  2. Add the olive oil, vinegar, and salt, stirring to combine.

Cucumber Tomato Salad (1)

Sunflower Seed Butter Cookies

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Sunflower Seed Butter Cookies (1)

With a leftover jar of sunflower seed butter in the pantry, I threw together these protein-packed cookies.

Ingredients:

  • 1 and 2/3 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1 cup sunflower seed butter
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  1. In a bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the applesauce and remaining 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Add the sunflower seed butter, canola oil, brown sugar, and maple syrup.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until combined.
  4. Drop the dough by spoonfuls onto baking sheets, 12 cookies per sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes.

Sunflower Seed Butter Cookies (2)

Sunflower Seed Butter & Banana Smoothie

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Sunflower Seed Smoothie (1)

My toddler doesn’t want solid food for breakfast very often, so we’ve been big on smoothies in the morning lately! This one packs in protein and potassium.

Ingredients:

  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1/3 cup sunflower butter
  • 1/3 cup apple juice
  • 2 cups plain almond milk
  • 2 teaspoons agave nectar
  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Sunflower Seed Smoothie (2)

Quinoa Primavera

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Quinoa Primavera alt

This quinoa dish looks beautiful, thanks to two colors of bell pepper! It’s a great way to introduce quinoa to your kids if they haven’t already tried it.

Ingredients:

  • 1 and 1/2 cups quinoa
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 finely chopped red bell pepper
  • 1 finely chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 finely chopped cucumber
  • 1 lemon
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  1. Combine the quinoa and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then continue to cook for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl.
  2. Add the bell peppers and cucumber. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the quinoa mixture. Add the olive oil and vinegar, stirring to combine.

Quinoa Primavera

Bunnies on a Log

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Fish in the River (4)

Here’s an adorable twist on classic “ants on a log”. We love watching the bunny who hops outside our window each morning to eat the clover, so today we added hopping bunnies to our celery snacks instead! It’s a great recipe for kids to put together themselves.

To start, spread either non-dairy cream cheese or sunflower butter onto cut celery sticks. Travis was thrilled that he was allowed to use the knife all by himself!

Fish in the River (1)

Now add your hopping little bunnies.

Fish in the River (2)

Travis’s verdict was that he liked the cream cheese version better than the sunflower spread. Which will be your kids’ favorite?

Fish in the River (3)

Note: If your family eats dairy, you could put a further spin on this snack by taking it from land to sea: add goldfish crackers in place of the bunnies and you’ll have fish in a river!

Summer Barley Salad

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Summer Barley

Juicy strawberries add the perfect summer touch to this easy salad.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups cooked barley
  • 1/2 cup cooked and sliced green beans
  • 1/2 cup chopped strawberries
  • 2 sliced green onions
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon agave nectar
  1. In a large bowl, combine the barley, green beans, strawberries, and green onion, stirring to combine.
  2. To prepare the vinaigrette, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and agave. Drizzle over the barley mixture and stir to combine.

Lentils & Brown Rice

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Lentils and Brown Rice

I used a rainbow of farm-fresh carrots for this recipe instead of just orange ones, but you can use only one color in a pinch.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup short-grain brown rice
  • 2 and 1/4 cups water
  • 2 peeled and sliced carrots
  • 1/2 cup dried lentils
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 vegetable bouillon cube
  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
  2. Once boiling, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 40 minutes. Let stand, covered, for an additional 5 minutes before fluffing and serving.

Lemony Rice & Asparagus Salad

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Lemony Rice Asparagus

From lemon to dill to asparagus, this rice salad is bursting with the flavors of spring.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cups white rice
  • 1 bunch asparagus
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  1. Combine the water and rice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Transfer the rice to a large bowl.
  2. Meanwhile, trim the tough ends from the asparagus and cut into bite-sized pieces. Steam for about 5 minutes, or until tender.
  3. Add the asparagus and dill to the rice.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice. Pour over the rice mixture and stir to combine.

Lemony Rice Asparagus alt

Tofu Salad

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Tofu Salad

My kids love tofu, even when it’s served plain, but this easy salad is a flavorful spin to keep things fresh.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (1-pound) package firm tofu
  • 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrot
  1. Place the tofu in a bowl and mash with a fork until crumbly.
  2. Stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, dill, and carrot.

This is delicious on its own, but also great tucked into or served alongside pita bread.

Tofu Salad alt

 

Easy Baked Chick’n

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Easy Baked Chicken

With just two ingredients, this easy recipe elevates store-bought vegan chick’n. I like to use Gardein, but swap in your favorite kind if preferred!

Ingredients:

  • 4 Gardein chick’n scallopini
  • 12 ounces plain non-dairy yogurt
  1. Place the chick’n in a baking dish and cover with the yogurt. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.
  2. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.

If your kids like a little spice, add a dish of their favorite bbq sauce on the side for dipping!

Baked Chicken alt