Category: Recipes

Traditional Potato Salad

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Traditional Potato Salad

Sweet potatoes add a fun pop of color to this otherwise standard potato salad.

Ingredients:

  • 4 russet potatoes
  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 1/2 cup fresh green peas
  • 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
  • 2 chopped green onions
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  1. Peel and chop the russet and sweet potatoes. Place in a large pot and cover with water, then bring to a boil. Stir in the peas; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are very tender. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
  2. Stir in the mayonnaise, green onions, salt, and black pepper. Chill until ready to serve.

Chocolate Beet Bundt Cake

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Beet Bundt Cake (4)

You’ll sneak a full two cups of vegetables into this cake but your kids will never notice – unless they help bake it of course! This cake is a dream: it requires only two mixing bowls, bakes up perfectly light and airy, and comes out in a fun circle shape that kids will love. (“How did you make a hole in the center?” my son asked).

For ease of preparation, I recommend making your beet puree the night before. Place 6 beets in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then continue to cook for 30 minutes, until very tender. Drain and let cool until cool enough to handle. Rub off the skins and transfer to a blender; process until very smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Beet Bundt Cake (5)

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups beet puree
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 3/4 cup applesauce
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a second bowl, whisk together the beet puree, water, applesauce, canola oil, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined.
  3. Spoon the batter into a 10-inch Bundt pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes. Let cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Beet Bundt Cake (1)

Spaghetti Squash with Italian Herbs

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Spaghetti Squash with Herbs

There’s something magical about spaghetti squash for kids (and grown-ups, too!), about the way the strands instantly shred to look like spaghetti noodles. It always felt a bit to me like Strega Nona’s bubbling pasta pot! This recipe gets a kid-friendly hit of flavor from garlic and herbs.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large spaghetti squash
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 minced garlic clove
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup vegan Parmesan shreds
  1. Place the spaghetti squash on a baking dish and pierce several times with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees F for 90 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut in half. Scoop out the seeds and use a fork to rake the rest of it into strands. Transfer to a large bowl.
  2. Once the squash has cooled slightly, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, basil, and oregano; cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic mixture and the Parmesan to the spaghetti squash, tossing to coat.

If you prefer, serve the squash topped with marinara sauce to look even more like real spaghetti!

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Arroz Verde con Frijoles Negro

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Arroz Verde (1)

Rice and beans are a match made in heaven, with so many variations to keep kids from getting bored. This recipe gets its beautiful green color from fresh spinach sauce. Use brown rice in place of the white rice, if you prefer.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 and 1/2 cups water, divided
  • 2 cups uncooked white rice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 10 ounces fresh baby spinach
  • 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 crushed garlic cloves
  • 1 (15-ounce) drained and rinsed can black beans
  1. To prepare the rice, combine the broth, 1 cup water, rice, and bay leaf in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 30 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and remove the bay leaf.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the spinach sauce: combine the spinach in a blender or food processor with the remaining 1/2 cup water, lemon juice, and garlic. Process until smooth.
  3. Add the spinach mixture and black beans to the rice, stirring to combine.

This is delicious on its own, but even better wrapped up in a tortilla!

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Pumpkin Bread

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Pumpkin Bread (3)

This easy pumpkin bread is full of sweetness, spice and veggie goodness. A slice is perfect for breakfast or snack.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 heaping teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/3 cup applesauce
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
  1. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
  2. In a second bowl, whisk together the almond milk, applesauce, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and the pumpkin puree to the applesauce mixture, stirring just until combined.
  3. Spoon into an 8×4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds, pressing into the batter slightly. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55 minutes.
  4. Cool completely on a wire rack before storing.

Pumpkin Bread (2)

Want more veggies in your baked goods? Try carrot cookies or sweet potato pie!

Take-Along Cereal Snack

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Take Along Cereal Snack

Dried fruit adds a nutrition boost to plain old cereal, making this a great snack option for growing toddlers.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups o cereal (such as Cascadian Farm)
  • 1 cup diced dried apple
  • 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberry pieces
  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large zip-top bag. Transfer to smaller bags for individual on-the-go servings.

Cinnamon Yogurt Fruit Dip

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Cinnamon Yogurt Dip (1)

Kids love to dunk their food in sauces, and this easy dip is a great way to make sliced fruit taste even better.

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces non-dairy vanilla yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons agave nectar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  1. Whisk together all three ingredients in a small bowl.
  2. To serve, drizzle over slices of fruit, or place in a dish on the side for dipping.

Cinnamon Yogurt Dip (2)

Submarine Sandwich

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Submarine Sandwich (3)

After recently learning about submarines, Travis has a whole new appreciation for why we call it a “submarine” sandwich now. We put together this fun lunch to play up the name.

To start, slice a long bread roll in half. Spread with your child’s filling of choice. We made one version with hummus and one with non-dairy cream cheese!

Submarine Sandwich (1)

Add other toppings (Travis chose lettuce and tomato) then top with the other half of the bun.

Submarine Sandwich (2)

We added a strip of red bell pepper as the “periscope” sticking out from the top, then used additional hummus or cream cheese as “glue” to stick on cucumber circles for “portholes”.

Submarine Sandwich (4)

Of course the lunch inspired some imaginative play; Travis loved pretending he was a giant squid attacking the boat as he ate, of course!

Submarine Sandwich (5)

Vanilla Raspberry Sorbet

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Vanilla Raspberry Sorbet (2)

This easy three-ingredient sorbet comes together in moments, and makes a great sugar-free treat for kids.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups fresh raspberries
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons apple juice
  1. Combine the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
  2. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze. Every two hours or so, fluff the mixture with a fork, then conitinue to freeze and fluff until ready to serve.

Vanilla Raspberry Sorbet (1)

Black Bean Brownies

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Bean Brownies (3)

Black beans in brownies? Yes! Sneaking a can of pureed beans into brownie batter means they’re packed with protein and added nutrition, but kids will never notice among all the chocolate-y goodness!

Ingredients:

  • 1 (15-ounce) drained and rinsed can black beans
  • 1/2 cup almond butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup non-dairy chocolate chips
  1. Combine all of the ingredients except the chocolate chips in a blender and process until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.
  2. Transfer the batter into a bowl and stir in the chocolate chips.
  3. Spoon the batter into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 22 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Bean Brownies (2)