Category: Recipes

Yummy Bones

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After a fantastic time with his first Kiwi Crate, Travis enjoyed playing doctor again to make… edible bones!

The recipe from his Kiwi Explore magazine was very loose, with no precise measurements. So let your surgeon work with the ingredients to his or her taste.

First, you’ll need a tube of breadstick dough. This can be hard to find pre-made and vegan, so I purchased a roll of pizza dough. If you have breadstick dough, check the heating and baking instructions on the package.

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For our dough, we first rolled into “bones” (the same way that you roll clay or playdough into snakes).  Travis loved deciding what was a leg bone, an arm bone etc. Squeeze the middle, so the ends are slightly thicker.

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Use kitchen shears to snip the ends of each snake, dividing them outward into a bone shape. Travis was so proud to do this step, with a little grown-up help.

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Now brush with a little melted butter (we used Earth Balance) and sprinkle with a little vegan Parmesan (we used Go Veggie).

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After 12 minutes at 425 degrees F, these bones were ready to eat!

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They’re great plain, or we discovered we also liked them dipped in marinara sauce.

 

Classic Slow-Cooker Pot Roast

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This recipe is officially my new go-to stew for cold winter nights. I can set it cooking around lunchtime, and by dinner it’s perfect – plus it makes the entire house smell amazingly cozy.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 package Gardein beefless tips
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups roughly chopped carrots
  • 3 roughly chopped celery sticks
  • 2 small red potatoes, quartered
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; add the beefless tips and cook for about 8 minutes, until browned.
  2. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in a slow cooker over high heat. Add the beefless tips, along with all the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 6 to 7 hours.

We love this served with a warm baguette!

Avocado Fries

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Whoa – one bite of these “fries” and you may never eat a potato french fry ever again. My son loved avocado as a toddler, then sadly dismissed it in nursery school. Now he gobbles it up again thanks to this recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 Ener-G eggs
  • 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
  • 1/2 cup plain non-dairy yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons agave nectar
  1. Peel the avocados, and remove the pits. Spoon the flesh from the skin, and cut into wedges.
  2. Place the flour in one bowl, the Ener-G eggs in a second, and the tortilla crumbs in a third. (Note: To crush the tortilla chips, use a rolling pin over them in a sealed zip-top bag).
  3. Dip the avocado wedges in each bowl, starting with the flour, then the eggs, then the crumbs. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with foil.
  4. Bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes.
  5. For a quick dipping sauce, whisk together the yogurt and agave.

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No-Cook Overnight Oatmeal

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Let’s face it – mornings are crazy, amiright? High Five magazine must know it, because Travis’s January issue featured a great recipe that kids can help make the night before. Shake up these no-cook oats, and they’re ready to go for breakfast!

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup plain non-dairy yogurt
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy milk (we used coconut)
  • 1 teaspoon agave nectar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Handful of dried apricots or raisins
  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a jar with a tightly-fitting lid.no-cook oats (2)
  2. Seal the jar and shake – kids will love this step!no-cook oats (3)
  3. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

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In the morning, simply uncap the jar and voila – breakfast is served. You can serve cold like muesli, or warm it briefly in the microwave.

 

Classic Thumbprints

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This classic Christmas cookie is the perfect recipe to make with little kids: an easy dough that comes together with few ingredients, plus the magic of shaping the cookies with the best instrument of all – your child’s thumb!

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Note: to make Ener-G egg yolks, use 1 tablespoon powder in 2 tablespoons water. For other vegan egg substitutes, aim for a similar volume.

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup Earth Balance butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 Ener-G egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 and 1/2 cups flour
  1. Beat the butter in a stand mixer until creamed. Add the sugar and beat until combined.
  2. Add the Ener-G and vanilla; beat until combined.
  3. Gradually beat in the flour. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour.
  4. To bake the cookies, roll into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheets. Press your thumb into the middle of each cookie.
  5. Bake at 375 degrees F for 11 minutes. If the thumbprint starts to puff up during baking, press back down with the back of a teaspoon.
  6. Let cool on wire racks before filling as desired. For

For a uber-classic version, use strawberry jam. We updated ours with a carrot cake jam filling!

 

Bright Bean Salad

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This main dish salad from the December issue of High Five magazine is just gorgeous – bright indeed! The dominant colors of red and green would make it right at home in a Christmas holiday spread… or just make it any night with your kids!

Travis loved that the recipe involved kids every step of the way, including actions he’d never done before like washing the vegetables, chopping (!), and draining cans of beans. This was definitely a “next level” recipe in his cooking skills. I did a bit of the tough chopping (the green onions, cilantro, and spinach) ahead of time; judge accordingly for your kids.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans
  • 1 (15-ounce) can corn
  • 2 large red potatoes
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 1 bunch chopped cilantro
  • 2 and 1/2 cups chopped baby spinach
  • 1 (16-ounce) jar mild salsa
  1. Adults: Ahead of time, cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender; let cool.
  2. Drain and rinse the cans of beans. This was Travis’s first time using a can opener – he loved learning how the mechanism works! Use half of the beans for this recipe (about 1 and 1/2 cups) and reserve the remaining beans for another use.Bright Bean Salad (1)
  3. Drain the corn.
  4. Wash the bell pepper, then cut the bell pepper and the cooked potato into pieces. I let him help me with the knife the whole time, so couldn’t snap a picture, but he was so proud.Bright Bean Salad (3)
  5. In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, potatoes, bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, and spinach.Bright Bean Salad (4)
  6. Stir in the salsa until well combined.Bright Bean Salad (5)

We served this over tortilla chips the first night for easy “nachos.”

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It would also be great wrapped up in soft tacos…

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…or served over scrambled tofu!

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Fruit Boats

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Origami boats might be fun to play with, but fruit boats are even bettert\ to eat! After a busy school day, Travis helped me create these adorable boats for snacktime.

First, cut a whole cantaloupe into wedges. Travis asked at first if it was mango – it’s amazing how we forget that kids can be disconnected from food, when it’s served to them already cut up. He loved discovering that the big fruit in front of us was his favorite melon.

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Put a toothpick in each wedge, and add watermelon pieces as the sails.

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For the pirate, cut a circular piece of banana as the head. Cut the banana lengthwise into pieces for the torso and arms. Use toothpicks to stick your pirate man together, and then another toothpick to affix him to the boat. We made a boat and pirate for Daddy, too!

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Travis loved it, and delighted in pulling apart the pirate ship piece by piece. There goes your hull, matey!

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A super cute and fun snack for pirate lovers.

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Farro Salad with Roasted Vegetables

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This filling salad is a great addition to a vegan holiday table, and was my contribution to this year’s celebration. We love it paired with Gardein’s stuffed holiday roast!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup farro
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
  • 3 cups cauliflower florets
  • 2 cups sliced rainbow carrots
  • 8 ounces chopped cremini mushrooms
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
  1. In a saucepan, combine the farro, broth, cumin, ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 25 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, combine the cauliflower, carrots, and mushrooms in a roasting pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Roast at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon juice, and the mustard. Add the farro mixture and roasted veggies. Sprinkle with chopped parsley just before serving if desired.

The salad is good warm or at room temperature, making it ideal for a busy holiday feast!

 

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

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It’s not fall until you’ve made a pumpkin-flavored something, and this spin on mac ‘n’ cheese from High Five magazine is a great way to sneak veggies into your kids’ dinner!

Grown-ups: To start, cook 8 ounces macaroni pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Meanwhile melt 2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter in a saucepan. Whisk in 2 tablespoons flour and 1 cup non-dairy milk. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Now the kids can join in! Whisk in 1 cup shredded Daiya cheddar…

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… along with 1 cup canned pumpkin, 1/2 teaspoon mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Travis loved smelling and taste-testing the mustard and nutmeg!

Pour the pumpkin sauce over the macaroni in a 9×13-inch baking dish, stirring to combine.

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Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes. Little sister’s onesie even matched!

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Apple Nachos

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This sweet twist on classic tortilla nachos is sure to delight, and a great way to use up the last of your fall apple bounty!

Ingredients:

  • 1 large apple
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons rice cereal
  • 1 tablespoon shredded coconut
  • 1 tablespoon Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips
  1. Slice the apple and arrange on a platter
  2. Heat the peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds, and drizzle over the apples.
  3. Sprinkle with the cereal, the coconut, and the mini chips.

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