Category Archives: Kid Friendly

by | May 16, 2013 · 7:05 am

Simple Roasted Vegetables

My 1 year old daughter is a true veggie lover.  She especially loves anything that is roasted.  After making her many batches of roasted veggies I realized that I almost forgot just how good a simply roasted vegetables can be.  Sometimes we get so consumed by making a recipe unique, adding all kinds of sauces or spices, that we forget that a vegetable in its truest form is actually very delicious, and good for you!  I have found that using coconut oil helps to bring out the sweetness.  I understand that this recipe is not necessary earth shattering, but hopefully it will inspire you to rediscover the simplicity of roasted vegetables.

roasted

Roasted Carrots and Zucchini

4 large carrots, pealed and sliced into even sized pieces.
1 medium sized zucchini sliced into evenly sized pieces
2-3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
Sea Salt
Pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 deegrees.  Place your cut up veggies in a bowl and drizzle with the melted coconut oil.  Toss until all of the veggies are coated.  The coconut oil will probably harden slightly onto the carrots and zucchini and that is ok.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

carrots and zuchini pre baking

Lay out on parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes turning every 10 minutes.

Remove when brown around the edges and tender.

anne

Leave a Comment

Filed under Cook, Kid Friendly, Sides

Tagged as

by | November 7, 2012 · 8:49 pm

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

With the holidays just around the corner, I’m still hanging onto the last little bits of fall. Let’s face it, as soon as it slips away it’s going to be awhile before us cold climate people see signs of outdoor life again without freezing our fingers off.

As an homage to all the best fall flavors, I’m sharing these Pumpkin Apple Streusel muffins that my mom used to make for us as kids. Consider them tasty little bites of autumn that you can bust out when the winter blues set in…or just for every weekend prior.

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins
2 1/2 C flour
2 C sugar
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 C pumpkin
1/2 C vegetable oil
2 C peeled, finely chopped apples

Preheat over to 350. In a large bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin and oil. Beat in dry ingredients, working in flour and sugar one cup at a time. Stir until batter is fully mixed. Using a spatula, fold in apples. Spoon batter into paper lined muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full.

Streusel Topping
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 C sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
5 Tbsp butter

In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle on top of batter in each muffin cup. Bake for 25-30 minutes.


2 Comments

Filed under Breakfast, Kid Friendly

Tagged as , ,

by | November 5, 2012 · 2:04 pm

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins

It is no secret that I love to bake muffins. Who doesn’t love a fresh warm muffin with their morning coffee? Adding veggies to muffins is a great way to get those required veggies into your diet (or your toddler).

I decided to mix it up this time and make it an inside out piece of carrot cake. It is a lightened up recipe, using a mixture of whole wheat and all-purpose flour, golden raisins, oats, carrots, yogurt and applesauce. Using substitutes like applesauce and yogurt creates gives the muffins a nice, sweetened taste and moist texture. However, the consistency of these muffins will be a little chewier than a fluffy oil, flour and butter muffin.

These muffins would be just fine without the frosting middle, but for a little extra fun and a tiny bit of effort (and calories) it is well worth it!

Carrot Cake Muffins
1 C shredded carrot (about 2-3 medium-sized carrots)
1/2 C rolled oats
1/2 golden raisins, chopped
1/2 C whole wheat flour
3/4 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 C applesauce
1/2 C plain yogurt (regular or Greek-style)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon zest
1 8 oz package 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
2/3 C powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add oats and raisins until combined. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, whisk eggs, applesauce, yogurt and vanilla. By hand, add carrots and lemon zest. Mix until combined.

Fold wet mixture into dry mixture until just combined.

With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until fluffy.

In a greased muffin pan, add one tablespoon of batter to each cup. Top with about one teaspoon of cream cheese frosting. Top with another tablespoon of batter. You will likely have a little bit of frosting left over.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes, turning pan half way through. Remove from oven and cool slightly on cooling rack.

Go ahead and sneak one right out of the oven, they are delicious warm!

Enjoy some more sweet and savory carrot recipes from these fabulous bloggers as part of Food Network’s Fall Fest!

Feed Me Phoebe: Root Vegetable and Black Bean Chili
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Roasted Carrots With Chile and Agave
And Love It Too: Vegan Carrot Cake Coconut Macaroons
Virtually Homemade: The Silver Palate’s Carrot Orange Soup
From My Corner of Saratoga: Copper Pennies aka Glazed Carrots
The Heritage Cook: Maple Roasted Carrots, Apples and Onions
Made By Michelle: Carrots and Caramelized Onions
Thursday Night Dinner: Braised Carrots
HGTV Gardens: Garden-to-Table: Carrots
FN Dish: Best Carrot Sides for Thanksgiving

 

14 Comments

Filed under Breakfast, Healthy, Kid Friendly, Treats

Tagged as , ,

by | October 30, 2012 · 1:26 pm

Green Smoothie

I often find myself eating breakfast on the run which usually results in me downing a granola bar, a handful of cereal or some kind of cookie.  Great way to start the day, huh?  I needed a better option so I started to experiment with smoothies after my inlaws so generously gave us a vitamix.  This thing is amazing and makes some of the best smoothies because it literally pulverizes anything you put inside.  We have tried a ton of different combinations, but this green smoothie is, by far, my favorite.  The best part is that the spinach and carrots are almost undetectable and you would never know by the taste that they are even in there.  My husband and my daughter drink this without hesitation.  I love it because I can start my day off with a good dose of fruits and veggies and it is incredibly filling.


Green Smoothie

Serves 2 adults 

2 bananas, peeled
1/4 pineapple, chopped
1 fresh peach or 8 slices of bagged frozen peaches
1-2 cups of spinach
2 whole carrots, peeled and chopped
3 TBSP Chia Seeds
1/4 – 1/4 cup coconut water or regular water

Place the ingredients in your blender and blend until combined.  Add ice if you like your smoothies chilled.  We pour ours into to-go cups with straws so they are the perfect breakfast on the go!

I had mentioned before that we used a vitamix for this smoothie.  It is an incredibly powerful blender that pulverizes anything you put inside.  That is why the carrots are undetectable.  If you are using a blender that is not as powerful, you might want to leave the carrots out.

I also feel the need to mention that this post was not paid for by vitamix.  I just really love my blender!

1 Comment

Filed under Healthy, Kid Friendly

Tagged as ,

by | October 17, 2012 · 10:25 pm

Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato & Fennel Soup

I have a serious thing for butternut squash. I would call it a problem if it weren’t for the fact that it’s a healthy obsession to have.  Last weekend I made this butternut squash soup that tastes so rich and satisfying that it sets a new standard for “health food”.

As a bonus, my one year old also gobbled it up and, besides the tedious vegetable chopping, the rest of the process is pretty hands-off – perfect for a weekend afternoon.

Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato & Fennel Soup
2 medium buttnernut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 small or 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 bulb fennel, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
4 C low sodium vegetable stock
2 Tbsp sherry
1/2 C half & half (optional)
2 sprigs thyme
kosher salt, to taste
cracked black pepper

Optional toppings:
dried cherries
pepitas
pancetta

Trim and chop squash, sweet potato, fennel and onion. Place vegetables, plus peeled garlic and thyme sprigs, on cookie sheets and toss with olive, salt and pepper until lightly and evenly coated. Roast vegetables at 400 for 40 minutes, removing part way through to flip for even browning.

Transfer half of roasted vegetables to a food processor or blender.  Begin pulsing the food processor and slowly incorporate two cups of vegetable stock, processing until mixture is smooth. Scrape into a Dutch oven or stock pot. Move the other half of vegetables into the food processor and repeat process of incorporating stock.  Add in sherry and puree until smooth.  Transfer second batch to the Dutch oven.

Heat puree over medium-low heat.  Season with salt to taste and stir in half and half if desired. Let soup simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Serve with pepitas, dried cherries and pancetta if desired.


2 Comments

Filed under Healthy, Kid Friendly, Main Dish, Make Ahead Meal

Tagged as , , , ,

by | October 3, 2012 · 8:35 am

Honey Sesame Chicken

Lately it has been a battle to get my 4 year old to eat dinner.  She used to eat anything but suddenly she has become stubborn and turns up her nose at everything except boxed Macaroni and Cheese.  It is almost impossible to get her to eat any form of meat, unless I make it sweet.  All I need to do is tell her this is “Honey Chicken” with lots of honey in it and she eats it no problem.

If the dinner table struggles about food are any indication of what the teenage years will be like, then I’m in trouble!



Honey Sesame Chicken

5 chicken breasts
¾ C. honey
¼ C. light soy sauce
¼ C. ketchup
2 t  olive oil

4 teaspoons cornstarch
6 Tablespoons  water
3 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Grease the bottom and sides of your slow cooker.  Add the chicken and cover with a mixture of the honey, soy sauce, ketchup and olive oil.

Cover and cook on low for about 5 hours or until the chicken is cooked and falls apart easily.  Be careful not to over cook.

Remove the chicken and shred, leaving the juices in the pan.  Mix the cornstarch and water and add the mixture to the juices left in the slow cooker.  Place shredded chicken back into the slow cooker, cover and cook for an additional 15-30 minutes.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice.

1 Comment

Filed under Cook, Kid Friendly, Main Dish

Tagged as , ,

by | September 18, 2012 · 2:23 pm

Chicken Fingers

As one of the writers of HAP, I love to cook and cook often. However, as the mother of a preschooler and a newborn, my life can become somewhat hectic and I find myself turning to to convenicne foods. That’s right, chicken fingers, tatertots and sweet potato fries right out of the freezer. I know these foods aren’t bad occasionally, but lately I have been reaching into my freezer more often that I would like in order to get dinner on the table fast.

In an effort to break this habit, I wanted to make my own chicken fingers that would be quick to make and taste great, but would also be something I felt good about serving to my family. I coated chicken fingers with panco breadcrumbs and seasoning, then individually froze them before putting them in ziploc bags. With minimal effort, I have created chicken fingers that I can grab in a hurry that are homemade and still taste great.

Chicken Fingers for your freezer

3lbs chicken tenders
3 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups panco bread crumbs
1 Tablespoons ground cumin
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoon Salt

Ziplock Bags

In a large bowl, mix together the panco bread crumbs with the cumin, garlic and salt. Dip each chicken tender into the beaten eggs, then into the bread crumb mixture. Place on a large cookie sheet. Continue until you have used up all of your chicken tenders.

Place the cookie sheet into your freezer for about 45 minutes or until the tenders are mostly frozen. Then place into freezer safe ziplock bags. This will ensure that the chicken fingers will not stick together when you go to grab a certain number.

I like to try and slightly thaw the chicken before I bake it by putting it in the fridge in the morning if I am going to have it for dinner that night. If you are cooking from thawed, bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until cooked through. If you are cooking from frozen, you will want to add 10-20 minutes to your cooking time.

1 Comment

Filed under Cook, Kid Friendly, Main Dish

Tagged as ,

by | April 18, 2012 · 2:12 pm

Beef Taquitos

My family loves to have a hearty meal on Sunday and we often find ourselves craving Pot Roast, especially in the winter months.  We always seem to have lots of leftover roast and I wanted to create a recipe to use up the meat.  I made these one day and my husband was in love with them.  They are a quick and easy way to use up left over beef and also freeze very well.

Beef Taquitos

3 cups cooked and shredded Pot Roast, chopped into small pieces
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella or pepper jack cheese
6 inch flour tortillas, about 15 or 20

Combine with left over beef roast with the seasonings and lime juice.  Mix in cheese until evenly distributed.

Place about ¼ to 1/3 cup of the mixture down the center of your tortilla.  Roll up and place seam side down on a baking sheet.  Mist with cooking spray or brush with olive oil and then sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown the filling is hot.

These also freeze very well.  Simply place taquitos in a freezer bag before misting with spray and baking.  When you would like to make them, just pull them out of the freezer mist with spray or brush with olive oil, salt and bake.   You might need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time, but the will come out of the oven incredibly delicious.

1 Comment

Filed under Cook, Kid Friendly, Main Dish, Make Ahead Meal, Quick & Easy

Tagged as

by | March 9, 2012 · 7:30 am

Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows for Cocoa

Since we served at hot chocolate bar at our recent baby celebration for Anne, Stef and I thought it would be fun to have a variety of ways for people to gussy up their cocoa. One of the garnishes I made was these oversized, chocolate dipped marshmallows. Not only do they look pretty but you can let the chocolate melt into your drink for some extra richness.

I made them with my sister, which made it easier since you have to work fast. Adding sprinkles would be a fun task for little helpers – just have them be careful not to touch the hot, melted chocolate.

Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows
1 bag of marshmallows (I used the jumbo size)
1 bag of chocolate chips
OR
1/2 bag of chocolate chips and 1/2 bag of white chocolate chips
assorted sprinkles or sanding sugars
parchment paper

Melt chocolate over medium heat using a double boiler or make your own faux double boiler by placing a glass mixing bowl on a sauce pan so that the bottom of the bowl hangs about 1″ above your water. This will only work if your bowl fits securely into your pan. You could also melt the chocolate in the microwave, however I find I get more control with a double boiler since you don’t want to overheat the chocolate – especially the white chocolate.

As soon as the chips have all just melted, reduce the heat to medium low. If you’re using white chocolate, add any food coloring you wish now and quickly stir it in.

Working quickly, dunk and twirl the top of each marshmallow into the chocolate until the top is coated.

Set the dipped marshmallow chocolate side up on your parchment paper. Dust with sprinkles or sugar. Let set until chocolate has solidified.

1 Comment

Filed under Kid Friendly, Treats

Tagged as , ,

by | February 17, 2012 · 8:00 am

Baked Fish Sticks

My husband has never been much of a fish eater. This has always made me sad. While I had little room to complain being the non-chocolate eater that I am, I was thrilled when he decided to dub 2012 – “The Year of the Fish.” Eating fish is healthy (how are those New Years resolutions coming?), can be cost effective if you buy the right variety (again with the resolutions), and expands your horizons. I eased into this new year of the creatures of the sea with something light and simple, fish sticks. Not the nasty fish sticks dunked in tartar sauce that you get from the frozen food aisle, but homemade baked tilapia fish sticks.

I near ran around the room singing when my hubby went for seconds AND my finicky toddler piled these down in no time. This is a fast meal to prepare. The fish bake up really quickly, you just need to be willing to get your hands a little dirty in some dunking.

Baked Fish Sticks

3/4-1 lb fresh tilapia
1/4 C flour
2 egg whites
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 C crushed corn flakes
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with cooking spray.

In a shallow bowl, beat egg whites and lemon juice. Place flour in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, add cornflakes and all spices. Mix together. Cut tilapia into 1 1/2 inch thick strips and about 4-6 inches in length.

On at a time, dredge tilapia pieces in flour. Dip in egg white mixture to coat and cover with cornflake mixture. Set on baking pan. Repeat until finished.

*Warning: toddlers and flour are a messy combination

Bake fish sticks at 425 for 10-12 minutes or until coating looks slightly crisp.

Serve with favorite dipping sauce.

These are delicious with a honey mustard dipping sauce. I’ve also eaten them with the Marzetti’s Otria Greek Yogurt Dips leftover from my December post. Equally delicious!

Cheers to 2012 – the Year of the Fish!

6 Comments

Filed under Cook, Healthy, Kid Friendly, Main Dish

Tagged as , , ,