To me, so much of the art of getting kids to eat is incorporating as much fun as possible, so that they will be more open to eating foods that normally might be outside of their comfort zone. My kids love eating with their hands, so I try to devise lots of new spins on recipes for things they can hold easily in their little mitts. Burritos, burgers, muffins and even these Chicken in Lettuce Cups always go over well. Salad maybe a tough sell for some little ones, but these lettuce cups are kid friendly and a whole new way for them of looking at leafy greens. They’re crunchy, and in combination with the stir-fried chicken with herbs and a slightly sweet sauce it’s really something special. Plus, kids can only eat these with their hands. How much fun is that?

Stir-Fried Chicken in Lettuce Cups (Serves 4)

1/4 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp Cilantro, minced
1 Tbsp Oil
1 Small Onion, diced
1 Bell Pepper, red, orange or yellow
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 Tsp Ginger, minced
1 Lb. Ground Chicken (you can also use ground turkey)
1/4 Tsp Salt
8 Bibb or Iceberg Lettuce “Cups”

1. Combine soy sauce, honey, and cilantro in a bowl and set aside.
2. Using a large saute pan, cook the onion in 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat for 2 minutes.
3. Add the bell pepper and cook an additional 2 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute then add the turkey to the pan and saute for an 7 minutes or until cooked through.
5. Stir in the soy sauce mixture, sprinkle salt and cook for 2 minute or until juices evaporate.
6. Serve in lettuce cups (to eat then just roll the lettuce around the stir fried chicken and eat them like a burrito).

It’s not that I can’t wedge a slice of pizza into Kenya’s LapTop Lunch Box, it’s just that it can be a bit of a challenge. When kids open their school lunch, the first thing they’ll likely judge their food on is it’s appearance, so a piece of pizza that’s been smashed to fit in the box, doesn’t seem like the easiest sell — no matter how much they love it. That was part of the reason that I came up with these Pizza Pinwheels. If you tune in to weelicious enough, you know that we make a lot of pizza in our house and coming up with new recipes for how to present it besides the everyday slice with tomato and cheese is part of the fun for me. These pinwheels are really like a pizza “sandwich” because the filling is savory, kind of like a ham and cheese sandwich, but much cooler looking. They almost dare you not to eat them. It’s also a versatile recipe in that you can substitute your fillings to fit your mood. Whether you decide to replace the ham with turkey or chicken or even go with just traditional red sauce and cheese, these Pizza Pinwheels will have your kids coming home from school asking for more!
*If you decide to buy a LapTop Lunch Box, put the word ‘weelicious’ into the code and get 10%off!

Pizza Pinwheels (Makes 35 Pinwheels)

1 16 oz Pkg. Ready Made White or Wheat Pizza Dough *Let dough come to room temperature before you roll it out.
2 Tbsp Dijon or Yellow Mustard
1 Cup OR 8 Slices of Ham, without the rind, chopped fine
1 Cup Mozzarella or Cheddar, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Roll out pizza dough until 1/4 inch thick and the shape of a large rectangle (about 18 x 12 inches).
3. Evenly spread 2 tbsp of mustard on the dough.
4. Sprinkle the ham and cheese on top of the dough.
5. Starting with end nearest you (the long end of the rectangle), roll the dough away from you, creating an even cylinder as you go (similar to a jelly roll).
6. Lightly sprinkle some flour on top of the roll (so it’s easier to cut) and using a serrated knife, cut the roll into 1/2 inch discs (pinwheels).
7. Place pinwheels on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and lightly press them with the palm of your hand to slightly flatten and bake for 12-15 minutes.
8. Serve.

*After rolling up the dough, cut the roll in half and freeze for later. When you are ready just take it out and let it thaw to room temperature then cut them into pinwheels and follow the steps 7-8. Or you can just cut the entire roll in pinwheels and place some pinwheels on a baking sheet, freeze for 30 minutes then place them in a ziploc bag, label and freeze. But be sure to always let the pinwheels come to room temperature then bake.

We were so excited to go out to dinner with the kids on a recent Saturday night when our plans fell through at the last minute. These are the dreaded moments when I look at my hungry kids (and husband) and then look in the barren refrigerator, desperately trying to think of something super easy and not time consuming to make for my family. Add to the drama of that moment that I hadn’t been to the grocery in days and the only things I could find in the kitchen that looked appealing were a few ears of corn, cherry tomatoes and ricotta cheese. Pasta and cheese are usually easy sells with most kids, but this dish has a few more elements to it and since I’d never prepared anything like it before, I wasn’t quite sure how my kids would react. Well, whether I have two kids that are good eaters or I simply created a recipe that’s undeniably delicious is debatable, but Kenya and Chloe and my husband and I devoured almost the entire recipe. The combination of the summer vegetables with the creamy ricotta cheese made for the perfect last minute dinner with just enough leftovers for the kids’ lunch the next day. Plus, it made me thrilled that I have a new recipe to add to my arsenal at this time of year!

Pasta with Corn & Ricotta (Serves 4-6)

1 Lb Pasta (I used Vegetable Radiatore, but Orchiette is a great choice too)
2 Ears of Corn, steamed or grilled (or 1 cup cooked frozen corn kernels, defrosted)
1/3 Cup Ricotta Cheese, crumbled
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tsp Salt

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and cover with cold water until room temperature.
2. Cut the corn off the cob and place kernels in a bowl with pasta and remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
3. Serve.

Time saver: You can add the ears of corn in the last 4 minutes of boiling the pasta, drain and cool before cutting off the cob

Hubby and I have been taking a parenting class with a group of our friends in hopes of finding better strategies to keep the peace with our kids when times get challenging (can anyone relate to that?). We rotate houses each week and whoever hosts provides a light dinner to fill everyone’s bellies before we sit down to some pretty intense — but fun — conversation. One of my friends is a total closet gourmand and while she couldn’t be more humble about her culinary talents, just one taste of her food betrays how awesome she is in the kitchen.

As we sat around eating before class started, my hubby turned to me, offered up his drink and said, “Catherine, taste this, it’s delicious!” I took a sip and agreed completely. The drink had a beautiful purple color and was unbelievably refreshing — only I had no idea what it was. I asked my friend and she said it was an agua fresca. It sounded so fancy, but she said it couldn’t be more simple to prepare. All she did was make a simple syrup (sugar and water) with fresh ginger and mix in frozen blackberries. I knew I had to try and replicate it for weelicious.

The next day, I set out to make a much simpler version of agua fresca for a group of kids coming over for a pool party. Kenya was ready as ever to be my taste tester as we took to the blender and whipped up my own version of a blackberry agua fresca. Kenya took one sip and exclaimed “it tastes like pomegranate juice”! Only my kid.

After I let it chill, I offered the kids glasses asking, “would you like to try some blackberry agua fresca?” The kids looked at me totally perplexed until their mothers leaned in to them and said, “it’s juice.” That’s all it took. Within minutes it was all gone, the only evidence being the purple mustaches on everyone’s happy little faces. My husband, however, was less than happy to discover the empty pitcher when he got home from work. I’ll save that for our next parenting class.

Blackberry Agua Fresca (Serves 4)

1 1/2 Cups Blackberries, rinsed (or Frozen Blackberries, defrosted)
4 Cups Water
2 Tbsp Agave
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1. Pour the blackberries, water and agave in a blender and puree.
2. Pour the blackberry mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher.
3. Stir in the lemon juice.
4. Refrigerate until cold.
5. Serve.

“Why don’t you come over for dinner with the kids tonight”! In my seemingly never ending attempt to always make Kenya and Chloe’s dinner times fun, those words fly out of my mouth to my mom friends on a weekly basis. And, without fail, moments after asking I think to myself, “Who am I kidding? When am I going to have time to prepare dinner for 4 kids and 4 adults when I’ve already got a crazy day of work ahead of me?” As a result of my big mouth and boundless optimism, I’ve been forced to become the (self-proclaimed) queen of doubling recipes and freezing them for these types of occasions. And these enchiladas are a perfect candidate for doing just that. No matter if you’re cooking for 2 or 12, there’s nothing easier then pulling these out of the icebox, popping them into the oven and, 30 minutes later, enjoying warm tortillas filled with chicken, veggies and tons of gooey cheese.

At my last impromptu kids dinner, we were all sitting around, chowing down on this Mexican treat, and a mom friend leaned in to me to say, “I can’t believe you had the time to make these!” When it’s really that easy, why not have friends over every night?!

Mexican Enchiladas (Makes Eight Servings)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Small Onion, chopped
1 Tsp Salt
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Tsp Ground Cumin
1 Garlic Clove, minced
2 Chicken Breasts or 2 Cups Chicken, cooked and shredded
1 Cup Frozen Corn, defrosted
1 1/2 Cups Mexican Cheese Blend
1 28 oz Can Enchilada Sauce (you can find this in the latin section of your grocery)
8 Flour Tortillas

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook onions and salt for 3 minutes.
3. Add red bell pepper and sauté for another 2 minutes.
4. Add cumin and garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
5. Remove the mixture from the pan and place in a bowl. After the mixture has cooled, add the chicken, corn, and 1 cup cheese and mix to combine.
6. Pour half of the enchilada sauce in a 9 x 11 inch baking dish.
7. Divide the mixture (about 1/2 cup each), placing it in the middle of each tortilla and rolling it up like a wrap (burrito shape).
8. Place the rolled enchiladas close together, seam side down in the sauced baking dish. Continue to roll the rest of the filled enchiladas.
9. Once you have finished making the stuffed enchiladas, pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over them and top with 1/2 cup cheese. *If you’re planning on making this dish another day, cover it and freeze at this point.
10. Cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes (30 minutes if you are starting with frozen enchiladas.
11. Serve.

*Enchiladas will stay in the freezer for up to 4 months. For best results, prepare enchiladas then freeze. Do not bake.

Kids running around in swimsuits eating popsicles. That is summer to me. And when those popsicles happen to be red, white and blue? Well, that can only mean it’s the Fourth of July! I vividly remember being a kid, playing with my friends at our local swimming pool and sucking on Bomb Pops (big, red, white and blue rocket-shaped popsicles that seemed all the rage in the 70’s) to cool down in the summer heat. I adored Bomb Pops, looking back, I can’t imagine how much food coloring and sugar I must have ingested over the years. And while those popsicle memories are great, but how can I share them with my own kids without also exposing them to all those unwanted additives and chemicals? There has to be a way to make your own version of those sinfully delicious iced treats — full of eye appealing color — but also healthy at the same time.

I use fresh fruits and yogurts to make festive popsicles that are nutritious as well. And for the Fourth, blueberries and raspberries make it easy to celebrate the holiday. Packed with antioxidants, Vitamin C, dietary fiber, calcium and more, these Red, White & Blue Popsicles seem like a much better idea than the sugar and corn syrup laden ones infused with Red Dye #17 and Blue Dye #26 you’ll find in the store. I don’t want my kids eating that. Not when they can enjoy homemade colorful pops whose colors come straight from nature, not a laboratory.

So when your kids are looking for something refreshing that will impress them at the same time, make a batch of these pops. You won’t mind at all when they ask for seconds and thirds. In fact, you’ll encourage it!

Red, White & Blue Popsicles (Makes 8 Popsicles, depending on the size of your molds)

1 12 oz Bag Frozen Blueberries, defrosted
6 Tbsp Agave, divided (you can also use honey, but I prefer agave for this recipe)
1 Cup Plain Yogurt
1/4 Cup Vanilla Rice Milk (you can also use cow’s milk, almond or soy)
1 12 oz Bag Frozen Raspberries, defrosted

1. Place defrosted blueberries and 2 tbsp agave in a blender and puree until smooth.
2. Pour the blueberry puree a 1/3 way up each popsicle mold and freeze for 30-45 minutes.
3. Combine yogurt, rice milk, and 2 tbsp of agave in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
4. Pour yogurt mixture 2/3 way up the popsicle molds on top of the blueberry mixture, and freeze for another 30-45 minutes.
5. Place defrosted raspberries and 2 tbsp agave in a blender and blend until smooth.
6. Finish the popsicles by pouring the raspberry puree over the yogurt, place sticks in and freeze.

*Because all popsicle molds are different sizes, you may have left overs. You can refrigerate the remaining berry purees and use as toppings for yogurt, granola, pancakes, etc.

Every Sunday when we go to our local farmer’s market, Kenya fervently looks forward to two things — a pupusa with tons of cabbage slaw and a big flavored lemonade. It’s so incredible for us as parents to watch how monumental this ritual is for him. Many of the central and south American food stands at the LA markets feature huge clear barrels of various naturally flavored lemonades. In addition to the tried and true original lemon version, there is also raspberry, strawberry, watermelon and various other fresh combinations, their gorgeous colors luring anyone who passes by — as well as Kenya.

As the weather gets hotter, so does our family while we shop the market, and we inevitably find ourselves wilting in the heat every summer weekend. There have already been numerous days these past two months that were so hot, shopping for food became difficult and we all started salivating as we (along with Kenya) looked at those gigantic clear vats of lemonade calling our names. I’m always more then happy to indulge Kenya with this special treat, especially considering how thirsty the rising temperatures makes us this time of year. But I also know these lemonades are made with a good deal of sugar and so when possible, I try to sway Kenya towards a nice tall bottle of water, so we can make homemade strawberr-wee lemonade with our food purchases from the market when we get home.

As soon as the produce is unpacked, Kenya is up at the counter rolling the lemons (one of his favorite kitchen jobs because he knows that’s the best way to release the juice). With just a rinse of the berries, a touch of natural sweetener, a quick puree and a brisk stir, our healthy lemonade is ready for us to gulp down and enjoy!

Strawberry Lemonade (Serves 4)

1 Cup Chopped Fresh Strawberries, stemmed & washed
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Agave or Honey
2 Cups Water
Ice for Serving

1. Puree strawberries and honey (or agave) in a blender or food processor until smooth and transfer to a pitcher.
2. Pour the strawberry mixture, water and lemon juice in a pitcher and stir to combine.
3. Chill and serve over ice.

One of the dinner time staples for many of my friends are frozen veggie burgers. I informally polled some moms to ask them why they like and make them so much, and the most common answers I got were “my kids love them”, “they’re easy to prepare”, and, most frequently, “they’re healthy”. That last answer, is almost true. Compared to so many other prepared foods you can buy at the grocery, frozen veggie burgers do seem really healthy (and some brands are certainly better than others). The problem is that many of them are packed with sodium, additives and fillers. They also can be pretty expensive, with the “healthier” brands coming out a well over a dollar per burger.

This veggie burger recipe is nutritious, really easy to make and it freezes beautifully, so you get all the convenience and great taste of store bought brands, only these are healthier and much cheaper. And on those nights when you’re in a hurry (doesn’t that seem like every night!), you’ll be glad that you had a few of these in the freezer all ready to heat up, pop in buns and chow down with your gang!

Veg-Wee Burgers (Makes 4 Burgers or 8 Mini Burgers)

1/2 Cup Bulgur Wheat
1 Cup Water
1 15 Oz Can Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 Cup Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
1/2 Cup Carrot, grated
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
1 Tbsp Oil

Accompaniments: Bread, Lettuce, Tomato, Ketchup, Mustard, Mayonnaise, Pickles

1. Place the bulgar wheat and water in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover for 13 minutes.
2. After the bulgur has cooked, place in a bowl and let cool.
3. Place 1 can of rinsed and drained pinto beans in a food processor and puree.
4. Add the pureed beans, cheese, carrot, salt, garlic and onion powder to cooked bulgur and mix thoroughly.
5. Form into patties.
6. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and cook the burgers for 3 minutes on each side.
7. Serve with accompaniments.

* Patties can be frozen on a baking sheet for one hour and placed in a large zipper bag or individually wrapped and frozen. Defrost the cook.

Having two young kids, I find it kind of funny how one will voraciously eat a certain food without pause and the other turns their nose up at it after the first bite. This happens a lot in our house, specifically when it comes to plain yogurt. My husband, Kenya and I each eat at least one container of Greek yogurt a day — Kenya without any added toppings at all. Chloe, on the other hand, will just flat out say “noooo” when she sees plain yogurt unless there’s something to liven it up like a scoop of Apricot, Peach and Golden Raisin Puree.

I like to keep frozen berries on hand, primarily because Kenya thinks they’re the best breakfast AND dessert known to man. He loves eating them on their own, but recipes like this Raspberry Sauce is one he always makes an exception for. It only takes me minutes to prepare and it is so unbelievably delicious, it makes an impression on even the littlest of kids.

Raspberries are a powerhouse of nutrition, boasting magnesium, Vitamin C and plenty of dietary fiber. Since they only have 61 calories per cup, this is a perfect sauce for mom to drizzle on her favorite foods too.

When Kenya and Chloe watched me making this the other day they both oohed and ahhed as I poured the finished product into a glass jar. The gorgeous red color is almost hypnotic, and when they tasted it on their yogurt, they both went crazy. Even my husband who, like Kenya, likes his yogurt unadorned has been pouring this on to the point that there’s more sauce than yogurt in his bowl. Whether you decide to serve this on some protein-packed yogurt, ice cream, waffles or even on a sandwich with a spread of almond butter or cream cheese, it’s a treat that you’ll soon want to become a staple in your fridge. That’s one thing everyone can probably agree on!

Raspberr-wee Sauce (Makes 1 1/2 Cups)

1 Bag Frozen Raspberries (about 12 oz)
1/4 Cup Water
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
2 Tbsp Honey or Agave Nectar

1. Add one bag of raspberries and 2 tbsp of honey (or agave) to a pot, stirring to combine and smashing raspberries with the back of a spoon.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
3. Whisk 1 tbsp of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water in a separate bowl.
4. Add the cornstarch mixture to the raspberries and stir until the sauce thickens (about 2 minutes).
5. Cool and serve over yogurt, ice cream, pancakes and more!

** Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

PIZZA!!!! That’s the only word I tend to hear these days whenever I ask my husband and Kenya what they want for dinner. Our newest Sunday night tradition has become making homemade pizzas together as a family and it’s so much fun. One of Kenya’s favorite parts is getting to choose the toppings for his side of the pie. We’ve even found that foods he normally won’t eat on their own, become totally appealing to him when tossed on his pizza.

A few Sundays ago when we were making some delicious thin crusted creations, Chloe was on the kitchen floor playing with one of the muffin tins and it gave me a genius idea: Pizza Muffins! Why, you may ask? Why not! Pizza is crunchy, cheesy, delicious, totally kid-friendly and when it’s cooked in the shape of a muffin, it just adds a cool twist to the same old slice that you’re used to. When I told my husband about my inspiration for this recipe, the first thing he said was, “thank goodness Chloe wasn’t playing with a jello mold when you thought this one up”.

Pizza Muffins (Makes 16-18 Cups)

1 Lb Package Pizza Dough (white or Whole Wee-Eat Pizza Dough)
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/2 Cup Pizza Sauce
Olive Oil

Toppings: Mushrooms, Ham, Red Peppers, Olives or whatever you and your kids love. The possibilities are endless.

1. Bring dough to room temperature and preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Roll out the dough to a thin 18 x 12 rectangle and cut into squares about 3 x 3 inches.
3. Grease mini muffin cups and place one square in each cup, making sure that the corners of the dough are sticking out.
4. Brush edges of dough with olive oil.
5. Par-bake dough for 8 minutes and take tins out of oven.
6. Pour 1 tsp of sauce in each cup and evenly distribute the cheese between the cups (you can add toppings now as well).
7. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
8. Cool and serve.