Sometimes on the weekends when we’re running around or playing in the house, only at the last minute do I realize it’s lunch time! By Friday, we’re almost always running low on the meals I made for the week, so on Saturdays and Sundays I have to come up with something yummy, healthy and fast that everyone enjoys. These Tortilla Wraps only take minutes to prepare and they’re super easy on the wallet AND the tummy. All I have to do is scramble a few eggs and cheese, place them on a tortilla and voila! Lunch is served!

You can use other fillings besides egg and cheese. I just like them because they are usually always in our fridge — I usually grab accompaniments or whatever leftovers I have in the fridge to let Kenya build his own wrap as a fun activity.

No matter what you put in them, they give kids plenty of energy to keep running around and playing the rest of the day!

Tortilla Wraps (Makes 1 Serving)

2 Eggs
1 Tbsp Milk
Pinch of Salt
1 Tsp Butter or Oil
2 Tbsp Cheese, shredded (I used mozzarella)
1 Whole Wheat Tortilla
Accompaniments: Guacamol-Wee, Sour Cream and/or Salsa

1. Whisk eggs, milk and salt in a bowl to throughly combine.
2. Melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat.
3. Add the eggs and stir with a wooden spoon for 1 minute.
4. Add the cheese and stir until the eggs are set and cheese is melted, about 2 minutes more.
5. Heat tortillas over a gas flame for several seconds turning with tongs or place in between layers of damp paper towels and heat in the microwave for 10 seconds.
6. Place the eggs in the tortilla and roll into a cylinder or fold in half (Kenya likes to hold it in his hand and munch away).
7. Serve.

More and more people these days are choosing to live a vegan lifestyle for them and their kids. It takes a lot of commitment as vegans do not eat or use animal products of any kind (no dairy, no honey….nothing!). I’m pretty sure that Kenya and my husband would be up for it, but if that meant no eggs, it would be a no go! They love their scrambled eggs for breakfast….and sometimes lunch and dinner, too. And after all, eggs are inexpensive, packed with protein, delicious and healthy. Still, when our vegan friends come over for breakfast, I need to be able to serve something that can substitute for scrambled eggs. What else but scrambled tofu!

Tofu is a fantastic substitute for eggs for all the reasons above and the best part is that tofu has a neutral flavor, which allows it to completely take on the taste of your favorite flavors. My hubby loves a hint of curry and I’m partial to an Asian take on it, but it takes barely any effort for everyone to have it their own way.

So try it and see what you like best. Even if the vegan life doesn’t appeal to you at all, I promise you scrambled tofu will!

Tofu Veggie Scramble 2 Ways

Indian Tofu Scramble (Serves 4)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, chopped
1 Cup Mushrooms, chopped
1 Carrot, Grated
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Curry Powder
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 Cup Spinach, packed
1 lb. Extra Firm Tofu, drained and pressed to remove as much water as possible

1. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, mushrooms, carrots, bell pepper, salt and curry to a large sauté pan and cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened.
3. Add the garlic and spinach and cook another 2 minutes.
4. Crumble the tofu into the pan with the vegetables and continue to cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until heated through.
5. Serve.

Asian Tofu Scramble (Serves 4)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, chopped
1 Cup Mushrooms, chopped
1 Carrot, Grated
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 Cup Spinach, packed
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce or Braggs
1 lb. Extra Firm Tofu, drained and pressed to remove as much water as possible

1. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, mushrooms, carrots and bell pepper to a large sauté pan and cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened.
3. Add the garlic and spinach and cook another 2 minutes.
4. Crumble the tofu into the pan with the vegetables, sprinkle with soy sauce and continue to cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until heated through.
5. Serve.

We used these to make this recipe:

Oxo Good Grips Box Grater

If there’s one fruit that we keep in the house year round, it’s bananas. Since they start to get spots and turn brown after only a few days, I’m constantly trying to come up with new recipes which use one of our favorite potassium filled fruits.

Since we can’t always have dinner as a family, as much as we may try, breakfast is our real family meal. We try to cook something together (including Kenya) every morning before the demands of work and school begin. This fritter recipe is a great one for getting your kids involved in because they can peel and mash the bananas while you’re measuring out the remaining ingredients. Within minutes you’ll have golden sweet cakes that we love to top with honey. They’re guaranteed to be a huge success with the entire family!

Banana Corn Fritters (Makes 20 Fritters)

3/4 Cup Cornmeal
1/2 Cup Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Cinnamon
3 Medium Bananas
2 Tbsp Milk
1 Egg
1 Ear of Corn, kernels cut off the cob (or 1/2 cup frozen corn, defrosted)
Canola or Vegetable Oil, as needed
Honey, for serving

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas and add the milk and egg. Whisk to combine.
3. Add the cornmeal mixture to the wet ingredients with the corn kernels and whisk until smooth.
4. Place about 1 tbsp of oil in a large sautepan over medium heat.
5. Place 2 tbsp of the banana/corn mixture in the pan to make each fritter.
6. Cook the fritters for 3 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through.
7. Drizzle with honey and serve.

*Allow to cool then place in ziploc bags, label and freeze up to 4 months. When ready, place in toaster oven or oven at 300 for 10 minutes until heated through.

I would not, could not, in a box.
I could not, would not, with a fox.
I will not eat them with a mouse.
I will not eat them in a house.
I will not eat them here or there.
I will not eat them anywhere.
I do not eat green eggs and ham.
I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

– From Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

I like them!

– Kenya

Green Eggs and Ham is one of Dr. Seuss’ most well known books and it is one of our favorites as well. But what are Green Eggs and Ham anyway? I’ve seen tons of culinary interpretations of it, but let’s be honest, the thought of squeezing green dye in eggs just sounds totally gnarly to me!

This recipe is my healthy version of Green Eggs and Ham. Feel free to use either regular ham or prosciutto, one of Kenya’s favorite foods. Just a little bit adds tons of flavor to this dishes (and makes it a wee bit more gourmet).

The next time you’re trying to get your kids to eat green foods like spinach, read them this book and then whip them up a batch of green eggs and ham!

Dr Seuss Eggs (Serves 2)

1 Cup Spinach, chopped
1 Tsp Butter or Oil
Pinch of Salt
4 Eggs
2 Tbsp Milk
2 Slices Prosciutto or Ham, cut into small pieces
1/4 Cup Gruyere Cheese, shredded

1. Heat the butter in a saute pan over medium heat and cook the spinach and salt for 2 minutes or until wilted.
2. In a bowl whisk the eggs and milk until combined.
3. Add the eggs to the spinach and cook for 2 minutes or until just beginning to set.
4. Add the prosciutto or ham and the cheese to the eggs and cook for an additional minute.
5. Serve.

Most people are familiar with recipes for deviled eggs. Not my husband, however. When he saw this recipe he asked me if anyone has actually eaten a deviled egg since 1955. Maybe he has a point. Deviled eggs can seem about as boring as cocktail weenies. But these deviled egg chicks hopefully blow the cobwebs off the traditional version. They are inexpensive and easy to make. You can actually spend LESS than $4 and make DOUBLE the amount in this recipe!

Not only are these chicks delicious, but the end product is so cute. Kids can get in on the fun by helping you mash the egg yolk mixture, piping it into the egg white “bodies” and putting the “eyes” and “beaks” on the chicks.

If you want to really have fun with the devil theme, it’s fun to put 2 red pepper triangles on top of the egg whites — so you have real little devils! I definitely know who the little devil is in our house….and that would be Kenya! So this recipe is in honor of all the little devils that are really the angels of our lives!

Deviled Egg “Chicks” (Makes 12 Deviled Eggs or 6 “Chicks”)

6 Large Eggs
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
1/4 Tsp Salt
Stuffed Olives, cut into disks, optional for the eyes
Red Bell Pepper, cut into tiny triangles, optional for the beak

1. Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water.
2. Bring the water and eggs to a boil over high heat.
3. When the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and let sit for 12 minutes.
4. Drain off the hot water and cover with cold water to cool the eggs.
5. Peel the eggs, cut in half* and place the yolks in a bowl with the mustard, mayonnaise and salt.
6. Mash the mixture into a bowl until smooth.
7. Fill the egg whites with the yolk mixture.
8. Serve.
*If you want to make deviled egg “chicks” as I did in the picture, take a sharp knife and make zig zag cuts through the middle of the egg white. Remove the yolk and make the filling. Place the yolk mixture in a zip lock bag and cut a whole in one end to make a piping bag. Squeeze the yolk mixture into the egg white, place the olive “eyes” and red bell pepper “beak” into the yolk mixture and top with the remaining egg white.

Drum roll please….and the winner of the Yo Baby “best yogurt recipe” winner is….Mara Stephens (huge applause and standing ovation heard around the world)!

Weelicious recently held a contest for people to come up with the best recipe using Yo Baby’s plain yogurt. There were so many interesting and delicious submissions that we had a really difficult time deciding on just one winner. From Kristin Laird’s Banana Bread to Trina Anderson’s Pee-Wee Pops (I just love that name), we had an embarrassment of riches in the submissions department — so thank you to all of you who took the time, energy and creativity to send your ideas in to us. After many testings, tastings and deliberations, we finally chose Mara’s heavenly Banana Almond Pancakes. They’re fluffy and as light as air (not to mention totally addictive). It only took us minutes to whip them up, which makes them a perfect choice in the morning, and since these pancakes are made with both plain yogurt and almond flour, they’re also a terrific source of protein.

We’re big pancake fans in our house and this recipe will definitely be part of our weekly breakfast rotation.

Congratulations Mara!

Banana Almond Pancakes (Serves 4-6) (by Mara Stephans)

3 Eggs
2 Tbsp Agave Nectar
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Banana, mashed
1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Almond Flour/Meal
1/2 Cup Flour (white or wheat will work)

1. Whisk the first 5 ingredients in a bowl.
2. Whisk the remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk to combine.
4. Heat a large skillet or griddle over low to medium heat and add oil or butter (you don’t want the pan to be too hot or the pancakes will get too dark).
5. Place several spoonfuls of the mixture in the pan, making several pancakes, and cook for 3 minutes on each side.
6. Serve (preferably with an extra dollop of Yo Baby!

*Allow to cool, place in a ziploc bag, label and freeze. When ready, place in toaster oven or oven at 300 and heat for 10 minutes or until heated through.

We used these to make this recipe:

Chef’s Design 20-Inch Double Burner Reversible Grill/Griddle

Oh, breakfast, the meal of the day that you try to avoid like the plague. At least it is for me. One of the last things I want to do first thing in the morning is cook. Still, you want to give your brood the best start you can to start their day. Cereal? Easy, yes, but boring day after day. Oatmeal? Great, but we eat it almost every other day in our house. Pancakes? Delicious, but see the above — I certainly don’t have the energy for that unless someone is celebrating a birthday or it’s Saturday. Breakfast bread pudding? Sounds super complicated, right? Wrong! It’s delicious, surprisingly fast to whip up and it’s even easier to serve than cereal in the morning if prepared the night before. Bingo!

I’m always a big fan of dishes like this one because you can serve it to a crowd, it freezes beautifully (just make sure you do it before baking) and it smells like some kind of cinnamon heaven when it comes out of the oven. Kenya loved this breakfast so much, I gave it to him as a dessert after dinner that night, too!

Breakfast Bread Pudding (Makes 4-6 Servings)

3 Large Eggs
3/4 Cup Milk
3 Tbsp Honey, or to taste
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
Pinch Salt
2 Small Apples, peeled, cored and cut into small dice (I like Gala, Fuji or Golden Delicious)
1/3 Cup Raisins
5 Slices Whole wheat or Multigrain Bread (fresh or stale bread), cut in 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Butter a 1 1/2-quart, 8-inch square baking dish.
3. Beat the eggs, milk, honey, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
4. Stir in the apples, raisins and bread cubes. Using your hands or a rubber spatula combine the ingredients to make sure everything is evenly coated.
5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish pressing down lightly. Cover with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
* You can prepare the breakfast bread pudding ahead at this point. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
6. Bake for 30 minutes covered. Uncover and continue to cook for an additional 20 minutes. Bake until golden and cooked through.
7. Serve.

Stone fruit is all over the farmers market and I can’t resist it! So many of my favorite dishes that I’ve been making recently are centered around peaches and nectarines and I have to say that today’s recipe is one of my most favorite things I’ve ever made for weelicious. It’s easy, simple and perfect for breakfast, as a snack or dessert.

The real trick is using ripe fruit that’s super sweet and soft. Kenya and I both ate 3 helpings of this for dessert. I can’t wait to go to the market this weekend and get more!

Baked Nectarines with Honey Yogurt Sauce (Serves 4)

2 Nectarines (or Peaches), halved and pitted
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
4 Tbsp Greek Yogurt
1 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp Pistachios, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place nectarines in a baking dish and squeeze with lemon juice.
3. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until tender.
4. Remove from oven and cool for several minutes.
5. Mix yogurt and honey together in a small bowl and spoon on top of each peach or nectarine.
6. Sprinkle with pistachios.
7. Serve.

When Chloe was born, a friend sent us a gorgeous cheese plate with all types of incredible cheeses and fresh French baguettes. The two of us couldn’t possibly go through all of that cheese and bread on our own, so I refrigerated the cheese and cut the bread into cubes to dry out for another use (I’m way too frugal for my own good!). I hate waste. For example, I hate when I have to buy a loaf of bread and only wind up using half, so I have to come up with recipes that I can use before the bread goes bad. Recipes like blueberry cream cheese french toast are a perfect use for day old bread.

Blueberries are in season now and one of Kenya’s new obsessions is cream cheese, so I decided to put it all together for this delicious breakfast recipe. Even better, you can prepare the dish up to 24 hours in advance, refrigerate, then pop it in the oven when you’re ready to bake it for a elegant but easy morning treat.

When I pulled this out of the oven, my family’s eyes lit up! Also it made me happy to be using ingredients that otherwise would have gone to waste.

Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast (Makes 6 Servings)

1 1/4 Cup Milk
3 Large Eggs
2 Tsp Vanilla
2 Tbsp Honey or Agave
1/2 Loaf (4 Cups) French Bread, fresh or day old, cut into cubes
4 Oz Cream Cheese, cut into cubes (half a stick)
1/2 Cup Blueberries
Butter for greasing pan

Accompaniments: Maple syrup or honey

1. In a large bowl, whisk milk, eggs, vanilla and honey or agave.
2. Add the bread cubes and toss with the liquid mixture. Set aside for 10 minutes.
3. Add the cream cheese and blueberries and mix gently to combine.
4. Place in a buttered 8×8 inch baking dish or individual buttered 6 oz ramekins.
5. At this point you can refrigerate for up to 12 hours to bake in the morning or continue on with step 6 and 7.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Cover the dish with foil that has been greased with butter or oil, greased side down. If using the 8×8 inch dish, bake for 25 minutes covered and 20-25 minutes uncovered. If using individual 6 oz. ramekins bake for 20 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered.
8. Top with desired accompaniments and serve.

We’ve been buying preserves from Harry’s Berries at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market for years, but my husband always complains that there’s too much sugar in them for him. Harry’s consistently has the most incredible strawberries I have ever tasted, hands down, so my husband can’t comprehend why they feel the need to use so much sugar in their preserves. I tasted several brands of strawberry jam and preserves from our local grocery and they too all had a really sugary aftertaste.

I love preserves that taste like pure strawberries with just a touch of added sweetness, so I decided to come up with my own recipe substituting agave for sugar. The real trick, though, to this recipe is using the best berries you can find, and no one beats Harry’s (I’ve made preserves using berries from the grocery and they’re also delicious. Just go with what you like)! Every morning we’ve been eating these vitamin C packed, gooey, chunky preserves. No matter whether you spread them on a rice cake with a little cream cheese, place a dollop on top of yogurt or a spoonful served on top of oatmeal or pancakes, it’s pure heaven in every bite.

Strawberry Preserves (makes 1 1/2 Cup)

2 Pints Strawberries (about 5 cups), stemmed and halved
Juice of 1 Lemon
1/4 Cup Honey or Agave Nectar

1. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium/high and cook uncovered for 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has evaporated (you want the preserves to have little chunks of strawberries).
3. Cool and serve.