I’m a total sucker for the holidays and especially the foods that you get at this time of year. I always loved celebrating Hanukkah with my friends when I was growing up, spinning the dreidel, lighting the menorah for 8 days, eating chocolates coins (Hanukkah gelt), and especially munching on crispy latkes with tons of apple sauce and sour cream.
Potato pancakes, also known as latkes are a Hanukkah tradition and one especially that I wanted Kenya to take part in. Even for a kid under the age of 2, Kenya knows something yummy when he sees it. We made a huge batch the other day and he ate them one after another, dipping away in the apple sauce. Making these treats is a beautiful way to celebrate the festival of lights.

Potato Latkes (Serves 6-8)

1 Onion
4 Potatoes, peeled
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Flour
Salt
Pepper
Vegetable Oil
Apple Sauce, for serving
Sour Cream, for serving

1. Grate the onions and potatoes into a large strainer over a bowl (you could also do this through the grating blade in a food processor).
2. Press on the potato mixture in the strainer and discard any clear liquid in the bowl under the strainer.
3. Place the onion, potatoes, egg, flour, salt and peeper in a bowl and throughly combine.
4. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a saute pan over medium heat.
5. Place one heaping tablespoon of potatoes in the oil forming a circle.
6. Cook for 2-3 and minutes or until golden and flip over.
7. Cook another 2-3 minutes or until cooked through and remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
8. Can be served immediately or kept warm in a 300 degree oven until all latkes are prepared.
9. Serve with sour cream and apple sauce.

*Allow to cool, then place in ziploc bag, label and freeze. When ready, pop them into a oven at 300 for 10 minutes or until warmed through or defrost in fridge for 24 hours then heat in a dry pan.

We used these to make this recipe:

Oxo Good Grips Box Grater

Oh my goodness, these are amazing! I’m not just saying that from an adult culinary point of view either. I made these for 8 kids, age 20 months to 5 years old and even the 5 year old who supposedly hates everything gobbled them up. The best part is that the “crust” is a vegetable (not more bread), but they look just like pizzas.
The big bonus is that they took me no time to prepare and I had barely any clean up. I was kind of scared the kids would say “wait, this isn’t REAL pizza,” but not a word. Happy kids make happy mommies. What could be better?

Portobello Pizzas (4 Big Kids)

1 15 Oz Can Tomato Sauce
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1/4 Tsp Thyme, Basil and Oregano
1 Tsp Salt
4 Portobello Mushrooms, stems removed (wiggle the stem back and forth gently to remove)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Place the first 4 ingredients in a bowl to combine.

3. Line a cookie sheet with foil and brush lightly with olive oil.

4. Place the mushrooms stem side down on the cookie sheet, brush the tops with olive oil and bake for 10-15 minutes depending on how big your mushroom is. Discard any excess liquid that is on the cookie sheet.
5. Turn over the mushrooms stem side up, cover with 2-3 tablespoons of tomato sauce and 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese.
6. Bake the mushrooms for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

7. Serve.

I’ve been making this dish for Kenya for several months but only now did I think of putting it on weelicious. Duh!! This is an amazingly quick, easy and tasty dish. I guarantee you’ll end up adding your own twist and wind up making it on a regular basis.
What could be more simple then eggs, pasta and cheese? Of course, for added flavor, color and nutrition I add the zucchini and sun dried tomatoes, but you could replace them with anything you have on hand to jazz the dish up. Even better, you can make a bunch of pasta, let it cool, add a splash of olive oil and keep it in the fridge for several days, so you can conveniently whip Pasta Wee One whenever you feel brain dead and can’t think of something warm and delicious to eat for lunch or dinner. And even better, no matter what shape of pasta you have on hand, it will work perfectly.
I made this for Kenya’s dinner and of course my husband took one sniff and asked if I would make it for him too. Luckily I had tons of leftover pasta and veggies in the fridge ready to go!

Pasta Wee One (Makes 5-6 Toddler or 4 Big Kid Servings)

1 Cup Pasta, cooked (I used mini bow ties, but whatever kind you choose is great. Just follow cooking time on package.)
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp Milk
1/2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Cup Zucchini, shredded
1/4 Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes
2 Tbsp Parmesan (a cows milk cheese with a complex fruity/nutty taste) or Pecorino (a salty sheep’s milk cheese)

1. Whisk the eggs and milk in a bowl.
2. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the butter.
3. When the butter is melted add the zucchini and sauté for 1 minute.
4. Add the pasta, sun dried tomatoes and then the egg mixture.
5. Stir continually for 1 minute until the egg coats the pasta.
6. Add the cheese and continue cooking another minute until the eggs coat the pasta and vegetables.
7. Cool and serve.

When I was 6 months pregnant with Kenya, my husband and I went to Paris for some work as well as some much needed R and R. I had actually lived in Paris for years when I was younger so I was excited to walk all over the city showing him my favorite neighborhoods and old haunts. There’s nothing like being pregnant in the most romantic city in the world and walking by patisseries and bistros all day. It’s an automatic excuse to eat a lot. As a result, we didn’t take one form of public transportation the entire trip, since I didn’t want to miss a single culinary delight and we needed to walk our multiple meals off!

One of my favorite treats are crepes. These heavenly, light, little pancakes are the perfect base for all types of fillings like mashed bananas, almond butter, fruit preserves and, dare I suggest, Nutella (very common in France).

I made these for Kenya and myself for breakfast and he loved them. I covered them with apple butter and rolled them into little cigar-shaped cylinders which he held and ate at his leisure. When the rest of the batch was cool, I just wrapped them up and put them in the fridge so we could still eat them for a few days.

Crepes (Makes 14 Crepes)

2 Large Eggs
1 Cup Flour
3/4 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Tsp Vanilla
2 Tbsp Butter, melted
Butter for sauteing

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and puree.
2. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight (this helps the bubbles to settle and the crepes not to tear).
3. Grease a saute pan or crepe pan with butter. Pour in 2 tbsp of batter and swirl to cover the pan.
4. Cook for 1 minutes, flip and continue to cook another 30 seconds or until just starting to become golden.
5. Remove to a plate and continue to make remaining crepes.
6. Spread with apple butter, almond butter, mashed bananas, fruit preserves or any other favorite filling.
7. Roll into a cigar shape.
8. Serve.

*After step 5, allow to cool, place crepes on a sheet tray, layer a piece of parchment paper between each crepe, place in ziploc bag, label and freeze up to 4 months. When ready, defrost in fridge for 24 hours and heat in a dry pan for 30 seconds on each side and follow steps 5-8.

Sweet, creamy, beautiful, delicious… there are so many words to describe these little edible jewels filled with silky puree. These bites are easy to pick up with your fingers and look gorgeous on a platter. You could even serve these at a fabulous cocktail party and make extras for the kids.
But back to the recipe. Purses?? Huh? Well, I found some gorgeous gala apples at the farmer’s market and was trying to think a fun and original recipe for a birthday party. I had also kept passing wonton wrappers at the market and wanted to play around with them. Apples are full of fiber and vitamin C and sweet potatoes are a powerhouse of nutrition especially given their abundance of beta-carotene and vitamin C and E.

These only took minutes to prepare and you can serve them warm or cool. You could also serve the puree on its own to babies over the age of 8 months.
Of course Kenya ate almost the entire recipe in one sitting (that seems to be the norm with him these days), so I highly recommend making a double batch!

Sweet Potato, Apple, Cheddar Purses (Makes 10 purses)

1/2 Sweet Potato (yams), peeled and cubed
1 Small Apple (about 1/2 Cup), peeled and cubed
2 Tbsp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/8 Tsp Cinnamon
10 Wonton Wrappers (found in the refrigerator section of your grocery)
*Bowl of water

1. Place the sweet potatoes in a steamer pot over boiling water and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add the apples and continue to cook another 3 minutes or until fork tender.
3. Place the apples, sweet potato, cheese and cinnamon in a food
processor and puree until smooth.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
5. Place a wonton wrapper on a clean surface. Place a tablespoon of the puree in the middle of the wonton.
6. Take the four corners of the wonton and lift them up around the
puree.
7. Pinch the wonton together in the middle, just over the puree, to seal. Moisten your fingers with a little water and pinch once more to ensure a good seal.
8. Repeat process with remaining wonton wrappers. When all 10 are formed into purses, place 3-5 at a time in the boiling water.
9. Cook for 2 minutes.
10. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate, cool and serve.

Good for the heart, good for the soul….good when everyone in our household has been sick for 6 days straight! Poor little Kenya got a bronchial infection at one of the kid play spaces (a.k.a “germ factories”) I take him to and within days everyone in our house was down for the count. Since there’s little you can do medicinally for kids Kenya’s age, out came my homemade ginger-lemon-honey tea and my personal favorite, chicken noodle soup.

Almost nothing seems to taste good when you’re sick, but there’s something about chicken noodle soup that always makes you feel better. For years doctors have deemed it medicinal and I have to agree. I always considered my recipe for chicken soup fast, easy and fresh, but I became a true pro at making it day after day this week to feed my “patients”. Chocked full of carrots, celery and leeks, I got smart this time and made a huge batch for the freezer for the next time we’re all down for the count.

Chicken Noodle Soup (Make 4 Servings)

32 Oz Chicken Stock, preferably low sodium
2 Carrots or 3/4 Cup, chopped
1 Celery Stalk or 1/3 Cup, chopped
1 Leek or 3/4 Cup, halved and sliced thin
1 Large Chicken Breast
2 Tsp. Vegitor other herb free seasoning
3/4 Cup Fine Egg Noodles

1. Heat chicken stock in a large pot over a high heat and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
2. Add the carrots, celery, leeks, chicken breast, Vegit and cook for 12 minutes.
3. Remove the chicken breast, cool and tear or chop into bite size pieces.
4. Add the egg noodles to the broth and cook for 6 minutes or until tender.
5. Add the chicken to the soup.
6. Serve.

When I first moved to Los Angeles, several of my friends were regulars at Chin 
Chin restaurant, which is famous for its chinese chicken salad. One bite of this 
crisp, crunchy, fresh salad and you’ll immediately understand why it’s so darn popular.
I’m 
always trying to think of recipes that our entire family can eat together (this is yet another one of my tips for getting your little ones to eat since they love to have what mommy and daddy are having) and 
this one is a winner in my house. This is one of those dishes that Kenya better 
eat quick or Mommy and Daddy are definitely going to get to it first.
Steaming the chicken breast is the most complicated part — this recipe couldn’t be easier. You just 
toss all the ingredients in a food processor and whiz it up. The salad 
is packed with vitamin packed veggies and the dressing is almost creamy. 
You would never imagine a toddler eating “salad,” but trust me, 
this will change their minds.

Chin-wee-se Chicken Salad (Makes 8-10 Toddler Servings)

1 Chicken Breast
1 Large Carrot, peeled and cut into chunks (or 1 cup shredded carrots)
1 Cup Napa Cabbage (about 6 leaves)
1/2 Cup Red Bell Pepper
2 Tbsp Cilantro
2 Tsp Toasted Sesame Seeds

1. Place the chicken breast in a steamer pot over boiling water. Cook for 8 minutes or until cooked through.
2. Cool and cut into chunks.
3. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until all the in the ingredients are in small bite size pieces and combined.
4. The chin-wee-se chicken salad in a bowl and combine with the dressing to taste.
5. Serve.

Dressing (makes 1/4 cup)

1/2 Tsp Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Braggs (tamari or soy sauce)
1/2 Tsp Ginger, chopped
1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 Tbsp Almond Butter
1 Tbsp Vegannaise (or mayonnaise)
2 Tbsp Oil

1 Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

Eggplants are all over the farmer’s market right now. Purple, black, white, lilac, white….the list goes on. I’m not sure why they get such a tough rap, but eggplants are one of those vegetables that seem too daunting to cook with at first glance. They’re beautiful, but what do you do with these big orbs?
Well, I could eat eggplant until I’m blue in the face. I love it in any form. Grilled, sauteed, roasted and, especially, pureed in baba ganoush, a dip popular in middle eastern cuisine. By modifying the traditional recipe slightly for a little one’s palate it’s a perfect choice to serve as a puree on its own for babies or as a dip with vegetables or baked pita chips for toddlers.
Eggplant can block the formation of free radicals, help control cholesterol levels and is also a wonderful source of folic acid and potassium.
This isn’t a typical baby/toddler food, but I think you’ll be shocked to see how much your little one will love it!

Baba Ganoush

1 Eggplant
1 Tbsp Tahini (available at most groceries)
1/2 Tsp Lemon Juice
1 Small Garlic Clove
2 Tbsp Plain Yogurt

1. Place the eggplant directly on a burner of your stove top. Turn the flame of the burner to medium and place the whole eggplant on the burner.
2. Cook the eggplant turning every few minutes for 20 minutes or until the eggplant skin is blistered and slightly charred.
3. Place the eggplant in a zip lock bag, seal and let steam for 10 minutes.
4. Cool and peel all the charred skin off the eggplant.
5. Cut the pulp into chunks and place in a food processor with remaining ingredients.
6. Puree and serve.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

Wheat berries. Are they wheat? Are they berries? Well, as the name implies, they’re kind of both. Wheat berries are a delicious member of the grain family.

You rarely see them in restaurants or at the market, but health food stores carry them and they’re great for kids. They’re so easy to prepare and really delicious. I love feeding Kenya different types of grains and I have to say that these are one of his favorites.


Wheat berries, also called groats, are whole wheat kernels that have not been milled, polished, or heat treated. They’re brown, nearly round in appearance and have a robust, nutlike flavor. They usually take over an hour to cook, but you can reduce that time if they are presoaked.


When you mix them with the dried fruits and celery in this recipe, it takes on a sweet crunchy texture which in my experience, babies love. He’s not the only one in our family, though. I usually grab a cup when I’m exhausted and need an energy boost. See, this is a great recipe for everyone!

Wheat berry Salad (Makes 6-8 Toddler Servings)

1/2 Cup Wheat Berries, soaked for 8 hours or overnight if possible
1/2 Cup Apple, peeled and chopped
1/3 Cup Raisins
1/2 Cup Celery, chopped
1 Tbsp Orange Juice
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1. Bring 4 Cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the wheat berries, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer.
2. Cook for 1 hour or until wheat berries are tender to the bite (it make take over an hour, so just keep testing them).
3. Place all the remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse until fine pieces remain.
4. In a bowl, throughly mix the wheat berries with the apple/raisin mixture.
5. Serve.

I don’t think there’s any good name for this recipe — believe me, I’ve been racking my brain for something better. Millet sounds like some small bug that you might have found in your bed at camp in the 6th 
grade or maybe a hairdo that is short on the sides and long in back. In reality, millet is a delicious grain that doesn’t seem to 
appear in too many recipes, but is fantastic for little ones. Kenya 
loved it so much, I got totally inspired and came up with several 
recipes using it.
These millets cakes are easy to prepare and take only minutes to cook. 
Their nutty flavor comes out even more when you add a yogurt tahini sauce for your little one to eat with it. Millet is one of the least allergic and most digestible grains. It’s 
nearly 15% protein, contains high amounts of fiber and B-complex 
vitamins and is a perfect in a gluten free diet. When you’re making 
the millet recipe below you might think you made it wrong because it’s 
very sticky. Don’t fret, you made it perfectly! The millet needs to be a 
little sticky in order to form the patties.
These are a great choice to serve in the summer, for parties, or for play dates, especially when 
it’s your turn to give the neighborhood kids dinner and you want 
to make something special.
And I’m all ears for better names for this recipe, so don’t be shy, send me suggestions. I’d love to hear them!

Millet Patties (Makes 16 Patties)

I Cup Water
1/3 Cup Millet
1/4 Cup Onion, chopped
1/4 Cup Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1/4 Cup Carrots, chopped
1 Garlic Clove
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp Italian Seasoning
1 Egg, beaten

1. Bring the water to a boil in a small pot.
2. Add the millet, cover and reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes or until fluffy and a little sticky.
3. Place the onion, bell pepper, carrot, garlic and italian herbs in food processor and pulse and until vegetables are in tiny pieces.
4. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the vegetables. Saute until for 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
5. Place the millet, vegetables and egg in a bowl and throughly combine.
6. Place 1 tbsp of the mixture between your hands and make patties. (You may need to moisten your hands with water so they don’t get too sticky).
7. Once all the patties are made and resting on a plate, heat 1 tbsp or oil in a saute pan over medium heat and saute the patties for 2 minutes on each side or until golden.
8. Cool on a paper towel lined plate and serve.

*After step 6, place patties on a sheet tray and freeze for 30 minutes. Then transfer to a ziploc bag, label and freeze up to 4 months. When ready, defrost in fridge for 24 hours then follow steps 7-8.