This recipe may not meet all three of weelicious’ criteria for being fast, easy, and fresh to make, but it’s too yummy not to try.
After making risotto milanese several weeks ago, I went on a risotto making binge. Kenya 
ravenously ate up the milanese version as quickly as I could churn it out. I assume he loved the creamy cheese and rice 
flavor, but I wanted to make him a slightly lighter variety with a veggie thrown in.
I would be so proud to say that I shelled a pound of peas for this recipe, but instead, I opened the freezer and grabbed a 
bag of organic peas. Regardless, whether you use fresh or frozen, this risotto is a total treat. 
Cooked with vegetable stock, it’s an excellent dish for any vegetarians be they 
little kids or adults.
Although it takes 30 minutes of constant stirring, it’s worth every 
last bite and it stays for days in the fridge.


Sweet Pea Risotto (Makes 8 Toddler Servings)

4 Cups Vegetable Stock
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Cup Arborio Rice
2 Tbsp Onion, minced
1 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Cup Peas, defrosted if frozen
1/3 Parmesan Cheese

1. In a large pot, bring the vegetable stock to a simmer (do not bring it to a boil or the liquid will start to evaporate)
2. In a 12-14 ounce skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
3. Add the onions and lightly saute for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
4. Add the rice. Using a wooden spoon, stir the grains until toasty and opaque.
5. Add 1/2 cup of the hot stock to the rice and cook until it’s absorbed.
6. Continue adding stock 1/2 cup at a time waiting to add more stock until all the liquid is absorbed and the risotto is tender and creamy. This process should take about 20 minutes.
7. When all of the liquid is absorbed add the butter, peas and cheese and continue stirring until combined.
8. Cool to room temperature for little ones and serve (if adults are going to eat it, dig in right away!)

I still can’t believe that we’ll have fresh peaches at the farmer’s market until early November. Its kind of crazy, but I cherish every minute of their presence. Since we literally buy them by the crate from my favorite purveyor, Tenerelli Orchards, I’m always trying to come up with new and delicious recipes for the entire family.
Most fruit crumble recipes have so much sugar it makes my teeth ache just thinking about it. This recipe has NO sugar and only calls for 1 tablespoon of my favorite kid friendly sweetener, agave nectar. Agave nectar is low on the glycemic index, so you can serve it after dinner and know your little one won’t be wired on sugar. This is also a perfect sweet dessert for the entire family since it’s super healthy and loaded with oats and flaxseeds giving it a nutty flavor.
Kenya especially liked having his own ramekin. After it cooled, I handed it to him and he gave me a big bright smile. It was like he just won the peach crumble grand prize (and he ate every last bite)!

Fruit Crisp (Makes 5 individual ramekins)

2 Ripe Peaches, diced (you could also substitute pears, apples, strawberries or other fruits in season)
1/3 Cup Oats
1 Tsp Flaxseed
1/4 Cup Flour
2 Tbsp Butter, chilled
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Divide peaches evenly between 5 dishes.
3. In a mini food processor, combine the oats, flaxseed and flour.
Pulse to combine.
4. Add the butter and pulse until butter is in small pieces (you don’t want it to turn into a dough, so make sure to just pulse the ingredients).
5. Add the agave to the crumble and pulse once or twice, just to combine.
6. Place small clumps of the crumble on top of the ramekins.
7. Place the ramekins on a sheet tray and bake for 20-25 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and cool.
9. Serve.

I find it kinda funny how some recipes just seem to come to me out of thin air while others can be right in front of my eyes and I miss them completely. For example, Kenya LOVES eggs, peas and rice, so I can’t believe I didn’t think of making this dish sooner. This isn’t your usual “fried” rice, though, laden with oil and msg. This is a healthy version that has all the flavor of fried rice while still being super easy to make.
I usually prepare a big batch of brown rice to keep in the fridge for everyone in the house to nibble on all week. Also, since you can make so many fast simple sauces to mix in with brown rice, having some already cooked makes meal time that much simpler. I try as much as possible to give Kenya recipes without salt, but that would cut out a ton of Chinese and Japanese dishes I want to make him, so I use Bragg Liquid Aminos as an alternative. Bragg’s has less sodium than soy sauce and has 16 amino acids, the basic structural building blocks of proteins.
This is a great dish to take along when you don’t want to carry three different food groups on an outing. With this one, you have everything all in one dish!

Vegetable “Fried” Rice (Makes 6 Toddler Servings)

1 Cup Cooked Brown Rice
2 Eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp + 2 Tsps Oil, peanut or vegetable
1 Tbsp Scallions, diced
1 Tsp Ginger, minced
2 Tbsp Red Bell Pepper, chopped fine
1/2 Cup Peas
1/2 Tsp Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos or Low Sodium Soy Sauce

1. Heat 2 Tsp of oil in a wok or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the eggs and coat the entire pan like a pancake. Scramble for 2-3 minutes or until cooked through. Place the eggs on a plate. Cut into bite size pieces.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in the same skillet over medium high heat and saute the scallions, ginger and red bell pepper for 2 minutes. Add the peas and rice and continue to stir and cook 1 minute.
3. Add the sesame oil, Bragg’s or soy sauce and cook another minute or until all the ingredients are throughly combined.
4. Serve.

Oh. My. Lusciousness! I just tasted my first batch of homemade almond milk minutes ago and it is so delicious I ran to the computer, bumped today’s planned “recipe of the day”, and started writing this. This almond milk is so creamy, frothy and easy to make, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered to buy it in the store. Not only is the milk itself incredible and perfect to add to your own cereal or coffee, but my best little taster just made a case for drinking it all on its own! You should have seen Kenya chowing down on the ground almonds and milky solids which are strained out of the finished milk. He totally made a meal out of it (as did I, stealing bite after bite).
Almonds are rich in the antioxidant vitamin E, which boosts your little one’s immune system. They’re also a good source of calcium which plays a part in healthy bones, teeth and immune function. Don’t feel limited to only almonds, though. You could make this exact recipe with cashews, brazil nuts, walnuts and more. Just pour a touch of this over fresh berries and it’s as good as the taste of fresh cream. Obviously, if your little one has a nut allergy, this recipe isn’t for them.
Again, I do realize that you can buy a box of almond milk at the store to keep handy, but one taste of this recipe and you will understand why it’s worth the MINUTES it takes to make your own.

Almond Milk (Makes 3 1/2 Cups plus 3/4 Almond Puree)

1 Cup Almonds
2 Tbsp Agave
1/2 Tsp Vanilla
4 Cups Water

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and puree on high for one minute or until almond are in tiny pieces.
2. Place a strainer in a large bowl and cover the top of the strainer with cheesecloth (this step is important because the almonds will be in such small pieces that the cheesecloth and strainer need to stop them from going into the milk).
3. Pour the almond milk through the cheesecloth. You may need to do this in stages so the milk can slowly strain through the cheesecloth. It may help taking a spoon to scrape the bottom of the cheesecloth so the milk can pass.
4. Pour the milk and the almond puree into separate containers and refrigerate.
5. 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 (I’ll post this drink recipe tomorrow) 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 12 Toddler 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. Vegit
3/4 Cup Fine Egg Noodles

1. Heat chicken stock in a large pot over a high heat and bring to a simmer.
2. Add the carrots, celery, leeks, chicken breast and vegit. Cook for 12 minutes.
3. Remove the chicken breast and cool. Then tear or chop into bite size pieces.
4. Add the egg noodles to the broth and cook for 6 minutes.
5. Add the chicken to the soup.
6. Cool for little ones and serve.

I remember the first time I encountered seitan. It was at a vegetarian restaurant in New York City. So many of the ingredients on the menu were completely foreign to me and I felt like I was butchering their names. Seitan for example. Was it, “see-ten”, “s-e-i-ten”….oh, whatever!! Finally, the waiter came to my aid and told me that it was pronounced “say-tan”.
Anyway, seitan isn’t exactly a common ingredient in American kitchens — but luckily most health food stores carry it. Seitan is a great alternative to meat and its versatile texture is perfect for absorbing the full flavor of sauces and has a texture similar to chicken, although a bit spongier. Although it seems like and odd choice, this was my total craving when I was pregnant with Kenya. I wanted seitan for breakfast, lunch and dinner. That’s probably the reason Kenya loves it so much. I think he consumed pounds of it in utero.
Seitan, also know as wheat gluten or “wheat meat”, is made by rinsing away the starch in wheat, leaving a high-protein gluten behind. Seitan is popular in vegetarian cuisine because of its unique ability to replicate the texture and flavor of meat. It’s also easier for little ones to chew then beef.
When I made this dish, I had so much fun telling people it was chicken stir fry. Everyone got that it wasn’t chicken, but couldn’t figure out what it was. They were shocked at how delicious it tasted and couldn’t believe they hadn’t tried seitan before.
This dish only take minutes to prepare which is an added bonus. I like to make plenty to have leftovers for at least a day or two. Of all the people that tried it, though, Kenya seemed to enjoy it the most!

Seitan Stir fry (6 Toddler Servings)

1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 Tsp Ginger, minced
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Cup Broccoli, chopped
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Cup Shitake Mushrooms, julienned
1 Cup Seitan, chopped
2 Tbsp Braggs (or low sodium soy sauce)
1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil

1. Heat a wok or saute pan over medium heat with olive oil. Saute the onion and garlic for one minute.
2. Add the broccoli, bell pepper and mushrooms. Continue to cook for 3 minutes. Add the seitan and the remaining ingredients and stirfry for 2 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
3. Cool and serve.

When I was 18 years old, I did a modeling job in Venice, Italy — one of the world’s most incredible food cities. There’s a famous restaurant there called Harry’s Bar (yes, one of Venice’s best restaurants has an American name), which serves some of the most delectable food I’ve ever tried. The entire Italian film crew ordered heavenly dish after dish for us to share family style. Salads with rich burrata cheese, pizza margherita, pasta pomodoro and the first risotto that I ever tried. I had no idea what risotto was, but I knew that it was the closest thing to heaven I’d ever tasted. I was shocked at how something that appeared so simple could be so complex in flavor.
Risotto is a rice dish made specifically with arborio rice (easy to find at most grocery stores). The arborio rice is the essential ingredient that gives it such a creamy texture. Although most of the dishes on weelicious take minutes to prepare, I personally think the 30 minutes that it takes to continually stir this dish is totally worth it. Especially if your whole family is going to be eating it!

Risotto Milanese (8 Toddler Servings)

4 Cups Chicken Broth (preferably low sodium)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Onion, minced
1 Cup Arborio Rice
1 Tbsp Butter
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese

1. In a large pot, bring the chicken stock to a simmer (do not bring it to a boil or the liquid will start to evaporate)
2. In a 12-14 ounce skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
3. Add the onions and lightly saute for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
4. Add the rice. Using a wooden spoon, stir the grains until toasty and opaque.
5. Add 1/2 cup of the hot stock to the rice and cook until it’s absorbed.
6. Continue adding stock 1/2 cup at a time waiting to add more stock until all the liquid is absorbed and the risotto is tender and creamy. This process should take about 20 minutes.
7. When all of the liquid is absorbed add the butter and cheese and continue stirring until combined.
8. Cool to room temperature for little ones and serve (if adults are going to eat it, dig in right away!)

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.

I’m always shocked to find out how many people know of and adore noodle 
kugel. I only tried it for the first time recently, but when I shared 
my feelings about how much I loved it with friends, I got some pretty darn 
passionate responses about what a recipe for noodle kugel MUST include. The variations made my head spin. Some people said nuts were a must. Others cited raisins, cinnamon and all kinds of other additions.
When I was originally doing research on kugels and their history, I 
was shocked to find that most recipes called for a cup or more sugar. That much 
sugar would send me into outer-space, so I can only imagine what it 
would do to our kids.
My version is a much healthier toddler-and-family-friendly recipe that 
you could eat as a side dish or even for dessert! After it comes out of the 
oven, cut it into squares and take a bite of the soft, tender, creamy 
noodles perfumed with cinnamon — you’re in heaven. Of 
course Kenya tried to shove the entire square I gave him into his little mouth in 
one bite which he quickly figured out wasn’t such a good idea! As for my friends with very strong opinions on what is and isn’t kugel, most of them gave this their stamp of approval.

Noodle Kugel (makes 20-25 squares)

2 Cup Eggs Noodles
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese
2 Tbsp Sour Cream
2 Tbsp Agave Nectar
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Raisins

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for 5-7 minutes. You want them to be tender, but firm.
2. Strain the water off the noodles and place them in a large bowl.
3. Add the butter and toss the noodles so they’re evenly coated.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Place the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, agave and cinnamon in a food processor or blender and pulse to combine throughly.
6. Pour the liquid mixture over the noodles and stir to coat.
7. Pour the noodle mixture into a 9 x 9 greased baking dish.
8. Bake for 25 minutes.
9. Cool and cut into square pieces.
10. Serve.

Who doesn’t like granola?! Scrooge, that’s who. But besides him?!


Crunchy and sweet, granola is the perfect 
breakfast treat or snack to keep in your purse for when you and your little one 
need a pick me up.
This wee granola is a powerhouse of nutrition containing dried fruits, 
wheat germ and nuts — packed with vitamin B and magnesium to name just a 
few. You can easily serve the granola in a to-go cup for your toddler 
or pulse it in the food processor as a topping for fresh roasted peaches, yogurt or baked apples.
I always make a huge batch of this granola, sometimes even doubling the recipe so I have plenty for Kenya and other little guests who come over to play.

Wee Granola (makes 4 1/2 Cups Granola)

2 Cups Rolled Oats (make sure not to use the 1 minute oats)
1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds
1/2 Cup Cashews, chopped
1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 Cup Raisins and/or Currants
1/4 Cup Dried Cherries (you could also use dried blueberries)
2 Tbsp Wheat Germ
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil
Whole, Rice, Soy, Almond or Low fat Milk

1. Preheat over to 275 degrees
2. Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, stir until completely combined.
3. Place the granola mixture on a cookie sheet and spread it out until it covers the sheet.
4. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. Bake another 40 minutes, remove from the oven and let it remain on the sheet until it’s cool before stirring (this way it will be a little crispy and chunkier which is fun for kids to break up with their spoon).
6. Place a serving in a bowl and pour in milk.
7. Serve.