Growing up, one of my favorite recipes of my mother’s was her lasagna. It was always a special dinner when she made it.

Now that I’m a mom, I love making lasagna for my own family. It’s a hearty and healthy dish that turns any meal into a special occasion. Recently, I wanted to send Kenya to school with some for lunch. I decided to play around a bit and make these lasagna rolls. They’re really fun for kids because the lasagnas are individual portions and kids feel special when they get anything that is their “own”. They’re also great for mom and dad because they fit snugly in your little one’s lunchbox with out making a mess. The best part about this dish? It’s got a carbohydrate, vegetable, protein and dairy so you know your family is eating a balanced meal all in one dish!

Lasagna Rolls (Serves 6-8)

9 Lasagna Noodles (I cook 1 extra in case they tear while boiling)
1 Egg
16 Oz. Ricotta Cheese (I used part skim ricotta)
1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1 Tsp Italian Herbs
1 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Spinach or Broccoli, cooked and finely chopped (I used frozen, thawed and drained well)
1 1/2 Cups Marinara Sauce (or 1 1/2 cups Weelicious Tomato Sauce)
1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

1. Cook lasagna noodles in salted water 2 minutes less than package directions call for and rinse with cold water.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. In a bowl whisk the egg, ricotta, 1/4 cup parmesan, italian herbs, salt 1/2 cup mozzarella and broccoli or spinach to combine.
4. Place 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9×11 inch baking dish.
5. Spread 1/3 cup of the ricotta mixture on each lasagna noodle, covering the sheet and roll up jelly roll style.
6. Place the lasagna rolls seam side down in the baking dish and top with remaining marinara sauce and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
7. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
8. Uncover and continue to cook an additional 15 minutes.
9. Serve.

* You can also prepare the dish through step 6, cover and freeze. When ready to eat, bake for 45 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered.

A weelicious reader sent me the idea for this recipe and I absolutely love it! It’s the perfect dish to make when all you have on hand are a few bags of frozen vegetables or a refrigerator full of cooked ones and want to create something fast and delicious that your kids will love. I used broccoli and corn because I too had several bags in the freezer, but you could also try peas, cauliflower, or any other combinations you love.

You can also toss this dish together in the morning, put it in the fridge and pop it into the oven that night. I love a one pot dinner that’s so easy to pull off!

Veggie Casserole (Serves 6)

1 Tbsp Butter or Olive Oil, plus more for greasing casserole dish
1 Small Onion, chopped
1 Cup Milk
2 Eggs, whisked
2 Cups Broccoli, cooked (can use frozen)
1 Cup Corn, cooked (can use frozen)
2 Cups Brown Rice, cooked (Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s sell pre-cooked brown rice)
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven the 350 degrees.
2. Heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the onions for 3-5 minutes or until soft.
3. In a bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until combined.
4. Add the onion, broccoli, corn, rice and cheese and stir to combine.
5. Grease in a casserole dish and pour in the mixture (I used a 9 x 9 inch pan).
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of your casserole dish.
7. Serve.

We used these to make this recipe:

Oxo Good Grips Box Grater

How many of you end up making you and your spouse chicken, one of your children grilled cheese and the other one pasta with butter. As parents, naturally we feel the need to make sure our kids eat something at every meal. As a result, if they don’t like what we make, many of us find ourselves scrambling at the last minute to make something else. Somewhere along the line, short order cook got added to our job description. Don’t get me wrong, pasta with butter is delicious and easy to whip up, but night after night it can get old AND your little one is missing out on valuable nutrients.

When I’m exhausted and have zero energy to cook (um, everyday), but still have to come up with something for the family to eat, I make this recipe. Pasta with broccolini takes no time to prepare, is super delicious and perfect as pasta salad the next day.

Broccolini is similar in name and taste to broccoli, but it’s actually from the cabbage family. Its high in vitamin C, but also contains vitamin A, calcium, folate and iron. It can be more delicate than broccoli, so make sure not too over cook it. Kenya has always loved it because its fun to hold and munch on like a tall tree.

Even for kids that turn their noses up at veggies, this should be a hit.

Pasta with Broccolini (Serves 4-6)

1 Pound Broccolini, chopped
12 Ounces Pasta
2 Tbsp Olive Oil or Butter
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp Salt

1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions.
3. In the last 3 minutes of the pasta cooking time, add the broccoli.
4. Drain the pasta and broccolini and place in the bowl.
5. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and throughly combine.
6. Serve.

Whenever someone asks me what is the quintessential weelicious dish, I have to sort amongst the many dishes that are super easy to prepare, take little time, are inexpensive AND are perfect for most age groups.

Well, this one totally fits the bill. It’s really healthy and low in fat for the adults — packed with protein, veggies — plus it has a naturally sweet zip from the cranberries and orange juice for the kids.
Barley is one of my favorite grains, but you rarely see it used in recipes other then vegetable soup. It’s a nutrient dense food rich in fiber, vitamin B and folic acid as well as having a yummy chewy texture. The barley I used cost 33 cents for the entire recipe which also makes it quite affordable.

Chicken, Broccoli, Dried Cranberry Salad (serves 6)

2 1/2 Cups Water
1 t. Kosher or Sea Salt divided
1 Cup Barley
2 Chicken Breast, skinless boneless
2 Cup Broccoli Florets (you could also use frozen)
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
2T. Orange Juice
2T. Olive Oil

1. Bring water to a boil and 1/2 tsp salt.
2. Add barley, return to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 35 minutes.
3. Place the chicken breasts of top of the barley, without stirring. Cover and cook another 5 minutes.
4. Add the broccoli and cook another 5 minutes until chicken and barley are cooked through, for a total cooking time of 45 minutes.
5. The barley should be tender but still chewy.
6. Remove the chicken and broccoli and chop into bite size pieces.
7. Combine the chicken, barley, broccoli, dried cranberries, orange juice, oil, and 1/2 tsp of the remaining salt in a bowl.
8. Serve warm or chilled.

One of my favorite dinner memories as a kid was coming to the table and seeing my mother’s version of this delicious recipe. It’s one step beyond the plain old “baked potatoes with a pat of butter on the side” that we would typically eat and it was exciting to have a new twist on a dinner time staple!
I decided to give my recipe an even bigger nutritional boost by tossing in some broccoli florets (which my family loves), but feel free to substitute broccoli with peas, greens or any other veggie your little one digs. You can even defrost something you have in the freezer if you don’t feel like cutting up fresh.
With just a little more effort, you can turn you dinner from “mmm…potatoes” to “MMMMMM!!!….twice baked potatoes!”

Twice Baked Potatoes (Makes 4 Big Kid Servings)

2 Baked Potatoes
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Sour Cream
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Milk
1/2 Cup Broccoli, cooked and chopped
1/4 Cup Cheddar Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake potatoes for 1 hour.
2. Remove potatoes from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
3. Cut in half and scoop out potato flesh, leaving the skin intact.
4. Mash the potato flesh with the butter, sour cream, salt and milk. Fold in the broccoli and cheddar cheese.
5. Refill the potato skins with the mixture.
6. Place potatoes on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
7. Serve.

These feel like an authentic English or Irish dish to me. Or maybe it’s a 
New England treat. I don’t know where fish pies were born, but I do know they’re gorgeous and delicious. I try to avoid using too much butter whenever possible, but from the time I was a kid, I knew that there was one indisputable culinary fact: if it had a crust, it had to be delicious!
Having pre-made puff pastry in the freezer is a lifesaver for whenever you are making anything with a crust, so I always have some on hand. The golden puff pastry in this dish encloses a warm, creamy mixture of fish and sweet vegetables. It’s so creamy in fact that you would think it’s made with heavy cream, but in fact it’s just an easy mixture of milk and a roux. Yes, moms and dads, you get to be culinary geniuses this week and make a roux, which is SO easy to do! I guarantee this will be a hit for even those little ones that turn their noses up at vegetables. Give it a try.


 Fish Pie’s (Makes 4 Individual Ramekins for Big Kids or 1 Large One)

1 1/2 Cups Milk (I prefer whole milk for this recipe)
1 Cup Broccoli Florets, fresh or frozen
1 Large Carrot, peeled and diced
1 Ear of Corn or 1/2 Cup Frozen
2 Sole Fillets, fresh or frozen (or 1/2 Lb halibut, haddock or cod)
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Flour plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 Box Puff Pastry, 1 sheet (I like Dufours or Pepperidge Farms), defrosted
1 Egg, whisked with 1 tsp water (this is known as an egg wash for the crust)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Bring the milk to a boil in a large saucepan.
3. Add the broccoli and carrots and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the corn and fish and continue to cook for 4 more minutes or until vegetables are fork tender.
5. Remove the vegetables to a separate bowl. Break the fish into pieces and chop the broccoli into bite size pieces if needed.
6. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. When it’s melted add the flour and whisk making a roux.
7. Add the milk a little at a time until mixture is a thick saucy consistency.
8. Add the sauce to the fish and vegetables and combine.
9. Pour the mixture into individual ramekins.
10. Sprinkle work surface with a bit of flour and roll out puff pastry to remove lines (only if necessary).
11. Cut out 4 individual circles, using a knife, just larger then the top of each ramekin.
12. Divide the fish mixture between the 4 ramekins and cover with puff pastry sheet.
13. Brush each puff pastry ramekin with egg wash.
14. Bake on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden.
15. 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)

1/2 Small Onion, diced
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.

We used these to make this recipe:

T fal Jumbo Wok, Black

Several years ago I co-hosted “New Years Rockin’ Eve’ with Dick Clark”. There’s nothing more magical then actually being in Times Square, seeing the ball drop and watching the literal shower of confetti float through the air at the stroke of midnight. How that night inspired a vegetable dish while I was sitting and staring blankly into a saute pan one evening, I have no idea. Maybe it’s because this delicious recipe reminds me of bright and colorful confetti and that was such a special night for me.
I took gorgeous summer vegetables from the farmers’ market, threw them in the food processor and, as Emeril would say, “BAM!” In minutes I had a vegetable dish that’s so easy for babies to chew and digest since the pieces are so small.
If you can’t find the vegetables I’ve used, you could substitute with what is available to you. Try using yellow or green squash for the patty pan squash, broccoli or cauliflower for the romenesco and any color bell pepper that looks appealing. If you’ve never seen or heard of romenesco, search it out. It’s packed with vitamin C, fiber and carotenoids (which have strong antioxidant properties) and it’s visually appealing — definitely one of nature’s cooler looking vegetables.
Chock full of vitamins and minerals, this is a good one for even those little ones that turn their noses up at the foods you really want them to eat.

Vegetable Confetti (Makes 8 Toddler Servings)

1 Cup or 1 Patty Pan Squash, chopped (You could also use zucchini or yellow squash)
1/2 Cup Asparagus, chopped
2/3 Cup Bell Pepper, chopped (any color)
1/2 Cup Romenesco
1 Garlic Clove
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1. Place the first 5 ingredients in a food processor and pulse until you have small pieces.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan over low to medium heat and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender.
4. Cool and serve.

This seems like a very unlikely combination, but it’s a good lesson in working with what you have available. The results were better than I expected and even when I tried it I thought it was delicious.
I added an extra ingredient to this dish: brewer’s yeast. Most people have no idea what brewer’s yeast is, but it’s a great source of vitamin B and has a kind of toasted cheese flavor. The B complex vitamins help the body produce antibodies, provide, energy by converting carbohydrates into glucose, metabolize fats and proteins, and help regenerate red blood cells. A lot of vegetarians sprinkle brewer’s yeast on cereals, salads, or put it in soups, sauces and even baked goods. It can be purchased at health food stores.
Add in the broccoli and apricot puree, and this dish is also packed with vitamin C, iron, potassium and beta-carotene. Your baby will happily buzzing about with good energy from this delicious combination.

Broccoli, Tofu and Apricot Puree (6 Baby Servings)

1 Cup Broccoli Florets
1/2 Cup Soft Tofu
2 Tbsp Apricot Puree
1 Tbsp Brewers Yeast

1. Place the broccoli in a steamer pot over boiling water and cook for
4 minutes or until broccoli is fork tender. Cool.
2. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and puree (you can
leave it chunkier for babies with a few teeth).
3. Serve.

We used these to make this recipe:

Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor