I love that Kenya’s into eating sandwiches for his school lunch. I also love that figs are in season right now and they are SO naturally sweet and delicious. Figs are really cheap at our local farmers market, so I’ve been buying tons of them to eat and put in recipes throughout the week. I made a huge batch of fig puree for Kenya and Chloe to put on their yogurt and just to eat plain as a snack, but it’s so flavorful I wanted to figure out something else to do with it.

These fig and goat cheese sandwiches are heavenly. The creamy tang of the cheese mixed with the sweet of the figs, all sandwiched between two pieces of whole grain bread, makes for a magical combination and these sandwiches only take minutes to make.

If you were to send your little one off to school with one of these sammies in his lunchbox, I guarantee he’ll be the envy of all the other kids.

Fig and Goat Cheese Grilled Sandwiches (1 Sandwich or 4 Mini Sandwiches)

2-3 Tablespoons Goat Cheese
3 Tbsp Fig Puree
2 Slices of Bread, preferably whole grain
Butter (if desired)

1. Spread one slice of bread with goat cheese.
2. Spread the other slice of bread with fig puree and place the filling sides of the bread together to make a sandwich (lightly spread a bit of butter on the outside of the bread if desired).
3. Heat a panini press or a sauté pan to medium heat.
4. Cook for 3-5 minutes (on both sides if using the sauté pan, flipping half way through) or until the cheese melts.
5. Cool and serve.

At this time of year when kids are headed back to school, most moms are focused on a million things, among them, trying to put together healthy school lunches that their kids will hopefully enjoy. Though possibly even more important than what’s for lunch, is offering your little ones a meal first thing in the morning that will give them a boost of energy to get them out the door and stay focused in the classroom.

Oatmeal is not only nutritious, but also inexpensive and a real “stick to your ribs” food. It’s delicious with a bit of honey or a touch of maple syrup, but why not add some blueberries for added vitamins and sweet flavor? Berry Delicious Oatmeal is not only bright and colorful, it’s a breakfast that will send your kids off to school with a smile on their faces.

Berry Delicious Oatmeal (Serves 2)
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Milk (almond, rice, soy or cow’s milk)
1 Cup Old Fashioned Oats (Five Minute Oats)
1 Tbsp Honey, Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar
1/2 Cup Blueberries, Blackberries and/or Raspberries (fresh or frozen)

1. Bring the water and milk to a boil.
2. Add the oats, reduce to a simmer over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, and cook for 5-7 minutes or until thick and creamy.
3. Add the honey, maple syrup or agave and berries, cook an additional minute or until the berries are warmed-through and start to pop (I like to add frozen berries so the oatmeal cools faster for kids to eat).
4. Serve.

*If serving to a baby under 1 years old, don’t use honey

It’s Day Two for weelicious’ new, out-of-the-box and exciting PB&J school lunch recipes. Yesterday’s recipe was PB&J Pancake Sandwiches, something I think your little ones are going to love. But it got me to thinking: do you really need bread to make PB&J? That led me to the idea of mixing it with yogurt.

Plain yogurt is packed with calcium, protein and is easier to digest than milk, but it can also be just that to kids: plain. In order to get most kids to eat yogurt, you have to entice them with those flavored yogurts that are sold at the grocery. But many of those are packed with sugar and preservatives. So I thought it would be fun to see how healthy plain yogurt tasted with a swirl of low sugar preserves and nutritious peanut butter mixed in. I’m happy to report that not only is it mind-blowingly delicious, it’s beautiful to look at too!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Swirled Yogurt (Serves 4)

2 Cups Plain Yogurt (I like using greek yogurt)
¼ Cup Jelly, Jam or Preserves
¼ Cup Peanut Butter (I use natural peanut butter)

1. Divide the yogurt between 4 bowls.
2. In a saucepan heat the jelly or preserves over low heat for one minute or until liquefied (this can also be done in the microwave for 30 seconds) and allow to cool.
3. Drizzle the jelly and peanut butter equally between the bowls of yogurt and swirl the contents together.
4. Serve.

* If using store bought peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy, melt in the microwave for about 15 seconds to soften. I use organic peanut butter which tends to already be a bit more liquified then most name brands.

We’ve been having a crazy busy summer running around from our house, to camp, to activities all over the city and more. Between work and kids, by the time I get home at the end of the day the last thing I’ve got energy to do is make dinner. Especially when it’s so hot outside.

Thank goodness for the slow cooker (also known as a crock pot)! It really is a mom’s secret weapon in the kitchen. Literally, all I had to do for this recipe was sprinkle a touch of salt and coat the racks of ribs with my favorite barbeque sauce at 8am, and by 5pm me and my two little munchkins were nibbling away on the most tender, meat-falling-off-the-bone barbeque baby back ribs you’ve ever tasted. The best part is, no matter how hot it is this summer, you won’t even break a sweat making these!

Slow Cooker Ribs (Serves 4)

1 – 3-4 Lb. Country Style Pork Ribs, also known as Baby Back RIbs (about 2 racks)
1 Tsp Salt
1 Cup BBQ Sauce plus additional for serving (my favorite is Smokin Willie’s)

1. Place ribs in a crock pot and sprinkle both sides with salt.
2. Pour BBQ sauce over the ribs and coat the ribs WELL with the sauce.
3. Cover the slow cooker (aka crock pot) and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours.
4. Baste with BBQ sauce if desired and serve.

When I was a kid, my parents used to get us take-out from our hometown Chinese restaurant, House of Hunan, and Orange Chicken was always in our to-go bag. I’m not sure if it was the sweet taste from the honey and orange or just the exotic name, but this dish was something we had to have every time we went there. These days, I avoid MSG at all costs, so a lot of our local take-out Chinese food is off my list, but not wanting to deprive my kids of some of my childhood favorites, I came up with this healthy and delicious dinner treat that we all loved. With just the right amount of colorful vegetables and a tangy sweet sauce my kids were lapping up, this recipe was not only easy to make, but it actually made me nostalgic for my own childhood. House of Hunan, this one’s for you!

Orange Chicken (Serves 4)

1 Cup Orange Juice
2 Tsp Ginger, grated
1 Tsp Honey
1 Garlic Clove, minced
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil
1 Lb Chicken Breast, cubed, boneless, skinless
1 Cup Snow Peas, halved
1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into 1-inch thin strips

1. Mix the first 5 ingredients in a bowl.
2. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and cook the chicken cubes for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the vegetables and cook an additional 2 minutes then transfer the chicken vegetable mixture to a bowl.
4. Add the sauce to the pan, bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes until reduced by half.
5. Add the chicken and vegetables back into the sauce and cook an additional minute.
6. Serve.

There’s nothing more frustrating for moms than when they find themselves making something different for each member of the family. I call it “short order cook syndrome” and one of our goals at weelicious is to help you avoid falling victim to it. I know that when I’m in the kitchen cooking for hours and making multiple meals, it makes me super grouchy, so preparing recipes that I know everyone under my roof will love is paramount.

Kenya and Chloe are big fans of Chicken Pesto Tenders, Wee Nuggets and Chicken on a Stick, but since I’m always on the hunt for new ideas I switched things up and tried rolling pieces of chicken in sesame seeds and then cooking them for a few minutes on each side. Sesame seeds are a great source of magnesium, copper, zinc and calcium and also have a nutty taste, especially when toasted. This dish was a big hit with my gang so I wanted to tell you about it immediately — kid friendly, but also delicious for mommies and daddies.

Isn’t life is so much easier when you can cook one thing for the whole family (and have them all be happy)?!

Sesame Chicken Tenders (Serves 4)

1 Lb Chicken Tenders, cleaned, rinsed & dried
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Sesame Seeds, untoasted
1 Tbsp Oil

1. Lightly season all of the tenders with salt.
2. Pour sesame seeds into a bowl and coat each tender evenly with the seeds.
3. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a saute pan over medium heat and cook each coated tender for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden.
4. Serve with Dipping Sauce.

This Halibut Pesto Kabob recipe is so easy and the perfect recipe for a healthy summer time dinner!

Everyone I know loves pizza, but these Pizza Pinwheels will impress even the greatest pizza lover. Perfect for a school lunch, snack or any time of day!

“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.

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.