I’ve been running around trying to get ready for Kenya’s birthday party. This year I’m trying to keep things simple, but even with a “simple” party there are still details like decorations, party favors and of course, SNACKS! I’ve been cooking some of Kenya’s favorites all morning like Rice Crisp-Wee Treats, “Cheesy” Popcorn, Black Bean Hummus with Baked Corn Tortillas (recipe coming this week!), mandarin oranges and of course, Dark Chocolate Cupcakes.

So whether you’re celebrating the birthday of Washington, Lincoln or Kenya, these tasty treats are all good choices to make your day a yummy one.

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.

When Kenya was just beginning to get teeth we would let him gnaw on samples of fresh, raw corn-on-the-cob at our local farmer’s market. Can you imagine how delicious fresh corn kernels bursting with sweetness and flavor must taste to a baby? It must have tasted pretty good to Kenya, because whenever summer rolls around, he just can’t get enough of corn.

Now that Kenya is older, I try and use corn to make more “grown up” dishes for him, like this corn chowder. It is really hearty, delicious and, best of all, easy to make. You can use white, yellow and/or bi-color corn. Just cut the kernels off the cob and the whole dish is ready in 20 minutes. And don’t throw away the cobs! They’re an absolutely essential ingredient to creating this soup’s intense corn flavor and rich taste.

Whether you decide to puree the soup for a one year-old to enjoy or even offer it to adults at a dinner party, this corn chowder will be a hit!

Kiddy Corn Chowder (Serves 4)

2 Tbsp Butter
1 Small Onion, diced
1 1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Clove Garlic, minced
4 Ears Corn, husked and corn kernels cut off the cob
1 1/2 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
1 1/2 Cups Milk (I use 2%)
1 Potato, peeled and cut into a small dice

1. Place the butter in a stock pot over medium heat and saute the onions with the salt for 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and continue to cook an additional minute.
3. Add the corn kernels, corn cobs (for additional flavor and thickener), stock, milk and potatoes to the pot and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
5. Remove the corn cobs from the soup and discard.
6. Serve.
*If you want a thicker chowder, puree half of the finished soup in a blender until smooth and creamy.

Corn is just starting to show up at our local farmer’s markets, so I decided to buy a few sweet ears this weekend to make a super-simple salad full Kenya’s favorite ingredients. I love preparing this delicious dish for several reasons: it’s a complete vegetarian protein because of the beans and corn, the mixture of colors and textures are appealing to a little one’s eyes and it’s easy on the wallet.

If you need a last minute pot luck dish this summer that’s easy to prepare and that adults as well as kids will love, give it a shot!

Corn & Black Bean Salad (Serves 4-6)

2 Ears of Corn, husked and cleaned
1 16 Oz. Can Black Beans, rinsed
1 Red Bell Pepper, small dice
2 Tbsp Cilantro
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
1 Tsp Honey
1/2 Tsp Salt

1. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil and add the corn.
2. Cover and steam for 5 minutes, remove and let cool.
3. Cut the corn off the cob and place in a bowl with the remaining ingredients.
4. Stir to combine throughly.
5. Serve.

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

This isn’t a recipe that I just came up with out of the blue. I’ve actually been making this for husband for ages. For many years he was a vegetarian and so I was always trying to come up with new and exciting recipes that would offer him protein and vegetables (unlike me, a total carnivore at heart). This dish is now a regular in our house. There’s almost always a bowl of it in the fridge because it’s so quick and easy to prepare, but it’s also healthy.
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is a fantastic grain for kids because it has more protein then other grains, contains more calcium then milk, plus it’s easy to digest. Quinoa is also full of B vitamins, vitamin E and iron which 9% of toddlers, 700,000 in the U.S. alone have shown to have to be deficiency in.
I made this for my “kids dinner party” recently and all the little ones loved it. One of my friends kept saying her daughter “hates avocado”. Being kind of sneaky (I know! I’m all against sneaking foods, but this was just an experiment, I swear!), I asked her daughter if she wanted a bite of the quinoa mexicana salad and she said yes. When I tell you she gobbled up this dish AND the avocado it proves that sometimes, even little ones can be open minded to new flavors. You just never know.

Quinoa Mexicana Salad (makes 6-8 toddler servings)

1/2 Cup Quinoa, washed and drained
1 Cup Water
1/2 cup fresh or frozen Corn, cooked
1 Avocado, chopped
1/2 Cup Cherry Tomatoes
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped
1/4 Tsp Cumin
Salt to taste

1. Bring the water and quinoa to a boil in a saucepan.
2. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes.
3. Place the quinoa in a bowl and cool.
4. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
5. Serve.

One of Kenya’s (many) favorite foods are black beans. He loves them with brown rice or quesadillas, or even just on their own. I wanted to come up with another fun way for him to enjoy them.
Beans are an incredible source of fiber and iron and because of their soft texture they’re perfect for forming into these little black bean cake-like patties. Sometimes I find it hard to come up with delicious vegetarian recipes which are truly filling, but these totally fit the bill.
I love serving these to Kenya with a little guacamol-wee and sour cream for him to dip in. Trust me, the only major problem I had making these was keeping my husband away from them. Luckily, most of the ingredients are things I keep on hand, so I quickly cooked up an extra batch so we would all have plenty to munch on at dinner and throughout the next day.

Black Bean Cakes (Makes About 20 Patties)

1 15 Oz Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1 Ear of Corn, cut off the cob (or 1 cup frozen kernels, defrosted)
1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/4 Cup Cilantro, packed
1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 Tsp Onion Powder
2 Tbsp Bread Crumbs
1 Egg

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree.
2. Heat a large saute pan over low to medium heat.
3. Place 1 Tbsp of the bean mixture in the pan. Using the back of a spoon, spread the mixture into an even circle (the size and shape of a pancake).
4. Cook for 3 minutes.
5. Flip on the other side and cook another 3-4 minutes or until cooked through.
6. Cook remaining patties and move to a plate.
7. Cool and serve.

I’ve been munching on these tasty fruit and veggie treats for years. When I used to travel for work non-stop and knew there weren’t going to be many healthy snack choices where I was going, I would toss a container of these in my bag. The different varieties they have are endless!
Just Fruit sells salad, corn, cherries, mixed veggies, bananas, peas and soon. This is another one of my favorite on-the-go snacks because they don’t make a mess, they don’t spoil like fresh fruit and veggies do and their packed solely with what they advertise, “just fruit” (and vegetables). Some fruits and veggies are crunchy and some are squishy, but their deliciously intense taste comes from the concentration of the natural flavors during the dehydration process.
When I was trying to photograph them for the picture above, Kenya almost had a conniption fit waiting for me to finish so we could dig into them. We sat on the floor and opened the containers one by one tasting each flavor. He was so funny commenting on each one. Thank goodness for stores like Whole Foods and our local health food store which carry
these yummy yummies!

As a kid growing up in the south, cornbread in any form — be it sticks, muffins, whatever — was a staple. My grandmother used to take her old seasoned cast iron corn pone mold (a southern style cornbread) and grease it with fat drippings she kept in a jar above the stove. Then she would fill it with sweet corn batter which came out crisp, tender and delicious. I just can’t imagine how many calories there were!

Sadly (or should I say “fortunately” — sorry grandma!), we don’t keep a jar of drippings in our kitchen, but the taste of these muffins run a very close second, are healthy and they only take minutes to prepare. I especially like this recipe because they have a crunchy top, a tender middle and they’re perfectly sweet from the agave instead of a cup of sugar like my grandmother’s recipe calls for.

I made 2 dozen of these thinking I would have plenty for days. Nice try, they were gone within 48 hours. My husband would eat like five in one sitting. Oh well, better double the recipe next time.

Tiny Corn Muffins (Makes 24 Muffins)

1 3/4 Cup Cornmeal
3/4 Cup Flour
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Agave
1 1/2 Cup Buttermilk
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix the first 5 dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Whisk the remaining wet ingredients in a separate bowl until
thoroughly combined.
4. Pour the cornmeal mixture into the wet ingredients and thoroughly
combine with a whisk.
5. Pour into 24 greased mini muffin cups.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when
inserted inside.
7. Cool and serve.

We used these to make this recipe:

KitchenAid Precision 24-cup Mini Muffin Pan

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.