I really think this goes down as one of my better and favorite recipes. Every time I make it for people, young or old, I get the greatest response. The best part is, it’s so easy to prepare and you probably already have a lot of the ingredients in your fridge already.
Soba noodles are made from buckwheat, a grain high in vitamin A, calcium and selenium. They’re also gluten free which makes them a great choice for kids with allergies or on certain diets. Unlike pasta noodles, these cook up in 2-3 minutes, so don’t walk away from the stove for too long.
This dish is a great recipe to take to a potluck meal or any time you’re feeding a crowd on a dime. I guarantee they’ll love it.

Cold Soba Noodles (Serves 4-6)

1 Package Soba Noodles
1 Cup Edamame
1 Small Red Bell Pepper, julienned
1 Cup Firm Tofu, cubed
1/4 Almond or Peanut Butter
2 Tbsp Vegannise or Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Braggs or Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Rice or Wine Vinegar
2 Tsp Honey
1 Garlic Clove
1 Inch Piece Ginger, chopped
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1/4 Vegetable or Grapeseed Oil

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add soba noodles. Reduce heat to a simmer.
2. Cook noodles for 2-3 minutes.
3. Drain and run under cold water until cool to touch.
4. Add the noodles to a large bowl with the edamame, bell pepper and tofu.
5. Place the almond butter and remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree sauce.
6. Pour sauce over the noodles and toss to combine.
7. Serve.

It was always a tradition when I was growing up to make holiday cookies come this time of year. I used to love rolling out the sugar cookie and gingerbread dough with my mother, cutting the cookies into fun shapes and then decorating them. I wanted to continue that tradition with Kenya, but the thought of making cookies with tons of sugar didn’t seem like such a good idea (Kenya jumping off the walls at bed time never appeals to me), so we stuck with gingerbread. This recipe does have some sugar, but not a lot. It also contains molasses, which is full or iron, a bonus for kids. Kenya and I didn’t use any icing on these because, in my opinion, they don’t need it, but if you want to put a little piping on them, I included a simple icing recipe. This recipe makes dozens of cookies (more or less, depending on the size of the cookie cutters you use), so you’ll have plenty for friends and your family during the holidays.

Gingerbread Cutouts

3 1/2 Cups Flour
1/2 Tsp Salt
3/4 Tsp Baking Soda
2 Tsp Ginger
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Nutmeg & Cloves
1/2 Cup Butter, room temperature
1 Large Egg
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, packed (light or dark will work)
2/3 Cup Unsulphered Molasses (to prevent molasses from sticking, first spray the cup with a non stick veggie spray)

Decorating Ideas

Raisins
Chocolate Chips
Red Hots
Sanding Sugar

1. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl.
2. With a standing mixer using the paddle attachment OR by hand, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
3. Add the egg and molasses, beating until combined.
4. Gradually add the flour to the butter, beating until combined.
5. Divide the dough in half and form into 2 disks. Refrigerate in plastic wrap or parchment paper for 2 hours or overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpats.
7. On a lightly floured surface OR between 2 pieces of parchment paper, roll out one of the disks until it’s 1/4 thick all around.
8. Cut out cookies with different shapes (gingerbread men, stars, christmas tree, etc) and using a spatula transfer cookie to the baking sheet.
9. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes.
10. Remove to a cooling rack. Decorate the cookies after they have cooled.

Icing

2 Cups Confectioners Sugar
2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Tsp Vanilla
2-3 Tbsp Milk

1. Place ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Place in a ziplock bag and cut a tiny whole at one end to squeeze and draw with the icing.

I’ve rarely met a kid (or an adult for that matter) that doesn’t like carrots. I couldn’t resist buying these adorable miniature stumpy carrots I found at the farmers’ market. You can use any type of carrot you find for this recipe, but I just thought these were so funny looking and had to try them.
Carrots are packed with fiber and beta-carotene which the body converts into vitamin A, necessary for healthy skin and vision. When the carrots are sauted with the sweet orange juice in this recipe, they become coated with a delicious, sweet glaze and no sugar is needed. These
are perfect for a quick and easy holiday dish or any time of the year for that matter.

Orange Glazed Carrots (Makes 6 Big Kid Servings)

1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Lb Carrots, peeled and chopped
3/4 Cup Orange Juice
1/2 Tsp Orange Zest
1 Inch Piece Ginger, grated
Sea or Kosher Salt, to taste

1. Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the carrots and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add the orange juice, orange zest and ginger.
3. Bring mixture to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Cook until carrots are tender and orange juice mixture becomes a glaze.
5. Serve.

The inspiration for this recipe came from some gorgeous, uber-ripe Bartlett pears I found last week at the farmer’s market. At first thought I would make Kenya some pear puree or just slice them for a snack, but then I remembered I had some canned organic pumpkin at home and wondered if that combination would work.
I’ve never seen pumpkin-pear bread, but it sounded like something yummy to eat in the autumn. The pears were so ripe, all I did was peel and mash them before adding to the recipe.
QUICK TIP: if you don’t have ripe pears you could place them next to bananas in a fruit bowl and they will ripen faster.
I’m usually not a fan of any type of canned fruit or veggie, but canned pumpkin really is a life saver. It’s really a pain to make pumpkin puree, even when you roast it, the flavors never quite become as rich and sweet as the canned variety. So, this is one of those times that I give into convenience.
When Kenya woke up from his nap, the smell of fresh bread was all through the house. After it cooled we sat and tried it with all kinds of yummy spreads like pumpkin butter, apple butter, honey and just plain butter.
Mmmm… fall really is here!

Pumpkin-Pear Bread (makes 1 9×5 inch loaf or 6 small loaves)

1/4 Cup Agave Nectar
1/4 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree, preferably organic
1 Ripe Pear, peeled and mashed (it’s ok if there are small chunks) or a little over 1/2 cup pear puree
2 Large Eggs
2 Cups Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ginger
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and agave with a standing or handheld mixer.
3. Add the pumpkin and pear purees.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
5. In a separate bowl sift the flour and remaining ingredients.
6. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture a little at a time until combined. Do not overly mix or beat the mixture.
7. Place in a 6 individual greased loaf pans or in one 9×5 inch greased loaf pan.
8. Bake for 20 minutes for small loaf pans or 1 hour for single loaf.
9. Cool for 10 minutes and then run a knife around the loaf pan to help release on to a cooling rack.
10. Cool and serve.

*A regular weelicious Mommy made muffins instead of the bread which cooked for 15-20 minutes and replaced maple syrup for the agave. She said they were delicious!

You come home from work, your little one’s hungry, you’re exhausted, and the last thing you want to do is cook and clean (isn’t that every day?).

Well, the name of this recipe may sound fancy, but it’s actually my 1, 2, 3 super-easy, super-fast, no clean-up dinner. It’s extremely healthy and fun to make because you can tailor it to you or your little ones favorite tastes and flavors. My husband asks for this meal at least twice a week and so now of course Kenya has followed suit. Since it takes me only minutes to prepare, I can actually make one dinner for the whole family and I’m thrilled that it makes them so happy.
We seem to love this recipe most with asian flavors such as ginger, garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce, but you could make it Italian using basil and tomatoes or Mexican using cilantro and a scoop of mild salsa. Be creative! The options are endless. You can add any vegetable or cooked grain that you have in the refrigerator that you don’t want to go to waste. And as I said, the best part is that there’s NO clean up since this whole dish is made in a piece of parchment paper. So, when you’re finished, you’re really finished — no pots and pan to clean. Now that’s my idea of easy, fast and fresh.

Fish and Veggies in Parchment (Makes 2 Toddler Servings or 1 Big Kid Serving)


1 Fish Fillet, skinless and boneless (whitefish, tilapia or sole are good choices)
2 Shitake Mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

1/4 Cup Sugar Snap Peas

1/4 Cup Red bell Pepper, sliced

1 Baby Bok Choy, chopped

1 Garlic Clove
1/2 Tsp Sesame Oil
1 1/2 Inch piece of garlic, peeled and sliced into 4-5 coins

2 Tsp Braggs (you could also use soy sauce or tamari (I like Braggs because it has less sodium and more amino acids then soy sauce)
1 Long piece of parchment paper, just over a foot long (you could also use foil)



1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place the piece of parchment or foil on a work surface and fold in half like a book.
3. Make layered stacks dividing the ingredients in the center of the parchment where you made a fold like a book (I usually make a layer of the bok choy, garlic and ginger, add some of the mushrooms and snap peas, place the fish and remaining vegetables and then sprinkle the top with the sesame oil and Braggs)
4. Place the top of the parchment over the ingredients closing the “book”.
5. Starting at one end of the parchment, fold the edges of the paper over several times continuing to make creases all around the fish until it’s completely enclosed and no air can escape.
6. Place on a cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.
8. Cut open top to let out steam. Be careful, it’s hot!
9. Serve hot for adults and cool for kids (also remember that there are big pieces of ginger and garlic that are really good for you, but you may want to remove them since they will be a surprise to a toddler not expecting them!

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.

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 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.

When I tell you that Kenya took the bowl of this carrot ginger dip and tried to drink it, that gives you some idea about how much he LOVED it.
I get so many emails from parents saying that their little ones won’t eat vegetables. In my experience if you give them something to dip their vegetables in, magically they want to give it a try. I’m not saying this will work with every child, but it’s worked for many people I’ve suggested it to.
Taking the vegetable pieces and dipping them in a variety of different sauces makes eating a fun activity. One of my readers even suggested coming up with little names for the veggies like “trees” for broccoli, “logs” for carrots and “sticks” for beans. You can also try eating veggies with your child. Even better, at our farmers’ market you can buy all kinds of different fruits and vegetables by the piece, so I don’t have to spend tons of money before figuring out which his favorites will be.
I’ll be posting more dips in the future and I guarantee this will be a good start for little ones that usually have an aversion to vegetables.

Carrot, Ginger, Miso Dip (Makes 1/2 Cup)

1 Large Carrot, finely grated (about 1/2 Cup)
1 Tbsp Ginger, minced
1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Yellow or White Miso
3 Tbsp Canola or Vegetable Oil

1. Place the first 4 ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree.
2. Drizzle in the oil while machine is running until puree is thick and creamy.
3. Serve.