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.