My husband just read this post and said, “what is it, Leftovers Week”? Sometimes daddies just don’t understand the brilliance of turning one meal into four. If you’ve been tuning in the past few days, you know I make a Chicken in the Crock Pot at least once a week for my family. Without fail, we always have chicken left over, which is a huge bonus for any busy mom. Sometimes I use it to make Mac, Chicken and Cheese Bites or Mexican Enchiladas, but lately I started preparing this chicken salad, and the kids just love to eat it. With just a few slices of vitamin-packed avocado along with some chopped pickles for crunch and a slightly salty flavor, this Chicken Salad Wrap is not only easy to make, but also a great use for cooked chicken. Let’s hear it for Leftovers Week!

Chicken Salad Avocado Wrap (Makes 4 Wraps)‬‬

1 Cup Cooked Chicken (about 1 large chicken breast), cooked and chopped fine
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise or Veganaise
2 Tbsp Parsley
Juice of 1/2 Small Lemon
2 Tbsp Dill Pickle, chopped fine
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 Avocado, Cut into fourths
4 Tortilla Wraps

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl and mix.
2. Warm a tortilla for about 30 seconds on each side (you can do this on top of the stove or in a microwave for 15 seconds in between moist paper towels).
3. Place 1/4 of an avocado, cut into slices, on the half of the tortilla nearest to you.
4. Spread 1/4 cup of Chicken Salad on top of the avocado.
5. Roll the wrap away from you and cut into halves.
6. Serve.

**Letting the salad sit in the fridge for a couple of hours enhances the flavors more and makes it even more yummy!

Hubby and I have been taking a parenting class with a group of our friends in hopes of finding better strategies to keep the peace with our kids when times get challenging (can anyone relate to that?). We rotate houses each week and whoever hosts provides a light dinner to fill everyone’s bellies before we sit down to some pretty intense — but fun — conversation. One of my friends is a total closet gourmand and while she couldn’t be more humble about her culinary talents, just one taste of her food betrays how awesome she is in the kitchen.

As we sat around eating before class started, my hubby turned to me, offered up his drink and said, “Catherine, taste this, it’s delicious!” I took a sip and agreed completely. The drink had a beautiful purple color and was unbelievably refreshing — only I had no idea what it was. I asked my friend and she said it was an agua fresca. It sounded so fancy, but she said it couldn’t be more simple to prepare. All she did was make a simple syrup (sugar and water) with fresh ginger and mix in frozen blackberries. I knew I had to try and replicate it for weelicious.

The next day, I set out to make a much simpler version of agua fresca for a group of kids coming over for a pool party. Kenya was ready as ever to be my taste tester as we took to the blender and whipped up my own version of a blackberry agua fresca. Kenya took one sip and exclaimed “it tastes like pomegranate juice”! Only my kid.

After I let it chill, I offered the kids glasses asking, “would you like to try some blackberry agua fresca?” The kids looked at me totally perplexed until their mothers leaned in to them and said, “it’s juice.” That’s all it took. Within minutes it was all gone, the only evidence being the purple mustaches on everyone’s happy little faces. My husband, however, was less than happy to discover the empty pitcher when he got home from work. I’ll save that for our next parenting class.

Blackberry Agua Fresca (Serves 4)

1 1/2 Cups Blackberries, rinsed (or Frozen Blackberries, defrosted)
4 Cups Water
2 Tbsp Agave
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1. Pour the blackberries, water and agave in a blender and puree.
2. Pour the blackberry mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher.
3. Stir in the lemon juice.
4. Refrigerate until cold.
5. Serve.

One of the most timeworn food challenges for parents is getting kids to eat their vegetables. It certainly hasn’t gotten any easier for us moms and dads over the years. Our generation of kids is exposed to a wider variety of unhealthy foods now than at any point in history, with hundreds of millions of marketing dollars targeted specifically at our defenseless little ones. For many parents it’s just too much of a battle to keep their kids away from prepackaged junky foods. Many finally give in, saying their kids are “picky eaters” or simply that they “don’t like vegetables”. It’s a tough and seemingly endless struggle for us parents, but once you resign yourself to the “well, they just don’t like to eat their greens”-type labeling of your little ones, the junky food has won out and kids feel like if they resist you enough — no matter what the food — they will eventually get their way. It takes a lot of patience and persistence to change their behavior, but with a few fun tips and always leading by example, my experience has shown that even the pickiest of kids will eat their veggies.

One of my favorite tips is to serve raw or steamed veggies with dips. When food is interactive for kids, it becomes a lot more fun for them to eat. I started making this versatile dip for myself years before I had my kids. I still eat it with steamed artichokes and even on grilled fish. With just a shake, squeeze and stir, you can turn plain ol’ yogurt into something that tastes just like Ranch dressing (only it’s much better for you).

Whether you put a small serving of this alongside pieces of red bell pepper in a school lunch or serve it with an assortment of carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and green beans at dinnertime, this dip will help inspire the veggie lover in everyone!

Veg-Wee Dip (Makes 1/2 Cup)

1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt ( I use Greek yogurt)
1 Tsp Spike Seasoning
1 Tsp Lemon Juice

Accompaniments: raw or steamed veggies such as baby carrots, celery, cucumber, fennel, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, or jicama

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir.
2. Serve.

When I was a kid, I loved being my mother’s “kitchen assistant” when she entertained for friends. I was always in charge of passing out appetizers such as toasts spread with Boursin, an herby, spreadable cheese. Recently I was at a friend’s party and became nostalgic watching all of the kids run around eating toast with cheese spread on top. And then, it was like a lightbulb went off — Kenya and Chloe will eat pretty much anything that consists of bread and cheese, so why I never before thought to try this healthful spin on an old family recipe had me kicking myself!

I love artichokes for both their flavor and health benefits. They’re a fantastic source of fiber, vitamin C, and potassium, and are loaded with antioxidants. Goat cheese has a nice tartness and more protein than cow’s milk cheese, so this simple spread that literally takes a couple of minutes to prepare also packs a lot of taste and nutritional value. Not only did I spread it on some delicious toasted whole grain bread for my kids’ dinner, but the next day I mixed some of it with pasta for Chloe and made a sandwich with it for Kenya’s school lunch. From the looks of Chloe’s bowl and Kenya’s empty lunch box when he got home, it was clear they weren’t tiring of it.

Now, if I can only get the two of them to work my next dinner party….

Artichoke Cheese Spread (Makes 1 1/2 Cups)

1 12 Oz Jar Marinated Artichoke Hearts (in oil), drained, reserving 2 tbsp of the juice
1/4 Cup Goat Cheese (you can also substitute cream cheese)
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Accompaniment: Crackers, Bread, Toast

1. Place the drained marinated artichoke hearts, goat cheese, 2 tbsp reserved juice and lemon juice in a food processor.
2. Puree.
3. Serve on crackers, bread or even mixed into pasta.

When Kenya was around 10 months old, I started placing tiny pieces of fish on his highchair tray for him to pick up and eat on his own. Now that Chloe is around the same age, I do it with her as well. And like her older brother, Chloe is a fish fanatic.

Fish is an important source of protein and a variety of nutrients for kids, like B vitamins and Omega 3’s, but there are many children who just plain ol’ resist eating it. This recipe is for those parents whose little ones put up a fight on fish night. As soon as your kids take a bite of this Parmesan Crusted Fish, I bet they’ll change their tune. I even added a delicious Lemon and Dill Dipping Sauce to get them more involved with the dish and add to the fun factor of eating it. You never know, your kids may be requesting fish after this!

Parmesan Crusted Fish (Serves 4)

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Bread Crumbs
1/2 Tsp Salt
4 Fish Fillets (you could use Tilapia, Red Snapper, Halibut, Barramundi or any white flakey fish)
Olive or Canola Oil Spray (I use Spectrum Canola Spray)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix the parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and salt in bowl or on a plate.
3. Coat each fish fillet in the cheese mixture.
4. Place on a spray-lined baking rack on top of a cookie sheet, coat the fish with spray and bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish (about 12 minutes for tilapia and 15 minutes for something thicker like halibut).
5. Serve with lemon and dill dipping sauce.

Lemon & Dill Dipping Sauce

1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt
Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
2 Tsp Fresh Dill or 1 Tsp Dried Dill
Pinch of Salt

1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
2. Serve.

Every Sunday at our local farmer’s market, I buy a whole chicken from the great folks at Healthy Family Farms (we also get our eggs from them). I like to make a Simple Roast Chicken every Sunday, but several weeks ago the farmer that sells the me chickens asked if I had ever tried cooking a whole chicken in a slow cooker. I had not. I listened as she told me just how easy it was to prepare, but I was still in disbelief at how simple her description was. No oil? No butter? No broth? Just a few herbs, lemon and salt? Really?! I immediately went home that afternoon and with practically no effort, prepared a chicken that was about as good as any I had ever tasted. My whole family was wide-eyed as we took our first bites — the chicken was moist, tender and juicy and the consistency is almost like pulled pork because the meat literally falls off the bone.

This recipe is embarrassingly simple and incredibly healthy, but the best part is that it essentially cooks itself. There’s almost no work involved, and I love that I can cook a whole chicken and then keep the meat in the fridge to make Weelicious Mac, Chicken and Cheese Bites, Chicken, Bean and Cheese Quesadillas or Chicken and Rice Burritos throughout the week!

Not only did Kenya, our friends, my hubby and I fall in love, but guess who ate more then her fair share of chicken? That’s right, baby Chloe. She was like a little chicken eatin’ machine, putting piece after piece into her mouth.

If cooking a whole chicken has always seemed daunting to you, try this version. It’s so simple, you’ll have a hard time finding reasons not to. Check out this video if you want to see how we did it.

Chicken in a Crock Pot (Serves 4)

1 4 Lb Whole Chicken
2-3 Thyme Sprigs
1 Lemon, cut in half
Salt (preferably kosher salt)

1. Stuff the chicken with the thyme and lemon halves and sprinkle the outside with salt.
2. Place the chicken in a crock pot (also known as a slow cooker).
3. Place the cover on the crock pot and cook on high for 2 1/2 hours (3-3 1/2 hours for a 5 pound chicken).
4. Using a meat thermometer, make sure the chicken is cooked to 160 degrees (the times on different slow cookers may vary).
5. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before cutting it into pieces (this allows the juices to redistribute and the chicken to remain extremely juicy).
6. Serve.
*The skin on the chicken won’t be golden because this is more of a steaming method, but the meat will be outrageously moist, tender and juicy.

As I’ve written here many times before, we love hummus. Actually, I find most kids really enjoy the smooth creaminess of hummus as a spread on sandwiches, as a dip for veggies or just on it’s own. Traditional hummus is made from garbanzo beans, tahini, olive oil and lemon juice, but there’s no reason that you can’t get creative and come up with an array of new hummus flavors using different types of beans or nuts.

For this recipe, I wanted to do a Mexican inspired hummus with flavors I know my family likes, so I chose pepitas (pumpkin seeds), black beans, cumin and cilantro. And just to keep everything homemade, instead of buying fried chips at the store, I decided to make my own healthy, crispy ones. Both dishes are easy to make and kids have fun breaking up the tortillas into chips themselves.

Whether you’re inviting friends over for a party, want a protein-packed school lunch box snack for your little one or just need something healthy and delicious to nibble on throughout the day, this Mexican hummus delivers. Olé!

Black Bean Hummus with Toasted Corn Tortillas

1/3 Cup Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 Small Garlic Clove
1 15 Oz Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Water
Juice of 1/2 a Lemon
1/2 Tsp Cumin
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped (you can use the stems — they have tons of flavor)

1. Place the pepitas in a dry sauté pan and toast over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until the pepitas start to turn golden.
2. Place the pepitas and garlic clove in a food processor and pulse for 1 minute.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth.
4. Serve.

Toasted Corn Tortillas

1 Package Whole Corn Tortillas (about 12)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place corn tortillas directly on oven racks and toast for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and golden.
3. Serve whole or broken into chips.

Hummus is a food that no matter what age people are when they first discover it, they fall in love. OK, maybe not everybody, but I certainly find hummus to be an “everybody loves….” food among people I know. Kenya loved it from his very first bite at 12 months and my father-in-law still devours it at age… well, I can’t tell you his age, he’s my father in law. For those of you who haven’t discovered this delicious dish yet, hummus is a Middle Eastern spread made from chickpeas. It’s healthy, full of flavor and versatile — I use it as a dip, as a spread on sandwiches, or just enjoy it on its own.

One of Kenya’s favorite snacks is edamame, so I thought I’d try a variation on the classic hummus recipe and make it for him with edamame instead of chickpeas. Kenya was in heaven with the final result — the bright green color and creamy texture has a ton of eye and taste appeal for kids. And I was thrilled knowing it’s a great source of iron, vitamin C and protein for my growing boy. With kids, I find hummus very useful as a dip. it’s a great way to try to get even the most resistant little ones to take their veggies and dunk away!

Edamame Hummus (Makes 2 1/2 Cups)

2 Cups Edamame, hulled (I use frozen and defrost it)
2 Tbsp Tahini
Juice of 1 Small Lemon
1/4 Cup Water
1 Small Clove Garlic
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Cumin

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree.
2. Serve.

I’m reading more and more lately about the importance of a vegetarian diet for our bodies and the planet. I know that the healthier we eat the better our bodies run, which is especially true when it comes to children. I get a lot of emails from people with misconceptions about vegetarian diets. Chief among them are concerns about vegetarians not getting enough protein. To the contrary, by incorporating legumes (e.g. beans, lentils, peas, soy, and peanuts) into their diets and combining them with grains, vegetarians get all the protein they need.

We’ve been trying to eat a lot more legumes in our house lately and lentils are at the top of the list. Not only are they inexpensive and fast to prepare, they’re an incredible source of protein, dietary fiber and amino acids. They’re also inexpensive, which is a bonus when you’re trying to stretch your food budget.

The combination of the sweet of the fruit and the crunch of the nuts with the soft texture of the lentils makes a nutritious dish that my family flipped for — and no one asked where the meat was!

Cranberry Lentil Salad (Makes 6 Servings)

1 Cup Lentils
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
1/4 Cup Parsley, chopped
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Walnuts, chopped
Juice of 1 Small Lemon
2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1. In a saucepan bring 4 cups of water and lentils to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender.
3. Pour lentils into a strainer and rinse with cold water.
4. Fold all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
5. Serve.

Pasta and shrimp. Two of my family’s favorite foods. That’s good news for me because they’re relatively inexpensive (money saving tip: buy pre-packaged frozen shrimp in your grocery’s freezer aisle) and I can keep them on hand for quick recipes just like this one. I’m pretty sure that we eat shrimp or pasta in our house 5 days a week, so combining them in this recipe just made sense. This is one of those dishes I like to make on the nights that I’m exhausted (uh, that would be every night), and need something that is super easy to prepare, will be a hit with the family and looks totally gourmet.

Lemon-Wee Shrimp Pasta (Serves 4)

1 Tbsp & 1/4 Tsp Salt, divided
1 Lb Rigatoni
1 Lb Large Raw Shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used frozen shrimp that I defrosted)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Cup Clam Juice
1 Tsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Parsley, chopped

1. In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water and 1 tbsp of salt to a boil.
2. Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
3. While pasta cooks, heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large non stick saute pan over medium heat.
4. Add the shrimp, garlic, salt and cook for 3 minutes.
5. Place the shrimp, garlic and 1/4 tsp salt in a saute pan and cook for 3 minutes, stirring halfway through (make sure not to overcook the shrimp).
6. Remove the shrimp to a plate and pour the clam juice into the same large pan.
7. Bring the clam juice to a boil for 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half.
8. Whisk the butter, lemon juice and parsley into the saute pan and add the pasta, shrimp and as much of the reserved pasta water as nessecary to make a sauce to coat the pasta.
19. Serve.