The day that Chloe started eating solid foods, I was over the moon. I really love the baby food puree stage, but I find it so much more gratifying making Chloe foods that she can enjoy alongside the rest of the family. I believe that when a baby sees that the food on the plate in front of her is the same as the food mommy and daddy are eating, it serves as a powerful connection to the group for them.

Beans are an amazing first solid food for babies to try because they’re soft, easy to chew, packed with protein and full of flavor. They’re also great for baby’s developing dexterity as he/she learns to pick up the beans and feed him/herself.

In our house we eat black beans like they’re going out of style. Inexpensive, healthy and easy to store in the fridge, we keep a container of cooked beans on hand at all time to add to recipes like Chicken and Rice Burritos, Black Bean Cakes, Nachos or just to eat on their own or with some brown rice. Whether your family has a bunch of wee ones, big kids or all of the above, black beans are always a good idea.

Black Beans (Serves 4)

16 Oz (2 Cups) Dried Black Beans
2 Tsp Olive Oil
1 Small Onion, diced
1 Clove Garlic
1 Bay Leaf
4 Cups Water
1 Tsp Salt (optional)

1. The night before you want to cook the beans (about 8-12 hours prior to cooking), cover the beans with water and soak them overnight (this reduces the cooking time of the beans). * If you don’t soak the beans overnight, just double the cooking time in step #5 and keep tasting until the beans are tender.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium sized saucepan.
3. Add the onions and cook for 4-5 minutes or until translucent.
4. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
5. Add the bay leaf, black beans, water and salt (if desired). Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the beans are tender.
6. Serve.

From a very early age, I always knew when my parents were going out and leaving us with a babysitter: I would hear the freezer door open, the sound of something solid dropping onto a cookie sheet and about 30 minutes later, the smell of pie crust would permeate the air. As with most kids, I hated being left at home while my mom and dad went out, but I sure did love chicken pot pie so things kind of evened out. To me, there are few meals more comforting than crisp, flaky pie crust covering a creamy blend of chicken and veggies. I wanted to recreate that great childhood food memory with this recipe, but I needed to make it healthier than the Swanson frozen variety pot pie I had as a kid.

On the whole Kenya is a pretty amazing eater, but the night that I took these individual pot pies out of the oven he took one look at them and said, “I don’t want it”. My feelings were totally hurt, but I also know how finicky and tempermantal toddlers can be, so I decided not to push him and see what happened. I let Kenya continue to play in the kitchen and about 15 minutes later I saw him wander over to where the pies were cooling, take a fork and investigate his little pie. He took one bite and said, “I love it”. No joke. He went from unwilling to try it to loving it in a matter of minutes and I didn’t have to do anything but be patient. If there is one thing that I’ve learned time and again when it comes to kids and eating, it’s that pushing things on them almost always makes them more resistant to try new foods. When you let kids discover things for themselves, it gives them an ownership over what they eat and a sense of discovery with food that just can’t be achieved by cajoling, sneaking, persuading or begging.

Just giving Kenya a bit of space allowed him to fall in love with chicken pot pie all by himself. Now, if I could only figure out how to get my husband to take me out on a date I could relive my entire childhood pot pie memory!

Chicken Pot Pie (Makes 4)

Crust:

4 Tbsp Butter, chilled and cubed
4 Tbsp Shortening or Lard, chilled and cubed
1 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Tsp Salt
2-3 Tbsp Ice Water

1. Place the first 4 ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
2. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of the water in the food processor and pulse a few times until the dough starts to come together.
3. Place the dough of a piece of parchment or plastic wrap and gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk.
4. Refrigerate the pie crust dough for 30 minutes or until chilled.

Pie Filling:

2 Cups or 1 14 oz Can Chicken Broth (I use low sodium)
2 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless (about 1 Lb)
4 Tbsp Butter, divided
1 Small Onion, minced
2 Stalks of Celery, diced
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
1 Tsp Fresh or 1/2 Tsp Dried Thyme
3 Tbsp Butter
3 Tbsp Flour
1 Cup Milk
Salt
1 Cup Peas (I use frozen)

1. In a saucepan, bring chicken stock and chicken breasts to a boil, reduce to a simmer, partially covered for 12 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate, reserving the chicken broth, and when cool, cut the chicken into bite size chunks.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook the onions for 4 minutes or until translucent.
3. Add the celery, carrots and thyme and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
4. Melt the remaining butter into the vegetables and sprinkle the flour over and stir to make a roux. Cook for 1-2 minutes stirring to coat the vegetables.
5. Add the milk, reserved chicken broth, chopped chicken and peas and simmer over low to medium for 10 minutes or until thick and creamy.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
7. Place 1/4 of the mixture in 4 10 oz ramekins or 1 large ramekin.
8. Dust a flat surface with flour and roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick (about the size of a pie plate).
9. Place the ramekins on the dough upside-down and cut 1/2 inch wider around to make the top crust of the pot pie.
10. Place the cut-out dough on top of the ramekin and gently pinch the sides, pressing it to make it stick.
11. Using the tip of a knife, make 3 slits on top of the dough (to allow ventilation).
12. Place ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
13. Cool and serve.

This has hands-down become my favorite dinner to make for the family lately. It has tons of flavor, but it’s not spicy for kids with delicate taste buds (unless you’re my son who eats raw onions as if they were candy).

I made this the other night and Kenya had a blast helping me measure out all the spices. Simple little activities like dumping spices into a sauce may seem boring to adults, but to kids it’s a blast. He loved smelling and tasting each spice while we were cooking and eating the final dish (which takes no time to prepare). For this recipe I used chicken thighs because they’re inexpensive, but you could also use breasts if you have them on hand.

Served with a scoop of couscous, this dish will be a hit with even the tiniest eaters in your family.

Braised Moroccan Chicken (Serves 4)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Small Onion, sliced thin
1 Tsp Paprika
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Cumin
1/4 Tsp Ground Ginger
1 Tsp Salt
1 15 Oz Can Chopped Tomatoes
1 Can Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Lb Chicken Thighs, skinless

1. In a large saute pan heat the oil over medium heat.
2. Saute the onions for 5 minutes or until translucent.
3. Add the spices and tomatoes, bring to a boil.
4. Add the garbanzo beans and chicken to the sauce mixture and stir to coat.
5. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
6. Serve.

Stove Top is usually the brand that comes to mind when you think about making an easy and traditional stuffing for Thanksgiving. The problem is that Stove Top is loaded with salt, high fructose corn syrup, MSG (bad!) and various other ingredients that I can’t even pronounce. Well, there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy stuffing that is FRESH, delicious and easy to make without adding all of the preservatives, additives and sodium most of the store-bought brands include.

Although I’m a huge fan of the weelicious Kids Sausage Apple Stuffing I regularly make at Thanksgiving, this weelicous spin on a “Stove Top” stuffing takes a bit less time to prepare, is economical to make and I find that kids (and adults!) love its simple taste and texture. Also, in the event if you are having a small Thanksgiving or don’t want to do a whole elaborate meal this year, I’ve been trying to showcase simpler Thanksgiving recipes this past week (check out Maple Roast Veggies, Simple Roast Turkey Breast and Pumpkin Butter from last week). This Super Simple Stuffing is a great way to go without having to sacrifice great flavor at your holiday dinner. Leave the Stove Top on the shelf!

Super Simple Stuffing (Serves 4)

3 Tbsp Butter
2 Celery Stalk, fine dice
1 Small Onion, fine dice
1 10 Oz Package Unseasoned Croutons (or 6 slices of sourdough bread cut into 1/2 inch cubes and toasted on a sheet tray for 15-20 minutes in a 400 degree oven or until totally dried out and golden).
1 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock (I use low sodium)
1 Tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 Tsp Dried Sage or Poultry Seasoning
1 Tsp Salt

1. In a large saucepan heat butter until melted.
2. Add the onions and celery and saute over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until softened.
3. Add the chicken stock and bring mixture to a boil.
4. Turn off the heat, add the croutons and fluff with a fork gently (make sure not to over-stir the mixture or it will become mushy).
5. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
6. Serve.

Thanksgiving is next week and we’re already geared up for family, fun and some seriously good food! Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing holiday recipes that are perfect for a small family Thanksgiving meal (just in case
you aren’t having over every relative known to man!).

This roast veggies dish is a holiday favorite in my house and is great no matter if you are having twenty people over or just two. I first started making this simple dish for Thanksgiving years ago, but it’s so delicious and easy to make that I started making it all the time (most of the vegetables the dish calls for are available year-round). Roasting is one of the best techniques for getting the maximum amount of flavor out of vegetables. They become super tender, sweet on the inside and a bit caramelized on the outside.

Holidays or not, I usually double the recipe because they’re just as delicious (if not more so) the next day - -perfect for lunch or a quick, healthy snack. And, for anyone who has a child who is prone to say, “I hate vegetables,” just try making this dish and tell me if those words ever come out of their sweet little mouths again!

Maple Roast Veggies (Serves 6)

7 Carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 Red Bell Peppers, cut into large chunks
1 Delicata Squash, unpeeled, split lengthwise, seeds removed and cut into half moons (you could also use peeled butternut squash)
1 Yellow Onion, cut into wedges
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
2 Tsp Oil
1 Tbsp Kosher or Sea Salt

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat the vegetables (at this point you can place the vegetables in a large zipper bag and refrigerate overnight).
3. Pour the vegetables on to a foil lined sheet tray and roast for 50 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until tender and golden.
4. Serve.

First, before you say anything, I know “healthy” and “refried” are a contradiction in terms.

When I was growing up we rarely went out to dinner, but when we did it was to either Chi Chi’s or Tumbleweeds, two Mexican restaurants in Louisville, KY that both served delicious refried beans (at least to my 10 year-old palette they were delicious). Refried beans are one of those particularly yummy Mexican inventions that are great on their own, in a burrito, served with rice and the list goes on. Yet they are anything but healthy.

Most refried bean recipes consist of a smooth puree of pinto beans mixed with tons of lard to made them creamy. Just the thought of lard makes me want to gag, but I do love the taste of those creamy beans. I came up with this healthier version so Kenya and Chloe don’t have to miss out entirely on my great food memory. This twist on refried beans retain the soft and creamy texture of the original and are also a perfect puree for babies. And toddlers, big kids, Mommy and Daddy, too!

Healthy Refried Beans (Serves 4)

2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Small Onion, diced
1 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 14 Oz Can Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Hot Water
Accompaniments: Cheese for sprinkling on top

1. Heat olive oil in a small heavy bottomed pot.
2. Saute the onions for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
3. Add the pinto beans and salt to the onions and mash with a potato masher or fork.
4. Add water, stir and cook until heat through.
5. Serve.

It seems like we go through gallons of tomato sauce in our house. We use it to make pizza, in pasta, on fish and chicken, as a dip for vegetables and more. I like to make homemade sauce using fresh tomatoes from our farmers’ market whenever they’re in season, but when I can’t get my hands on fresh, I make this version of my sauce with organic canned tomatoes. The recipe is really fast and easy and is versatile enough to use in most of your favorite recipes that call for a red sauce. Best of all, you can have it year round!

Red Sauce (Makes 2 Cups)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Onion, diced
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Clove Garlic, chopped
1/2 Tsp Italian Herbs
1 15 Oz Can Tomato Sauce
1 Tsp Agave Nectar

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and saute the onions and salt for 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and italian herbs and continue to cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the tomatoes and agave and cook for 5-10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
4. 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.

Since we’re not going on a vacation this summer, we decided to do the ol’ “stay-cation” and just pretend we’re away. We’ve turned our house into the ultimate vacation paradise with all kinds of fun activities and, of course, a TON of cooking and barbecuing. We’re try to cook as often as possible to save money, but I try to be as creative as possible with the recipes lest my gang get bored!

We’re big time fajita eaters in this house. Whether you consider fajitas southwestern or Mexican fare is up to you, but the one thing I know is….they’re yummy. One of our favorite local restaurants serves their fajitas for $13 an order. Well, I can make these fajitas for a fraction of the price we would pay at a restaurant and still have a ball cooking them together as a family.

So, toss on your chef’s sombrero, play some mariachi music and watch how much your kids will love building their own skirt steak fajitas. They’re as fun to make as they are delicious to eat.

Skirt/Hanger Steak Fajitas (Makes 4 Servings)

2 Garlic Cloves
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Juice of 2 Lime
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce or Braggs
1/4 Cup Cilantro, packed
1/4 Cup Tequila (PARENTS, DON’T WORRY. ALL THE ALCOHOL BURNS OFF AND YOU’RE JUST LEFT WITH GREAT FLAVOR, but you can leave it out all together and they’re still yummy!)
1 Lb. Skirt/Hanger Steak (this marinade also works well with chicken and shrimp)
1 Onion, thinly sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced
Oil as needed
Accompaniments: Tortillas, Sour Cream, Guacamole

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a blender, food processor or in a bowl using an immersion blender (you can also chop the ingredients by hand and stir to combine).
2. Place the skirt steak in a zipper bag with the marinade (you may need to cut it into several large slabs).
3. Marinate the meat for 4-24 hours in the refrigerator.
4. Add 1 tbsp of oil to a large saute pan over medium to high heat or you could also cook the meat on a grill or use a grill pan.
5. Place the drained meat in the saute pan or grill and cook for 2 minutes on each side.
6. Place on a cutting board and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
7. Heat another tbsp of the oil in the saute pan over medium heat and cook the onions and peppers for 4-5 minutes.
8. Slice the meat.
9. Cover a tortilla with desired accompaniments, meat, onions and peppers.
10. Serve.

Cherry tomatoes are finally on the scene again at our local farmer’s market….and in our garden, too! I’ve been waiting for weeks for them to be ripe enough to pick. Some people in our family are not as patient as I am though. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “look Mommy, a green one!” only to turn to see my 2 1/2 year old with a freshly plucked, unripe tomato in his hands! It’s basically taken us the past 6 weeks to teach Kenya to leave the green cherry tomatoes alone and wait for them to turn the deep red color that makes them sweet and bursting with flavor.

Since two of Kenya’s more recent food obsessions are olives and cherry tomatoes, I decided to combine them in this heavenly summer pasta salad. When you roast the tomatoes, it makes them even sweeter. When I showed Kenya the finished recipe he said “look Mommy, red ones.” Finally he’s getting it!

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Olives on Bowties (Serves 4)

1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes
2 Tsp Olive Oil
1 Tsp Fresh Thyme or 1/4 Dried Thyme
1 Clove Garlic
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/3 Cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
8 oz Farfalle (Bowtie) Pasta (about 1/2 a bag or box)
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss the first 5 ingredients together on a sheet tray to coat the tomatoes.
3. Bake for 25 minutes or until tomatoes are starting to burst.
4. While the tomatoes are baking, cook the pasta in salted water according to the package directions.
5. Combine the tomatoes, pasta, olives and cheese and toss to combine.
6. Serve.