Happy New Year! I wanted to start the year with something healthy and heartwarming, perfect for cool weather days.
Last night Kenya ate 4 servings of this recipe for dinner! That’s only 2 days after I made it! I gave it to him for lunch and dinner both days (talk about a culinary groundhog day), but he kept slurping it up so I figured “why not”? I usually don’t give him a lot of meat or pork, but this soup really calls for it to get the perfect flavor. After the ham hock finished stewing in the soup, I simply removed it, let it cool, pulled off all the fat and cut it into a tiny dice. It was luscious! Don’t worry if you want to leave it out. No biggie. It will still taste great.
Split peas are a fantastic source of protein and cook in no time compared to most dried beans. Even better, this recipe very inexpensive. The split peas were less then a dollar, I only used 1/3 of a package of the ham hock so I froze the rest and the other items I already had on hand (and you probably have them in your pantry as well). In 45 minutes I had a creamy pureed soup that everyone in the family could enjoy — even the tiniest member!

Split Pea Soup (Makes 6-8 Toddler Servings)

1 Small Onion, diced
1 Carrot, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Cup Split Peas, rinsed
3 Cups Water
3/4 Lb Ham hock (optional)

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over low to medium heat. Saute the onions and carrot until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 45 minutes.
4. Remove the ham hock and let cool.
5. Puree the soup with a handheld blender or in a blender until smooth.
6. Cut the meat off the ham hock, discarding the fat. Cut the meat into tiny pieces.
7. Serve the soup with ham mixed in or sprinkled on top.

At this time of year — from Thanksgiving through Christmas — I just can’t get enough of tangy cranberries and sweet oranges. The combination of these fruits is so traditionally festive to me and since I’ve watched Kenya down an entire cup of cranberry sauce in one sitting on more then one occasion, I knew he would love this bread. The other thing I love about this cranberry orange nut bread is that it is full of fruit and protein and has NO refined sugar, so you won’t feel guilty letting the little ones dig in as much as they like. I decided to make mini loaves so I could give them to friends as holiday gifts, but you could just as easily cook it in a single 9 x 5 inch pan and enjoy the entire loaf at home with your family!

Cranberry Orange Nut Bread (1 9×5 inch loaf or 6 mini loaves)

2 1/2 Cups Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 Cup Agave
1/4 Cup Butter
1 Cup Orange Juice
1 Egg
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Tsp Grated Orange zest
1 Cup Fresh Cranberries, chopped
3/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
3. Cream the butter and agave and then add the orange juice, egg, vanilla and orange zest.
4. Pour the flour into the butter mixture to combine. Add the cranberries and walnut. Do not over mix.
5. Pour mixture into a 9×5 inch greased loaf pan or 6 greased individual mini loaves.
6. Bake 55-60 minutes for the 9×5 inch pan or 35 minutes for the smaller loaves.
7. Let rest for 5 minutes in the pan, remove and cool or a wire rack.
8. Serve.

I’m a total sucker for the holidays and especially the foods that you get at this time of year. I always loved celebrating Hanukkah with my friends when I was growing up, spinning the dreidel, lighting the menorah for 8 days, eating chocolates coins (Hanukkah gelt), and especially munching on crispy latkes with tons of apple sauce and sour cream.
Potato pancakes, also known as latkes are a Hanukkah tradition and one especially that I wanted Kenya to take part in. Even for a kid under the age of 2, Kenya knows something yummy when he sees it. We made a huge batch the other day and he ate them one after another, dipping away in the apple sauce. Making these treats is a beautiful way to celebrate the festival of lights.

Potato Latkes (Serves 6-8)

1 Onion
4 Potatoes, peeled
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Flour
Salt
Pepper
Vegetable Oil
Apple Sauce, for serving
Sour Cream, for serving

1. Grate the onions and potatoes into a large strainer over a bowl (you could also do this through the grating blade in a food processor).
2. Press on the potato mixture in the strainer and discard any clear liquid in the bowl under the strainer.
3. Place the onion, potatoes, egg, flour, salt and peeper in a bowl and throughly combine.
4. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a saute pan over medium heat.
5. Place one heaping tablespoon of potatoes in the oil forming a circle.
6. Cook for 2-3 and minutes or until golden and flip over.
7. Cook another 2-3 minutes or until cooked through and remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
8. Can be served immediately or kept warm in a 300 degree oven until all latkes are prepared.
9. Serve with sour cream and apple sauce.

We used these to make this recipe:

Oxo Good Grips Box Grater

If you’ve never had a brined turkey, trust me, you are missing out. And once you try it, you’ll never go back. This recipe is the piece de la resistance of our Thanksgivings. I have to say, if I was going to have a last meal, this would be it. When I make a turkey, even if I’m only serving 4 people, I always make one to serve 12. Turkey is the perfect leftover meat because you can keep it in the fridge and turn it into so many other dishes like sandwiches, turkey hash, turkey pot pies and so on. In our house you never have to worry about it going bad because it’s all gone before that can even happen. It feeds us all for a week: lunch, dinner….sometimes even breakfast!
I’ve been brining turkey for several years and I have to say it’s THE trick to making a perfect turkey. It makes turkey extra juicy and imparts the perfect flavor. I like to use cloves and bay leaves as aromatics in the brine, but you could also toss in some onion, cinnamon stick, apple, celery, or basically any flavors you love. I brought a turkey to our regular “kids dinner party” last night and everyone devoured it. At the same time, though, most of the mother’s were saying “I couldn’t EVER roast a turkey”. Don’t be intimidated, it’s really easy.
After making the brine and placing it in a large pot with the turkey, I cover it and leave it outside overnight. Yep, outside and overnight. First of all, I don’t know anyone with a refrigerator large enough to hold a gigantic pot and second, it’s usually 55 degrees or lower in
most of the U.S. this time of year, so it’s the perfect temperature to brine in — certainly as good as your fridge, if not better. Besides the cooking time, this recipes is reasonably
economical, super easy and everyone in the family will love it! Even the tiniest members.

The Best Brined Turkey (Makes 8-10 Servings)

Water
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Salt (preferably kosher)
1 10-12 Pound Turkey, defrosted if frozen
4 Cloves
4 Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil

1. Place the sugar and salt in 4 cups of hot water. Stir until the sugar and salt to dissolve.
2. Place the brine in a large stock pot with a gallon of cold water, cloves and bay leaves and a handful of ice to make sure the water is cold. Stir to combine.
3. Wash the turkey inside and out and place breast side down in the stockpot with brine (you want the water to just cover the turkey).
4. Refrigerate 18-24 hours (or set it in a cool safe place outside as long as it’s below 55 degrees outside).
5. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
6. Take the turkey out of the brine and rinse inside and out with cold water, discarding brine.
7. Place the turkey on a roasting rack inside a wide low pan and
blot the turkey with a paper towel.
8. Tuck back the wings and rub the skin of the turkey with the oil.
9. Roast on the lowest rack of the oven for 30 minutes and then place a piece of foil just over the breast of the turkey to cover (the breast cooks faster then the legs and wings so this process helps it to cook more evenly).
10. Pour 1 cup of water in the pan, reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue to roast 1 hour.
11. Remove the foil from the breast and cook another 15-30 minutes. Insert a meat thermometer into the deepest part of the thigh (avoiding the bone) to reach a temperature of 160-165 degrees. The turkey will actually continue to cook a little even after you take it out of the oven (the total cooking time in the oven will be 1 hour 45 minutes-2 hours total).
12. Let the turkey rest for 20-30 minutes (this is an essential step to allow the juices to redistribute and settle).
13. Slice and serve.
14. So good!

I’ve been making this dish for Kenya for several months but only now did I think of putting it on weelicious. Duh!! This is an amazingly quick, easy and tasty dish. I guarantee you’ll end up adding your own twist and wind up making it on a regular basis.
What could be more simple then eggs, pasta and cheese? Of course, for added flavor, color and nutrition I add the zucchini and sun dried tomatoes, but you could replace them with anything you have on hand to jazz the dish up. Even better, you can make a bunch of pasta, let it cool, add a splash of olive oil and keep it in the fridge for several days, so you can conveniently whip Pasta Wee One whenever you feel brain dead and can’t think of something warm and delicious to eat for lunch or dinner. And even better, no matter what shape of pasta you have on hand, it will work perfectly.
I made this for Kenya’s dinner and of course my husband took one sniff and asked if I would make it for him too. Luckily I had tons of leftover pasta and veggies in the fridge ready to go!

Pasta Wee One (Makes 5-6 Toddler or 4 Big Kid Servings)

1 Cup Pasta, cooked (I used mini bow ties, but whatever kind you choose is great. Just follow cooking time on package.)
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp Milk
1/2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Cup Zucchini, shredded
1/4 Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes
2 Tbsp Parmesan (a cows milk cheese with a complex fruity/nutty taste) or Pecorino (a salty sheep’s milk cheese)

1. Whisk the eggs and milk in a bowl.
2. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the butter.
3. When the butter is melted add the zucchini and sauté for 1 minute.
4. Add the pasta, sun dried tomatoes and then the egg mixture.
5. Stir continually for 1 minute until the egg coats the pasta.
6. Add the cheese and continue cooking another minute until the eggs coat the pasta and vegetables.
7. Cool and serve.

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

When Kenya was a baby, I always wanted to make him dessert. It somehow felt unfair to me that as my husband and I devoured sweet treats, he couldn’t be a part of our fun. I devised this sweet potato pudding in an effort to remedy that. The creamy and light texture of this dish is so smooth, its perfect for babies with or without teeth.
I love cooking with sweet potatoes because they’re in season right now, packed with antioxidant vitamin and phytonutrients, and almost every baby I’ve ever known loves them. When I first took a bite, I couldn’t believe how much it tasted just like the filling of sweet potato pie. You may want to double this recipe because it goes perfect for a baby’s dinner or dessert!

Sweet Potato Pudding (Makes 3 Baby Servings or 2 Toddler Serving)

1 Sweet Potato
1 Egg Yolk
1/4 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Rice or Almond Milk
Hot Water

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Bake sweet potato for 1 hour or until fork tender.
3. When potato is cool, remove the flesh and cool (I like to eat the high fiber potato skin as a snack).
4. Whisk the egg with the cinnamon, rice milk and cooled potato until smooth.
5. Pour into a ramekin (or other small baking dish).
6. Place the ramekin in a larger baking pan.
7. Place the ramekin and baking pan in the oven and pour hot water into the baking pan until it reaches halfway up the ramekin (otherwise known as a water bath).
8. Bake for 30 minutes.
9. Cool and serve.

When I was 6 months pregnant with Kenya, my husband and I went to Paris for some work as well as some much needed R and R. I had actually lived in Paris for years when I was younger so I was excited to walk all over the city showing him my favorite neighborhoods and old haunts. There’s nothing like being pregnant in the most romantic city in the world and walking by patisseries and bistros all day. It’s an automatic excuse to eat a lot. As a result, we didn’t take one form of public transportation the entire trip, since I didn’t want to miss a single culinary delight and we needed to walk our multiple meals off!
One of my favorite treats are crepes. These heavenly, light, little pancakes are the perfect base for all types of fillings like mashed bananas, almond butter, fruit preserves and, dare I suggest, Nutella (very common in France).
I made these for Kenya and myself for breakfast and he loved them. I covered them with apple butter and rolled them into little cigar-shaped cylinders which he held and ate at his leisure. When the rest of the batch was cool, I just wrapped them up and put them in the fridge so we could still eat them for a few days.

Crepes (Makes 14 Crepes)

2 Eggs
1 Cup Flour
3/4 Milk
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Tsp Vanilla
2 Tbsp Butter, melted
Butter for sauteing

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and puree.
2. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight (this helps the bubbles to settle and the crepes not to tear).
3. Grease a saute pan or crepe pan with butter. Pour in 2 tbsp of batter and swirl to cover the pan.
4. Cook for 1 minutes, flip and continue to cook another 30 seconds or until just starting to become golden.
5. Remove to a plate and continue to make remaining crepes.
6. Spread with apple butter, almond butter, mashed bananas, fruit preserves or any other favorite filling.
7. Roll into a cigar shape.
7. Serve.