The search for children’s recipes is a necessary care for those who have small children and the challenge of maintaining a nutritious and fun diet. An alternative to not leaving health aside is to think of quick, easy and colorful snacks for different times of the day. Check out recipes that, in addition to doing well, can be prepared with the help of the little ones.
Hidden Veggie Mac ‘n’ Cheese
SERVES 8
PREP TIME: 15 minutes (not including time make Pepita Parmesan)
ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes
½ medium (1-pound) head cauliflower, broken into florets
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
½ cup diced radishes
1 pound elbow macaroni (gluten-free if necessary)
1 cup cooked great Northern beans
1 cup unsweetened nondairy milk (nut-free and/or soy-free if necessary)
¾ cup nutritional yeast
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
2 tablespoons vegan butter (soy-free if necessary), melted
2 teaspoons white soy miso (or chickpea miso)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon mustard powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
1. Place the cauliflower, carrots, and radishes in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook the vegetables until easily pierced with a fork, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain. Set aside.
2. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Remove from the heat, drain well, and return the pasta to the pot.
3. Transfer the vegetables to a food processor or blender. Add the beans, milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, tomato paste, butter, miso, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and mustard powder. Process until smooth. Add the sauce to the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Return to the stove and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, until heated through and the sauce has thickened. Serve immediately topped with Pepita Parmesan (if using). Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.
Tempeh Nuggets
MAKES 40 NUGGETS
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes
INACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes
Two 8-ounce packages tempeh
3 cups low-sodium “no-chicken” flavored vegetable broth (or regular vegetable broth)
2 tablespoons liquid aminos
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
¾ cup plain vegan yogurt (preferably unsweetened, nut-free if necessary)
¼ cup unsweetened nondairy milk (nut-free if necessary)
3 tablespoons tahini (gluten-free if necessary)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
1½ cups vegan panko bread crumbs (gluten-free if necessary)
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Olive oil spray
Ketchup (or vegan barbecue sauce; homemade or store-bought), for dipping
1. Chop each block of tempeh into about 20 chunks, making 40 total nuggets.
2. Combine the broth, liquid aminos, thyme, and marjoram in a large pot. Place the tempeh in the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and let the tempeh simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain (you can save the liquid for another time you need to cook with broth or add a bit of liquid to your pan; it should keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks). Set the tempeh aside to cool until you can handle it.
3. While the tempeh is cooling, combine the yogurt, milk, tahini, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs and nutritional yeast.
4. Preheat the oven to 375°F . Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
5. Use one hand to dredge a piece of tempeh in the yogurt mixture and your other hand to toss it in the bread crumbs until fully coated. Place the nugget on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining nuggets.
6. Lightly spray the tops of the nuggets with olive oil. Bake for 12 minutes, flip them and spray the tops with olive oil again, and return to the oven for 12 minutes more, or until crispy and golden. Serve immediately with your choice of dipping sauces. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Children’s Recipes: Cheesy Trees
SERVES 4, WITH EXTRA SAUCE
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
ACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes
INACTIVE TIME: 60 minutes
1 cup chopped Yukon gold potatoes
½ cup peeled, chopped carrot
1 bunch (1 pound) broccoli chopped into florets
¼ cup raw cashews, soaked in warm water for 1 hour and drained, water reserved
¾ cup reserved soaking water
¼ cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
Salt and black pepper to taste
1. Place the potatoes and carrots in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are easily pierced with a fork.
2. While you’re boiling the potatoes and carrots, place the broccoli in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water and cover. Steam the broccoli until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Once tender, remove from the heat but keep warm until ready to serve.
3. Drain the potatoes and carrots and transfer them to the blender. Add the cashews, reserved soaking water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Blend until completely smooth.
4. Serve the broccoli with a pinch of salt and pepper and a few dollops of cheese sauce. Store any leftover cheese sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
VARIATION
If your kids don’t like broccoli, try using cauliflower or another vegetable they like instead.
Children’s Recipes: PB&J Roll-Ups
MAKES 4 ROLL-UPS, WITH EXTRA SPREAD
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
ACTIVE TIME: 5 minutes
1 cup peanut butter (or nut or seed butter of your choice)
Half of a 12-ounce vacuum-packed block extra firm silken tofu
1 tablespoon maple syrup, optional
Salt to taste, optional
4 large flour tortillas (or brown rice tortillas or lavash wraps)
1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced
1. Combine the peanut butter, tofu, maple syrup (if using), and salt (if using) in a food processor and process until smooth.
2. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the peanut butter spread on a tortilla. Make a layer of strawberry slices on top of the peanut butter. Roll up the tortilla into a log. Chop into three or four sections. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
3. Serve immediately. To serve later, wrap each roll-up (all sections) in plastic wrap and refrigerate, if possible (if it’s in a lunch box for a few hours, it will be fine). Any leftover peanut butter spread will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 7 days.
VARIATION
Replace the strawberries with thinly sliced apples, bananas, or other fruit.
