Breakfast Tacos - For Dinner!

My 13-year old son, Jake, said something very poignant to me the other day: "I think it's great that no matter what, we always manage to sit down at a table and eat dinner together." Eating as a family has always been important to me, and it was so nice to hear that it means something to my teenage son too. We've heard about the countless benefits of sharing meal times together, including modeling good eating habits for kids, teaching manners and conversation etiquette, and just generally affording the time to talk and share the day's adventures. But from a practical standpoint, it can be challenging to get a home-cooked meal on the table every night.

One of my favorite approaches to the quick and easy weeknight meal is breakfast for dinner. My kids see it as a treat, since it's kinda breaking the rules. This Breakfast Taco recipe has become a favorite. The DIY aspect is fun, means less work for you, and is great for picky eater households.

Easy Being Green Dip

I'm a big fan of dark leafy greens. I know it's not just me and Popeye, but these veggies are kinda notorious for being difficult to get down the hatch of picky eaters. This dip, which I think is best described as a cross between Spinach Artichoke Dip and French Onion Dip, is capable of converting even the biggest skeptics (whether of the grown-up or pint-sized variety!). And unlike those dips, it uses greek-style yogurt instead of relying on the traditional mayonnaise or sour cream. Greek-style yogurt is creamier than regular plain yogurt and has twice the protein! In the video below, you'll see we use kale as the green, but you can use swiss chard or even spinach.

Sweet Potato Smoked Gouda Mac n' Cheese

Photo by Daniel Stranahan

Mac n' cheese is at the top of my comfort foods list. But let's face it, it's generally not the healthiest dinner choice. In this version, we use whole wheat pasta to up the nutritional value.  Sweet potatoes add more dietary fiber as well as a bunch of other vitamins and minerals (vitamins A, C and B-6, and potassium, to name a few). This super veggie has been said to be the healthiest one out there!

The smokiness of the gouda balances the sweet potatoes nicely and makes you wonder whether there's some bacon lurking around somewhere. And the whole wheat breadcrumb sage topping? Well, it's on top - and over the top.

Pumpkin Brownies

Pumpkins are not just for carving.  Okay, maybe the big ones are.  But those cute little pie pumpkins are so fun to cook with - making soups, stews, ravioli, quick breads, and....brownies!

These chocolate-y wonders are packed with pumpkin goodness (there's more pumpkin in them than any other ingredient), whole grain, egg-free and dairy-free (if you use dairy-free chocolate chips). And they're scrumptious!

Putting pureed pumpkin in the brownies is not about "hiding the veggies."  I don't advocate using vegetable purees in desserts as a way to get kids their 5 servings a day.  But since we all like a treat every once in a while, why not make it a healthier one?  In addition to adding vitamins, the pumpkin adds sweetness and moisture to the mixture, requiring less sugar and virtually no added fat.

To make the puree, halve the pumpkin lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and place pumpkin halves cut side down. Roast in a 350º oven until you can easily pierce them with a fork, about 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the pumpkin. Once cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh and puree, thinning with enough water to get an applesauce-like consistency. Feel free to substitute butternut, acorn or other winter squash for the pumpkin.

And don't throw out those seeds! All winter squash seeds make a delicious (and very nutritious) snack. Separate seeds from pulp, toss them in enough olive oil to lightly coat and season to taste with salt. Spread them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast at 350º until nicely browned, about 7-8 minutes.

Photo by Daniel Stranahan

Pumpkin Brownies

Ingredients
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Few pinches salt
1 cup pureed pumpkin (thinned with water, if necessary, to get an applesauce consistency)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips*

*Go for vegan ones if you want dairy-free brownies. We get ours at Whole Foods. Avoid carob chips for this recipe. They just don't have the same flavor or meltability.

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350º. Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk well. Add pureed pumpkin and vanilla. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined. The mixture will seem dry, but just keep stirring and it will come together as a spoonable (not pourable) batter. Fold in chocolate chips.

Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish, using a spatula to spread it out evenly and into the corners. Bake until set, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Makes 16 brownies

What kids can do (with appropriate tools and adult supervision)

*Scoop seeds and pulp out of raw pumpkin

*Scoop flesh out of pumpkin skins once roasted (and cooled)

*Measure out ingredients (making sure to level dry ingredients)

*Whisk and stir

*Spread batter evenly into pan

Veggie Chili

Photo by Daniel Stranahan

Nothing says fall like chili – and you’ll be hard pressed to find a chili that says it better than this one. With red kidney and black beans, sweet potatoes, and corn, it’s a protein and vitamin rich one-pot meal. We made this for dinner a few weeks ago, inspired by stories of the chili competition that my son, Jake, had just participated in on his 7th grade class canoe trip. Corn played a prominent role in his team’s submission, which took a very respectable second place. At our Sunday dinner, the chili got rave reviews from all adults and three of the four kids. The one dissenting vote was from my younger son, Aleks. But since no more than a molecule of it passed his lips, I’m not sure that his vote counts. (As a recovering picky eater, he still shies away from “combined foods.”) He did ask to taste the raw green pepper as I was cutting it up and liked it. I’ll call that a victory!

To see the recipe, check out our guest post on Psychobaby's Blog - and be sure to check out the cool, crazy kids'  stuff offered by this Chicago-based store. Enjoy!

Rainbow Rice & Bean Salad

Fall is here, school has begun, and for many of us, that means packing lunches. Even if you don't pack lunches, you'll still love to have this recipe in your back pocket for weekends or those soccer practice/piano lesson evenings when you're eating on the go and wishing you could clone yourself, or at least hire a driver.

I made the first version of this recipe quite a few years back as a salsa, without the brown rice, olive oil or cumin.  My older son, Jake (now just shy of 13), loved it so much that we named it "Jake's Famous Dip." We routinely enjoyed it as a snack with tortilla chips or a topping for breakfast tacos. We started using it at Kids' Table, changing the name to a more descriptive "Rainbow Salsa."

Looking to turn the dish into a complete protein, I added brown rice, and upped the dressing ingredients a bit to compensate. This is now Jake's number one lunch pick, and frankly, one of mine as well.  If you can hit the farmers market for the corn, pepper, onion and even dried beans, all the better. Enjoy!

Photo by Daniel Stranahan

Rainbow Rice & Bean Salad

Ingredients
1 large corn cob (or 1 cup frozen corn, thawed)
1 1/2 cups cooked* (and cooled) brown rice
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans or 1 14.5 oz can, drained and rinsed**
1 large red bell pepper, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1 large avocado, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
Juice from 1 large lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

*Cook rice in water according to package directions, omitting any salt.
**Soak about 3/4 cup dried beans overnight, then drain and rinse. Simmer beans for 45 minutes, or until tender. I just started using dried beans, and only do so about 20% of the time. Baby steps...

Directions
Bring a pot of water to boil. Break corn cob in half. Cook corn in boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove from pot to cool. Once cool enough to handle, cut kernels off cob.

In a large bowl, combine corn, brown rice, beans, red pepper, avocado and onion. Toss gently to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, cumin and salt. Pour dressing over salad, tossing gently to coat. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy!

Makes 6 servings

What kids can do (with appropriate tools and adult supervision)
*Husk corn
*Drain and rinse beans (beware of sharp edges on the can)
*Chop veggies (wavy choppers are our favorite tool; you may want to cut the veggies into 1/4 inch slices and then let kids cube them)
*Juice lime
*Measure out dressing ingredients and whisk
*Stir salad

Baked Spaghetti with Garden Vegetable Marinara

How much do I love this dish? Let me count the ways....

For starters, the sauce incorporates a plethora of summer veggies - perfect for taking advantage of summer farmers' markets and the whole eating a rainbow concept.  

And since the sauce is blended, it's a great way to include some otherwise intimidating vegetables (like zucchini, mushrooms and green pepper) in a picky eater's diet. Not that I'm a fan of hiding the veggies. I'm not. A dish like this can get veggies into little bellies, but more importantly, it can be a gateway to a more adventurous palate. It's not just about getting kids to eat their veggies, it's about getting kids to like (or even love!) eating their veggies. We made this dish in Kids' Table classes not long ago, and the kids knew very well what was going into the sauce - they chopped up all the ingredients. The vast majority of kids loved the end result. So the next time they come across zucchini, mushrooms or green pepper, maybe those veggies won't seem so scary.

This dish also gets big points for its versatility and time-saving potential. It can be assembled in advance, stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days and baked when you need it. You can also make a double batch of sauce and freeze half for another time.  I've used the Garden Vegetable Marinara as pizza sauce, and my mouth waters at the thought of baking it with goat cheese and serving with crostini.

Last, but certainly not least, it's delicious!

Photo by Daniel Stranahan

Baked Spaghetti with Garden Vegetable Marinara

Ingredients
1-2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow squash or zucchini, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
8 crimini mushrooms (or 1 large portobello), chopped into 1/2 cubes
3 roma tomatoes, chopped into 1/2 cubes
1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes (with juices)
2 T tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
10 large basil leaves
1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
12 oz mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 oz grated parmesan

Directions
To make sauce, heat oil in a pot over medium heat.  Sauté onion, pepper, carrot and garlic for 5 minutes. Add squash and mushrooms and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add fresh and canned tomatoes (breaking up whole tomatoes with your fingers or a wooden spoon), tomato paste, oregano and salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Coarsely tear basil leaves. Remove sauce from heat and stir in basil. Let sauce cool a bit and puree in pot with an immersion blender or transfer to blender to puree. Season sauce to taste with additional salt, if necessary.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add 4 cups sauce and stir well.  Add up to another cup of sauce if you'd like. The pasta will absorb some sauce while it bakes (particularly if you plan on refrigerating it and baking later), so err on the saucier side. Stir in cubed mozzarella. Transfer mixture to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with grated parmesan. At this point, you can cover and refrigerate for later baking. If baking immediately, bake for about 10 minutes, until mozzarella is melted and the top is browning. If baking later, remove from fridge while oven preheats. Bake covered for 30 minutes, uncover and bake another 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Makes 8-10 servings

Photo by Daniel Stranahan

What kids can do (with appropriate tools & adult supervision)

*Chop vegetables (At Kids' Table, we use wavy choppers to minimize the risk of injury. Whether using choppers or knives, make sure vegetables have a flat and stable surface. Halve onions, carrots, squash and pepper and have your child to work with the cut side down. If you are working with a wavy chopper, you might want to cut pepper and tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices and have your child cube them. The skins can be hard to get through with a chopper, so it's easier to position the skins on the side, instead of on the top or bottom.)

*Break apart canned tomatoes with their fingers (a little messy, but fun!)

*Measure out tomato paste, oregano and salt

*Remove basil leaves from stem and tear

*Cube mozzarella and grate parmesan

*Stir and taste