Minty Asparagus Quinoa Salad

Thanks to the dozens of kids who cooked with us at the Club Sprouts tent at Green City Market's opening day on May 3. Our recipe featured spring stars like purple asparagus and ramps from Mick Klug, lime mint from Growing Power and Nordic Creamery's parmesan. We love local!

The Minty Asparagus Quinoa Salad was a hit among kids and parents alike. Feel free to go off script and swap out asparagus for sugar snaps, fava beans, english peas or edamame. And when ramps aren't around anymore, you can use scallions or red onions. We love how well raw asparagus works in this dish, but you can also roast it for a different flavor.

Spinach Apple Cheddar Wraps

We took our culinary show on the road this week and cooked up an Earth Day treat with our friends at Sod Room! Tots and kids chopped and rolled their way to this delicious Spinach Apple Cheddar Wrap, featuring local ingredients provided by Irv & Shelly's Fresh Picks. As all good chefs do, the kiddos sampled ingredients as we went, and we loved seeing the kids go in for seconds of the raw spinach!

Edamame Hummus

Photo by Heather Miller

This is a nice spring-y twist on traditional hummus. In addition to using edamame instead of chickpeas, this recipe uses Greek-style yogurt instead of tahini paste - perfect if sesame seed allergies are a concern. If you are looking to avoid dairy, I bet a few tablespoons of full fat coconut milk would be a nice substitute for the yogurt. I have yet to try it, but would love to hear about it if you do!

Served with whole wheat pitas, pita chips and/or veggie sticks, this Edamame Hummus makes a scrumptious snack. You can also make a meal of it.

Crispy Tofu Fried Rice

Photo by Jacob Marre

Our idea of true culinary skill is being able to make a delicious meal out of whatever you happen to find in your fridge. Cooking shows are based around that concept, after all. And while most of us aren't exactly on the celebrity chef track, being able to cook this way can save you time, money and most importantly, sanity.

A dish like fried rice is the perfect platform for the work-with-whatcha-got style of cooking. It came into being as the Chinese way of repurposing leftovers. Once you master the ratio of rice to protein and veggies to sauce, you can mold and shape this dish to suit your tastes or whatever tid bits you have on hand.

Coconut Tapioca Pudding (pssst it's vegan!)

Photo by Jacob Marre

This is definitely an "I can't believe it's vegan" kinda recipe. Kids' Table is vegetarian, but not vegan. And I'm not personally vegan. Though I am testing the waters. It's not that long ago that the thought of going a day without cheese would have made me break into a cold sweat. In recent years, I've become less and less of a dairy fan, both for personal health reasons and on principle.

About 5 or 6 years ago I discovered that my younger son, Aleks, had a dairy allergy. No vomiting, no hives, no serious respiratory distress. Just lots of congestion (which the pediatrician blamed on seasonal allergies), and very rosy cheeks.

For the Love of Tahini

I recently rekindled my love of tahini paste. Made from ground sesame seeds, tahini is rich in complex B vitamins, minerals (particularly, calcium and magnesium), essential fatty acids, and even packs some protein. Yes, it is high in fat, but the good kind! And it's fat content satisfies the "creaminess" craving that I frequently look to dairy for.

Use this tahini dressing on salads, in wraps or as a sandwich spread. And when I say salads, I don't just mean the standard tossed variety. Try it on a grain-based salad or even on sautéed (and cooled) greens topped with toasted sesame seeds for a spin on Gomae.

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.