Black Bean and Spinach Enchilada Bake

It has been very cold here for the past few days and I've been thinking a lot about warm and cozy comfort food. On cold, dark evenings there is something about undeniably comforting about sitting down to a steamy, cheesy mess of a casserole straight out of the oven.

Maple-Glazed Carrots

This week we are going to share a few of our favorite veggie sides for the holiday festivities. While the center piece of the meals are general protein, turkey, ham, prime-rib, etc. that doesn't have to be the only delicious part of your meal. Couple that with a few delicious veggie sides and you are going to have one delicious Holiday meal.

My husband and I grew a massive garden this summer, great in theory but then we had to cook all those veggies! I had veggies up the wazoo and had to get really creative with cooking them all. I had more carrots then I knew what to do with! After trying about every way to cook carrots these really became one of our favorites. There carrots are full of flavor, easy to prepare, and fast. They are a perfect side to any holiday meal or any meal for that matter. But the maple in them really gives them a great holiday flare. They are adapted from this recipe from Saveur.

Butternut Pecan Pancakes

One of our most popular recipes this year has been our fun and kid-friendly green "monstah" pancakes. I've done a fall/winter remodel of this fabulous and nutrient-dense pancake to include a wonderful helping of butternut squash roasted in a touch of coconut oil and some delicious fall spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. You can roast up a sweet potato the same way or even use canned pumpkin. These pancakes use the same base as the "monstah" pancakes (quinoa, almond milk, and rolled oats), but this is a flavorful twist that will have everyone clamoring for more. This has been an even bigger hit with our friends and family, and just in time for the holidays.

Why These Kids Love Kale

There are so many books, articles, pieces of advice (both solicited and unsolicited) about how we should feed our kids, when and how much, and what we should feed them. There is no arguing that this is one of the most important ways that parents and families can care for their children and loved ones.

Natalie and I (Collette here!) will be adding articles that we've read, sharing tips and tricks that have both worked well and failed (because we all learn from failures). We will also have guests chime in from time to time to talk about getting infants on the right track, tips for having kiddos around extended family with different eating habits, and tips from family members without kids who do a great job babysitting and helping to feed nutrient-dense meals to our little squirts.

Kids & Veggies: Cooking and Growing

Collette and I (Natalie here) were contemplating when our kids ate the best or happily ate new things without hesitation, it really came down to two scenarios: The Kitchen and The Garden. While we will discuss many topics about kids and veggies here (including how to introduce them, when, how to raise independent eaters, baby foods, and so on), we thought we'd dedicate our first full "Kids and Veggies" post to these two important places.

The Kitchen

Cooking with your kids is an incredible way to expose them to a variety of foods and to help them understand where their prepared meals come from. When they are involved in this process and "help" with food prep, they are more likely to eat what they helped with or had a say in (and what child does not like a say!). My son is much more likely to try a new vegetable when he is involved in the preparation. I always have him try it as we are prepping (he has been know to sneak raw onions or peppers during prep) and then his favorite part is the "tasting." When he has seen it from start to finish and tasted it numerous times before dinner is actually served he will always eat it from his plate. However, I have seen the opposite effect when he is not included. If I cook a new dish or introduce a new food that he has not seen and was not included in, he is much more hesitant at meal time to give it a try. The best part is, if you are getting your kids into the kitchen with you, that means you are in the kitchen. And it is always better for you and your family to be preparing your own wholesome food.

Spinach Pesto Pull-Apart Bread

In July I gave birth to the most adorable little boy that has ever existed (not that I am biased or anything), which meant the 9 months prior to that I was pregnant, and all that comes with it: food aversions, cravings, sicknesses and a lot of other pregnancy symptoms that people don't tell you about. Long story short, pesto was once one of my favorite condiments, and then it went bad in our fridge and made me sick and I didn't look at it again until I was at Costco last month and saw a big jar of their Basil Pesto. I bought it and I have an excuse to put it in everything! Thus, this pull apart bread was born.

Vegetable Pot Pie

In honor of the impending holiday, I thought I'd share one of our fall and winter family favorites: made-from-scratch pot pie. What I love about this recipe is how versatile it is. You can really do just about anything with it, and it is especially awesome for thanksgiving leftovers (think left over turkey, for you omnivores and carnivores), for a holiday lunch, or for a special Sunday night dinner. This is loaded with wonderful, vitamin-rich vegetables, no cream or butter is used to thicken the filling, and is certainty lightened up.

This recipe is a bit more time consuming, about 45-60 minutes plus bake time, but it is so worth it for a special occasion meal. This is full of fall flavors like, thyme, sage, rosemary, and the crust. Oh that crust. It is tender, flaky, salty, buttery, tangy and has a few sneaky tricks (like Greek yogurt).

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

So, here is the deal. Apart from the stores and online social media saying otherwise, it is still very much Fall. At the beginning of August people are pinning and talking about all things Fall when it's still Summer time, then by Thanksgiving people are over all things Autumn and are already onto Winter and Christmas time. Since I am trying to enjoy our current season and I am not letting go of pumpkin quite yet, here is my tribute to this wonderful Fall season.

Back on August 1st, when everyone was going pin-crazy for pumpkin I stumbled across a recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookies (I couldn't remember what blog it came from) and was completely intrigued. I took one look at the recipe, saw the ingredient list and haven't looked back (2 1/2 cups of butter and over 2 cups of sugar? I'll pass on that one). No cookie needs that much fat and sugar to taste good, and I have tons of cookie recipes that I love and not one of them calls for that much butter. I created this fall cookie loosely based on a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe that I have on hand, and one of Robert's oatmeal cookie recipes from his family.

Tomato Orzo Soup

There are loads of tomato orzo soups floating around online, but they all call for quite a bit of cream, butter, milk, and flour to thicken it. My amazing cousin Jill and my Aunt Julie sent me over this recipe and I modified it to fit my family's taste and needs. It is really one of the easiest soups to make and is my go-to meal in the fall because I always have the ingredients on hand. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do; it's a huge hit at our house.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

A few months ago I was at the grocery store and stumbled across a roasted red pepper pasta sauce. It sounded positively delicious and I decided to try and whip it up myself. I was looking for a delicious alternative to the general jarred tomato pasta sauce, but something almost just as easy, requiring only a few more steps than opening a jar and not that many dishes.

Veggies 101 - Roasted Red Peppers

I adore roasted peppers. Like adore them. Maybe it's because I've spent a good deal of my life in the Southwest, but I find the smell of roasting peppers delicious and intoxicating. When peppers are on sale I have a hard time resisting. It is so, so easy to roast up a few while I'm puttering around the kitchen and then squirrel them away in the freezer. I'm consistently amazed at how easy it is to roast peppers, and they freeze terrifically. I like to stock up when peppers are on sale and roast a whole mess at once. It is also a great way to use up the slightly shriveled specimens you find at the back of your fridge that you had every intention of using for whatever dish but never quite got around to making. (Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this!)

Although "roasted peppers" typically means roasted red bell peppers, don't limit yourself! Any kind of pepper can be roasted. Some of my favorite peppers to roast are bell peppers (any color works here!), jalapenos, and Hatch chiles.

So what do you do with them? Roasted peppers can be used just about anywhere you'd use a non-roasted pepper. Roasted hot peppers are great in salsa and chili. I love roasted bell peppers in sauces, pasta salads, and on pizza. Be creative!

Spinach and Mushroom Greek Penne

I was never going to be the mom with picky eaters for kids (you know, the one whose kids order chicken strips at an ethnic restaurant...). That was never going to be me. And yet, here I am with a 12 year old and 9 year old that are PICKY eaters!

I am always on the look out for healthy meals that will incorporate veggies into my growing boys' bodies. I love to cook, but am at a point in my life that during the week if it takes more than a half hour, or I can't throw it in a crock pot before I leave for work, breakfast for dinner it is!
My weeknight recipes have to be picky eater friendly also need to be quick and easy so I can throw a meal together in between homework and all of the boys' activities. And, most importantly, nutritious.  This pasta with a Greek twist (adapted from an Our Best Bites recipe) has become one of my family's favorite weeknight meals and I am sure will become one of yours as well.

Veggie "Sloppy Joes" - Rock Your World Sloppy Joes

First, I have to admit, I've never actually eaten a  "real" sloppy joe. I think my only exposure to them was in the movies (think It Takes Two with the Olsen twins circa 1995, or Billy Madison). I have always loved anything barbeque-esq, but was terrified of unidentifiable substances in my food. So this is my ode to a dish I have never actually had.

I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does. I sometimes need to double this just to keep up with the demand. To say this is a delicious family favorite...is the understatement of 2014. 

Sweet Potato Corn Chowder

 This recipe will rock your soup world. My family loves a good creamy soup but they usually contain gallons of cream and lots of flour for thickening. I created this recipe using only pureed sweet potatoes to thicken it and is completely delicious. It will look like you added loads of processed cheese product like many chowder recipes call for, but 'oh my delicious' its just veggies! When I first made this my family said "This is amazing, what is in this? It looks and tastes like a cheesy soup, but knowing you, that is probably the furthest thing from the case." This sweet potato base is now my go to for any cream or cheese based soups. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Butternut squash. I have a slight obsession. A few years ago my husband and I went out to Boston to visit Collette, and we had butternut squash at close to every meal. My sister has a husband who doesn't necessarily love vegetables, so she has gotten pretty clever at how to disguise vegetables into things like Macaroni and Cheese! While we were there she made us Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese and I loved it. The pureed squash adds a depth of flavor to the classic dish, but also makes the dish extra creamy without adding whole milk or extra cheese (but you could if you wanted to).

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Ahh Fall is here. What isn't there to love about fall? Beautiful colors, warm days but cool nights, sweaters, football, soups & stews, apples, and pumpkins. Pumpkins galore. I feel like its a pumpkin recipe frenzy sometimes but that gets a thumbs up by me. I think people forget that pumpkin is actually a veggie. I love throwing it in cinnamon rolls, pies, waffles, pancakes, and soups because its a little extra veggie power ( at least I will tell myself that when I eat another piece of pumpkin pie) But what I feel like happens is everyone goes and grabs the canned goop of last years pumpkins from the grocery store.

Butternut Squash Curry

Starting in about mid July, you will quickly see if you even take a glance at Pinterest, that Fall is just about everyone and their mom's favorite season. Pumpkin. Changing leaves. Sweaters.Boots. Yes, we have heard a million and one reasons why Fall is the best time of the year. I enjoy fall, but I am not oddly obsessed with it. I do, however enjoy Fall harvest vegetables, especially butternut squash. Hands down my favorite squash on planet earth. I have a few butternut squash recipes for you, but today I am starting out with Butternut Squash Curry, because who doesn't love a good curry?

Free Spirit Navajo Tacos ( Indian Fry Bread with Veggie toppings)

 Navajo Tacos are delicious. Really, nothing beats ditching the tortilla and piling your favorite taco toppings on a nice piece of warm Indian fry read.The best part is they aren't deep fried and you can pile them with loads of veggies! I have created a delicious taco filling that is loaded with veggies and is easy on the pocket book ( and your heart) by eliminating pricey beef.

I put zucchini in a cookie...and I liked it.

I put zucchini in a cookie...and I liked it. Better yet, no one knew! Let me first say, I don't think you should need to hide all things remotely healthful to get picky folks (kids, friends, spouses, whomever is picky in your life) to enjoy them. I do however like to use greens as a tool to lighten things up, add fiber, and cut down on unhealthy fats (especially in baking).

Honey Mustard Chicken

My mom would make honey mustard chicken all the time growing up and now I see why. It is tasty, easy, and everyone loves it! It is a great recipe to use everything in your pantry without lots of ingredients or steps. This is my "go to" meal when I didn't have anything planned because I always have the ingredients. I know people that don't like mustard or curry but don't let this turn you away! Trust me when I say it is very sweet, not mustardy and the curry is not heavy or overpowering.

Zucchini "Risotto" or Creamy Zucchini Rice

I love Risotto, it is a super creamy rice dish but the catch is there is no cream! The starch in the rice breaks down and creates a "creamy" consistence. The typical Risotto uses Arborio rice, but I typical don't have that rice as a staple in my pantry and I loath having to run to the grocery store for one random ingredient this dish was born using plain boring long grain white rice. It is creamy delish and loaded with veggies. Its an amazing side dish.

Green "Monstah" Pancakes

My nearly two-year-old goober loves pancakes. He would eat them for every meal, every day. Really, as long as there is pure maple syrup (yes, my two-year old is a syrup snob) close by, he would.

I set out to make a pancake that I could feed this little man whenever he gets that "must have pancakes" kind of craving that would not be a sugary, carb-loaded treat, and would give him a nice jolt of whole grain (minimally processed), with greens, and nice hit of protein, and (if that were not enough), something my husband would eat and maybe even be excited about. I love them too. So win-win-win.

Enter...the "Green Monstah" (I'm from Boston...just go with it).

Sweet Potato Muffins - 2 ways

 I love myself a good muffin but they are usually just a disguised cupcake for breakfast. While they are delicious, muffins have a lot of sugar, especially since my husbands favorite muffins are double chocolate chip. :) I found this recipe and fell in love. Absolutely zero white sugar and a veggie! Also this recipe has an option for gluten-free and dairy-free if that is something your family needs. Now don't let that scare you off! They are truly delicious, just enjoy eating a delicious muffin with an added bonus of knowing they are good for you!

Winner Winner, Veggie Dinner

 

My mom was always a healthy eater and cook, so I grew up with delicious tasting vegetables. 6 out of the 6 kids are 0% picky, pretty good odds. I didn't really understand picky eating until I was nanny I realized that some kids just won't eat things and how limited their palate is to basically carbs, meat, and dairy. Then when I went to college I was surprised to realize that not very many people even liked vegetables or knew how to cook them. When my husband and I were dating I made him dinner and he had no idea what asparagus was and was surprised how delicious it was. I would like to self proclaim myself as his vegetable guru. He was introduced to a whole slew of veggies the he used to not like or eat.Vegetables are now always a part of our meals and everyday eating. We both were students full time and then we both worked full time and so I found ways to incorporate vegetables fast and easy into any meal.

 

Then comes in the little man. I feel like having him in our home and realizing that we controlled everything he ate and what food he was introduced to really picked up the notch on the veggie scale. He hated baby food from the beginning and would not touch a baby cereal for the life of him.

This literally was his face when we tried to get him to eat anything "baby" food and then he would weep

He would only eat what we ate. Which means if I wanted wholesome food for the baby then that was what was on our plate. Vegetables really became a part of every meal. We still eat "normal" per say - I make meat, pizzas, enchiladas, soups, etc. they are all just picked up a notch with a little added love =veggies.  Take a look around and found something that meets your families taste buds and give something new a try! Look for some tips on getting your family feeling and eating better and ways to get those kids introduced to Veggies.

For the love of...

So we have 6 girls in our family. All of us love vegetables. And I do mean LOVE. Not just tolerate. I think a day does not pass without some sort of text, conversation, or email chain with a  recipe modified to include more of this plant medicine. That's a pretty good win for my parents. For those of us with spouses and children, that's a slightly different story. My husband loathes most vegetables and when I met him had not consumed a single fruit (that was not in a Jamba Juice or in ice cream) for about 5 years. Major yikes factor. I think he had just enough OJ to keep him from being "that guy that made scurvy come back."

C'est moi. Illustrating my love of veg.

In any case, over the course of the 7ish years we've been married, Its become a slight obsession for me to make things that were "Collette-level" on the heath spectrum but "spouse approved for taste." No small feat for a man who has texture issues, is a self-diagnosed "super taster" (read as: can't tolerate cilantro...WHA????), and has had limited veg exposure. Side bar, I am a vegetarian (and we sister run a pretty wide range of semi-vegan, super strict, and flexitarian), so we will for sure have an entire blog post about plant-based protein-rich foods.

Then enter little D man (almost 2 now) into the picture. It was very important to me to get the best possible, nutrient-dense foods into this goober, and have him love them, and have a great example from both of his parents. BOTH of his parents. :)

Little D man eating my homemade garlic hummus with raw zucchini, snap peas, and baby portabellos. 

My posts will focus on the Collette tested, spouse and baby approved recipes that have become favorites. Spoiler alert, you can have veggies in pancakes, in cookies, and in yogurt!

Check back often for posts/new recipes from all of us contributing sistas. We will keep your palate engaged, your kids, spouses, friends, and family trying new things. Here are some more spoiler alerts for future posts. Now go veg out.

The importance of cooking with those kiddos...

Sweet potato kale "Pesto" za. 

High protein, veg-filled, flax "pancakes"

 Szechuan lo mein overloaded with veg...you're welcome in advance. 

Everyday Veggies

Vegetables. Most people have such a love hate relationship with this food group. We know it is good for us, we know we need them but a lot of times we have a hard time getting them on our plate, getting our families to eat them, and having them be a part of our everyday food.

All of us want our families to eat well, but some can't seem to get out of the "cream of soup casserole" meals that we all grew up with. Or we feel a little intimidated by the unheard of ingredients, long cooking times, or "out of our comfort zone" recipes that are out there...that all seemed to be geared toward some new age hip eating style. Veggies can be delicious, you can get your kids to eat them, and they can be a part of every meal without hassle. 

Simple, easy, delicious, and veggie-tastic meals. That is what we do.

*** Disclaimer we are real people. Pictures will most likely going to be taken quickly on a phone while we are prepping our real meal for our family or friends. Photos will not be staged, edited, or professional. You may even see a few little finger or toe photo bombs while kiddos cook with some of us daily.