Kiddo/Adult Recipe: Baked Zucchini Sticks

Are you ready for the easiest little recipe ever? This is a side dish/snack our whole family loves, but one that Henry especially enjoys thanks to my Mom, who originally introduced it to us!  These baked zucchini sticks take 5-10 minutes to prepare, 25 minutes or so to bake, and one second to eat! But really, Henry scarfs these things down. You can also make a healthy dip to use with them, or eat them on their own.

Here's what you need:

Zucchini
2 egg whites (for a vegan option try using non-dairy milk to bread)
Panko bread crumbs (here are the kind we use - click through to see their GF options also)



Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350. Peel the zucchini and cut into small strips, about the size of a french fry. You can make them thinner to get more of a crispy strip, or thicker for a juicier one.



2. Dip each slice into egg white, then cover with bread crumbs. If you're feeling adventurous, feel free to add some spice to the bread crumbs too!



3. Place the strips on a baking sheet (I prefer to use parchment paper for easy clean up) and bake for about 25 minutes at 350. Your cooking time may vary, but just look for the edges of the strips to get slightly brown and crispy looking.



4. Enjoy!

 
See more of my Kiddo/Adult meal and snack ideas here.

Kiddo/Adult Recipe: Veggie Baked Ziti

This week I'm sharing with you a "Hawthorne girl" tradition- a dish that is always present during holidays and the dish that stands for the vegetarian substitute for Hank on any given Sunday at my Mom's. "Oh, we're having steak? Don't worry, we have a ziti in the oven."

Over the past eight years I've inched away from being vegan, Hank has remained vegetarian, and my Mom and sister have gone that route also, with all of them dabbling in long stints of veganism. So these days it's really just my Dad, brother-in-law, Grandma and myself who will eat any meat during dinner. Because of that my Mom always has a meat-free item available, and many times you can count on it being some variation of ziti. Luckily Henry loves it too, so it's been a quick all-in-one dinner idea for us that doesn't take long to prepare at all.

The best part about this dish is that it is completely open for interpretation, much like my quiche recipe- and it's VERY easy to make...and easy to hide veggies in it too, for your picky eaters. 

What you'll need:

*I don't really use exact measurements when I cook a recipe from memory so hopefully this still makes sense.

1 box/bag of penne pasta
1 jar of tomato sauce
2 lb. container of ricotta cheese
mozzarella cheese
veggies of your choice - I used frozen spinach, peppers, and broccoli
oregano/basil for seasoning



Directions:

1. Preheat your over to 350. Boil your pasta in a large pot. While your pasta is cooking, spread a thin layer of ricotta cheese on the bottom of your ziti tray or pan. Add a nice dollop of tomato sauce on top and mix it up a little. This will be your bottom layer.



2. Cut up all veggies. You can add them to your ziti raw like we did, or sautee them beforehand with some olive oil. I prefer a little crunch so I just throw them in there raw. You can also add frozen veggies straight into the ziti, like I did with the frozen spinach.



3. Get your pasta off the stove, drain, and get ready to LAYER!




4. There isn't a wrong way to do this, as long as you make sure to have a bottom ricotta/sauce layer and at least two layers of noodles. First add a layer of noodles on top of the bottom cheese/sauce layer. Then add some more sauce, top with some veggies, and then some mozzarella cheese. Then add more noodles, some ricotta cheese and tomato sauce, more veggies, and mozzarella cheese again. If you have room and want to go for a third layer, do it! The more layers, the more delicious it is, but just be sure to end with a layer of mozzarella and sprinkle some basil and oregano on top.



5. Pop your layered beauty into the oven and cook for about 45 minutes at 350 degree, or until you see the insides beginning to bubble up. I love the cheese on the top to get a little brown, but if you're not into that sort of thing feel free to cover with tin foil for the first 30 minutes and remove it towards the end.



6. Enjoy! And on a side note, this ziti tastes even better heated up the next day! We actually make a big tray sometimes and enjoy it throughout the week.

Recipe: Apricot Coconut Almond Bars

I saw this recipe in my my favorite magazine, Whole Living, and knew I had to try it. I've been trying to make 1-2 new recipes every week to add to my arsenal of kiddo/adult friendly fare (see last week's quiche here), and I loved the idea of making my own bars. I also love the idea of having something somewhat healthy yet still sweet to grab rather than a processed granola bar or cereal bar for Henry.

If you end up making these, let me know what you think. I just enjoyed a square with a cup of tea and it was delicious!




You'll need:

1 1/2 cups dried apricots
1/2 cup raw almonds (I used ones that were pre-sliced)
2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Coarse salt
1/2 oz dark chocolate, melted (this is optional- if I did it again I would omit the chocolate)
parchment paper
9-by-5-inch loaf pan

Directions:

1. Pulse apricots, almonds, coconut, and a pinch of salt in a food processor until finely ground.







2. Line your loaf pan with parchment, leaving an inch overhand on all sides. Transfer mix to pan and press firmly to form a rectangle.




3. Drizzle with chocolate and sprinkle with some coconut. Use parchment overhang to remove from pan.




4. Transfer to the refrigerator and leave until firm, about 15 minutes or so. Slice into 6 bars, and then into 12 square pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.





Per serving (1 square): 88 cals; 4g fat (1g sat fat); 0 mg chol, 12g carbs; 28 mg sodium; 2g protein; 2g fiber.

Enjoy!

Kiddo/Adult Meal Idea: Broccoli & Cheese Quiche!

I get a lot of requests on Instagram to share some of the food I give to Henry, so I thought it would be fun to post recipes of all of my favorite kiddo/adult friendly fare. Henry is luckily a great eater and will try most anything, although he does LOVE to utilize a strong "no" even for his most favorite foods if the mood strikes. However the recipes I'll be sharing have been pretty successful in our house, with either Henry and me, or with the whole family! Hank is vegetarian and doesn't eat eggs (so no quiche for him), but the recipe I'm sharing next week is veg-friendly.

I love, love, love quiche and one of the best parts about it is that the ingredients are totally up for interpretation. Most veggies work wonderfully- imagine doing a Gouda and asparagus version? Yum. You can also add in meat - sliced ham, turkey, sausage- or even vegetarian meat like Boca crumbles or sausage. And for your picky eating kiddos, quiches are PERFECT for hiding all those "gross" veggies they might otherwise refuse, and also using up any and all extra produce in the fridge!

I previously posted this recipe, but my method has changed a bit so I thought I would update it, and share it with newer readers too. Enjoy!



Here's what you'll need:

1 pie crust- I prefer spelt!
8 egg whites + 2-3 yolks
raw broccoli
shredded cheese



When I make pie I typically make my own crust, but for this one I got the frozen version from our local health food store's freezer section. I think the nutty taste of the spelt is such a delicious combination with the cheesy egg flavor. The cost was about $5 for two crusts, but you can always go the less-expensive route and make your own, or buy a simple, generic crust.

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 and set out one frozen pie crust.

2) In a large mixing bowl, mix the white of 8 eggs with 2-3 yolks depending on your preference. I used to leave the yolks totally out, but I've come to learn that there are so many great benefits from them in moderation that now I almost always keep some in when cooking.




3) Add in your broccoli. I use raw broccoli and just break off the tops from the tough bottom ends, leaving me with smaller pieces.

4) Add about 1/4 cup of shredded cheese and lightly mix together all ingredients.



5) Pour the mixture into the pie crust. You may have to gently mix it a couple times with a spoon once its in the crust, as the broccoli and cheese may pool on one side.



6) Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Depending on your oven you may have to go a bit longer. You'll be able to tell once the top and crust get a bit golden brown and a fork, when inserted into the middle, comes out clean.

7) Enjoy! Henry and mama approved! ;)



I'll be back next week with a vegetarian friendly, super healthy meal idea the whole family can enjoy. Bon appétit!