What are your favorite childhood memories? Chances are, they involve food—whether shopping with your parents, enjoying family meals on special occasions or proudly helping your parents to cook and bake in the kitchen. Why not pass the tradition down to your little ones?
Let your kids help you choose which of these recipes to make. Go shopping for fresh ingredients together. Once you’re working together in the kitchen, praise your child for their efforts to help foster a love of cooking.
Pistachio Mousse-Tachios
SERVES 8
These individual chocolate mousses in Mason jars are decorated with pistachio cream “mustaches.” If they don’t end up looking like mustaches, don’t worry! These healthy treats will still be delicious. Just think of it as abstract art. You can also layer the mousse and cream in Mason jars before decorating with mustaches.
Chocolate Mousse
1 1/2 very ripe avocados
1/2 cup (125 mL) cocoa powder
2 Tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice
6 Tbsp (90 mL) honey
1 tsp (5 mL) low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 Tbsp (15 mL) vanilla extract
1 tsp (5 mL) balsamic vinegar
1 cup (250 mL) Greek yogurt
Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth in blender, scraping down sides as needed (with motor off). Or blend using immersion blender in medium bowl. If avocados are very ripe, you can also mash by hand using potato masher or fork, but mousse won’t be as smooth.
Divide among 6 – 1/2 cup (125 mL) Mason jars, ramekins or small bowls. Chill them in refrigerator while you make pistachio cream.
Pistachio Cream
1/4 cup (60 mL) unsalted, shelled pistachios
1/4 ripe avocado
2 tsp (10 mL) honey
Pinch of salt
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) lemon juice
1/4 cup (60 mL) Greek yogurt
Soak pistachios for at least 30 minutes in cold water. Drain and transfer to blender or food processor. Remove pit from avocado and scrape out flesh. Add to blender along with honey, salt, lemon juice and yogurt. Blend until combined, scraping down sides as necessary (with motor off).
To assemble, scrape pistachio cream into pastry bag with round tip. Squeeze cream toward one of the bag’s corners. Squeeze (pipe) cream out in the shape of a mustache on top of each serving of chocolate mousse.
Alternatively, just freestyle your design using a butter knife to “draw” on the mousse with the pistachio cream. You’ll have some pistachio cream left over, so you can be even more artistic.
Each serving contains: 250 calories; 6 g protein; 13 g total fat (3 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 34 g total carbohydrates (24 g sugars, 7 g fiber); 95 mg sodium
Mile-High Chicken Burrito
SERVES 6
In addition to the ingredients here, consider fresh guacamole, salsa and spinach for optional toppings. That’s the beauty of burritos—the sky’s the limit for how many healthy ingredients you and your kids can stack on them!
1 cup (250 mL) brown rice
1 1/2 cups (350 mL) low-sodium vegetable stock
3/4 cup (180 mL) water
1 1/2 Tbsp (22 mL) paprika, divided
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dry mustard
1/2 tsp (2 mL) chili powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) garlic powder
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 – 7 in (18 cm) whole wheat tortillas
3/4 cup (180 mL) grated low-sodium Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup (250 mL) grated or finely chopped purple cabbage (optional)
1 1/2 cups (350 mL) cooked or canned no-salt black beans, drained and rinsed
For rice, combine rice, stock, water and 1 Tbsp (15 mL) paprika in medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir, cover and reduce heat to low for 40 minutes. Remove from heat but keep covered until ready to serve.
For chicken, preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Combine spices (including remaining paprika) in small bowl to make chicken rub. Coat each chicken breast with 1/4 of the rub. Place in baking dish or on wire rack, which will allow excess chicken fat to collect in the dish below. Bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway through if not on rack, or until chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165 F (74 C) and juices run clear. Transfer to plate and let cool for at least 5 minutes, then shred chicken with two forks by tearing chicken lengthwise. Cover and reserve until ready to serve.
When chicken comes out of oven, lower heat to 250 F (120 C). Wrap tortillas in damp dishtowel, place in casserole dish and warm in oven for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and leave in oven until ready to serve.
Grate cheese onto small plate. Grate cabbage, if using, onto another small plate.
Heat black beans with 2 Tbsp (30 mL) water in small pot. Transfer to serving bowl. Arrange with other burrito fillings on table.
Place small amounts of fillings in any order on warm tortilla. Fold bottom edge over fillings, followed by folding in the 2 sides. Finish by optionally rolling the whole burrito away from you to close the top (if the burrito’s not already overflowing!). Don’t forget napkins.
Each serving contains: 507 calories; 48 g protein; 12 g total fat (4 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 52 g total carbohydrates (0 g sugars, 7 g fiber); 476 mg sodium
Healthy Berry Pancakes
SERVES 6
What kid doesn’t love pancake breakfast—or pancakes for dinner? This recipe makes crêpe-like pancakes. To make fluffy pancakes instead, add 1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder to the dry ingredients and form 4 smaller pancakes per batch. You can also replace the milk with plain, unsweetened yogurt or almond milk.
1 cup (250 mL) whole wheat flour
1 overripe banana, mashed
2 eggs
1 cup (250 mL) milk
3/4 cup (180 mL) fresh or frozen strawberries, raspberries or blueberries, chopped or crushed
1 tsp (5 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
Maple syrup, to serve
Measure flour into large bowl. In medium bowl, mash banana well and whisk in eggs and milk. Pour wet ingredients into flour and whisk until just combined. Gently stir in berries.
Grease 8 in (20 cm) skillet with oil and heat over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup (60 mL) batter to pan and swirl to coat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until crêpe releases from bottom of pan. It should not be golden like a pancake. Flip and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with maple syrup.
Each serving contains: 166 calories; 7 g protein; 4 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 29 g total carbohydrates (13 g sugars, 3 g fiber); 45 mg sodium
