Recipes

Possible Creative Kid-Friendly Recipes

Gobble Me Up

Need a snack to tide the kids over until the big Thanksgiving feast? Here's a healthy option they

can have fun making themselves.

What you'll need

Apple

Clementine or navel orange

Pear

Dried apricot

Peanut butter or cream cheese

Mini chocolate chips

Nut (we used a cashew)

Dried cranberry

How to make it:

Arrange apple and clementine or navel orange slices on a plate as shown, and lay a cored pear

half on top.

Use scissors to halve a dried apricot, then snip small triangles from each half and tuck them

under the pear to form the feet.

Finally, use peanut butter or softened cream cheese to attach mini chocolate chip eyes, a nut

beak, and a dried cranberry snood.

http://spoonful.com/recipes/gobble-me

Falafel

These spicy chickpea fritters are finger-friendly, and the yogurt dipping sauce makes them fun to

eat. The Middle Eastern treats are delicious warm from the pan, but they can also be served in

pita bread with lettuce and tomato for a wholesome lunch box sandwich

What you'll need:

1 cup dried chickpeas

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup fresh curly parsley, stems removed, tightly packed

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Pinch of cayenne

Vegetable oil for frying

YOGURT DIPPING SAUCE:

6-ounce container of plain yogurt

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh curly parsley

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

How to make it:

Rinse the chickpeas, then soak them in a medium-size bowl in several inches of water overnight

in the refrigerator. (we've found the patties won't hold together as well if you use canned

chickpeas.)

To make the sauce, whisk together the yogurt and water in a small bowl. Add the remaining

ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. Makes 1 cup.

Drain the soaked chickpeas and place them in a food processor. Add all the remaining

ingredients and blend, scraping the sides if necessary, until the mixture is creamy, about 1 minute

total.

Heat an inch of oil in a large, heavy frying pan to 375 degrees (a spoonful of the mixture should

sizzle as soon as it's immersed). Scoop up a heaping dinner tablespoon of the falafel mixture and

gently place it in the heated oil. Place 4 or 5 more spoonfuls in the pan. Fry the patties until

they're thoroughly brown on one side, about 2 to 3 minutes, then flip them to brown the other

side.

Drain the patties on a plate covered with a paper towel and sprinkle with additional salt, if

desired. Serve with yogurt dipping sauce. Makes 16 to 20 patties.

http://spoonful.com/recipes/falafel

Indonesian Beef Satay With Peanut Sauce

Satay is an excellent dish for introducing kids to the flavors of the East. These skewers of grilled

marinated beef and the spicy-sweet peanut dipping sauce have kid appeal from every angle.

Slices of cucumber -- also delicious dunked in the peanut sauce -- and jasmine rice complete the

meal.

What you'll need:

SATAY:

1 pound skirt or flank steak, trimmed

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

16 (9-inch) bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

PEANUT SAUCE:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/4 cup minced shallots

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 teaspoon Thai red curry paste (we used Thai Kitchen brand)

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

2/3 cup water

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

How to make it:

To make the satay: If using skirt steak, cut the meat crosswise into 4 pieces, each about 4 inches long. Slice each piece across the grain into 4 strips 1 inch wide. Lightly pound the strips to flatten them. If using flank steak, halve the meat lengthwise, then thinly slice it across the grain into 30 to 40 1/4-inch strips. (Tip: Partially freezing the meat for 45 minutes makes it easier to slice).

Whisk the lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, dark brown sugar, garlic, curry powder, and crushed red pepper in a medium bowl. Add the steak and toss gently. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Prepare your grill or heat a grill pan to medium-high. Lightly oil the grates or pan.

Thread 1 piece of skirt steak, or 2 to 3 pieces of flank steak, onto the skewers, stretching each piece taut to maximize contact with the grill.

Grill the skewers until the steak is seared and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Serve with the Peanut Sauce. Serves 4. SAFETY NOTE: If you plan to eat right off the skewer, be sure to use bamboo (not metal) to avoid burns.

To make the peanut sauce: Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the shallots, garlic, and Thai red curry paste and sauté over medium-low heat until the shallots and garlic are just tender and fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the peanut butter, hoisin sauce, dark brown sugar, and water. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Stir in the lime juice and let the sauce cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 1 2/3 cups.

Nutritional Information

Per serving (4 skewers and 2 tablespoons of sauce): Calories 307 ● Total Fat 20 g ● Saturated

Fat 7 g ● Cholesterol 68 mg ● Sodium 780 mg ● Total Carbohydrate 7 g ● Fiber 0.6 g ● Sugars

4 g● Protein 25 g

http://spoonful.com/recipes/indonesian-beef-satay-peanut-sauce

Mango, Jicama and Cucumber Salad

This easy-to-assemble salad combines some familiar flavors with a few that may be new to your

family. Jicama, a south-of-the-border favorite that tastes like a cross between an apple and a

potato, perfectly complements the juicy mango and smooth cucumber.

What you'll need:

2 ripe mangos

1 medium jicama

1 medium English cucumber

1/4 cup lime juice

Zest from 1 lime

2 tablespoons honey

1 cup canola oil

Salt to taste

How to make it:

Peel the mango, jicama, and cucumber. Cut them into bite-size pieces and place them in a large

bowl.

Combine the lime juice, zest, and honey in a blender. Run the blender at low speed and slowly

drizzle in the canola oil until the dressing is slightly thickened, then add salt to taste.

Pour the vinaigrette over the mango mixture and toss to coat. Serves 8.

http://spoonful.com/recipes/mango-jicama-and-cucumber-salad

Merry Meringue Treats

Kids' baking know-how will reach new peaks when they prepare these scrumptious meringue

sandwich cookies.

Merry Meringue Treats

by Judith Fertig http://spoonful.com/recipes/merry-meringue-treats

Based on a popular French pastry called a macaron, these tiny treats consist of two meringue

cookies joined by a sweet filling. Here, we present a classic combination (an almond cookie with

buttercream) as well as how-to's for two simple variations (chocolate and sugarplum) that are a

tasty tribute to the season. No matter what flavor they choose to make, kids will learn a fun and

useful baking basic: how to transform egg whites into a light, fluffy meringue.

What you'll need:

FOR THE ALMOND COOKIES:

2 large eggs

1 cup sifted almond flour or meal (found in the baking section of some supermarkets or at

natural food stores)

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM:

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup confectioners' sugar

FESTIVE FLAVORS

These seasonally inspired meringue treats make thoughtful presents. Wrap a stack in a piece of

colored cellophane for a small party favor or pack a whole batch in a box for a more substantial

gift.

Merry Meringue Treats Sugarplum Variation For sugarplum cookies, when the sugar and egg

white mixture is almost stiff, add a teaspoon of almond extract, then if desired, 5 drops each of

red and blue food coloring (Step 3). Replace the buttercream with plum jam (Step 8), spreading

the jam with a spatula or butter knife. You'll need 1/2 cup per batch. Merry Meringue Treats

Chocolate Variation

For chocolate cookies, add 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder to the almond mixture (Step

3). When the meringue cookies have dried, lightly sprinkle them with more unsweetened cocoa

powder (Step 6). Replace the buttercream with melted chocolate chips (Step 8), spreading the

chocolate with a spatula or butter knife. You'll need 1 cup of chocolate chips per batch (follow

package directions for melting).

How to make it:

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set them aside. Tip: Use a dab of water, oil, or

butter to secure the paper to the pans.

Over a small bowl, separate the egg whites from the yolks. If any yolk slips into the bowl, scoop

it out with an eggshell half so that the whites will beat properly. Discard the yolks. Let the whites

sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Merry Meringue Treats Step 3

Sift together the almond flour or meal and the confectioners' sugar into a medium-size mixing

bowl. In a second bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat together the egg

whites and the salt until foamy, about 2 minutes. Increase the mixer's speed to high and gradually

add the sugar. Continue to beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 1 minute more.

Merry Meringue Treats Step 4

To make the meringue, gently fold the egg whites into the almond mixture with a rubber

spatula, being careful not to deflate them.

Merry Meringue Treats Step 5

Place some of the meringue in a pastry bag fit with a 3/8-inch round tip, or a ziplock plastic

bag with a corner snipped. Beginning at the corner of one cookie sheet and holding the bag

perpendicular to the sheet's surface, squeeze out enough meringue to make a 1-inch disk. Pull the

tip away from the disk with a quick circular motion to avoid making a peak (a misshapen cookie

can be gently molded with a wet finger). Continue piping the cookies, spacing them 2 inches

apart and refilling the bag as needed, until all the meringue is used.

Gently tap the bottom of each cookie sheet against the countertop to further flatten the cookies

(they should be about 1/4-inch thick), then allow them to sit at room temperature until dry to the

touch, about 1 1/2 hours.

Heat the oven to 325˚. Bake the cookies, one pan at a time, in the center of the oven for 10 to

12 minutes. Allow each pan to cool on a wire rack.

Whisk together all the ingredients for the buttercream in a medium-size bowl until the mixture

is smooth and shiny. Fill a clean pastry bag with the buttercream (alternately, use a snipped

plastic bag, or a butter knife or spatula).

Merry Meringue Treats Step 9

Pair similar-size cookies. Pipe or spread a dollop of the buttercream on the flat side of one

from each pair, then sandwich the pairs together. Makes about 20 treats.

Nutritional Information

One meringue treat with buttercream filling: Calories 77 ● Total Fat 1.4 g ● Saturated Fat 0.4 g

● Cholesterol 2 mg ● Sodium 26 mg ● Total Carbohydrate 14 g ● Fiber 0 g ● Sugars 13 g ●

Protein 2 g

Grape Caterpillars’ recipe

These cute little green grape caterpillars tick all the boxes when it comes to healthy and easy.

Pop them into lunch boxes, serve them up at parties or keep them in the fridge for a tasty snack.

Category:

After school snacks, Budget, Easy recipes, Fruit, Healthy, Kids cooking, Kids food, Lunch box,

Party food

Ingredients:

300g green grapes

short wooden skewers

1 x 50g tube writing fudge, white chocolate

mini milk choc bits

Method:

Step 1. Remove grapes from stalks, wash and dry well.

Step 2. Thread grapes onto skewers.

Step 3. Trim points from skewers with scissors.

Step 4. Dot writing icing onto the back of the coated chocolate chips and place as eyes on each caterpillar.

To serve these for parties, you can lay them on a bed of lettuce.

Make sure you trim off the sharp tips of the skewers. Especially if serving these to small children.

This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, Australia’s best recipe finder.

http://www.kidspot.com.au/best-recipes/Lunch-box+10/Grape-caterpillars-recipe+4403.htm

Balsamic pork and apple skewers

By Alison Needham

Hands-On Time: 15min

Ready In: 30min

Yield: 4

Kids will eat pretty much anything served on a stick, and these tasty skewers are no exception.

Juicy pork, marinated in a sweet and tangy balsamic sauce, is partnered with apples and red

onions to make a flavor combination that's pleasing to the whole family. Served atop a bed of

brown rice, it's a fast, healthy and delicious meal.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice , (about 1 medium orange)

3 garlic cloves, smashed

2 tablespoons olive oil, (extra virgin)

1 1/2 pound boneless, center cut, pork loin chops, about 1-2 inches thick

1 green apple, cut into 1 inch chunks

1 red onion, cut into 1-inch chunks

bamboo or metal skewers

1 pinch salt and pepper

Directions: Measure vinegar, brown sugar, orange juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper into a

large zip-top bag. Seal and shake to combine. Cut pork chops into 1 1/2 inch cubes and add to

the bag, seal and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to one day.

Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes. Remove pork from the marinade, and place the

marinade, minus the garlic, in a small saucepan. Heat the marinade to boiling and boil until

slightly thickened and reduced by half, about 5-7 minutes. Reserve.

Skewer the pork, along with the apples and onions and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a

grill pan (or your broiler) to medium high. Drizzle pan with a little oil to keep the skewers from

sticking. Place the skewers on the pan and grill for 4 minutes. Turn them a quarter of the way

around and grill another 4 minutes. Finish grilling the remaining two sides for 4 minutes each,

grilling the skewers for a total of 16 minutes. If using your broiler, broil for about 10 minutes

total, flipping once. Do not overcook the pork, or it will become tough.

Serve over brown rice and drizzle with reduced marinade.

http://family.go.com/food/recipe-an-819822-balsamic-pork-and-apple-skewers-t/

Wok-Seared Chicken Tenders with Asparagus & Pistachios

By EatingWell.com

Here's an East-meets-West stir-fry that will soon become a family favorite. Serve it over rice or

noodles, with a simple salad of arugula and orange sections dressed in a light vinaigrette.

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Ready in: 25 minutes

Yield: 4 servings, about 1 1/4 cups each

Ease of Prep: Easy

Recipe Ingredients

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus , tough ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pound chicken tenders (see Ingredient Note), cut into bite-size pieces

4 scallions , trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon oyster-flavored sauce

1 teaspoon chile-garlic sauce (see Ingredient Note)

1/4 cup shelled salted pistachios , coarsely chopped

Recipe Directions:

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add asparagus; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Add chicken; cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Stir in scallions, ginger, oyster sauce and chile-garlic

sauce; cook, stirring, until the chicken is juicy and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir

in pistachios and serve immediately.

Ingredient Notes: Chicken tenders, virtually fat-free, are a strip of rib meat typically found

attached to the underside of the chicken breast, but they can also be purchased separately. Four

1-ounce tenders

will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-

friendly breaded "chicken fingers."

Chile-garlic sauce is a blend of ground red chiles, garlic and vinegar and is commonly used to

add heat and flavor to Asian soups, sauces and stir-fries. It can be found in the Asian-food

section of large supermarkets. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.

Health Advantages: low calorie, low carb, low sat fat, low sodium, heart healthy, healthy weight.

Nutrition Information

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Amount Per serving

Calories: 208 cal Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2

Carbohydrates: 7 g Dietary Fiber: 3 g Cholesterol: 67 mg

Fat: 8 g Sodium: 175 mg Saturated Fat: 1 g

Protein: 30 g Potassium: 326 mg Monounsaturated Fat:

3 g

http://family.go.com/food/recipe-ew-504909-wok-seared-chicken-tenders-with-asparagus---

pistachios-t/

Nutrition Bonus: Folate (35% daily value), Vitamin A (20% dv), Vitamin C (15%

dv).

Exchanges: 1 vegetable , 4 very lean meat, 1 fat