Ingredients

• 1 small to medium-sized head of broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 cup milk (any kind)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flour*
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• ¼ cup butter or oil, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ¼ cup finely shredded cheddar cheese plus more for the top (optional)

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Finely chop enough broccoli florets to measure about ¾ of a cup. Set aside.
3. Pour milk into a liquid measuring cup and add the vinegar. Set aside for 5 minutes.
4. Measure dry ingredients into a large bowl and use a whisk to gently mix them together.
5. Mix butter or oil, eggs, and honey in a second bowl. Add milk and vinegar mixture and whisk to combine. Pour liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together. Stir in chopped broccoli and shredded cheese, if using.
6. Scoop batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each hole about ¾ of the way full. Top each muffin with an additional sprinkle of cheese, if desired. Bake until golden brown on the top and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

* Flour can be all-purpose, whole wheat, or gluten-free blend.

Root vegetables are such a powerhouse of energy, vitamins, and minerals and super versatile for use. I especially love how butternut squash and sweet potatoes can be added to so many dishes to increase nutrient density. From soup to macaroni and cheese to dips, these gorgeous orange veggies fit into them all! The hummus recipe below is a favourite in our house year-round with its savoury taste and smooth texture. And this time of year it is a nice compliment to a tray of festive coloured veggies. So whether you need a nutritious after school snack for your kids or a colourful dish for the neighbourhood potluck, we have you covered! 

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash*
  
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  
• 2 Tbsp. tahini (or SunButter)
  
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  
• 1 clove of garlic, minced 
  
• 1/2 Tbsp. honey mustard
  
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 

Instructions

1. Cut open and roast butternut squash at 375F for 30-40 minutes (or until it is soft throughout). 
   
2. Scoop the contents into a food processor and add chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, lemon, and honey mustard.
   
3. Blend on low for 3-5 minutes (until all is mixed well). 
   
4. Serve with your favourite vegetables, crackers, or on a wrap, sandwich, or pita.

*This recipe also works well with 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes in place of the butternut squash.

Some weeks we like to have a little fun and instead of picking a color, we pick all of the colors! Rainbow is a color in our book. We grabbed one item in each color to go with our green kale in this month’s Veggie Buds Club box. My son picked some of his favorites for each color. Blueberries for blue, carrots for orange, yellow bell pepper for yellow, tomatoes for red, and purple cabbage for purple.
Salads may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of kid food, but making it full of color and having them help pick the ingredients makes it a little more exciting. The fun thing about this recipe is you could use almost any fruits or veggies that fit the colors, as long as you try to make a rainbow! Have your kids be a part of it from start to finish.

Ingredients

• 3 cups kale, stem removed and finely chopped
• 1 medium yellow pepper
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
• 1 cup blueberries

Dressing

• 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Place kale in a large bowl. Mix all dressing ingredients in a small jar. Shake it well to combine.
2. Drizzle dressing on top and gently massage dressing into kale (this is a fun part for the kids!). Add in remaining ingredients and toss to coat the vegetables in the dressing.
3. Cover and place in the fridge to let the kale become a little more tender.

November's featured veggie is KALE at Veggie Buds Club! We hope you enjoy these delicious recipes for Gluten-Free Kale Crackers and Kale White Bean Dip from this month's Veggie Buds Club subscription box.
​
This recipe was developed by Heather Staller, a mom of two boys, ages 6 and 3, and cooking instructor specializing in bringing cooking into preschool classrooms. After college, Heather knew she wanted to be a teacher, but first followed her lifelong dream of going to culinary school. Teaching cooking combines both of her passions, and she truly enjoys introducing young children to the joys of cooking with fresh ingredients. Find Heather on Instagram (@heather_kidskitchen), where she shares inventive kid-friendly recipes and ideas for cooking with kids at home.

​Pumpkin is packed with incredible nutrition to support the development and strength of our eyesight, bones, and immune systems. For years I have been making pumpkin muffins, pancakes, and cookies and love how this nutrient dense vegetable adds to their flavor and nutritional value. This year I decided it would be fun to try using pumpkin in a new way and since my family loved it I couldn't resist sharing it here for PUMPKIN month at Veggie Buds Club! You can find the tasty PUMPKIN SPICE CHICKEN recipe below. And to make a really festive meal on Halloween you could serve it with orange sides such as carrots, orange peppers, golden berries, mashed sweet potato, roasted butternut quash, or turmeric spiced cauliflower rice!

Ingredients

• 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup pure canned pumpkin (or your own homemade puree if you prefer)
• 1/4 cup honey mustard
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric

Instructions

1. Place chicken breasts on a baking stone or in a glass baking dish whole or in strips.
2. Mix chicken broth, pumpkin puree, mustard, maple syrup, and spices together and pour over chicken. Add a small amount of additional chicken broth or water to the edges of the pan to prevent the chicken from drying out. 
3. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until chicken breasts are cooked through. (NOTE: Larger pieces will take longer to cook and oven temperatures can vary slightly leading to varying cooking times.)

With the leaves beginning to change and fall in the air, it’s the perfect time for pumpkins! We gathered some orange foods at the grocery store to make a family favorite for this week’s #eatprettycoloroftheweek. We had a lot of fun exploring the cheese department this week. There are so many varieties of cheese and they have such different tastes and textures. We settled on cheddar cheese, smoked gouda, butternut squash pasta, and of course pumpkin! Throwing these ingredients together makes a delicious mac & cheese that both my picky eaters and I devoured. The pumpkin isn’t too noticeable but it helps make it the creamiest texture.

October's featured veggie is PUMPKINS at Veggie Buds Club! We hope you enjoy this delicious recipe for Baked Pumpkin Donuts from this month's Veggie Buds Club subscription box.
​
This recipe was developed by Heather Staller, a mom of two boys, ages 5 and 3, and cooking instructor specializing in bringing cooking into preschool classrooms. After college, Heather knew she wanted to be a teacher, but first followed her lifelong dream of going to culinary school. Teaching cooking combines both of her passions, and she truly enjoys introducing young children to the joys of cooking with fresh ingredients. Find Heather on Instagram (@heather_kidskitchen), where she shares inventive kid-friendly recipes and ideas for cooking with kids at home.

Whether you use homemade pumpkin purée or pumpkin from a can, these wholesome baked donuts are the most delicious way to celebrate the veggie of the month! Don’t worry if you don’t have a donut pan. You can bake up the same batter in a mini muffin pan and call them donut holes! Your little chef is going to love measuring, mixing, and scooping the batter. The pumpkin spice-sugar coating to top off the donuts is optional but really makes them a special sweet treat. 

Makes 6 large donuts, 12 mini donuts, or 12-14 mini muffins
Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour (or gluten-free flour blend)*
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, pinch of ground nutmeg and cloves)
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons pumpkin purée (from a can or homemade)
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• ½ cup coconut sugar (or 1/3 cup brown sugar)
• ½ cup milk (any kind)

Topping

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter, melted
• ¼ cup maple sugar, granulated sugar, or coconut sugar 
• ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a donut pan or mini muffin tin.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
3. In a second bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients (besides the topping). Add the wet ingredient to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined.
4. If making donuts, scoop batter into a small zip-top bag. Twist the top then cut the tip off of one corner of the bag. Squeeze the batter into your donut pan, filling them each about ¾ of the way. If making donut “holes,” scoop batter into muffin tin using a spoon or small ice cream scoop. 
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the donut or mini muffin comes out clean, about 10 to 12 minutes for large donuts and 8 to 10 minutes for mini donuts or muffins.
6. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes then transfer donuts to a cooling rack. Mix sugar and extra pumpkin pie spice in a small, shallow bowl. When donuts are cool enough to handle, use a pastry brush to coat the tops of the donuts with a thin layer of oil. Dip into spiced sugar mixture.
7. The sugar coated donuts are best enjoyed the same day they are made. Plain donuts can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

 *I used Bob’s Red Mill white whole wheat flour, oat flour, and gluten-free flour mix with success.

October's featured veggie is PUMPKIN at Veggie Buds Club, and we are very excited to bring you a recipe from Stephanie Middleberg's new cookbook, "The Big Book of Organic Toddler Food" for this week's post!

These no-bake pumpkin balls are tasty, and they freeze well so they're perfect on-the-go snacks your toddler (and probably everyone else in your family) will enjoy. I also find with energy bites that you can really add anything to them. Check what's in your pantry - these would be excellent with shredded coconut, dried fruit, or cacao powder added in. Use gluten-free oats to keep them gluten- and allergen-free.

Serves 10 to 12
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
• 1/2 cup sun butter
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• Pinch sea salt

Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, sun butter, pumpkin puree, flaxseed, honey, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, mixing well.
3. Form the mixture into 1-tablespoon balls and place on the prepared tray. Serve immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and store, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.

Substitution Tip: For vegan, you can replace the honey with 3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup. You may need to add up to 1/4 cup more of the oats to adjust the texture of the balls.