Chocolate and cauliflower? Yes, please! Frozen cauliflower makes smoothies thick and creamy but you don’t taste it at all. Make sure to have kids add the cauliflower to the blender along with the other ingredients so they know the veggie is in there. The taste and texture of steamed and frozen whole florets is best but you can also use frozen riced cauliflower in this recipe.

​March is all about the cauliflower at Veggie Buds Club! This delicious recipe is one of the cauliflower recipes included in this month's box.
It 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.

Ingredients:

• 1 heaping cup frozen cauliflower florets* (or 1 cup frozen riced cauliflower) 
  
• 1 frozen banana
  
• 2 pitted dates (or 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup)
  
• 2 tablespoons almond butter (or any nut/seed butter)
  
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds, optional
  
• 3 tablespoons raw cacao (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
  
• 1 cup milk (any kind)
  
• Handful of ice cubes
  
• Mini chocolate chips and/or chocolate sprinkles for toppings

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients except for toppings to a blender. Blend, stopping once or twice to make sure no chunks remain. Add in additional ice to make thicker or more milk to thin out the drink. Pour into glasses then sprinkle with any desired toppings. Enjoy!​ Have any milkshake leftover? Freeze in popsicle molds to enjoy later as a frozen treat.

*To make frozen cauliflower florets, first cut a head of cauliflower into medium sized pieces. Steam cauliflower until tender, drain, and set aside to cool. Once cool, freeze in a singer layer until solid then store in a container or plastic bag in the freezer.

We are happy to bring you another fun recipe from Noelle Martin. This one features cauliflower as we're celebrating all things cauliflower at Veggie Buds Club this March!
Noelle Martin is a Registered Dietitian and mom of three young boys. She has a passion for education, inspiring, and empowering moms to make healthy choices for themselves and their families. Noelle loves involving her children in food planning and preparation for their home and sees the kitchen as a perfect area for teaching both academic and life skills. Follow @MotherhoodandMeals on Instagram for Noelle's nutrition tips, recipes, product reviews, and motherhood moments.

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 Tbsp ground turmeric
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 Tbsp avocado or grapeseed oil

Instructions

1. Chop cauliflower into small pieces. This is a great step to have your children help with if you have a kid-friendly knife and extra time… it can take a while. We really like the Foost Knives which is what Rhett is using here.
2. In a large bowl mix together the oil, spices, and nutritional yeast. Add the cauliflower in and toss in the oil mixture until all the cauliflower is coated.
3. Pour all the cauliflower out onto a baking stone. Sprinkle with a little more spice if you wish and bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until cauliflower is crisp. Serve warm or cold and enjoy the show!

Note: This is also a wonderful snack for a school lunch or after school and can easily be served as part of a supper meal too!

​While making this popcorn you can use it as a teaching moment with your children. You can talk to them about the letter P for POPCORN, the color WHITE, and how the cauliflower starts out CRUNCHY and ends up SOFT. And if your child is an apprehensive eater then they may be more interested in trying this new food after they have prepared it as opposed to just seeing it on their plate. There is never a shortage of fun learning to be had when Kids are in the Kitchen!

March is all about the cauliflower at Veggie Buds Club! This delicious recipe is one of the cauliflower recipes included in this month's box.
It 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.

Kids will love to get involved with this recipe. They can break the cauliflower into pieces, crack eggs, measure the ingredients, and shake, shake, shake those cauliflower florets in the yummy breadcrumb mixture. Serve the crunchy veggies as a side dish or snack with your favorite dip.

Ingredients
-1 head cauliflower, cut into medium size florets
-2 eggs (or egg replacer powder or flax meal with additional milk or water)
-¼ cup milk
-1 ½ cup whole wheat or regular Panko breadcrumbs (or substitute gluten free breadcrumbs)
-¾ cup cornmeal
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon garlic powder
-½ teaspoon paprika
-1 tablespoon oil

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or aluminum foil.
2. Crack eggs into a bowl, add milk, and whisk with a fork to combine. Season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
3. In a large zip-top bag (or in a large bowl), add breadcrumbs, cornmeal, salt, garlic powder, and paprika. Shake bag around a little to combine then drizzle oil over mixture and shake again.
4. Set up an “assembly line” with cauliflower florets, egg mixture, and breadcrumb mixture in a row in that order. Working with a few florets at a time, dip cauliflower into the egg mixture, let the excess drip off, then place into the breadcrumbs. Once you have done 4 to 5 pieces of cauliflower, seal the bag well then shake to coat the cauliflower in the crumbs. Open bag then place each piece of coated cauliflower on the baking sheet.
5. Bake cauliflower until crunchy and  golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.