Category: Herbs

Easy Fresh Tomato Salsa with Baked Tortilla Chips

7/13/2020

This salsa is made in a food processor, so you don’t have to worry about chopping tomatoes all day. Add a few other ingredients and you’ve got a delicious snack to eat with chips or anything you’d like. It’s great on tacos or to serve with quesadillas too. Kids can help cut the tomatoes into rough chunks, add the ingredients to the food processor, and pulse until everything is roughly chopped. Homemade chips are really fun for kids to make at home too, but you can serve this salsa with store-bought chips as well. (Please be aware that tortilla chips can be a choking hazard or are hard to chew for toddlers and kids under 4).

This recipe was developed by Heather Staller, a mom of two boys, ages 7 and 5, 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.happykidskitchen), where she shares inventive kid-friendly recipes and ideas for cooking with kids at home.

Easy Fresh Tomato Salsa with Baked Tortilla Chips

Ingredients
Salsa

4 large tomatoes
2 scallions or 1/4 of a small onion, trimmed and sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley
Juice from 1/2 a lime
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

Tortillas

6 small corn or flour tortillas
Oil
Salt

Instructions

Cut tomatoes into 8 wedges. Scoop seeds into a bowl and gently squeeze out any excess liquid in the tomatoes. If you skip this step, your salsa will be very watery. Cut tomato wedges into chunks and add to a food processor.
Add remaining salsa ingredients and pulse until roughly chopped. Stop a couple times to check the salsa and scrape down the sides. You don’t want to over blend and get tomato soup.
For Chips: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Brush both sides of each tortilla with oil. Sprinkle one side with a pinch of salt. Cut tortillas into 8 wedges (I like to use a pizza wheel) then lay them out individually on the pan. They can be touching but try not to overlap tortilla pieces. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Check on chips often because they can burn easily. Allow to cool then serve with salsa.

Want your kids to eat more veggies?

Check out our shop for interactive and fun products that teach kids that veggies are fun and tasty! In our shop you can find kid-safe knives, interactive placements, veggie-themed activity boxes, and more!

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Herby Oven Fries with Fresh Herb Yogurt Dip

4/10/2020

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April is Culinary Herb Month at Veggie Buds Club so we are excited to bring you this delicious way to enjoy a variety of herbs from Heather at Happy Kids Kitchen!

This recipe was developed by Heather Staller, a mom of two boys, ages 6 and 4, 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.happykidskitchen), where she shares inventive kid-friendly recipes and ideas for cooking with kids at home.

Herby Oven Fries with Fresh Herb Yogurt Dip

Ingredients
Fries

2 medium-sized Russet potatoes
1 tablespoon avocado or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon dried herbs such as Italian herb mix
2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs such as thyme and/or rosemary

Dip

1 cup thick plain Greek yogurt
1/2 to 1 cup fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro, and chives
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Wash and dry potatoes very well. Cut potatoes on a diagonal into 1/4-inch slices. Cut slices into 1/4-inch sticks. Kids can help with a child-safe knife once potatoes are in slices. Place cut fries into a large bowl.
Add oil, salt, and whatever dried and/or fresh herbs you are using. Toss well to mix.
Lay fries out on a baking sheet. Place them at least 1/4-inch apart. If you don’t have enough room on one pan, place remaining fries on another pan.
Roast fries for 10 minutes then flip each out and roast for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until all sides are golden brown. Serve warm.
For the dip, add yogurt, fresh herbs, and salt to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Serve with fries.

Want some great products that teach kids to learn to love veggies?
Check out our shop for kid-safe knives, interactive placements, and veggie-themed activity boxes!

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Chive & Cheddar Drop Biscuits

4/3/2020

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Drop biscuits are so simple to make and a great recipe for your child to help you with. Have your child use safety scissors to snip the chives (adult assistance may be required) and let them get messy during step #3 when they mix the batter with their hands! Finally, they can top each biscuit with the shredded cheese.

Chive & Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
3/4 cup whole milk or milk of choice
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease the baking sheet.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and chopped chives.
Add the cold butter to the dry ingredients and use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles a coarse meal.
Add the milk and stir with a fork until the mixture just comes together into a fairly sticky dough.
Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to drop balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet.
Sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on the top of each biscuit.
Bake biscuits until golden brown, about 18-20 minutes.

Want your kids to eat more veggies?

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Orzo Stuffed Roasted Red Peppers

6/12/2019

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We're celebrating peppers at Veggie Buds Club this month and these stuffed roasted red peppers are absolutely divine! They are bursting with flavor and yet totally kid-friendly. If you think your kiddo/s will find the flavor to be too much simply adjust their servings- examples include omitting the garlic and oregano in the roasting process and omitting the Kalamata olives. Simple roasted red peppers stuffed with orzo pasta and topped with fresh basil is a totally tasty kid meal. What's great is that you can still add all of the extra flavors and toppings to the adult servings- yum!

Orzo Stuffed Roasted Red Peppers with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients
For the Roasted Red Peppers and Cherry Tomatoes

2 red bell peppers, halved
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 sprigs fresh oregano
1 cup cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper

For Orzo Pasta

3/4 cup dry orzo
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
2 Tablespoons pine nuts
2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 lemon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a glass baking dish, place the halved peppers on one side and cherry tomatoes on the other side. Drizzle olive oil on top and rub over the peppers and tomatoes. Sprinkle the minced garlic into each pepper and place one sprig of oregano into each pepper. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper over peppers and tomatoes. Place baking dish in oven and roast for about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and add the orzo pasta. Boil for about 10 minutes until the pasta is al dente. While the pasta is cooking, toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until toasted (watch closely as they go from toasted to burned very quickly!).
Drain the orzo and mix in the balsamic vinegar and kalamata olives.
Take the peppers out of the oven and stuff with the orzo mixture. Top with toasted pine nuts, chopped fresh basil, feta cheese, and fresh squeezed lemon juice.

See notes below on how to meal prep to make this a quick weeknight meal!

To Prep Ahead for a Quick Weeknight Meal

Toast pine nuts, place in Tupperware in fridge.
Cook orzo and mix in balsamic vinegar, place in Tupperware in fridge.
When it's time to make dinner, roast the peppers and tomatoes according to above instructions. Microwave orzo, mix in Kalamata olives, stuff peppers, and top with toasted pine nuts, chopped fresh basil, feta cheese, and lemon juice.

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Lemon-Butter Zoodle Pasta with Roasted Asparagus

4/25/2019

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Have you tried zoodles yet?! They are noodles made from zucchini and are available at many grocery stores now. You can also make your own with a spiralizer, this is definitely a fun way to get your kids involved in the kitchen! We love mixing zoodles with traditional noodles to create a familiar yet more healthful plate of pasta.

Spaghetti & Zoodles in Lemon-Butter Sauce with Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients

8 ounces spaghetti or linguine (half standard box)
1 large zucchini, spiralized
1 bunch asparagus
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, sliced thin
2-4 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2-4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large lemon, juiced (reserve rind to zest)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Boil water and cook spaghetti, drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 F.
When asparagus goes into the oven, heat a large pan over medium heat. Add butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil, when heated add herbs, shallots, and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Turn heat down to medium-low and add lemon juice and spiralized zucchini. Cook for about 5 minutes then add cooked spaghetti to combine.
Serve spaghetti and zoodles with salt, pepper, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and lemon zest. Serve roasted asparagus on the side or slice and incorporate into pasta.

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Pea Falafel

3/13/2019

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These falafel patties are packed with peas! Your little chefs will love adding all of the ingredients to the food processor, pushing the button, and helping to make the patties with their hands. Not only are these fun to make, but you can enjoy them in so many different ways. Eat them like "nuggets" with Greek yogurt for dipping, in pita bread, or on top of lettuce leaves with any toppings you'd like. You can even make the patties a little bigger and eat them on a bun as a burger or cook the falafel mixture in a waffle iron to make Pea Falafel Waffles. Any way you cook them, falafel is the perfect way to enjoy peas!

Pea Falafel

Ingredients

1 cup peas, cooked if from fresh or defrosted if frozen
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin, optional
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 to 3 tablespoons oat or whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for cooking
Yogurt, pita bread, tomatoes, cucumber, or desired toppings, for serving

Instructions

Add peas, chickpeas, and parsley to a bowl of a food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped.
Add lemon juice, garlic, salt, cumin, baking powder, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Pulse all ingredients until well combined and finely chopped, stopping to scrape the sides down a couple of times as needed. Form a little of the mixture into a small patty. If the mixture is too sticky, add another tablespoon of flour and pulse again to mix in.
Form the pea mixture into 16 small patties and place on a plate.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook falafel patties in batches, browning on each side then placing back on a plate to cool.
Serve falafel warm with a dip or in a pita pocket topped as desired.

To make falafel mixture into waffles, mix in 2 additional tablespoons of flour. Heat waffle iron and grease well. Do not open waffle iron before 5 minutes of cooking. Use a butter knife to gently lift falafel from the waffle iron and transfer to a plate.

Want some great products that teach kids to learn to love veggies?
Check out our shop for kid-safe knives, interactive placements, and veggie-themed activity boxes!

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Easy Fresh Tomato Salsa with Baked Tortilla Chips

Easy Fresh Tomato Salsa with Baked Tortilla Chips

Want your kids to eat more veggies?

Herby Oven Fries with Fresh Herb Yogurt Dip

Herby Oven Fries with Fresh Herb Yogurt Dip

Chive & Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Chive & Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Want your kids to eat more veggies?

Orzo Stuffed Roasted Red Peppers

Orzo Stuffed Roasted Red Peppers with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Lemon-Butter Zoodle Pasta with Roasted Asparagus

Spaghetti & Zoodles in Lemon-Butter Sauce with Roasted Asparagus

Pea Falafel

Pea Falafel

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