It's "Onion Fun & Garlic Yum" month at Veggie Buds Club and this delicious recipe from VegeCooking is the perfect recipe to celebrate! Mujadara is a pilaf featuring lentils, rice, and caramelized onions. This protein-rich combination of rice and lentils is a staple of Middle Eastern cuisine.

Dawn Hutchins is the founder of VegeCooking- healthy cooking classes for kids, teens and adults. Dawn has an extensive knowledge of the power of plant-based cooking and nutrition. She has a certificate in plant-based nutrition through Cornell University and the T. Colin Campbell foundation, and is certified in nutritional therapy with a focus in epigenetics. She's been developing healthful, delicious recipes since 2009.This recipe was developed by VegeCooking Club. ​

This month we're making tomatoes totally tasty at Veggie Buds Club! So let's get started with this rice dish that tastes just like pizza, a kid favorite! Your child can help chop the tomatoes and mash and stir them over the stove (if you're comfortable with this step). Finally, they can top the tomato-rice mixture with shredded cheese and then enjoy the final tasty meal!

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.

​If you'd like more kid-friendly recipes and hours of crafts, games, activity pages, and more designed to make culinary herbs tasty and fun for your children be sure to check out Veggie Buds Club's "Herbs are Awesome!" box and eBook here.

Enjoy this crunchy and sweet Waldorf Salad that's on the lighter side because of the creamy yogurt dressing! This recipe is a great introduction to celery and salad to children if they're apprehensive about both. Be sure to have them assist you with chopping the celery and apples using a kid-safe knife or butter knife and have them mix up the sweet dressing!

November is Beet Month at Veggie Buds Club and we are excited to bring you this yummy kid-approved recipe from Katie at Eat Pretty Darling! You can find more recipes and tons of fun beet activities in our Beet eBook, check it out here.

​Applesauce is a family favorite in our house! Making it homemade makes it even better. I will admit, beets aren’t something I enjoy but this is one of the ways I eat them. The sweetness of the apples helps balance out the earthiness of the beet. And the beet turns it such a beautiful color!
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Ingredients

• 4 large apples, cored and cut into chunks (peeled optional)
• 1 small beet
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions

1. Place a pot on the stove top over high heat and add the apples, beet, cinnamon and water. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low, covered, for 30 minutes or until the apples are tender.
2. Put all ingredients into a blender and pulse until desired consistency (be careful blending the hot liquid!). Place in a sealed container and chill in the fridge. Eat within 3 days.

September is Bean Month at Veggie Buds Club and we are excited to bring you this yummy recipe from Heather at Happy Kids Kitchen! You can find more recipes and hours of fun corn activities that are guaranteed to get your kids excited about eating beans in our "Bonkers for Beans!" eBook, check it out here.

Fresh corn is so versatile! It is delicious in cornbread, corn muffins, corn soups, and corn salads, so why not make a kid favorite, pancakes, and try them out in both sweet and savory ways. Take pancakes beyond breakfast and serve them as a snack or a side dish at lunch or dinner. You can mix up the base pancake batter and really add in anything you'd like. For the sweet pancakes, add in fruit, like blueberries or diced strawberries. For a savory pancake, keep the batter as written or add soft herbs like chives or chopped cilantro. You could even add in extra veggies like shredded zucchini or diced bell peppers. Serve sweet pancakes as is or with a drizzle of maple syrup or honey. The savory pancakes are great with avocado or spread with a little cream cheese and made into sandwiches. Try both recipes and come tell us whether you are on team sweet or on team savory!

Kids will love to help measure the ingredients, crack the eggs, and set up the breading assembly line. Little fingers might get pretty messy while making this recipe, but the end result is well worth it. Experiment with the kind of breadcrumbs you use or try grinding pretzels or crackers in the food processor to make a crunchy coating for the onion rings. Serve up the baked, crispy rings with ketchup, ranch dressing, or your family’s favorite sauce to enjoy as a snack or side dish.

Ingredients

• 1 large onion
• ½ cup flour (any kind)
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 3 large eggs*
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs, regular breadcrumbs, or ground pretzels

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil and grease with oil or non-stick spray.
   
2. Cut the ends off the onion then peel outer papery skin off. Carefully cut across into ¼-inch rings. Separate out rings and set aside inner-most rings and any broken pieces aside for another use.
   
3. In a large bowl, mix flour, garlic powder, paprika, and salt.
   
4. Crack eggs into a second bowl and whisk together. Add breadcrumbs to a third bowl.
   
5. Working with a few rings at a time, dredge in flour mixture, dip into eggs, then dredge in breadcrumbs, pressing to coat.
   
6. Spread onion rings in an even layer on the prepared baking sheets. Place into oven and bake until golden brown and crispy, about 20-25 minutes.
   
7. Sprinkle with salt then serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

*For egg-free version, use 3 tablespoons of ground flax mixed with ¾ cup water or ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk.