Healthy, child-tested dishes are also easy to make
Tasty kale a nutritional powerhouse
The following kid-friendly recipes are from How to Feed a Family: The Sweet Potato Chronicles Cookbook by Laura Keogh and Ceri Marsh.
Mini Kale and Parmesan Quiche with Phyllo Pastry Crust
Laura Keogh writes that this recipe is an emotional favourite because it was the first dish she and her daughter Scarlett created together.
“She was just three years old, and I was looking for ways to incorporate the nutrient-dense kale into dishes I knew she’d eat.”
Since Scarlett liked quiche, she created a version without the fatty crust, opting for phyllo.
“This dish was an instant success with Scarlett as well as with Ceri’s children.
“It also became (a Sweet Potato Chronicles) site favourite.”
Kale is the king of the cruciferous vegetable family, which also includes bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts.
A nutritional powerhouse, kale has sky-high levels of antioxidants like vitamins C and A, which help the body to detoxify.
Kale also has stellar amounts of vitamin K and flavonoids to combat inflammation.
To unleash the leafy vegetable’s health benefits, it’s recommended you chop the leaves.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing 1/4 cup chopped onion 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 1/2 lb kale 4 sheets phyllo pastry 5 eggs 3/4 cup milk 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper, to taste Pesto: In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add kale and coat with oil mixture. Cover and let kale wilt until tough stems are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove kale from pan and place in a food processor. Process until it has the texture of a fine pesto. Quiche: Cut 4 sheets of phyllo into 4 equal-size squares. Layer phyllo squares one by one into 4 large ramekins, brushing each layer of pastry lightly with oil. (Keep phyllo sheets between two moist dish towels when you’re not working with them.)
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, then Parmesan and mix until blended. Add kale pesto and stir to combine well. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour egg mixture into ramekins, leaving about 1/4 inch at the top. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and then place on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until firm. Remove from baking sheet and let ramekins cool before serving to little hands.
Kitchen-Sink Granola Bars
These granola bars are ideal to tuck into a lunch box or serve for an afterschool snack. Once the chopping is done, these bars are super quick to make, Ceri Marsh writes.
Feel free to use what you have in your pantry, such as raisins, walnuts or dried blueberries.
Makes 24 bars
1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats 1/3 cup oat flour (if you don’t have it, process 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats in food processor for a few minutes) 1/4 cup flax meal 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped quite fine 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped 1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup maple syrup 2 tablespoons brown rice syrup or corn syrup
Heat oven to 350 F. Line an 11-by-7in cake pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang to lift out granola bars later.
In a bowl, mix together sugar, oats, oat flour, flax meal, apricots, cranberries and pecans. Make sure fruits and nuts are evenly distributed.
In a large bowl, mix together vegetable oil and both syrups.
Pour dry ingredients on top of wet and stir to combine thoroughly. Dump mixture into prepared pan. Use the back of a spoon to spread it out evenly.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Keep an eye on the pan at the end; you want the mixture to just begin to brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes before lifting out parchment. Rest parchment on counter and let mixture cool completely. Cut into 1½-by-3-in bars. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.