One of the dinner time staples for many of my friends are frozen veggie burgers. I informally polled some moms to ask them why they like and make them so much, and the most common answers I got were “my kids love them”, “they’re easy to prepare”, and, most frequently, “they’re healthy”. That last answer, is almost true. Compared to so many other prepared foods you can buy at the grocery, frozen veggie burgers do seem really healthy (and some brands are certainly better than others). The problem is that many of them are packed with sodium, additives and fillers. They also can be pretty expensive, with the “healthier” brands coming out a well over a dollar per burger.

This veggie burger recipe is nutritious, really easy to make and it freezes beautifully, so you get all the convenience and great taste of store bought brands, only these are healthier and much cheaper. And on those nights when you’re in a hurry (doesn’t that seem like every night!), you’ll be glad that you had a few of these in the freezer all ready to heat up, pop in buns and chow down with your gang!

Veggie Burgers (Makes 4 Burgers or 8 Mini Burgers)

1/2 Cup Bulgur Wheat
1 Cup Water
1 15 Oz Can Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 Cup Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
1/2 Cup Carrot, grated
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
1 Tbsp Oil

Accompaniments: Bread, Lettuce, Tomato, Ketchup, Mustard, Mayonnaise, Pickles

1. Place the bulgar wheat and water in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover for 13 minutes.
2. After the bulgur has cooked, place in a bowl and let cool.
3. Place 1 can of rinsed and drained pinto beans in a food processor and puree.
4. Add the pureed beans, cheese, carrot, salt, garlic and onion powder to cooked bulgur and mix thoroughly.
5. Form into patties.
6. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and cook the burgers for 3 minutes on each side.
7. Serve with accompaniments.

* Patties can be frozen on a baking sheet for one hour and placed in a large zipper bag or individually wrapped and frozen. Defrost the cook.

We recently did a poll on the weelicious Facebook page asking parents what their kid’s favorite green vegetables is. While broccoli and peas ranked high on the list, zucchini was barely even mentioned. Maybe that’s because people aren’t familiar with how to prepare it. A lot of people tend to steam zucchini, which I find makes it a bit limp and so I can understand why kids don’t take to a vegetable with that kind of texture. Since I’m always playing around with fun ways to prepare vegetables that kids are actually excited to eat, I decided to revisit zucchini this week.

Coincidentally, we’ve got zucchini growing in our garden right now and it’s all over our farmer’s market too. Zucchini has a very delicate flavor, so I focused on a simple preparation. These zucchini coins are baked, which makes them crunchy on the outside and soft and tender inside — a real textural treat for kids (and Kenya gets a kick out of eating “coins” because he feels like he’s got edible pocket change on his plate). Add a little tomato sauce on the side and they’re the perfect side dish for your family to enjoy with any meal.

Baked Zucchini Coins (Serves 4)

1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Panko or Bread Crumbs
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Large Egg
1/4 Cup Flour
2 Medium Zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch coins
Optional: Weelicious Tomato Sauce for dipping

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Mix the first 4 ingredients in a bowl.
3. Whisk the egg in a separate bowl.
4. Place the flour in another bowl.
5. Make an assembly line with the bowls, and first dip the zucchini coins into the
flour, then the egg and finally into the bread crumb mixture, coating evenly and repeating with all the zucchini coins.
6. Place all of the coins on the baking sheet/rack. Arrange so they’re not touching, spray with oil and bake for 20 minutes or until the
bread crumbs are golden.
7. Serve.

*After step 5 place on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. Remove and place in a ziploc bag, label, and freeze. When ready to eat – take them out of the freezer and put them in the oven adding at least another 3-5 minutes baking time.

Waffles aren’t just for breakfast anymore! I’ve actually been sending Kenya to school with waffles a lot lately. He loves when I cut them into bite-size squares and make mini waffle sandwiches. When I’m out of bread, but still want to make him a sammie, this is a great way to make breakfast leftovers stretch into lunch. I put anything from tuna salad to turkey to cream cheese inside.

I would imagine that everyone reading this has had sweet waffles before, but have you ever tried savory cheese waffles? They’re a well-rounded breakfast, lunch or snack treat because they have protein from the cheese, egg and milk (great for vegetarians), and obviously, a carbohydrate. They’re a great choice when you’re on the go and need a complete energy boost. And, as you now know, they make great sandwich bread, too!

So, whether you eat these waffles on their own, as the bread for your sandwich or just alongside some eggs and bacon, they’re a fun change of pace from the traditional waffle you’re used to seeing on your plate!

Cheese Waffles (Makes 12 Waffles)

2 Cups Flour
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Eggs
1 1/2 Cup Milk
3 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese, grated

Accompaniments: ham, scrambled eggs, bacon or as a Sandwich filled with cream cheese and turkey

1. Preheat waffle iron.
2. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Add the cheese and make sure to coat it with the flour mixture (this will help the cheese stay separated).
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and oil.
5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and whisk to combine.
6. Pour about 1/3 cup of the batter into the greased waffle iron and cook 3-5 minutes.
7. Serve.

*After waffles have cooled, place in ziploc bag, label and freeze. Defrost or pop into a toaster oven or oven at 300 degrees for 10 minutes.

After posting a picture of these Turkey Pesto Meatballs last week on our Facebook School Lunch photo gallery, I got so many requests for the recipe that I decided I should put it up ASAP!

A weelicious reader emailed me recently saying that she had tried a version of these meatballs at a friend’s house, and while she knew the flavors and ingredients, she could not recall the amounts or how to make them. I love getting requests to figure out recipes because part of the fun for me in testing is discovering new family favorites. I’m so grateful to that reader because everyone under my roof loved these bite-sized gems. Shockingly, the person who ate the most — Chloe, our 14 month old — downed six (six!) in one meal. She probably would have eaten the whole batch had I let her, but even babies need to share!! Next time I have to remember to make double the amount.

Turkey Pesto Meatballs (Serves 4-6)

1 1/4 Lb. Ground Lean Turkey
1/4 Cup Pesto
1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Tsp Salt
2 Cups Weelicious Tomato Sauce or Marinara Sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place all the ingredients (except for the marinara sauce) in a bowl and using your hands, combine until everything is incorporated.
3. Using about 1 tablespoon of the mixture per meatball, roll into balls and place on a plate.
4. Pour the marinara sauce into a 9 x 9 inch baking pan and top with the meatballs.
5. Cover the baking pan with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes.**
6. Serve.

*Roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet and freeze. After 30 minutes place the par-frozen balls in a ziploc bag, label and freeze. When ready, defrost in fridge for 24 hours or put them straight in the oven with sauce increasing cooking time by 5 minutes.
**I bake these for 20 minutes and use a tablespoon to roll out the meatball.

It’s Memorial Day weekend and that means time to get your arsenal of holiday recipes ready! I realize that I’ve already posted one sun dried tomato recipe this week, but there’s a good reason for that. Sun dried tomatoes add so much flavor to the most simple foods that I want to encourage you all to try using them more in your own recipes. I always keep a jar of them in the pantry so whenever I’m stumped on how to boost the flavor of a fairly neutral tasting food like ground chicken, I’ve got a great go-to ingredient that I know will deliver big on taste. Throw in a bit of Parmesan and you can turn these burgers into a holiday meal your guests will remember.

So if you’re looking for the perfect backyard recipe when you fire up the grill this weekend, try these sun dried tomato chicken mini burgers. They’re easy to make and everyone from the kids to the grandparents will love them!

Chicken Sun Dried Tomato Mini Burgers (Makes 8 mini burgers, or 4-5 big burgers)

1/3 Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes, packed in oil
1 1/4 lb Ground Chicken
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Tsp Salt
2 Slices Mozzarella, Provolone, White Cheddar or any kind of cheese you like, cut in fourths
8 Mini Burger Buns (I got them at Trader Joe’s)
Olive Oil

1. Preheat grill, panini maker, or saute pan.
2. Place sun dried tomatoes in a food processor, process for 30 seconds until chopped.
3. Add ground chicken, parmesan cheese, and salt and process until all ingredients are incorporated.
4. Use a 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture and form into patties for mini burgers, or use a 1/2 cup and form into larger patties.
5. Grease grill, panini maker or pan with olive oil.
6. Toast burger buns for one minute and remove.
7. On the grill or pan, cook patties for 3 minutes on each side for mini burgers, 4 minutes for bigger burgers. In the panini maker, cook a total of 3 minutes for minis, 4 minutes for larger burgers.
8. Add cheese to the patty in the last minute of cooking to melt. (If you are cooking with the panini maker, remove patty once fully cooked and add cheese and let patty rest for one minute (the cheese will melt while the burger is resting).
9. Place patties in burger buns and serve.

*Shape into patties and place on a cookie sheet and freeze. After 30 minutes place the par-frozen patties in a ziploc bag, label and freeze. When ready, defrost in fridge for 24 hours or put them straight on the grill or pan adding at least 5 minutes cooking time.

This recipe hails from Greece, but the inspiration for it actually came from my cousin in Kentucky. She always sends me suggestions for recipes based on foods her boys love and believe it or not, Spanakopita is one of them. Spanakopita is a savory Greek pastry comprised of flaky phyllo dough filled with spinach and feta cheese. The phyllo can be homemade, but it’s a time intensive process that is unnecessary since you can purchase quality prepared phyllo in the freezer section of your grocery. Spanakopita is a fun lunch, snack or dinner choice for your family because little kids can hold the individual servings in their hands and they are easy to eat.

I played around with this recipe a lot, worrying that it might be too involved compared with most of the simple recipes featured on weelicious, but once you get the hang of making them, it only takes minutes. And in my opinion, they’re worth it. I made this for dinner the other night with Kenya and he loved getting to stir the filling as I layered the phyllo and rolled the Spanakopita into triangles. An added bonus is that this recipe freezes beautifully, so you can store half of what you make now and just pop it into the oven on the nights you don’t have time to cook.

Whether you’re making this dish in Athens, Georgia or Athens, Greece, your family will definitely love you for it!

Spanakopita (Makes 30 Triangles)

1 10 oz Block Chopped Frozen Spinach, thawed and drained well (I drained it once in a fine mesh strainer and then once again, squeezing it in a towel to remove any excess moisture)
1/2 Cup Feta Cheese
1 Cup Ricotta Cheese (you can use either part skim or whole milk ricotta)
1 Egg, whisked
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Pkg. Phyllo Dough, defrosted
1 4 oz. Stick Unsalted Butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place the first 5 ingredients into a bowl and mix.
3. Gently place one sheet of phyllo on a work surface and brush gently with melted butter (while you work, make sure the remaining phyllo dough is covered with a damp towel because it dries out quickly).
4. Place another sheet of phyllo on top and brush with more butter.
5. Add a third sheet of phyllo to the top of the stack, giving you a total of 3 layers (no need to brush the top with butter).
6. Cut the buttered stack into 3 lengthwise strips (each about 12 inches long and 3 inches wide).
7. Take one strip and put 1 tbsp of filling near the corner nearest to you, then fold corner over to form a triangle.
8. Continue folding over, like a flag, keeping a triangle shape.
9. Place the stuffed triangles, seam side down, onto a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet and lightly brush the tops with butter.
10. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
11. Cool and serve.

*I like to bake half of the Spanakopita and freeze the other half. To do this, after step 9, freeze the triangles on the baking sheet for one hour until solid, then place triangles in a zipper bag and freeze for up to four months. When you’re ready to cook them, continue with step 10. No need to defrost before baking.




Below is a diagram on how to fold the Phyllo triangles:

In my experience, there are two things that kids always seem to love — noodles and pancakes — so why not make them a meal that combines both of them into one? Whenever we have pasta for dinner, I make extra to put in the fridge and use for this recipe the next day. Noodles on their own can be difficult for some little ones to eat, but these pancakes are perfect for little hands to hold on to and munch away. Still, no matter what your child’s age, I find that most kids are only too happy to do away with their knife and fork whenever possible. These Noodle Pancakes easy to toss together and they also pack a ton of protein, veggies and carbohydrates into one scrumptious handful, making them perfect for any meal — even breakfast!

Noodles Pancakes (Serves 4 – about 8-10 Pancakes)

2 Cups Cooked Egg Noodles
3 Eggs, whisked
1/2 Cup Ham, diced (about 3 slices)
1/2 Cup Swiss Cheese, shredded
1/3 Cup Corn (I used frozen corn that I defrosted first)
1/3 Cup Red Bell Pepper, diced
1/2 Tsp Salt
Olive Oil

1. Place all the ingredients (except for the olive oil) in a bowl and stir to combine.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
3. Pour about 1/4 cup of the noodle mixture per pancake in the pan and cook for 3 minutes (you can pour as many pancakes at once as fit comfortably in your pan).
4. Flip the pancakes and cook an additional 3 minutes. Continue making the pancakes with the remaining mixture.
5. Serve with ketchup or alone.

*Allow to cool, then place in ziploc bag, label and freeze. When ready, pop them into a oven at 300 for 10 minutes or until warmed through or defrost in fridge for 24 hours then heat in a dry pan.

I love it when parents email or send me a message on Facebook asking me to make healthy versions of their family’s favorite recipes. Hands down, one of the most requested one is Chicken Teriyaki. I adore Chicken Teriyaki. What’s not to adore? Teriyaki sauce’s sweet and savory flavor is something that most kids enjoy, and adding it livens up the most simple of foods like salmon, vegetables and of course, chicken.

One of the biggest pitfalls of buying pre-made teriyaki sauce from the grocery is that most brands generally contain loads of corn syrup (a big no-no in my book!). I’ve been buying a corn syrup-free brand from Whole Foods for a long time, but it’s expensive, and when you need a good amount of sauce to marinate the chicken, it’s just not worth it. So, I decided to play around with the general flavors in teriyaki sauce (pineapple, soy and ginger) to see if I could produce a healthy version that still retained teriyaki’s great taste. I can’t believe how incredible the results were and once I found the right balance, it took me no time to throw the ingredients together.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever received as many “this is incredible!” responses from my informal tasting group as I did with this dish. Now I’m adding this recipe to my rotation. So for all of you who suggested it, thank you, and keep the ideas coming!

Teriyaki Chicken (Serves 4)

1 8 oz Can Crushed Pineapple In Juice
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp Honey
1 Tsp Fresh Ginger, peeled and grated
1 Small Clove Garlic, minced
4 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless

1. Place the crushed pineapple and juice, soy sauce, honey, ginger and garlic in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Place the chicken breasts in a bowl (or a zipper bag for easy clean up) cover with 2/3rds of the teriyaki sauce (reserving the remaining for the sauce) and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes (**keeping the chicken in the marinade overnight will make it even tastier**)
3. Preheat the oven to the broil setting and place the rack in the middle shelf of the oven (at this point you can discard the sauce that you marinated the chicken in).
4. Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and broil for 8-10 minutes on each side for a total of 16-20 minutes (if the chicken is thick, it may take an extra minute or two).
5. While the chicken is broiling, put the remaining teriyak-wee sauce in a saucepan, add 1 tsp of cornstarch and cook over medium heat for 1 minute or until thickened.
6. Remove the chicken breasts from the oven and allow to cool for several minutes.
7. Slice the chicken, cover with sauce and serve.

*The chicken can also be grilled for 6 minutes on each side

**Make extra sauce and freeze for up to 4 months.

Whenever I tell people that Kenya’s favorite vegetable is okra, they look at me like I’m crazy. How in the world could a little boy ever want to eat okra?! Well, it’s true, he loves it and it’s not the result of me pushing it on him. From day one it’s always been his veggie of choice.

When I was growing up in the south, my mother and grandparents made okra all the time. My mother’s favorite preparation of it was fried. So for any okra lovers out there, I decided to make my family’s favorite version but with a healthy twist. Baked Okra Nuggets are crunchy and really fun to eat. If you’ve never tried okra before, this recipe is a good introduction to it and a great way to get kids to eat a veggie that they might have avoided before!

Okra Nuggets (Serves 4)

2 Cups Okra, cut into 1 inch rounds (you could also use frozen okra that’s defrosted)
1 Tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Flour
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Cornmeal
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the flour and salt in a bowl and stir to combine.
3. Whisk the egg in a second bowl.
4. Place the cornmeal and parmesan cheese in a third bowl and stir to combine.
5. Roll the okra in the flour and pat to remove excess flour.
6. Dip the flour coated okra in egg and then roll in the cornmeal/parmesan mixture to coat.
7. Place the okra on a cookie sheet sprayed or greased with olive oil (I use Spectrum Canola Oil Spray) and when all the okra nuggets are on the tray, spray again to lightly coat.
8. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
9. Serve.

*Freeze before baking. When ready to eat – take them out of the freezer and put them in the oven adding at least another 3-5 minutes baking time.

Our family loves eating brown rice, so I always try to keep a big bowl of it in the refrigerator. It’s a nutritious, healthy and versatile base for so many dishes. On nights when I’m stumped as to what to make for dinner, I make these Tex-Mex Rice Cakes. Since I always have the rest of the ingredients on hand, it only takes me minutes to prepare. The best part is that I can make a few extra for Kenya’s school lunch the next day. I just pop a couple in his Lap Top Lunch Box and we’re both happy!

Tex-Mex Rice Cakes (Makes 14-16 Cakes)‬

1 Cup Cooked Brown Rice
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs
1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese, grated
3/4 Cup Frozen Corn, defrosted
2 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Eggs, whisked About
2 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil for cooking

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs.
3. Add eggs to the rice mixture and mix to combine.
4. Using about a 1/4 cup of the mixture, shape mixture into patties.
5. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and add patties, cooking 2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
6. Serve alone or with salsa.

*Shape into patties, place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes then place in a ziploc bag and freeze up to 4 months. When ready, allow to thaw then follow step 5.