One of the best parts about working (mostly) from home is that it rarely feels like work. So much of the fun of weelicious for me is not only being close to my kids but that I can actually let them participate in helping me create some of the recipes (whether you feel confident making a recipe that a 4 year old helped me to create is entirely up to you)!

I had been working on a recipe for zucchini cakes last week when Kenya came into the kitchen with his grandmother and asked me, “whatcha got” (translation: what are you making for me to eat)? I don’t know why I always feel a little hesitant whenever I offer my kids something I made that contains a green vegetable. Even though I am beyond blessed with two great eaters, I somehow am still guilty of believing that all kids are pre-programmed to not like green veggies. Anyway, Kenya always tends to ask me what’s in whatever it is I am offering him, and so I told him: parmesan (I always list the cheese first for him, no matter how little is in the recipe!), breadcrumbs, eggs and finally, under my breath I added “zucchini”, to which he literally screamed, “I love zucchini”.

Kenya took a taste and when I asked him what he thought it needed he said most matter of factly, “it needs some cheese on top”. I guess it is worth trusting a 4 year old because just that extra sprinkle of cheese took these Zucchini Cakes from good to great. So great, in fact, that I didn’t even get to serve them as I planned to at dinner that night because Kenya and his dad finished the entire recipe right then and there.

What’s the lesson for me here? Giving your kids input into what you’re making isn’t such a bad idea. On the contrary, allowing them to feel like they contributed something to the dish can be a great way to let them feel some pride of ownership and inspire them to eat things you might have thought they would never be into!

Zucchini Parmesan Cakes (Serves 4)

2 Medium Zucchini, grated
2 Large Eggs, whisked
1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, plus extra to sprinkle on top
1/4 Tsp Kosher Salt
Olive Oil

1. Grate 2 medium zucchini and place in a towel and blot to remove excess liquid.
2. Place the grated zucchini in a bowl along with the whisked eggs, garlic powder, breadcrumbs, parmesan and salt and combine.
3. Heat 1-2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
4. Drop about 2 tbsp of batter into the skillet and flatten with the back of a spoon to form a cake. Cook for 2 minutes on each side.*
5. Continue to making the remaining cakes and sprinkle with parmesan cheese on top.
6. Serve.

* You can use a small cookie scooper to portion the batter into the pan

It’s still summer and the weather seems warmer then ever, but once the Back to School buzz is in the ether it sends my brain a message that it’s time to cover up the grill and head back into the kitchen to do my cooking.

But I don’t listen to that message! The grill should always be your best buddy — at least for as long as it continues to be nice outside and your goal remains getting an easy dinner on your table in a jiff.

Among all the fruits and vegetables, our garden is literally overflowing at the moment with peppers and zucchini. I gotta use what’s growing and that’s where the inspiration for these hearty kabobs came from. My kids are really into the how our peppers have ripened into rainbow of different colors and they’ve also discovered a fun new cooking job helping me to string the vegetable chunks onto the skewers. After just a few minutes on the grill and a brush of sweet glaze right at the end, these Grilled Veggie Kabobs will become welcome part of your meal no matter what time of year it is!

Grilled Veggie Kabobs (Makes 6-8 Skewers)

1 Onion, cubed
1 Red Bell Pepper, cubed
1 Green Bell Pepper, cubed
1 Orange Bell Pepper, cubed
8 Mushrooms
1 Green Zucchini, sliced into 1-inch rounds
1 Yellow Zucchini, sliced into 1-inch rounds
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Teriyaki Sauce

1. Preheat grill.
2. Place vegetable onto skewers*, brush with olive oil and grill for 3-4 minutes on each side.
3. Brush with the teriyaki sauce and serve.

* If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 30 minutes prior to placing the vegetables on the skewers so they don’t burn

DO YOU WANT TO SAY YOU CAN USE TOMATOES AND WHATEVER VEGGES ARE IN SEASON?

Why do so many people turn up their noses when they hear the word okra? Growing up in the south, I ate okra as often as say someone in Georgia might eat a peach. Being someone who can at times gravitate to the extreme, I was also the kid who, when enjoying a bowl of Burgoo (am I getting too country for you now), used to pick out all of the okra to devour first. However, I find people from other parts of the country either have never heard of okra or have an unexplained aversion to it.

I introduced Kenya and Chloe to this exquisite green vegetable, a very good source of Vitamins A, C, and K, right when they started eating solid foods and now I’ve got two okra lovin’ kids. We usually enjoy it prepared simply, steamed as a side dish, but when I made these okra fries and served them up with a little marinara sauce on the side for dipping, the kids looked at me like I truly had reinvented the wheel (and improved on it)! My 2 year old, Chloe, likes to pull the okra out of the crust and eat both parts separately (it is hilarious to watch) while the rest of us like to just dip and leave our “fries” intact. Crunchy on the outside, tender and sweet on the inside, these Okra “Fries” are delicious, a healthier alternative to real fries because there is no actual frying involved and a great way to get your family to eat one of my favorite veggies — with no upturned noses!

Okra Fries (Serves 4)

1 Lb Whole Okra
1/3 Cup Flour
2 Large Eggs, whisked
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 Cup Italian Breadcrumbs or Panko

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Make an “assembly line” by placing the flour in one bowl, the eggs in a second bowl, and the salt and breadcrumbs in a third.
3. Roll the okra in the flour and pat to remove excess flour.
4. Dip the flour-coated okra in the egg and then roll in the breadcrumbs. Dip in the egg again and roll into the breadcrumbs once more to double coat the okra.
5. Place okra on a cookie sheet sprayed or greased with olive oil. When all the coated okra is on the sheet, spray again to lightly coat.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.
7. Serve.

From the name alone this seems like an unbelievably simple salad to make. And you know what? It is!

Tired of serving a plain steamed green veggie every night, I decided to jazz up some broccoli with a bit of added color, texture and a sweet sauce. At first I wondered if the kids would just eat the edamame, almonds and cranberries and avoid the broccoli, but they ate every bite and ended up asking for seconds.

I usually have all of the ingredients to make this dish on hand as they’re some of my staples. If you don’t have them, they’re worth picking up for whenever you want to enjoy this easy, yet impressive combination. Since you get a protein, a vegetable and a fruit, it’s like a healthy trifecta!

Broccoli Salad (Serves 4)

1 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
4 Cups Broccoli Florets, steamed
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
1 Cup Frozen Edamame, defrosted
1/4 Cup Toasted Almonds, sliced or slivered

1. Place the honey, mayonnaise, salt, and vinegar in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to coat with dressing.
3. Serve.

Somehow Kenya ended up “helping” me buy way more ears of corn at the farmers’ market last weekend than we could possibly eat in 7 days. It’s amazing how quickly the items in our cart can grow when my two little helpers get extra excited about what’s at the market. Between all that extra sweet corn and the ready-to-be-picked red bell peppers and parsley in our garden, I decided to make this salad. It’s bright in color and has a ton of texture, so it’s as visually beautiful as it is delicious.

This salad just says summer to me, so the time to make some is now!

Grilled Corn & Red Pepper Salad (Serves 4)

4 Ears of Corn
2 Large Red Peppers, seeds removed and cut into quarters
1/4 Cup Red Onion, diced
1/2 Tsp Paprika
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 Cup Mozzarella Balls, cut into quarters

1. Preheat grill.
2. Grill corn and peppers for 6 minutes and set aside to cool.*
3. Remove the corn kernels from the cobs and dice the red peppers.
4. Place the corn and peppers in a bowl with the remaining ingredients and combine.
5. Serve.

*You can remove the skin of the red peppers if they are charred.

I know what you’re probably thinking, “PEAS? There’s no way my kids will eat peas, let alone a salad.” Well, I’m going to put forth a challenge to you. I’m willing to wager that if you get your kids involved in making this delicious dish with you, either shelling fresh peas or even defrosting frozen ones and then helping you toss all of the ingredients together, they will be excited about eating it (and their veggies in general).

My kids probably aren’t that different than yours when it comes to being challenging about what they’ll eat (and when they’ll eat it). However, time and again I find that by just by letting them have a little independence in the kitchen and allowing them to take part in the cooking process with me — instead of me just making their meal and putting it in front of them — makes them have some pride of ownership over the food and embrace eating whatever it is we make together. It may not work on the first try, but don’t give up. Eventually it catches on.

Now, what will be your grand prize should you choose to accept this challenge? A new car? A free getaway to Brazil? How about kids who want to eat their veggies….and actually think it’s cool? That’s better than a new car, isn’t it?

Summer Pea Salad (Serves 4 )

Juice of 1 Lemon
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
2 Cups Green Peas, cooked & cooled
1/4 Cup Red Onions, diced
1/2 Cup Celery, diced
1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1/2 Cup Crumbled Feta or Goat Cheese
2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, Cilantro or Mint

1. Place the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine.
3. Serve.

The Blue Lake beans on our trellis from My Own Edible Garden have been growing like weeds over the past few weeks. I can’t begin to describe the amount of pride my kids have in the fact that they helped to plant, water and weed these beautiful beans that seems to multiply weekly by the pound. Kenya and Chloe love grabbing a few to munch on while we play in the yard (it’s like having my own outdoor snack bar!) or bringing a handful back into the kitchen to either sauté with an assortment of the other veggies and herbs growing in our garden or roast with a pinch of seasoning.

I constantly am amazed by how much easier it is to get kids to eat the foods they frequently resist, like green vegetables, simply by allowing them to have a hand in the process of growing what they eat. It lets them see food in a whole new light and gives them a pride of ownership that can’t be replicated any other way. Green beans are a great green for little hands to hold on to whether they’re raw, steamed or simply roasted like these.

Roasted Green Beans (Serves 4)

1 Lb Green Beans, rinsed, tips cut off
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Place all of the ingredients on a baking sheet and toss to combine.
3. Bake for 30 minutes.
4. Serve.

If there are two foods I have in our kitchen at all times, it’s cucumbers and avocados. My kids love their cukes. They are just as likely to sit around munching on whole persian cucumbers for a snack as they are apples or bananas.

Many nights, I serve sliced cucumbers and cubes of avocado as individual side dishes at dinner, so I thought, why not mix them together, add a few fresh herbs and turn them into a bright salsa! It’s a cool, refreshing
side dish that you can also serve alongside chips or even on top of fish or chicken on those warm nights when you want something nutritious and light but that also takes little time or effort to prepare.

Cucumber Avocado Salsa (serves 4)

1 Large Cucumber, seeded and chopped
2 Avocados, peeled, pitted, & cubed
2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp Fresh Mint, chopped
Juice of 1 Lime
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt

1. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and combine.
2. Serve.

Every time I take the kids to my friend’s house for a play date she serves steamed carrot coins for dinner. They’re always tender and sweet and all of our kids love them. I think the coin shape makes them extra appealing to little ones. I rarely think to make cooked carrots for dinner because I have such vivid memories of the waterlogged ones from my middle school cafeteria tray that always went untouched. Remember those? Limp, bland and quite sad looking. When it comes to food, like with many things, first impressions can be so important. No wonder so many kids decide from a young age whether they do or don’t like a certain food. It’s why I focus so much on presentation and sparked to my friend’s preparation.

I bought some gorgeous carrots at the Farmers’ Market last weekend and decided to give them a little extra lovin’ by roasting them with a bit of seasoning. These carrots turned out nothing like the ones I grew up on, they’re sweet from a bit of caramelization, bright orange and delicious. It’s nice to know that you rediscover foods you grew up on (and may not have fond memories of) and see them in a whole new light!

Roasted Carrot Coins (Serves 4)

4 Medium Carrots, peeled and cut into coins, about 2 cups
1/4 Tsp Paprika
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 Tsp Kosher Salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Place all of the ingredients on a baking sheet and toss to combine.
3. Roast for 30 minutes.
4. Serve.

Memorial Day, swimming and summertime barbecues are right around the corner, so I thought I would get your tummies rumbling with a salsa that’s full of vibrant colors, fresh flavors and lots of nutrition.

Ever since corn reappeared at our local Farmers’ Market a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been serving the kids this Corn Salsa as a side dish, but then I realized it’s also the perfect accompaniment to a bag of tortilla chips as a dipping salsa. No matter how you decide to serve it, it’s super simple to make and perfect to double or even triple if you have a bunch of people coming over.

Corn Salsa (Serves 4-6)

1 16 oz Bag Frozen Corn, defrosted (or 2 cups fresh corn, cooked)
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
2 Green Onions, sliced
1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
Juice of 2 Limes
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and combine.
2. Serve with tortilla chips or as a side dish.