Amy's Brand Healthy Frozen Kids Meals

So, we were all just at our local natural foods store over the weekend (which admittedly happens to be a little fringe-elementish) and my husband was glaring at the frozen foods section in a an almost snore-like trance (he tends to zone out when it comes to food purchases) when all of a sudden he gleefully exclaimed “Look! Healthy Frozen Kids Meals!” I immediately thought, Oh no, he is just getting our son’s hopes up and surely whatever it was he spotted couldn’t possibly be healthy---especially if it was marketed to kids (remember, not everything in the natural foods stores is healthy!) but, I was wrong and he was right. Amy’s brand now makes frozen kids meals. We got the Baked Ziti, which came with broccoli and an apple dessert---I added more frozen broccoli to my son’s meal (see photo above) but other than that I really did just heat and serve. The blissful convenience of it all got me to thinking, what have I been missing all these years….

Slow Cooker Black Bean Chili

I’m loving my slow cooker lately. If I can organize myself early enough in the mid-morning to get everything into the pot then the meal cooks while I’m out and about. This black bean recipe is one of my family’s new favorites! It’s very rich tasting but still super healthy. To round out the meal, you can pick up a rotisserie chicken and add to the chili along with a simple side salad.



Slow Cooker Black Bean Chili

Serves: 6

1 medium-size Spanish onion, chopped
1 medium-size red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 14-ounce package dried black beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped and deseeded canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (available in the ethnic section of your supermarket)
1 square dark baker’s chocolate
6 cups organic vegetable broth (such as Imagine brand)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons salt

Toppings: sour cream, lime wedges, chopped cilantro, chopped fresh tomatoes

1.Place all ingredients in a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker. Cover with a lid, set temperature to high and cook for 5 hours. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, extra lime wedges, chopped cilantro and chopped fresh tomatoes.

Cinnamon Apple Pie Pancakes

Who says pancakes can’t be healthy? These almost flourless pancakes are super rich in those good for you omega-3 essential fats and fiber that pretty much all kids need to eat more of. Even better, they can be made in minutes AND they keep the kids filled up for hours (thank you fiber!) You’ll have to double the recipe if you have more than one child—--or if you want some yourself =)

Oh, and Blake just went to Disney’s Animal Kingdom yesterday and thus the sporty (and sort of ridiculous) black Mickey Mouse plate in the photo above.



Cinnamon Apple Pie Pancakes

Serves: 1

•1 tart apple, finely chopped
•Cinnamon, to taste
•1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
•1 organic omega-3 egg, lightly beaten
•1/4 cup plain unsweetened soymilk (such as Silk)
•2 tablespoons water
•1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds (such as Barlean’s)
•2 tablespoons wheat germ
•2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
•Pinch of salt
•1 teaspoon organic butter

1.Place chopped apples in a microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle with cinnamon to taste. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir in walnuts. Set aside to cool.

2.In a small bowl, whisk the egg, soymilk, water and vanilla extract together. Add the flaxseeds, wheat germ, flour and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle in a little cinnamon. Mix to combine.

3.Melt butter in a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Ladle out 1/3 of the batter and cook about 1 minute, or until edges easily lift. Flip and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter (you should end up with 3 pancakes.) Serve pancakes with apple-walnut topping.

My New Favorite Kid-Friendly Express Lane Muesli Breakfast

My son is now crazy for Familia brand Swiss Muesli, which means I’m lovin it too! The cereal has completely 100% understandable and recognizable wholesome ingredients (nothing funky or far out) including: oat flakes, apple flakes, whole-meal flour (wheat, rye, barley), sugar, wheat flakes, raisins, roasted almonds, and wheat germ crispies (made with wheat germ, honey, pear concentrate and cinnamon) The easiest epxress lane breakfast ever is get a small bowl and fill it with plain, unsweetened yogurt (sprinkle with a little cinnamon and mix in a teaspoon of raw honey), top it off with some Swiss Mueli, a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds (such as Barlean’s Forti-Flax), chopped nuts and fresh berries. Yum’s the word!

Quick Lunch for Mom & Dad---Avocodo, Hearts of Palm and Tuna Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette

My husband is still on his 1-week "go-nowhere” vacation so we’ve been eating out a lot and I haven’t been in the kitchen much. Today we were out all morning and came back for a quick bite before leaving for Costco and miscellaneous errands. I was rummaging around our pantry and managed to pull off a beyond easy and super tasty lunch based around a simple “no lettuce” salad. Augment the salad with some toasted sprouted whole grain bread dipped in flax oil and shaved Parmesan cheese.


Avocado, Hearts of Palm and Tuna Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette
Serves: 2

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, packed in extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup flax oil (I recommend Barlean’s brand)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small can (6 ounces) albacore tuna, packed in water
1 avocado, chopped
1 jar (12 ounces) hearts of palm, chopped
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.Place sundried tomatoes, flax oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and Dijon mustard in a blender. Process until smooth and creamy.

2.Add remaining ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Mix ingredients together. Drizzle vinaigrette on top. Serve.

Easy Vegetable Beef Stew

This effortless one-dish meal is hearty and healthy and best of all, the kids will actually eat it! It’s loaded with veggies and brimming with flavor---but again, it’s nothing so overdone in the flavor department that you’ll need to make another dish for the munchkins. I just made it tonight with less than 20 minutes of prep time. If the 1 cup of wine called for in the recipe is concerning, you should know the alcohol will cook out (you could simmer the soup for 10 extra minutes if you like) However, feel free to skip the wine completely and just substitute 1 cup vegetable broth.


Easy Vegetable Beef and Mushroom Stew

Serves: 4

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds lean beef stew meat, trimmed of all fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
Salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste
1 pound fresh button mushrooms (sliced)
1 cup dry white wine (Chardonnay)
1 1/2 cups organic vegetable broth (such as Pacific Natural Foods brand)
1/2 cup orange juice, divided
2 teaspoons dried basil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups thawed-frozen petite peas
1 cup thawed frozen corn kernels

1.Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add onion and beef and sauté for 5-8 minutes, or until onions are soft. Sprinkle the flour, salt and pepper over the beef mixture and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

2.Add mushrooms, wine, vegetable broth, half of the orange juice, basil, garlic cloves and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.

3.Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add thawed-frozen peas and corn and remaining half of orange juice, Simmer an additional 5 minutes. Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

Pre Wall-e Movie Meal---Grilled Cheese (on Sprouted Whole Grain Bread)

My husband is on a 1-week "go nowhere" vacation so I'm not doing as much cooking this week as normal. We're just now getting ready to take our son to a movie (Wall-e) and so I was quickly trying to feed the little guy a substantial enough snack that he won't want the candy or other trashy theatre treats. First thing I thought of was grilled cheese! I always use organic low-fat cheese and sprouted whole grain bread. Choosing a healthy 100% whole grain bread is a must. My favorite brand of bread is made by Ezekiel 4:9 (see photo above). You can find this bread in the refrigerated section of natural foods stores and many mainstream grocery stores now carry it too. Unlike regular bread, sprouted bread contains no flour. These whole grain breads are more nutritionally superior to even the breads made with 100% whole wheat flour because during the sprouting process the vitamins, minerals and availability of protein within the whole grain all increase substantially. Of course sprouted whole grain foods contain a lot of fiber too, and most kids these days could benefit from more fiber. Also, because sprouts are living, growing food sources, they have a rich supply of enzymes which makes them easily assimilated by those little growing bodies. But I know taste rules when it comes to whether or not your kids will actually eat the healthy foods you serve---don’t worry, these breads still taste delicious. They are simply more nutritious =)