• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

let us roll-ups

makes 4 servings

sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce

¼ cup water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon granulated onion or 2 teaspoons dehydrated onion flakes

½ teaspoon kosher salt (optional)

teaspoon ground ginger

1 pound ground chicken, beef, or turkey

1 medium carrot, minced or grated

1 cup minced broccoli crowns and stems

1 head romaine lettuce, separated, washed, and dried

Chopped unsalted peanuts or cashews, for garnish (optional)

preparation * Put the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, stir to combine, and break up any lumps with a fork; set aside.

Heat a large sauté pan or wok on medium-high heat. Cook the meat, untouched, until it looks like it is cooking underneath and juices start to be released. Add the carrot and broccoli. Start breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring and breaking up the lumps until the meat is thoroughly cooked. If the meat is giving off a lot of grease, drain it before adding the sauce.

Turn the heat down to medium-low, give the sauce a stir, and add it to the pan. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes more, until the meat is coated and glossy, continuing to break up any large chunks of meat.

Serve the meat and lettuce leaves separately on a plate, and have your child try to put the meat in the leaves with a spoon, then sprinkle with nuts and eat like a taco.

variations

Mix ¼ cup cooked rice into the meat mixture to change it up.

Add minced onion or garlic when you add the vegetables. This will get your kids used to new flavors without them seeing the identifiable chunks. Then the next time you cook this recipe, make the onions larger.

these bright green pancakes are sweet and full of vegetables—a tender version of a regular pancake. inspired by a dish at a famous restaurant in new york city, these pancakes are delicate while cooking but sturdy when cool.

tell your kids that they look like lily pads and count them as they eat them. have them jump their fingers from one to the other like a frog. give them a small bowl of plain yogurt to dip into as they eat. the next time you make these, add some yellow curry powder to the yogurt. use petite green peas when possible; do not use canned peas for this recipe.

lily pad pancakes

makes 15 silver dollar–size pancakes

ingredients

8 ounces (about 1½ cups) frozen peas, thawed

2 tablespoons water

1 egg

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

teaspoon baking powder

Vegetable oil, as needed

Butter or plain yogurt for serving

preparation * Set aside cup of the peas.

Add the remaining peas to a blender with the water and egg; purée until smooth.

Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and stir in the flour, salt, and baking powder and gradually mix with a fork or whisk. Stir in the reserved cup peas; let the batter rest for 10 minutes while you clean up.

Place about 2 tablespoons of oil in a sauté pan, warm over medium heat until shimmering, and drop 1 tablespoon of batter into the pan. Gently cook for about 3 minutes, until you see bubbles forming around the edges. Flip and cook on the second side until very lightly browned. Continue until all the batter is gone. Serve warm with butter or plain yogurt.

variation

Add in cooked bay shrimp, diced chicken, or fresh corn.

toddler tip

If your child won’t usually eat peas, make sure you add all the peas to the blender in the first step so they get puréed.

recipe note

For regular yogurt containers on their way to expiring, take the top off, stir, and sprinkle granola over the top. Cut a slit in the plastic top and push a plastic spoon into the yogurt. Replace the top so the handle is sticking out, and freeze. When ready to eat, pop off the container, leaving the top on to catch drips.

these mushrooms are chewy and crispy, and have a surprise of hidden cheese in the bottom. the stuffing is made from plain old crackers—something most people have in the pantry. mushrooms are a neutral vegetable that really soaks up the flavoring they’re paired with. these are so good that you