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Recipes for Parents Who Hate to Cook
These six ideas, from pizza dough to veggie pancakes to a killer stir-fry, are healthy and yummy alternatives kids (and parents!) will love
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Hey, moms and dads: Forget those dreams of "one day" cooking well-balanced meals for your family. Own your contempt for the kitchen – and consider these alternative recipes for feeding your kids healthy foods, without slaving over the stove!
For the morning, try a breakfast burrito or veggie pancakes. Need snacks? Try good-for-you green smoothies or the cheesy bean dip (hint: It's also a great base for tacos!). And for dinner in a pinch: Dress up your own simple homemade pizza dough or whip up an Asian shrimp stir-fry.
Easy Breakfast Recipes
Veggie Pancakes
A savory take on an old favorite, these pancakes, from Stacy Goldberg of West Bloomfield nutrition and wellness counseling service What's in Your Cart? LLC, are chock-full of vegetables. The star is kale – a kind of cruciferous vegetable that provides cholesterol-lowering fiber (plus antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits). Try it for dinner, too, as a side or main dish (just add all-natural chicken breast or grilled tofu).
- Cooking time: Under 30 minutes
- Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1/2 cup grated zucchini
- 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
- 1/2 cup diced red pepper
- 1/2 cup finely chopped lacinato kale
- 2 green onions, chopped fine
- 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 1/2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 egg white
- 1/4 cup low-fat milk of choice, including soy or almond milk
- 2 Tbsp. canola oil
Directions
- Combine flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.
- Beat together egg, milk, carrots, mushrooms, peppers, kale, zucchini and scallions.
- Stir wet ingredients into dry until just combined.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Pour batter by tablespoonfuls into pan, making a few pancakes at a time. Cook until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Add remaining oil to pan as needed to cook remaining pancakes.
- Serve immediately.
Breakfast Burrito
A perfect on-the-go morning meal, serve these to the kids on-the-fly en route to the school bus. This recipe is from West Bloomfield nutrition and wellness expert Stacy Goldberg of What's in Your Cart? LLC.
- Cooking time: Under 30 minutes
- Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 2 tsp. canola oil
- 1/2 small red onion, diced (1 cup)
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 cup drained, rinsed canned black beans, no salt added (Eden Organic or Whole Foods 365 Organic)
- 1/4 tsp. chili flakes
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 eggs and 4 egg whites (can be substituted for cage-free liquid egg whites or egg substitute)
- 1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 oz.) hormone- and antibiotic-free reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
- Olive or grape seed oil cooking spray
- 4 10-inch whole-wheat or sprouted grain tortillas (burrito-size) (I like Food for Life Ezekiel sprouted grain tortillas)
- 1/4 cup low-fat or 2% Greek style plain yogurt (as sour cream substitute)
- 1/4 cup salsa
- 1 large tomato (4 oz.), seeded and diced
- 1 small avocado (4 oz.), cubed or 1/4 cup guacamole
Directions
- Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook onion and peppers until onions and peppers are soft; about 7-9 minutes.
- Add black beans and red pepper flakes and cook until warmed through, another 4 minutes.
- Lightly season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a dish.
- Whisk together the eggs and egg whites then stir in the cheese.
- Spray the skillet with cooking spray, and reheat the skillet over a medium heat.
- Reduce heat to low and add eggs, scrambling until cooked through, about 3 minutes.
- Spread each tortilla with 1 tablespoon each Greek yogurt and salsa, then layer with 1/4 of the black bean mixture, 1/4 of the scrambled eggs, some diced tomato and 1/4 of the avocado or guacamole.
- Roll up into a burrito and enjoy!
Snacks on next page
