Recipes

Black Bean & Corn Summer Salad

What you need: 1 can (19 oz/540 ml) black beans, rinsed and drained 2 cups frozen corn niblets, thawed ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro ¼ cup lime juice 2 medium tomatoes, chopped ½ cup chopped onion 1 tsp. ground cumin ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper How to : Chop tomato and onion. Rinse and drain beans. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Serve. For a better taste, refrigerate for at few hours before serving. Serves 10 *Source: Pulses. Cooking with beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas, Pulse Canada, p. 16.  

Hummus Dip

This traditionally Middle Eastern dip is becoming more and more popular in Canada. Did you know that the majority of chickpeas in Canada are grown in Saskatchewan? (Source: Pulse Canada) What you need: 1 can (19 oz/540 ml) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained 1 lemon 1 clove garlic 1 cup plain yogurt 1 ½ tsp. olive oil Tahini (optional) – note : possible allergen How to : Drain and rince the garbanzo beans. Use a reamer to get the juice out of the lemon. Mince or finely chop the garlic. Put the garbanzo beans in a bowl and mash with a potato masher. Stir in the lemon juice, garlic, yogurt and olive oil. You can eat hummus with veggies or pita bread. Serves eight children. *Source: LEAP – Food Flair, Legacies Now, p. 170.

Rabbit Pancakes

What you need: 1 ¼ cup milk 5 tsp. Lemon juice or cider vinegar ½ cup whole wheat flour ½ cup oats 1 tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt 1 tbsp. vegetable oil 1 egg, lightly beaten ½ cup grated carrots Non-stick vegetable cooking spray How to : Make sour milk. Warm the milk slightly in the microwave or in a pot on the stove. Add lemon juice or cider vinegar and stir well. Allow this mixture to rest while you assemble the rest of the ingredients. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir well. Add the vegetable oil, sour milk, egg and carrots. Beat the mixture with a hand beater until smooth. Spray griddle with non-stick cooking spray. Heat griddle to a medium heat. (To see if the griddle is hot enough, sprinkle with a few drops of water. If bubbles skitter around, the temperature is just right). Using a measuring cup, pour about ¼ cup of batter onto the hot griddle for each pancake. Cook until pancakes are puffed and dry around edges. Turn and cook the other side until golden brown. Top with applesauce, fresh fruits or yogurt. Makes 16, four inches (10 cm) pancakes.   *Source: LEAP – Food Flair, Legacies Now, p. 155-156.  

Fruit Pizza

What you need: 30 cm (12 in) prepared thin-crust pizza crust 1 cup (8 oz) light cream cheese 1 banana, peeled and sliced 4 cups assorted fresh fruit (pineapple chunks or slices, blueberries, strawberries, honeydew, cantaloupe, pitted cherries, apricot, and apple, peach or pear slices) Non-stick cooking spray How to : Coat pizza pan with cooking spray. Place crust on pizza pan and bake at 350° F (175° C) for 8-10 minutes. Cool. Spread light cream cheese over cooled crust. Arrange banana slices and assorted fruit on pizza. Cut into 30 pieces. Serves 30 children. *Source : LEAP – Food Flair, Legacies Now, p. 129.  

Ranch Dip for Kids

Want to make a big plate of veggies disappear? Just serve this dip—kids find it irresistible! What you need: 2/3 cup sour cream 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1 tbsp. cider vinegar 1 tsp. dried dill weed 1 tsp. Dijon-type mustard Pinch salt Pinch pepper How to: In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise and vinegar until smooth. Add dill, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk to blend. Makes one cup. Cover and refrigerate for up to one week.   *Recipe adapted from Better Food for Kids, Your Essential Guide to Nutrition for All Children from Age 2 to 10 by Joanne Saab and Daina Kalnins.  

Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple, and Red Lentil Soup

One of our centres shared this recipe with us. Every time they make it, the kids gobble it up! Perfect for lunch on a cold winter’s day. What you need: 1/4 cup butter 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped 1 apple peeled, cored, and chopped 1 onion, chopped 1/2 cup red lentils 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger 1/2 tsp ground pepper 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp paprika 4 cups vegetable broth Plain yogurt How to: Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Place the chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, apple, and onion in the pot. Stir and cook the apples and vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir the lentils, ginger, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and vegetable broth into the pot with the apple and vegetable mixture. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes. Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot. Return the pureed soup to the cooking pot. Bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Add water as needed to thin the soup to your preferred consistency. Serve with yogurt for garnish. *Recipe from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sweet-potato-carrot-apple-and-red-lentil-soup/    

Apple Gingerbread

Gingerbread is a comforting food for winter. Including apple makes this recipe extra moist and extra healthy, and molasses is a source of iron. Serve this gingerbread as a snack with applesauce, or as a dessert with real whip cream. What you need: 2 cups All-purpose flour (or try a blend of 1 cup all-purpose and ¾ cup of whole grain flour) ¼ cup Granulated sugar 2 tsp. Baking powder 1 tsp. Baking soda 1 tsp. Ground ginger ½ tsp. Ground cinnamon ½ tsp. Ground nutmeg ½ tsp. Salt ½ cup Butter or margarine 2 Eggs ½ cup Molasses ⅓ cup 2% milk 1 Medium apple, peeled and grated How to: Preheat the oven to 350° F (180°C). In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter, eggs, and molasses. Stir in dry ingredients, a little at a time, alternating with small additions of milk. Fold in apples. Pour into greased 13”x9” baking pan. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until cake tester inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before cutting into 15 pieces. *Recipe adapted from Better Food for Kids, Your Essential Guide to Nutrition for All Children from Age 2 to 10 by Joanne Saab and Daina Kalnins.

BE ACTIVE

EAT WELL

Join the Healthy Start Community

Learn online. Anytime, anywhere.