It’s almost as busy at the school as the mall on boxing day. The parents get to find out from Saleema Noon exactly what she’s going to be telling the kids about… body stuff. You know, sex. And parts ‘down there’. WHISPER… Where babies come from. We’ve got her tips for talking about sex with your kids.
We think these little cakes have everything going for them, from their portable size to their delicious Parmesan flavour. This hearty risotto also gets a dose of my favourite superfood, kale. Two-bite wonders, they’re a great lunch packed up with some fruit and cut vegetables. You can also serve these little bundles alongside eggs at breakfast or as a side with dinner.
This recipe was excerpted from the great new cookbook entitled How to Feed a Family: The Sweet Potatoes Chronicles Cookbook, by Ceri Marsh and Laura Keogh. As two urban, working moms, Ceri and Laura learned quickly how challenging healthy meal-times can be. So they joined forces to create the Sweet Potato Chronicles (www.sweetpotatochronicles.com), a website written for, and by, non-judgmental moms, packed full of nutritious recipes for families. The phenomenal cookbook is available across Canada at Chapters Indigo.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Makes: about 8
5 cup (125 ml) arborio rice
1 Tbsp (15 ml) butter
4 cup (60 ml) chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (250 ml) chopped kale, fresh or frozen
1 cup (250 ml) chopped spinach, fresh or frozen
5 cup (125 ml) grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Using a nonstick spray, grease a muffin tin.
Cook the arborio rice according to the package directions. If you’re using fresh greens, wash and remove any tough stems then chop. If your greens are frozen, thaw them for a few minutes and squeeze out any liquid.
Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the kale and spinach and sauté for about 5 minutes. Transfer this mixture to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Transfer to a medium-size bowl and add the rice and cheese. Beat the eggs and then add to the rice. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared muffin tin, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) space at the top. Place in the oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the egg is set and the edges are golden brown.
Allow to cool for a few minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife and turn the cakes onto a plate. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Truly the most important meal of the day, breakfast should not be skipped – especially for kids heading off to learn at school. We’ve put together 12 healthy breakfast ideas, some of which can be made in advance and frozen. Moms need to save all the time possible in the morning!
Smoothies are a fabulous option and a great way to add fruit and vegetables to the diet. We like to ‘hide’ spinach in smoothies and disguise it with dark fruit like blueberries.
Mini quiche are great to make in mini muffin tins and an easy place to throw in tiny peppers, cheese, bacon and herbs.
Shaped pancakes are fun to make in huge batches and keep in the freezer. You can pull out a few at a time for the kids and heat.
Breakfast wraps (we call them ‘hand snacks’) are fun with scrambled eggs, cheese and salsa. Wrap the end in tinfoil and they become a great portable breakfast option!
Oatmeal from scratch is easy when you add mil to the oats and finish with with cinnamon and brown sugar.
Homemade muffins are fantastic for hiding pureed or grated veggies such as zucchini and carrot. Here are our zippy zucchini ones.
Whole grain waffles that you can pop in the toaster make a great start to the day. Try to opt of real maple syrup over the artificially flavoured ones..
Poached eggs on whole wheat toast are a favourite in our household. You can skip the hollandaise to save a few calories. And a ton of time!
Granola with a few hidden chocolate chips at the bottom of the bowl helps my kids eat everything. Wink.
Scrambled Eggs and Smoked Salmon on brown toast is a great way to start the day, and packs a ton of lean protein.
Ham and Eggs is a great way to begin a day and the protein boost will help the kids retain the juicy tidbits they learn at school.
Cut up fruit with Greek yoghurt dip is a healthy snack, and you can make fun patterns with different shapes of fruit – a sailboat scene for instance. Sprinkled with chia and hemp seeds, it packs a ton of omega 3’s. Enjoy your breakfast!!