Recipes
Healthy Vegetable Recipes for Kids
(Recipes all provided by Moms whose kids loved to eat them)
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Orange-Avacado Salad
4 oranges, peeled, sectioned​
3 avocados, peeled, sliced
1 jicama, peeled, cut into julienne strips
½ cup Italian Dressing
½ cup orange juice​
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbsp. grated orange zest
Instructions:
TOSS oranges, avocados, and jicama in large bowl.
MIX dressing and juice. Pour over salad; mix lightly.
SPRINKLE with cilantro and zest.
Sweet Potato Fries
2-3 large sweet potatoes, sliced into thin strips
¼ cup olive oil or melted coconut oil
Spices of choice (garlic, sea salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and thyme)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Put olive oil and spices in small bowl and mix well.
Slice sweet potatoes and put on large baking sheet (or two if you are making a lot).
Pour oil over the fries and toss by hand until evenly coated- also coats the baking sheet.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or more until slightly browned and tender.
Carrot Raisin Salad with Pineapple
4 1/2c fresh carrots, finely shredded
1 can pineapple crushed (8oz.) or 2/3 cup
3/4c raisins
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2c mayonnaise
Instructions:
Chill all ingredients at least 30 minutes. Combine everything gently in a large bowl. Adjust sugar to your own taste. May be refrigerated up to 72 hours. Serves 8.
Ginger Carrots
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1 ½ lb. carrots, sliced
1-2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. each grated fresh ginger and lemon juice
1 tbsp. melted light butter or other oil (coconut or olive)
Instructions:
Heat oven to 425º F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil. Cut carrots into ¼ inch slices.
Stir honey, ginger, lemon juice and melted butter in small bowl. Put carrots on baking sheet in single layer; toss with honey mixture. Roast 20 minutes, tossing once, until tender and glazed. Serve with pork.
***This can be done even simpler by putting 1/8 inch water in a pan, add the honey and butter or oil and mix while hot, add carrots and cook, stirring occasionally. When just about done add ginger. Remove and enjoy!
Sweet & Sour Green Beans
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3-4 slices bacon crosscut
1-2 T. packed brown sugar
¼ t. dry mustard
1-1½ lb. frozen green beans (haricot verts--Trader Joes)
1 small onion sliced
2-3 T. cider vinegar
½ t. salt
Instructions:
Cook bacon & onion in a small pan over stove until bacon is done, mix in sugar, salt, mustard & vinegar. Place beans in a medium pan with 1/8-1/4 cup water, steam until soft., stir halfway through. Drain. Add bacon/onion mixture combine and heat. Serve.
Microwave instructions: Microwave bacon & onion in a small bowl, 2-3 min. or until bacon is done, mix in sugar, salt, mustard & vinegar. Place beans in a 2-3 qu. Casserole, cover and microwave for 6 to 8 min., stir after ½ time. Drain. Add bacon/onion mixture combine and microwave 2-3 min. Serve.
Pineapple Cole Slaw
3 c. prepared cabbage, chopped
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
2/3 c. mayonnaise
1 sm. Can crushed pineapple, well drained
Instructions:
Stir well and taste; adjust salt and sugar to your own taste. You can chop up a small carrot with slaw if you want for color. Good.
Fried Bacon Cabbage and Onion
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large head cabbage, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
Instructions:
Place the bacon in a large stockpot and cook over medium-high heat until crispy, about 10 minutes. Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion caramelizes; about 10 minutes. Immediately stir in the cabbage and continue to cook and stir another 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes more. (Mom: My kids LOVE this, and I can't make it fast enough for them!)
​Roasted Brussel Sprouts
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​1 ½ pounds Brussel sprouts
​3 tablespoons olive oil
​¾ teaspoon kosher salt
​½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
​Garlic as desired
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut off the brown ends of the Brussel sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt and serve immediately.
Kale Chips
1 head kale, washed and thoroughly dried
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt for sprinkling
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​Instructions:
​​Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
​Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces. Lay on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and salt. Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, and about 20 minutes. Serve as finger food.
Miscellaneous Other Vegetables Suggestions
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Baked Sweet Potato/Yam with butter and fried bacon bits
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Broccoli with grated cheese (if no milk allergies)
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Packaged green salad with cranberries and almonds, with a sweet dressing ​