Tomato and Olive Egg Burrito

Eggs are packed with healthy proteins, iron and Vitamin A. Fancy-up a plain old egg by adding tomatoes and olives, and sticking them in a kid-friendly wrap.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
Costs: $8

Ingredients:
4 10-inch flour tortillas

8 eggs

8 teaspoons water

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup freshly chopped tomatoes

1 cup freshly chopped olives

Warm a tortilla in a skillet over medium heat on 30 seconds per side. This should make it soft and flexible. Set on a plate.

Whisk together two eggs and two teaspoons water. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a skillet and pour the eggs in. Cook evenly. Scatter the ¼ cup of tomatoes and ¼ cup of the olives on top of the eggs and cook for another 30 seconds or until the eggs are set but still a little shiny.

Slide eggs onto the warm tortilla. Pinch the ends of the tortilla in and roll it up to make a wrap. Repeat the above steps to make the remaining three burritos.

Classic Beef Meatloaf

Load your kids up with tons of protein in a healthy, but still tasty, meatloaf.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4
Costs: $10

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly oil the inside of a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl place the ground beef and form a well in the middle. Add in the Worcestershire sauce, dried basil, garlic salt, ketchup, breadcrumbs and black pepper. Mix everything together until it is completely combined.

Place the mixture into the loaf pan, packing it in evenly with your hands. Don’t pack it too tightly though, or the meatloaf will be very dense.

Bake the loaf for one hour, or until the top is browned and a crust has formed.

Allow the loaf to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving right out of the pan.

Tomato Soup

There's nothing heartier than a tasty tomato soup on a cold day. Plus, tomatoes provide antioxidants that help fight off tons of illnesses.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Costs: $8 (plus an extra $6-$8 if you need to buy a bottle of white wine, or use white wine vinegar if you have it on hand)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 cup white wine or white wine vinegar
2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes with juice
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
5 ounces fresh spinach leaves, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and stir until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and pepper flakes, cook for 1 minute.

Carefully pour in white wine (or vinegar) and simmer until almost completely evaporated. Pour in the cans of tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth and basil. Increase heat to medium-high and bring soup to a boil for 1 minute. Then reduce heat and simmer soup for 10 minutes.

Working carefully, puree soup with a hand blender until completely smooth. Or, scoop it into a blender and puree until smooth. When all of the soup is completed, return it to the pot and bring it to a simmer.

Allow soup to simmer for a few minutes, then stir in the sugar and vinegar. Stir in spinach and allow to wilt.

Herbed Cheddar Polenta

The polenta in this dressed-up, kid-friendly meal will provide your child with an excellent source of iron, zinc and vitamin B6, among others.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Costs: $6

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly chopped chives
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups chicken stock
4 cups 1% milk
2 cups polenta
1/2 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese

Place the butter and olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt fully and stir in the olive oil. Add the garlic and chives and stir for 2 minutes.

Add chicken stock and milk. Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat. Once mixture is boiling, sprinkle in the polenta, whisking constantly to make sure no clumps form. Then, switch to a wooden spoon and stir until mixture is thickened like the dense porridge, about 8-10 minutes.

Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the cheese. Then, pour it into a 13x9x2 baking dish, spreading it smoothly with the back of a wooden spoon.

Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to cool and harden. It can be stored this way for up to 48 hours.

To prep, melt a small pat of butter and olive oil in a skillet. Meanwhile, cut the polenta into squares and dust lightly with flour. Then, add it to the hot pan and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until each side is light brown and crispy. Serve hot.

Chicken Quesadilla Pie

The superstar in this recipe is the avocado, which provides a nice, creamy taste—not to mention loads of essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4
Costs: $10

Ingredients:
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
6 8-inch flour tortillas
3 taco shells
1 cup low-fat sour cream
1 cup medium heat salsa
2 avocadoes, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 bag shredded Mexican cheese blend

Preheat the oven to 325 F. In a stovetop pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with a pinch of salt and pepper and sauté them until golden brown on each side and cooked through. Remove from the pan and allow to cool before slicing into 1/2-inch strips.

Line the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish, or one of similar capacity, with three of the tortillas. Spread the sour cream on top of the tortillas, followed by half of the salsa. Add all of the sliced chicken and 1 sliced avocado and sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese.

Lightly crush the taco shells and layer them over the cheese. Add the second sliced avocado on top along with the rest of the salsa and a 1/3 of the cheese. Finally, top this with the remaining three tortillas and sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese. Bake the pie for about 35 minutes, or until heated through.

Green Mac & Cheese

If you'd like to get your kid to eat his greens, this recipe is the one for you. The superhealthy arugula in this dish is cleverly disguised as part of a fun, kid-friendly mac & cheese meal.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
Costs: $8

Ingredients:
1 box mini-shells
2 cups fresh arugula, or other leafy green, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 3/4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and cook the shells according to the directions.

Meanwhile, make the sauce in a large pot. First, melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour until a roux forms and the flour is no longer visible. Pour in the broth and whisk well until the mixture thickens and has bubbled for two minutes.

Add the cheese to the mixture and stir well, add the shells and diced arugula. Stir again and serve.

Butternut Squash Risotto

The power player in this kid-friendly plate is the butternut squash, which will load your kid up with tons of vitamins and minerals, like fiber, potassium and vitamin A.

Prep time: 1 hour (mostly roasting time)
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4, with leftovers
Costs: $9 (plus an extra $6-$8 if you need to buy a bottle of white wine—you can use the same bottle as for the tomato soup above, or use white wine vinegar if you have it on hand)

Ingredients:

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pinch kosher salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine or white wine vinegar

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, toss the squash cubes with the olive oil and lay them out in one layer on the sheet. Roast for about 45 minutes, or until tender enough to be speared with a fork.

Start the risotto about 10 minutes before the squash is done: In a wide saucepan warm the butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. About 4 minutes.

Add rice and stir until it is coated with the butter and well-mixed with the onion. Then, add the wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan by scraping up any browned bits.

Simmer the wine until it has completely evaporated. Then, add a half cup of the chicken stock and stir until it is completely absorbed. Continue adding the chicken stock by the half cup until it absorbed, about 10 minutes.

Once all the chicken stock has been added, cook until the rice is tender to the bite, about 5 minutes.

Remove risotto from heat and add parmesan and butter. Stir until completely absorbed.

Finally, stir in the roasted butternut squash cubes and serve.

Gnocchi with Kid-Friendly Tomato Sauce

For another twist on a perennial favorite, try serving melts-in-their-mouths gnocchi with healthy red pepper and carrots.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4
Costs: $8

Ingredients:
1 pound bag frozen potato gnocchi
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes with juices
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy bottom pan, heat the oil over medium heat, add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Then, add in the carrots and peppers and cook until soft, another 10 minutes. Finally, add the canned tomatoes and simmer the sauce for about 30 minutes, or until it has thickened slightly.

While the sauce is simmering, taste it from time to time, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Once it has thickened and reduced by about 1 inch on the side of the pot from where it started, remove it from the heat and allow to cool.

Pour the cooled sauce into a food processor, or use a hand blender directly in the pot, and blend until totally smooth.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the gnocchi. Cook until just done, per the instructions on the bag. Drain the gnocchi and toss it with the warm tomato sauce. Serve.

Pesto Mozzarella Grilled Cheese

Give the classic grilled cheese a healthy kick in the pants with the addition of mozzarella and pesto.

Prep time: 2 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Serves: 1
Costs: $2

Ingredients:
2 slices fresh mozzarella
2 tablespoons homemade or store-bought pesto
2 slices white sandwich bread, or bread of choice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

To prepare the sandwich, spread 1 tablespoon of pesto on each slice of bread. Layer the mozzerella slices over the pesto and sandwich them between the pesto sides of the bread.

In a small skillet, melt one tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Place the prepared sandwich over the skillet and allow it to toast until golden brown. Flip the sandwich, add the second tablespoon of butter to the skillet and all the other side to toast until golden and the mozzarella interior is melted.

Carrot Souffle

If you don't tell your kid there are healthy carrots in this tasty souffle, we won't either. We promise.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Serves: 8
Costs: $5

Ingredients:

1 pound carrots, finely chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups 2% milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9×13 pan and set aside.

Peel carrots and trim the ends. Finely chop them in a food processor.

In a separate bowl add the butter, eggs and milk, stir well. Add in the flour, sugar and spices and mix to combine. Then add the carrots and mix well until everything is incorporated.

Pour carrot mixture into a 9×13 pan and bake for 70 minutes, or until the edges are browned and pull away from the side.