Toddler PB + J with Quick Frozen Fruit Jam

There are a lot of delicious peanut butters out there, but not as many good jams. 

So I'd like you to imagine an incredibly tasty jam—a jam that is made simply of fruit and a touch of sugar.

And now that you're conjuring up this super appetizing vision, this is where I say, “Oh, but you can make a jam like that yourself!”

And then you snap out of your jam-filled fantasy and say, “Um, Nikki? I really don’t have time to be making my own jam.”

But here's the thing—you do!

It's as easy as grabbing a bag of frozen berries, adding a tablespoon of sugar, and cooking for only 15 minutes.

That’s it!

And if you want to combine this amazing new jam (that you made!) with some peanut butter and hemp seeds on your favorite bread, you suddenly have a seriously awesome lunch for yourself!

Oh, and your kids, too, of course. ;)

Toddler PB + J with Quick Frozen Fruit Jam

servings: 1 sandwich with ¾ cup of jam

Quick Frozen Fruit Jam:

• One 10-ounce bag frozen fruit (such as mixed berries)
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Toddler PB + J:

• 2 slices sandwich bread (such as whole wheat)
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon hemp hearts
• 2 tablespoons Quick Frozen Fruit Jam

Quick Frozen Fruit Jam:

1. In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the frozen fruit, 2 tablespoons of water, and the sugar. Bring this mixture to a high simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking up the fruit with a spoon.
2. Continue cooking the fruit mixture over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick enough to leave trails in the pan when stirred—10 to 15 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes, then transfer the fruit mixture to a small bowl. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the jam to set and chill.

Toddler PB + J:

1. Spread one slice of bread with the peanut butter, then sprinkle it with the hemp hearts.
2. Spread the Quick Frozen Fruit Jam onto the other slice of bread, then sandwich the two slices of bread together.

Notes:

• The ¾ cup of jam yielded by the Quick Frozen Fruit Jam can make 6 sandwiches.
• You can omit the sugar if you prefer; the jam will still be super tasty.
• If you use tarter fruits, such as cranberries, you may need more sugar.

: @NikkiDinki

: @NikkiDinkiCooking

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White Bean Pancakes

Every Sunday my husband takes my daughter, Ivy, to the diner for pancakes while I try to catch up on a weeks-worth of sleep.

Ivy LOVES pancakes.

And when I found out that her iron levels were a little on the low side, I started thinking about how I could get more iron into her diet.

Pancakes were just the thing!

I’ve done Acorn Squash Pancakes, so I figured why not try a new version by adding an iron-rich bean instead of the squash?!

I put a can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans in my batter, and I’m telling you, the result looks and tastes JUST LIKE regular pancakes!

It was so simple (opening a can of beans!) to turn a semi-indulgent breakfast into one we can feel really good about eating!

It’s easy to “eat healthy” when you’re eating like this!

White Bean Pancakes

makes: 10 to 12 medium (4 to 5 inches in diameter) pancakes

Ingredients:

• One 15-ounce can cannellini beans (about 1¾ cups), rinsed + drained
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 5 ounces frozen spinach (about 1 cup), thawed + drained (optional)
• 2 large eggs
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Add the beans, flour, milk, spinach (if desired), eggs, baking powder, vanilla, and salt to a blender, and blend this mixture until it is smooth.
2. Next, add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, pour about ½ cup of the batter into the pan; this will make one pancake about 4 inches in diameter. Cook the batter until bubbles start to pop on its surface. Then flip the pancake and cook it until the other side is also brown and the edges are dry—about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Repeat with the remainder of the batter.
3. Serve with extra butter, syrup, fruit, or whatever you like!

Notes:

• If you prefer fluffier pancakes, separate the yolks and whites of the eggs. Rather than following Step 1 as written, add the beans, flour, milk, spinach (if desired), egg yolks, baking powder, vanilla, and salt, to a blender, and blend this mixture until it is completely smooth; then transfer to a large bowl. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites in a medium bowl with a handheld electric mixer on medium-high until they are white and fluffy and have soft peaks (they should be about 4 times larger than their starting size)—about 2 minutes; you could also whisk by hand or do this in a stand mixer. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the bean and flour mixture, deflating them as little as possible. Then proceed to Step 2 as written above.

: @NikkiDinki

: @NikkiDinkiCooking

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Lentil + Carrot Chicken Nuggets

The classics are the classics for a reason—they're delicious!

Chicken nuggets are simple and simply tasty, and with so many options out there—from the grocery store to McDonalds—you may ask yourself, why make them myself?

Well, I'll tell you why!

These nuggets are worth making because they're unlike anything you can buy.

They're actually half lentils and carrots, and yet they taste like the good-old fashioned chicken nuggets you (and your kids!) are used to! 

The lentils get slightly pureed, which allows them to pretty much melt into the meat.

As for the carrots, you will see some small specks of them in the mix—so if your kids are super weary, you can always skip them.

Or if you’re feeling crazy, you could use parsnips instead!

Like many of my toddler recipes, these are the kinds of things that I make huge batches of and freeze.

And a freezer full of chicken nuggets is a happy freezer indeed!!

Lentil + Carrot Chicken Nuggets

makes: 50 nuggets

Ingredients:

• 1¾ cups chicken stock
• 1 cup dry split red lentils
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon
• 2 cups grated carrots (about 6 ounces)
• 1 pound ground chicken
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1. Place the chicken stock, lentils and bouillon in a small saucepan. Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and cook the lentils until the broth is fully absorbed and the lentils are very soft—about 15 minutes.
2. Add the carrots to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they are crumb-like in texture—ground, but not pureed. Then transfer the cooked lentils to the food processor with the carrots and pulse to combine the ingredients.
3. Next add the chicken, parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to the food processor and pulse again until all ingredients are just combined; avoid overmixing.
4. Scoop the mixture by tablespoons and shape it by hand into nuggets (the easiest way to do this is to form the mixture into a ball, then smash it flat and add dents and curves by hand). Then coat each nugget well in the breadcrumbs.
5. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add 10 to 12 nuggets and cook them until all sides of the nuggets are golden brown—4 to 6 minutes per side. Repeat this process until all of the nuggets have been cooked.

Notes:

• If you prefer to bake the nuggets rather than frying them, preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the prepared nuggets on a parchment-lined or nonstick baking sheet. Spray the nuggets with olive oil cooking spray and bake them until they are light golden and cooked through—about 15 to 20 minutes. Note that the nuggets will be paler in color—not as brown—than if you were to cook them as in Step 5. The air fryer is also a great option!
• Freeze It: Once nuggets are totally cooked, throw them into a plastic storage bag, and freeze. From frozen reheat the nuggets in an oven preheated to 375°F for 8 to10minutes.
• Hack It: Don’t think your kids are going to go for a handmade chicken nugget? Try to sneak some veggies in by dipping store-bought nuggets in my homemade BBQ sauce or Ketchup.

: @NikkiDinki

: @NikkiDinkiCooking

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Banana Carrot Spinach Oat Muffins

Stop.

Do not look at this muffin and say, "EW! It's green!"

Instead, I want you to close your eyes and imagine that you're eating a mini banana bread muffin.

Now open your eyes.

This is when you discover that this same weird green muffin tastes just like banana bread.

But instead of using banana bread ingredients, I’m using a bag of spinach, some carrots, oats, bananas, and a touch of maple syrup to create a muffin that packs some serious nutritional punch.

And it's as simple as throwing everything in your food processor, blending it up, and baking.

I’m telling you, every time I eat one, I have to remind myself that they're good for me.

And if you’re on board, maybe your kids will be too.

And if you have a little one like mine, they might not yet realize that most kids think a green muffin is a scary thing. 

Banana Carrot Spinach Oat Muffins

servings: 36 mini muffins

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed + squeezed dry (about 1 cup after squeezed)
• 2½ cups rolled oats, more for a garnish
• 3 medium ripe bananas, sliced
• 2 cups grated carrots (about 6 ounces)
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the spinach to a blender or food processor and pulse until it is finely chopped and almost pureed.
2. Add the oats, bananas, carrots, maple syrup, eggs, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt to the spinach, then pulse until all ingredients are well-combined and the mixture is almost pureed, but not quite smooth. You may have to stop and stir the mixture a bit to make sure it doesn’t contain any large chunks.
3. Scoop the batter evenly into 36 cups of a mini muffin tin prepared with cooking spray, then top each muffin with a light sprinkle of the reserved oats.
4. Bake the muffins until a knife inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean and dry —24 to 28 minutes.

: @NikkiDinki

: @NikkiDinkiCooking

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Acorn Squash Pancakes

I’m not sure I've ever meet a kid who doesn’t like pancakes.

What’s not to love?!

Soft on the inside, slightly crisp on the outside—and covered in maple syrup, of course.

Pancakes are pretty much a perfect food.

But when the mom in me decided I wanted to make pancakes more nutritious, the chef in me knew I could use veggies.

Not only would these pancakes pack more of a nutritional punch, but I was sure the veggies would actually make them sweeter and more perfectly moist.

As I thought about all of the possible veggies that could to the trick, it didn’t take long to realize that acorn squash was the perfect person for the job.

Acorn squash's inherent sweetness and velvety texture make these pancakes something you will want to eat everyday—and because of their nutrition factor, something you actually should eat everyday.

Now I’ll always tell it to you straight, so know that as-written these pancakes are very moist.

My daughter doesn’t mind at all, but if you have kids that are already into classic pancakes, you may want to use less of the acorn squash puree (look for details in the “notes” section of the recipe).

If you do use a little less puree for a more traditional version, you'll find yourself with the perfect pancake—slightly sweet, warm, and soft yet crisp with a buttery warm yellow color.

And if you go for the more moist "toddler" version, you can truly count your pancake breakfast as a perfectly balanced meal.

Either way, I'd say we're all winners.

Acorn Squash Pancakes

servings: 10 to 12 four- to five-inch pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 large acorn squash (about 2 pounds)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Use a soupspoon to scoop out the seeds and discard them. Arrange the squash cut-side-up on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the oil evenly over each piece and then bake the squash until the flesh is tender and can be easily pierced with the tines of a fork—30 to 40 minutes. Set aside until it is cool enough to handle.
2. Scoop the flesh of the squash into a blender and puree it until it is smooth; this will give you about 2 cups of puree. Then add the flour, milk, eggs, baking powder, vanilla, and salt, and blend this mixture until just smooth.
3. Add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot and the butter is melted, pour about ½ cup of the batter into the pan; this will make one pancake, about 4 inches in diameter. Cook the batter until bubbles start to pop on its surface and the bottom is nicely browned. Then flip the pancake and cook it until the other side is also brown and the edges are dry—about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Repeat with the remainder of the batter.
4. Serve with extra butter, syrup, fruit, or whatever you like!

Notes:

• You can decrease the amount of squash you use in the recipe, using a small squash—about 1 pounds (this will give you about 1 cup of squash puree after blending it). If you do so, also increase the amount of milk to 1 cup and the decrease the baking powder to 1½ teaspoons.

: @NikkiDinki

: @NikkiDinkiCooking

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No-Bake Granola Bars

It's back-to-school time!

For a lot of families that means struggling to find time to make food that is healthy but also something your kids WILL eat.

This week, my goal is to bring you some nutritious recipes (well, maybe with the exception of one 😉) that both kids and adults will enjoy.

I love a good granola bar, so I thought that might be the perfect thing to kick off the week—simple to make and great for school lunches or after school snacks.

A while back I started testing recipes in search of a great one I could make and keep on hand...

I tried baked ones, different combos of ingredients, and in the end found this relatively simple one the best by far.

I’m using two kinds of nuts, some hemp seeds, oats, cranberries, and a little cinnamon.

Then I'm folding in peanut butter and honey to make a chewy bar that has some texture, but is still soft enough for my toddler.

It’s kind of amazing what mixing just a couple of ingredients can do...

And with NO BAKING!

I made mine in a 9 by 13-inch pan (you press the granola bar mixture into a dish to form them into bars), but after eating a pan's-worth this week, I would say that you might want to try them in something a little smaller. That will allow them to be so thicker and hold together even better.

Really though, no matter what shape you make, they will be your family's new favorite snack!

No-Bake Granola Bars

makes: 16 bars

Ingredients:

• 2 cups instant oats
• ½ cup finely chopped pine nuts
• ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
• ½ cup hemp hearts
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup honey
• ⅓ cup smooth peanut butter

Directions:

1. Line a baking dish, no bigger than 11 by 17 inches or 8 by 8 inches, with parchment paper, leaving the paper hang out about 2 to 3 inches over two of the sides (which will allow you to easily lift the finished granola bars from the dish); spray the parchment paper with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, pine nuts, walnuts, hemp hearts, cranberries, cinnamon, and salt, then set aside.
3. Add the honey and peanut butter to a small saucepan and cook them over medium heat until they are fully combined and just beginning to bubble—about 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Pour the honey mixture over the oat mixture and stir to coat the dry ingredients evenly and fully.
5. Firmly press the oat mixture evenly into the pan to ensure the granola bars stay together well; spraying your hands with cooking spray is helpful to prevent the mixture from sticking to them. Chill for at least two hours before cutting.
6. Remove the granola bars from the pan using the edges of the parchment paper. Cut them into your desired size and enjoy! To store, place in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

: @NikkiDinki

: @NikkiDinkiCooking

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