Kiddo/Adult Recipe: Baked Zucchini Sticks

Are you ready for the easiest little recipe ever? This is a side dish/snack our whole family loves, but one that Henry especially enjoys thanks to my Mom, who originally introduced it to us!  These baked zucchini sticks take 5-10 minutes to prepare, 25 minutes or so to bake, and one second to eat! But really, Henry scarfs these things down. You can also make a healthy dip to use with them, or eat them on their own.

Here's what you need:

Zucchini
2 egg whites (for a vegan option try using non-dairy milk to bread)
Panko bread crumbs (here are the kind we use - click through to see their GF options also)



Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350. Peel the zucchini and cut into small strips, about the size of a french fry. You can make them thinner to get more of a crispy strip, or thicker for a juicier one.



2. Dip each slice into egg white, then cover with bread crumbs. If you're feeling adventurous, feel free to add some spice to the bread crumbs too!



3. Place the strips on a baking sheet (I prefer to use parchment paper for easy clean up) and bake for about 25 minutes at 350. Your cooking time may vary, but just look for the edges of the strips to get slightly brown and crispy looking.



4. Enjoy!

 
See more of my Kiddo/Adult meal and snack ideas here.

Kiddo/Adult Meal Idea: Broccoli & Cheese Quiche!

I get a lot of requests on Instagram to share some of the food I give to Henry, so I thought it would be fun to post recipes of all of my favorite kiddo/adult friendly fare. Henry is luckily a great eater and will try most anything, although he does LOVE to utilize a strong "no" even for his most favorite foods if the mood strikes. However the recipes I'll be sharing have been pretty successful in our house, with either Henry and me, or with the whole family! Hank is vegetarian and doesn't eat eggs (so no quiche for him), but the recipe I'm sharing next week is veg-friendly.

I love, love, love quiche and one of the best parts about it is that the ingredients are totally up for interpretation. Most veggies work wonderfully- imagine doing a Gouda and asparagus version? Yum. You can also add in meat - sliced ham, turkey, sausage- or even vegetarian meat like Boca crumbles or sausage. And for your picky eating kiddos, quiches are PERFECT for hiding all those "gross" veggies they might otherwise refuse, and also using up any and all extra produce in the fridge!

I previously posted this recipe, but my method has changed a bit so I thought I would update it, and share it with newer readers too. Enjoy!



Here's what you'll need:

1 pie crust- I prefer spelt!
8 egg whites + 2-3 yolks
raw broccoli
shredded cheese



When I make pie I typically make my own crust, but for this one I got the frozen version from our local health food store's freezer section. I think the nutty taste of the spelt is such a delicious combination with the cheesy egg flavor. The cost was about $5 for two crusts, but you can always go the less-expensive route and make your own, or buy a simple, generic crust.

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 and set out one frozen pie crust.

2) In a large mixing bowl, mix the white of 8 eggs with 2-3 yolks depending on your preference. I used to leave the yolks totally out, but I've come to learn that there are so many great benefits from them in moderation that now I almost always keep some in when cooking.




3) Add in your broccoli. I use raw broccoli and just break off the tops from the tough bottom ends, leaving me with smaller pieces.

4) Add about 1/4 cup of shredded cheese and lightly mix together all ingredients.



5) Pour the mixture into the pie crust. You may have to gently mix it a couple times with a spoon once its in the crust, as the broccoli and cheese may pool on one side.



6) Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Depending on your oven you may have to go a bit longer. You'll be able to tell once the top and crust get a bit golden brown and a fork, when inserted into the middle, comes out clean.

7) Enjoy! Henry and mama approved! ;)



I'll be back next week with a vegetarian friendly, super healthy meal idea the whole family can enjoy. Bon appétit!