Happy New Year! Ring in 2014 with these delicious meatless marvels from our friends at Cooking Light! Packed with nutrients and flavor these meatless dishes are sure to please the whole family, keeping them happy and healthy.

Supercrunch Tofu Tacos

Pickled daikon radishes and carrots plus a spicy Sriracha sauce set these Asian-inspired tacos apart. Pan-sautéed cashews lend meaty crunch to this vegetarian dish.

Butternut-Kale Lasagna

Gruyere-spiked Bechamel drapes over the noodles and squash to give this dish velvety richness. Hearty, earthy kale perfectly balances the sweet squash, and crunchy, toasted pecans crown the top of this luscious lasagna.

Mushroom Lentil Burgers

Make homemade veggie burgers in a snap with precooked lentils. We like the black beluga variety from Archer Farms, with no added salt. Brown lentils can be substituted but tend to be more moisture-dense and may require additional breadcrumbs to help bind the burgers.

Tomato, Squash, and Red Pepper Gratin

Sometimes, the best “steak” comes in the form of ripe, juicy beefsteak tomato slices, as in this easy gratin. Serve with a salad of fresh summer greens.

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner.  Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children.  She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.

Spend time with your family not in the kitchen this holiday season. Our friends at Cooking Light have created recipes for breakfast lunch and dinner that are simple to prepare, can feed a crowd and are sure to please even the pickiest of palates.

Slow Cooker Sausage and Squash Lasagna

We were surprised and delighted by how well lasagna cooks up in the slow cooker. Be sure to use traditional noodles, and place them in the cooker uncooked. We tried the recipe with specially formulated no-bake noodles, and they didn’t work as well.

Click here, for the recipe. 

Creamy White Bean Soup with Smoked Ham Hocks

Creamy, starchy, and filling, this hearty, rustic soup is the epitome of comfort. And convenient: Beans go in dry—no need to soak.

Click here, for the recipe.

Hearty Oats and Grains

When you have a house full of holiday guests who’d enjoy a wholesome, hearty breakfast at their own pace, the slow cooker can come to your rescue. Get it going first thing, and let folks serve themselves when they’re ready to eat.

Click here, for the recipe. 

Classic Slow Cooker Beef Stew 

A nutty dark beer adds richness and depth to the stew. Be careful not to choose a beer that’s super-hoppy; it will taste too bitter. To get 2 pounds of trimmed meat, you’ll probably need to purchase a 2 1/2-pound roast.

Click here, for the recipe. 

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner.  Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children.  She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.

Keep your family’s bellies warm this winter with this Mini-Vegetable Lasagna recipe from Cricket Azima and our friends at iVillage! What makes this recipe so fantastic is that it makes several tasty mini-lasagnas that can be eaten the day of, or can be wrapped up and stored in the freezer for a busy day with no time to cook. AND what makes the recipe even more versatile is that you can switch up the veggies to include your family’s favorite veggies or have the kids pick out the veggies they want to add to make it more appealing. If that doesn’t attract them then involve the whole family a great winter indoor activity, making the lasagnas together! Have mom and dad cook the veggies and have the kids use their creative layering skills to make their own mini-lasagna. 

Ingredients 

1 small eggplant

2 medium zucchini

2 medium yellow squash

Olive oil

1 pound mushrooms (or buy pre-sliced to save a few minutes)

Salt to taste, plus 1/2 teaspoon salt for ricotta mixture

Two (15- ounce) containers ricotta cheese

Two (10- ounce) packages frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2/3 cup parmesan cheese, plus more to garnish

2 large eggs, beaten

1 pound shredded mozzarella

1 pound lasagna noodles, oven-ready style (for ease) or traditional noodles, cooked and drained

Two (24- ounce) jars pasta sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and set aside 5 3×5-inch pans and 2 8×4-inch pans.

2. Slice the eggplant into 1/8-inch pieces and lay on paper towels. Sprinkle salt over them to help draw water out.

3. Slice the zucchini and squash and place on a cookie sheet. Drizzle lightly with oil and add salt and pepper to taste.

4. If needed, slice the mushrooms and set aside.

5. Place eggplant pieces on another cookie sheet, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt.

6. Place both cookie sheets in the oven and set timer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the zucchini and squash from the sheet and put into a bowl, draining any liquid.

7. Use the same cookie sheet for the mushrooms. Spread the mushroom slices on the sheet, lightly drizzle the oil and add salt to taste before putting back into oven. Flip the eggplant and put back into oven. Set timer for an additional 15 minutes. Once finished, remove both sheets from oven, draining any liquid, and place each vegetable into a separate bowl.

8. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, eggs and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

9. Place the shredded mozzarella and the pasta sauce each into separate bowls.

10. Call in the kids and have a layering party. Layer the ingredients into each lasagna pan, starting with a thin layer of pasta sauce. Add a layer of noodles. Spread 1/4 cup ricotta mixture into the small pans and 1/2 cup into the large pans. Add a layer of vegetables (eggplant and mushrooms, for example). Sprinkle a thin layer of mozzarella cheese. Next, spread another layer of sauce, then add another layer of noodles, spread a thin layer of ricotta, vegetable and mozzarella. Add the final layer of noodles, spread some pasta sauce and more mozzarella cheese, and lastly sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top.

11. Cover the lasagnas with foil. If desired, place some of the pans in the freezer for another night (simply defrost the lasagnas by placing them in the refrigerator in the morning and then cook that night for dinner).

12. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, then remove foil and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned on top. Let the lasagna set for 5 minutes before serving.

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner.  Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children.  She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.