American

The perfect after-school-mid-morning-could-be-breakfast treat

Vegetarian

Low Carb

Snack

Dessert

Baking

One of the great things about this recipe is that 100% of the sweetness comes from the dates—the dough itself is unsweetened—and you really don’t miss the sugar at all. This recipe makes a fairly big batch, and though it can easily be halved for more modest proportions, we recommend going big and freezing half the batch so you can throw a frozen square into a snack box whenever the need arises. They’re good right out of the freezer, thawed, warm, or three days old. If you want to experiment with the jammy filling—or don’t have quite enough dates on hand—these are great with fresh raspberries folded into the dates, or with a nice tart jam layered over, folded into or used instead of the date purée if you’re in a pinch (raspberry, plum, or apricot jams would all be good contenders). Huge thanks to 

Oat-y Date Bars

Dairy-Free

Vegan

Roasting

Herby Roasted Nuts

Nut-Free

We’ve tasted good kale chips in our day, but what makes these special is what’s on them: a mix of olive oil, a tiny bit of honey, some of the hulled hemp whose virtues we extol on a near-weekly basis, ground pumpkin seeds, and umami-incarnate: nutritional yeast. Kale chips are generally satisfyingly crunchy and salty, but beyond the merits of the kale itself, don’t have a lot going on. Which is why we came up with a way to pack some extra goodness into the mix. They’re nutty (without containing nuts), they’re cheesy (without containing cheese), and they’re very, very addictive.

Crispy Crunchy (Protein!) Kale Chips

Breakfast

We’ve been working on a recipe for savory granola bars for a WHILE. It’s a tough nut to crack. For starters, the texture we associate with granola bars generally requires a lot of sweetener, which is, well, not all that compatible with savory flavors. So, after making several “blah” versions omitting syrups of any kind, we threw in the towel and added some honey. And whaddya know? A little bit of sweetness was the answer when it came to both flavor and texture. But the honey is just one of the—admittedly unexpected—combination of flavors that makes these work. Black olives, lime zest, tahini, miso, nori, AND chickpeas, you ask? YES! Try it! Umami deliciousness!!! And, with the addition of egg whites, beans and nuts, the result is protein-dense and super satisfying.

Savory Chewy Granola Bars

Side

No-cook

“Energy Bars”— an absurd category, really, since all food is energy. But, for the sake of simplicity, that’s what we’re calling these delicious, orange-scented pistachio-date bars. After all, in texture (if not in flavor) they closely resemble the sort of packaged things you might buy on the go when you need quick, convenient sustenance. And, because they’re loaded with good fats, low-glycemic fruit sugars, and lots of protein and fiber, they really will sustain you and your kiddos when you most need sustenance. Oh, and did we mention they’re OUTRAGEOUSLY DELICIOUS???! We don’t even know why, exactly, they just are!

The Best Energy Bar

The other day, Fanny’s husband spread some of this ‘Magic Butter’ mix onto toast without realizing it wasn’t just plain old peanut butter (she’d used the peanut butter jar to mix it up). From the bedroom, Fanny heard an enthusiastic, “Babe! You’ve gotta try this bread! It’s amazing!” And, lo, he did soon discover that the bread in question was indeed unremarkable—the butter deserved all the credit. There’s something about the way these three nut/seed butters play off each other, with an infusion of vanilla and warm cinnamon spice, that makes this mix taste particularly heavenly.

Of course, you don’t need to use all three—any one alone will still do the trick—but if you already have them in your pantry, or feel like giving this spread a whirl, it’s special!

Magic Butter Stuffed Dates

Crackers make great snacks! They’re endlessly adaptable, can lean either savory or sweet, and can pack a punch when it comes to flavor and nutrition. So, we’ve assembled some of our favorite crackers and some ideas for some delicious and wholesome spreadable toppings below.

We made an effort to offer a range of choices price-wise, but we understand that some of the above cracker suggestions are expensive—especially considering the volume of snacks our children consume over the course of a week. If you’re feeling a bit more ambitious or have a little extra time on your hands, homemade crackers are a great and cost-effective project. You could try our addictively crunchy 

 or you could try this very simple recipe.

Whole Wheat Caraway Crackers

Afternoon Snacks

French

Italian

Lunch

Dinner

Okay, We know the ingredient list looks long, but there are a bunch that are optional and absolutely everything is run of the mill—nothing you can’t find readily at your local market. And, while the method does require a bit of stove-tending, it’s neither challenging nor intensive. You just need to chop a handful of veggies and then check in on the pot from time to time.

The Only Minestrone

Mexican

A cozy, brothy, lime-y, chicken-y Green Spoon pozole

This soup is great for the whole family, for all ages, with a few modifications depending on how “advanced” your diners are. Our toddlers enjoyed eating this plated as we did for ourselves (minus the chile)—and would pick out the different components with their fingers to eat them one at a time. Babies would love a puréed version of this soup (minus the garnishes). Older babies could no doubt navigate the soft shredded chicken and chickpeas, slightly smashed, along with avocado. In other words, feel free to tailor it to your family’s needs! Craving a little added oomph? Add a little (½ cup) rinsed white rice midway through the cooking process.

Cold-Season Chicken Soup

Seasonal Soups

“Making pastry dough is one of the simplest, most worthwhile tricks to have on hand in the kitchen. It is incredible how a little flour, fat and ice water can transform the simplest ingredients into an impressive, restaurant-worthy meal! When I’m making hand pies I use the humble chicken thigh and whatever vegetables have been languishing in my fridge the longest. And when your hand pies are done, serve them the Aussie way: with a big dollop of tomato sauce (ketchup) on the side. A match made in pastry heaven! Just for fun, I have used a cheddar shortcrust pastry for this recipe, because that’s the kind of mood I am in. But a basic shortcrust pastry will do absolutely perfectly here too.”

Talia Moore’s Chicken + Vegetable Hand Pies

A less is more lesson in how to make a classic dish sing

Sautéing

The way Fanny’s dad taught her to make it, risotto should have a slightly toothy texture with the grains of rice feeling distinct, suspended in a loose creamy, brothy but still-binding liquid. Risotto should ideally not be a gloppy or starchy or dry or able to be formed into a sculpture (as much as your child might be charmed if it could). If you feel uncomfortable using wine in a dish for your little ones (totally understandable, though the alcohol evaporates in the cooking) just use a little splash of good-quality vinegar instead.

Also, a note on washing leeks. Why? Because leeks are 

 There’s always all kinds of grit and grime hiding between the leaves that will ruin an otherwise lovely dish. The best way to clean leaks? Remove the outermost leaves, chop as you would for the recipe, and then add the chopped leek to the basket of a salad spinner (or a large strainer) and submerge in a bowl filled with cold water (they will instantly float to the surface). Gently agitate, allowing to soak for a total of 5–10 minutes, before lifting the basket up to discover that all that sand and dirt has magically collected at the bottom of the bowl. Ta-da!

Dad's Leek Risotto

Although, let's be honest: isn't ALL cake "snacking cake" these days?

 cakes that Fanny grew up eating: light, buttery yellow cakes whose tops were studded with seasonal fruits—cherries, plums, apricots, cranberries, pineapple, orange, etc.—in a layer of caramel. The beauty of the fruit, laid out in patterns like stained glass windows, was the main attraction, but the cake itself was a close second.

This cake—shockingly, given the absence of caramel, gluten and refined sugar—is a fantastic dupe. Made with millet, cornmeal and almond flour and sweetened only with coconut sugar, it still feels decadent (thanks, butter!) and fruity without being cloying. While oranges are a great winter fruit to use for this cake, virtually any fruit in any season would work well for this: strawberries, blueberries, pears, whatever!

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