Recipe 1
Garden Fresh Tomato-Avocado Pasta
2 cups tomato, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon cooking oil of choice
1 cup avocado, diced
1/2 cup olives, sliced
4 cups of your favorite already prepared pasta
salt and pepper to taste
In a medium saucepan, sauté tomatoes, olives, and garlic in cooking oil over medium heat. Add avocado and work it in gently so that the pieces retain some of their shape, but turn the mixture creamy. Serve over your favorite pasta. Makes 4-6 servings
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Recipe 2
Super Home Movie Popcorn
8 cups prepared popcorn
canola cooking oil spray
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
popcorn salt* to taste
Spray popcorn with cooking oil spray and toss to coat evenly. Add popcorn salt and toss again. Sprinkle nutritional yeast over popcorn and toss very lightly. Serve in individual bowls, because the yeast makes for messy fingers. Makes 6-8 servings. *Popcorn salt is a finer grain of salt than regular table salt. This helps it to attach itself better to the popcorn kernels and you end up using less salt.
"This is my 3 year-old daughter Sarah's favorite snack. She requests it almost daily - especially at movie time." –Michelle Smith, Recipes Editor.
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Recipe 3
Pad Thai For Kids
1/2 lb. dried rice noodles
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. canola oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 cup of carrots, slivered and steamed
1/2 cup green onion, sliced small
1 cup of bean sprouts
2 tsp. peanuts, coarsely chopped *
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, stems removed

Prepare rice noodles according to package and set aside. Combine lime, tamari or soy sauce, and brown sugar, and set aside. Coat a deep skillet with the canola oil, then add garlic, ginger, carrots, and green onion. Sauté for 2 minutes. Pour the sauce mixture over the vegetables. Drain noodles and add them, along with bean sprouts, to the pan and toss with vegetables and sauce. Sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.

I modified this recipe from a spicier version. If parents wish to heat it up a bit, I suggest adding Thai-type chili sauce or Fire Oil.—M.S.

*Due to the risk of allergy, peanuts should be avoided during baby's first year and for up to 3 years for those with a family history of peanut allergy.
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Recipe 4
Any Bean Soup
Use 2 pounds of any combination of the following beans, prepared according to package or canned -
Black Beans
Blackeye Peas
Kidney Beans
Lentils
Lima Beans
Pinto Beans
Red Beans
Split Peas - yellow or green
White Beans
1 Tbsp. canola oil or olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups of vegetable stock
2 cans of chopped tomatoes
Juice of 1 lemon, about 1/4 cup
salt and pepper to taste

Coat the bottom of a large pot with oil, then brown onion and bell pepper. Add in garlic. Then pour in tomatoes and juice of one lemon. Use bottom of spoon to break up tomatoes. Add already cooked beans and simmer for 30 minutes or until flavors are blended. Salt and pepper to taste.

Melanie Wilson is the editor of Vegetarian Baby & Child magazine and
Vegetarianteen.com Online magazine. She is Mom to two gloriously healthy
vegan children. www.vegetarianbaby.com

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