Welcome to summertime – it’s the perfect opportunity to get your kids to chow down on greens. Take your kids with you to a farmers market to find just-picked produce to use to make your meals. Or at your local grocers, hit the produce section and let your kids choose a few new-to-them veggies. Use your fresh vegetables to make these recipes like spring pasta carbonara, stuffed peppers or roasted vegetable enchiladas for dinner. For a side dish, try zucchini oven chips or savory tomato cobbler. For a light meal or a fun picnic, put together Mediterranean wraps.
Spring Pasta Carbonara
Let your kids pick green peas out of the pod to make this recipe for spring pasta carbonara from Delish. Saute pieces of thick-cut bacon, drain and set aside. Whisk together an egg yolk and half and half for the sauce. Last step? Mix together cooked spaghetti noodles, the bacon, thin-cut green onions, the sauce and grated Parmesan. You might also stir in cut, grape tomatoes or fresh spinach, too.
Zucchini Oven Chips
What kid doesn’t love chips? With this recipe for zucchini oven chips from Cooking Light, you can make them with vegetables. Slice the zucchini then dip each one into milk followed by a mixture of breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and pepper. Bake at 425 F until crisp. You might want to serve this with warm pasta sauce for dipping.
Stuffed Peppers
Brown ground beef with chopped onion and cooked rice – stir in tomato sauce. Cut the top off of a bell pepper. Fill with the beef mixture and then shredded mozzarella. Bake until the peppers are cooked and soft. That’s it to make these stuffed peppers from Betty Crocker.
Mediterranean Garden Wraps
Make the most of fresh sliced cucumber, carrots and herbs like mint, cilantro and chives with this recipe for Mediterranean garden wraps from Sunset. Stir Greek yogurt and the herbs together and spread over lavash (or a flour tortilla). Place the vegetable mixture on top of the yogurt and then roll up.
Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
To start this recipe for roasted vegetable enchiladas from Eating Well, you’ll need green bell peppers, baby Portobello mushrooms and diced red onion. Next, make a sauce from poblano peppers, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, paprika, tomatoes and chipotle peppers. Spread sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish and fill several corn tortillas with the vegetables and then roll. Cover with more sauce and bake.
Savory Tomato Cobbler
Cobbler doesn’t just have to be sweet – and this savory tomato cobbler from Southern Living proves it. Saute diced onions in olive oil and then toss in chopped tomatoes. Prepare the topping by using flour, cornmeal, baking powder and fresh herbs. Cut in cold butter and then stir in buttermilk. Drop the batter in dollops over the vegetable mixture and cook for 30 minutes.
