Little Hands in the Kitchen
Meet Ian, eight year old animal lover and vegetarian.
Vegan Man's "mini-me" has decided that he wants to start helping out in the kitchen. I say it's never too early to have kids participate in preparing what will be nourishing their bodies, especially if they show an interest. I believe that bringing kids into the kitchen helps them to naturally take responsibility for their nutrition and I also believe that it helps them make better food choices when they are away from their parents. It always feels good when other parents ask you what your secret is...
On tonight's menu:
Vegan Butternut Squash soup with Corn and Peas
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1/4 tsp nutmeg
6 cups water
3 cups cubed butternut squash
7-8 baby carrots (small handful)
2 packets homestyle condensed veg stock
1 Tbsp flour (for thickening - next time I would use a cubed potato instead)
1/2 pkg frozen corn
1/2 pkg frozen peas
With the help of your little hands, saute the onion, garlic and nutmeg in the olive oil til soft.
Add water, butternut squash and baby carrots.
Bring to a boil.
Always stress safety first to avoid splashes and burns!
Boil until fork tender, add condensed stock and simmer until fully dissolved.
Blend until smooth and creamy!
It seemed a little thin, so I added 1 Tbsp flour to a small amount of broth and then added to the soup. As an afterthought, I would have added a potato or two with the other veggies for thickening purposes. (Of course, immersion blending is a watching and learning activity for your little hands!)
Add peas and corn, simmer 5-10 minutes until warm.
Serve with salt, pepper and a side of crackers! YUM!
Our little hands in the kitchen had so much fun that his creative juices were flowing and he decided to create this vegetarian dessert all on his own! One slice of Kiwi topped with a melon ball size scoop of cookie dough ice cream! YUM!
Ian discovered that cooking is fun and Yummy!
There were absolutely NO LEFTOVERS to this filling and tasty dish!
Happy Healthy Eating! And always encourage those little helping hands to discover the joy of healthy eating!
Blessings,
Mell
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