Nutritious and delicious: Cooking what kids need

It’s hard enough planning out meals for the week when you have a busy schedule centered around kiddos. What’s even harder? When you want to feed them something nutritious, but also something they’ll actually like. Well, Heather Tallman, aka Basilmomma, has a few recipes that are both mom and kiddo-approved!

Here are today’s recipes:

Basic Baked Oatmeal Plate in the 1st segment with toppings

1 1/2 C quick oats

1 tsp baking powder

2 TB flax meal aka milled flax seed. Excellent source of protein

1/3 C brown sugar

3/4 C milk

1 tsp pure vanilla

1 TB melted butter

1 egg

1 pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 and prepare the pan of your choice with a light coating of non-stick spray.

In a bowl, lightly whisk the egg, melted butter and vanilla  together.

In a separate bowl combine all of the dry ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and gently fold together.  Scrape into the prepared dish and place on middle rack in the oven.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until it is firm in the center and browned along the edges.

Cool, cut into bars and add topping of your choice.

Cornmeal Crusted Chicken Fingers with Berry BBQ Sauce 

• 1 cup fresh blackberries or raspberries, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 pound chicken tenders, cut in half crosswise
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Mash blackberries (or raspberries), mustard and honey in a small bowl until it looks like a chunky sauce.
• Sprinkle chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Place cornmeal in a medium bowl, add the chicken and toss to coat.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook the chicken, turning once or twice, until browned and just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total  Serve the chicken nuggets with the berry bbq sauce.
• 4 Servings 184calories; 5 g; 9 g carbohydrates; 3 g added sugars; 26 g protein; 2 g fiber;

Veggie Cauliflower Rice

1 bag frozen pea and carrots

salt/pepper to taste

4 C cauliflower rice

2 TB butter

1 TB fresh basil or parsley, chopped

In a saute pan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the peas + carrots, cauliflower, salt and pepper, and herbs. Toss.

Cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes.

* Cauliflower Rice: place 1 head of cauliflower (trim the stems off) in a small food processor. Pulse until raw cauliflower resembles a grain of rice.

For more tips and recipes, visit www.basilmomma.com.