Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 3oz red lentils, washed
• 2 medium leeks, white part, chopped
• 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
• 1 large sweet potato or yam, chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• 2oz unsalted non-hydrogenated vegan margarine or Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread (trans fat free)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pint unsalted vegetable stock or plain water

Directions:

Melt the margarine in a large non-stick frying pan.
Add the chopped leeks and saute for 5 mins until tender.
Add the finely chopped carrots and celery and saute for 5
mins.

Stir in the lentils and chopped sweet potato.
Add the stock or water, tomato puree and bay leaf.
Simmer for 15-20 mins until all the vegetables are tender
and the mixture is not too wet. (If it gets too dry, add a
little more water during cooking.)

Once cooked, retrieve the bay leaf.

This can be pureed for babies not yet coping with lumpy
food, or eaten as it is.

Serves: 8

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• peanutbutter
• apple (organic)
• turbinado

Directions:

Take an apple and cut it in half vertically. Lay
flat and continue cutting into finger width
slices. After apple is completly cut lay pieces
around the outer edge of the plate all facing
the same direction. They should resemble
rays of sunshine. Then scoop the peanutbutter
in the middle of the plate to fill the center.
Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. This tastes
great, looks pleasing to the eye, and can
cheer up a glum face.

Serves:

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1 or 2 slices of soy cheese (either mozzarella or american, but I think the mozzarella tastes a lot better.)
• a large box of a good vegetable or fake chicken broth (Imagine Foods makes a great one!)
• elbow macaroni
• pam

Directions:

Spray a little pam in a pot. Place the noodles
in the pot and put in enough broth so that the
noodles ARE not totally submerged. You want to
boil the noodles in the broth and keep it boiling
stirring in the slices of cheese ( you can break
them up.) add more broth and more cheese and
basically cook it until the noodles are done,
there is no more broth and it is cheesy enough.
The broth and the cheese form a sauce, that is
really tasty, and sort of thick. This recipe is
nice because it doesn’t involve a lot of
ingredients. Just make sure you watch the pot!

Serves: 3

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1 cup falafel mix (I buy mine in bulk at either Whole Foods or Wild Oats)
• 3/4 cup hot water

Directions:

Mix the falafel mix with the hot water and let sit for 15
minutes. After 15 min, heat some canola or olive oil in a
skillet and shape the falafel into small, nugget sized
patties. Fry on each side until golden brown. Serve with
your favorite sauce. My 2-1/2 year old LOVES these, as do
my husband & I.

Serves: 3-4

Preparation time: 15 min