After the Zany Test Kitchen party we hosted for our cookbook back in February, we were inspired to roll out a series of cooking classes for children with food allergies. In addition to teaching kids how to make a few allergy-free easy dishes, we will be teaching them how to read food labels, avoid cross contamination, and cook safely–all in a fun-filled afternoon! This past weekend, we did a test run with our older children. They made lasagna, fresh pea dip with chips and bacon-wrapped dates. Both young chefs had so much fun together and they were so proud that they had made family dinner.

If you live in San Francisco, and have kids age 7 or older interested in weekend cooking classes, send us your contact information. Our fall schedule will be available in late August. 

In the meantime, try the three recipes our kids made at home this summer:

lasagna for all

Nothing is heartier on a weekend night than a big plate of lasagna, heaped with veggies, noodles and gooey cheese. But since many of the ingredients in the traditional Italian dish are major allergens, we set out to make a version that was yummy, healthy, and pretty darn close to the real thing—with no ‘weird’ aftertaste from the alternative ingredients. This recipe got repeated requests for more, more, more from all of our kids.

ingredients
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely or crushed
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 ½ lbs. ground beef OR ¾ lb. ground beef and ¾ lb. pork sausage
2 (8 oz.) packages Daiya mozzarella style shreds
4 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 cups spinach, washed and dried thoroughly
1 tsp. dried oregano
Pinch of salt
2 (24 oz.) jars of favorite tomato or pasta sauce (Amy’s Organic Family Marinara)
2 boxes lasagna noodles (Tinkyada)
1 small bunch basil (optional)

Heat the oven to 350° F.
Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions, about 15 minutes. Rinse well in cold water to stop the cooking process and carefully lay the noodles out in a single layer on paper towels to drain thoroughly.
In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes, until the onions soften and turn translucent.
Add the meat and brown for another 4-5 minutes. When the meat starts to lose its pinkness, add the oregano and salt and stir to combine.
Meanwhile, in another pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, then add the mushrooms. Cook until softened, again another solid 5 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a prep bowl, return the pan and add the spinach to the hot pan. Sauté in the residual oil over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes until the spinach takes on a dark emerald hue and the leaves have wilted well. Drain well and chop roughly.

To assemble: Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a large 9×13” glass casserole dish.

Carefully lay a single layer of noodles over the sauce, then spread another layer of sauce over this. Sprinkle one third of the Daiya cheese shreds over this, top with one third of both the spinach and mushrooms, followed by another layer of noodles. Spread another layer of sauce, followed by one third of the beef or beef and sausage, and another layer of Daiya shreds.
Continue to build the lasagna, layer by layer, according to your own tastes, being careful not to add too much sauce (your lasagna will end up watery) or too much of any particular ingredient.
As you layer the noodles, lightly press down with dampened hands to “pack” the pan.
When you reach the top of the pan, top off the lasagna with a final spread of tomato sauce and decorate with either sliced mushrooms, some basil leaves or a layer of Daiya shreds (although this doesn’t always look visually appealing, it tastes great!).

Cook for one hour. Remove from the oven and let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before cutting.

Serves 8-10
Prep time: 45 minutes
Total time: 2 hours

sweet pea dip

Fans of this dip or spread have called it refreshing and light. We have found that kids who love to dip will dive right in and those who aren’t dippers prefer it on their sandwich.

ingredients
1 cup fresh or frozen thawed sweet peas
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
Cook the peas in boiling salted water for 1-3 minutes or until they are tender but still crisp. Pour the peas into ice water (to stop them from cooking) and then drain. Pulse all the ingredients in the food processor until smooth (roughly 4-5 pulses).

This dip tastes great with carrots, peppers, snap peas or endive leaves or as a spread on your favorite bread or chip.

Serves 6-8

Prep time: 6 minutes

dates in a blanket

The first time Anna’s kids saw this sweet salty treat, they back away because they “looked scary.” Once they realized they were bacon wrapped around something so sweet, they both gobbled them up. Just tell your kids it’s candy.

ingredients

12 pieces of uncured bacon (thin slices are better than thick)
2 dozen pitted dates (Medjool are our favorites)
2 dozen wooden toothpicks

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut the bacon strips in half. Pit the dates (or if you are short on time buy pitted dates). Tightly roll the bacon around the dates and secure with a toothpick. Place the dates in a baking dish about 1/4 inch apart.

Bake for 20-25 minutes in the oven or until bacon is crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Makes about two dozen

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes