Elodie and I have a ritual of going to the sunday farmer’s market to get fruits, vegetables, and flowers for the following week. I tell her I am on the lookout for a bunch of beets or some mandarins and she gets so excited with this game of treasure hunt. My husband travels a lot for work but when he is home we definitely eat together. Elodie loves choosing the napkins for the table every night and is always in the kitchen helping me put together the evening’s meal.

Living in Southern California means we eat a lot of mexican food and when I’m a little rushed I turn to my go-to meal of quesadillas or molitas (recipe below), black beans and rice with a salad on the side. We mainly prepare vegetarian dishes at home and save the meat eating for dinners out.  We try and use whole grain tortillas such as ezekiel rather than flour tortillas as they have loads more fiber and protein. We sometimes have black beans with just a dash of cumin and salt in them for added flavor or i will make an avocado and black bean salad. A simple pear, strawberries or whatever is in season works for dessert!

We make it a point to feed Elodie the same food we are eating. She eats a wide variety of cuisines because of this and hasn’t really said no to anything just yet. Still, getting a toddler to eat at dinnertime can be quite challenging. Someone recently said told me, “It’s not what they eat in a day but what they eat in a week that counts” which has helped me to relax a bit but i’m still known to bribe her every once in a while!

Molitas

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (anything that can handle heat, like canola)
• pinch of kosher or sea salt
• 2 taco sized corn tortillas (2 for every molita)
• 1/4 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup beans (refried, whole, or black beans)
• 1/2 cup fresh white corn (optional)
• 1/4 cup spanish rice

Heat a cast-iron skillet, flat griddle, or other frying pan over medium heat.
Sprinkle the cheese on one tortilla and top it with a 1 1/2 tablespoons each of rice, beans and corn.
Cover the bottom tortilla with the top one.
Brush one side with the oil and put that side down in the skillet, then brush the other side with oil.
Cook for several minutes on each side, until it is developing beautiful crispy brown spots.

Avocado Black Bean Salad

• 1 tablespoon lime juice or vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 can (14–19 ounces) black beans, drained
• 1/4 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
• 1 avocado (8 ounces), cubed
• ground black pepper optional

Place the lime juice or vinegar in a large bowl and gradually whisk in the oil. Stir in the beans, bell pepper, garlic, salt, and black pepper (if using). Taste and add more lime juice or vinegar if you like. Stir in the cilantro. Add cubes of avocado just before serving.

- Elizabeth