Kid-friendly Blueberry Pancakes

• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 slightly beaten egg
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• More blueberries for garnish
• Honey or syrup

Step 1: Measure the flour, sugar and baking powder into a bowl. Pour buttermilk into a measuring cup and add slightly beaten egg and vegetable oil. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry mixture. Mix well. Stir in blueberries last.

Step 2: Put some vegetable oil on a paper towel and wipe the bottom of a cold, nonstick skillet with it. Place the skillet on the burner and heat at medium-high heat.

Step 3: Place some batter in a cup measure with a spout and pour about one-third cup batter into pan. Cook until bubbles appear all over cake. Flip and cook until cakes rise and turn golden brown.

Makes 8 pancakes. 4 inches diameter.

Hint: The first cake or two are usually ruined until you figure out the right temperature; don't be discouraged. It happens to everyone. Serve with more fresh blueberries and a sprinkling of confectioners' sugar or a drizzle of syrup or honey.

• Approximate nutritional analysis per pancake: 100 calories, 3 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 100 mg sodium,15 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 4 g protein.

The meat loaf has more healthful vegetables and grains than most traditional meat loaves, providing more flavor than fat and producing a light, moist and flavorful "gourmet" meat loaf for both children and adults to enjoy. This one is best prepared with older children.

Kid-Tested Gourmet Meat loaf

• 2 garlic cloves (optional)
• Canola oil spray
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 cup finely diced mushrooms, preferably cremini or portobello (optional)
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup finely minced carrots
• 1 cup finely minced onion
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup cooked brown rice, at room temperature, or 1 cup fine bread crumbs, preferably whole wheat
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup nonfat or reduced-fat (2 percent) milk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons tomato, steak or barbecue sauce, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste (optional)
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 pound ground turkey (preferably breast), at room temperature

If using garlic, finely mince and set aside.

Kid-Tested Gourmet Meat Loaf has more vegetables and grains than most traditional meat loaves and provides more flavor than fat. Associated Press

Heat oil in a nonstick pan over high heat until hot. If using mushrooms, add to the pan and sauté lightly. Reduce heat to medium and add carrots, onion and garlic. Gently cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are almost tender, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, break up cooked rice until kernels are separate, season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside. When carrots are almost tender, add salt and pepper to the sautéed vegetables to taste and remove the pan from heat.

In a medium bowl, use a fork to lightly beat eggs until just blended. Stir in milk, thyme, marjoram, Worcestershire sauce, tomato or other sauce, and hot pepper sauce, if using. Stir in rice. Let stand 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place beef and turkey in a large bowl and, using a fork, lightly break up meat. Spread meat up sides of the bowl to make as wide a surface as possible. Spread sautéed vegetables over the top. Using just-washed hands (or two large forks), lightly mix in.

Add milk-rice mixture, pouring over entire surface. Gently combine ingredients with hands or forks until ingredients are well combined but mixture remains light. (Mixture will be very moist, almost wet.)

Transfer mixture into cups of prepared muffin tin, using a ›-cup measure, or into a loaf pan. Place muffin tin or loaf pan on a shallow baking pan (such as a cookie sheet) to catch any juices that might overflow during baking.

Bake individual meat loaves about 45 minutes and a loaf pan 60 minutes, or until juices run clear, or a thermometer inserted into the meat loaf registers 155 to 160. (Meat loaves will continue to cook after being taken out of the oven, so do not bake in the oven to the usually recommended 170, which would result in an overdone and somewhat dry meat loaf.)

Remove meat loaf from the oven, cover with foil and allow it to rest a few minutes to cool slightly and "set." Remove foil and take the meat loaf out of the muffin tin or loaf pan.

To remove meat loaf from individual muffin cups, use two salad forks to gently lift out. Two flexible metal spatulas will help lift one whole meat loaf out of the pan in one piece. Meat loaf also can be sliced while still in the pan, if desired.

Leftover meat loaf, traditionally thought to taste better the second day, can be used for sandwiches as well as reheated for an entrée.

Makes 12 muffin-sized 1/2 cup servings, or about 12 slices of large meat loaf.

Note: A combination of either ground turkey and pork or ground pork and veal also can be used.

• Per serving: 154 cal., 6 g fat (2 g saturated), 6 g carbo., 19 g pro., less than 1 g fiber, 278 mg sodium.

The following vegetable dish looks like mashed potatoes but is made with cauliflower. It's mild and creamy enough to fool all but the most experienced palate, and young cooks can enjoy being in on that "secret."

Children also can be told that cauliflower has health-protective nutritional advantages.

Magic Mashed 'Potatoes'

• 1 to 3 large cloves garlic, or as desired (optional)
• 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 teaspoons canola oil, if using garlic
• 1/4 cup low-fat (1 percent) or reduced-fat (2 percent) milk
• 1 to 3 tablespoons canola oil or extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• Salt and white pepper, to taste
• If using garlic cloves, mince and set aside.

Place cauliflower in one layer on 1 or 2 large, microwave-proof plates or in shallow dishes. Sprinkle with water. Cover with 2 layers of wet paper towels. Steam in a microwave oven until soft but not mushy, in two batches if necessary, 4 to 6 minutes. Frozen cauliflower may take 8 to 10 minutes. (Cauliflower can also be steamed stovetop.) Let cauliflower cool slightly.

Meanwhile, if using garlic, heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a small, nonstick pan over very low heat. Add garlic and gently cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add milk and heat until hot. Do not allow milk to come to a boil. (If not using garlic, heat milk in small saucepan.)

Transfer milk or milk-garlic mixture to a blender or food processor. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Add cauliflower and purée until smooth. If purée is too dry or thick, put blender on low speed and gradually add more oil in small batches until desired consistency is reached. The mixture should be fluffy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If necessary, reheat in microwave.

Makes four 1/2-cup servings.

• Per serving: 94 cal., 6 g total fat (less than 1 g saturated), 8 g carbo., 3 g pro., 4 g fiber, 51 mg sodium.

Rainbow Salad is appealing to children, who like to dip finger-size foods into sauces. Kids like the colors and enjoy making dipping cups out of bell peppers.

Children of all ages can help decide what vegetables to serve, aiming for a large number and variety. Parents can point out that the vegetables colors denote nutritional values: for example, red and orange signify the presence of beta carotene, and the red of tomatoes indicates the presence of lycopene, which helps protect against several cancers.

Rainbow Salad

• 1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat or fat-free mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) prepared garlic paste or a pinch of garlic powder (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
• Salt and white pepper, to taste
• 4 green bell peppers
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 orange bell pepper (see note)

To make dip: Place yogurt, mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic paste or powder, if using, and Worcestershire sauce in a blender. Mix on medium speed until well blended and smooth. Before transferring dip from the blender, season to taste with salt and pepper. Taste to check if additional Worcestershire sauce or other seasoning is desired. Transfer dip to a container with a cover and refrigerate about 1 hour to allow flavors to develop. Bring dip to room temperature before serving.

Either shortly before or about 1 hour before serving time, cut green peppers about two-thirds below the top so that the bottom section can serve as a cup to contain dipping sauce. Remove seeds and any fibrous tissue in the bottom sections and set aside. Reserve top portions of the peppers for a future use.

Cut remaining bell peppers into quarters. Remove seeds and fibrous tissue. Cut quarters into strips suitable for dipping in a sauce.

If preparing in advance, wrap pepper cups and strips in plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving time. When ready to serve, fill each bell pepper cup with dipping sauce. Place each bell pepper cup on a salad plate. Arrange one-fourth of the bell pepper strips, in each color, next to or around the bell pepper cup.

Makes 4 servings, with 1 cup of dip, enough to fill 4 bell pepper cups, depending on size.)

Note: Other vegetables beside bell peppers can be used for salad filling: grape or cherry tomatoes (on toothpicks, for dipping); carrot, cucumber or zucchini sticks; steamed asparagus, sugar snap or snow peas; and broccoli or cauliflower florets.