This is a simple Focaccia Bread combined with almost overly ripe tomatoes and shredded basil. The result is a very sweet bread that takes almost no time to make.

Rapid Rise Highly Active Yeast – 1 package
Warm Water – 1 1/2 Cups
Olive Oil – 4 Tablespoons divided
Basil leaves – 1/2 Cup
Kosher Salt – 1 Tablespoon
Flour – 1 1/4 Cups
Black Pepper – To Taste
Ripe Tomatoes – several

You will need: Measuring Cups & Spoons; 2 small to medium mixing bowls; Wire Whisk; Rubber Spatula; Plastic Wrap; Pizza Pan

Start by emptying the Yeast package into the warm water, whisk and then add in 2 Tablespoons of the Olive Oil — save the other two for later and then set the liquid mixture aside.

Start shredding up the basil — This is where Will comes in with his very dull knife and begins the shredding process. Once the basil is cutup, he starts cutting and mashing the ripe tomatoes…. Since the tomato juices tend to make the Focaccia Bread a little soggy, it is OK for him to crush the fruit… The end result, although not concentric, will have a very rustic look.

While your son and/or daughter is busy with tomatoes, mix together the shredded basil, salt and flour and stir with the wire whisk. Once the dried ingredients are combined, add in the liquid mixture and stir the dough until it forms a ball in the mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (about 45 minutes — a good amount of time to clean up the tomato mess).

After the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 425° and brush one tablespoon of the olive oil onto your pizza pan, and then smooth the dough out onto the pan. Sprinkle a little more salt and the black pepper over the dough and then let it rise again, this time for about 20 minutes. After it has reached a reasonable height (we prefer about 1 1/2 inches) lay out the tomatoes and any extra basil that you may have and then bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges are a golden brown.

And the NOSH – Did Will eat it? No… no he didn’t. But he did say he would try some later… we still seem to be waiting for that.

Every week Will and I (okay, mostly I) search the web for allergy information, links and opportunities for Will’s Kitchen. In an effort to collect all of our findings, we have decided to share our weekly favorites with our Will’s Kitchen readers… if you have any links that you would like to include, please contact us to let us know. Enjoy!

• This week we made Chocolate Chip Cookies and Roasted Red Pepper dip (see below)
• Researchers identify genetic link to Peanut Allergies [On the Face]
• Eczema, long-termed allergies linked [Modern Medicine]
• Why Food Allergies are Costing Your Restaurant Money [Chefforfeng]
• Birth Order May Affect Risk of Allergies [WebMD]
• Recently we made this yummy Pesto Pork recipe by the Intolerant Gourmet and we substituted our nut & dairy free pesto…

Roasted Red Pepper Dip:

Roasted Red Pepper – 1 (or the equivalent of) — If you don’t have time to roast a pepper (because, who does?) you can purchase roasted peppers either in jars, which are usually found in the pasta aisle of the grocery store. We have a local fresh market that stocks them in their salad bar…
Cannellini beans – 1/2 Cup
Olive Oil – 1 Tablespoon
Salt – Just a dash
Garlic Cloves – 2 large cloves crushed

You will need: Measuring tools; Blender or Food Processor; Spatula

Using your blender or food processor, puree together the peppers, beans and other ingredients. That’s right. It’s THAT EASY.

And the NOSH – Did Will eat it? No, but we do give him props for tasting! I loved it and spread some on my Turkey burger… just IMAGINE the possibilities…

Honey  – 2 Tablespoons
Dijon Mustard (egg free) 1 Tablespoon
Soy Milk – 1/4 Cup
Worcestershire Sauce – 1/2 Tablespoon
Panko – 1/4 Cup
Gomasio  – 1 1/2 Tablespoons
Black Pepper – 2 Teaspoons
Dried Basil – 1 Teaspoon
Garlic Salt – 1 Teaspoon
Low-fat Ground Turkey – 1 package

You will need: Mixing bowl, Whisk, Spoon, Baking Sheet

Preheat your oven to 375° and whisk together the Honey, Dijon Mustard, Soy Milk and Worcestershire Sauce. Add the Panko and allow the crumb to sink into the mixture and then add the rest of the ingredients. The best way to incorporate the Ground Turkey is with your hands — wetting them first will make it easier to clean them off after the meatballs are formed. Mash the Turkey in with the rest of the ingredients and knead until mixed through. Measuring with your eyes, dish out a little more than a tablespoon and roll the turkey mix into balls… Try to keep them all relatively the same size.

Once your meatballs are ready, wash your hands and then pop them in the oven for 20 minutes, turning them at the ten minute mark. We like to add more color to the turkey meatballs by adding in colorful pasta, diced tomatoes and chopped basil — I’m sure that you can think of a million other yummy toppings too! Please note that there will be leftovers… We recommend adding the meatballs to a sauce for the second round as they tend to get a little dry after they’ve been refrigerated. Mangia. Mangia.

And the NOSH – Did Will eat it? He ate the pasta… loved that. He was a little sketch on the Meatballs which is strange because he used to eat them when he was younger…. tastes change I suppose…

Gomasio – 1 1/2 Tablespoons
Black Pepper – 2 Teaspoons
Dried Basil – 1 Teaspoon
Garlic Salt – 1 Teaspoon
Panko – 1/4 Cup
Honey – 1 Tablespoon
Dijon Mustard (egg free) – 1 Tablespoon
Worcestershire Sauce – 1/2 Tablespoon
Low fat Ground Turkey – 1 package

You will need: 2 Mixing bowls – medium & small ; Spoon; Plate; Grill or Skillet

In the small mixing bowl, combine the dried ingredients – Gomasio, Pepper, Basil, Garlic Salt and Panko and set aside. In the medium bowl, combine the Honey, Mustard, Worcestershire Sauce (say that 10 times fast) and stir. Pour the dried ingredients into the Honey mixture and stir until clumpy. Before you add the ground turkey, grab a couple of paper towels to have on the side should you need your hands for something else, and prepare your plate for the burger patties. Using your hands, fold the turkey into the mixture and knead until combined.

After you have everything mixed together, I like to form the turkey into 4 equal balls and then divide those in two to make 8 equal burger patties. Using your skillet or grill, make sure to cook the burgers through — raw bird is not that appetizing… at least not for us. Now – you can eat these yummy, moist patties on their own or with a slider roll — make sure to read the bread ingredients, however, as most you will find in the typical bread aisle will contain milk or eggs. Try the freshly baked section — the bonus is that not only is the bread more fresh — it is usually less expensive too. We like saving money… it makes us feel accomplished.

And the NOSH – Did Will eat it? He wouldn’t eat the burger in sandwich form…. but once we broke it into pieces he had a few bites… again, making us feel rather accomplished.

This meal was made for a party of 2 1/2 — the 1/2 being 2 — so needless to say there were a few leftovers. Use your best assessment with your own tastes and dinner guests for quantities.

Small Red Potatoes or other small variety
Olive Oil – 1 Tablespoon
Sea or Kosher Salt – 1 Tablespoon
Ground Black Pepper – 1 Teaspoon

Chicken breasts – package of 2 thinly sliced and cut to size
Panko – 1 Cup
Gomasio – 1 Cup
Olive Oil – 1 Tablespoon

You will need: Measuring tools; 2 Baking dishes; Colander; Knife for cutting – watch little fingers!; Bowl for dry mixture

Starting with the potatoes, scrub each spud in water and then add to a pot for boiling. Add just enough water to cover and then boil until soft (approx. 15 minutes), drain into your colander and then oil a baking dish. After cooling a bit, use your hands and roll the potatoes until coated with the oil and sprinkle the Salt on top – roll again to coat and then repeat with the Black Pepper. Set the baking dish aside and preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

While your son or daughter brushes the 2nd baking dish with oil, start to mix the Gomasio and Panko in a bowl. Gomasio is a yummy low-sodium, but surprisingly salty tasting, condiment of roasted, whole, tan organic sesame seed and Eden sea salt — you can find it in most health food stores with the Asian foods. After you’ve hand fun mixing — cut up your chicken into pieces — each piece being approx. 1/2″ thick — length, width, shape – that’s up to you!

Take each piece of chicken and coat it with the dried mixture — trust me, it will stick to the chicken. Add to the baking dish. If your oven is big enough, you can probably fit both dishes in at the same time… Baking for 25 minutes, cool and serve. There is nothing boring about this chicken and potato combo… AND it’s good for you. How’s that?

And the NOSH – Did Will eat it? Chicken, yes. Potato, no. We can’t win them all — but we can get half way there.

CHICKPEAS (aka Garbanzo Beans)  – 1 can
ONION (small) – 1 chopped
GARLIC CLOVE – 1 pressed
PARSLEY – 1 Tablespoon
GROUND CUMIN – 1 Teaspoon
CORIANDER – 1 Teaspoon
FLOUR – 2 Tablespoons divided
Salt & Pepper to taste
CANOLA OIL – 1/4 cup

You will need: Measuring tools; Mixing bowls; Food Processor; Skillet; Tongs; Cutting board; Knife for chopping – keep away from little hands; Spoon; Potato masher

Drain the Chickpeas from the can and rinse in a mixing bowl with a little bit of water and let stand while you dice the Onion. Drain the Chickpeas again and purée in the food processor until creamy — spoon back into the mixing bowl. Add the diced Onion to the food processor and purée until liquid and then pour into and mix with the puréed chickpeas. Press the Garlic into the mixture and stir well.

In a separate bowl, mix together the Parsley, Ground Cumin, Coriander, 1 tablespoon of the Flour and salt & pepper to taste and add to the Chickpea mixture. Mash the mixture together with the potato masher and then a spoon. Using your hands, scoop out a ball and form into a patty adding bits of flour to solidify. Repeat until the mixture is done — should make approximately 6-8 Falafels.

Heat the Canola Oil in your skillet on low and add the patties to cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden and crispy. Serve hand-held, in a pita or with a little Green Goddess Dressing for dipping. Yum.

And the NOSH – Did Will eat it? He walked around with it for a while — kind of licking it to taste… no bites yet, but we are persistent!

CHICKEN-  2 1lb packages boneless tenders (or 1 2lb package)
CANOLA OIL – 1 Tablespoon
RED BELL PEPPER – 1 Chopped
MEDIUM SWEET ONION – 1 Chopped
SALT – 1 Teaspoon
GARLIC SALT – 1 Teaspoon
BLACK PEPPER – 2 Teaspoons
CHILI POWDER – 2 Teaspoons
ORANGE JUICE – 1 1/2 Cups
RIPE AVOCADO – 1 Shelled & Smashed
MEDIUM ROMA TOMATOES (or the best you can find depending on season) – 2 Diced
DAIRY & EGG FREE TORTILLAS – 1 package

If you want to spice this up, serve a nice Salsa on the side (we just wanted to say “salsa”)

You will need: Measuring tools; Skillet; Large Spatula; Brush for Oil; Cutting board; Knife for chopping – keep away from little hands; Spoon for smashing

Start by making your chicken work space away from your child — keep them busy playing with the veggies or brushing oil in the skillet. Rinse off the chicken tenders and chop them into small bits. Set the chicken aside, clean your tools and cutting board and chop the Red Pepper and Sweet Onion and set aside. Start to cook your chicken in the oiled skillet over medium heat.

Once the chicken is no longer pink, mix in the Red Pepper and Onion and let it cook until the onion starts to wilt. Add in the Salt, Garlic Salt, Black Pepper and Chili Powder and stir until covered. Pour in the Orange Juice and turn the heat to simmer. The chicken should just be covered by the juice. Stirring frequently, simmer until the liquid reduces to a sauce that just sits on the dish. Smash your Avocado and heat your Tortilla according to the package directions. Once ready, slather the Avocado onto the Tortilla, add Chicken mixture and Diced Tomatoes…. Yum. Have napkins on hand.

And the NOSH – Did Will eat it? Well – he bit into the Avocado before I cut it and that kind of led him astray…But he’s always liked the sweetness of Red Bells. He did sample the chicken after cooking, said “Yum” but then requested Dino Chicken instead. We ate it and although we loved it – both commented several hours later that we were still full.

ONION – 1/2 Cup Chopped
GARLIC CLOVES – 6 finely chopped
VEGETABLE OIL – 1 Tablespoon
SOFT TOFU – 1 package
TURMERIC – 1 Teaspoon
CUMIN – 1 Teaspoon
BRAGG – 2 Tablespoons
SALT – 1 Teaspoon
BLACK PEPPER – Quick Dash

You will need: Measuring tools; Skillet; Brush for Oil; Knife for chopping – keep away from little hands.

Chop the onion and garlic either away from your child or before cooking. Use the oil and allow your son or daughter to brush the skillet. In the meantime, remove the Tofu from its package and set on a plate to drain. You may want to press on it a little to release more of the liquid. Once the skillet is prepared with the oil, move it to a burner on medium heat and add in the garlic and onion. Cook until the onion is wilted and crumble in the tofu. Stir. Add in your spices and Bragg and simmer until the tofu browns a bit.

And the NOSH – Did Will eat it? No. No way no day—I, however, did. Yum.