Elena Bosch
Like so many families on Thanksgiving break, I was looking for fun and creative ways to keep my preschooler occupied that didn’t involve more screen time.
Luckily, the awesome team at Dole Food Company launched the “Now We’re (All) Cooking” campaign inspired by Disney and Pixar’s Ratatouille. The program aims to help busy families like mine with recipes even the most novice little chefs (aka me and my four-year-old) can tackle.
Now, if you know me, you know I’m not much of a Remy in the kitchen. But when I was invited to collaborate in the initiative aimed to inspire chefs of all levels to get in the kitchen, I jumped at the chance.
My family loves all things Disney and Pixar. In fact, Disney and Pixar’s Ratatouille is my husband’s favorite Disney movie and a classic go-to for family movie night at our house. For me, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to teach my little one about healthy eating habits while creating memories in the kitchen.
The first course my little chef and I prepared was Little Chef Potato-Leek Soup. Other than having to search how to properly clean leeks (yes, it’s a thing), it was really easy to follow and turned out quite delicious, especially for being completely vegan and gluten-free. I was honestly quite surprised how scrumptious it turned out.
Now, my son and I followed the recipe word for word because I am not about to improvise in the kitchen knowing my track record. However, next time I make this soup, I likely won’t use a food processor to purée the entire batch. I like my soup a little chunky, so I would recommend only blending about half the batch if you like a chunky soup too.
For dessert, my little chef and I created Oui Oui Wafer Banana Macarons. These sweet and surprisingly light treats were such a hit, my son immediately asked if we could create variations.
The official recipe calls for mandarin oranges, but we swapped for DOLE® Strawberries, Blackberries and Blueberries, and they all tasted divine. Another tip: if you have a toddler spoon (and let’s be real, you probably do), use the spoon instead of a zip-top plastic bag to dollop your filling instead of piping. Your little chef will likely have a much easier time helping with a toddler spoon than with a piping bag.
Grandma loves macarons, so we knew right away we would be setting aside a stash for her. They’re no-bake, too, which is a plus for me. Pop Pop loved the soup we made, and dad was shocked I didn’t burn down the house. A sentiment we can all appreciate.
Dole collaborated with Disney and Pixar’s Ratatouille to inspire nearly two dozen original recipes easy enough for your little ones to help prepare. In addition, Dole has created a library of free digital downloads to help keep your little chefs busy when parents have to take on the tasks that require an adult like cutting the veggies or putting the dishes in the oven.
Follow along as we continue to participate in the “Now We’re (All) Cooking” campaign by following the hashtags: #NowWereAllCooking #Dole #DoleRecipes #DoleInsiders #PixarRatatouille. For original recipes, nutritional insights, and other information, go to www.dole.com or follow Dole’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest pages.
