Ask A New England Expert: Easy Breakfast Meals For Kids

Trained at some of the finest cooking schools in Italy, chef, teacher, author and activist Kashia Diaz Cave has won many awards not just for her cooking but also for her service to the community.  For years, Kashia has waged a crusade to help inform and teach inner-city and low-income family children not only how to eat healthy, but also how to shop smart and cook healthy, even on a tight budget.  The founder of My City Kitchen and executive chef at the My City Kitchen Cafe,  Chef Cave is famed for her gourmet meals and catering service, and has won praise as an educator.  Despite running a business, appearing on television shows and writing books, she manages to find time to continue her mission to show children that food that is good for you can also taste good - and is something that they can prepare not just for themselves but also for their entire family. In 2016 the Trinidad-born Kashia was recognized for her good works with a spot in 2016 Aetna's African American History Calendar.

Find out more about this chef on a mission, including some recipes for your own family.

Chef Kashia Diaz Cave
MCK Gourmet Café
6 Research Drive
Shelton, CT  06484
(475) 269-2984
www.mckgourmet.com

Here are just three of Chef Kashia Diaz Cave's recipes for easy to make, healthy breakfasts for kids.

Huevos Rancheros

Ingredients:

• 4 small flour tortillas
• ½ yellow onion (diced small)
• 4 sausage links (diced small)
• 1 cup black beans (rinsed and set aside)
• 1 medium green sweet pepper or poblano pepper
• 1 large tomato (diced small)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup Mexican blend or pepper-jack cheese
• 1 cup of your favorite salsa
• Cilantro chopped fine for garnish
• *Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Directions:

1. Heat a medium size skillet with 1 tablespoon of EVOO add the onions, sausage, cook for 1 min.
2. Add tomato black beans, sweet peppers and cook for 30 seconds and set aside.
3. In the same skillet add additional EVOO for frying each egg individually and set aside
4. Warm up your tortillas and divide them on the plates, take your sausage mix and place ¼ of mixture on top of each tortilla, add the bean mixture on top the sausage.
5. Place 1 egg on top the beans, add 1 table spoon of salsa on top of the egg. Garnish with cheese and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Optional garnishes: Crumbled feta cheese and sliced avocado.
*ChefCave recommend Enotre Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Breakfast Burrito

Ingredients:

• 1 - 10-inch flour tortillas
• ¼ yellow onion (diced small)
• 2 slices of ham optional (sliced into thin strips)
• ½ red sweet pepper
• 1/2 medium tomato (diced small)
• 1 handful of chopped spinach or kale
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup cheddar cheese
• Cracked pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a small bowl crack eggs and scramble.
2. Heat a medium size skillet with 1 tablespoon of EVOO add the onions, sweet peppers, spinach or kale, ham and tomato cook for 30 seconds add the eggs and mixed together, season with cracked pepper. Cook eggs until fluffy.
3. Warm up your tortillas, placed mixture on the tortilla.
4. Garnish with cheese. Serve immediately.

• Optional garnishes: tomato salsa.

Related: Study: School Chefs Can Get Kids To Eat Healthier

Mini Breakfast Quiche

Ingredients:

• 12 - 3-inch pastry shells
• 1/2 yellow onion (diced small)
• 1 medium red sweet pepper (diced small)
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
• ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup of half and half
• 2 eggs
• 8 slices of cooked bacon chopped
• 2 tablespoons of sour cream

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl crack eggs and scramble.
2. Add all the ingredients into the egg and mix well.
3. Divide the mixture into the 12 pastry shells, sprinkle with the Monterey jack cheese
4. Bake for 12 minutes at 325 degrees until golden brown
5. Serve immediately

Related: More Kids Choosing To Eat Healthy Lunches