Bean Curd Roll Recipe

I hope you all had a fun-filled New Year's Eve with your friends and families. What did you do to ring in the New Year? We had some family time at home. It may sound lame, but we watched "Murder on the Orient Express,"trying to solve Hercule Poirot's investigations (it’s so much easier when you’ve seen the movie like a dozen times ) while enjoying all the baked goods the girls and I have been concocting all week.

2012 was an incredible year for me. I feel so blessed and lucky, watching my daughter grow into an adorable toddler. And then there’s the publication of my first cookbook. I am so grateful for all the blessings that I have in my life. Thank you so much for your love and support. Here’s to making 2013 as unforgettable as 2012!

Back to today's dish. The girls' resolution is to lose as much weight as I did last year when I was working off my baby weight. I'm helping them by cooking healthy, yet still flavorful meals. One such concoction is today’s recipe: light red kidney bean patties wrapped in crispy bean curd. The filling is made of mashed kidney beans with panko breadcrumbs. The legume provides a sufficient amount of protein so the girls have enough energy throughout the day and the crispy outer layer provides a pleasant contrast of texture. For a healthy and complete meal, serve it with some brown rice and a dash of soy sauce. Enjoy!

Cheese Sandwiches with White Kidney Beans

I always tell the girls that the most important ingredient for cooking is TLC. Making cheese sandwiches is no exception. There must be several layers that bind together properly for the sandwich to be a success. For this version (made for a picnic during our recent trip to Ashland), I had fresh strawberries left-over. So I blended the fruits into a purée and mixed it with cream cheese, sun dried-tomatoes and chives. I spread the strawberry cream cheese into cheese Kaiser rolls and topped it with cannellini salad, which provides the protein for the vegetarians in my family.

If you too are planning picnics with your family before school starts again, give this easy recipe a try. And if you're looking for back to school ideas for your children, this recipe might be it!