Mixed vegetables are not only a healthy food option, they also offer a variety for the taste buds.
In a handful of locations in the United States and in Canada, a Montessori-inspired cooking academy is teaching children from ages 3 to 19 how to make a vegetable medley stir-fry and other health-conscious foods.
It's all part of the Little Kitchen Academy's effort, according to its website, "to promote a more educated, independent and healthier society."
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Felicity Curin founded the Little Kitchen Academy in Vancouver in 2018. Fox News Digital spoke with the experienced food handler, teacher and mom about why she believes vegetables have made a comeback on the plates of homes throughout North America.
Curin believes it was one of the positives to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Montessori-trained cook said she noticed that when everyone was stuck at home, "these creative souls on Instagram and TikTok" would share how they "made things out of nothing" – often creating meals "with whatever was in the fridge at the time."
"And vegetables," she said. "I mean, who doesn't have frozen vegetables in their freezer at all times?"
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She added that "the idea of knowing where your food is coming from, knowing that you can control it, grow it, tend to it, care for it and then turn it into something spectacular with different degrees of science is really interesting."
Curin shared her rainbow veggie stir-fry recipe with Fox News Digital, the rainbow representing various vegetable colors.
"It just looks more appealing," she said.
"And it's so much fun."
But perhaps best of all, it's simple enough for children to make, with oversight from grownups, of course, depending on their age.
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"Our recipe is designed for kids to do it," Curin said.
1 cup cooked rice
2 tsp vegetable or olive oil (divided)
1 egg, lightly beaten
30g onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 carrot, sliced
5 snap peas, sliced
75g zucchini, cut into small slices
1/8 bell pepper, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
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1/4 cup corn kernels
1/8 tsp salt, more to taste
1/4 tsp grated or finely minced fresh ginger
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds (garnish)
1. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a large wok or frying pan over medium high heat.
2. Once oil is hot, add chopped onion and stir for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add carrot, peas, zucchini, bell pepper, green onion, corn and garlic.
4. Sprinkle with salt and cook over medium high heat, stirring regularly. Depending on size of vegetables, cook for 3-6 minutes so that veggies are hot, starting to brown but not overly soft.
5. Scrape veggies into bowl and set aside.
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6. Add another tsp of oil to the pan and allow to heat up for a minute or two over medium high heat.
7. Add rice to pan and stir so well-coated in oil and starting to get crisp.
8. Use a spoon to push rice to side of pan and pour egg into "space" in pan. Allow to set for a minute or so, then stir gently with spoon to break up egg. When cooked through, stir into rice.
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9. Scrape rice and egg into bowl with veggies. Drizzle with soy sauce, sesame oil and minced ginger. Stir together well. Top with sesame seeds and enjoy.
This original recipe is owned by the Little Kitchen Academy and was shared with Fox News Digital.
