Kids love things they can eat with their hands, which is why I like making handheld foods for dinner. You know taquitos… samosas… empanadas… And puff pastry is always gonna be a hit.

What I really love about this recipe is that its got protein from the lentils, a vitamin rich green leafy vegetable and the mineral strong sweet potato… all in one portable little pocket.  And all of this will will actually make it inside your child.  Because there’s really no opportunity for separating the veggies out into a pile and leaving them behind on the plate. You just take a bite, and its all mixed together.

Once you get the concept, a puff pocket is a really easy way to get veggies into your kids.

Bonus: Make them half the size and you can serve them as appetizers! Fancy-like.

Lentil, Sweet Potato and Swiss Chard Puffs

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 small onion

1/4 cup carrot, diced (approx 1 small carrot)

1/4 cup celery, diced (approx 1 small stalk)

1/2 teaspoon cumin

3/4 teaspoons oregano

1/8 teaspoon coriander

1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 cup green lentils

1/4 cup diced, fire- roasted tomatoes

2 cups vegetable broth

3/4 cups sweet potato, small diced

1/2 bunch swiss chard, chopped  (2-3 leaves; vein removed, chopped, then washed)

2 sheets puff pastry (usually one package;thawed according to package directions)

Procedure:

In a pan over medium, heat the olive oil. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes or until starting to soften.

Add cumin, oregano, coriander, smoked paprika and salt. Cook for 1 minute or until spices become fragrant.

Add lentils, tomatoes, broth, sweet potatoes and swiss chard.

Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes, or until lentils are tender and liquid is absorbed. Check liquid level periodically.

*(Add water if liquid is getting too low at any time, and lower heat slightly)

Take lentils off of heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat.

Working with one sheet at a time, open the thawed puff pastry sheet and cut into 9 even squares.

 Roll one square out until it is approximately 5in x 5in.  Don’t worry if your square looks wonky. We’ll fix it later.

Arrange the sheet with a point facing up. Place one rounded tablespoon of filling towards the top and fold the top point over to meet the bottom point. Press the edges together with the side of your finger, making sure to push back the filling from the edges first if necessary.

Using a fork, seal the edges together.

*If the edges get too wet from the filling, they won’t seal well. So try to keep the edges dry as you bring them together.

Trim the edges with a knife to make them even. Place finished pastries on the prepared baking pan.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Then turn the pan, increase the temperature to 400, and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown on the tops and undersides.

Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before eating.

Delight at the crispy goodness!