Cooks' Books by Lisa Messinger

"American Heart Association Healthy Family Meals" (Clarkson Potter, $35)

Some cookbooks aimed at children try to disguise vegetables and fruits so the kids won't even know they are there. The new "American Heart Association Healthy Family Meals," however, does the seemingly impossible: Make fresh produce so tempting that not only do kids (and the rest of the tribe) gobble it up, but they also develop a lasting appetite for it.

Mini Veggie Pancakes, cooked in olive oil and just 50 calories per two-hotcake serving, are browned goodies stuffed with shredded sweet potato and zucchini and served dipped in fat-free sour cream or unsweetened applesauce.

Squash Soup with Apple "Bobbers" is sweetened with brown sugar and seasoned for tots' palates with cinnamon and allspice. Half-and-half and apple cider are also in the mix making for a creamy, tangy soup where tender baked apples act as dumplings.

Spaghetti and giant meatballs is slathered with a sauce stuffed with roasted red bell peppers.

Those kinds of dishes — all condensed so as exceptionally easy to prepare — may tempt your tykes into being produce gourmets, but there are plenty more recipes that are traditional fare for which kids are certain to grab. Blueberry-Apple Slushes, Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothies (made with fat-free vanilla yogurt and fat-free milk), chilled Strawberry Sundae Pie and Mandarin Orange Cheesecake are sure things.

If your kids like picture books, give them a few minutes with this cookbook, as the photographs of some dishes alone are enough to prompt rabid requests — like an oozing with cheese, tomato-sauce topped lasagna that's actually filled with spinach, honey barbecue chicken nuggets that are baked rather than fried as well as macaroni and cheese that's prepared with multigrain pasta and low-fat cheese.

In fact, you don't really need any kids in the room for the power of the mouthwatering photographs to take effect. I have been in full crave mode ever since laying my eyes on them.

MINI VEGGIE PANCAKES

1 large egg white

1 small sweet potato (about 6 ounces), peeled and shredded

1 small zucchini (about 4 ounces), shredded

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

Pinch of pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

Nonstick cooking spray

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream, for serving

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, for serving

Yields 4 servings (of 2 pancakes each).

In a large bowl, lightly beat egg whites.

Stir in the sweet potato, zucchini, flour, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom.

Press some of the sweet potato mixture into a 1/4-cup measuring cup. Invert the skillet. Remove the cup and, using a spoon, slightly press the mixture to form a pancake. Repeat to make 7 more pancakes.

Remove the skillet from the stovetop. Lightly spray the pancake tops with cooking spray. Return to the heat and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until browned. Transfer to a plate. Serve each pancake with a dollop of fat-free sour cream or unsweetened applesauce.

Nutrition per (2-pancake) serving: 50 calories; 1 gram fat (0 grams saturated fat); 3 milligrams cholesterol; 69 milligrams sodium; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 2 grams protein.

PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA SMOOTHIES

3 very ripe bananas (speckled with brown spots), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices

2 (6-ounce) containers fat-free vanilla yogurt

1 1/4 cups fat-free milk

6 ice cubes

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Yields 4 (1-cup) servings.

Put the bananas on a large freezer-safe plate. Put in the freezer for 30 minutes, or until firm and very cold.

In a blender, process all of the ingredients for 30 seconds, or until the mixture is thick and smooth and the ice is fully incorporated.

Nutrition per serving: 276 calories; 8.5 grams fat (2 grams saturated fat); 3 milligrams cholesterol; 165 milligrams sodium; 42 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 12 grams protein.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators News Service "After-Work Gourmet" column. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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