When Emma Heming Willis is in the kitchen, her children are too. “I love getting the kids involved — it’s such a great life skill,” says the mom of Mabel, 4, and Evelyn, 2, with husband Bruce Willis. “They do things like crack an egg and take the shell to the trash.” While Dad handles breakfast, the lifestyle blogger, 38, cooks nearly every night at their Westchester County, New York, home striving for “variety and nutrition,” she says, because her crew “would eat pasta every day if they could!”
Try Heming Willis’ family-friendly recipes below:
Build Your Own Pizza
Serves 2
Once a week, Heming Willis’ girls choose toppings for “moist, delicious” dough made with almond flour, which Mom raves is “high in protein and low in carbohydrates and sugar.”
2 eggs
2 cups almond flour
2 tbsp. melted coconut oil
1/2 tsp. salt
Tomato sauce
Pepperoni, as desired
Vegetables, as desired
Shaved Parmesan
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the eggs, almond flour, coconut oil and salt. Form into 2 balls. Roll out the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper.
2. Transfer crusts to a pizza stone or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. With a toothpick or fork, poke dough several times. Bake crust until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and add sauce and toppings to taste. Sprinkle shaved Parmesan on top, as desired. Continue baking until the cheese is melted, 5 to 7 minutes.
Salmon Packet With Veggies
Serves 1
A favorite meal from her single modeling days, the fish, which can be baked with any vegetable, “is great for clean-up,” says Heming Willis. “You just toss it!”
1/4 cup diced zucchini
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
6 oz. salmon fillet
2–3 pieces thinly sliced lemon
1–2 sprigs dill
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place the zucchini on a piece of parchment. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.
2. Place fish on top and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Top with lemon and dill.
3. Fold the parchment to make a sealed packet. On a baking sheet, bake the packet 10 to 12 minutes.
Turkey Chili
Serves 6
Mabel and Evelyn “love a little spice,” notes Heming Willis, who suggests removing the jalapeño seeds and rinsing the pepper with cold water to tame its heat.
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
3 tbsp. finely diced garlic, divided
1-1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1 large zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 jalapeño, finely diced
3 tbsp. cumin
2 tbsp. paprika
2 14-1/2 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
Cayenne pepper
Salt
Shredded cheddar cheese, as desired
Diced small white or red onions, as desired
Roughly chopped fresh cilantro, as desired
Corn chips, as desired
Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, as desired
1. Heat 1 tbsp. of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1-1/2 tbsp. garlic and the turkey. Cook until turkey is browned, 10 to 12 minutes, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. In the same pan, add the remaining olive oil. Add zucchini and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the bell pepper, jalapeño and remaining 1-1/2 tbsp. garlic. Sauté until vegetables are al dente, 2 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the cooked turkey. Season with cumin and paprika. Add the tomatoes and water, stirring to combine. Add cayenne and salt to taste. Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
4. Top with the cheese, onion, cilantro, corn chips, yogurt or sour cream, as desired.
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