Get your kids in the kitchen and begin a lifelong culinary adventure. Every month the Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center hosts its Kids in the Kitchen workshop to expose children ages 4 and up to new flavors, foods and healthy eating habits. Cooking also increases your child’s literacy and math skills by expanding their vocabulary and encouraging them to practice counting and using fractions.

Register for June’s class featuring Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips; it runs 10 to 11:15 a.m. June 14 and 15. Cost for an adult/child pair is $22. Seats fill up fast, so register early. The center is at 111 Ohe St. Call 524-5437.

Here are some kid-friendly recipes to get you started.

CHICKEN PARMESAN PIZZA POCKETS

2 teaspoons cornmeal
1 (13.8-ounce) package whole-wheat refrigerated pizza dough
2 medium chicken breasts, cooked and sliced (preferably grilled or roasted)
1/2 cup chopped spinach, cooked and drained
1/4 cup marinara sauce
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. On clean surface, sprinkle cornmeal and roll out pizza dough to a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Cut into 8 rectangles.

Working with one rectangle at a time, position the long side facing you. Place one-eighth of the chicken slices and spinach in the center of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the filling. Top chicken with sauce and shredded cheeses.

Moisten edges of dough and fold in half lengthwise over filling. Pinch edges together to secure. Set on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining rectangles.

Cut 2 small vents on top of each pocket and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Bake until browned and bubbling, about 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 320 calories, 15 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 650 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 24 g protein

MINI VEGGIE POT PIES

3 cups frozen mixed vegetables
3 cups kabocha, cooked and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 (10.75-ounce) cans 98-percent fat-free cream of mushroom condensed soup
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 (8-ounce) can reduced-fat refrigerated crescent roll dough

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 6 8-ounce ramekins with nonstick spray and place on baking sheet.

In large microwave-safe bowl, place frozen vegetables and kabocha; microwave 2 minutes until warm. Add soup and garlic, and gently mix. Evenly distribute among ramekins, filling to top.

Roll out dough into 12-by-8-inch rectangle and cut into 6 squares. Cover each ramekin with a piece of dough, pressing along the outside edges to seal, and cut a slit to vent steam.

Bake until dough is firm and lightly browned and filling is hot, about 18 minutes. Makes 6 pot pies.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 240 calories, 8 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 700 mg sodium, 38 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 6 g protein

RED VELVET WAFFLES

1 box red velvet cake mix, plus ingredients listed on box
» Icing:
4 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
3/4 cup warm skim milk

Preheat waffle iron. Prepare cake mix according to box directions. Spray waffle iron with cooking spray, then pour batter onto iron, being careful not to overfill. Cook until edges are lightly browned and batter is cooked through.

With hand mixer, whisk together remaining ingredients until icing is smooth. Drizzle icing over each waffle; serve immediately. Makes 16 kid-sized servings (each serving is one-fourth of a large waffle).

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 230 calories, 10 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 250 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 19 g sugar, 4 g protein

More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at www.hawaiianelectric.com.