Together

Posted on December 16, 2010 by admin

One of my fears when I write this blog is coming off as pretentious. I am not trying to show that my kids are better than others or that I am better than others. What I’m attempting is to show that if I can do it, so can you. Ok, except if there are food allergies or aversions, texture problems or other issues, but for the most of everyone else, I do believe it’s possible. And this is not to say it’s always easy. Sometimes there are struggles, but they needn’t be huge, horrible or drawn out. Learn when to stay your ground and when to be flexible and when to give in.

The other night my middle son came home from friends at dinnertime with food in hand— his dinner “to go”. He was given chicken nuggets, ham, and mac and cheese. My husband said the host offered the kids snap peas but they all declined. When we sat down to eat our dinner he refused to have any, because he’d eaten, so I let him skip it. We’d made salmon, TJ’s Harvest grains (orzo, Israeli couscous, quinoa and baby chick peas), spinach and snow peas.

After dinner the two eldest boys ran out to cub scouts with my husband. Upon their return and while they should have been getting ready for bed, my middle son cried that he was hungry. I offered him what we had for dinner. “No, I want something else.” He repeated a couple of times. “I don’t want that. I want something different.” as he kept pointing at the refrigerator. I was resolute and he acquiesced fairly quickly and said he wanted it all. All of dinner, not just the salmon or just the grains, but all. I actually had no spinach and only a tiny piece of salmon left, but I gave him what I had plus a piece of broccoli left over from last night’s dinner.

Minutes later my youngest son, while finishing his dinner that he’d abandoned when his brothers left the house, shrieked because he thought his brother had taken one of his snow peas. I grabbed a couple off my middle son’s plate and then he cried out, “No! Those are mine!” So back to the fridge for more snow peas…not a bad thing. I thought to myself, “Ok. They’re arguing over snow peas.” Not that I like the arguing or crying for that matter, but my kids like these foods. I know not every child will like every food… I’ve never said that. But I do believe that if you give in to the chicken nugget/mac & cheese rut you’ll be stuck trying for much longer to get them to eat well and especially their veggies. Plus if you offer kids foods they’re more likely to say no. If you give them the vegetables without the option to say no, then they’re more likely to eat them. Getting them to eat well doesn’t need to be fraught with struggles, just need to forge ahead with determination knowing that one day they might just eat the healthier stuff.

Sometimes people think I’m radical by my zealousness in getting kids to eat healthily, but for me I know it’s best for their long term health. I still try to maintain a healthy attitude and not panic over every little thing and I hope I’ve figured out which battle to choose. And believe me, I’m not here trying to preach from high above but right in the trenches with you all.

Treat Them Well

Posted on December 9, 2010 by admin

Wondering why I insist on baking with so many disasters? It’s not masochism; it’s my way of ensuring the ingredients are what I don’t mind my kids ingesting. Plus I do get some fabulous results. My mother’s birthday is a week after my son’s and they both fall around Thanksgiving. Mum was visiting my brother in California for Thanksgiving so I promised to make her birthday dinner upon her return. The dinner, a grilled Moroccan leg of lamb with Moroccan spices was enjoyed by everyone but my mother (because of the grilled part), was similar to the lamb my husband made for our potluck dinner over the summer. But she loved the pie I made for her. I took the banana cream pie I created the crust for, altered it slightly and added a layer of strawberry chiffon to the top. Plus only the crust is actually baked.

So, if you’ve read my blog you know I am into feeding my children healthier options but try not to go overboard especially on attempting to be perfect. I realize the balance that I desire so that my kids have healthier options while trying to keep our psyches in check. That said, many people are surprised that I let my kids have the occasional junk food and also that I let them have cakes, cookies, ice cream, etc. I keep the junk to a minimum and what I care about most is the ingredients in those treats.

That’s why I’ll often make desserts so they don’t have the stuff I do avoid (pesticides, growth hormones and artificial colors). I haven’t had to worry about weight issues with my kids or me (yes, I put on more than the freshman 15 when I went away to university, but it dropped quickly when I returned to eating better foods) so that’s one reason why I don’t deny them treats. I do insist they eat their main course before getting dessert and I try to limit snacking, but I’m not a tyrant about it. I believe that in healthy eating and keeping active keep people naturally fit. So go ahead, have and serve your desserts, just remember they’re treats.

This pie is not for the faint of heart. It is full of cream, but oh so delicious. It also takes some time to make the banana filling layer but don’t rush and you’ll be rewarded later. Heavenly.

Banana Strawberry Cream Pie

Crust

2 1/2 cups Banana Nut Cheerios

2 1/2 cups Strawberry Yogurt Cheerios

1 stick butter, melted

In food processor chop the cheerios until crumbs. While processor on, pour in melted butter through spout until well mixed. Press into pie plate and bake for 8 minutes at 350F. Set aside to cool.

Banana Filling

Find here. Once poured into pie crust, let set in fridge while you prepare the strawberry chiffon.

Strawberry Chiffon

12 oz frozen strawberries (organic)

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cups cream, whipped

2 tsp gelatin

2 Tbsp cold water

In a small bowl sprinkle gelatin over 2 Tbsp cold water. Let sit. Whip cream and set aside. Over medium high heat cook strawberries until they’re starting to break down. Use potato masher to puree. Strain seeds out. Pour into a metal bowl and place bowl into a cold water bath then whisk in gelatin and fold in whipped cream. Chill for 10 minutes then using a spatula spread strawberry chiffon layer onto the top of the banana layer. Serve or chill until ready to serve.

My kids were so excited about this during and after its creation. My mother loved it and I had some left over for when a good friend visited the following day. It was a hit with all and a perfect treat.

If you notice— pie plate was a sauté pan. I had the triple layer pumpkin pies in my only other two.

Forgot to buy cream… now what am I making?

Posted on November 18, 2010 by admin

Sometimes my dinners aren’t what was originally planned. The other night I was going to make the chicken and mushrooms in cream sauce that my kids all love, but while I was browning the chicken I remembered I’d used the last of the cream to make scones the day before. So, mid cooking I needed to change course. I had brown rice in my rice cooker. I had the mushrooms all cut. I’d pulled out a zucchini… so what direction should I go? I went Asian style stir-fry. I added sesame oil, fish sauce and soy sauce to the chicken once browned and set that aside. I cut up a small broccoli crown, remaining half a head of cabbage, and the kid’s carrot sticks left over from their snacks. My husband came home from work and helped by chopping garlic, grating fresh ginger and thawing/shelling edamame (soybeans). Boy, at the speed of light he can mince that garlic into tiny pieces— I couldn’t even imagine doing. I threw in some frozen red, yellow and green peppers. And voila, a delicious meal that was not what we planned, but was so healthy and delicious.

You can do this with whatever vegetables you have on hand that seem to go together. I purchased the Cascadian Farms organic frozen peppers and edamame because they are handy and also great in stir-fries. Not every vegetable freezes well, but some are fine and they actually retain their nutritional value plus you won’t worry about unwanted additives (the linings from cans or pesticides) this way.

Chicken, Mushroom, Vegetable Stir Fry

5-6 boneless chicken thighs (or 2 breasts), cut into 2 inch pieces

3 Tbsp tamari soy sauce

1 Tbsp fish sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

1 quart shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1/2 quart white mushrooms, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp fresh ginger grated

1-2 carrots, chopped

1 small broccoli crown, cut into small pieces

1 organic zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then sliced

1/4-1/2 small cabbage head, chopped

handful organic edamame, shelled

handful organic peppers (multicolored), sliced

canola, sunflower or peanut oil

Brown chicken in 2 tsp oil over med-high heat. Add soy, fish sauce and sesame oil. Set aside. Add another 2 tsp oil and sauté mushrooms. Add garlic and ginger, stirring well for two minutes then add broccoli and carrots. Keep stirring for another two minutes then add zucchini, peppers, cabbage, edamame, chicken in soy mixture. Stir occasionally until vegetables are tender. Check seasoning and add more soy or sesame as needed.

Serve over brown rice or rice noodles.

My kids all loved this and ate their entire meal without fuss. Ok, well, my middle son saw it and said he wasn’t going to eat it and didn’t want it before my eldest and younger sons told him that it was delicious. It was. I was the lucky one who ate the leftovers (it was enough to feed all five of us with one remaining bowl for next day’s lunch). My middle son was the first one of the kids to finish.

It didn’t matter that it wasn’t what I planned. It was healthy, tasty, easy and the kids ate it.

Soup– stealthy vegetable vehicle

Posted on November 14, 2010 by admin

A way of sneaking in those pesky vegetables that some picky eaters refuse to eat on their own is to put them in soup. My kids are pretty good at eating most vegetables so I don’t need to puree the veggies but anyone with ultra picky kids can choose to do that. Even without pureeing it, since the vegetables get cooked in the broth they’ll get many of the nutrients even if they’re not eating the actual vegetable from the soup. And with all the wonderful organic stocks and broths readily available to buy, making soups can be fast and painless. It’s quick, easy, tasty and healthful— what more can you ask for? And, don’t have enough of something for a full meal or want to use up left-overs; soup is a great medium.

Here’s one soup I made in less than a half hour last night. I decided last minute to make it a dinner and movie night, but not with pizza. I had a little of this and that. I mixed vegetable and chicken broth to give it a rich flavor. I had some left over chicken breast (but not enough for much, so I thawed some tenders too). I decided to add some small meatballs (frozen, from IKEA— yes, Ikea, the furniture-in-box place) that made it into a sort of Italian Wedding Soup. I didn’t feel the need to add onions or celery since I used the prepared broths. The chicken is very tender not only because of the cut, but also since it’s poached in the broth.

Chicken, Kale, Bean and Meatball Soup

1 quart organic chicken broth

1 quart organic vegetable broth

4 chicken tenders, cut in 1 inch pieces

1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and roughly chopped

2-3 organic carrots, sliced

3/4 pound mini star-shaped pasta

1 can beans (pinto, cannellini, kidney)

2 tsp dried oregano

10-15 small meatballs

1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

In a stock pot pour the two broths and bring to a low boil. Add kale, carrots and chicken. Stir and cook for 5 minutes before adding pasta, meatballs, oregano and beans. Cook 10 minutes then add cilantro and cook one more minute. Adjust seasoning (salt and pepper). My two eldest sons loved the soup and my youngest ate it but didn’t want the kale, even though he likes kale on its own. I didn’t push and just let him try to eat it without (a tough task!). I loved it too and both my eldest son and I had it for lunch today.

Comfort to some

Posted on November 10, 2010 by admin

Something about this time of year— it seems like I’m all about comfort food. Recently I came across the ultimate in comfort food— bacon and egg pie. I mean, really, it’s got bacon, need I say more? Oh wait, it’s also a pie. No, not a quiche, a pie. With two crusts. My mother sent me an online article about her friend, Alison Holst, a famous New Zealand chef who’s penned something like 100 cookbooks and is New Zealand’s version of Julia Child. She’s even got Julia’s stature, voice and also warmth. Alison visited here a few years back and she is just lovely. So this article was how she came to make bacon and egg pies and it gave her recipe.

Now, if you’ve lived in (or even visited) England or a former British colony, you may have learned to love meat pies, fish and chips, sausage rolls and other foods that most foodies would turn their noses up at. But me, I love them all. They are comfort food and bring back such wonderful memories. Like when I lived in Wellington I used to go to brunch at the Brooklyn Deli (named for the area of Wellington not New York) and luurved their bacon and egg pie. Reading about the article made me remember those days. And it made me want a bacon and egg pie, so I printed the recipe and brought it to the kitchen.

I couldn’t believe it took me so many years to make this. The crust was super easy to make in the food processor. I made the crust and put the potatoes on the stove (on med-low) then dashed off to pick up my eldest from his school’s Kindness Klub (where they help raise money for charities, help fill food pantries, or create gifts for soldiers, etc). When I returned I rolled out the dough (which was chilling in the fridge while I ran to the school), cooked the bacon, sautéed the leeks and finished assembling the pie. (Leeks are my addition.)

Alison Holst’s Bacon and Egg Pie

1 1/4 cups of flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 stick butter, chopped into pieces

1 tsp white vinegar

1/2 cup cold milk

4-6 strips of lightly cooked bacon, chopped (nitrate and nitrite-free)

1/2 cup frozen peas

1-2 cups chopped cooked potatoes

6 large eggs

1 leek sliced, well rinsed and lightly sautéed (optional)

salt and pepper to taste (careful since bacon is salty)

Preheat oven to 390F. In food processor mix together the flour, baking powder, and cold butter until butter is at least pea-sized. Add vinegar to milk then drizzle both into top of processor while on. When it becomes one ball, stop and place in fridge to chill for 10 minutes. After, divide in two and roll out on well floured surface. Place bottom crust into pie plate. Spread with half to three quarters of the chopped bacon, peas, leeks and potato. Mix eggs in bowl with a fork until the yolks are broken, but the eggs look streaky. Pour about half the eggs over the mixture in the bowl, then add the remaining bacon, peas and potatoes, and dribble the rest of the egg over the top.

Moisten the edge of the pastry in the plate, then place the second pastry sheet on top of the filling, trimming the edges if necessary. Crimp the edges if you like. Make a slit in the top and brush the top with milk. Bake at 390F/200C for about 40 minutes.

Now, what really surprised me was my kids’ reactions. My eldest, of course, loved it. But my middle son said he hated it but still ate most of it. And my youngest refused to try it without coaxing and actually putting a tiny forkful to his mouth. He actually asked if he could just have his salad and skip the pie. Bacon. I reminded him that it was in there. Oh well, maybe you have to learn to like comfort foods or maybe what’s a comfort to you is poison to someone else. I even had some Wattie’s Tomato Sauce with mine (the NZ version of ketchup) like I was back at “varsity”. To me it’ll still remain a favorite. Now to tackle creating a mince pie— as long as I don’t start putting back the freshman fifteen.

Dinner in 10.

Posted on October 23, 2010 by admin

At story time in the library yesterday a mother mentioned she never cooks because she doesn’t have time. Instead of saying I completely understand because my time is crazed right now and I have no time, I told her she could try some recipes I’d just cooked. One I told her, took as long as boiling the pasta to make. Her interest was piqued. Now, I probably should have told her that I was up until 1:30 last night sorting and folding laundry because I’d let it go to the point of digging socks and underwear out of the mountain filled baskets, but I didn’t want to tarnish my super-mommy image (actually nobody who knows me thinks I am supermom, because I am usually honest about how messy my house is and how I just can’t do it all). Ah, but one can dream and pretend for a day.

I know that some people choose to keep a tidy house over cooking meals for their kids and I do have some friends that have tidy homes and cook great meals (even a couple that hold fulltime jobs) but they’re just much more organized and less ADD than me! I have a cluttered office, an over abundance of toys to weed through, a laundry situation that constantly eludes me, and a back yard that will soon win the WT award. Cause truth is I’d rather be cooking than cleaning, I’d rather be writing than cleaning and I’d rather have an over scheduled schedule than cleaning. Now, if I start making more money I can hire someone to come clean regularly… ooh, and if I make tons I can hire someone to do my laundry. Well, that means getting more clients and that takes a lot of time. But, for now, messy house and laundry up the wazoo.

Back to the food… Here is one of recipes I told her about. It took about 10 minutes.

Shrimp Bianco with Spinach and Tomatoes

1 pound frozen de-veined shrimp

1/4 onion (or 1 shallot) finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

handful parsley, chopped

baby spinach (I used what I had from my CSA about 2 cups)

handful cherry tomatoes, cut in half

3 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup cream

1/4 cup white wine

sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

1 pound thin spaghetti

Run cool water over shrimp to thaw, set aside. Put salted water on to boil. Chop the onion, garlic and parsley. Heat olive oil and sauté the onions then add garlic, making sure neither get brown. Add shrimp and when they’re just turning pink add wine, cream, parsley. Stir for 30 seconds then add spinach and tomatoes and salt and pepper. As soon as spinach is wilted, strain spaghetti and toss with shrimp mixture. Serve.

My kids loved this dish. I loved that I made it so quickly. I was seriously considering getting a pizza, but managed to save money and give something a little more nutritious in less time than it would have taken for the pizza delivery person to drive over here. And there was not a single whine at the dinner table!

Unfortunately because it was so quick, I didn’t have my camera ready during the cooking process. Next time!

One potato, two potato…

Posted on October 17, 2010 by admin

I really, really thought I was going to have more time to write when the kids got back to school, but I seem to have less time than before. I try to write late at night after the kids are in bed, but lately I keep falling asleep when I’m reading bedtime stories, much to the chagrin of my kids. I mean I’m actually falling asleep during the story. My sons have been known to pry open my eyes, poke me and yell, “Wake up!” or ” Mommy, keep reading!” So, I have been remiss in the frequency of my posts. But today, I’ve made some time.

Here are two potato recipes that the kids love. One is a fairly quick and very easy soup recipe, the other, scalloped potatoes, takes more time both in preparation and in baking. But they are favorites within my immediate and extended family. My husband is often requested to make the scalloped potatoes at family holiday gatherings.

Potato Leek Soup

3 large potatoes (russet or similar)

3 leeks (whites only)

3 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup cream

salt and pepper to taste (careful with the salt since the broth probably has enough)

Cut the leeks lengthwise then stand upright in cold water to wash. Once fully rinsed, chop and place in sauce pan. Peel and chop potatoes then add to leeks. Add broth.Simmer until potatoes are soft (about 25 minutes). Take off heat and add cream. Season with fresh ground pepper and, if needed, salt. Use immersion blender to purée (standing blender will work too).

Serve. Can chill and serve cold too (Vichyssoise).

My eldest loves this so much he squealed when I showed it to him. He could barely wait for a taste.

His enthusiasm led my middle son’s curiosity to try it as well which then spread to my youngest, who normally stays away from creamy soups. They all loved it. Sometimes peer pressure is a good thing.

Scalloped potatoes to follow…

Another quick, last minute meal

Posted on September 23, 2010 by admin

I have way too many tomatoes right now so I keep using them in recipes. One confession to make: sometimes I end up throwing them into the compost. It’s not my preferred method of using them, but I just have too many for me to get to. So, today after putting in some time at the farm where we get our CSA I learnt that you can freeze tomatoes to use in sauce (ok, I just have never done it, nor thought that it would be that great) but I decided to go the other route— canning. I have bought some mason jars and other supplies. I remember making jam as a kid and preserving it, so if I could do it then, I’ll try it now.

In the meantime (I just bought the stuff today, give me a day or two), I made some salsa on one day and pizza with the tomatoes as base another. I also used some cherry tomatoes in a killer I-have-no-idea-what-I’m-making-for-dinner-now-because-I spent-too-much-time-chatting-on-the-playground-oh-yea-I-can-make-THIS-pasta. (I was going to make chicken gumbo, but that keeps getting pushed back due to time). I used to throw together these great chicken and pasta dishes that are like my version of stir-fry…whatever vegetables I have in stock that actually go together will go into the dish with chicken, garlic, basil and tomatoes. I try to make it with mushrooms, because they’re perfect here, but I had none.

I used a bit of kale, corn, broccoli, onions, zucchini, orange bell pepper, and carrots. Fussili pasta is perfect, but ziti or farfale will go nicely too. It takes 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook (using chicken breast)— if you don’t have to interrupt for looking over kids’ homework or refereeing a squabble.

Chicken and Vegetable Pasta with Garlic and Tomatoes

Approx 1 pound chicken breast (or thighs), deboned, skinned and cut into 1-2 inch pieces (thighs take longer to cook)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 med onion or 2 shallots
10-15 cherry tomatoes, quartered or 2 large tomatoes, diced
handful of fresh basil, chopped
Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/4-1/3 cup white wine
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
choice of fresh vegetables, chopped (spinach, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, peppers, carrots, corn, kale, chard, snow or snap peas, asparagus and/or mushrooms)

Put pasta on to cook according to instructions. While that’s cooking: sauté onions then garlic in pan. Add chicken and lightly brown on all sides, careful not to burn garlic. Add wine and stock. Cook for few minutes and add vegetables that take longest first (kale, carrots, peppers) then others (mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, corn). While stirring, cook another couple of minutes then add herbs and tomatoes, salt and pepper. Mix gently and cook for 2 minutes until tomatoes are warm but not disintegrated. Toss pasta so well coated with sauce and veggies. Serve.

This is always a winner with my kids. Not everyone will like every vegetable each time, but it hardly ever elicits a protest because there’s pasta. It’s great to get rid of left over vegetables and perfect for lunch the following day. And, it uses up some of those tomatoes.

The tomatoes give it a fresh sweetness that goes so nicely with garlic, basil and pasta. You can also substitute shrimp for the chicken.

20 Minute Dinner- Start to Finish

Posted on August 8, 2010 by admin

This is one quick chicken dish I’ve come up with for when I’m at a loss for inspiration and time. Throw a little Adobo seasoning powder or some Penzy’s Singapore Spice (black pepper, lemon peel, garlic, onion, turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, ginger, nutmeg, fennel, cinnamon, white pepper, cardamom, cloves, cayenne pepper— all in one!!) on cut up chicken breast pieces, toss them into a hot pan with olive oil, flip around a bit until they’re cooked. If they’re small enough it’s only a matter of minutes. (Be careful with the Adobo seasoning as it’s very salty and you need only a little.) Add a simple salad, green beans and 3 Grains Blend from Trader Joe’s…dinner in 20 minutes!

The salad contained Romaine lettuce, red cabbage, cucumber, tomato, basil and green bell pepper. All but the Romaine were from our local CSA. I used my go-to prepared salad dressing: Briannas French Vinaigrette. (I’ll post some homemade salad dressing recipes soon, promise.) The beans, also local, were coooked in rapidly boiling water for 3-4 minutes and cooled in ice bath. Reheated with butter, sea salt and fresh ground pepper. The grains took a little longer than I thought, but still were simple to prepare.

I wasn’t stressed out—boys got a nutritious and tasty dinner after a day outside in the hot sun. I set up the living room table as a dining table and they got to watch a movie. It’s at most a once-a-week treat. I prefer to eat at the dining room or outside table, but when they’ve been going full-on all day outside, I don’t mind the occasional retreat in front of the TV.

Grilled Chicken with Indian/Asian Spices

Posted on July 31, 2010 by admin

I was browsing through Jamie Oliver’s recipes when I came across a marinated and grilled chicken dish. I took the idea but adapted it… I do that sometimes, depending on what I have in the house, what I like, and/or what I think might work. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn’t. This time was a big winner. Love when it happens. Especially when all three kids and I like it!

Mix together into paste:

1 tsp garam massala
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander seed (first toast in pan then grind with mortar/pestle)
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 ground garlic
juice of one lime
2 Tbsp pureed tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil

Coat boneless, skinless chicken thighs on both sides and let sit in refrigerator for one or more hours. Grill until done about 5-8 minutes each side depending on thickness, should read about 140F before you take off and let sit 5-10 minutes before serving as it will keep cooking. (For safety reasons chicken should be cooked to 165F)

I served it with brown rice (cheated— Trader Joe’s 3 minutes in microwave, baby!), steamed kale and broccoli from our CSA.

Kids really loved it and I found a new dish that I can also cut into small pieces and serve as appetizers at parties. Woo-hoo!

My Kids Really Eat This

getting kids to eat well in the real world

Tag Archives: kid friendly food