Kids Dish

I really like the theme of an ingredient a week but I have to tell you that I is a tough letter to work with in terms of ingredients. Sure, there’s Italian parsley or iceberg lettuce and other Italian or Indian ingredients, but what fun is that? Besides, it’s almost officially summer and kids (and most adults) love ice cream.

We all know ice cream isn’t good for you. It can be full of fat and calories and many of the cheaper brands are full of chemicals and additives. But it seems that a little indulgence can be a good thing. Some studies suggest that an occasional splurge can help you stick to a healthy diet. Ice cream is also full of calcium, and for kids (like my own) who don’t like milk, a small dish of ice cream is better than nothing.

Instead of packing up the kids and heading to the nearest supermarket or ice cream stand, you can make some ice cream at home even if you don’t have an ice cream maker. My science teacher sister-in-law taught me how to make a single serving of ice cream using few ingredients, some ziploc style bags, and some gloves to keep your hands from freezing.

Freezer Bag Ice Cream

1/2 cup milk (or cream or half and half)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or chocolate syrup if you prefer chocolate)
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups crushed ice
4 tablespoons salt
2 quart size ziploc-style bags
1 gallon size ziploc-style freezer bag

Mix the milk, vanilla and sugar together in one of the quart size bags. Seal tightly, allowing as little air to remain in the bag as possible. Double bag it with the other quart size bag, leaving as little air inside as possible and sealing well. Put the two bags inside the gallon size bag, fill the bag with ice, then sprinkle salt on top. Let all the air escape and seal the bag. Put your gloves on, and shake and knead the bag, making sure the ice surrounds the mixture, for about 10 to 15 minutes or until it freezes. Tossing the bag back and forth, playing “cold potato” is another fun way to make the mixture freeze into ice cream.

You can read more about the science behind the experiment here: Finding Science in Ice Cream

ice cream, recipe, science experiment

You can’t grow up Southern and not like ham. Even for awhile in college when I was a vegetarian, I didn’t miss chicken, hamburgers didn’t entice me, the steaks could sizzle all they wanted without appeal… but ham. I missed ham.

As a kid, we ate lots of ham, which was usually country ham. Baked ham was a staple at every single holiday dinner and ham could usually in the vegetables or side dishes in some fashion. I loved ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch. I had ham in cheese omelets. Getting a picture here?

Read along this week for lots of great ham recipes. And feel free to post your own (you can never have too many ham recipes).

ham

Green beans: the most dreaded of vegetables. Well, for kids anyway. I happen to love them. But I didn’t always. That’s because I had two primary experiences with green beans: the yummy, fresh out of the garden crunchy kind or (more often than not) the soggy, over-processed slightly beige-y kind served from a can. I think most of us as children have that flashback of sitting at a table, the giant heap of “green” beans staring us down and thinking, “ugh.”

And if you’ve ever tasted baby food green beans, I’m sure that you understand that we’re not necessarily giving our children the best introduction to these vegetables.

But we really should. Green beans are easy to grow (more on that later), ridiculously simple to prepare, not expensive, low in calories and packed with nutrition. Green beans are an excellent source of vitamin C (20% RDA in one cup), vitamin K (25% RDC in one cup) and manganese. Green beans are also a very good source of vitamin A (over 15% RDA in one cup), dietary fiber, potassium, folate, iron, magnesium, thiamin, riboflavin, copper, calcium, phosphorous, protein, omega-3 fatty acids and niacin. Whew. Good for your bones, your heart and lowering your blood pressure… All of that in one little green bean.

So we know it’s good for the little tykes, but how do we get them to eat them?

1. Grow them yourself! Nothing encourages children to eat like growing something on their own. My kids love food from our garden. And no, I don’t have acres and acres to play with, I live in the city and I have a tiny little backyard. I think it’s important for kids to have a connection with the food that they eat, so we try to grow those vegetables that we can in our little space. There are few vegetables easier to grow than green beans. Those gardening-crazy Aggies have a pretty good synopsis of “how to plant” green beans here.

2. Eat them fresh or fresh-frozen. They taste sooo much better than canned and they retain more of the nutrients. If you’re not into growing your own, buy them from a local produce stand, order from a service like Door to Door or try to pick your own (bookmark this site, BTW, it offers listings of pick your own sites in the US, UK and Canada). It’s fun, it’s usually pretty economical and it allows you to remind your children where their food comes from (here’s a hint: food doesn’t grow in a can).

3. Mix it up! Green beans dumped on a plate are not appealing. Try different combinations with other vegetables, herbs, nuts and more. I’ll have a few recipes this week, so stop on by.

This one was easy for me. My daughter is crazy about fish. And I’ve already posted about the health benefits of eating fish.

So this week, expect lots of fish recipes. I especially look forward to fish in the warmer weather, when it’s delivered fresh (!) and not frozen. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with frozen if it’s done properly. It’s just that since I’m originally from the coast, I really do enjoy a fresh fish.

If you’re wondering how to tell fresh from fresh frozen, lightly press on the fish “meat”. If the indentation from your finger fills with water, it was originally frozen.

Of course, it wouldn’t be very green of me to mention that there are a number of species that are being overfished. It’s important to be aware of what you’re eating. You can refer to this handy chart (also available for download) for the US, which also breaks down the fish availability by region, or this list for our European friends (sorry guys, I didn’t find anything for other continents).

Now that you’ve decided which fish you’re eating, let’s get started.

First up:

Fish tacos

1 pound flaky white fish - try cod, tilapia or mahi-mahi
olive oil
2 T. chopped cilantro
juice of one lime
dash salt
pinch pepper

flour tortillas

garnish:
choose from chopped tomatoes, chopped avocados, chopped onion, shredded cabbage, salsa, black olives, sour cream, shredded cheese - or your own favorites

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I prefer to grill whenever possible. I think it tastes better, it allows me to watch the kids outside while they run around and I cook and it makes clean-up easier. So, I suggest that you grill the fish. But pan-sauteeing works well, too.

Combine the olive oil, lime juice and cilantro in a bowl. Brush onto fish (whole fillets if you’re grilling, cut into 1 inch pieces if you’re sauteeing) and let marinate for a few minutes (not too long or the lime juices may begin to “cook” the fish). Season with salt and pepper. Grill or saute until fish is flaky with a fork - on the grill, this usually takes about 4-5 minutes each side.

Remove fish from grill and let sit for about 5 minutes.

Warm tortillas in oven or wrap in foil and stick on the grill for a few moments.

I serve it by putting the toppings in individual glass bowls and then just setting them out on the table. My kids love to choose their own toppings (with a few guidelines, of course) and I find that from the youngest kids to the oldest, that providing some sense of choice makes the kids feel better about their food. There’s very little “I don’t like this” if they put it on their plates themselves.

I would suggest a side dish of rice and black beans (pinto beans work well, too). Enjoy!

fish, sustainable food, overfishing, fish tacos

Yeah, I know. You thought I was going with eggs. Eggplant doesn’t seem like a very kid friendly food in the abstract. You don’t see it on many kids’ menus, that’s for sure.

But eggplants are a great kid food. They’re incredibly versatile, not expensive and easy to come by. They’re also rich in potassium and calcium, minerals that kids need.

The key to cooking eggplant is present it beautifully. You see, eggplants don’t always look terribly pretty after they’re cooked. They can look soggy and beige on the inside, not terribly appealing to children (or adults, for that matter).

They can also be bitter if you don’t take the time to prepare them in advance. To get the eggplant ready for cooking, especially something like roasting or grilling where you’re counting on the eggplant to add flavor, you’ll need to salt them beforehand. Slice the eggplant and sprinkle the slices with salt. Allow the salt to draw out the juices of the eggplant. My kids always find this pretty interesting - you can watch it happen. It takes about 20-30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant thoroughly before cooking to get rid of the salty flavor and the juices.

And now, for my favorite eggplant recipe ever - the kids love it, too!

Eggplant Napoleon

1 ear of corn, roasted or grilled, or frozen corn (canned will also do in a pinch)
1 red bell pepper, roasted or grilled
2 T shallots or onion, chopped
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 T basil, chopped
5 T olive oil
8 tomato slices
salt & pepper

12 eggplant slices, 1/2 inch thick (round, not cut length-wise)
1/2 c grated Asiago cheese (you can substitute parmesan or romano cheese)

Combine corn, bell pepper, shallots, balsamic, basil and olive oil and mix well.
Grill or roast eggplant slices until tender. While you can roast in the oven, I find that grilling is more fun and brings out a great flavor.
Assemble a “napoleon” by layering eggplant with vegetable mixture, tomato slices and cheese, working from larger slices at the bottom to smaller slices on top. Warm to melt cheese.

It looks amazing and tastes even better.

eggplant

(amazing photo from gardenguides.com)

It’s Easy as A-B-C Monday.

And I know what you’re thinking… dill? But there is a method behind my madness. I’ve been struggling for days to come up with a kid-friendly ingredient that starts with “d”. And I kept coming back to dill. It just didn’t seem “glamorous” enough to be its own ingredient at first. Then it dawned on me: kids just don’t get exposed to herbs and spices early on, and they certainly should.

Herbs and spices are great to introduce to children for a lot of reasons. A super reason is the introduction of new flavors. Often, kids’ food isn’t actually flavored. It’s just created and then usually salted. Salt, while it has its place, actually masks a lot of the good in food. Sometimes, just a dash of spice or a sprinkle of herbs adds wonderful pizazz to a dish, and eliminates the need (or desire) for something “extra” like salt or sugar.

Another reason is that herbs are a really good way to teach children about the relationship between the food that they eat and where it comes from. Many herbs are wonderfully easy to grow - and dill is no exception. Growing herbs from seed (or plants) also requires little in the way of space, so you can create an herb garden outdoors in your spacious suburban yard or in your tiny city flat. Try Burpee.com for wonderful, inexpensive seeds or consider buying a plant from bluestoneperennials.com. There are many others (you can also check out your local plant nursery - these just happen to be some of my favorites). An added bonus - in addition to usually saving money by growing your own herbs, I find that kids are more likely to try something new that they grew themselves.

Stop by throughout the week for recipes featuring dill. But certainly don’t feel limited. Consider this your license to try new herbs and spices a pinch at a time!

dill, herbs, spices

It’s Easy as A-B-C Monday! This week, we’re giving something new a try on the site. I’m going to focus on recipes throughout the week that incorporate the A-B-C Monday ingredient. This week, it’s a love fest all about cheese. Mmm.

When I was younger, I believed that there were two kinds of cheese: white and yellow. And I didn’t like white cheese.

As an adult, I can’t get enough cheese. No, don’t start on me with the weight issues… The French eat lots of cheese and they’re fine.

Besides, this isn’t about me. It’s about kids. And kids need calcium. Yes, you can get calcium from green veggies - and I love green veggies, too - but cheese offers some other goodies like protein. In fact, the USDA’s new MyPyramid for Kids ages 6-11 recommend 3 daily servings from the milk group (which includes cheese, obviously) to build strong bones and ensure adequate consumption of important nutrients such as vitamin A, magnesium and potassium.

That said, there are some legitimate concerns about limiting the amount of fats in your child’s diet. Some cheeses can be really high in fat. So if this something that you worry about, or if your child’s doctor has advised you to cut the fat, look for low-fat or non-fat cheeses - they exist and they’re still delicious.

Not sure where to begin? Here’s a quick guide to some popular cheeses:

Soft Cheeses:
Boursin - creamy and buttery, often flavored with herbs, tasty on mild crackers like water crackers
Brie - buttery inside and an edible rind on the outside (many folks don’t like the rind); yummy baked and served with bread
Chevre - mild goat cheese, usually sold in logs or balls wrapped in herbs, excellent as a spread or in salad
Feta - salty and crumbly Greek cheese, serve in salads

Semisoft Cheeses:
Gouda - nutty Dutch cheese, terrific on crackers or in salad
Port Salut - buttery French cheese covered with edible rind
Provolone - Italian cheese similar to mozzarella, good in sandwiches or in baked pasta dishes

Blue Cheeses:
Gorgonzola - very sharp and creamy, sometimes smelly (which can make it appealing to kids!)
Stilton - English blue cheese, often sold in wheels, can be crumbly

Hard Cheeses:
Asiago - nutty Italian cheese, serve grated in salads or sliced on crackers
Cheddar - the classic “American” cheese in many parts of the US, taste ranges from mild to extra sharp
Gruyere - Swiss cheese, terrific for melting

Very Hard Cheeses:
Parmigiano Reggiano - Italian cheese, serve grated on top of pasta or salads, it’s the easiest way to teach your children that cheese doesn’t come from a can and per pound is typically cheaper than the canned variety, also referred to as Parmesan
Romano - similar to Parmesan

You can introduce your children to good cheese and not break the bank. Pick a handful of cheeses and buy them in small quantities, like 1/8 or 1/4 pound, rather than springing for a whole pound of a new kind. Let your kids sample all of them on crackers or bread. If your kids aren’t impressed, move on to the next kind (the appeal of small quantities is less waste, and you can eat the small portion of leftovers). We try to buy at least one new cheese at each big shopping trip for the kids to try. They often surprise us. I don’t like most blue cheeses on crackers (though I do enjoy them in a salad with fruit) but my oldest daughter is wild for Stilton. So, keep an open mind, you might be amazed at what your kids take a liking to.

Be sure to check in at Kids Dish throughout the week for kid-friendly cheese recipes!

For even more info, you can sign up to receive info about incorporating dairy into your kids’ lives, courtesy of the American Dairy Association.

And if you can’t find great cheese at your local market, try my favorite cheese shop - Dibrunos Cheese in Philadelphia!

Mmmm. Biscuits.

I was born and raised a Southern girl. My grandmother (I called her “Granny”) made fresh biscuits every day of her life, whether a crowd was gathering or if it was just her and my grandfather. At night, in summer, we would eat a bowl of vegetable soup and a biscuit for dinner. Granny would wash it down with a glass of buttermilk. I can remember those nights as if they happened last week - which is pretty amazing because as a mother of three, I can barely remember what I did five minutes ago.

Kids will love these biscuits plain, with butter, with jelly… It’s a great way to use up leftovers (Easter ham mini-sandwiches). I also recommend serving plain biscuits warm with butter and molasses for a nice treat.

Oops, I think I just caught a little drool…

Southern-style biscuits

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup vegetable shortening (Granny used lard but I realize that’s frowned upon these days!)
1 1/2 to 2 cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Sift together dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening using your hands or a fork. Gradually add buttermilk until the dough turns a little stick, but not tacky.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll out to about 1-1/2″ thick. Cut into circles using cookie cutters, biscuit cutters or a drinking glass. Place biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet at least two inches apart. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until risen and golden brown.

** Why mess with a good thing? But for some variety, you can try mixing some parmesan or shredded cheese into the dough. Adding two tablespoons of garlic also gives it a good punch.

Southern food, biscuits, soul food, comfort food

Asparagus? Kids’ food? Have I lost my mind?

Nope. But trust me on this one. My daughter went through a phase where she would eat anything. Now, pushing age 5, she has decided that she most certainly does not like a number of vegetables, especially those of the green variety. And since I was forced to eat a raw tomato wedge practically every day of my life in the hope that I would some day learn to love them (I didn’t), I am treading carefully on the battle of the green vegetables. One day, while munching on chips with Katie in the kitchen, it dawned on me: it’s all about the dip. And now my best friend is crudites.

Spring Crudites… Or How to Make Your Children Eat Green Vegetables Without Really Trying

Try any three (or more) of:

1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 stalk broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, and cut into strips
1 bunch radishes, cut into quarters
4 medium carrots, cut into 3 inch long sticks
1 small zucchini or summer squash, cut into 3 inch long sticks
1 medium cucumber, cut into 3 inch long sticks
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes

Okay, here’s the key… Arrange all the vegetables on a fun serving platter and serve with dip. My kids love ranch dip. Hubby loves blue cheese. I enjoy french onion. Try a bunch of different kinds and see what seems to be the favorite. You can buy “real” dip, make your own or use salad dressing. If you’re concerned about the fat content, you can use a reduced-fat dressing.

So simple it’s crazy. And it works.

asparagus, vegetables, crudites

Beginning this Monday, I’m going to incorporate a new feature into Kids Dish… Easy as A-B-C Monday! Each Monday, I’ll introduce a new kid-friendly, make it with your children recipe featuring a letter of the alphabet (A is for Apple, B is for Broccoli, C is for Chocolate… you get the idea). As there’s 26 letters in the alphabet and 52 weeks in the year, we’ll hit each letter twice.

Keep checking in for more features as I get going in my new role here. Bon Appetit!

recipes