Kids Dish

Despite my best intentions, with the heat and humidity I haven’t much felt like cooking in my swelteringly hot kitchen the past couple of weeks. That’s not to say I haven’t- I’ve cooked plenty. I just haven’t really wanted to, so none of the meals I’ve cooked have stood out. I ordered tomatillos in my CSA share, a vegetable I’d never cooked with before, and I wanted to find a recipe to showcase them. After flipping through a couple of different cookbooks and browsing online for a while I found a recipe for Grilled Vegetable Tostadas with Two Salsas in my Bon Appétit cookbook. I had all of the fresh, seasonal vegetables the recipe called for at home and a quick trip to the grocery store got me the ingredients I was missing- Ancho chilis for the red salsa, cilantro for the green, and flour tortillas.

The two salsas really made the meal. The red salsa is made with dried Ancho Chilis and tomatoes, and the green salsa is made with tomatillos and cilantro. The salsas didn’t take long to make at all, and if you can make them a day or two ahead of time because they taste better after sitting for a while. If you’re not up to making the salsas you can buy jarred salsas at the market, usually in the ethnic aisle by the Mexican food. If you buy them, check out the ingredients on the label. Try to find a tomato salsa that’s made with ancho or chipotle chilis so you don’t miss out on the smoky flavor.

Grilled vegetables, brushed with a seasoned oil mixture, are the stars of this recipe. Grill them until they’re tender and browned on both sides, layer them on crispy flour tortillas and top them with the two salsas. I also added shredded cheese and a dollop of low fat sour cream. While my husband took charge of the grilling I made Mexican rice (to ensure Sam would eat something if he didn’t like the grilled veggies) and heated up a can of organic black beans for protein. The recipe calls for frying the tortillas in oil but I’d recommend just throwing them on the grill to crisp them.

Grilled Vegetable Tostadas with Two Salsas
from Bon Appétit

Grilled Vegetables

3/4 cup olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt (I used less)
3 large zucchini, cut on deep diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 large red bell peppers, seeded, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
1 large eggplant, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

12 large oyster mushrooms ( I skipped the mushrooms)
1 large onion, cut into thin rounds

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Mix olive oil, garlic, chili powder and salt in large bowl. Pour 1/4 cup oil mixture into small bowl and reserve. Add zucchini, bell peppers and eggplant to oil mixture in large bowl; toss to coat.

Grill zucchini, bell peppers and eggplant in batches until light brown, about 3 minutes per side. Place on baking sheet. Cover with foil. Brush mushrooms and onion rounds with reserved 1/4 cup oil mixture. Grill until light brown, about 3 minutes per side. Place on baking sheet with other vegetables.

The salsa recipes are after the jump.
(more…)

I love fish sandwiches. But you don’t always have to fall back on the old fried fish fillet. Try your hand at some really cool variations - here’s one of my favorites:

Mahi-Mahi BLT - that’s right, cause almost everything tastes better with bacon!

4 long slices bacon
2 T olive oil
1 T minced garlic
4 mahi-mahi fillets, skin on (you can substitute other firm fish)
8 slices bread (I prefer multigrain but you can also use hamburger or kaiser rolls)
lettuce
2 large tomatoes, sliced
dash salt
fresh pepper
mayonnaise, oil or salad cream

Okay, it is as easy as it sounds.

Brown your bacon either in a skillet or by popping it into the microwave for a few minutes.

Brush fish fillets lightly with oil (and salt and pepper if you want) and pan saute or grill until fish is opaque (about 10-12 minutes).

Build your sandwich! Layer a fillet, bacon, lettuce and tomato on your bread, toasted or not depending on your preference (hubby likes toasted, my girls do not). Add mayo, oil or salad cream to your taste. Season with salt and pepper.

You can serve with chips, fries or pretzels and a side salad or coleslaw. It’s a perfect spring or summer lunch! And since it’s so easy to make, you can keep the layers separate and assemble on site for a family picnic.

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

I grew up on the coast of North Carolina, so I spent a lot of time eating fish and shellfish (eventually manifesting itself in a shellfish allergy, but that’s a whole other post).

For some crazy reason, I figured that my kids - being city kids - wouldn’t automatically embrace fish the way that I did. I was so wrong. My kids - especially my oldest daughter - absolutely LOVES fish.

And fish is so good for you. These are some of the reputed benefits of eating fish (and remember that I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV):

In fact, the American Heart Association recommends that you eat fish high in omega-3 fatty acids at least twice per week. If you’re fishing (yes, bad pun) for some good choices, try salmon, sardines and tuna.

And don’t be daunted by the options to cook fish. Here are two easy recipes:

Grilled Fish

Fish can be tough to grill. Choose a firm steak like salmon or tuna for best results. Brush steaks with olive oil and add 1/2 tsp of finely chopped herbs (dill goes really nicely with salmon). Grill for 8-10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily.

Baked Fish

Again, choose a firm steak. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a saucepan, melt 1 T. butter and saute a few chopped mushrooms and 1 tsp of finely chopped herbs. Pour the mixture over the fish steak and bake, covered, for 8-10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily.

fish, salmon, dill, health benefits, omega acids

It’s pronounced fuh-kah-sha in these parts. My husband has a whole other pronunciation but this is a site about kids…
At any rate, I love focaccia. I usually pick it up at our local Trader Joes, though, because I am not a baker. I have no patience for baking. And I want to make breads, I really do, but they just require so much effort.

That’s why this recipe from Family Circle caught my eye. I will admit to not having tried it (yet) but it incorporates veggies and cheese and seems fairly easy - and it involves a grill so you can make it outside (if the sun ever comes out in parts of the world - like the northeast US!).

Grilled Veggie Focaccia
Source: Family Circle

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon rapid-rise yeast
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup warm water (120 degrees F to 130 degrees F)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small zucchini, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into planks
1 small red onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
3 tablespoons prepared balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
1 medium tomato, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated asiago cheese

Directions
1. Mix flour, yeast, rosemary, salt and sugar in a food processor. Pulse to evenly blend. Add warm water and oil and pulse until dough comes together in a ball.
2. Pulse dough with an on and off motion to knead, about 30 seconds. With lightly oiled hands, transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Set aside to rest while preparing veggies.
3. Heat gas grill to medium-high or prepare charcoal grill with medium-hot coals. Place zucchini slices in a medium-size bowl. Secure onion slices with toothpicks, to keep rings from separating while grilling. Add to bowl with zucchini, and toss with balsamic vinaigrette.
4. Grill veggies, 2 minutes per side until tender and nicely marked. Transfer to cutting board; cool slightly, removing toothpicks from onions.
5. While vegetables cool, pat out dough to a 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Brush with 1 tablespoon oil, and transfer, oil side down, to grill.
6. Grill dough 3 minutes, or until dry on top and lightly browned on the bottom. Brush top with remaining tablespoon oil and flip over using a set of tongs and large spatula.
7. Top dough with sliced tomato and 1/4-cup cheese. Chop the vegetables, and sprinkle over dough. Top with remaining 1/4-cup shredded cheese and close lid on grill. Cook for 2 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings.

focaccia, cheese, bread, grill