Adventures in Food
From Picky Eater to Squid Eater
Kids Eating….sauteed spinach
Aug 27th
I love spinach nearly as much as I do dark chocolate. Seriously, when there was the E. Coli outbreak back in 2006 linked to bagged spinach I felt like I went through leafy green withdrawl (so sad to see it stripped from all the grocery store shelves—if only I were a decent gardener!). Romaine lettuce, iceberg, butter lettuce, they’re okay, but the thick heft and chewiness of leaf of spinach, simply tasty.
Not so for my kids. “This tastes like you’re eating leaves,” my oldest said once. “Well… you are,” I explained. Of course, that didn’t make her any more eager to eat it. So I add spinach into my foods, but I don’t push it with my girls.
Sometimes, it’s all about the recipe. The other day I had a duel challenge—my kids aren’t huge gnocchi fans and well, you already know their thoughts on my favorite veggie. But I wanted a meal with both. I made them plain pasta and for my husband and me I tried something new. For each of my girls I put a little of my new creation on their plates and expected to eat their leftovers later. No leftovers. In fact, my two oldest girls went back for seconds—we’re talking sautéed spinach here. And it wasn’t a fluke. I made the recipe again this week and sure enough they ate it. I wish I could say the recipe was something terribly creative and unique, but taking a few extra steps was what made the dish yummy. That and I didn’t try to tweak it for my girls, I just made something I wanted to eat.
My daughter with a second helping
*Note—for this recipe I tried a stir-fry technique with Italian food. I sauteed the veggies first (the spinach) and moved it to the sides of the pan as you would in a wok. Then I add the main ingredient (the gnocchi) to the center of the pan and then tossed in my sauce ingredients. Couldn’t have been simpler and less mess to clean up too.
Fast & Easy Creamy Sauteed Spinach with Ricotta and Fontina Gnocchi
Ingredients
4 cups spinach
1 cup ricotta
¾ cup fontina
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil, separated
ground pepper and salt to taste
2 Tablespoons either half and half or cream (optional)
Fresh, chopped basil (optional)
Directions
Cook the gnocchi according the package directions.
Add the olive oil to a large sauté pan and bring to medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds before adding the spinach (I don’t even bother pulling them into smaller pieces I just throw them whole into the pan). Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or just until the spinach leaves just barely begin to wilt. Push the spinach to the outer sides of the pan and add another ½ tablespoon of oil. Add the cooked gnocchi to the middle of the pan. Let the gnocchi cook for about 4 minutes before moving them around.
Now that the gnocchi have had time to sauté, turn the heat down to medium. Add the ricotta cheese in dollops on top of the gnocchi and sprinkle with the cheese. Don’t mix the ingredients until you see cheese just beginning to melt. Sprinkle with pepper and salt, stir briefly until the cheeses mix with the rest of the ingredients. For a creamier sauce you can add a few tablespoons half and half or heavy cream at this point. You can also toss in fresh basil, Parmesan cheese and/or a few red pepper flakes. Serve.
Blueberry Salsa–It’s tastier than you think!
Aug 14th
Yes, you read that right, blueberry salsa. I know, I thought it would be a bad combo too. I mean blueberries are naturals in muffins, pancakes, cheesecakes, but a spicy, savory mix of cilantro, lime, tomatoes, chiles, and…blueberries? Before you dismiss this salsa as gimmicky (like I almost did) hear me out.
First, it’s nearly the end of blueberry season—meaning your family is probably getting a little bored of blueberries in muffins, even if you do top it with streusel. Second, why not do a little Midwest-Mexican fusion? And last, but most important, they really do taste good in salsa.
With its sour, spicy flavors, salsa literally begs for a pop of sweetness—enter the blueberry. Mixing a few blueberries into your standard salsa recipe not only gives it that ‘wow’ factor, it also gives salsa a burst of tart flavor. Now, blueberries won’t work in any salsa recipe. I recommend it for a pico de gallo, which is a simple, but satisfying mix that you can throw together a few minutes before serving your meal. Although, you could easily serve this salsa as an appetizer (blue corn chips are fun with this), pairing it with grilled pork, chicken or even a light fish like tilapia makes for a meal (just don’t go topping your t-bone, blueberries and beef are still a no-no).
If you’re ready for something different for dinner tonight, pick up some blueberries and fresh chiles
.
Recipe
Serves: 4 to 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
5 medium-sized tomatoes (I prefer Romas)
1 red or yellow pepper
1 small-sized red onion
1 sprig cilantro
1 lime
1-2 Serrano chiles
½ cup blueberries (or more)
Salt and pepper to taste
Chop the tomatoes, pepper and onion into small pieces and place in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Cut the Serrano chile in half lengthwise; remove the stem and the seeds. Note: I used Serrano chiles instead of the usual jalapeno peppers. Jalapenos are okay, but I prefer the slightly sweeter kick of Serrano chiles. Both are readily available at most grocers. Serrano chiles tend to be smaller than jalapenos. Cut the chiles fine and add them to the tomato mix.
Cut the lime in half and squeeze half of the juice into the bowl. Stir. Mince 3 to 4 tablespoons of cilantro leaves on a cutting board and then add them to the mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Adjust the flavor using the lime juice, salt and cilantro (you may even want to up the heat by adding another Serrano chile). Finally, stir in the blueberries being careful not to break the skin. Serve.
Remember to check in Tuesday for MKES’s next giveaway!
Kids Eating Curry–Tortilla, anyone?
Aug 11th
Photo credit: Thai Jasmine
So just how do you get kids to eat spicy, coconuty Thai curry–especially if it’s green? I wondered the same thing. I’ve discovered a few helps since I’ve been trying to get my kids as hooked on Thai food as I am.
I made a red, spicy curry the first time I served Thai food to my kids at home a few years ago. They’d loved trying out curries at restaurants (especially if we polished off the meal with coconut ice cream), but when I prepared it at home…it was a total flop. I served the dish–gobs of curry and a mound of rice floating on top–just as we’d had it at restaurants. Even my oldest, who’s willing to try just about anything wouldn’t go past a couple bites. Yikes!
I didn’t try making curry very often after that. I just didn’t want my kids getting into their heads that they didn’t like ‘curry.’ Recently, we went to a Malaysian restaurant that served both Japanese sushi (a favorite of theirs) and Malaysian curries. The server brought out a traditional Malaysian bread, roti canai, to serve with the meal.
The roki that inspired our tortilla improvisation!
If you’ve been following my blog, you know my family loves Mexican food. Since the Malaysian bread seemed in the same category as flour tortillas I had a thought–pair something I know my kids already like–tortillas–with something they’re learning to like–curry. Here’s how I served it this time: I put the green curry (thank you Savory Spice) into small serving bowls (4-ounce ramekins) on a large plate with a pile of rice and a stack of flour tortillas in the center of the table. It helps if you have really good tortillas–I buy the uncooked variety in bulk from Costco. They taste entirely different from the somewhat stale, bland variety available at most grocery stores; they’re chewy and soft with a hint of crispness if you cook them just so.
My kids tore off pieces of tortilla to dip into the curry just as they’d done in the Malaysian restaurant. While no one asked for seconds (except my husband), everyone ate their entire serving of curry–no complaints. Anyone else raising a curry eater?
Also, don’t forget tomorrow is the last day to enter the $50 Bison Sampler Giveaway. I’ll be announcing the winner Friday morning.
Adventurous Eating: Food Markets & Street Fairs
Jul 31st
My youngest loving her brat--thanks Frank!
This week I announced a giveaway offering a $50 bison meat sampler to one lucky MKES reader. To enter, I asked readers to share one of the most unusual things they’ve ever eaten–or would like to eat. From frog legs to chicken feet, readers have had their fill of interesting bites.
Adults are trying out new foods, but what about kids? Sure, kids are notorious for being picky eaters, but they’re also born explorers. If you can find ways to make food an adventure, well, they’ll have to give a nibble here and there–and all of a sudden you’ve got ‘em hooked on something new.
Today Mr. Squid and I ventured to Cleveland’s West Side Market with our crew. If you ever get within driving distance of the city, I can’t recommend a trip to the market enough. On Saturdays the market is packed with diehard shoppers (you’ll pick ‘em out immediately, they carry wicker baskets for their finds), tourists (hefty cameras in hand) and a diverse cross section of people all looking for something tasty.
East Side Market is one the largest indoor/outdoor markets in the U.S. and has its beginnings in the 1840s. The building feels–and looks–like New York City’s Grand Central station, housing 100 vendor booths often run by families who’ve been making their own sausages, cheeses, cookies, crepes and more for centuries. The first time I went to the market I expected the booths to be shabby, the people to be unfriendly–or worse, overly aggressive, and the food to be so-so at best. I mean, it’s a big indoor market, how cool could it be? Very.
The market reminds me of similar set-ups I’ve visited cities outside the U.S., like Mexico City and Budapest. But this time all the sellers at least were speaking a language I could understand. And unlike those markets no one was yelling and trying to get my business, but instead the booths are staffed by friendly, unobtrusive folks who pride themselves on selling quality food (I’m entirely biased because as I’m writing I’m also digesting a meal of sun-dried tomato gnocchi bathed in a lobster creme sauce–thank you, Ohio City Pasta!). Sure, you’ll be bumping elbows with people as you try to move and at some point someone with a stroller may run over your foot, but that’s all part of the experience.
We started our food fest at Frank’s. It’s a bratwurst stand that sells, well, brats–that’s it. And yet the line for Frank’s is constantly around 5 to 10 people deep. I’m no fan of brats, but Frank’s taste like a good pork chop on a bun, crisped skin holding in big chunks of steak-like meat. Mr. Squid, who usually tops his brats with sauerkraut, deli mustard, mustard, ketchup and anything else that’s offered gives Frank’s brats a particular reverence–he eats them plain to savor every bite. We grabbed a bag of brats and headed to the outdoor square across the street. On Saturdays, there’s often a band playing either inside or outside to entertain shoppers. Today a Rastafarian group played in the square as shoppers lingered to listen, some even dancing right there next to the band. My kids devoured the experience–sampling homemade brats while swaying to reggae.
With happy tummies and tingling tastebuds, my kids were begging to head back into the market to try out more. We let our kids lead the way and point out what they’d like to try–pecan rolls, Amish bacon and handmade pasta made it into our cooler but we also showed them to some of our favorites. Mr. Squid has staked out a booth that sells jerky that’s been featured on the Food Network’s The Best Thing I Ever Ate. My 9 year-old pointed out to her dad that she didn’t like jerky. “But you’ve never had this kind of jerky,” he answered. With the music going, the crowds mingling and the sales lady anxiously waiting for my daughter to give it a go, my middle child took a shy nibble. Then a full bite.
“This is good,” she smiled. We kept loading up on all sorts of foods for our kids to try out.
While not everything we sampled today became an instant hit with my crew, I consider the day a complete success (and not just because my freezer is full of meals in the making for the next week). The experience reminded my kids that food is an adventure–one worth trying out.
The Banana Hot Dog
Jul 28th
Okay, not the best picture, but I had to snap this on my iPhone quickly before my tweener turned away (hence the blank stare look). Today, she made herself a banana hotdog for lunch. I couldn’t be prouder!
So if you’re kids are getting tired of PB&J or you just want something different for lunch or a snack–give this a try. Warning: it’s deceptively filling!
For each “hotdog” you’ll need
- a banana
- a piece of flatbread
- peanut butter
- jam (optional)
It couldn’t be easier to put it together–slather the flatbread (or pita bread or even a regular hot dog bun) with peanut butter and jam, put the whole, peeled banana in the center and roll-up. One banana hot dog that even picky eaters will like. Told you it was simple!
And if you have a kid who doesn’t like peanut butter–or is allergic–go ahead and use almond butter or yogurt instead.
The Bacon Game
Jul 21st
Photo credit: sappymoosetree
“Does anything not go with bacon?” my oldest daughter asked. We’d gotten into a lengthy discussion about whether the cannelloni I made that night would have been better with bits of smoky, crisp bacon instead of the Italian sausage that I’d used. The conclusion: bacon rules. And then my kids kept talking about what flavors meld well with bacon. (Sometimes we struggle to drag conversation out of our kids during dinner, except when it comes discussing food.)
See a few weeks ago on a whim I made chocolate-bacon cookies. They were tasty but the overall verdict is that next time I should add even more bacon than the three pieces I chopped fine and then added in the batch. Bacon’s been on the brain.
“I’ve got one–ice cream,” said my middle child, enthusiastically. Her dad was quick to point out that he’d tried a decadent apple-pie-bacon shake that proved her wrong.
“Cantalope?” said my youngest.
“Nope, bacon-wrapped cantalope can be really tasty.”
“But not watermelon…” offered my middle daughter.
“You got me on that one.” We decided that bacon wouldn’t pair well with ginger, mint or sushi, but it would fit with orange, eggs (of course!), apples, and alfredo sauce.
Who knew a discussion of bacon could become so interesting–ah the power of food. And bacon, I guess.
Do you want to play? What doesn’t go with bacon…
Wife-Pleasing Potato Salad
Jul 10th
My seven-year-old looked stumped. “Who’s potato salad do you think is better?” I coaxed, “The yellow, sticky one? Or this one with little bright green things in it that make it taste good?”
You have to understand, some of the most heated discussions I’ve had with my husband revolved around how to prepare food. And when it comes to potato salad we completely disagree on what’s good—that was until a month or so ago.
I like a light potato salad—red potatoes with the skins still on tossed with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, garlic, and fresh herbs like chives, dill, and parsley. My husband, on the other hand, reaches for the more traditional potato salad, with generous amounts of mayo, hardboiled eggs (which I can’t stomach), and a little pickle relish tossed in. For years, at family picnics, we’ve had dueling potato salads—mine drenched with herbs, his with mayo. We would prepare a big batch of potatoes and then separate them after cooking so that we could create our own versions. Of course, we weren’t content at just making our recipes—we wanted our kids to judge which one was better (I think Bobby Flay’s Throwdown on the Food Network had just become popular.)
My oldest daughter—ever the diplomat—would diligently try each one and then say that she liked both. Ah, the safe answer.
But making two potato salads became tedious—twice the amount of bowls, cleanup half the amount of food. My husband decided to try and make a hybrid version of our salads—merging our favorite elements to create something both of us would like.
I was readying my “that’s-nice-dear” face, especially when he pulled out the hardboiled eggs. But he really did try to merge what I liked best, with his favorite ingredients. In were the skin on red potatoes and a smattering of fresh herbs; out was gobs of mayo. The hardboiled eggs stayed, but instead of putting them in sliced, he creamed the yolks into the mayo-based sauce as a thickener, then he diced the whites. Instead of just putting in regular, yellow mustard he added in Dijon too along with diced pickles (not the spoonful of sweet relish). The results were a more flavorful, tangy potato salad. I ate two helpings the first time he made it (and had some for breakfast on day too).
No doubt, you have your own opinions about what makes for the perfect potato salad, but if you’re planning on a picnic for the 4th of July, or any time this summer, you should try making a few tweaks to your traditional recipe and see if you get requests for second and third helpings—and if you have one of your kids request it for breakfast, well then you know it’s good.
Better Potato Salad Recipe
Prep time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients
2 ½ pounds red potatoes
½ small red onion, diced fine
1 ¼ cup mayo
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½-1 teaspoon yellow mustard
½-1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 drops liquid smoke
3 drops Tabasco sauce
½ teaspoon chili powder
2 eggs
2 pickle spears, diced fine
2 Tablespoons minced, fresh chives
1 4-ounce can green chiles (optional, but good!)
Crumbled bacon (optional)
Fill a large cooking pan with water leaving about 1½ inches of space from the rim. Peel any hard surface spots off of the red potatoes and then cut into half-inch cubes. Place the cubes into the water along with two eggs. Place the pan over high heat on your stovetop and bring to a gentle boil. Add 1 Tablespoon of salt to the cooking water.
Cook the potatoes until they are firm to the touch but soft in the center. Drain immediately and rinse with cold water. Place the eggs into ice cold water. Allow the potatoes to cool while you mix up your sauce.
For the sauce—combine the mayonnaise and the rest of the ingredients (except diced onions and pickles) in a mixing bowl. Remove the shells from the hardboiled eggs. Scoop the cooked yolk out of the center of the eggs and whisk it into the sauce. The yolks will thicken the sauce and should break up during stirring. Dice the white egg parts using a sharp knife.
In a large bowl combine the cooked potatoes, onions, egg whites, and pickles, herbs. Add the sauce and stir. Adjust the seasonings—you may need to add more salt, pepper or vinegar to get the flavor perfect for your palate. If you’re looking for a real kick to your potatoes, we also add one fresh, diced Serrano chili with the seeds removed.
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