Making the Unfamiliar, Familiar

On Sunday when I went to the fruit and vegetable market, I picked up a bunch of Swiss chard. The only other time I cooked and ate Swiss chard, I had made a soup with Swiss chard and white beans. I remember it being good, but I just made the posole on Sunday, and I wanted a bit of a soup/stew break. But, I did like the idea of a "1-pot" meal, where Henry would get in his protein, starch, and veggie, without me having to give him 3 different foods. There are just some days when I don't want to have to think of which food to give him first so that he'll eat a little bit of everything - today was one of those days.

I started trying to think of how I could make chard Henry-friendly. I have a wonderful lasagna recipe that was given to me by a close family friend that calls for spinach, and that got me thinking of a cheesy pasta dish. Henry loves cheese and pasta, so it seemed like a good option. The idea of having to layer pasta, sauce, and cheese, however, seemed a bit much, so I settled on making baked ziti with Swiss chard.

When it came to feeding time, I wasn't sure if Henry would eat it because shortly before dinner he had sort of chowed down at a Hanukkah event. He ate pretzels, Cheerios, and chocolate spread, while the older kids made food menorahs...and then he ate the tip of a green crayon, while the older kids made crowns (he totally tricked me - lulled me into a sense of security when he was coloring so nicely, and then when I started a conversation with the mom next to me, he bit it right off!). But, when we got home, he seemed to still be hungry. I cut the baked ziti up and put it in front of him. He gave me a big smile, but then just sat there staring at it. I happened to be really hungry myself, so I turned around to cut myself a piece and heat it up. When I turned back, Henry was happily eating it. A few bites in, it looked like he was tired of it, but then when I came to sit down with him, he grabbed my fork, and then used it to eat the rest of his piece (with some spearing help, of course). Mixing the new veggie in with a favorite seemed to really work!

Swiss Chard Baked Ziti

1 lb ziti or penne

1 bunch Swiss chard, ribs removed, and leaves chopped

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 tsp garlic powder (2 garlic cloves would be better, but I didn't have them. Ok, I'm lying, I had them but I didn't want to mince them - again, it was one of those days!).

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup part-skim ricotta

1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella, divided

1/2 jar tomato sauce (probably could have used more, but that was all I had left)

2 eggs, beaten

2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a pot, saute chard in oil, and add garlic powder, salt and pepper (if using fresh garlic, saute garlic first, and then add chard). Once wilted, set aside.

In a bowl, mix together ricotta, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, sauce, chard and pasta. Taste to see if you want more salt and pepper. Then add eggs, and mix. Pour mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until you like the way the cheese looks on top.

Happy and (mostly) healthy eating!

It's a No-le to Posole

A couple of months ago I was in the supermarket and came across a can of hominy. I'd heard of it, and knew that it was somehow related to corn, but I never tried it - so of course I bought it. It got tucked away in my pantry, and I came across it again on Friday evening. I wasn't sure what to do with it so I opened the can, hoping to throw it in a salad. Once I opened the can, however, and tasted it, I didn't think it would be good in a raw salad. The taste was great, just like a corn tortilla, but the texture was a bit strange for me, and the very bright white of the hominy was a bit much for my senses. So, I put the hominy in a tupperware, and decided I would deal with it on Sunday.

Fast forward to today. I did a bunch of google searches for "hominy recipes", and the majority of recipes that popped up were for Posole. From what I learned, Posole is a Mexican stew, typically made with pork, but I also found a few with chicken, and a couple of vegetarian options. Since I'm kosher, the pork option was definitely out. We also don't mix meat and dairy, and since I wanted to put cheese on my stew, I decided on a vegetarian version. There were so many vegetarian versions out there, so I just opted to take ingredients from all of them, and create my own.

Henry typically likes strong flavors, and tends to like stews, so I hoped this would be a winner. No such luck. As soon as he saw it, he refused it, and immediately threw a piece of hominy at me (to be fair, he was aiming for the floor, and accidentally hit me...still not so pleased). I then decided to give him challah and dip it in the stew so that he would try the flavor. He immediately took the challah, and then when he got the taste of the posole, he spit it out. He was not falling for my tricks. After a few tries of challah dipped in the stew, I gracefully surrendered, and let him have some honeydew.

I should mention that a couple of hours later, we took Henry's temperature, and realized he had a fever. So, it may be that he didn't want to try something new because he didn't feel well. Unfortunately, I won't be able to try the stew out again later this week since my husband and I actually finished the entire pot (it was really good!). I'm not sure if this tastes at all like Posole, but we were huge fans!

Vegetarian Posole

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon cumin
4-5 turns of the black pepper mill
dash of cayenne pepper (I think I may skip this next time - it was a bit hot for our tastes)
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
15 ounce can hominy, drained and rinsed
15 ounce can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
4 oz can diced green chilis
15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups water
salt to taste
juice of half a juicy lime

garnishes:
shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
chopped fresh cilantro
lime wedges

In a large pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent. Put in all ingredients from cumin to pinto beans. Coat all ingredients with seasonings. Then pour in water. Bring to a boil, and then let simmer for about an hour (I ended up letting it simmer for close to 2 hours because I had the time and I find stews taste better the longer they simmer). Then, add salt to taste and the lime juice. Simmer for about 5 minutes more, and then serve. Top each bowl with shredded cheese, cilantro, and a lime wedge. Enjoy!

Happy and (mostly) healthy eating!

A Saturday Night Out

Tonight my husband and I decided to take Henry out to dinner with us. Unlike my last dinner out with Henry, when he was too distracted to eat, this night looked more promising. The restaurant was fairly empty, and we had plenty of room to spread out. I also remembered to bring our adhesive tabletop placemats for Henry, so it was easier to put out food for him without Henry pulling everything right off the table.

Henry was perfect. He was well-behaved and he ate everything we put in front of him (veggie omelet and French toast). He even allowed us to eat somewhat peacefully. And then it happened...while he was eating, he looked up to admire the cool lighting fixture. Then he started choking/coughing, and the next thing we knew he was throwing up all over his placemat. When he was done, he was totally unfazed and went back to playing and waving at the few people around us. I can't say we were as nonchalant - having someone puke at your table can really put a damper on the meal. But, we did learn a valuable lesson...expect the unexpected, and always ask for extra napkins.

Happy and (mostly) healthy eating!

Turkey Day Happiness

Today we celebrated Thanksgiving at my Aunt and Uncle's house. There was loads of delicious food, but I was concerned going in that Henry would be too overwhelmed by all the people to actually eat. Plus, as I mentioned in an earlier post, Henry is not a big poultry fan, so I wasn't sure how balanced his meal would be.

With this in mind, I created a game plan. I know from other meals out that Henry does not do well without his own chair (with belt and tray) to sit in. So, I made sure to pack his booster seat. And, even though the Thanksgiving gathering was called for 1PM, I made sure to feed Henry lunch at 11AM (earlier than usual), so that he wouldn't be famished when we got there and then just eat all the appetizers (for him, crackers). I also didn't want to feed him his lunch too late that then he wouldn't be hungry for the Thanksgiving meal, which was earlier than his typical dinner. [Nevermind the fact that I was so prepared for Henry, that I forgot the dish that I made for the meal, only to remember (and turn around) 25 minutes into the drive...(amazingly I managed to blame that on my husband....feeling quite thankful now for my very understanding husband)].

Anyway, when we finally got to my aunt and uncle's house there were lots of appetizers out. Of course, Henry wanted all the crackers/mini-toasts. I let him have two, and then my dad took him downstairs to play with the other kids so that he wouldn't just constantly want more crackers.

Once the meal was set out, I saw that there were many options. My goal was to give him a balanced meal of turkey, a starch, and a veggie. I didn't want to confuse him with too many choices because then I felt he might just get overwhelmed and not eat (I know I get overwhelmed with lots of choices!). On his tray I put turkey, roasted brussel sprouts, and mashed sweet potatoes. Of course Henry loved the mashed sweet potatoes and avoided the other foods. But then I noticed that he liked using the fork for the sweet potatoes. So, I started spearing the fork into the turkey and then dipping it in the sweet potatoes. I did the same for the brussel sprouts. And you know what? He ate it all! Of course he also ate a bunch of cookies for dessert, but we can't win 'em all!

Happy and (mostly) healthy Thanksgiving!

Try, try again

I haven't had much luck with feeding poultry to Henry. He pretty much always shuns chicken, unless it accidentally gets mixed into the food on his tray. Henry does, however, really like meatballs. Using that knowledge, I figured I was really clever and decided to make him turkey meatballs about a month and a half ago. Also knowing that he loves the Asian veggie burgers by Morningstar, I went with a Teriyaki-type turkey meatball recipe. I tried giving them to Henry for 2 or 3 meals, and each time he spit them out. Trial period 1 did not work.

Whenever Henry refuses a food, I don't take it as a final answer. That doesn't mean that I force it on him until he takes it. I try my best to stay calm (although I must admit I have my moments...I know it's not normal to be offended that a 15 month old doesn't like my cooking, but trust me, it happens), and I hold off and plan to try that same food on him on a different day. In school I had learned that it can take a child (or even a picky adult!) 7-15 times before they will accept a new food. I even learned it firsthand when I started to feed Henry solid foods. After trying avocado, he was not a big fan. But, by trial #12, he ate avocado like a champ (and no, it was not 12 days in a row).

With all this information under my belt, I decided to try a plainer turkey meatball recipe this past Friday night. As I mentioned in an earlier email, Henry was not a fan Friday night, and also rejected them Saturday night. HOWEVER, on Sunday and Monday night, Henry happily ate the meatballs! I'm now so happy that I have another form of protein that I can make for Henry. Of course, he may decide not to eat them next time, but I have hope!

Simple Turkey Meatballs

1 lb ground turkey

1 egg

1/3 cup bread crumbs

a few grinds of black pepper (about 1/8 tsp)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp oregano

1/8 tsp basil

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a pan (8x11 or 9x13 will work) liberally with olive oil spray. Mix together all ingredients in a bowl. Form 12 meatballs (or make more smaller meatballs and adjust the cook time) and place in pan. Cook for about 25 minutes, or until done, turning meatballs halfway through baking. Serve with sauce if desired (Henry preferred without, to my surprise).

Happy and (mostly) healthy eating!

Eating Out...not so much

Tonight was really nice. Henry and I went into the city to meet my aunt-in-law (I know that sounds funny...) for dinner. We chose a kid-friendly diner-type place. My main concern when taking Henry out to eat is just that he sit nicely so that we can get through our meal without feeling really stressed out. And tonight, Henry did a great job. He sat in his highchair and played with everything in front of him, waved at anyone who passed by, and basically sat happily for at least 40 minutes. All in all, it was a successful night...except for the fact that Henry didn't actually eat any real food.

I ordered a veggie burger for us to "share" since Henry usually will eat veggie burgers. My aunt ordered an omelet...another favorite of Henry's. In front of him were eggs, veggie burger, pieces of the hamburger bun, and even some sweet potato fries. He didn't eat a thing! Usually he will at least play with the food, but this time it barely even caught his attention. At one point he did try a small piece of a sweet potato fry, but after a couple of seconds of chewing, he ever so politely spit it all out. It seemed like with all the hustle and bustle around him, he was too distracted to eat. So in the end Henry had a handful of baby puffs, and 2 honey wheat pretzels. I think next time I'll have to feed Henry before we get to the restaurant.

Anyone have suggestions for eating out?

Happy and (mostly) healthy eating!

Hidden Veggie Fritatta

Today we had some friends over for brunch. In our pre-Henry life, brunch was really brunch...our first meal of the day. Now by the time we get to brunch, we've had breakfast, and usually a snack as well. Ah, the days when we used to sleep late...

For brunch, I decided to take the easy route. I knew that in the morning I would buy some whole wheat bagels and cream cheese and serve it with sliced tomato, cucumber, red onion, and capers. But I wanted to make something a bit more special, without adding too many extra steps to my day. I thought about French toast, waffles, or pancakes, but since I was already going with the carb-y bagels, I opted for an egg dish. I didn't really have time to go out and buy ingredients, so I decided that I would make a fritatta on Saturday night with whatever ingredients I had, and then heat it up for brunch. Luckily, I had plenty of eggs on hand :)

I have to admit, that with all my thought processes on what to make, and how to make my life easier, feeding Henry, or appealing to what he likes, did not really enter my mind. As a result, I was all the more pleasantly surprised when Henry scarfed down the fritatta at brunch, and even seemed to choose it over his beloved bread! Without even trying, I got Henry to eat eggs (great protein), cheese (protein & calcium), artichokes, olives, and sundried tomatoes (vitamins & minerals). I then remembered that my friend Laura had told me earlier this week that she used to make veggie omelets for her daughter (who was then almost 2) since her daughter loved eggs and was willing to eat them with anything. Maybe subconsciously I remembered that, and made the fritatta with Henry in mind? Yeah, let's stick with that story. Either way, it seems to work - thanks for the tip Laura!

Here's my approximate recipe for the Fritatta:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 large onion, diced

6 whole eggs

6 egg whites

1/2 cup 1% milk

1 15-oz can artichoke hearts (in water), drained and diced

10 sundried tomatoes, drained and diced

1 cup black olives, sliced (measure first and then slice)

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1/4 cup light feta cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella

1/4 tsp garlic powder

pepper to taste

Sautee onion in olive oil in a large saucepan until translucent. Set aside.

Whisk eggs, egg whites, and milk together. Add all other ingredients, including sauteed onion. Pour into baking dish (I used my large saute pan, but a 9x13 pan would work too. Bake in 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until done.

When I reheated today, I sprinkled an additional 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese on top.

The best part is, we have leftovers. Now I don't have to worry about what Henry will eat for lunch tomorrow!

Happy and (mostly) healthy eating!