OK...that might sound a little weird but tonight, I pulled a fast one on my kids during dinner. My kids are pretty good eaters...well, my son is but my daughter is picky and moody about eating. She basically wants mac & cheese or pizza every night. It's usually a battle to get her to even try anything new. I love trying new recipes and decided to try something different tonight. My husband grilled a whole chicken and I was in charge of the side dishes. I made fresh homemade pesto with basil and parsley from my garden (added garlic and olive oil) and mixed it with penne pasta. I also made "mashed potatoes with cheese sauce". I'm sure the potatoes don't sound very original but that's not really what it was.
You see, we don't eat many potatoes in our house except for sweet potatoes which we love. I have a mild allergy to potatoes so I tend to avoid cooking them but the other day my husband mentioned he was craving baked potatoes and my son asked what that was. I was mortified...how do you not know what a baked potato is? I decided my family needed a potato fix so the other night I made baked potatoes with a chicken and blue cheese stuffing. They loved it! Yeah! A new vegetable my kids will eat. So, tonight I didn't have any potatoes on hand but had a nice organic head of cauliflower which I knew my kids wouldn't be thrilled about eating. I decided to steam the cauliflower, use my trusty hand blender to "mash" them, make a gluten free, low-fat hollandaise sauce and VOILA...mashed potatoes and cheese sauce. I served the meal to my family and didn't say a word and they loved it! After the meal, I revealed my secret and my kids were amazed and told me to cook it again. Success!
For any of you with picky eaters in your family, I encourage you to be creative and a little sneaky (it's ok when good health is involved) and do you're best to sneak those veggies in. I usually keep baby food carrots and squash on hand to add to spaghetti sauce and my kids never know. I grind up spinach and add it to brownies and use applesauce when baking. All of it makes a difference in your family's health and keeps the peace at the dinner table. Feel free to share your sneaky tips...I'd love to hear them!
I make "french toast" that way. I add baby food to the mixture of egg whites, cinnamon and/or pumpkin spice. Usually carrots, sweet potatoes, and even pumpkin puree in the fall. Dip whole grain bread slices into the mixture, cook them in a pan coated with olive oil spray, and in 5 minutes I have breakfast served. Top the tost with a sliced banana and we get some veggies and fruit all before lunch!
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