Tag Archives: kid friendly

May 24, 2012

Children can be picky about their food choices. Today they might like a particular food and tomorrow, they hate it!  Sometimes a new presentation or a new ingredient can spark their interest.  While french fries for breakfast, lunch and dinner might be what they want, getting children to select healthy options might not be that difficult. Kids are very proud of their accomplishments, so if they’ve helped make the dinner, they are more likely to eat it. Hopefully some of these recipes will work in your house.

Chicken Pasta Primavera

If broccoli isn’t a family favorite, you can substitute a 10 oz. package of defrosted frozen peas.

Ingredients

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or turkey breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
• 1 1/2 cups carrots, 1/4 inch slices
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
• 3 small cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (Wondra works well for sauces)
• 2 2/3 cups nonfat milk
• 1/4 cup reduced fat cream cheese, cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 package ( 12-14 oz.) cooked whole grain rotini or penne pasta

Directions

In a large, deep skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add chicken breast cubes. Saute until cooked through and lightly browned. Move chicken to pasta serving bowl; set aside. In the same skillet, heat remaining olive oil and add garlic, Italian seasoning and vegetables. Saute until cooked, but not limp. Add vegetables to bowl with chicken.  Stir milk and Wondra flour together and pour into skillet. Cook 8 minutes or until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly. Stir in cream cheese, cook 2 minutes. Add 1 cup Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly until it melts.

Add hot cooked pasta, chicken and vegetables and toss well to coat. Pour into pasta serving bowl and top with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
Serve with a green salad.

Parmesan Zucchini Cakes

4 servings

Ingredients

• ¼ cup egg substitute
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (2-3 medium, about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cups Progresso Italian bread crumbs, divided
• Marinara Sauce, warmed, see post for recipe, http://jovinacooksitalian.com/2012/04/19/hello-world/

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.
2. Use the large-holed side of a box grater to shred the zucchini. Place shredded squash in the center of a clean kitchen towel; gather up the ends and twist to squeeze out any liquid
3. Mix together the egg substitute, onion, parsley, zucchini, cheese, ¼ cup bread crumbs, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl..
4. With floured hands, shape zucchini mixture into smallish balls (about two tablespoons each) and roll in remaining bread crumbs and flatten slightly on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn each cake over and bake for another 10-15 minutes until browned.

Serve with warm marinara sauce.

For Snack Time

Rosemary-Lemon White Bean Dip

• 1 -15-ounce can cannellini beans (no salt added), drained or 2 cups cooked dried beans
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper
• Carrot and Celery Sticks

Puree first 5 ingredients in processor until almost smooth. Add salt and pepper. Transfer dip to serving  bowl with carrot and celery sticks.

(Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Turkey Pizza Burger Sliders

Makes 8 sliders

• 1 1/4 pound lean ground turkey breast
• 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Olive oil, for brushing sliders
• 8 small slices fresh mozzarella
• Marinara Sauce
• Whole Wheat Potato Rolls

Directions

Place turkey, scallions, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, lemon zest, oregano, basil 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Gently combine, without over mixing, until evenly incorporated.

Mix all the burger ingredients well and form into 2.5 ounce balls. Flatten into patties, about 3 inches in diameter. Brush with olive oil.
To grill the turkey burgers, preheat a grill to medium-high. Oil the grill rack. Grill the patties, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165°F, 8 to 10 minutes total.

Place burgers on a whole wheat potato roll. Top sliders with a tablespoon of marinara sauce and a slice of mozzarella cheese.

Codfish Cakes

Codfish cakes are made in many countries throughout the world. In Italy the recipe calls for dried salt cod,  Baccala, but you can use any leftover (or even fresh) white-fleshed fish. Salt cod is often found in stores around the winter holidays because it’s almost a sacred food in many cultures — definitely so in Italian and Portuguese cuisines, for example.

My mother made these fish cakes when she had leftover baccala during the Christmas season but you have to soak the baccala overnight and it is still salty. Here’s a variation using fresh cod instead and children love them (its the mashed potatoes part that does that).

Ingredients

• 1 pound of cod fillets
• 2 medium-sized baking potatoes
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup egg substitute 
• 3 slices whole wheat bread, crusts removed and processed into crumbs (about 1 cup)

Directions

Boil and mash the potatoes, set them aside.
Poach the codfish until it flakes easily. Drain and add the fish to the potatoes. Mash together. Mix the fish, the potatoes and the next 7 ingredients together.

Form the mixture into 3 inch patties and lightly dredge in bread crumbs.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet well with olive oil cooking spray.

Place patties on prepared baking pan and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, then flip patties, carefully, and bake an additional 15-20 minutes.
Makes 12 fish cakes. Serves 4-6.

Crispy Sweet Potato Fries

Oven baked sweet potatoes are a healthy choice, but there is a problem, they don’t get crispy.  They get brown, but not crisp.
I have found a method that really works.

Cut 2 large sweet potatoes into finger size thicknesses.

Let potatoes soak in cold water for an hour.  Drain but don’t dry on towels.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Place two tablespoons of cornstarch into a plastic bag.

Add sweet potatoes to the bag with the cornstarch.  Twist the top of the bag so it forms a balloon with some air inside and shake the fries around until they’re lightly coated with the cornstarch.

Put the coated fries on a non stick baking sheet. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the fries.
Using your hands, toss the potatoes to make sure the fries are well coated. Rearrange them on the sheet again, so that they have space between each fry.

The less fries on the pan the better because, if the potatoes are crowded, they will not get crispy.  They’ll just steam.  You might want to use 2 baking sheets. if you do not have a large enough pan.

Bake the fries in a preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Related articles

• The Grand Kids Are Coming! (jovinacooksitalian.com)
• http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/03/22/5-ways-to-get-kids-to-eat-healthy-foods/
• http://www.thesneakychef.com/

Posted by Jovina Coughlin in Beans, Bread, Cheese, Chicken, Dinner, Fish, Healthy Italian Cooking, Kid Friendly, Lunch, Marinara, Sauces, Turkey, Vegetables Tags: chicken, codfish, kid friendly, Marinara sauce, Mozzarella, sweet potato fries, turkey sliders, vegetables, white bean dip, zucchini