My kids seem to be getting pickier and pickier. At the same time, my motivation to be in the kitchen has been lacking for a while, but I realize we've all got to eat. So, as (capital) MOM, I've got to make it happen. I went grocery shopping yesterday, and now my fridge and cupboards are stocked with everything we'll need for the next week (as an aside, I hope to get my eggs and beef locally, so I'm not yet FULLY stocked). Anyways, I've been racking my brain trying to think of meals I can make that these kids will eat, and they all came with me to the store last night to offer their input. I have the extra challenge in my house of feeding two vegetarian kids, one of them vegan, and the baby a breastfed omnivore. And mom and dad have to eat too. So here's what I've got in mind for dinners this week:
1. Bean burritos! (my favorite) - I soak the pinto beans overnight, and then boil them until they are soft, usually about four hours (don't let them run out of water, or they will burn). I have flour tortillas, avocados for guacamole, salsa, lettuce and bell peppers. To make guacamole, mash up the avocado, add lemon juice, salt, pepper, chili powder, and a little water to thin it out.
The best, and spiciest, guacamole I've had was really thin, not thick like we gringos usually eat it. It was in this little dive of a restaurant in a small town in southern California with the cheapest and best Mexican food I've ever had. As a matter of fact, I wish I could go there for lunch today. Wouldn't that be awesome?
2. Red lentils and brown rice - Here's an easy meal that is eaten often in India. They believe it helps settle an upset stomach, and it does! If you want to get fancy, you can saute onion, garlic and/or ginger for a few minutes, until translucent. Watch out! Garlic burns really easily. When you're done sauteing, put about 1 tsp of curry powder in with it. Use more or less depending on your family's tolerance. Frying the curry spice brings out it's aroma and taste, but don't burn it! Quickly add the rice and lentils, stir it up. If it's batsmati rice especially, cook it for a few minutes without water till you smell that popcorny smell, then pour in the water, 2 cups water for every 1 cup of rice/lentils, or more if you want it more soupy. You can make it a one pot meal by throwing in a peeled, chopped yam or some carrots. Cook it for 40 minutes to an hour, till it's soft. If you want to make it really tasty, squeeze the juice from an orange into it, especially if you've used fresh ginger. Yum!
3. Homemade (veggie) sushi - My kids have been complaining about brown rice lately (sigh), so I picked up some sticky rice and sushi nori. Sushi nori is flat sheets of dried seaweed, found in the ethnic food isle, and sticky rice can be found with the rest of the rices. I admit, I've never been brave enough to deal with raw fish, so here's how I make sushi. You'll need a bamboo rolling mat (I use a bamboo placemat I found at the dollar store). Make the rice according to instructions. Mix rice vinegar, water, sugar and salt to taste. You'll want about a half cup of this. Try about half and half for the liquids, a tbs sugar and a tsp salt. Transfer the rice to a non-metal mixing bowl and use a non-metal spoon to mix about half the liquid in (metal reacts with the vinegar and gives the rice a funny taste). Allow the rice to cool.
Put a piece of sushi nori on the rolling mat, and put a row of sticky rice across the bottom. Now you can add thin slices of cucumber, red pepper, grated carrots or avocado in a thin row on top of the rice. Roll from the bottom up, and seal the top of the seaweed to the roll by dampening it with the rest of your water/vinegar mixture. You can make big rolls, with lots of veggies in it, or small rolls with just one veggie. When your rolls are done, you can slice them with a sharp knife to make bite sized bits of yumminess. Dip 'em in soy sauce, eat 'em with chop sticks. Kids love chop sticks, even if they have no idea how to use them.
4. Black bean and corn salad - Here's a bit of tex-mex, southwestern style. It's super fast and easy. Drain and rinse a can of black beans, and put it in a mixing bowl. Add corn, from a can or from frozen (put frozen corn in boiling water for a minute or two, drain and let cool). Chop a red pepper and toss it in. You can use other salad veggies, too, like radishes, cucumbers, red or green onions or tomatoes. Fresh cilantro goes really well in this. Sprinkle salt, pepper, chili powder, lemon juice and olive oil and toss to coat. Slice an avocado and put it on top. Serve by itself, with rice, or in tortillas with lettuce or sprouts.
5. Mashed potatoes, chard and salmon - I'm sure everybody knows how to make mashed potatoes. I'm no expert on cooking salmon, but it's pretty straightforward. I like to buy the wild pacific salmon fillets. They come frozen in packs of 4 for $6-7. I found a really nice bunch of chard this week. It's a leafy green that's super high in vitamin and mineral content. Also, it's a winter crop in many places (including BC). I chop it up and saute it in lots of butter with fresh garlic and salt.
6. Spaghetti - Pasta is usually a big hit with my kids (except last week, when my six year old was complaining that there were bits of tomato in her tomato sauce! Sigh). It may not be the most nourishing meal ever, but it's quick and easy and they eat it, and sometimes that's what you need. We usually do spaghetti once a week. I try to add a veggie, like frozen spinach or steamed broccoli. I'll add ground beef in for those in my family who will eat it, and leave some without for the vegetarians.
7. Refried beans and rice leftovers - When I make the pinto beans, I'll make a fairly big pot, and have some leftover for later on in the week. Beans keep well in the fridge for about a week, and can also be frozen. Refried beans are just what they imply, beans that have been cooked a second time. Usually, we fry them in butter or olive oil. A traditional Mexican way of making them is to first fry chopped bacon and onion. Chop the bacon (food processors are handy for that), and cook till it's slightly cooked. Add finely chopped onion. Once the onion has turned translucent, add the beans, a ladle full at a time. Allow the beans to get good and boiling, and come back to that point before you add more. You can break the beans up as you go, using a potato masher, stirring them up from the bottom at the same time so they don't burn. You can keep a kettle of boiling water nearby, adding water as needed till the beans become the consistancy of a thick soup. You can do this for half an hour, or all afternoon if you want, as they might in Mexico. When beans are a little under done, they can be hard to digest, so cooking them a second time like this can make softer beans that are easier on the system. When the beans are done, let enough water evaporate to bring them to the consistancy you want, thicker for tortillas, thinner if you're pouring it over a bed of rice. Add a green salad and you're golden.
So, seven dinners for seven days, and I'm not even sure I could come up with anymore ideas. I've asked my kids for their ideas for wholesome, nourishing foods that they will eat. Feeding a family is not that easy. Add picky kids to the mix, and it makes me wonder if I'll get through the next 18 years with what's left of my sanity intact. How do people deal with it? Are your kids picky eaters? What are the dinners that go over well in your house?
