Well, I finally got to try one of my 'sneaky chef' recipes. To explain the concept; the recipes are based around a few 'make-ahead' purees in various colours -- purple puree, green puree etc... which are made up of superfoods such as blueberries, spinach, carrots etc..; you then 'sneak' these purees into the recipes and they are virtually undetectable in the dish, a great way to get children to eat food they'd otherwise reject out of hand.
Tonight I made spaghetti bolognaise with 'green puree' *(recipe below) sneaked in.
Anyway, the children eyed it suspiciously before nine-year-old girl pronounced - 'Oh this is spaghetti bolognaise' and then went on to eat the whole lot! This is very impressive because nothing on earth would persuade her to eat spinach given the choice.
The boys made a decent stab at it although weren't that hungry since they'd had strawberry and banana smoothies after getting in from school followed by turkey rolls before heading off to the mall so that I could do some shopping and they could knacker themselves out in the soft play area. Oh, sorry I meant - so that they could develop their gross and fine motor skills while playing in a fun and safe environment! Yes, whatever; call it what you want; but it works!
Nine-year-old girl went off to play with her friend and confided later on that when her friend offered her chocolate milk at her house, she accepted it but said it didn't feel so good to drink it any more. Now, I'm keenly aware that it is her birthday next week and she is on her very best behaviour and is going out of her way to curry favour at present, but none-the-less, I felt she she was genuine and was indeed beginning to feel differently about food. We shall see...
Make Ahead Green Puree (from thesneakychef.com)
Tonight I made spaghetti bolognaise with 'green puree' *(recipe below) sneaked in.
Anyway, the children eyed it suspiciously before nine-year-old girl pronounced - 'Oh this is spaghetti bolognaise' and then went on to eat the whole lot! This is very impressive because nothing on earth would persuade her to eat spinach given the choice.
The boys made a decent stab at it although weren't that hungry since they'd had strawberry and banana smoothies after getting in from school followed by turkey rolls before heading off to the mall so that I could do some shopping and they could knacker themselves out in the soft play area. Oh, sorry I meant - so that they could develop their gross and fine motor skills while playing in a fun and safe environment! Yes, whatever; call it what you want; but it works!
Nine-year-old girl went off to play with her friend and confided later on that when her friend offered her chocolate milk at her house, she accepted it but said it didn't feel so good to drink it any more. Now, I'm keenly aware that it is her birthday next week and she is on her very best behaviour and is going out of her way to curry favour at present, but none-the-less, I felt she she was genuine and was indeed beginning to feel differently about food. We shall see...
Make Ahead Green Puree (from thesneakychef.com)
Makes about 2 cups of puree This recipe makes about 2 cups of puree; double it if you want to store another 2 cups. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1/4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.
- 2 cups raw baby spinach leaves*
- 2 cups broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup sweet green peas, frozen
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water
- 2 cups broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup sweet green peas, frozen
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water
(for the record, I used just spinach, green pepper and parsley as that is all I had...I don't think it matters too much what you use as long as it's the right colour)
*note: I prefer raw baby spinach to frozen spinach for this recipe (more mild flavor); if you must use frozen spinach, only use 1 cup of it.
> If using raw spinach, thoroughly wash it, even if the package says "prewashed."
> To prepare on the stovetop, pour about 2 inches of water into a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Put a vegetable steamer basket into the pot, add the spinach and broccoli, and steam for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the frozen peas to the basket for the last 2 minutes of steaming. Drain.
> To prepare in the microwave, place the broccoli and spinach in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes, until very tender. Add peas for last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain.
> Place the vegetables in the bowl of your food processor along with 2 tablespoons of water. Puree on high until as smooth as possible. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to smooth out the puree.
*note: I prefer raw baby spinach to frozen spinach for this recipe (more mild flavor); if you must use frozen spinach, only use 1 cup of it.
> If using raw spinach, thoroughly wash it, even if the package says "prewashed."
> To prepare on the stovetop, pour about 2 inches of water into a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Put a vegetable steamer basket into the pot, add the spinach and broccoli, and steam for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the frozen peas to the basket for the last 2 minutes of steaming. Drain.
> To prepare in the microwave, place the broccoli and spinach in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes, until very tender. Add peas for last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain.
> Place the vegetables in the bowl of your food processor along with 2 tablespoons of water. Puree on high until as smooth as possible. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to smooth out the puree.
