OLD SCHOOL AND PERFECT for cold weather, I made a variation of Shepard’s pie this week with steamed broccoli on the side. I also learned something in the process: toddlers are excellent at mashing potatoes. Destroying something with no regard for making a mess along the way? Why didn’t I think of this earlier?
Heart-shaped carrots and zucchini
CUTE, RIGHT? Didn’t matter. I could whittle these carrots into the shape of Phoebe’s smiling face and it wouldn’t make a difference. She doesn’t like carrots. Or zucchini. And the only thing that coaxed her into eating one of each (as is our family rule at dinner time) was the promise of “cake” afterward.
Baked spaghetti with sausage and beans
SOMETHING WEIRD IS HAPPENING in Rome. It’s snowing. And not just a little bit; we’ve got 6 to 8 inches of the fluffly stuff outside our door. This kind of weather calls for comfort food, pronto.
No-fry French fries from Gwyneth Paltrow
CAN I PLEASE HAVE MORE POTATOES? These are words I like to hear. Especially when the alternatives are, “Her touching me!” or the newest installment in sass, “I don’t care”. Arms folded. None of that last night though, which was a welcome blessing because Paul worked a little later than usual, leaving me with the…
Rotisserie style roast chicken from Gwyneth Paltrow
IT DIDN’T START WELL. First of all the book took ages to arrive, three weeks after I ordered it from the usually trusty Amazon UK. Then there was the matter of buying a whole chicken. I’ve had poultry trouble before. But today I went to the butcher’s counter directly. Go to the source, I said….
Balsamic vinegar chicken sandwiches
PHOEBE’S NOT EATING ANYTHING with “salad” on top, but minus the offensive greens she tucked into one of these last night with gusto. Thanks to *Jessica Seinfeld’s sneaky trick, this tangy sauce includes freshly steamed and pureed broccoli, which doubled as a baby food side dish for Estelle. Paired with our new family favorite, roasted…
Green eggs and ham
YOU KNOW HOW TODDLERS BECOME OBSESSED with something and want it over and over? We’ve been in a Green Eggs & Ham bedtime rut routine for a while now and I’ll tell you what. It’s not awesome. But inspired by Phoebe’s unwavering passion (Is there anything that I like this much?), combined with a little…
Roasted fish with artichokes, tomatoes and olives
I NEED A NEW CATEGORY, called Partial Failures. That’s how I’d describe this dish but it’s not what you think. Phoebe is a sworn rice hater and carefully molding her portion of wild rice into the shape of a flower (using a cookie cutter and allowing it to set in the fridge overnight) made absolutely…
Oven roasted potatoes with garlic, rosemary and lemon
FOR SOMEONE WHO TOLD ME THREE TIMES she doesn’t like potatoes, Phoebe sure ended up eating a lot of them last night! In fact, she had three helpings. They were toddler-size but still, nine potatoes later, it was quite a night for spuds. Even Estelle managed to mow down two big wedges herself, quite a…
Barefoot Contessa Makeover: Mini meatloaves
WE HAD COMPANY OVER CHRISTMAS, including a 3-year old guest from Amsterdam. Phoebe was thrilled to have another “big girl” around but as you may know (and be reminded daily), it’s not easy to guess what will go over at this age. But when in doubt, I say go for comfort food. This recipe is…
Salmon-vegetable chowder
IN TIME TO GIVE IT A TEST RUN, we’re considering this salmon-vegetable chowder from The Food Network magazine for Christmas Eve dinner. It’s packed with veggies and just enough seafood to qualify for the Feast of Seven Fishes, a catholic tradition sometimes observed here in Italy. It’s a nod to the Roman Catholic tradition of…
Carroty macaroni & cheese (an excerpt from A Way to Garden)
A GREAT IDEA FROM A GREAT BLOG. I’ll take it! This better-for-you mac & cheese recipe comes from Melissa Clark’s book, “Cook This Now”, by way of the best gardening blog around, A Way to Garden. An excerpt from Margret’s masterful gardening site introduces one of my favorite makeover ideas for comfort food: MELISSA CLARK…
Chinese BBQ pork with noodles, carrots and broccoli
WELL, I REALLY MESSED THIS ONE UP. Let’s just say feeding the toddler two pieces of peanut butter toast 90 minutes before dinner wasn’t a recipe for success. Even when said dinner involved pasta and barbecue sauce, two things she holds dear. It’s a shame though because this was so good! We’ll try again another…
Arrosticini, meat on a stick (aka the easiest sell ever)
FOR PICKY EATERS OR TODDLERS (which are basically the same) sometimes it takes a stick. In Italy, they do amazing little kabobs called arrosticini, which are actually made from lamb. It’s a specialty dish from the Abruzzo region but often found everywhere. However, I’m guessing that: a. lamb is harder to find at your grocery…
Toddler-friendly Asian noodles with vegetables
IF I’VE LEARNED ONE THING SO FAR, it’s this: figure out what works and do more of it. We’re all about spin-offs here, and this dinner is the Laverne & Shirley of pasta. We know Phoebe devours spaghetti with red sauce, white sauce, cheese, or really any topping. Today’s challenge: introducing Asian flavors. It sounds…
Homemade chicken noodle soup with extra veggies (plus baby food version)
WE HAVE SOME PROBLEMS AROUND HERE. Two nasty little colds were followed by one awful case of pink eye and own throat-scratching, coughing in the middle of the night cold. A trifecta of germs! Making matters worse, our babysitter is MIA with a stomach virus all her own. That said, a little (maybe a lot…
Cauliflower your kids will eat, plus easy roasted chicken
THIS IS A SECRET. Roasting cauliflower makes it delicious. Just cut up an entire head and assemble on a baking sheet. Slather on the extra virgin olive oil and use your hands to coat each piece…
Grilled chicken salad with peppers two ways: one for toddlers, one for adults
IT’S AN INDIAN SUMMER IN ITALY. So we’re still into salads here and they come in two versions. One for adults and one for toddlers (aka, one that will not be spit out.) The culprit? Lettuce. So Phoebe’s version is simply a deconstructed salad. Hers is all toppings and no filler, which is basically a…
Chicken with plum sauce and roasted vegetables
IT’S THE TAIL END OF PLUM SEASON IN ROME. With so many to eat in so little time (namely, before a fruit fly colony invades our kitchen) plums got upgraded from snack item to dessert to dinner. These sweet little beauties are a great source of fiber plus vitamins C, A and K. To be…
Straccetti, arugula salad with sizzling strips of steak and Parmesan cheese
STRACCETTI IS A CLASSIC ITALIAN MEAL, so naturally I’d never heard of it. That was before I moved to Rome and discovered that Italian food is more than pasta, tomatoes and cheese. (But they do that very well.) One of my favorite summer meals has turned out to be a version of the Big Salad…