AS THREATENED PROMISED, baked risotto has made its way into our weekly repertoire and here’s why: the kids love it! Plus, a baked version of this traditional Italian dish is easy to make before they even get home from nursery school. Sitting on the stove, it’s ready to be warmed again at dinner time. No…
chicken & vegetable stir-fry with noodles
WHEN I SAW PHOEBE CLOSE HER EYES and suck up each noodle in this simple stir-fry one by one, I knew we had a hit. Even better, she actually ate ALL the vegetables. Including sworn enemies such as zucchini and carrots. So, yes, we’ll be making this again. It’s just a variation of toddler-friendly Asian noodles…
baked mac & cheese…with carrots!
THIS IS IT, MY NEW FAVORITE RECIPE for mac and cheese. I’ve mentioned Melissa Clark’s Carroty Macaroni & Cheese before, but before this week’s “carrot retrospective”/insane challenge to get our girls eating more of the orange stuff, I hadn’t actually tried it. Two main ingredients are hard to come by in Rome, cheddar cheese and…
carrot cake muffins with cream cheese filling
THESE ARE DELICIOUS. I could probably end this post here but I’ll go on at least long enough to share the super simple — and healthy — recipe. It was inspired by a comment from my friend and most loyal Foodlets reader, Lori, who substituted carrots for zucchini in a muffin-baking pinch. Whether orange or…
Sauteed carrots with citrus butter
I’M NOT GOING TO LIE. The kids don’t like carrots and these are no exception. But because I’m crazy determined to keep offering healthy foods in various ways, over and over until their tastes come around, this is another idea. The good news is, Paul and I think they’re delicious.
Beef & cheese quesadillas (with a secret good-for-you ingredient)
GRATE EVERYTHING, I say. That’s my philosophy for “Taco Night”, which has actually become quesadilla night–the one that’s easier to eat and less likely to fall on the floor wins in my house. And since our ethnic food offerings are spare in Rome, to say the least, these flour tortillas are much easier to find…
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.
Healthier cupcakes from a mix and chocolate butter cream frosting (Happy birthday Estelle!)
HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY ESTELLE! We took it easy this year (certain people are very tired because somone keeps waking up every night “complaining” about new teeth coming in) but still had a blast for Estelle’s big day. A family celebration, complete with wheat germy cupcakes (plus secret ingredients: applesauce and carrots) and homemade butter cream…
Spice muffins with cream cheese frosting…and a secret ingredient
THESE MUFFINS STARTED OUT AS Pumpkin Bars from Paula Deen. In their second life they became a healthier version of pumpkin mini-muffins. Now they’re carrot muffins. And they’re delicious. Canned pumpkin is virtually non-existent in Rome and I’m not sure which Italian variety of zucca would work well enough to go through the cooking and…
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…
Pureed carrots for babies
AS MARK BITTMAN ONCE SAID, “IT’S NOT THE BETA CAROTENE, IT’S THE CARROT”. There’s just something wonderful about this sweet, crunchy and super healthy food. Easy to cook, versatile and best of all, simply to puree for babies. As with most baby food purees, a “recipe” isn’t really in order. It’s more of an idea…
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…