Kids Who Cook = Kids Who Eat?

I just read an interesting article in my local paper about children who love to cook, little aspiring chefs who spend their afternoons watching the Food Network instead of cartoons, who pull stools up to the kitchen counter so that they can actively participate in the preparation of the family dinner. Fascinating to me especially since all of the children featured appeared happy, healthy, and within their proper weight range. With our nation's obesity rate growing at an alarming rate, especially in children, this article gave me food for thought. Is there a link between cooking and a healthy relationship with food when it comes to children? Do they eat better when allowed and encouraged to plan & prepare their own meals? I think so, as do the experts listed in this article.

Personally, I have a couple examples of my own, starting with my own cooking history. As an only child of a two-career couple, I was expected to cook dinner several times during the weeknights, if only to get things started and then Mom would finish up. This wasn't a chore to me, I enjoyed it. We weren't fancy eaters by any stretch of the imagination but every single night we had dinner together at the table, no tv, no phone calls, no distractions. Our house was filled with fruits & vegetables at all times along with a reasonable amount of treats, all in good balance. Once a week we ate out, and fast food was a novelty, not a daily event. Once I had my own children I did much the same, filling them with fresh produce and lean meat, ending each meal with fruit instead of heavy desserts. Cookies and treats were part of their diet but not the primary focus.

Now, my first married home with Lily & Bambi's dad was very small and the kitchen closed-in, unattractive and barely functional. I managed to cook basic meals but was rarely adventurous. After all, I had three kids under the age of 6, two of them in diapers at once, not exactly time for gourmet feasts! Still, we managed, for 10 long years! (The photo above is of Kali helping me make bunny-shaped rolls for Easter). But once we moved to our new house with the much-larger kitchen and more open floor plan, I was in heaven! I started collecting cookbooks, poring over meal plans each day, baking and cooking to my heart's content. My kids were old enough to appreciate the effort and dinnertime became the main event of the day. I was in heaven. During these years my girls helped when they could and they were exposed to all different kids of foods and cooking techniques. As a result they are now all good cooks, creative and skilled in the kitchen. Lily has even expressed an interest in culinary school in addition to her Journalism career. They are all a very healthy weight and have a respect as well as love of food. So, that being said...

We have a couple new members of our family who have not had the same experience. Their mom rarely cooked and they never sat down to dinner together as a family. Meal times were hit or miss, each member doing for his or her own self, the dining room table sat unused as they dined at the bar or in front of the t.v. I'm not judging, truly I'm not, but I do believe it has had an impact on their relationship with food. They rarely eat fruit or vegetables and are seemingly unaware of proper table manners. They are hesitant to try anything new and would be happy to exist on chicken fingers and french fries. They aren't comfortable sitting down together and simply dining, it's foreign to them. I shudder at this, of course, and do my best to encourage and inspire. Though they are both thin and in no immediate danger of malnutrition, I wonder how long that will last? Will this poor diet eventually take it's toll on them in the form of poor health and/or obesity? And is there anything I can do about it? At ages 12 and 14, is it too late? Should I take them into the kitchen and teach them about cooking, cajole them into helping? Is it even my "job" or responsiblity? I really don't know, but I am concerned and not sure how to proceed from here. Thoughts?

To sum it all up, I'm just really pleased that my girls are good cooks and eaters, and even if I have a bit of extra baggage to show for it..grin...I am the same. I'm encouraged by the young people who are taking the time to make their own meals instead of hitting the drive-through. Food is such an integral part of our lives, we might as well take joy in every aspect of it!

On My Hearth: Pasta with Tomato and Peas

Since by now everyone is already sick of Thanksgiving leftovers, we are continuing on our little Veggie Adventure here at the Castle. We're on the letter "P" and even though peas are a common vegetable which I'm sure Beren's girls have eaten before, I'm going to serve them in a way I bet they've never tried.

Pasta with Tomato and Peas
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

1 pound linguine
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup grated Romano

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 cups of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, carrots, salt, and pepper. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and 1/2 cup of the hot pasta water. Stir to melt the tomato paste and create a sauce, adding more pasta water if necessary. Stir in the oregano, thyme, and parsley. Gently fold in the cooked pasta, peas, and the cheeses, adding more reserved pasta water if necessary. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.


Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
User Rating: 4 Stars

On My Hearth: Southern Brunswick Stew

We are on the letter "O" for our little veggie adventure, had to skip "N" because I simply couldn't find any suitable vegetable beginning with that letter! So I have decided to make a dish with Okra. Now, I happen to love okra, my Dad and I have that in common, but it wasn't always the case. When I was a little girl he used to fry it up for dinner and my Mom and I would sit and watch in disgust as he devoured the slimy-looking things, we laughingly called them "daisies." As an adult I tried them again and found them to be quite appealing if cooked properly, and they are certainly a nice addition to soups & stews which is exactly what I'm going to do with them tonight. (I know, I just had Okra the other day in a similar recipe but Beren's girls weren't here to..uh..enjoy it. *wink*)

I had this bag of McKenzie's Soup Mix with Tomatoes in my freezer, am going to use the recipe on the back of the package with a few alterations. First, I'm using my crockpot instead of stovetop; this way, when Beren's girls arrive this evening dinner will be ready to go. I am using boneless chicken breast because that's what I have on hand, also added some Penzey's Chicken Soup Base and Seasoning to give it a richer flavor.

Southern Brunswick Stew

7 cups water
3-lb whole broiler-fryer chicken, cut up, skim removed
3 celery tops with leaves
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 pkg. (16 oz) McKenzie's Vegetable Soup Mix with Tomatoes
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

In a 4-qt saucepan, combine water, chicken, celery tops, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 1 hour or until chicken is tender. Discard celery tops and bay leaf. Remove chicken from pan. Cut meat from bones into chunks. Cover and set aside. Meanwhile, add vegetables to pan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add chicken, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Cook 5 - 10 minutes or until hot.

On My Weekend Hearth: Potato-Leek Gratin

Beren's girls will be visiting this weekend and since we are up to the "L" word on our Veggie Adventure, we'll be making something with leeks. This Cooking Light recipe sounds like perfect kid-friendly comfort food!

Potato-Leek Gratin


"This is the simplest way I know to make a potato gratin. Simmering the vegetables in the milk precooks them somewhat, shortening time in the oven and flavoring the milk, as well. You can easily vary this gratin by substituting some of the potatoes with other root vegetables, such as celery root, turnips, rutabagas, or parsnips. Yukon golds make a beautiful golden gratin, but I also like russets, and sometimes I mix varieties. There will be some leftover gratin, which is always welcome reheated the next day for a simple lunch served with a tossed salad." --Deborah Madison


4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 2 large)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, minced
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place milk, leek, salt, pepper, potato, thyme, bay leaf, and garlic in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Discard thyme and bay leaf.

Spoon half of the potato mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining potato mixture and remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.


Yield: 6 servings

CALORIES 362 (24% from fat); FAT 9.6g (sat 5.6g,mono 2.8g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 15.2g; CHOLESTEROL 33mg; CALCIUM 426mg; SODIUM 555mg; FIBER 4.5g; IRON 1.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 55g

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2007

On My Hearth: Kale and Chickpea Soup with Parmesan

It's a dreary, rainy day here, perfect weather for a nice pot of soup! We're going back to our little veggie adventure, on the letter "K" this week so I'm making Kale and Chickpea Soup with Parmesan. This recipe is from Jack Bishop’s A Year In A Vegetarian Kitchen.

* 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle over the bowls
* 2 medium onions, finely chopped
* 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
* 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
* 6 medium garlic cloves, minced
* 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
* salt
* 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
* 6 cups water
* 1 Parmesan cheese rind
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 sprig fresh rosemary
* 3/4 lb. kale, leaves stripped from tough stalks, stalks discarded, and leaves chopped (about 6 packed cups)
* 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for the table

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1 tsp salt and bring to a simmer. Add the chickpeas and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the water, cheese rind, bay leaves, and rosemary and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer about 30 minutes to blend the flavors. Add kale and continue to simmer until kale is tender, another 10 to 15 minutes. Adjust the seasoning, adding more salt to taste. Remove the bay leaves, cheese rind, and rosemary.

Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle some olive oil over each portion. Sprinkle with cheese, and serve, passing more cheese at the table to taste.

On My Hearth: Easy Cheesy Zucchini

Alanna at A Veggie Venture has done it again! I swear I could cook one of her recipes every single day of the week, but my own "veggie venture" involves Beren's two girls and their every-other-weekend visits/vegetable experiments! We are skipping ahead to "Z" this week simply because I have zucchini in my refrigerator now, along with every other ingredient in this recipe. How lucky is that?!

She tweaked this recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen, another one of my favorite food bloggers. I can't wait to serve this to the little ones this weekend! We'll probably pair it with some type of meat substitute, chik nuggets perhaps.

EASY CHEESY ZUCCHINI

aka Easy Peasy Cheesy Zoosy-Keesy-Neesy

See Kalyn's Kitchen's inspiring recipe
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 20 minutes
Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin (if fresh, Kalyn uses 4 - 6 from Costco)
1 pound zucchini, ends trimmed, cut in half length-wise (unless baby zucchini) and then in half-inch thick half moons
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (Kalyn uses parsley, any fresh herb would do, I think)
Kosher salt to taste
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons grated other melt-y cheese (Kalyn uses 4 tablespoons mozzarella, I used one of those 'Mexican' blends)

In a large skillet with a cover, heat the oil til shimmery. Add the garlic and stir to coat with oil, then cook for a minute or two, just until garlic begins to turn golden in color. Add zucchini, stir several times to coat with oil and garlic. Cover and cook for four minutes, stirring once or twice. Uncover and let continue to cook til done (slightly crisp suits my taste). Stir in salt and parsley. TURN OFF THE HEAT. Sprinkle cheese over top, cover and let rest for 1 - 2 minutes til cheese is slightly melted. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
With 2 tablespoons 'other' Cheese: Per Serving: 86 Cal (58% from Fat, 17% from Protein, 25% from Carb); 4 g Protein; 6 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 3 g Mono Fat; 6 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb 4; 2 g Sugar; 95 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 86 mg Sodium; 7 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

With 4 tablespoons 'other' Cheese: Per Serving: 102 Cal (60% from Fat, 19% from Protein, 21% from Carb); 5 g Protein; 7 g Tot Fat; 3 g Sat Fat; 4 g Mono Fat; 6 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb4; 2 g Sugar; 125 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 112 mg Sodium; 11 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 2 points

HOW MANY CALORIES, CARBS & WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS IN ZUCCHINI
Nutrition Information Per 1/4 pound of raw zucchini, the flesh and skin both: 18 Cal (8% from Fat, 24% from Protein, 67% from Carb); 1 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 4 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 2 g Sugar; 17 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 11 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol

SHORTHAND RECIPE
EASY PEASY CHEESY ZUCCHINI Cook 1T oil, lot garlic 1-2min. Add 1lb zucchini half moons, cover, cook 4min. Cook 1-2 min uncovered til done. Stir in salt, 2T basil (parsley, etc.). Off heat, top w 2T Parmesan, 2T other cheese, cover for 1-2min. WW=1 VV07