Deceptively Delicious - Jessica Seinfeld [20]
4. In a shallow bowl, beat the egg and vegetable puree with a fork. Put the crumbs in the bowl. One at a time, dip the rice balls in the egg mixture, then roll them in the crumbs to make an even coating.
5. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Add the rice balls and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally and spraying with cooking spray, until browned and crisp all over. Serve warm.
My Dinner Program
AFTER STRUGGLING through several irritating phases when the children would eat only the pasta on their plates and ignore the vegetables and protein accompaniments, I hit upon the idea of serving separate courses so that the kids don’t just focus in on one food and leave the rest.
1. While I am making the meal, I put crudités on the table with small dishes of lowfat sour cream or Greek Dip—the kids dip and munch.
2. Next, I serve the chicken, fish, or tofu nuggets.
3. Once they’ve had a few bites, then comes a veggie side dish, such as steamed broccoli, carrots, or peas (and I quietly pray they will eat them).
4. Then comes the pasta or rice, because this is the easy part of the meal at our house.
Mozzarella Sticks
(WITH CAULIFLOWER)
I still can’t believe I make mozzarella sticks at home—they always seemed like too much work. These are so easy, and the cheese hides the cauliflower puree entirely.
Prep: 20 minutes • Total: 45 minutes • Makes 8 mozzarella sticks • No meat
1 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
½ cup cauliflower puree
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Nonstick cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
1. In a bowl, toss the breadcrumbs with the flaxseed meal and sesame seeds.
2. In a second large bowl, stir together the mozzarella, cauliflower puree, and cornstarch until well combined. Shape into eight 2x½-inch logs. Gently roll each log in the breadcrumbs, then wrap in aluminum foil or waxed paper and freeze for 20 minutes.
3. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil. Arrange the mozzarella sticks in the pan in a single layer, being careful not to crowd them. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally, until the crumb coating begins to brown. Sprinkle with salt and serve with ketchup.
Joy: Lowfat cheese is actually a better source of calcium by volume than full-fat, because removing the fat makes room for more calcium-rich dairy.
Homemade Ketchup
(WITH CARROT)
Doesn’t every kid love ketchup?
Prep: 5 minutes • Total: 25 minutes • Makes 1 cup
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
½ cup carrot puree
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon firmly packed light or dark brown sugar (optional)
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
1. Stir all the ingredients together in a big saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture has reduced by about half, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool before serving.
2. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze in ¼-cup amounts in zipper-lock snack bags for up to 3 months.
(OTHER) MOTHERS KNOW BEST
(PART 2)
“When I boil Olivia’s veggies, I boil them with an organic chicken boullion cube for a minute. The veggies are crunchy but have a little flavor of chicken and salt. She loves the way they taste (and won’t eat them otherwise!) Or I sprinkle the veggies with a little olive oil and salt and bake them at 350°F for 15 minutes.”
—Christina, Los Angeles
MOTHER OF OLIVIA, 5 AND GRIFFIN, 1
“Jacob really likes salad dressing, but won’t touch salad. We give him cucumbers (don’t ask me why he chooses cucumbers!) that he can dip in dressing. That seems to work like a charm. He also likes soy sauce, so if