Deceptively Delicious - Jessica Seinfeld [21]
—Tina, San Francisco
MOTHER OF JACOB, 8, AND CHARLIE, 5
“Jackson will not eat a vegetable. I’ve tried buttering them up, salting them up, and even adding brown sugar. Nothing works. I have resorted to juicing, which he will drink. Fresh carrot juice with an apple and a small beet thrown in. I will keep trying the ‘real’ thing. He’ll eat them someday—I hope!”
—Lorna, New York City
MOTHER OF JACKSON, 3
Aloha Chicken Kebabs
(WITH SWEET POTATO AND PINEAPPLE)
Crunchy and sweet—an unbeatable combination for kids. You can leave out the coconut if your kids don’t like it, but once the chicken is cooked, the coconut is very hard to see.
Prep: 15 minutes • Total: 25 minutes • Serves 4 • Packable
1 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
¼ cup flaxseed meal
¼ cup sweet potato puree
¼ cup pineapple puree
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken tenders, rinsed, dried, and cut into “fingers”
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose or whole-wheat flour
Nonstick cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
10 to 12 short wooden skewers
1. In a bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the flaxseed meal. Set aside.
2. In a second wide, shallow bowl, combine the sweet potato and pineapple purees, soy sauce, egg white, and coconut, and mix with a fork; set next to the breadcrumbs.
3. Thread the chicken fingers lengthwise onto skewers, using one skewer per chicken finger. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken skewers with salt and then with flour. Dip the chicken into the egg-white mixture and then roll it in the breadcrumbs until completely coated.
4. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil.
5. Add the chicken in a single layer and brown for 3 to 4 minutes on one side, until the breadcrumb coating is crisp and golden. (Turn down the heat if the coating browns too quickly—coconut burns easily.) Turn the skewers and cook 4 to 5 minutes longer, until the chicken is cooked through and browned all over.
Pita Pizzas
(WITH SPINACH)
This meal takes only about 3 minutes of actual work, and my kids love getting their own personal pizza. If I have leftover Bolognese sauce, I use that in place of the tomato sauce.
Prep: 3 minutes • Total: 18 minutes • Makes 8 mini-pizzas • No meat
8 (4-inch) whole-wheat pita pockets
½ cup spinach puree
2 cups bottled tomato sauce
2 cups thinly sliced part-skim mozzarella
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Spread spinach puree on each pita so that the spinach comes to within about ½ inch of the edge. Spread the sauce over the spinach; it should cover the spinach and come to within about ¼ inch of the edge of the pita. Now lay the cheese over the sauce, covering any place where the green comes through.
3. Place the pizzas on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the cheese melts and begins to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Let the pizzas cool 5 minutes before serving so the cheese cools and doesn’t pull off (and the spinach stays completely invisible).
Joy: The spinach puree in these baby pizzas provides your child with a hearty dose of beta carotene, plus 3 grams of fiber. Tomato sauce adds lycopene (a potent antioxidant that helps to enhance overall health).
Deviled Eggs
(WITH CAULIFLOWER OR CARROT)
This revamped classic looks and tastes just like the original, but it’s so much better for your kids.
Prep and serve: 25 minutes • Serves 6 • Packable
6 large eggs
3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
¼ cup cauliflower or carrot puree
1/8 teaspoon salt
pepper and paprika to taste and for presentation (optional)
1. Place the eggs in a saucepan and add cold water to cover. Set the saucepan over high heat, cover, and bring the water to a boil. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and let stand, still covered, for exactly