Deceptively Delicious - Jessica Seinfeld [7]
Cook: Steam for 30 to 40 seconds, or cook in a skillet with 1 tablespoon water for about 90 seconds, or just until wilted.
Puree: In a food processor or blender for about 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
Sweet Potatoes
Prep: Do not peel. Cut into quarters, if steaming. Leave whole, if roasting.
Cook: Steam for 40 to 45 minutes. Roast at 400°F for 50 to 60 minutes.
Puree: Scoop out the flesh and puree in a food processor or blender.
Zucchini and Summer Squash
Prep: Trim off the ends and cut into 1-inch pieces.
Cook: Steam for 6 to 8 minutes.
Puree: In a food processor or blender for about 2 minutes, until smooth
FRUIT PUREES: HOW-TO
Apples
Prep: May be peeled or not. Quarter and core.
Puree: In a food processor or blender for about 2 minutes.
Bananas
Prep: Use ripe bananas for the smoothest, sweetest puree. Peel.
Puree: Mash with a fork on a cutting board (bananas jump around in a bowl) then puree in a food processor or blender for about 2 minutes.
Blueberries, Raspberries, and Strawberries
Prep: Thaw, if frozen. Cut or pull off the stems for strawberries
Puree: In a food processor or blender for about 2 minutes.
Cantaloupe
Prep: Cut the melon in half, then scoop out the seeds. Cut the melon into wedges and pare off the rind.
Puree: In a food processor or blender for about 2 minutes.
Cherries
Prep: If fresh, stem the cherries and pit them with a cherry pitter. If frozen, thaw them.
Puree: In a food processor or blender for about 2 minutes.
Pineapple
Prep: Cut off the stem. Pare off the rind, cutting deeply enough to remove the prickly “eyes.” Quarter it lengthwise, cut out the core, and cut into chunks.
Puree: In a food processor or blender for about 2 minutes.
The Basics: Cooking Rice, Pasta, Chicken, and Beef
Some of the recipes in this book call for a basic knowledge of how to cook rice and pasta. For those who need it, here’s a refresher course.
Cooking rice
I use brown rice, which still has the nutrient-rich bran and hull intact. If you’re using white rice, cut the water to 11/3 cups, and the cooking time to 15 to 18 minutes. You can mix the white and brown rice to ease your family into eating brown rice.
Stovetop method:
1. Place 1 cup brown rice, 1¾ cups water, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to very low, and simmer until the rice is tender and all of the water has been absorbed, 30 to 40 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes.
Electric rice cooker method:
There are several brands of cookers on the market. Follow the instructions that come with your cooker.
Cooking pasta
Whole-wheat pasta may be too “brown” for some children. Mix it with multi-grain or semolina pasta, and gradually move toward whole-wheat only.
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
2. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente.
3. Drain pasta carefully (watch out for splashing water) in a colander.
Pureeing chicken and beef
You can sneak chicken or beef into your kids’ food by cooking and pureeing it first.
1. Sprinkle skinless boneless chicken breast or cutlets, or beef steak, with salt and pepper.
2. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and then the meat. For chicken cutlets, cook 4 to 5 minutes per; for chicken breast and beef steak, cook 5 minutes per side, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 9 to 10 minutes longer.
3. Let cool slightly before cutting into pieces.
4. Transfer to the food processor and process until finely ground. You can slowly add drops of water for a creamy texture.
WHAT EVERY PARENT SHOULD KNOW ABOUT NUTRITION
Joy Bauer is our nutrition guru. I met her a couple of years ago when I went to her for help in dropping a few hard-to-lose post-pregnancy pounds. She convinced me that healthy food could be both delicious and easy to