Toddler Cafe - Jennifer Carden [16]
variations
Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Add a dollop of leftover pesto to this soup after you blend it, and let your child stir it in.
Float toast strips on top and have a bean jump from log to log.
recipe notes
If your soup is still warm, leave the blender top open just a crack and place a dish towel over the whole top of the blender to prevent the top from popping off.
Entice your child with an easy homemade cracker to dip in the soup.
making parmesan crisps
Preheat a medium nonstick sauté pan on medium heat, and spray with olive oil spray or add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Place 1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese into the pan and spread it out to a thin layer with a spoon. Cook until bubbling, flip, and continue cooking for 30 seconds. Place it on a plate to cool. Repeat, making as many as you want.
kids love popcorn, and this soup has some floating right on top. let the kids sprinkle on the popcorn as they eat the soup, and make sure to have them listen to the sounds the corn makes as it soaks up the soup. this can be a fun dish for the whole family.
popcorn soup
makes 4 servings
ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1½ cups milk
1½ cups frozen corn kernels
2 cups grated mild cheese, or a combo including smoked Gouda
1 to 2 cups popped popcorn
preparation * Melt the butter in a saucepan. When the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and continue whisking until the butter and flour are combined, about 1 minute. You are making a roux. It will start to smell like biscuits that are cooking; this is how you know it is ready. Do not let the roux get dark brown, but keep it light like the color of bread dough.
Add the broth and milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for 10 minutes, until thickened. Add the corn and continue to cook for 5 more minutes, until the corn is thawed and the soup is bubbling.
Remove from the heat and add the cheese; stir until melted. Serve the soup in small bowls and sprinkle with popcorn at the table.
toddler tip
Have them count the corn on top of the soup before it sinks.
recipe notes
Roux is a blend of equal parts flour and butter, which are cooked and used to thicken soups. Roux can range from light blond to almost black, as that used in Cajun cuisine. Make a large batch and freeze it in ice cube trays, and store in the freezer for future use.
To pop a small amount of corn: Put about 2 tablespoons of popcorn in the bottom of a brown paper lunch sack. Fold the top down a few times and microwave on high until the popping slows, 2 to 3 minutes.
CHAPTER
02
pasta and rice
rainbow rice balls
mango fandango
bubbi’s krispy kugel
pucker-up psghetti
monster mash
knock knock gnocchi
pumpkin pockets
pasta knots and polka dots
these are colorful and mild-tasting, but they will make a mess, so you may want to eat them outside so you can leave the mess for the birds. your kids may even decide they love beets after trying these! rice balls are a very popular snack in japan, especially for kids. you can also make different shapes by forming them into triangles or flat disks. you can wrap them with thin sheets of dried seaweed called nori. kids like nori because it is crispy and salty and just fun to eat.
rainbow rice balls
makes about 12 ping pong–size balls or about 2 dozen small balls
ingredients
1¼ cups water
1 cup raw Japanese sticky rice or white or brown jasmine rice
½ cup minced carrots
½ cup peeled and minced cooked beets, plus
1 whole, peeled
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Shredded nori (optional, see note on page 54)
Plastic wrap, cut into
3-inch squares
preparation * Mix the water, rice, carrots, and minced beets in your rice cooker and cook according to the manufacturer’s directions. If you don’t have a rice cooker, follow the stovetop directions on the bag of rice.
In the meantime, cut ¼-inch-thick slices of the reserved beet, then use a small cookie cutter