Toddler Cafe - Jennifer Carden [20]
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of the salt. Gently add the ravioli, and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they float. (Depending on the size of the pot, you may have to cook them in batches.) Drain the pasta and toss them with butter and Parmesan.
recipe notes
If you are cooking frozen Pumpkin Pockets, extend the cooking time to 6 minutes.
If you have whole nutmeg, use your micro grater or box grater to grate it into the filling.
Wonton wrappers are square and gyoza are round and slightly thicker, but they are essentially made of the same ingredients. You can use either for this recipe; cooking time will be longer for gyoza.
kids naturally like pasta, but sometimes even that’s not enough to get them to the table. this dish is fun and gets them interested in the meal. they can dig through the bowl with their hands to find the pasta knots. little fingers can stir up the oil and vinegar to create polka dots perfect for dipping their pasta into; the more they stir, the smaller the polka dots get. this is a good introduction to the flavor of vinegar. plus, the kids can try tying their own knots, too.
pasta knots and polka dots
makes 1 serving
ingredients
4 ounces or ½ cup cooked regular spaghetti, warm (see note on page 68)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (see note on page 68)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Grated Parmesan cheese
preparation * Tie some of the spaghetti into double knots and place all of the spaghetti in a bowl.
Put the oil in a wide, shallow dish and add the vinegar to the middle, but do not stir. Have your child stir it up with their finger or a spoon to see the polka dots appear. The more they stir, the smaller the polka dots will get.
Have them dip the spaghetti into the oil and vinegar, then into the cheese.
recipe notes
2 ounces dried spaghetti makes 1 cup cooked.
Adding oil to the pasta cooking water can produce mushy pasta; instead, add a large pinch of salt for flavor.
Olive oil comes in many forms—extra-virgin is the first pressing of the olive and has the most flavor. It is best for dipping and using in dressings so you get the full flavor. It is not necessary to cook with extra-virgin, because you will lose the flavor and it can be costly. “Pure” or light olive oil is perfect for cooking; it allows you to use high heat and is healthy, too.
CHAPTER
03
beans
starry night stew
bada bang bada bean dip
pinto panzanella
toddler truffles
treasure triangles
chickadee chickpea cakes
stew can be a great way to get healthy foods into your child; potentially objectionable ingredients can be disguised and hidden easily. in south america, it is customary to add orange as a flavoring to black beans because it sweetens them and adds an unexpected and different flavor. you can thin this to a soup consistency by adding more broth or water. for a fun way to serve it up, cut an orange in half, scoop out the flesh, and fill it with stew.
sprinkle shredded cheese or diced avocado on top. try to think up silly names that rhyme with “stew” with your child, and they will be laughing so hard they will just eat it up!
starry night stew
makes 3 servings
ingredients
One 15-ounce can black beans, drained
1 cup frozen sweet potato chunks, thawed
¼ cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
¼ cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons tiny star pasta or ditalini (see note on page 74)
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Zest from ½ an orange (optional)
preparation * Put the beans, sweet potatoes, broth, and orange juice into a saucepan, and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
Using a hand blender, purée the soup in the pan briefly, just about 3 seconds, to break up any big chunks of sweet potato. If you don’t have a hand blender, mash the chunks with a fork or potato masher.
When the stew begins to boil again, add the pasta and salt and simmer about 8 minutes, until the pasta is soft. Take