It’s a familiar refrain. One day a child’s favorite foods are chicken tenders or pizza with pepperoni, the next day the same kid swears off meat … forever. And cannot be persuaded otherwise.
Cookbook author Laura Washburn faced the same overnight conversion with her daughter, 10 at the time.
She found herself unsure what to cook, she writes in “Vegetarian Food for Kids: Nutritious and Delicious Recipes for Healthy Children” ($19.95).
The ingredients here are easily adaptable to your child’s palate. She doesn’t like broccoli or onions? Sub in another vegetable, such as carrots or green beans.
Cheesy polenta and roasted vegetable pie
2small zucchini, halved widthwise, cut in 1/4-inch strips
1red bell pepper, cut in 1/2-inch thick slices
10ounces broccoli, sliced in long, thin trees
1red onion, sliced in thick rings
2tablespoons olive oil
1teaspoon salt
3cups water
1cup quick-cooking polenta
1tablespoon unsalted butter
2/3cup grated cheddar (or vegetarian cheddar)
4 1/2ounces fresh mozzarella ball, thinly sliced
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread the zucchini, pepper, broccoli and onion in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil; drizzle with olive oil. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Roast until just tender and lightly browned, 10 to 20 minutes. (The broccoli may cook faster; check after 10 minutes. Remove if necessary; continue roasting remaining vegetables.)
Coarsely chop the vegetables; transfer to a lightly oiled 10-inch square baking dish.
Meanwhile, heat the water to a boil over medium-high heat in a saucepan; season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add polenta slowly in a stream. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick. Take care as the polenta can bubble up.
Lower heat to low; cook, stirring, 5 minutes. (Alternately, follow package directions for cooking 1 cup polenta.)
Remove polenta from the heat; stir in the butter and cheddar. Pour over the vegetables in the dish, spreading evenly with a spatula; arrange mozzarella on top. Bake until browned and bubbling,
Makes 8 servings.
Per serving: 239 calories, 13 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 28 mg cholesterol, 21 g carbohydrates, 9 g protein, 560 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.
From “Vegetarian Food for Kids: Nutritious and Delicious Recipes for Healthy Children” by Laura Washburn.
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