“Adult Food” Can Be Kid Friendly

by The Meal Makeover Moms on November 3rd, 2008

Just because a recipe may look sophisticated or fancy doesn’t mean kids — even the chicken nugget, mac & cheese-loving ones out there — won’t want to eat it.  Last week while surfing a blog called ChocolateAndZucchini, I found a recipe for Orange and Rosemary Pork Tenderloin, posted on October 7th.  Since pork tenderloin is my absolute favorite cut of pork (it’s lean, tender, mild in flavor and easy to cook) I was drawn to this particular dish.  My initial thought when scanning the ingredients was:  “Carolyn’s gonna love it but Leah, no way!”  Well, I’m happy to report that my opinioned 9-year old with her unpredictable palate devoured every bite.  In fact, after her first helping she replied enthusiastically “More steak please!”   

Though this recipe definitely featured what some might consider “adult” flavors — white wine vinegar, garlic, rosemary — Leah still loved it.  I did make a few minor tweaks to this recipe.  Instead of the juice of two oranges (which I did not have), I used about 3/4 cup orange juice.  And since I didn’t have any crème fraîche on hand, I used light sour cream.  By the way, on the side, we enjoyed mashed potatoes and roasted acorn squash. All around, I’d consider this a successful — and nutritious — family meal. 

We would love to hear some of your “adult food” success stories.  Have your kids ever surprised you by gobbling up a food you thought they would reject?  Do they routinely request a recipe that you thought was for “adults only?  We’re always on the lookout for new ideas so post your recipes and stories now!

~Janice

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4 Comments | Filed Under Dinner, Pork 

4 Responses to ““Adult Food” Can Be Kid Friendly”

  1. Liz on November 3rd, 2008

    Janice, so glad to hear Leah loved your pork dinner. I have an “adult food” success story. Simon (my 10-year old) has been obsessed lately with olive tapenade! Imagine that. We’ve been adding it as a topping to panini sandwiches. Here are two things I’ve been doing:

    1. Tuna or boneless, skinless pink salmon (canned) mixed with canola mayo and a shredded carrot. Place the mixture between two slices sandwich bread/roll along with some shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese and some olive tapenade. Then heat canola oil in a nonstick skillet and cook like you would grilled cheese. This makes 2 to 3 sandwiches.
    2. Turkey & cheese sandwich with olive tapenade. Make the same way as you would grilled cheese.

    Yum!

  2. Jennifer Carden on November 3rd, 2008

    My husband and I created and approach to feeding our toddler, it really does not matter what the food is. Our take on it is make it fun, a game and interact with your kids from the beginning. Don’t order off the kids menu, just share your food with them and expend their palate from a young age. Kids in India don’t get chicken tenders! Like the author did, make something that tastes good, is soft tender and has a nice texture. Kids love texture, try crunchy paired with soft and colorful foods too. I also tell parents to make the food a bit lighter on the herbs and spices so the child will not be put off but intrigued.

  3. Lisa on November 4th, 2008

    I just found this site and I love it. Such great info and ideas.

  4. Meredith on November 17th, 2008

    Hey there, Janice!
    Meredith from Momsdinnerhelper.com, here. I L-O-V-E this recipe, and I will try it with my kids this week–just bought a pork tenderloin on sale this weekend. I can imagine the oranges and the wine give it a sweet flavor that my kids will really love.

    My kids love curry, probably because I opted for in-home day care when they were babies with an amazing Indian family. The scent of curry filled the air each night when I picked them up. I do a crockpot, version of Curry Chicken that includeds potatoes, carrots, onions, green pepper, apples and raisins. Fruit can be a powerful add-in to any dinner.

    The other surprising moment I had with my boys was when they goobbled up an appetizer I brought to a potluck a couple months ago. It’s the ONLY version of fish my oldest son will eat. I called Salmon-Stuffed Potato Bites. Now we have it every other week for dinner along with a side salad:

    -Steam baby red potatoes for 15 minutes. Cool 15 minutes.
    -Mix salmon with minced garlic, lemon juice, a few shakes of lemon pepper and shredded parmesan cheese (all of this is to taste–start light so as not to over-power the salmon).
    -Core out the middle of each potato and stuff with salmon mixture.

    YUMMY!

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