No Whine with Dinner: Whole Baked Red Snapper with Herbs

by The Meal Makeover Moms on November 21st, 2009

The Yummy Mummy is one of those food blogs you’ll want to visit a lot.  The Yummy Mummy is Kim and her approach to feeding her two girls, 4-year old Lucy and 3-year old Edie, is right up our alley. According to Kim, “I don’t cook ‘food for kids.’” Instead, what she does prepare are fresh, delicious meals that appeal to adults. As for the kids, she expects them to eat what she and her husband eat, and she has a great sense of humor too!

If you’re wondering how Kim manages to get her family to eat the same meal happily — even the whole baked snapper recipe below — read on. We guarantee you’ll find lots of new ideas and a refreshing approach to mealtime.

Whole Baked Red Snapper with Herbs

  • One 2-to 2 ¼-pound whole red snapper, cleaned
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or a few generous squirts from a lemon
  • 5 or 6 sprigs of lemon thyme
  • 10 chives (uncut)
  • Parsley, minced and used at the end for presentation
  • 1/4 stick butter, cut into pieces
  • 2 lemons, cut into wedges (save a few for presentation)
  • Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a good size baking pan. Butter the pan a bit to keep the fish from sticking. Wash fish, pat dry with paper towel and place it in center of a pan.

2. Season cavity of fish with garlic, salt and pepper, and lemon juice. Dot cavity with butter. Arrange some lemon wedges, lemon thyme sprigs and chives inside cavity. (You really can use whatever herb combination you like – I won’t yell at you). Season outside of fish with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon over outside of fish. Salt and pepper the outside. Top with a couple lemon slices, if you like.

3. At this point, you can store the fish in the fridge for up to a day. If you can prep the fish ahead, dinner is just putting a pan in the oven. Simple.

4. Bake fish in oven until cooked through, about 35-40 minutes, depending on the size of the fish. Transfer fish to platter. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley and a generous little pile of lemon wedges.

Q: Where did you get the recipe?
A: Well, I made this myself without a recipe, but I hardly created it. Better cooks than I have done this dish in their own way. The great thing about this recipe is that you can use whatever combination of herbs you have on hand and it will turn out beautifully. You can be the creator of the dish.

Q: What do you like best about this recipe?
A: This is a really beautiful dish that you can bring to the table whole out of the oven, with juices bubbling and herbs crisped. And no one will ever know how ridiculously easy it is to make. It’s great for a special weeknight dinner because you can prep the fish ahead in the morning and just pop it in the oven after you get home from work or a busy day. I think it’s also important for kids to see that “fish” does not come from a fish stick box. And this is great way to have that discussion without actually having to have that discussion.

Q:  What do your kids think about this recipe?
A: The key part of this dish is that you serve the fish whole at the table “with eyes.” My kids love all things fish, but the first time they saw a roasted whole fish at a Chinese dinner party hosted by a friend, they completely freaked out. Now, they ask for “fish with eyes” regularly. They are tickled to see the whole fish, to be able to inspect it, touch the scales, the gills, even pick up the fish head and put it on their plate and look closely at the eyes. The adults can flake the fish off the bone and put it on their plate while they are mesmerized by the fish itself or they can dive in with their own forks. It’s such a tactile dish and perfect for curious, young ones who haven’t quite figured out that a fish head might be “gross.”

Q:  Other than the fact that this recipe makes everyone in your family happy, do you have any other tips for taking the “whine” out of dinner?
A: I have a pretty un-orthodox approach when it comes to family eating. I don’t spend a lot of time making my kids eat or worrying about how much they eat. I try to recognize that sometimes kids are hungry and clean their plates and other times, they don’t. I trust they know when they’ve had enough and when they want more. I have friends who follow their kids around the table with forkfuls of food begging them to eat “one more bite.” That just makes dinner painful for everyone. I want my kids to learn to be responsible for their own eating. I’m not saying this works for everyone, but it makes our meal times much more fun.

Here are five other clever mealtime tips from The Yummy Mummy:

> Make Soup: One of the best things I ever did was introduce soup as a lunch time meal when the kids were babies. They eat some kind of home-made soup at least every other day. This has helped me feel good about what they are taking in and it has become a go-to meal for us. There is always a pot of soup in the fridge or freezer, ready for a quick, healthy meal. If they don’t like dinner, for instance, they can have some soup. When I know they’ll eat nothing else, I know they’ll eat a bowl of soup.

> No Box Mac and Cheese in the House. Ever: Nothing kills a palate like the box. It is never in our house. They can enjoy it to their hearts content at their friend’s houses and it is a real treat for them, but they don’t have any expectation that it is served at our house. Why? Because once they taste it, they’ll want it all the time. And you can never go back. It’s like a drug. So, I just don’t introduce it in the first place.

> Never Order off the Children’s Menu: Shrimp cocktail is our go-to restaurant meal for the kids. If you start ordering chicken fingers and pasta with no sauce, you’ll have to do it every time you go into a restaurant. If you start this when they can’t read the menu, they’ll have a better shot at ordering more varied items as they get older and can choose for themselves.

> Say No to Carbs Whenever Possible: Limit carby snacks, no Goldfish or Wheat Thins to curb hunger. Fruit and nuts are great as snacks, but crackers are too filling and offer no nutrition. And that’s room in their stomachs that can house fish and meat and vegetables.

> Buy Parsley: Keep a bottle of dried parsley in the fridge. Dust every dish with a little dried or even better, fresh parsley. This helps kids realize there is no such thing as “white food” and it gets them used to the idea that herbs are supposed to be in food. Nothing goes out of my kitchen that is one color. Ever. And my reward for this is that they don’t pick the rosemary out of the chicken when we are at a dinner party.

Q: Tell us about The Yummy Mummy. By the way, we love your tag line: In the Kitchen with a Couple of Spatula-Wielding Toddlers:
A: The Yummy Mummy is a humor blog that focuses on parenting and cooking with small children underfoot. I don’t cook “food for kids.” I do cook fresh, tasty, dishes that appeal to adults and we expect our kids to eat what we eat. No gimmicks, no angles, no food with smiley faces. I have some big victories, but a lot of the time, the kids just throw food at us. And that’s okay too.

If you want to follow Kim, here’s a link to The Yummy Mummy.

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2 Comments | Filed Under Dinner, NoWhineWithDinner, PickyEaters, Seafood 

No Whine with Dinner: 50-Yard Fiesta Dip

by The Meal Makeover Moms on September 18th, 2009

Move over Martha Steward, because Mandy at Gourmet Mom on the Go is the queen of kitchen creativity as far as we’re concerned. The focus of Mandy’s blog is to inspire her readers to get into the kitchen with their kids, and she does this by sharing  fun and whimsical recipes. You just have to see her Edible Chandelier and Tipi Tacos to believe it!

For this post, we feature Mandy’s 50-Yard Fiesta Dip. We chose this recipe because football season is back in full swing, and we thought her super-yummy tailgate snack would be an easy (and healthy) one for everyone to make.

It’s clear Mandy’s three children, Big C, Little C, and Little H (their blog aliases), love to cook, and this recipe was easy enough for these pint-size chefs to get involved. Read on to learn more about the dish as well as Mandy’s oh-so-clever ideas for getting kids of all ages excited about food.

50-Yard Fiesta Dip
Makes 8 Servings

  • 1 can (15 oz) Black Beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) Great Northern Beans or Navy Beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
  • 3/4 cup red salsa, any kind
  • 2 cups shredded cheese (I used Kraft Mexican Blend)
  • 1 jar (16 oz) Pace Tequila Lime Salsa (or salsa verde if you can’t find it)
  • 1 package (8 oz) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup light sour cream
  • Whole wheat flour tortillas
  • Sea salt, optional (these are for the “football crisps,” or you can just use chips)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Mix Black Beans, Great Northern Beans, corn, red salsa, and shredded cheese in a large bowl. Spread the mixture in a 9 x 13 pan sprayed with cooking spray.

3. Bake for 15 minutes until warm and bubbly. Remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes.

4. While the dip is baking, place a stack of tortillas on a cutting board and cut into football shapes. Spread on a greased cookie sheet and spray tops with cooking spray. Sprinkle sea salt on top. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes until crispy.

5. After the dip has cooled for 5 minutes and set a little bit, gently spread Pace Tequila Lime Salsa over the top. Stir together the cream cheese and sour cream and place in one-gallon Ziploc freezer baggie. Snip an end off the bag and pipe on yard lines and hash marks. If the mixture is too thick to pipe out, add a little more sour cream.  Serve with Football Crisps.

Q: Where did you get the recipe?
A: I created it myself.  A friend told me about how she used beans and cheese to make a yummy hot dip and it inspired me.

Q: What do you like about this recipe?
A: I like the nutritional value, and everyone loves it.  It’s great for a football munchie, and it’s healthier than most other “football food.”

Q: What do your kids think about this recipe?
A: My girls go crazy over this dish. When Big C tried it, she said, ”I am going to gobble this up!” Little C wanted to know if we were going to play football and Little H gave it two thumbs up and said, “I wike it!”

Q: Other than the fact that this recipe makes everyone in your family happy, do you have any other “Mandy” tips you’d like to share with fellow parents for taking the “whine” out of dinner?
A: Take an extra 60 seconds to turn the food into something “different.”  For example, recently, I took some hot rice, molded it into a little “bowl,” filled it with the chopped chicken and vegetables we cooked for dinner, and told my 2-year old it was, “Puppy Chow.”  She devoured a dish that she probably would have balked at.

I believe if you get the kids involved in the cooking process, they will be more likely to eat what you prepared.  Everyone can help, even if it’s just taking things to the recycle bin. It can even be as easy as calling a dish a different name.  “Princess Soup with Magic Wands” sounds more appetizing than “Vegetable Soup and Breadsticks.”

Another tip I have is to sit down AT THE TABLE all together and talk while you eat.  Ask questions like, “If you could turn into an animal, what would you be?”  Have everyone take a bite before they answer.  Even if you have already eaten or are not eating that dinner, find something to eat or drink and sit down with your family.

Finally, don’t stress if your kids won’t eat something the first (or 5th) time you introduce it.  If you keep introducing new foods, they eventually will try it.  Otherwise, it becomes a power game and you have lost the fun and magic of mealtime.  Kids are finicky by nature. My 2 year old will devour sushi and hot curry dishes one day and will balk at chicken nuggets another day.

Q: Can you tell us about your blog?
A: I am passionate about “taking back dinnertime” and bringing the family together around the table.  In my house, we make all kinds of fun and whimsical food that is great for all ages.  Hopefully my site will inspire you to get into the kitchen with your kids and make some fun memories.

We’d like to thank Mandy for her creative recipe and helpful mealtime tips.  Stay tuned for our next installment of No Whine with Dinner coming next month. If you’re a football fan and plan to make this dip for your next tailgate party, pleae let us know by posting a comment to the blog. Go Pats!!

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2 Comments | Filed Under Beans, NoWhineWithDinner, PickyEaters, Snacks 

No Whine with Dinner: Dinner Together

by The Meal Makeover Moms on August 7th, 2009

Like so many of our new foodie friends, we recently “met” Kathleen, from the blog Dinner Together, on Twitter. Liz and Kathleen actually have a mutual friend so the connection wasn’t exactly random.

Kathleen is the mom of three kids: 13-year old Jackie, 11-year old Rebecca, and 7-year old Nicki.  Since Kathleen’s blog is devoted to bringing families together at mealtime and to raising children to be successful eaters, we invited her to participate in our monthly No Whine with Dinner Q&A. Below is a recipe no one in Kathleen’s family ever complains about and some practical tips for turning mealtime whining into “wows.”

Semi-homemade Pizza
Makes 6 Servings

  • 2 store-bought, refrigerated bags of pizza dough, 1 pound each
  • One 8-ounce package shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Homemade pizza sauce (recipe below)
  • Toppings of your choice

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Roll out pizza dough and place on pizza stone or lightly greased baking pan.

3. Prepare pizzas with toppings according to your tastes.

4. Bake about 20 minutes. Lift up edge of pizza to check for doneness (should be cooked through and golden brown on the bottom of the crust).

Pizza Sauce

  • One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon garlic salt

1. Mix together ingredients in a large saucepan and heat over low heat.

2. I substitute fresh ingredients if I have them.  The sauce recipe makes more sauce than is needed for two pizzas, and it freezes well for future pizzas.

Q: Where did you get the recipe?

A: The recipe for the sauce came from my mom. She, in turn, probably got it from her mom.  I usually modify it to include fresh garlic (2 cloves), which I saute briefly in oil before adding the canned tomatoes, instead of garlic salt.  If I have fresh oregano or basil, I add that too, and skip the dried oregano.

Q:  What do you like about this recipe?

A: I like this recipe for a few reasons.  First, I feel a sense of nostalgia and family connection when I make it.  I have happy memories of my grandmother and my mother making pizza for the family when I was a child.  Second, my kids look forward to having homemade pizza.  No one complains and everyone eats and enjoys!  And finally, I don’t have to do too much work when we make it.  The whole family is actively involved with meal preparation too.  My husband has the job of rolling out the dough.  After he preps the dough, I section off the pizza with a ‘peace sign’ of sauce and then each of my three kids prepares their own section.  Jackie does not like any sauce on her pizza and uses a minimal amount of vegetables.  She also likes to roll pepperoni into the edge of the crust.  Rebecca loves veggies and piles them on.  And Nicki uses moderate amounts of everything.  I usually make a separate pizza for me and my husband using spinach, kalamata olives, and feta cheese.  This recipe is also good for cleaning out the refrigerator of any leftover vegetables.  Almost anything goes on pizza.

Q:  What do your kids think about this recipe?

Jackie says, “It’s fun and tasty.”
Rebecca says she likes being able to “personalize” her pizza and likes the quick and easy assembly.
Nicki says, “I really like that we can make pizzas that aren’t really pizza flavors.  And it’s really cool to have your own homemade pizza.”

Q:  Other than the fact that this recipe makes everyone in your family happy, do you have any other “Kathleen” tips you’d like to share for taking the “whine” out of dinner?

A: I can definitely say that the whining has decreased significantly at my family’s table over the years. That’s not to say that everyone loves every meal.  I plan my meals a week in advance and always ask for everyone’s input as to what they might like to eat in the coming week.  So they may not get what they want every meal, but at some point in the week, they know they will have something they like.  I serve meals family style and try to have at least one thing – not always the main dish though – that everyone will eat.  It could just be carrot sticks or bread.  My oldest daughter is definitely my pickiest eater, although she has increased the number of foods that she’ll eat and try over the years.  I’ve found that the less I pressure her, the more she’ll be open to eating different foods.  She still doesn’t eat everything that I’d like her to, but she’s eaten roasted kale, salmon, and now allows sauce on some of her foods, so we’ve definitely made progress.  Our family also tries to make eating together a priority.  Sometimes, especially during softball and spring recital season, that can be a challenge.  We try to keep the tone positive at mealtimes and enjoy talking and listening to each other.

Q: Can you tell everyone about your blog?

A: My blog is called Dinner Together.  I started it earlier this year.  My goal is to provide useful information to parents seeking to bring their families together more often for family meals and to raise their children to be successful eaters.  I am a psychologist who has worked with children and families on a variety of issues for the past two decades, although I can’t believe I’m that old!  My goal is to help families find strength and connection.  I work with children and families locally for counseling and therapy, but also provide phone coaching services to parents nationwide. With regard to food and kids, my focus is more on the “how” than the “what” of feeding and eating.

We look forward to visiting Kathleen’s blog often and hope you’ll do the same!

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Comment | Filed Under Dinner, NoWhineWithDinner, Pizza 

No Whine with Dinner: Make-Your-Own Stir Fry

by The Meal Makeover Moms on July 3rd, 2009

Summertime in New Jersey means sunny days on the famous Jersey Shore and a bounty of locally-grown produce from farmers markets, pick-your-own farms, and backyard gardens.  New Jersey is a long way from Boston, but from time to time, we get a taste of the Garden State when we visit one of our favorite food blogs, Jersey Girl Cooks. Written by Lisa, a foodie and mother of two (11-year old Nicole and 7-year old Eddie), this blog is filled with mealtime inspiration (and plenty of desserts too)! We asked Lisa to share some mealtime tips and a recipe her family eats happily (i.e. without complaint).  Here’s what she sent us:

stir-fry-ingredients 

Make-Your-Own Stir Fry (AKA Picky Family’s Stir Fry)
Makes 4 to 6 Servings

  • 12 ounces soba noodles
  • 2 tablespoons chili or sesame oil
  • 1 pound trimmed green beans that have been blanched
  • 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 pound chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces (or 1 pound shrimp, cleaned, peeled and deveined)
  • 10 ounces sliced mushrooms
  • 1 cup chopped mango
  • 1/2 cup your favorite stir fry sauce
  • Crushed red pepper flakes
  • Sesame seeds

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse with cool water and set aside.

2. In a large wok, heat oil and toss green beans and peppers for a few minutes or until they start to become tender.  Add the chicken and cook until it is cooked through and no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Mix in mushrooms, mango, cooked noodles and sauce. Cook for another few minutes, stirring until sauce starts to bubble.

4. Add red pepper flakes to taste, and garnish with sesame seeds.

stir-fry-recipe

Tips from Lisa:

> To make this stir fry your own, substitute with the vegetables, sauce, noodles, and meat (chicken, beef, shrimp) of your choice.

> Frozen veggies can be used, but make sure they are slightly defrosted first.

> Make sure all the vegetables are cut into bite-size pieces so they cook quickly.

> If you have children have different meat and vegetable preferences, each portion can be cooked separately with different ingredients since it cooks up so quickly.  We tend to mix and match.

> If you have vegetarian family members or friends, you can easily make this a vegetarian meal. Enjoy!

jerseygirlcookskidshelping

Q:  Where did you get the recipe and what do you like about it?

A: I created this recipe based on the ingredients I had on hand.  I like it because it’s easy and versatile and takes less time than ordering take out.  You can prep everything in advance so dinner can be on the table fast!

Q:  What do your kids think about this recipe?

A: “Mom, can I stir in the noodles?”  The kids especially love it because they can choose what goes in it. My daughter is a good eater and likes lots of different food but depending on the day, my son might just go with just the chicken and noodles.

Q:  Other than the fact that this recipe makes everyone in your family happy, do you have any other “Lisa” tips you’d like to share for taking the “whine” out of dinner?

A: Let the kids help.  That way they’ll be more likely to eat something because they created it themselves

Q:  Can you tell everyone about your blog?

A: Jersey Girl Cooks is a blog about a mom that loves to cook and experiment. I make a lot of family-friendly foods and love using fresh local ingredients. On the blog, I sometimes write about my food adventures visiting festivals and local markets.

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1 Comment | Filed Under Dinner, NoWhineWithDinner, Poultry, Vegetables 
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