Fancify Your Food!

You may be a gourmet mom, but your kids aren’t too sure about unfamiliar foods. The trick is to present new foods in a familiar way or familiar foods in a new way. Here are a few examples.

Welsh Rabbit: This is the British version of an open faced, grilled cheese sandwich. I have no idea why it’s called “rabbit,” but the name makes it more fun. Here is a link to a few recipes on allrecipes.com, one of my favorite recipe sites:

http://allrecipes.com/Search/Recipes.aspx?WithTerm=welsh%20rabbit

Sweet potato French fries: they are delicious and more nutritious than typical French fries. You can make them from scratch, or buy them in the frozen food section. In the grocery store I shop at, they are located in the organic food isle.

Crepes: make your kids some delicious dessert crepes, then have them try a dinner version.

Cheddar cheese risotto: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114320079
(See my recipe review from March 2010).

Peanut Butter and Jelly Panini: Use your fancy sandwich press to make a familiar treat. I prefer grilled pb&j!

Use a variety of cheeses: Instead of using the same old cheddar or American (which isn’t really cheese, but a “processed cheese food”) cheese on your kids sandwiches; give them something different like Swiss or provolone. Instead of mozzarella string cheese, look for mini Babybel cheeses in the deli section.
http://www.mini-babybel.com/products/mini-babybel/

Use a variety of pasta: Don’t just use the same old macaroni and spaghetti noodles; make rotini and cheese or substitute angel hair or linguini in your spaghetti and meatball recipe.

Go on a new fruits and vegetable hunt: When I was in 4th or 5th grade, I took cooking in 4H. One of the assignments was to go to the produce section and find fruit that I had never tried before. My mom and I found something called an ‘ugly fruit,’ which was a scary looking, wrinkled citrus fruit. I was a little nervous to try it, but it was delicious! The fact that I remember this project 20 years later says it all.

Dress up your food: One of my daughter and my favorite books is Fancy Nancy. There’s a line in the book where she says, “Sandwiches definitely taste better when you stick in frilly toothpicks,” and it’s true! Cut your sandwiches into small squares stick in a frilly toothpick. Practice your cutting skills by julienne-ing your kids’ carrots. Start using garnishes. Serve juice in elegant glasses. The fancy possibilities are endless!