Stuff My Kid Eats | soup bowl recipes

Stuff My Kid Eats

Food is huge part of daily life in our household. We eat it. We discuss it. We take pictures of it. We blog about it. So, it’s no surprise that as soon as my toddler wakes up in the morning, she wants to know what’s for breakfast. And not 20 minutes after breakfast, she wants to know what’s for lunch. Breakfast and lunch are her favorite meals — she usually gets to choose her main course (within reason), then is subjected to my side-dish-of-discrestion (vegetables). Now, here’s where our day falls apart: dinner. Inevitably, somewhere between lunch and our afternoon activities, she will ask, “What’s for dinner, Mommy?” Ugh! I dread this questions. I have nightmares about this question. I usually sugarcoat the answer to avoid a meltdown, and I always lead with the starch: “Rice with super yummy sausage and beans!” or “Risotto with pretty pink shrimp!” This works about 50% of the time. But, for whatever reason, if my answer contains the word chicken, she falls to the floor in tears, wailing, “Nooo, not chicken!” I don’t understand this. She loves chicken. She can eat her weight in chicken. It’s the single most popular food item that she will clear off her plate every time I serve it. EVERY. TIME.

Below is a dish, that when spoken aloud, sends my child into another universe with despair, but always inducts her into the “clean plate” club. It’s simple. It’s delicious. But it could probably use a better name; maybe “Sweet Squash with Spinach Pinwheels and (spoken softly)…chicken.” Again, good luck! I know you’ll enjoy it, hopefully your kids will, too.

Chicken Paillards with Squash and Spinach

This recipe comes to you by way of my former employer, Martha Stewart, and is an easy way to prepare deliciously tender chicken breasts. You can put your own personal touch on this versatile recipe by experimenting with other toppings such as oven-dried tomatoes, chopped Kalamata olives, and feta cheese; or fresh diced tomatoes & avocados with cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lime. (Recipe from Martha Stewart Living)

Serves 4

½ small kabocha squash, unpeeled, seeded and cut lengthwise into ¾-inch slices (see Tips*)
1 small red onion, cut into wedges, root end attached
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 skinless, boneless chicken-breasts, halved (see How To*)
Kosher salt
Red-pepper flakes to taste
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
6 fresh sage leaves (from about 4 sprigs)
1 cup baby spinach leaves

You will also need:
Plastic wrap
Meat mallet

Preheat oven to 425°. Distribute squash and onion evenly on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. oil, season with salt, and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer and roast until squash is tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, pound chicken to a ⅛-to-¼-inch thickness. Season on both sides with salt and red-pepper flakes (see Tips*). Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Swirl in remaining Tbsp. oil, then butter. Fry sage until just crisp, about 30 seconds to 1 minute; let drain on a paper towel.

Working in 2 batches, add chicken to pan and cook until golden and cooked through, about 2 minutes per each side. Divide chicken among 4 plates and top with spinach, squash, onion, and sage.

*Tips:

Cooking red-pepper flakes mellows their heat, but if you prefer, replace with fresh cracked black pepper instead. (I use red-pepper flakes, then before I cut and serve my toddler’s chicken, I scrape off the larger pieces so that she still gets the flavor without the fire.)
If kabocha squash (pictured below) is unavailable in your supermarket, substitute acorn squash — both can be eaten with the rind, just remember to remove the stem and end piece.

Kabocha Squash

*How To Halve a Chicken Breast:

To halve a chicken breast, lay the breast flat on a cutting board with the smooth side down. Using a sharp knife, cut away the small piece of meat that’s attached to the larger breast, called the “tender.” Set tender aside and freeze for another use (hint, hint…I’ll be posting a recipe for chicken tenders soon).

Turn breast over. With your knife, begin slicing the breast in half horizontally, all the way through. Repeat with second breast.

Butterflying a chicken 3

Lay 4 breast halves on a piece of plastic wrap and top with a second piece of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound chicken all over until you’ve reached an even thickness of about ⅛-inch.

Sidekicks:

This dish pairs well with a Dry Riesling, which counters the slight heat from the red-pepper flakes.
Serve chicken with red quinoa (pictured): Cook 1 cup dry red quinoa per package instructions, but replace water with chicken stock. Once cooked, mix in ¼ cup slivered almonds.

Stuff My Kid Eats

(Photo credit: Audrey Kranz)

I have been fortunate enough to have a toddler who is relatively adventurous in the foods she will try — and often even like. This is not to say that we don’t have our moments of refusing to eat, declaring something “yucky” simply because it’s brown, or ending a meal in tears; she is 2 years old, after all! But almost without fail, I can count on her to at least taste everything I put in front of her, even if she won’t finish it. When I do find a dish that is particularly popular with her, I feel like SuperMom and do a private little victory dance in my chair across the table from her.

In this weekly segment, I’ll be sharing quick, easy, healthy recipes that break away from the mac-‘n-cheese/quesadilla/chicken nugget rut that’s so easy to get stuck in. All of the meals I post here are great for kids, and delicious for adults as well. Good luck and enjoy!

Lemony Pasta with Tuna Sauce and Arugula

I found this recipe in one of my husband’s Men’s Health magazines over the summer (I’ll let you draw your own conclusions on the similarity of a grown man’s pallet to that of a toddler’s.) I was able to throw this meal together in 15 minutes, then crossed my fingers that it was something my daughter would eat — she did, and now it’s one of her favorites. Hallelujuah!

Serves 4

1 lemon
8 ounces radiatore pasta
2 – 5 oz. cans of tuna in olive oil (see Tips*)
2 canned anchovies (even if you don’t like anchovies, don’t omit them! They really enhance the flavor.)
¼ tsp. red-pepper flakes, divided (see Tips*)
5 cups baby arugula
¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Juice and zest lemon. Cook pasta per package instructions; drain, saving ½ cup of cooking water.

While the pasta cooks, drain tuna, saving 3 Tbsp. of the oil. In a blender or food processor, combine tuna, reserved oil, lemon juice, anchovies, and ⅛ tsp. red-pepper flakes; process until smooth.

In a large bowl, toss the hot drained pasta with tuna sauce (thin with pasta water if necessary). Add arugula, lemon zest, salt & pepper, and remaining red-pepper flakes (see Tips*). Serve topped with fresh grated parmesan cheese and cracked pepper.

*Tips:

I waited to add the final ⅛ tsp. red-pepper flakes until after I dished my toddler’s serving to save her delicate tastebuds from too much heat (if there is such a thing).
To make this a heartier meal, buy an additional can of tuna, drain, then add chunked tuna to the finished pasta.
Look for Genova brand tuna, if available (pictured below).