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Vegetable Dish
Children Will Love
by Beth Scott
Don’t you just hate it when you have to try
out a vegetable dish on a child? Whether the child is your own, a
relative’s child, or a child of one of your friend’s, it’s almost an
impossible task to get them to eat vegetables.
No matter how hard you worked on the vegetable dish,
they just refuse to eat it. Right?
Most parents pull their hair out when faced with
this difficulty. And a lot of babysitters won’t even attempt trying
out a vegetable dish on a child, because they don’t want a temper
tantrum on their hands and the vegetable dish on the floor.
But there is a
solution. Believe it or not just by using the right spices
or herbs, you can turn out a vegetable dish that will have your
children begging for seconds.
I know this from personal experience. Coming
from a family with 5 children younger than myself, and having to cook
for them, I’ve had to learn just how to make vegetables appealing to a
young eater. And over the years I've learned to make vegetable
dishes that appeal to young taste buds.
Here is a healthy vegetable dish for you to try with
your own children, or next time you’re babysitting for someone else and
need to cook a vegetable dish for a picky eater.
Cheesy Vegetable
Dish
Ingredients:
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons pastry flour
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large green bell pepper
- 1 1/2 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup diced onions
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup green beans
- 1/2 of a 12 ounce block of Monterey Jack cheese
1. In a small saucepan heat the
olive oil on medium heat. Fry the bell pepper, celery and onions
until tender (slightly soft, but still a little crisp).
2.
Remove the sauteed celery, onions, and bell pepper from the saucepan
and place them in a large bowl.
3. In
a pot, boil the broccoli and green beans for 10 minutes, or if you have
a steamer, steam them for 15 minutes. Then strain them in a
colander, and put them in the large bowl with the sauteed vegetables.
4.
Wash out this saucepan (or use a different one) to melt the butter in
on medium heat. Once butter is completely melted, add the pastry
flour, salt, and pepper. Cook this for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring
now and then.
5.
Add the milk to the butter and flour mixture, and bring to a slight
boil. Then turn heat down to low and cook (this is called
simmering) for another minute, until the mixture thickens
noticeably. Turn off heat and grate in the Monterey Jack cheese
(approximately 1 cup) into the saucepan.
6.
Stir this cheese sauce and pour it into the large bowl on top of the
vegetables. Stir so that the vegetables are all covered with the
sauce. Best if served while still warm.
This vegetable dish is healthy in many
respects. If you use this vegetable dish your children will get
their calcium through the cheese and milk used, and they will also
benefit from all the nutrients which vegetables provide.
Serving Raw Vegetables
However, if you would prefer to
make a raw vegetable dish, so that your children aren’t missing some of
the nutrients which vegetables lose during the cooking process, then
try making salads that mix fruits with vegetables.
Coleslaw is a great example of a raw vegetable
dish. Between the chopped cabbage, grated carrots, crispy apples
and sour cream, children love this colorful, tasty vegetable dish.
You might also try serving a raw vegetable dish that
uses spinach greens, lettuce, celery, tomato, and avocado together,
topped with cottage cheese. This is a tasty raw vegetable dish
your children will love.
For more great recipes and numerous ways to make
your picky eater
gobble down anything you serve them, go to Parents Of Picky
Eaters
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