Read Online Double Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld - Free Book Online
Authors: Jessica Seinfeld
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My Kitchen, My Kids
W hen my first two children were very small, I saw my kitchen as one big danger zone: the simmering saucepans on the stove, the hot oven, the sharp knives, and my eager kids balancing on chairs in the middle of it all. In my mind, it was a perfect storm of disaster. Besides worrying about safety, there was my sanity. One child inevitably wanted to do what another was doing, like stir the pancake batter instead of cracking the egg. That would lead to a push here, a pull there, and if I didn’t catch it in time, a downward spiral into a mini crisis where someone left the kitchen in a huff. All of this to make pancakes together!
But just as my kids have changed as they’ve grown, so too has my view of them in the kitchen. Over the years, I witnessed with awe the sense of accomplishment and independence they got from “big kid” skills—everything from clearing the table after dinner to washing and drying the dishes. Gradually it dawned on me (as it has on many other moms, I’m sure) that cooking was actually a next logical step in their big-kid development.
Then came the lightning bolt. Shortly after my then eight-year-old daughter started taking a cooking class after school, she excitedly brought home manicotti she had made and devoured it, along with the rest of us, at dinner that night. Two weeks earlier, I had made manicotti and she had raised her eyebrows, pushed her plate away without even trying anything, and sat back in her chair. I realized when she brought her version home that it was time to bring my kids into the kitchen with me.
We started slowly, but quickly I realized not only did they enjoy taking ownership of what they had prepared, they were actually interested in how food is grown, harvested, transported, and sold. I soon came to see in my own children what I’ve since learned—that when children touch food, smell food, and understand the seasons in which these foods grow, they develop an understanding of agriculture, geography, and economics, as well as an overall comfort with these foods when they get to taste them.
I still worry about my kids in the kitchen. We’re very careful, and we do follow rules. But we also have a lot of fun. And let’s face it: it’s a lot harder to say, “I’m not eating that—it’s gross!” to a meal that you had a hand in preparing.
Tuna Casserole
Between the tuna, whole-grain wheat, and the puree tucked inside, this is a complete one-pot meal that’s packed with nutrition. Serve with a side of raw veggies.
----
Prep: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 6
----
Nonstick cooking spray
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ribs celery, chopped
½ large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
3 cups nonfat (skim) milk
2 (6-ounce) cans light tuna packed in water, drained
1½ cups part-skim mozzarella
1 cup carrot puree
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound rice or whole-wheat pasta, such as shells or rotini, cooked according to the package instructions
¼ cup whole-grain breadcrumbs
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8 x 12-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the celery and onion. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften but before they brown. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, until the flour forms a paste around the vegetables. Add 1½ cups of milk and whisk until a thick sauce forms, about 1 to 2 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix the remaining milk, the tuna, mozzarella, carrot puree, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper. Mix with a wooden spoon, breaking up the tuna. Add the vegetables from the skillet, along with the cooked noodles. Stir until well combined.
3. Transfer the noodle mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 40 to 45 minutes. Then remove
My Kitchen, My Kids
W hen my first two children were very small, I saw my kitchen as one big danger zone: the simmering saucepans on the stove, the hot oven, the sharp knives, and my eager kids balancing on chairs in the middle of it all. In my mind, it was a perfect storm of disaster. Besides worrying about safety, there was my sanity. One child inevitably wanted to do what another was doing, like stir the pancake batter instead of cracking the egg. That would lead to a push here, a pull there, and if I didn’t catch it in time, a downward spiral into a mini crisis where someone left the kitchen in a huff. All of this to make pancakes together!
But just as my kids have changed as they’ve grown, so too has my view of them in the kitchen. Over the years, I witnessed with awe the sense of accomplishment and independence they got from “big kid” skills—everything from clearing the table after dinner to washing and drying the dishes. Gradually it dawned on me (as it has on many other moms, I’m sure) that cooking was actually a next logical step in their big-kid development.
Then came the lightning bolt. Shortly after my then eight-year-old daughter started taking a cooking class after school, she excitedly brought home manicotti she had made and devoured it, along with the rest of us, at dinner that night. Two weeks earlier, I had made manicotti and she had raised her eyebrows, pushed her plate away without even trying anything, and sat back in her chair. I realized when she brought her version home that it was time to bring my kids into the kitchen with me.
We started slowly, but quickly I realized not only did they enjoy taking ownership of what they had prepared, they were actually interested in how food is grown, harvested, transported, and sold. I soon came to see in my own children what I’ve since learned—that when children touch food, smell food, and understand the seasons in which these foods grow, they develop an understanding of agriculture, geography, and economics, as well as an overall comfort with these foods when they get to taste them.
I still worry about my kids in the kitchen. We’re very careful, and we do follow rules. But we also have a lot of fun. And let’s face it: it’s a lot harder to say, “I’m not eating that—it’s gross!” to a meal that you had a hand in preparing.
Tuna Casserole
Between the tuna, whole-grain wheat, and the puree tucked inside, this is a complete one-pot meal that’s packed with nutrition. Serve with a side of raw veggies.
----
Prep: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 6
----
Nonstick cooking spray
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ribs celery, chopped
½ large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
3 cups nonfat (skim) milk
2 (6-ounce) cans light tuna packed in water, drained
1½ cups part-skim mozzarella
1 cup carrot puree
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound rice or whole-wheat pasta, such as shells or rotini, cooked according to the package instructions
¼ cup whole-grain breadcrumbs
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8 x 12-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the celery and onion. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften but before they brown. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, until the flour forms a paste around the vegetables. Add 1½ cups of milk and whisk until a thick sauce forms, about 1 to 2 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix the remaining milk, the tuna, mozzarella, carrot puree, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper. Mix with a wooden spoon, breaking up the tuna. Add the vegetables from the skillet, along with the cooked noodles. Stir until well combined.
3. Transfer the noodle mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 40 to 45 minutes. Then remove
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