Get Your Child Hooked on Spaghetti Squash

It is everything a toddler loves: it looks stringy like spaghetti, it has a great texture, and it is stiff and therefore easy to eat with a fork (or hands).

It is everything a mother loves: easy to prepare, nutritious, and kids love it.





Cut off both ends of the squash. Then cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and place both sides of squash inside down in a baking dish. Add enough water so squash is sitting in ½ inch of water. Cover with tin foil. Roast in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes, then turn squash over, cover, and roast another 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and scoop out “spaghetti” strands into bowl and serve.

You can also scoop “spaghetti” strands into a frying pan with butter. Add oregano and basil and toss – this is how I got my husband hooked on spaghetti squash. He now loves it and will eat it without the butter and herbs!


NOTE: this squash can be pureed into food for an infant or chopped finely for young toddlers.




COOKING TIP & HOMEMADE BABY FOOD ALERT:

if you have the oven on anyway - roast your butternut squash for tomorrow night (peel & cube squash, put in dish with some water, season with nutmeg and allspice) Mash as baby food before seasoning.

That is my spaghetti squash on top rack of oven & butternut squash roasting below it.

Homemade Fried Rice

This rice is so good that we make a LOT extra to enjoy the next day (and the day after that!). It is also healthy which is due to the "homemade" part - just some extra virgin olive oil, long grain brown rice, and lots of vegetables. . . oh yeah, and tofu!


Shopping List
Brown rice
Eggs
Vegetables (carrots, broccoli, peas, onion, even a bag of frozen mixed vegetables) – thaw any frozen vegetables; chop veggies into small pieces
Firm tofu – cut into small pieces


Pantry Check
Extra virgin olive oil
Low sodium soy sauce
Ground ginger
Black pepper


Cook rice according to package instructions and then refrigerate. Cold rice works best. How much rice – well, we make enough for 6-8 servings so we have rice for dinner, lunch, and sometimes dinner again. Yes, we love this rice! Adjust your eggs, tofu, and vegetables amounts to the amount of rice you are cooking. Really, can you have too many vegetables??!! Or tofu??!!

Scramble eggs (usually 2-3) in 1tsp of olive oil. Remove from pan. Cut egg into small pieces.

Add 3tsp of olive oil to same pan and add rice and stir to coat with olive oil; add more olive oil if needed to coat rice. Keep heat low so rice does not burn. Sprinkle rice with soy sauce (I give the rice a good dousing!). Sprinkle with black pepper and ginger (I am pretty liberal with both spices).

Stir rice then begin adding vegetables. I add any fresh vegetables first because they take longer to cook. In fact I usually allow them to cook with the rice 5 minutes, covered. Next add any frozen vegetables and finally add tofu and egg. Stir, mix, have a taste, adjust seasoning if necessary and serve!

TIP: If you find your rice is burning 1) lower the heat 2) add a little water to the pan.

Serve with a salad! So good. So healthy.



SOME TOOLS THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL:

Easter Brunch - Quiche, Soup & Salad

Spinach or broccoli quiche, carrot soup (naturally), and salad.

Of course this is easy! Simple recipes are The Extraordinary Mother's way. But you can also impress your guests - or at least treat yourself to extraordinary, delicious, healthy meals!


Quiche

Shopping List
3 Eggs
1 cup cream (you may use half n half)
8oz Swiss cheese (cheddar may be substituted – taste will be milder)
1pkg frozen spinach (or broccoli)
1 frozen pie shell

Pantry Check
Onion
Butter
Flour
Black pepper



Thaw and drain spinach (or broccoli). Chop then sauté onion in butter. In a small bowl combine flour and cheese. In a larger bowl beat eggs then add cream and dash of pepper. Add cheese mixture, onion, and vegetable. Mix well. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 350F for 1 hour. Yes, it IS that easy! Let me know if your guests don’t keep asking you, “You really made this yourself?”

Carrot Soup

Shopping List
2 Apples
Carrots (4 carrots minimum, I use more for a thicker soup)
1 cup white wine
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth

Pantry Check
Butter
Onion
Garlic
Black pepper
Ground ginger

The great thing about soup is there is just chopping, cooking, and then pureeing. Easy as pie? No, easier! Also, everything is made in one pot, so choose one big enough and begin by melting TBSP of butter in saucepan. Sauté chopped onion and garlic. Add chopped apple and carrot and sauté about 4 minutes). Add wine and broth. Bring to boil then reduce to a simmer. Sprinkle soup with pepper and ginger and simmer 20 minutes.

Next, an immersion blender is your best friend, but a blender will do. Either puree with the immersion blender or in batches in the blender.

Serve quiche and soup with a salad (green or caesar). For dessert serve homemade carrot cake - that recipe is for another day!


HELPFUL TOOLS

The Extraordinary Mother’s Roasted Potatoes

This recipe is so easy! And I constantly get complimented . . . by my own family! The best part: make these potatoes today and serve tomorrow. They are better the next day!

Shopping List
Potatoes - Smaller potatoes are best. My suggestions include: Yukon gold, red potatoes, or chef white.
Onions - Smaller onions are best. My suggestions include: gold pearl, red pearl, white pearl, shallots, cipollini, or even white boiling onions


Pantry Check
Virgin olive oil
Dried rosemary
Black pepper



Cut potatoes into bite-sized chunks; put in large mixing bowl. Blanch the onions (add them to boiling water for 1 minute). You can add whole onions to the potatoes; I cut them up as toddlers are less wary of onion pieces than of whole onions.

Drizzle in olive oil (enough to coat potatoes and onions) and sprinkle with rosemary and black pepper. Mix with your hands. For crunchier potatoes lay on baking sheet. For softer potatoes (or if you plan on smashing them) cook in over-safe dish with a cover. Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Stir once mid-way through baking.

These potatoes are great smashed especially if you have a gravy to enjoy – and much healthier and tastier than classic mashed potatoes!


Some tools I use in making and serving this side dish:

Recipe: Pasta and Bread Crumbs?

That is all I know to call this; the recipe title officially has a question mark in it!


Shopping List
Pasta (penne or spaghetti)
Bread crumbs (seasoned is a good choice for this recipe, but if you have plain bread crumbs you simply add your own seasoning!)
Tofu (firm) – okay, you can skip this ingredient, but why?
Any variety of vegetables, olives, or onion (see recipe below for variation suggestions)

Pantry Check
Extra virgin olive oil
Oregano
Basil
Black pepper
Garlic


Cook 1lb penne or spaghetti according to package instructions (do not drain pasta, leave it in the water)

Heat oil in a frying pan (enough to cover pan)


Mince garlic and infuse into the oil (or chop garlic really small and let cook in the oil – keep heat medium to low and do not burn the garlic!)

Sprinkle 1 cup bread crumbs (if your bread crumbs are not seasoned, season them now – I use oregano, basil, and black pepper).

Allow bread crumbs to soak up oil. Keep heat low and allow bread crumbs to toast; stir them occasionally.

When pasta is cooked (usually in about the time it takes you to do the bread crumbs) use a slotted spoon (or really any large spoon) to transfer pasta to frying pan. Do not worry about bringing water with the pasta; you want water in the frying pan!

Then add two (or more) spoonfuls of the pasta water to the frying pan and toss the bread crumbs around the pasta (stir, stir, stir until the pasta is coated). Bread crumbs should be nice and wet and sticking to the pasta – if not, then just add some more pasta water.

At this point anything goes – add whatever you like to the pasta.

Last night I added sliced green olives (Yes! Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it), tofu (my son loves it; really), and green peas, then grated parmesan cheese over top.

Add any vegetables that your family likes (or that they will eat if it is with yummy pasta). Steam then toss in: broccoli, carrots, squash, peas, green beans, what else can you name?

Or sauté some onions and add those along with a vegetable. You can add fresh tomato; I add tofu to virtually everything. Also, a variety of olives would be really delicious in this recipe (green, black, and kalamata).


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HELPFUL TOOLS: