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Fun, Family Friendly Food

BY PRIYA HUTNER

SWEET POTATO PANCAKES

From the kitchen of Priya Hunter

3-4 large sweet potatoes, shredded 1 small onion, grated 2 eggs, beaten ¼ C flour 1 ½ t salt 1 t fresh ground pepper Sour cream or Greek yogurt for topping Vegetable oil if frying

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mats and grease lightly. (I use olive oil or avocado spray oil.)

Mix ingredients in a bowl. Spoon on a baking sheet and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Flip and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.

If frying on the stove top, heat 2 T of oil in a frying pan and spoon in the mixture. Cook 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and flip. Cook for another 4 to 5 minutes.

Either way, serve with sour cream or ranch dressing. F eeding a family can be challenging. Young children and finicky eaters can pose a dire dinner dilemma. Trying to keep your kids healthy during a pandemic is a concern on many minds. A balanced diet that includes vegetables (especially green, leafy vegetables), fresh fruits, quality protein and whole grains is the key to keeping kids well and healthy.

Sushi | For many, sushi is a family favorite. Making sushi is a great way to include the kids in dinner activities. Seasoned sushi rice, nori, veggies and sushi-

grade fish are all you need to make a creative sushi dinner.

Kids can pick and choose what they want to roll into their nori. Eat it like a cone, burrito or make pretty rolls. Serve with soy sauce and wasabi or a favorite dipping sauce. Spicy mayo or unagi sauce are fun alternatives. Roasted garlic edamame and a bowl of miso vegetable soup with tofu rounds out this delightful dinner.

Macaroni and cheese | What kid doesn’t like macaroni and cheese? I try to sneak in a vegetable or protein every so often, but there is something about the purist version of mac and cheese that makes it the perfect winter meal.

If the kids have a say and get involved, they might be willing to add a vegetable, which helps them enjoy the fruits of their labor. Spinach or broccoli is great added to this dish.

Otherwise serve veggies on the side to accompany this family-friendly dinner. If anyone in the family is gluten- or dairysensitive, it’s easy to make a gluten- and dairy-free version of mac and cheese using gluten-free pasta and vegan cheese.

Mexican | Mexican fare is excellent kid-friendly food. Quesadillas, nachos and guacamole are a big hit on the dinner table.

Pizza | Pizza is another dinner kids love. Add veggies to pizza or try a cauliflower crust.

“Eating vegetables can impart a battle of wills and frustrate any adult. Try tempura vegetables with dipping sauce, which might encourage them to eat zucchini or broccoli and the occasional green bean. ”

Easy kid favorites

Other kid-friendly meals include pigs in a blanket, spaghetti and meatballs, fried chicken or homemade chicken nuggets. Use an air fryer or bake it for a healthier version with ranch dressing.

Don’t forget any time is perfect for a grilled-cheese sandwich with a bowl of tomato or chicken-noodle soup.

Veggies kids will love

Let’s talk vegetables. Many young children will resist anything green. Eating vegetables can impart a battle of wills and frustrate any adult. Try tempura vegetables with dipping sauce, which might encourage them to eat zucchini or broccoli and the occasional green bean.

Kale chips offer crunchy goodness. I make mine with olive oil, salt and nutritional yeast. Making chips out of almost any vegetable is worth a try.

Fried or breaded and baked zucchini with a creamy sauce can entice young palates. If you have a youngster open to eating anything, he or she will love these methods of preparing vegetables. And let’s face it, steamed vegetables are not that exciting — good for you, but still quite boring. Most kids love sweet potato pancakes with sour cream or baked sweet potato fries dipped in ranch dressing.

Whole grains round out a balanced diet. Rice, pasta, oats and pearled couscous are good choices for kids. Quinoa is excellent for the diet but might be a hard sell for most kids.

Berries, apples and oranges are always a hit. Dried mango or dried fruit is a healthy snack without refined sugar. Kids can make it at home in an oven, as well.

Cook with the kids

Engaging young cooks to participate in creating menus and cooking dinner not only teaches them how to have a healthy relationship with food, but also gives them opportunity to learn how to use tools in the kitchen and become comfortable cooking.

Taking them shopping helps teach them the value of food costs and how to choose the freshest products. n

Priya Hutner is a food writer, personal chef and owner of The Seasoned Sage, a local meal delivery and catering company. Priya has been creating and preparing meals from an early age. She has worked in the restaurant industry in New York City, attended catering school, and was the head chef and executive director of a nonprofit spiritual community in Florida. Visit her website at TheSeasonedSage.com. Send your comments, story ideas and food tidbits to priya@tahoethisweek.com.