Yes, I am being very sneaky, but it's for the right reasons. I got Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, Deceptively Delicious, a few years ago. I didn't have a Magic Bullet or Food Processor at the time, so in the cook book drawer it went to collect dust. I brought it out again the other day, and have been steaming and pureeing like a crazy woman. I have added veggies to things that should never have veggies in them....but it works!
Here's what I've made so far:
* Tuna salad with fresh celery and cauliflower puree (Yummy!)
* Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars with spinach puree (Amazing, and you can't taste the spinach at all)
* Beef/Barley/Black Bean soup with cauliflower, spinach, tomato and carrot puree
* Scrambled Eggs with cauliflower puree and Parmesan cheese . (Nick and I liked it, but the kids weren't big fans.)
I would consider us pretty healthy eaters, but let's face it, most kids try to skip out on the veggies, mine included. I will probably use a few recipes from the book, and then just add veggie purees to other meals here and there.
Here are a few more recipes from the book that I am going to try:
* Mac and Cheese with pureed squash and cauliflower
* Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes with pureed squash and beets
* Blueberry Cheesecake cupcakes with pureed squash, blueberries and spinach
* Tacos with pureed sweet potato and carrots added to the meat
* Lasagna with pureed spinach and carrots added to the sauce
* Pita pizzas with with pureed spinach added to the tomato sauce
* Mozzarella Sticks with pureed cauliflower
* Mashed potatoes with pureed cauliflower whipped in
* Chicken Nuggets with spinach and sweet potato puree
* Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with pureed banana and zucchini
* Chocolate Cake with pureed beets
* Hot Cocoa with sweet potato puree
* Carrot Cake muffins with carrot and cauliflower puree and cream cheese frosting
* Chocolate Chip Cookies with garbanzo bean puree
Some of these might sound gross if you aren't a huge vegetable fan, but you aren't supposed to be able to taste them. Let me know if you want me to post any recipes! It's worth a shot. Do it for your kids!
How to steam and puree:*Steam veggies until slightly tender- Spinach- 45 seconds, Carrots- 10 minutes, Cauliflower- 8 minutes, etc..
*Put them in a Magic bullet, blender or food processor and blend until creamy. ( about 2 minutes) Add a few tsp. of water to carrots, cauliflower and broccoli to help get a creamy texture.
*Divide into freezer bags in 1/2 cup or 1 cup increments and freeze. Then just pull them out when needed to add to sauces, soups or anything else you can think of!
***This is also nice when veggies start to get a little dated. Just puree and freeze for later!
Hopefully some of you try this new way of sneaking good veggies into your kid's food. Maybe some of you will share my obsession with deception!
5 comments:
Brenna is sitting next to me as I read this. I was going through the list and I hear this "Eww". I asked her what? "Chocolate chip cookies with Garbonzo Bean puree...eww." Not sure she will be willing to eat any chocolate chip cookies from the neighbors now that she knows what's going in them...HA! I'll make her promise to not tell your kids. 8)
YES...I have done the same thing...my neighbor has that cookbook as well. They really don't know the difference. I've gotten lazy lately, but now you've inspired me again. :)
i so just ordered this book...don't tell jer. i have done the califlower puree to mashed potatoes. i can't tell a difference. i have also used baby food purees in cookies, brownies and cakes. I am excited to try theses...jer hardly eats any veggies.
Love it! I blended up spinach in my lasagna b4 and couldn't tell except the sauce was more green than usual. Mike thought that I was CRAZY.
I have this book too Ashley! I love it and so does Asher. He hasn't NOT liked anything I have made from it yet. The mac and cheese is SO good and so is the chocolate pudding with avocado (it taste like brownie batter). I have to admit that it's a little fun being so deceptive :)
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