Common Cuisine |

This is a good afternoon snack to get the kids used to consuming less sugar, without trading flavor. Place it on a plate with some carrot sticks in the late afternoon, and it just might disappear!

3/4 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 small cucumbers, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
4 to 6 pieces of butter lettuce, for serving

Combine yogurt, mint, lemon jice and salt. Mix well. Add tomatoes and cucumbers. Toss.

Spoon mixture into lettuce cups. Serves 4 to 6.

Are your kids picky eaters? Young children are notoriously finicky when it comes to eating stuff that’s good for them, but parents and caretakers are still in a position to influence the eating habits of the next generation. I read the other day that the primary vegetable consumed by the under-5 crowd is french fries. Don’t know about you, but that gives me a bit of a shudder as I think about the future.

Here are some ideas for how you can work together with your young ones to develop healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime.

1. Plant a garden. Even something as simple as a few potted herbs in your windowsill can be a source of fascination as kids experience the thrill of planting a seed, watering it, watching it grow, and then using bits of it in meal preparation.

2. Expose children to veggies frequently. A plate of cut up strips of bell pepper on the counter before dinner may be met with upturned noses; but if no other options are given, it just may disappear into young tummies wandering through the kitchen in search of snacks.

3. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Continue to expose your children to veggies and healthy choices over and over, and what was once a strange new food will eventually become familiar. Kids are not fans of new and strange, but may more readily attempt something they have seen on their plate several times before.

4. Set a good example. For some reason, my kids will scarf food off of my plate, when they have already rejected the exact same food on their own plate. When kids see you eating lots of veggies, whole grains, and plain yogurt, they are more likely to develop a taste for it themselves.

5. Build your meals around vegetables, instead of making them an afterthought. An appropriately built meal consists of half a plate of veggies, with the other half divided between protein and grain foods. Get out your spice box, and utilize that herb garden to vary the flavor and smell of your veggies.

With patience and persistence, your kids will expand their tastes and develop healthy eating habits that will benefit them throughout their lives.

Of course the easiest way to make guacamole is to buy two avocados and a packet of mix and just stir them all together. My two objections to this are that first, I usually am lucky to make it home with avocados, let alone remember to also purchase the spice packet; and second it is so expensive just to get the avocados that I hate to spend another dollar on spices. So here is my completely non-scientific approach to making guacamole less expensive and fresher tasting at the same time. Don’t worry about the proportions, just put in a little of each and it will be great, I promise!

• 2-3 avocados
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 2 Tbsp salsa
• a sliver of fresh chopped red onion
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 whole jarred jalapeno, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp salt, to taste
• a couple shakes each garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder (if desired), to taste
• Bag of tortilla chips and baby carrots

Cut the avocados in half. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Use a fork to gently mash the flesh. Now don’t stir it again until everything else is added! Add remaining ingredients, except tortilla chips and carrots. Stir everything together, purposely leaving some chunks for texture. Chill for an hour if desired, then serve with chips and veggies, and you are a genius!

Man this is good stuff. Every crumb of it always gets eaten. In the interest of making it a little less decadent for everyday, I use reduced fat sour cream and only 1/4 cup butter. But for fiesta time, it’s the real deal all the way, and nobody can resist!

• 1 pkg Jiffy cornbread mix
• 1 can sweet corn, drained
• 1 can cream corn
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 stick (½ cup) butter, melted
• 1/3 -1/2 cup sugar, according to preference

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until just mixed. Pour mixture into a 9″ x 13″ glass baking dish. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until beginning to brown on top. Let stand five minutes before serving.

Thanks to Mary Lee Hackman for this fabulous recipe.

• 1 egg, gently beaten
• ½ C sour cream
• ¼ C milk
• 2 T grated parmesan cheesecake2 tsp minced onion
• ½ tsp salt
• pepper to taste
• 8 oz monterey jack cheese, grated
• 10-oz pkg frozen spinach, cooked and well drained
• 4 oz thin spaghetti, cooked and drained

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, combine egg, sour cream, milk, parmesan, onion, salt and pepper. Add cheese and mix well; add spinach. Stir in cooked pasta.

Spread in ungreased 9″ x 9″ pan. Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15 minutes more.

Serves 4-6.

This is a super easy recipe! You can get the kids to help by peeling the carrots, stirring them into the butter mixture, and dumping them onto the pan. Remember to scrape the peeler down the carrot.

• 2 pounds whole organic carrots (they really do taste better)
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried); a rosemary herb blend also works well
• ½ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• a couple shakes of freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Line a rimmed cooking sheet with foil, and spray with cooking spray.

Wash and peel carrots, and trim ends. Cut each in half to make two sections, the stem end and the tip end. Cut each half longways into quarters, to make four french-fry-shaped sticks. Place carrots in a large mixing bowl.

In a small bowl or dish, combine butter, oil, rosemary, sugar, salt and pepper. Melt together in microwave for 30 seconds. Alternatively, melt together in a small saucepan over low heat. Pour butter mixture over carrots, and stir with a wooden spoon until evenly distributed.

Pour the carrot sticks onto the foil, and spread them out as evenly as possible. Bake until carrots are soft and turning brown in places, 20-40 minutes. This is not a time-critical recipe; the longer they bake, the sweeter they taste.

Serves 6-8 as a side dish.

The secret to having fabulous pot pie is to use tasty cooked chicken. Dawn likes to season and roast a whole chicken for this recipe, or pan-fry two or three chicken breasts with garlic, lemon pepper, and poultry seasoning until golden.

• 1 cup each, chopped: onion, celery, carrots
• ½ cup peas
• 1/3 cup butter
• ½ cup flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 1½ tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 4 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 prepared pie crust

Saute onion, celery and carrots in butter for 10 minutes. Add flour to mixture, stirring well; cook one minute, stirring constantly.

Preheat oven to 400°. Combine broth and milk; gradually stir into vegetable mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Add chicken and peas, stirring well.

Pour chicken mixture into greased shallow 2 qt casserole. Top with pastry, and slit with a few air vents. Bake for 40 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Serves 6.