I'm actually not sure what's harder - feeding small kids who don't have teeth yet, or feeding big kids who use their mouths to complain about what you cook. I LOVE to cook, and I'm a big believer in providing a variety of fresh, healthy options at the family dinner table each night so that I can A) expose my kids to a variety of fresh, home-cooked, healthy foods and B) gather the entire family together at least once a day, even if it is just for the 10.5 uber-chaotic seconds that a meal in my household lasts.
As such, I am on an endless quest for recipes that everyone in my family likes. I don't really believe in "dumbing down" cooking to suit tiny palates (with hot spice being the one exception) or cooking 15 meals a night to cater to everyone's liking. I make what I make - for kids and adults- and they can eat it or not. Lest you think I'm a monster, I do make an effort every night to include at least one item I'm pretty sure everyone will eat, plus I always have backup fresh fruit/vegetable staples on hand for those who feel that dinner is absolutely inedible, so they can bulk up on other healthy options.
Tonight's yummo dinner was a success on all fronts! Not only was it SUPER easy and quick to prepare, surveys showed that all respondents actually LIKED 2 of the 3 items on their plates! We are officially rotating this one into our list of favorites. Just thought I'd share it with you, as it was definitely both toddler and adult friendly!
Honey Basted Pork Chops (full disclosure: this recipe came from a meal planning service I'm testing out - Nourish Network)
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 T fresh ginger, thinly sliced (I cheated and used powdered and it worked out just fine)
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 boneless pork chops
Combine all ingredients in a giant ziploc bag and let marinate for 4 to 8 hours. Toss it on the grill until browned on each side/cooked through. Voila!
Asiago Quinoa
2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 cup quinoa
small handful of asiago cheese
goat cheese or feta for top
Combine the quinoa and broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat, simmer covered for about 10 minutes or until liquid mostly cooks off. Toss in a little asiago cheese. Serve topped with either feta or goat cheese (would also be yummy with a few scallions on top of the asiago is enough cheese for you).
Kale Chips
Shred the kale leaves off the stem, into about 1 inch pieces. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle kale with olive oil and season with sea salt on the cookie sheet. Pop in the over at 350 for about 10 minutes until crisp (watch carefully, because once they are done they brown quickly). About half a bunch of kale took up a full cookie sheet and served my entire family or would make a tasty midnight snack for me. : )
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