Playing with Food

june 2007

Playing with Food

With titles such as The Enchanted Broccoli Forest and Pretend Soup, it’s no wonder Molly Katzen connects with kids. After she taught an entire generation of aspiring vegetarians to cook with her famed Moosewood cookbooks, she turned her attention (and paints) to kids. Her latest kids’ cookbook, Salad People (Tricycle Press, 2005), contains step-by-step illustrations that show kids how to make everything from Sweet Potato Surprise to Polka Dot Rice. Katzen draws kids to good food by getting them involved with making it. “The key tip that makes participating fun for them is to make a project out of everything,” she explains. To get your little ones involved, Katzen suggests:
  • Making a ceremony of marching to the sink, washing hands, wearing an apron, washing and mashing vegetables
  • Setting up everything on a table or countertop easily reached by children
  • Using shallow, wide-mouth containers to make measuring flour and sugar easier
  • Encouraging children to arrange the cut up vegetables, fruits and breads or crackers on a platter
  • Teaching them to set the table and carry food to it
For information on Katzen’s other children’s cookbooks, Pretend Soup and Honest Pretzels, go to molliekatzen.com

Counting Soup

Ingredients


2 cups peas, fresh and lightly steamed, or frozen
2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 cups firm tofu cubes
2 cups grated carrot
1⁄3 pound green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces and steamed until tender
2⁄3 cups alphabet noodles, cooked according to package directions
4 cups vegetable broth, heated



Instructions

1. Place frozen peas, if using, in a colander and run under room-temperature tap water to thaw. Drain thoroughly; transfer to a bowl. Repeat with frozen corn.
2. Place all ingredients except the broth in separate bowls. Arrange bowls on the table in the following order: tofu, carrots, peas, corn, green beans and noodles. Place a regular dinner spoon in each bowl.
3. Let the children go through the line with a medium-size soup bowl, counting in the prescribed number of spoonfuls of each ingredient: 1 spoon tofu, 2 spoons carrots, 3 spoons peas, 4 spoons corn, 5 green beans, 6 spoons noodles.
4. Ladle warm broth over the top. Serves 6.

Recipe by Mollie Katzen, www.molliekatzen.com

Relish Cooking with Kids, June 2007.
Nutritional Information
Per serving: 260 calories, 6g fat, 17g prot., 38g carbs., 9g fiber, 460mg sodium.

Chewy Energy Circles

These little circles are a great alternative to expensive energy bars. Kids can help make them by rolling up their sleeves and mixing the ingredients by hand or a big spoon.

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup soy protein powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup canola oil









Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray 24 standard-size muffin cups with cooking spray.
2. Combine flour, protein powder and salt in a large bowl. Add oats, cinnamon, brown sugar and raisins. Mix with hands.
3. Pour yogurt into a small bowl. Whisk in oil. Add to dry ingredients and mix with hands or a spoon.
4. Spoon 1 1⁄2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup and pat into place.
5. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until brown around the edges. Transfer to rack and cool at least 10 minutes. Yield: 24 circles.

Recipe by Mollie Katzen, www/molliekatzen.com
Relish Cooking with Kids, June 2007.
Nutritional Information
Per serving: 120 calories, 3g fat, 4g prot., 19g carbs., 1g fiber, 60mg sodium.

Mango-Honey Lassi

Ingredients
½ cup chopped mango
¾ cup buttermilk
1½ teaspoons honey
3 ice cubes
Instructions

1. Combine mango, buttermilk and honey in blender; process until smooth. Serve over ice. Serves 1.

Recipe by Mollie Katzen, www.molliekatzen.com

Relish Cooking with Kids, June 2007.
Nutritional Information
Per serving: 190 calories, 4g fat, 8g prot., 32g carbs., 1g fiber, 160mg sodium.

Irvina Lew is a freelance writer in Bay Shore, N.Y.

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