Last night, I devoted an extraordinary amount of energy into dreaming up a delicious dinner that my son would eat, as I do most evenings. I was dancing around the kitchen, thrilled with myself for concocting a meal, that even my tiny critic would find palatable. I decided to put a spin on classic "kid food." I made Dijon crusted fish nuggets, green chile and smoked paprika mac and cheese (really good!) and roasted corn. Scarlett, my almost one year old, ate it heartily. Ethan, my three year old, crushed my dreams. Shooting me down, as always, using various adjectives similar to gross, and yucky. He ate corn. Where did this kid come from?
Before I had kids, I was smug...perhaps even cocky about picky kids. In my vast expertise (or lack-there-of) I knew that picky eaters were not born that way, they were made. My theory was, kids don't like vegetables because their parents do not know how to cook or season them properly. I assumed kids didn't like more exotic foods or strong flavors, because they had not been exposed to them. These "picky" kids were really just victims of culinary neglect. My kids would never be like this. My husband and I are solely ruled by our stomachs. We live for food. There is no way we could produce anything but a pint-sized foodie.
Well, I am humbled. I admit freely, that I was terribly mistaken. I think I did everything I could to avoid this picky thing. When I was pregnant, I tried to eat as many different foods as possible, so he would come out with a well-rounded palate. I made all of his baby food. I seasoned all his food, and added as much flavor as possible. For a short while, I thought it was working. He would only eat savory foods that had garlic in them. He would not touch jarred baby food. I thought I was raising a kid with a discriminating palate, for the finer things. I was wrong, here, as well. We finally settled on a diet that mainly consisted of oatmeal. Now, his diet is breakfast food-based, also. He eats waffles, pancakes and oatmeal, with the occasional chicken nugget thrown in. I once, vowed to never have dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets in my freezer. However, one day those horrible, compressed-meat dinos just followed my husband home, and now they seem to be here for good.
I know that nearly every parent of a toddler/preschooler deals with this. Our Pediatrician told me it is normal for a toddler to eat every three days. It doesn't make it any easier. I am still, astounded (and grateful) every day, that he is still alive. Luckily, the baby seems to be the exact opposite, so far. She has always eaten just about anything we put in front of her. I am always amazed how much food can fit in her tiny little body. I just hope she can stay that way through toddler-hood, as we are now on the cusp of it.
As for my Ethan man, I will just keep trying. One day he may surprise me. I just need to work on developing a thick skin, in order to handle the blunt criticism of my cooking.
Green Chile and Smoked Paprika Mac and Cheese
2 cups uncooked penne pasta
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 small can diced green chiles
1 tbsp flour
2 c milk
1 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 ounces crumbled queso fresco
2 tsp smoked paprika (or more to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the pasta according to directions.
Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the onion, green chiles and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onion is tender. Stir in the flour, and cook for a minute. Pour in the milk, while stirring to prevent lumps. When the milk gets hot, add the cheeses, and let it cook, while stirring, until thickened. Do not let the milk boil, or it will scald. Stir in the paprika, salt and pepper. Taste and re-season, if necessary.
Pour the sauce over the pasta, and pour into a greased baking pan. Top with more cheddar cheese. Bake until bubbly and browned on top.
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 small can diced green chiles
1 tbsp flour
2 c milk
1 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 ounces crumbled queso fresco
2 tsp smoked paprika (or more to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the pasta according to directions.
Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the onion, green chiles and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onion is tender. Stir in the flour, and cook for a minute. Pour in the milk, while stirring to prevent lumps. When the milk gets hot, add the cheeses, and let it cook, while stirring, until thickened. Do not let the milk boil, or it will scald. Stir in the paprika, salt and pepper. Taste and re-season, if necessary.
Pour the sauce over the pasta, and pour into a greased baking pan. Top with more cheddar cheese. Bake until bubbly and browned on top.
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