Barley and squash "faux"sotto
Swapping barley for the arborio rice adds a nuttier taste that stands up to the hearty squash and sage while reducing the amount of stirring.
Friends, can we talk about toddlers refusing to eat (and the blinding rage that sometimes results!)? Despite my best efforts, this happens all the time (mostly the hunger strikes; sometimes the rage). I work HARD not to take it personally because I know it's developmentally appropriate (oral stage, exerting control, changing taste buds, yadda yadda yadda). One thing I can say with certainty is that it always passes. This is our basic game plan, which I’m writing down mostly as a reminder to myself when the going gets tough:
1) If he's not eating, maybe he’s just not that hungry? Most of the time, we let M determine how much he wants. We encourage him a little if he says "all done" after two bites because sometimes he's referring to the high chair and not the food. I'm not particularly good at recognizing my own hunger/satiety cues, so I want to help M be more attuned to his body.
2) Push the veggies and protein when he’s the hungriest. M is a morning eater and tends to gobble up whatever we put in front of him before 11 am, so I pack that meal with as much goodness as possible. I offer the fruit/veg, protein, and fat in all of his meals, but if he only eats the strawberries for lunch...so be it.
3) Don't "hide" veggies, cook with them. Find the happy medium with more nutritious food. I agree with folks like Amy Palanjian from Yummy Toddler Food about not "hiding" veggies. It undermines their trust if you offer a “pancake” and they discover a bit of green or a funny taste and realize that they’ve been duped! But that doesn't mean you have to serve your kids a head of steamed broccoli and call it a day. If you're making a grilled cheese, throw in some spinach and tell them that it's in there.
4) Offer a “safe” food. I’m not suggesting you make an entirely different meal for your kids, though we’ve definitely done that. If we’re offering something new or that I’m not sure will be a hit, I include something on the table that I KNOW M will like. Sometimes he refuses to eat because he's tired or too hungry and a few bites of something familiar can help him calm down and eat the other food too. And sometimes the “safe” food is all he eats and that’s okay too!
All of that to say, the first few times I made this "risotto" M loved it, until last night when he acted like it was RANCID. I assure you, this dish is delicious and though there are a few steps, they can be done simultaneously, so it's less effort than most risotto dishes. And there's barely any stirring!
I used Kabocha squash, which has a creamier consistency when roasted than butternut or delicata squashes and a thicker texture than the pumpkin or acorn varieties. But feel free to swap in any squash you can find in your store or have on hand. Also swap in spinach or any other greens for the kale, and/or turkey, chicken, or beef for the pork sausage. I wouldn't recommend adding fish to this guy, but serving a veggie version alongside a piece of fish would be great. Last note: I used hulled barley instead of pearled barley, which is the browner of the two in the bulk bins of your Whole Foods. It takes longer to cook, but is more nutritious if you don't mind the extra cooking time.
Barley and squash “faux”sotto
Time: about 60-75 minutes, mostly active
Yield: About 8 servings, ¾ cup each
3 cups water
1 cup hulled barley
2 cups chicken stock
½-1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped into pieces
1 cup roasted Kombucha squash, about half of a small squash
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz pork sausage, de-cased
2 medium shallot
1-2 large cloves garlic
10 fresh sage leaves or ½ tsp dried sage
Combine barley and water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, over low heat until water is absorbed, about 45-60 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut squash in half and place cut side down on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Roast at 400 degrees for 30- 45 minutes or until the flesh is easily pierced with a fork. Let cool slightly and scoop out 1 cup of the cooked squash and set aside.
In a separate pan, brown the sausage. When fully cooked, remove and drain on a paper towel and add the shallots and garlic to the pan with the leftover pork fat and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and cook until aromatic.
When barley is done, add chicken stock and bring back to a boil. Add chopped kale and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat and add squash, parmesan, salt, and pepper. If the barley seems too wet, let simmer for a few minutes until enough liquid has evaporated, but remember that the grains will firm up as they cool. (Basically, you want the mixture to be oozy, but you shouldn’t see any excess liquid.) When ready, add the sausage, sage, onion, and garlic mixture and let heat through. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top.
Need ideas for using the leftover squash? Try these grain-free waffles but swap in squash for the sweet potato.
Tomato soup and cheese waffles
Well, we're two months into official winter and it FINALLY snowed for real in NYC. We've had some accumulation here and there, but it was always sandwiched between 50-degree days and melted right away. The only things I like about snow are the quiet, dampened hush that blankets even this manic city, and the excuse to make tomato soup and cheese waffles. Grilled cheese is the typical tomato soup accessory, but I've made these waffles for M a few times this winter and it was time to break them out again.
I've thought about making these with whole wheat flour, but snow days feel a little indulgent. Also, to cart a toddler around a city in the snow, Ethan and I take turns on human sled-dog duty because no way are a stroller or little legs making it over those snow drifts. So...we earn that white flour. And, on the flip side, the soup is Whole 30 as long as you use clarified butter and compliant chicken stock. On balance, this meal is healthy-ish.
A couple of notes: I like to use parmesan and mozzarella in these waffles, but one could easily sub other cheeses. And don't be shy with the pepper. It may seem like too much to feed a toddler, but the pepper really gives the waffles a punch and doesn't taste spicy in the final product. AND the Tbsp of maple syrup (or sugar of your choice) is vital. I've omitted it before and the waffles don't taste the same.
If possible, look for homemade chicken stock or, if you can muster the energy, make your own. I am unbelievably lazy about making my own because we have a store near us that sells delicious and inexpensive homemade stocks. I will say, if we ever leave the city and don't have access to said stock, I'll start making me own. The difference is remarkable. And try to use the potatoes. While ESSENTIAL if you don't have any on hand, the potatoes and the butter give the soup its creaminess without adding actual cream.
First things first, get your soup started.
Non-dairy Creamy Tomato soup
2 Tbsp butter (clarified or regular)
½ red onion, roughly chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
3 new potatoes or 1 small russet potato, diced into 1/2-inch cubes (about 6 oz)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
28 oz box or can of diced tomatoes
2 cups rich chicken stock
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
Optional: 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Fresh oregano
Melt the butter over a medium low flame. Add roughly chopped onions and caramelize for 5-10 minutes. The more color the onions have, the sweeter and deeper the flavor will be in the finished product. When onions are caramelized, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the potato and tomato paste and stir to coat, cooking for about 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, water, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover, and turn down flame to low. Simmer for 30 minutes. Whizz the finished soup in your blender or with a hand blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a glug of balsamic vinegar and/or some fresh oregano, if desired.
Yield: about 6 cups or 48 oz
Savory cheese waffles
Adapted from Martha Stewart
1 cup white flour
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 egg, lightly whisked
3/4 cup buttermilk
½ cup parmesan
½ cup mozzarella
1 Tbsp maple syrup
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir lightly to combine. Add the lightly whisked egg, buttermilk, cheeses, and maple syrup and stir to combine.
Spoon 3 Tbsp of batter onto each side of your waffle maker and cook according to your machine’s directions. If you like a larger waffle, spoon ¼ cup onto each side. In that case, yield will be about 5-6 squares.
Yield: about 8 waffles
Strawberry and cherry granola bars
Say hello to the Frankenbar: Part granola bar, part oatmeal cookie, and part Rice Krispie treat.
These beauties are free of gluten, nuts, and can be dairy-free if you swap out the chocolate-covered sunflower seeds with a vegan chocolate. The brown rice syrup takes a little getting used to—for me, it has a slightly funky flavor on its own. But the syrup is far stickier than honey or maple syrup, so it's a better binder, and you don't taste it in final product.
These bars are also completely adaptable based on preferences and allergy concerns. Can't find dried strawberries or cherries? Use other dried fruits. Don't have any nut allergies? Use almonds or peanuts and their respective nut butters instead of the sunflower seeds and seed butter. Can't find chocolate covered sunflower seeds? Swap in the aforementioned vegan chocolate to make the bars dairy-free or use chocolate chunks or M&Ms.
This recipe is also a great way to use up sunflower seed butter if you have some left over. Again, one of those ingredients that can taste kind of funky on its own (unless you make this homemade version which is GREAT), but adds a nice nuttyness when combined with all of the other ingredients.
Strawberry and cherry granola bars
Time: 45 minutes, mostly active
Yield: about 18 large bars
1 1/2 cup quick rolled oats
1 1/2 cup puffed rice cereal (brown or white is fine)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup chocolate covered sunflower seeds
2/3 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped
2/3 cup dried strawberries, roughly chopped
1/3 cup freeze-dried cherries
1/3 cup freeze-dried strawberries
6 Tbsp melted coconut oil
1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp sunflower seed butter (1/3 cup works, but the bars are slightly crumbly)
1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp brown rice syrup
Preheat the oven to 350. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment and lightly grease. Set aside.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
In a smaller bowl, melt the coconut oil. Whisk in the sunflower seed butter and the brown rice syrup. If not coming together, microwave the wet ingredients for 10 seconds at a time and try whisking as the ingredients warm.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ones. Using a spatula or your hands (I always use my hands), stir well to combine.
Dump the mixture into the parchment-lined baking pan and pack down.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or just until the edges begin to brown.
Let cool completely before serving. The bars stay crunchy for one week in a sealed bag at room temperature, but go ahead and freeze some or all if you won't eat within a week.