Ratatouille

Parents who love to cook, and likely even those who don't, will often go to great lengths in order to provide healthy meals for their children. I am no exception. My recent attempt to make a nutrient dense meal was to prepare Ratatouille, which I told my son Remy himself called me with the recipe (yes a little fib, thanks croutonblog.com).

Thank goodness I have a mandolin slicer, because thinly sliced eggplant and zucchini is key. Other than the time it took to slice the vegetables, and roast the peppers, the dish was fairly simple to make. I used chopped roasted garlic instead of minced and also substituted canned tomatoes (better alternative in winter when tomatoes are not in season). I decided to bake the dish in a square glass pan (I hate to admit, but a previous attempt in a saute pan resulted in burnt Ratatouille) and opted against the fancy plate presentation shown in the movie. 

I was so excited to provide this unique dish to my kids, however, they were not too impressed when it hit the table (these moments do not shock me anymore). After enforcing our "one bite" rule, my daughter asked for seconds and even thirds. My four year old son, took a bite and tried to tell me he didn't like it, however, I noticed a little smile on his sneaky face as he took a few more bites without him thinking I was watching.

Do you have any healthy meals you slaved over that your kids actually enjoyed? If so, please share!

Kids Healthy English Muffin Recipes

My son Elijah is a fabulous entertainer. A couple of weeks ago he was standing on our porch singing, “Do You Know the Muffin Man,” he wanted everyone on our street to hear him (not sure how thrilled the neighbors were with this at 8 in the morning). This classic nursery song is based on today’s version of the English muffin. During Victorian times muffins would be delivered door to door by a muffin man, and there actually is a Drury Lane in London (nursery-rhymes.org, 2006)

English muffins are tasty alternatives to bread and bagels. They are great as a snack or eaten as part of a meal anytime of the day. Whole-wheat English muffins are the healthiest option. My favorite brand is Thomas Whole Wheat English muffins. I find that other brands I have tried are too thick and chewy, whereas the Thomas brand doesn’t compromise the classic sour taste and soft middle of a traditional English muffin.  

Samuel Bath Thomas, an innovator and entrepreneur, created the Original "Nooks & Crannies" English Muffin through a secret process that included griddle baking to create a muffin that was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. (source: http://www.thomas100calorie.com/About-Thomas/Heritage.aspx)

According to The Food Timeline, Thomas’ English muffins were introduced to New York City in the late 19^th century. The founder, Samuel Bath Thomas emigrated from England in 1875 and launched his baking career in 1880.

Nutrient Profile:

1 muffin is about 1.5 servings of grain; each muffin provides 120 calories, 1 gram of fat, 6 grams of protein with trace amounts of calcium and iron. That is three times the fiber and 2 more grams of protein than the original.

English muffins can be enjoyed many ways::

English muffin breakfast sandwich: Toast the muffins and make your own egg sandwich. You can keep it plain (that is how my kids like it) or add cheese, spinach, tomatoes, avocado, turkey or Morning Star bacon, turkey or Morning Star sausage, or whatever else comes to mind. Spice it up with a hit of hot sauce for a morning kick.

English Muffin Pizzas: This is a perfect after school snack, simply toast the English muffins, top with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, microwave for 45 seconds. Serve with carrot sticks or applesauce.

English Muffin Sandwich: Simply use English muffins as a base for any favorite sandwich.