Children, it seems, are born with their taste buds clearly defined. Take my daughter for example. She was definitely a herbivore in a past life. Whenever the family sits at a restaurant for dinner, my daughter always wants to order a salad and although content with a juicy steak, she prefers to devour a large plate of steamed vegetables.
My son, the carnivore, was probably a T-Rex in his past life.
My son, the carnivore, was probably a T-Rex in his past life. Give Joseph a steak, or even better, grilled lamb chops, and he could be mistaken for Fred Flintstone’s child. For this reason, we have found creative ways to have him explore vegetables. Here are two great recipes that have worked wonders at mealtimes!
Carrot Pasta
This dish can be considered gluten-free since we’re not actually dealing with pasta at all! My family has named it so, to make it more interesting.
Ingredients:
- Carrots
- Lime juice
- Salt
Instructions:
Spiralizers have become essentials in most kitchens, so we tried putting vegetables through. Unfortunately, my finicky 6-year-old latched onto the difference in texture and found the results unappealing. My go-to solution is to prepare the spiral strands using a regular peeler instead. Add some lime juice and salt, and you’re ready to snack anytime!
Tabbouleh Salad
By my son’s standards, tomatoes are alright in a pizza, but not on pasta, yet for some reason, mixing seeded fresh tomatoes with burghul wheat is a winner in my house. This recipe happens to be one of Joseph’s favorites! By hiding the tomatoes somewhat, we’ve found a great way to get this vegetable (and fruit) into his diet.
I like my tabbouleh with a considerable amount of burghul, but the beauty of this recipe is that you can play with the proportions and find your ideal balance. Feel free to change it to your palate!
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of bulgur wheat
- ¼ cup of olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup of lemon juice
- a pinch of cayenne pepper
- four seeded tomatoes
- two bunches of finely chopped parsley
- one finely chopped green onion
Instructions:
Rinse the bulgur wheat thoroughly in a strainer. Next, place the contents in a bowl and add olive oil, salt, and cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly. Add the tomatoes in as you chop them, then bring on the parsley. Finally, pour in the lemon juice, and mix the salad. Adjust seasoning to taste. If you prefer a bit more zest, you can add some more lemon juice or lime juice. Tabbouleh is better prepared a few hours in advance to let the flavors blend well together. Hopefully, this recipe can help lure the carnivores you know. Enjoy!
