Most cookbooks aimed at children have several huge flaws. The first — and most fatal — is the presumption that there is such a thing as “kid food.” This notion — that every comestible has to be shaped like a cartoon character, multi-(and artificially) colored and smothered in cheese or chocolate — is downright insulting to children everywhere, and deprives them of the joy of tasting. The corollary to the “kid food” notion is the equally damaging idea that all children hate all vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish and lamb, and that these foods especially have to be artfully disguised or outright banned from the child’s plate. As any parent knows (and parents are often the pickiest eaters in the family — but that’s another story), each child’s taste buds are different, and the youngster who can’t abide fresh tomatoes will be the one to develop a jones for hot peppers, or sushi, or quinoa.
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Three cheers, then, for Lucy Broadhurst, author of “Ready, Steady, Spaghetti” (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2009). This is a bright, colorful, appealing cookbook that actually has food that a youngster could make and a family could sit down and enjoy together. It is plainly written, and the recipes are simple. The photos are cheery, and the food is delicious-looking and guaranteed to entice kids into the kitchen. Suitable for ages 9 and up (with adult supervision, of course), it is the kind of cookbook that would make an excellent reference for an adult who has never spent any time in the kitchen and would like to learn.
It’s not a perfect book. Some Austrailianisms persist (Broadhurst is an Aussie), such as the use of the word “spinach” in recipe titles when in fact the recipe calls for what we in the United States know as chard. Instructions could be slightly more detailed. And a purist could argue that there are a few too many dessert and snack recipes. But it really could get kids into the kitchen and get them cooking real food. Let’s give it four cheers.
FRIED RICE
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 slices uncooked bacon, chopped
2 teaspoons finely grated, peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
6 scallions, ends trimmed, finely chopped
1/3 cup seeded and diced red bell pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 cups cold, cooked white rice
2/3 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Heat a large wok until very hot. Pour in 2 teaspoons of the peanut oil, and swirl to coat the wok. Pour in the eggs, and swirl to coat a little up the sides of the wok. Cook until just set into an omelet. Remove the omelet from the wok, and set aside.
Add the remaining peanut oil, and stir-fry the bacon for 2 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, scallion and red pepper, and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Add the sesame oil and the rice. Stir-fry, tossing regularly, until the rice is heated through.
Cut the omelet into thin strips, and add to the wok with the peas and chicken. Cover and cook until heated through, a minute or more. Stir in the soy sauce, and serve.
Yield: 4 servings
Recipe from “Ready, Steady, Spaghetti” by Lucy Broadhurst (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2009)
TUNA ENCHILADAS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 cup vegetable stock
15 ounces tuna canned in water, drained
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (15-ounce) jar three-bean salad, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, plus a handful of cilantro sprigs
8 flour tortillas
1 small ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 cups shredded lettuce
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until just soft. Add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Add the cumin, vegetable stock, tuna, tomatoes and tomato paste, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until the mixture is thick.
Add the bean salad to the sauce, and cook for 5 minutes to heat through, then add the chopped cilantro.
In the meantime, wrap the tortillas in foil, and warm them in the preheated oven for about 4 minutes.
Place a tortilla on a plate, and spread with a large scoop of the bean mixture. Top with some avocado, sour cream, cilantro sprigs and lettuce. Roll up the enchiladas, tucking in the ends.
Yield: 8 servings
Recipe from “Ready, Steady, Spaghetti” by Lucy Broadhurst (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2009)
LEEK-AND-CHEESE FRITTATA
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced
2 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
freshly ground black pepper
5 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup diced Swiss cheese
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in an ovenproof skillet. Add the leek, and cook, stirring, over low heat until slightly softened. Cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the zucchini and garlic, and cook another 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Allow to cool, then season with pepper. Add the egg and cheeses, and stir.
Set a rack about 6 inches from the heat source of the broiler, and preheat the broiler.
Heat the remaining tablespoon oil in the skillet, then add the egg mixture and smooth the surface. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes, or until the frittata is almost set.
Put the skillet under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the top is set and golden. Allow the frittata to stand for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving. Serve with a fresh green salad.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Recipe from “Ready, Steady, Spaghetti” by Lucy Broadhurst (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2009)
Marialisa Calta is the author of “Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family” (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.
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