Who says kids don't like veggies?

There's this horrible misconception that good-for-you has to equal boring, bland, flavorless. Adults pass this idea on to children unassumingly, through their own example. A few weeks ago I brought an avocado dip (yummy, recipe later) with celery and carrot sticks to a potluck with families from my son Bruno's class. As I lay it on the table, a woman shrieked "WHAT'S THAT? VEGETABLES?" What does this woman feed her children, I wondered. What does this woman eat, I wondered. I often hear parents complain that their children refuse to eat vegetables. Then you find out what the parents eat. Children are no fools, they pick up on everything, so practice what you preach.

Isn't it great when you find a recipe that calls for stuff you've had in the fridge for a while, awaiting a new idea? Beets are one of my daughter Olivia's favorite veggies, she can eat them endlessly (as her proud mommy watches). Children love beets for their sweet flavor. They are a great source of iron, my midwife suggested eating beets after I gave birth. They are great in juices, too. The other day I had a beet, carrot, apple, and celery juice. Delicious and replenishing. Anyway, I had a load of beets and a huge red cabbage at hand, and found this recipe (in a Montse Bradford book, of course) that fit like a glove:

Sautéed Beets and Red Cabbage
Ingredients:
2 large beets, boiled and cut into cubes
1/2 red cabbage, chopped finely
1 teaspoon ume plum vinegar
1 tablespoon apple concentrate (or rice syrup, or honey)
A dash of toasted sesame oil
olive oil, salt, toasted pumpkin (or sunflower) seeds

Heat some olive oil in a wok and sauté the red cabbage with a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes. Add the beets and season with the umeboshi vinegar (to preserve color) and apple concentrate or other sweetener. Serve sprinkled with toasted seeds.


It turned out really sweet, the kids loved its taste and color! Don't panic if you notice a reddish color in your child's urine, it's the beets!

Before I sign off, here goes the avocado dip recipe, too good to leave out:

Avocado Dip

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon white miso paste
1 teaspoon ume plum paste
water

Peel and pit the avocados. Drizzle with lemon juice so they won't turn black. Use a blender to purée the ingredients. Gradually add water until it gets creamy. Serve with celery, zuchinni and carrot sticks.