Cooking With Children In Mind

I am a mother to a two year old boy and I have to constantly create dishes which will appeal to his picky toddler palate. I am always met with much effusiveness when he is presented with potatoes, he adores potatoes in very form. A loaded potato with butter and cheese being his top choice followed by french fried and mashed.

Don't get me wrong, my son appreciates most foods. He is though a very small eater so he will eat most things I cook but in a very small amount. Given his predilections, I always try to expand his palate for other foods. I was pleasantly surprised to see him try sushi and eat it with gusto (cooked rolls that is). I made Indian food a few months ago and saw him devour chicken korma and naan even though I cooked with some heat that day. So that being said I am always amused when he partakes of whatever repast I create.

Yesterday I prepared pasta elbows with broccoli, chicken and cheese. I tried to cook it as healthy as I can meaning not in the alfredo style with lashings of cream. So i made it using a technique I always resort to when I want something with the unctuousness of an alfredo sauce but with a fraction of the calories. I achieve this by adding a touch of half and half or evaporated milk at the end of cooking. This makes the dish taste creamy without adding cream. There are many things you can add to the end of cooking that enhances the final dish. Sugar, salt, pepper, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, fresh herbs and cream or butter are the usual suspects. These all add that finishing touch to the dish and would have become lost had they been added at the beginning. Which is why cooking is a tasting process from start to finish.

So I hope this recipe will be of some use to mothers out there who constantly rack their tired brains with feeding options for their children. Believe me, the adults will enjoy it as well.

Elbow Pasta With Broccoli And Chicken

Now before I proceed bear in mind that this is a rough guide to preparing this dish. I have listed ingredients based on my taste so feel free to add or lessen according to your taste.

Ingredients
400g elbow pasta
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup mozzarella cheese (not the fresh one as it has too much moisture)
1 cup parmesan cheese ( I always use the real thing ..pamigiano reggiano)
6 cloves of minced garlic
2 bunches of broccoli cut into florets
1/3 to 1/2 scant cup of evaporated milk or half and half
Pinch of nutmeg
Chopped fresh herbs such as thyme or parsley

1. Cut the chicken into tiny strips and season well with salt and pepper. Heat a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Once water has come to a boil add salt liberally. Also heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Once the water is boiling add the pasta and time it for about 8 to 9 minutes.
2. Once the skillet is heated to required heat saute the chicken in the olive oil. Try not to keep stirring the chicken so that it can get some time to brown properly.Once chicken is browned add the garlic and broccoli florets. Cover the pan and turn the heat down to medium low and let the mixture cook until the broccoli is the desired tenderness.
3.Before draining the pasta reserve some of the pasta cooking liquid. I always keep about a cup's worth. Once the pasta has been drained add it to the skillet with chicken and broccoli. Stir well and reduce the heat to low. Add the cheeses and black pepper to taste and add the dairy a little at a time until you like the consistency. Grate a bit of nutmeg and add a pinch of sugar and more salt if it needs it. You can also at this point add a little of the pasta cooking liquid. Taste and adjust seasonings until you are happy and enjoy!

One pot pasta elbows with chicken and broccoli.