How to Feed a Henry

Most kids I know love chicken strips, and Henry is no exception. Baked chicken strips are an easy weeknight meal with just a short amount of prep time. The dried plantains give them a delicious crunchy coating. This recipe is Henry-approved. If dried plantains are not a staple in your pantry, you can find them at Trader Joe’s. Their plantain chips are pre-salted so no need to add any salt to this recipe. Henry creates a play dough scene while I prepare the Plantain Chicken Tenders. Ingredients 1 lb chicken breast cut into strips 1-½ cups dried plantain chips 1 t ground cumin 1 t ground coriander 1 clove garlic 1 egg 1 T whole milk 1 T olive oil Plantain chips chopped in the food processor. Directions Put plantain chips, spices and garlic into a food processor. Grind until the mixture is in small crumbs. This will be the breading for the chicken. Prepare your breading station with two shallow dishes. I like to use pie plates, one for the ...

Henry has been very excited to help in the garden this spring. Last month, we pulled weeds, prepped the soil, and planted peas and potatoes .    Removing a few more weeds / Making a mud pie. This week at the garden center, we chose three vegetable starts that we have planted before: tomatoes, summer squash and peppers. We also selected three types of veggies we have not grown before. I picked out cauliflower starts. Daddy asked for cucumbers. And Henry wanted tatsoi -- I don't think I have ever seen tatsoi before, but Henry insisted that it come home with us. Henry thought this cat statue at the garden center was in need of a snuggle. Digging a hole for our pepper starts. When I asked Henry to help select nasturtium seeds, he chose the red and orange varieties. He really enjoyed poking holes in the dirt to plant the seeds. Planting nasturtium seeds.

Warm weather is on the way, so here is a new grilling recipe for you to try. Cauliflower does not have much of a reputation as a food to grill outdoors, but I think you will be impressed by this delicious dish. Henry helped prepare the grilled cauliflower. Since Henry is in an " I don't like it " phase, I cannot say that he approved this dish. He was, however, willing to take two taste test bites. And he very much enjoyed painting the cauliflower with olive oil and spices. You’ll probably be able to use about half of the cauliflower head as large steaks for this recipe; you can reserve the remaining small florets for another recipe (I used ours to make New York Cauliflower for the next evening’s dinner). Ingredients 1 head of cauliflower ½ cup olive oil ½ t cumin ½ t coriander ½ t salt ½ t pepper Grilled cauliflower cooking on the barbecue. Directions Rinse cauliflower. Slice it vertically into large steaks ¼-inch thick. Place the caulifl...

I love having Henry help me in the garden. We are working together, getting dirty and discovering nature. Gardening also teaches patience -- Henry has already been asking when the strawberries, raspberries and blueberries will be ready to eat. We'll have to wait for the flowers, bees and sunshine to do their work first. There are lots of weeds to pull. Some weeds even have pretty purple flowers. Using a rake to turn the soil. Hoeing the dirt. Pulling more weeds. Finding wiggly worms. Planting peas and potatoes. Cooling off in the shade with a hard-earned snack -- strawberry yogurt popsicle.

These corn cakes are a delicious hearty way to start your morning when you have leftover roasted or mashed sweet potatoes . This recipe is Henry-approved. Ingredients 1 cup mashed sweet potato (about 1 roasted sweet potato) ¼ cup corn meal (or masa harina) ½ teaspoon baking powder 2 eggs ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons milk ½ teaspoon vanilla 2 Tablespoons olive oil Directions In a medium bowl, mash together sweet potato, cornmeal, baking powder and eggs. Mix in milk and vanilla until combined. Heat skillet over medium-low. Coat with about 1 Tablespoon olive oil. When the skillet is warmed, scoop batter onto skillet using a ¼ cup measurer. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and cook a few minutes until browned on the other side. Recoat skillet with oil between each batch. This recipe makes about 6 pancakes. Serve warm with a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream. Then drizzle with maple syrup. If you have leftover pancakes, save them in...

A few years ago, Daddy and I took an incredible trip to New York City. We visited the top of the Empire State Building, saw a Broadway show, and went shopping on Times Square. One of our most memorable experiences, however, was a food tour of Greenwich Village. We sampled New York pizza, cheeses, cookies, and a surprising cauliflower dish.  The cauliflower was so delicious that I immediately worked on replicating the recipe at home. The result has become a mainstay at our family's holiday dinners. This recipe is Henry-approved. But at this year's Christmas dinner Henry only wanted to eat dinner rolls and pomegranate seeds. Ingredients 4 cups cauliflower (1 medium head) 1 Tablespoon olive oil ¼ cup red onion ½ cup pine nuts ½ cup currants ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter The simple ingredients for New York Cauliflower. Directions Remove the leaves from the cauliflower head and rinse well. Use a large knife to cu...