Jessica Seinfeld I am Not! Or am I? Blending Veggies into your Diet

You all know the Jessica Seinfeld book Deceptively Delicious, right? It's where she suggests "sneaking" fruits and vegetables into children's diets. I am strongly opposed to this tactic as I feel that kids need to be told the truth and accept the consequences-whatever their parents feel is appropriate. When we "sneak" in fruits and veggies, we are telling our children that they are "bad" foods and that we have to be deceptive (as the title states) in order for our kids to eat them. Would you like be given food thinking it's one thing only to be told later that you ate a cup of brussel sprouts unknowingly? So yes, I, and a number of my colleagues are against it. However, many are for it and have found success. Feel free to pick your side. I do not judge.


So, yesterday was a hectic day and I was nowhere close to the amount of fruits and veggies I needed for my daily consumption. And honestly, without even asking him, I knew my husband was nowhere close, either.

I knew I was going to make something with ground turkey and had decided on turkey burgers. Fast forward about 10 minutes and there was ground turkey cooking on the stove top, jarred spaghetti sauce in a pot and thawed whole wheat pasta on the counter (That's right, you can cook and freeze pasta if you'd like). I grabbed 2 big handfuls of broccoli and 2 handfuls of carrots. Put them in a freezer bag with about an inch of water and microwaved them until soft. Popped them in the blender, along with 2 handfuls of spinach and boom! I had several servings of veggies right there! Put the blended mixture into the spaghetti sauce (more veggies!) and stirred well. Served with the turkey meat and the pasta with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

My husband LOVED it and ate every bit. Oh, did I tell you that my husband eats lettuce, green beans and asparagus--that's it. Those are his top (and only) 3 vegetables that he likes. When I asked him if he wanted to know what he just ate, his response was "something with a lot of fiber in it? " (He knows me and my love of fiber so well). I told him what was in it and he said "just keep doing this and I'll eat it".

How I HATE, HATE, HATE to agree with Jessica Seinfeld, I'm afraid I must with regard to this. It's good to be proven wrong sometimes. But don't tell her, okay?

Be Prepared for When the "I Have Nothing in My Kitchen For Dinner" Syndrome Strikes

I literally just got home from a trip and am faced with the "I have nothing in the house for dinner" conundrum. Determined not to go out to eat or order in food, I quickly have searched my kitchen and have found the following items:

Frozen Corn
Chicken Breasts
Jarred Marinara
Parmesan Cheese
Carrots
Hummus

I've got some hungry mouths to feed, so what do I do? Whip up a quick Faux Chicken Parmesan dish fit for a king!

Here's how you do it:

FAUX CHICKEN PARMESEAN

• Thaw chicken breasts (if frozen).

• Turn on oven to 375 (I like to use the toaster oven)

• Season chicken breasts with a bit of salt and pepper (do not over salt-there is PLENTY in the jarred marinara and cheese
  

• Place the chicken breast in an oven safe dish and pour about 1/4-1/2 cup of marinara and a sprinkling of the Parmesan cheese over the chicken. Feel free to add oregano, basil, red pepper flakes or whatever spice you like to liven up the jarred marinara. Fresh spinach leaves also make it tasty! Cook for about 20-25 minutes and check internal temperature.
  

• Once nearly cooked, remove the chicken and top with 2 teaspoons per chicken breast of the Parmesan.
  

• Move to BROIL mode on your toaster or oven and put chicken on highest rack to broil. Watch closely until the cheese darkens and gets bubbly.
  

• Remember chicken is thoroughly cooked at 165 degrees, but remove it at 160 and allow it to rest. It will increase the temperature enough to reach the 165. Do not cut into it-this allows the juices to spill out and causes the chicken to by dry.
  

By omitting the breading, baking or frying of a traditional Chicken Parmesan, we've saved hundreds of calories as well as fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.

While the chicken is baking, make frozen corn according to directions.

Once chicken is done and corn is cooked, place on dinner plate. Add carrots and a tablespoon or two of hummus.

Since I like grocery shopping and usually have enough foods on hand, this is a rare occurrence. However, the last 2 weeks have been crazy and this is what I get for not pre-planning. I have to say, it was a pretty good dinner-well balanced, colorful, filling and healthy as well as inexpensive. And, it was done in 30 minutes!!

What are your go to meals when the syndrome hits?