21 March 2011

Reader Request Mondays! FAIL - Vegetable Tacos


It's BACK! And it's a FAIL! Today's Reader Request Monday's comes from my cousin Cyndi who has 3 children that don't eat vegetables. One of those children also cannot have dairy! This left me with multiple problems. Let me break it down for you.

I don't really DO children. Sure, I was a child once. And I feel like I did my share babysitting and working at day camps for multiple years. But that was a long time ago. And what I took away from all of those experiences is to run far far away from the screaming little assholes. And if they aren't screaming, just give it a few minutes, they will. The sound of it is like nails down a chalkboard. So, I'm rarely around them as it is, never mind when they are being fed and crying about how they want a hot dog for the 678th meal in a row.

There are 3 exceptions to this. Benjamin, Josiah, and Simone. My little cousins are ridiculously strange children - They are really good! And I like them, and not just cause I love them because they are family, but they are really cool little people and I like being around them!

Another tricky thing to this challenge is the lack of dairy. Kid friendly vegetables without cheese? I have no freaking idea. How is that even possible. I don't know. It's blowing my mind. I can't even trick myself into eating food without cheese.

My first thought was just to write a post about how to make children eat vegetables. But this was hard for me also, I ate vegetables as a kid. As far as I know, I ate nearly everything, and I still do, so I don't really know what it is like NOT to like something. But I came up with one solution.

The solution: Don't let you kids eat anything. Hours, days, or even weeks might pass, but eventually, they will be hungry enough to eat whatever you give them, V-E-G-G-I-E-S included. Is there a problem with this? Nahhh.... No kid, no matter how stubborn, is going to starve themselves to death. They'll eat it. I've heard many parents say to their kids 'your not getting ____ until you finish your dinner', but they never follow through.

Sure, I know I don't have kids. And that's for a good reason. I know it's easier for me to say than it is for you to do. But no one likes to be lied to, even kids. So don't do it.

So I thought to myself, "Kacey, just make something that is familiar with kids, but only use vegetables." So I thought of pizza or a calzone. But my pizza stone broke in half the last time I used it, and I have yet to replace it. I thought of veggie tempura, but then I forgot, and didn't remember until I started writing this post. I also thought about vegetables with pasta, but we've been eating way to much pasta lately. And then I thought of tacos. Who doesn't love tacos!?!? Well, I think it was a great idea, but unfortunately I think I executed them with a big giant FAIL.

The idea was to fill some homemade corn tortillas with roasted marinated vegetables, refried beans, and rice. I was hoping on taking some familiar things, and satisfying textures to make a healthy, filling, and vegetable filled meal.

Was it bad? No, not at all. Was it a bad idea for a kid friendly vegetable meal? Probably. I blame the fact that I was rushed the weekend I made these and didn't have too much time to think of what I'm eating, never mind what kids wanna eat. So that's my fault.

So if your looking for a meal to have yourself, or want to try a variation of this to give to your kids, try out this rough recipe below. Goodluck!

So do you guys have any tips or tricks to feeding little ones? Do you cave into their wants rather than needs? Do you beat them until they eat peas? Tell me, tell me, I want to know!

Reader Request Monday's is where you, the reader, request what meals/product reviews/anything that you would like to see here at Kacey's Kitchen! Over the week I will make one of your suggestions and will post the recipe and pictures the next Monday.

So, what would you like to see on Kacey's Kitchen, leave a comment below!

Roasted Vegetable Tacos (A rough guide)
  • Homemade corn tortillas
  • taco seasoning
  • lemon juice
  • zucchini
  • mushrooms
  • onions
  • red pepper
  • corn kernels
  • refried beans
  • rice (any kind)
  • sour cream and cheese (If appropriate)
  1. Cook rice according to package.
  2. Cut all vegetables up into 1-inch pieces. Place in a large bowl and sprinkle with taco seasoning and lemon juice. Toss until coated. Set aside for 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  4. Place marinated vegetables on a baking sheet in a single layer and put in oven for about 25 minutes or until slightly dried out and roasted looking.
  5. Heat refried beans through.
  6. When vegetables are done, spread refried beans inside of each corn tortilla. Fill with vegetables and rice. Top with sour cream and cheese if appropriate.

9 comments :

  1. I have 2 kids. The oldest (5) always ate everything I fed her, from sushi to olives to rabbit meat. No problem. She loved all vegetables, but salad was one her favorites. Now she goes to pre-school and suddenly she has started saying she will not eat vegetable hours before the meal. I never break promises, if I threaten I go through with it. We have had endless meals, fights, tears about the vegetables. The truth is, I work, my husband works, we have a baby to feed too. We are tired. The rule is she has to taste everything before saying she doesn't like something. But I am also learning that sometimes you have to let them win a battle to win the war. So if she really doesn't want something after trying it, she can decide and she will not get any treats for sure. She will make up for the vitamins in fruit.
    Our one year old can detect a pea in a whole mouthful of other stuff and spit it out whole whilst eating the rest.
    When you have kids, your standards change. It is tough, there is a lot of battling. Sometimes when I get what I want after days of insisting I wonder how good it is for a child to never be able to make his own choice. Will I be creating an insecure, angry adult? And children have very different characters from birth. What works with one may not work with the other.
    But all in all I agree, you should not cater to your child or feed them hotdogs because it is easier. And yes, if they are hungry enough they will eat everything.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I hope my post is taken lightly. Those whose who know me know how I'm allergic to children. And how I like to joke about it.

    Soo...what I'm assuming is, taking care of my cat is NOT the same as taking care of a little human? Hmm. Interesting...

    But one thing I love about joking about children is...I NEVER, EVER get asked to babysit. And that's sort of the point, right?! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Here's something to try with veggies and cheese for a non-dairy kid - and Kacey you can tell me if this works. Josiah can have Goat Cheese. But Goat Cheese does not melt well.... go!

    And btw, we'd be happy to ship them to you so you CAN experience the daily whine of "what's for dinner?", which begins promptly as breakfast is being served.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ooooo.... please have a Monday where you do make veggie (or anything else) tempura! We use LOTS of panko here (no dairy!) but I don't know how to make tempura. And I love tempura.

    p.s. Ben does eat veggies. Its Josiah that is scaring me with his lack of vitamin intake. -Cyndi

    ReplyDelete
  5. Cousin in NY, a few things:
    1) Please do not ship your children here unless a responsible adult is accompanying them and is responsible for all of their doings. And you can't be mad at me when, during breakfast they are asking what's for dinner and I respond, "Whatever I feel like serving, biatches!!!!"

    2) Does Josiah LIKE goat cheese? Cause that's amazing.

    3) I could eat veggie tempura every day (along with everything else), so it may just show up here!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. 1)We basically tell them the same thing by saying, "food". We leave out the biatches. They have to learn their swearing elsewhere (like middle school) or we will lose our parenting cards.
    2)Josiah likes goat cheese. Simone will eat it. The rest of us think it is icky so don't bother with a recipe that includes it for veggies.
    3)L-O-V-E Tempura! -Cyndi

    ReplyDelete
  7. Post taken lightly, no worries! And hey, I was pretty allergic to children before I had them too. Lovely to play with for a few minutes and then back to my life. Funny Cousin in NY, my daughter also asks all day "what's for dinner?". I was surprised about her interest in food...now I think she is just thinking up ways to steer clear from the veggies!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Seems so delicious, I just cant wait to have it......!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. My pizza stone broke in half too (I have preheating issues). I just keep the two pieces shoved against one another, good as new!

    ReplyDelete