By Lauren Rogoff

One of the delights of spring is the amazing foods that are representative of the season: fresh fruits and vegetables that remind us that the temperatures are getting warmer and rebirth is happening all around.  Spring is the perfect time to cook a meal with your niece or nephew.  Pickier nieces and nephews can be encouraged, by having fun in the kitchen and using well-crafted recipes, to discover new, healthy foods that they enjoy.  Here are some of our favorite recipes that celebrate the season:

1. Pasta Primavera

Pasta is the perfect springtime food, because you can throw most any vegetable into a pasta dish. The great flavors of the sauce and the heartiness of the pasta might encourage otherwise picky nieces and nephews to try some new, healthy options.  Spring brings some especially delicious veggies into the mix, too!  We suggest trying a combination of peas, asparagus, and mushrooms, with a little cream and prosciutto (or regular bacon) for sauce.  The cream and bacon will balance perfectly with the light, sweet springtime flavors of the veggies.  This dish is most traditional when served with tortellini (a specialty of the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy).

For a more traditional pasta primavera, try the following recipe: combine thin strips of zucchini, squash, carrot, onion, bell pepper and halved cherry tomatoes with a splash of olive oil and a sprinkle of Kosher salt, pepper, and a tablespoon of dried Italian herbs on a baking sheet (if you don’t have some of these veggies or your nieces and nephews don’t like them, substitute what they like, or what’s around) and put in a pre-heated 450-degree oven.  Bake the veggies for about 20 minutes, or until they’re browned. Meanwhile, cook farfalle pasta (a fun, butterfly shape your nieces and nephews will love) in a large pot of boiling salted water until the pasta is al dente (tender but still firm to the bite) - this should take about eight minutes. Drain the pasta and reserve one cup of the cooking liquid.  Toss the pasta with the vegetable mixture in a large bowl, and enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a bit more salt and serve immediately. This would also be great served cold as a pasta salad!

2. Satay With Peanut Sauce

Satay is the perfect way to gently introduce nieces and nephews to South Asian cuisine if they’re not familiar with it, because the flavors are familiar, but just a little exciting and different.  Plus, it’s easy for nieces and nephews, even those with little fingers, to help prepare, and they’ll be extra-excited to gobble up something they’ve had a hand in preparing.  Use beef or chicken, cut into strips (it can often be bought already cut this way).  Marinate at least two hours in this mixture: 6 cloves chopped of garlic, 4 tsp coriander, 4 tsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp black pepper, 2 tsp salt, ½ cup soy sauce, 4 tsp grated ginger, 2 tbsp lime juice and ? cup oil. Nieces and nephews can have fun mixing the marinade and rubbing it on the meat (just make sure they wash their hands).  They can also help thread the meat onto wooden sticks (tip: soak sticks in water so they don’t burn).  Barbecue, or cook stovetop on a grill pan.  

For the peanut sauce, combine a can of coconut milk, ½ cup of peanut butter, ½ grated onion (a perfect task for nieces and nephews, just watch fingers!), 1-2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp brown sugar, and ½ tsp red pepper flakes (they’ll only add a bit of spice but you can omit if you think your nieces and nephews won’t like the spice).  Combine the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, while stirring.  You can finish it off after turning off the heat with chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, and a bit of sesame oil if you have on hand.  Serve warm with your delicious satay for dipping and enjoy a great meal with your nieces and nephews.

You can serve this satay dish with an Asian-style slaw, which nieces and nephews can help prepare, as long as you keep a close eye on them while they chop.  This is another sneaky way to get a few more veggies, with a new twist, into nieces’ and nephews’ diets!

3. Fruit Ice Popsicles

You probably have fond memories of making popsicles as a kid.  Making ice pops with your nephew or niece is fun and easy, and will introduce him or her to lots of fun and interesting fruit flavors.  Plus, when you make popsicles together, you know what’s in them, Auntie. Here’s how to make a healthy, delicious popsicle:  Combine 2 cups of thawed frozen berries (blueberries, strawberries or raspberries would be perfect, but experiment with whatever else you find), ¼ cup apple juice (once you’ve got the hang of the recipe you can substitute another light fruit juice that complements the frozen fruit you’ve chosen), 2 tablespoons of honey, ½ juiced lemon, and a pinch of salt in a blender, and blend until smooth.  Pour the mixture into pop molds (which can be found in most any grocery or convenience store).  Even young nieces and nephews can help with this step.  If you don’t have pop molds, you can use three-ounce plastic cups, cover them with foil, and insert a pop stick through the center of the foil into the cup (to remove from the cup when ready, submerge the bottom of the cup in hot water for five seconds.  Pull on the stick to remove).  Place the molds or cups in the freezer for five hours or overnight.  Remove when ready to eat and share with your nieces and nephews!

Published: April 17, 2012