Food your toddler will actually eat.
You know that feeling of intense disappointment and rage that comes when your child won’t eat a damn thing you make for them? And what about meat? Why, whyyyy! won’t they eat meat? If your kid is like mine, not overly picky necessarily, but in general doesn’t seem to like your cooking, baby soup may help.
Start by melting some butter in olive oil. Add one cup each onions, carrots, celery and three cloves of garlic and simmer. Then add 3/4 cup of Ragu or other tomato sauce for color and substance.
In another pan, cook up some local, grass-fed ground beef, drain the fat and when it is almost cooked through, add to the simmering veggies. Here, add seasonings like a little salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, turmeric, cumin, and thyme. Sauté for a while longer and then add some organic low-sodium chicken broth. Bring to a boil, add half a cup of rice, then simmer on low until rice is cooked (about 15 for white enriched rice).
Add some steamed spinach or kale at the very end so it doesn’t loose it’s green color. (Steamed spinach is an excellent source of calcium–I know this from watching five minutes of stupid Dr. Oz the other day). If you can’t get organic or grass fed ingredients, it doesn’t really matter (that shit is EXPENSIVE), but it will taste better especially if you use beef. Ground turkey also works well and is very low fat for those of you with little chunks on your hands.
Cook all meat thoroughly–you don’t want to have a panic attack later when you’re listening to an NPR show about E. coli.
What’s incredible about this dish is that they’ll eat it! And if you’re lucky they may even want a second serving. And due to the veggie content, I guarantee you’ll feel approximately 40% less guilty later in the afternoon when all they want are Cheddar Bunnies and you’re too lazy to slice up an apple. That night, add a little Siracha Sauce to spice it up, slap some grilled cheese on the panini griller, open some wine and voila! A hearty dinner that will also knock your husband’s balls off.
