Mom's Spaghetti Sauce (with Veggies!) for Picky Eaters

When I started writing this post a couple of months back, I was super excited to have finally found a recipe that the entire family would eat.  Other than my red lentil and carrot soup with coconut, which I was getting so incredibly sick of, despite how delicious it is.

 

 Though I like pasta, I could easily live without it.  So I can't say that I was thrilled at the idea of eating spaghetti so frequently.   But the fact that my kids would eat it made me want to make this every single day, just to simplify my life.  I had finally found a meal that would keep everyone happy and hence, quiet, at meal time.  

look how much he ate compared to the
earlier photo - nothing short of a miracle!!!

Not only did this meal keep my kids happy, but it also got some veggies into them.  What could be better?  This is a one-dish meal, since it has carbs, protein and vegetables all mixed together.  Could life get any better?????  

Logan thought this was so good he had to
lick the leftovers off of his hands ;)

 
This recipe is an adaptation from my mom's fantastic spaghetti sauce.  I modified it a bit to sneak in a few extra veggies and to change the texture to be more picky eater friendly.

The recipe is not overly complicated, but there are a few steps involved and it then needs to simmer for a good hour.  So this is certainly not something you are going to whip up once the kids get home from school.  BUT, it makes quite a big batch and freezes wonderfully.  I divide this into family-sized portions and load my freezer with it.  This is our go-to meal on nights when I've forgotten to take something out, as it tastes just as good defrosted as fresh, defrosts quickly in the microwave and, of course, the pasta only takes minutes to make.

Now, there is certainly no guarantee that all picky eaters will eat this.  In fact, I'm sure that a lot of resistant eaters out there will not.  My kids have only very recently started mixing textures in their foods.  And I suspect that had we taken a different approach to our children's feeding issues, they still might not be trying foods such as these.  However, once your child is beginning to accept foods that mix different textures together, this recipe is a good one to try.

I should also address the idea of hiding vegetables in recipes.  You want to be careful about doing this with very picky and resistant eaters.  I do it now because my kids are too young to realize there is anything hidden.  However, if your child is old enough to notice little green specks here and there, you're probably best to not hide foods.  If your child finds food hidden in a dish where they are not expecting it, you are teaching them that they cannot trust what you tell them about what they are eating.  This will only make a resistant eater even more cautious to put something new into his/her mouth.   

One last thing before I share the recipe - I actually prefer the original version, as I like the chunks in the sauce.  However, I'll tolerate this thinner version as long as it keeps my kids eating!  If you have no picky eaters at home, I'd recommend you check out the original recipe here.

2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 bay leaf
2 10 oz. cans mushroom stems and pieces, including liquid
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 C finely chopped onion
2 carrots, grated
2 zucchini, grated
1 28 oz. can tomatoes, pureed
1 28 oz. can Bravo spaghetti sauce
2 5 1/2 oz. cans tomato paste
2 7 1/2 oz. cans tomato sauce
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. basil
1 tbsp. salt
3 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese  

1.  Using a food processor, chop the onion very finely and grate the zucchini and carrots. 

my sous chef

2.  In a large pot (the largest one you have), cook the onion, ground beef and bay leaf until the beef for a few minutes.  While cooking the ground beef, regularly break it down with a fork, so that it is broken into as small of pieces as possible.  Add the grated zucchini and carrot and cook until softened and beef is cooked.  Drain any excess fat.

 
3.  Purée the mushrooms (including juice) and juice in a blender until very fine.  Also (separately if your blender is too small) blend the canned tomatoes.   

 

4.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer steadily, uncovered for 1 1/2 hours, stirring frequently.   

To keep this both gluten- and dairy-free, I omit the parmesan and serve it over quinoa pasta.  For a soy-free version, replace the Bravo spaghetti sauce with your favourite spaghetti sauce.

Difficulty level: moderate

Yield: 13 cups

Mom's Lasagna

Back almost a year ago when I wrote this post on my childhood faves, I was surprised to realize that I had yet to blog my mom's fantastic recipe for lasagna.  Her lasagna is absolutely fantastic.  Yes, I love all of her other delicious recipes that I included in my childhood faves.  But her lasagna is really something special.  One of the best I've ever had.  

But I could be biased.  

After all, it is my mom's recipe. 

However... 

This is a little complicated, but... my sister's boyfriend's sister (you still following me?) said that this is the best lasagna she's ever tried.  I wish I could tell you she is Italian, but she's Ukrainian.  But it's gotta still count for something, no?

All that to say that I think you should make this if you like lasagna. 

I still really love my roasted vegetarian lasagna too.  But sometimes, you just need a traditional beef lasagna.

I made this back when we were gluten, but not dairy free yet (I know!!!!  My blogging delay is a bit ridiculous these days!).  I now make a dairy-free version, using this butternut cashew "cheese" sauce from Oh She Glows instead of the cottage cheese mixture and Daiya instead of the cheese.  I can't say that it's as delicious as my mom's version, but I consider it to be not too bad, given that it's both gluten and dairy-free.
 
This recipe freezes well and is great to pull out as a quick defrosted meal, accompanied by a salad, such as this to-die-for ceasar salad or this wonderful cranberry avocado salad.
 
8-10 lasagna noodles
2 tbsp. canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. basil or rosemary
2 6oz. cans of tomato paste
1 1/2 C hot water
2 eggs, beaten
1 pint cottage cheese (small container)
1/2 lb. grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese

1.  Heat oil in a skillet.  Cook garlic and onion until soft.  Add beef and seasoning and cook until crumbly.  Add tomato paste and water and cook 10-15 minutes on low. 

2.  In a separate bowl, blend beaten eggs with cottage cheese.   

 

 3.  Cook noodles according to package directions.

4.  In a large dish, spoon a thin layer of meat sauce, 1/2 of the noodles, all of the cottage cheese mixture and 1/2 of the grated mozzarella.  Repeat with remaining sauce, noodles and mozzarella.  Sprinkle with parmesan.

5.  Bake at 350 degrees Farenheit for approximately one hour.

 

Difficulty level:  moderate 

For a gluten-free version, use rice noodles.

Orzo Salad

I have made this recipe a ton this summer, since I got it from my good friend Heather.  It is so super quick to make that it completely fits my criteria for things being made in my kitchen these days.  And it is also delicious.  De-licious!  Which is clearly my top priority.

This is great for pot-lucks or picnics, as it doesn't to be reheated.  It's perfect for me to serve to company these days, as it's one less thing to coordinate for a meal.  Just make it in advance and pop it into the fridge. 

Now personally, I hate olives.  Hate them.  Like, if a random olive bit climbs its way onto my sub at Subway, I will pick it off before eating it.  That kind of a hate.  

Yet somehow, I don't hate them at all in this recipe.  Kinda like my goat cheese experience with this recipe here.  Opening new doors for my tastebuds, I guess.

It turns out that my mom doesn't like olives either.  Which is why, when she showed up to visit a couple of weekends and caught me chopping the olives, I lied to her.  She asked if I was chopping olives and I just simply said "nope".  And prayed to God that she wouldn't ask me what I was chopping.  But she didn't.  I then ran and hid the can the olives came in in the recycling as quickly as I could.  And sure enough, she didn't catch the olives in the salad either.  So this recipe is even good for all of you olive haters out there too.

I didn't use oil-packed sundried tomatoes in my salad, but used the sundried ones sold at Costco in a huge package.  And I found that worked well, as there's also added oil in the salad.

1 C orzo dried
4 tbsp. chopped sundried tomatoes in oil
1/4 C coarsely sliced olives
1/4 C sunflower seeds 
1/3-1/4 C radicchio, finely chopped (optional)
4 tbsp. olive oil
1/8 C balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed

1.  Cook the orzo, as you would rice.  I cooked 1 C dried orzo with 1 C of water in my rice cooker. 

2.  Chop the sundried tomatoes olives, and radicchio.

3.  Mix together all ingredients in a bowl.

4.  Chill, serve and enjoy.

Difficulty level: easy

Mom's Tuna Casserole

This is another recipe that my mom used to make us as kids.  Now that Logan is eating fish, I decided to make this, thinking that it was a perfect combination of things that he likes.  And that he would therefore actually eat it.

For quite awhile now, I've been attempting to get him to just eat what we eat for dinner.  And so far, I haven't had much luck with it.  He often ends up munching on crackers, bananas and yogurt and calling it a meal.  But I am being persistent in my efforts.

I got a great big grin when I put this on his plate.

However, within seconds, he was scraping all of the tuna casserole off of his plate and onto the table...

Without a single bit of it ever touching his lips.

I am, however, happy to report that when I served him leftovers today, although he yet again did not touch the tuna casserole, he happily munched away on the corn I served with it, which is a first.

My intention when Logan eats this one day is to add some cooked sliced mushrooms and peas into it so that in can become a one dish meal.  But I didn't want to push my luck first time around.

regular potato chips (or Premium Plus crackers)
medium egg noodles (I used whole-wheat)
2 cans of tuna
can of condensed mushroom soup
milk

1.  Take a bag of regular crushed potato chips and spread some on the bottom of a casserole dish.   Alternatively, you can use whole-wheat Premium Plus crackers (enough to cover the bottom).  I used whole-wheat Ritz crackers because that's all I had in the house that would work.

2.  Cook 3/4 bag of noodles according to package directions.

3.  Using 2 cans of tuna, alternate putting noodles and tuna in the casserole dish (I did 1/3 noodles, a can of tuna, 1/3 noodles, a can of tuna and then the rest of the noodles).

4.  Pour one can of mushroom soup and one can of milk over the casserole.

5.  Place more chips/crackers on top.

6.  Bake at 350 degrees Farenheit for one hour.

Difficulty level: easy