Soba with Yams and Cabbage
I made macaroni and cheese the other night (you’re welcome, kids), and Yancey actually pushed it away and ate only salad. He said, “Babe, don’t be mad at me.” What’s a wife and mother to do? Be mad, of course! He’s on the healthy firefighter kick, and when I unveiled soba with cabbage last night (you’re welcome, Yancey), the kids whined and ate one ounce each. Except they didn’t say, “Babe, don’t be mad.” Kids aren’t known for being other-centric.
If you’re hoping I have some brilliant solution to this conundrum, you’d better surf on over to another blog. Lots of you comment, wondering things like, “Do your kids eat all the brussel sprouts you make?” (No!) or “How did that collard green pizza go over with your kids?” (Horribly! ) They hate collard green pizza and brussel sprouts in fish sauce. So I don’t have a solution, but I do have a few bits to say on the subject (surprise).
Expectations. I don’t expect my kids to like cauliflower more than they like chicken nuggets. Of course they like chicken nuggets more. I don’t make them feel bad about that, I don’t take it personally, and I let them have chicken nuggets when I’m feeling extra nostalgic about them being teenagers one day.
Taking the long view. Yancey grew up on a diet of ground beef in all forms (tacos, meatloaf, shepherds pie, hamburgers) and an occasional iceberg lettuce salad. Now he’s one of the most adventurous eaters I know. This gives me hope.
Going for exposure, not consumption. Whatever Yancey and I eat, I put some on Wyatt and Loretta’s plates. They have to try it–if only just the tiniest little bite–and then they call fill up on rice or whatever other tasteless white thing happens to be around.
Serving something they’ll go ape for at least once a week. Making pizza, potstickers and rice, or BLT’s once a week buys me a lot of goodwill with my kids. And I draw from that bank account a lot more than they’d like. When Wyatt whines about soba and cabbage, I say, “Wyatt, I don’t feel one bit sorry for you. We had pizza last night.”
And if you decide only to please yourself, make these delicious, healthy noodles. And maybe eat them alone.
P.S. Another picture of Loretta I’ve been meaning to show off. She turns three this week, and I keep thinking about this time in 2007–pregnant; just finished with grad school and exhausted; waiting to start the next chapter of my life. She is simultaneously the biggest rascal and sweetest treasure in my life (even though she does complain about cabbage for dinner).
Soba with Yams and Cabbage
Serves 4. Make this Asian broth or this one. Keep it hot. In another large saucepan, boil some water. Peel 2 medium yams or one large one, and cut them into 1/2″ cubes. Boil them until just tender, 4 or 5 minutes. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same water, boil 8 oz. soba (buckwheat) noodles until tender, 7 or 8 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Get out 4 large soup bowls. Arrange 1/2 c. thinly sliced cabbage, a handful of the cooked yams, a handful of snow peas, some thinly sliced mushrooms, and a mound of noodles in each. Pour hot broth over, and garnish with strips of toasted seaweed, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.
She is adorable. Happy birthday, Loretta.
Our attitude toward kids and food is quite similar. I sometimes beat myself up trying to figure out why my kids don’t like vegetables more than they do (which is not very much at all). But if your kids sometimes reject your delicious meals, I feel a bit better about the fact that my kids often refuse my so-so dinners. Or maybe I should feel worse? Oh, dear. It’s late.
Ahh, sometimes I come check in when I’m winding down for the night, even if nothing is showing up in my RSS feeds. I figure that you, like me, might have just wrapped something up and posted!
This reminds me that Bear and Loretta played really well together when Roo wasn’t around. (They can go toe-to-toe in the smartest-cutest-rascal category, and maybe they know it!) Wouldn’t it be great if we could make that happen sometime? At the moment, I’ve got no ideas to that end.
Love that picture of Loretta, and those eyes! and cheeks! When Bear gives me his sad, pleading puppy eyes it just about kills me.
I do think I’m going to bookmark this page for every time I hear people asking for parenting advice on food. (Naomi Momosis exempt, of course.) I probably eat more like your kids. Mac n cheese, chicken, the occasional non-potato veggie. And bacon, let’s not forget the bacon. So let me know when Yancey is working, and I’ll invite myself over for dinner. Because I’m a giver like that.
this week: this soup + me.
When I was a kid I was only interested in three things: Peanut butter & honey sandwiches, lemons and the crispy skin from fried chicken. Not exactly a balanced diet. My parents once tried to force me to eat whatever they were eating - resulting in multi-hour showdowns at the dinner table until they gave up… and I turned out just fine!
Lemons?! Love that. My kids have always been partial to sour things, too.
We commit the cardinal sin of not eating together as a family. For the first four years of having kids, my husband got home at 7:30 - long after they were both in bed. We grew accustomed to having dinner just the two of us and when his job moved to Seattle (from Redmond), we kept that going. So, my kids eat lots of kid food and aren’t really exposed to the interesting things I make for the adults. I feel bad about this, but just hope that as they get older and stay up later, we will all eat together and they will have some of the good stuff. My little guy turns 3 next week. I’m sad and nostalgic too.
Wow, lots of third b-day’s! Maya turns 3 on Sunday!
Sarah–yes yes yes about food with kids. I remind myself in trying times around the dinner table what I remember from my child development class in college, “There are two things kids can really control in life, what they put in their body and what they put out of their body;” hence, don’t force these two issues because you’re only going down a rabbit trail. And I’m so behind you on the offering it, always offering it, and taking the “no thank you” bite.
That’s the other thing about it..I remember reading that it can take up to 15 times being offered a food until you actually like it. Yesterday my one year old was sitting in her high chair with quite precision squishing pea by pea by pea. It was at this moment I chose to look at life with the glass half full (not always the case in these situations) and think, “well look she’s exercising her fine motor skills and cause & effect.” Thanks for this, because it’s too easy in blogland to think the writer lives in a blissful, wonderful, singing in the Alps world like florine Maria. Hope you are enjoying sunshine like in Bellingham:)
Oh and I forgot–Loretta is one cutie.
LOL. I suppose there are some Alps-singing moments around here, but we’ve got plenty of other ones, too.
This soup looks so nice! I am a real stickler for not wasting anything. I make up dishes and fib to people saying that it is a traditional dish in a far away land just to be able to throw the kitchen sink in a pot so it gets eaten! Hence, I will be visiting you often… Stella
i remember being in that delivery room with you and loretta like it was yesterday! how time flies. i have absolutely no doubt that your kids will be appreciative and diverse eaters as they age. thank you for always inspiring. smooch loretta’s cheeks for me.
This old retired Pediatric Nurse Practitioner LOVES your post today on kids’ eating tastes!!! YYYEEEEAAAAAAAA, Sarah! I will write you a contract that your children will mature to eat multi-ethnically, blissfully, and with great adventure. You’re doing The Great Balancing Act, just right! And, Dana, if your kids end up eating dinner with their parents most nights in the next few years, and you stick with that sociable expectation, they’ll still be wanting to do it when they’re 45! This is a lovely virtual community!
I LOVE Loretta. Wish I was closer to squeeze her up.
I think Loretta looks a lot like you =]
I am mentally bookmarking these thoughts for the day a couple years from now when my child will refuse everything but chocolate milk and fruit snacks.
My children strangely enough would probably like this all except the youngest who is convinced that it is his job to turn his nose up to everything but candy, ice cream, and donuts!!
I feel stupid for admitting this but I had to ask my hubby what Soba was? I was happy that he didn’t even really know either.
Oh yes, and I almost forgot your lil one is so precious. What a sweet picture.
Talk about “Toddler Envy!” Who wouldn’t want to be Loretta?!!
Soooo cute!! And the recipe looks sooo good! I love soba noodles, this recipe looks easy to “throw” together. I have a recipe I’d like to share with you …I almost always have all the ingredients on hand and it is hearty and kids like it as long as you omit the cayenne as it has peanut butter and garbanzo beans in it . It is Sengalese Peanut Soup. Goes together in like 10 minutes and is done in same amount of time.
15 oz can garbanzo beans, drain and rinse
3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth(veggie works too
3 TBSP natural peanut butter
1 tsp peanut oil
2 onions chopped
1″ ginger root grated
1 1/2 tsps curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin
14 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp cayenne(optional )
chopped cilantro- garnish
Saute onions in oil- 5 minutes; add ginger, cumin and curry- saute 3 more minutes. While onions are sauteing mix beans, peanut butter and 1/2c stock in food process or blender and puree. Add tomatoes and 2 1/2 c broth. Add puree mixture. Heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Add cayenne(optional) and serve with chopped cilantro for garnish,,,a dollop of yogurt or creme fraish is good too!
I like to use my immersion blender to smooth it out(not completely smooth though) before serving. Tastes even better the next day! Hope you try it and like it:-)
Thanks, Leslee! This looks delicious. I have an “African Peanut Soup” recipe in my rotation that looks similar–quick, nutritious, tasty. I’ll definitely try yours.
Yum. And such good parental wisdom. I love all the amens on here.
What a rascally face! I like this part…”and then they call fill up on rice or whatever other tasteless white thing happens to be around.” Funny. Agree. Need to have something they LOVE too. Tuna melts & fries are a good one here (just had that tonight). However, I am not sure all 4 year olds are using their emergency voice (thanks for teaching her about this, Sarah), to scream in delight “I LOVE capers!!!!” Emeril’s tuna has capers in it. $4.99 for a giant jar at Costco! And…one of HM’s favorites is still that Blasted Broccoli! Ezra loves it too!
She loves capers?! Another reason to brag she’s my niece.