Alice's vege adventure

BY JAN BILTON

By turning eating vegetables into a game, even a four-year-old can be enticed to get her optimum daily intake of fruit and vegetables. These quick recipes will help too.

Alice, my nearly four-year-old grandchild, has an aversion to vegetables, and there are a lot of other children I know who feel the same. Anything healthy is considered "yuk".

I can remember when I was young, many mothers saying, "If you don't eat your carrots, you won't be able to see in the dark".

There are more creative ways to introduce children to a healthy diet. We have turned eating vegetables into a game for Alice. It's one that helps her learn her numbers too. She counts how many carrot sticks, peas and pieces of tomato she has on her plate. They seem to disappear more quickly when a dip of mashed avocado and lemon juice is provided. She also enjoys seeing how many different coloured fruits and vegetables she can put on one plate.

Even if it is just one piece of each colour she enjoys, those healthy goodies are being consumed.

November is fruit and vegetable month, and we are being encouraged by the 5+A Day team to focus on eating at least five servings each day to help keep our bodies healthy. A serving is the amount that will fit into the palm of your hand. This means a serving for an adult is a lot bigger than a serving for a small child.

I must admit that there are a few tricks to enticing children of all ages to eat more vegetables. One favourite is a vegetable pizza using flour tortillas as the base, spread with tomato paste, piled with at least four vegetables, chopped pineapple, and a little cheese. Many ethnic vegetable dishes are also popular.

CAULI THE CALIFORNIAN WAY

4 large cauliflower florets

3 1/2 cup mascarpone or sour cream

4-5 Tbsp mixed vegetable pickle

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Steam the florets until just tender. Place in a baking dish, flower side up.

Spoon a little mascarpone or sour cream over the top. Top with a little pickle then more mascarpone. Place under a preheated grill until the mascarpone is lightly browned. Serves 4.

SWEET & SOUR MAPLE VEGETABLES

Any combination of vegetables suitable for stir-frying can be used.

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 red onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, sliced

2 green and yellow capsicums, seeded and sliced

2 tomatoes, quartered

1 cup fresh pineapple cubes

4 Tbsp white balsamic or wine vinegar

4 Tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp cornflour

1 tsp sesame oil

1 spring onion, diagonally sliced

Heat the oil in a large, heavy wok or frying pan. Stir-fry the onion for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and capsicums, stir-frying until just tender.

Add the tomatoes and pineapple and heat through. Combine the vinegar and maple syrup, stirring well. Mix in the cornflour.

Pour into the saucepan and cook, stirring until the sauce has thickened. Add the sesame oil for flavour.

Serve topped with the spring onion. Serves 4-5.

CHILLI BERRY & AVOCADO SALAD

This could also be served as a starter.

2 avocados

1 cup sliced strawberries

3 Tbsp chopped mint

3 Tbsp basil

3 Tbsp coriander leaves

Freshly ground salt and pepper

1 tsp grated root ginger

1 tsp diced chilli, or to taste

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp light soy sauce

Halve, peel, stone and slice the avocados. Place in a shallow serving bowl. Top with the sliced strawberries.

Sprinkle with the herbs, salt and pepper. Combine the ginger, chilli, garlic, lemon juice and soy and drizzle over the avocado and strawberries. Serves 4-6.

THAI-STYLE VEGETABLE SALAD

A platter of raw vegetables with hot chilli sauce – excellent served with grilled or barbecued meat.

4 red or green cabbage leaves

4 broccoli florets

8 sticks cucumber

8 spring onions

8 snow peas

2 each: carrots, courgettes, sliced

Chilli sauce:

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 small onion, diced

2 tsp sugar

1 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 Tbsp fish sauce

1/4 cup lemon juice

1-3 fresh or canned red chillies, seeded and sliced

Prepare the vegetables, cutting into creative shapes. Arrange on a platter in an attractive manner. Keep chilled.

To prepare the sauce, place all the ingredients in an electric blender and process until well combined. Pour into a small bowl and serve as a dip for the vegetables. Serves 6.

- © Fairfax NZ News