My daughters are very adventurous eaters – compared to most kids their age. Last night when we were driving home, I asked my younger daughter was she wanted for dinner, and would you believe she asked me to make something new? What 8 year old asks for that? I would have expected her to say – macaroni and cheese, pizza or a big cheese quesadilla – but no, she wanted to try something different. I guess I dug my own grave there.
I love that they are willing to try just about anything – now, that doesn’t mean they like everything – but at least they are open to trying. There are a few things though that each of them still won’t touch with a 10 foot poll. The problem is that they are not obscure things – they are the basics. Fortunately there are not that many – although they usually are in the vegetable category. My younger daughter can’t stand cooked carrots. She actually likes them raw – but cook them, and forget it. She hates the taste, but more than that she complains about the texture. Go figure.
In the fall we have a tradition of going to a German restaurant to get some delicious Schnitzel. We used to drive all the way across town to go to this place we loved, but over the years it just went downhill. So this year we decided to try a new place that had just opened up in our neighborhood. It is a great neighborhood joint, and the owner is from Germany. The food is delicious – and he plays this little game with the kids. If you eat all of your carrots, you get a big plate of Gummy Bears topped with whipped cream. Wow, that was quite a dilemma. Of course my older daughter wasted no time eating her carrots. She saw the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow – but my younger daughter just couldn’t do it. The owner came back to the table quite a few times, and told her she had to eat her carrots, and I swear she almost burst into tears. We made her eat one, and seriously that was all I could watch. We helped her with the rest so she could also get her treat. There was no way we were leaving that place without the prize.
Recently I was looking through Cooking Light, and found this recipe that looked just scrumptious. Ok, just about anything fried has me sold – but then dipping it into a yogurt dill sauce? Come on. So, I had to give these a try. I knew that keeping the carrots in the recipe was risky, but I figured if she can eat them here, that is at least a start. Would you believe she actually scarfed these down completely? She loved every bit of them, and remarked that she couldn’t even taste the carrots – score! It is the little victories that count – and the fact that she was willing to give them a try. I will give her a pot of gold for that any day.
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
- 2.25 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
- 1.5 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/3 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
Preparation
Place 4 cups water, broccoli, and carrots in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 4 minutes; drain. Pat broccoli mixture dry with paper towels; finely chop. Place broccoli mixture and flour in a large bowl; stir to coat. Add cheese, salt, pepper, onions, and egg to broccoli mixture; stir to combine.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Spoon 1/4 cup broccoli mixture into a dry measuring cup. Pour mixture into pan; flatten slightly. Repeat procedure 7 times to form 8 fritters. Cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Combine yogurt and dill in a small bowl. Serve yogurt mixture with fritters.
For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Crispy Broccoli-Carrot Fritters
First Look, Then Cook 