French Kids Eat Everything (36 page)

Okay, this recipe is not actually French. But it is very much in the French spirit: simple and quick to make, and the perfect combination of two foods that taste heavenly together.

Served as suggested, it makes a lovely puree (for babies twelve months or older). Diluted slightly with water, it is a perfect soup for a winter evening. The nutty taste of the lentils is offset by the darkly sweet flavor of the unsulfured apricots (which are much tastier than the conventional kind, so it is worth splurging). Make sure to blend it a long time—this soup should be so creamy that it is almost frothy.

This soup freezes well and is one of our homemade “fast foods.” I freeze it in small portions (yes, I still sometimes use baby ice-cube trays) and then simply pull out what I need and reheat.

2 cups dried red lentils

7 to 8 cups water

¾ cup unsulfured apricots, whole (they'll be dark brown rather than orange)

Optional: 1 tablespoon canola or olive oil

1. Wash and rinse the lentils twice (if not pre-rinsed), or until the water runs clear. Put the lentils in a pot with 7 to 8 cups of water (don't reuse the lentil rinse water!), depending on how thick you want the soup. Top with the apricots.

2. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until the lentils and apricots are tender, stirring every few minutes.

3. Blend until frothily smooth. Optional: adding a little canola oil will make the soup slightly richer and creamier (plus, it is a good source of omega-3s).

Tip:
Don't put the apricots on the bottom of the pot, and be sure to stir regularly; otherwise the apricots will sink and stick to the bottom of your pot.

Variation:
For a slightly more complex, grown-up taste, add chopped onions and paprika. Sauté the onions in a skillet over a low heat in a little vegetable oil. When the onions are golden, add the paprika and stir. Add to the lentil mixture, and proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Preparation: 5 minutes

Servings: 4 small adult “side salad” servings

French families eat a lot of endive, both raw and cooked, and it is one of the vegetables that many French children seem to like. Chopped finely, endive has the texture of lettuce hearts, but is just slightly tangier. Some children may initially find endive to be a bit bitter until they get used to the taste. So in this recipe, vinaigrette and sweet-tart kiwi are used to offset any bitterness, while providing a little acidity to keep the leaves looking fresh.

This dish makes a lovely summer salad, or “starter” for a meal any time of year, and keeps well in the fridge for a day.

If you don't have kiwi, use any type of fresh fruit that your children like.

4 endive heads, sliced crosswise (the thinner the better), hard ends removed

4 tablespoons
vinaigrette

Optional: minced fresh chives

2 kiwis, peeled, sliced, and quartered

In a large bowl, combine the endive and vinaigrette. If you like, sprinkle the salad with minced chives. Lay the pieces of kiwi on top.

Tip:
Serve the vinaigrette on the side as a dip if this is a new flavor for your family.

Preparation: 2 minutes

Servings: Makes a little less than 1 cup, to serve a family-size salad

Vinaigrette captures the spirit of French cooking: easy to make, healthy, inexpensive, and tasty. French children get used to the taste of vinegar at a very early age (and often use it where North American children would prefer ketchup). To accommodate palates slightly less used to acidic dressing, I have modified this recipe just slightly, with a Canadian twist.

This dressing stores well for at least a week in the fridge.

½ cup extra virgin olive oil (or canola oil)

¼ cup red or white wine vinegar

1½ teaspoons Dijon-style mustard

Optional: 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Optional: 1 tablespoon finely minced shallot, scallion, or onion

1. Put the ingredients together in a jar with a lid, close the jar, and shake vigorously.

2. Taste before serving, and adjust quantities according to your preference (my mother-in-law prefers a more acidic vinaigrette, whereas I prefer my slightly sweeter, gentler version).

Tip:
Kids love using this as a dip. Before the main evening meal, I serve the vinaigrette in little individual bowls along with crudités (raw vegetables) like carrots and cucumber sticks. This vinaigrette can also be used as a dressing for cooked vegetables (like beets) or grated carrot salad (another French kids' favorite, often served at school lunches).

Preparation: 5 minutes

Standing: 1 hour (optional)

Cooking: 2 minutes per crêpe

Servings: Makes 8 to 10 large crêpes

Brittany is famous for its crêpes (thin pancakes), and
crêperies
can be found all over the region. Stuffed with savories like ham, spinach, or egg, crêpes make a filling meal (think of them as a French version of tortillas). Our children love “crêpes night.” The anticipation of the sweet dessert crêpes puts them in a good mood, and I find that they're more willing to try the new fillings in the savory dinner crêpes served first.

Once you get the trick of crêpes, they are fast, easy, and fun to make. The batter is usually foolproof, but the art of cooking the thin crêpes (with the right flick of the wrist at the right time) is something you learn with practice; I'd recommend watching an online video or two first, if this is your first time.

Batter

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups all-purpose flour (presifted if possible)

3 cups milk (whole or 2 percent, but not skim), plus ½ cup water

2 tablespoons melted butter (or vegetable oil)

Optional: 1 pinch salt

Butter or vegetable oil for cooking

For dessert crêpes: 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Place the flour in a large bowl, make a well, and add the eggs. Slowly pour in the milk, and then the water, stirring gently but constantly. Don't overmix. The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream (if not, add more milk to thin the mixture). If you can, let the batter sit for at least 1 hour on the counter or, preferably, overnight in the fridge (your crêpes will have a nice smooth texture).

2. In a separate bowl, set aside some of the batter (approximately one-third to one-half) for the dessert crêpes; into this dessert mixture, stir the sugar and vanilla.

Cooking the crêpes

The trick is to cook the crêpe in the right way, so that the filling can heat up and the crêpe can be crispy without being burnt. Here's the method I use, taught to me by my mother-in-law
.

1. Preheat a medium nonstick skillet to a medium-high temperature (just hot enough to make a drop of water “sputter”). Melt the butter (or vegetable oil) smoothly over the cooking surface (I use a bit of paper towel to spread it evenly). Pour in the batter (approximately ¼ to
¹
/
3
cup per crêpe, depending on how thick you like them), while moving your wrist in a circular motion so that the batter forms a large circle (covering the entire surface of the frying pan). Do this quickly (as the batter dries almost instantly), using something from which it is easy to pour. The crêpe should be thin, so it will become crispy at the edges when cooked.

2. The crêpe should start turning golden around the edges within 30 to 40 seconds. When browned on the bottom, carefully loosen and lift the edges with a spatula, and flip. While the second side is browning, place the filling in half of the crêpe, smoothing it out evenly. By the time the underside is done, the filling should be perfectly warm. Fold in half over the filling, and serve immediately by sliding the crêpe onto a plate (or a warming pan placed in the oven).

Suggested savory spinach filling

The traditional filling in Brittany is fairly rich: a slice of ham, one egg (like a sunny-side-up egg, inside the crêpe), and grated cheese. But I like this lighter alternative:

2 cups baby spinach leaves

2 tablespoons butter

Optional: a pinch of salt, a pinch of nutmeg, ½ cup grated hard white cheese

To prepare the spinach filling, gently wash the baby spinach, then place in a small pot (no added water!), and stir over high heat until wilted and tender (a minute or less). Stir in the butter and sprinkle with salt and nutmeg, if desired. Spoon the spinach mixture in a line down the middle of each crêpe, roll it up, and tuck the ends underneath like a wrap. Repeat with the rest of the crêpes. Pop the crêpes into a baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese (optional), broil for 2 to 4 minutes, and serve hot
.

Note:
To save time, you can use the
spinach
puree listed on page 239 as a filling.

Suggested dessert fillings

Now that you have enjoyed your dinner crêpes, it's time for dessert! The classic filling for dessert crêpes is
beurre-sucre:
a teaspoon of butter and a sprinkling of sugar. Here are some classic French fillings:

Lemon-honey: A spoonful of honey, a squeeze of lemon juice
.

Chocolate: Melt a square of dark chocolate over the crêpe surface
.

Berries: Fresh blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries
.

Jam: Any kind will do, but we love blackberry jam the best
.

Note:
If you want to serve everyone at the same time, place crêpes on a plate in the oven to keep warm while you prepare the rest. Repeat until you have the desired number of crêpes (usually one per child or two per adult as a main dish, plus one per person for dessert).

Tip:
For some reason known only to the gods of French cooking, the first crêpe is almost always a disaster. Set it aside, add a little butter if you need grease on your cooking surface, and just keep going!