the hungry bambino

As you can tell by the title, making weeknight meals — healthful, palate-satisfying ones for both grown-ups and kids — is a little overwhelming. My dear friend Shannon, a mother of two darling boys as well as a full-time pediatrician, is my inspiration for the next few posts that will tackle several things:
1. Meals that can be shopped for on the weekend that will take you through Thursday of each week and that share ingredients to save money, time and space in the fridge.
2. Meals that satisfy the palates of grown-ups and youngsters.
3. Meals that can be either prepped the evening before or made once home from work or running the kids to all their activities (and on the table by 7 p.m.)
4. Healthful, balanced meals that feature seasonal or local produce

Daunting, huh?

Shannon’s boys have gotten a little bit pickier recently, but they are not afraid of flavor (which is good!). And while Shannon doesn’t want them to go to bed hungry, her mantra is “you get what you get and you don't throw a fit!” (Love it!). She has a good set of recipes in her arsenal, but these are getting a little overplayed. What she needs is inspiration. That’s where I come in!

The boys love quesadillas and other Mexican food, pasta, Indian (Tikka Masala in particular and Naan), quiche (depending upon what is in it), pizza, and their favorite, macaroni and cheese!

My goal is to spice up their current menu, while providing some alternative proteins (eggs, fish, and beans) into the mix and highlight some readily available, seasonal or local produce.

Here’s the menu:
Monday: Panko-crusted American farm-raised tilapia tacos with avocado crema and a black-bean salad
Fish. It’s so darn good for you and growing brains! Responsibly farmed US tilapia is a great choice since it's mild in flavor, not too expensive and readily available at your fishmonger or grocer. Most kids (except mine!) like crunchy textures and this definitely has some crunch with the whole-wheat panko (I use Ian's brand). The avocado crema adds some creamy coolness to the tacos and the black-bean salad provides some complexity for adventurous little palates and grown-ups, too.

Tuesday: Sarah's Chicken Saag (Spinach) curry with shredded chicken, served with basmati rice and wholegrain flatbread
This not-so-hidden vegetable curry is my riff on Tikka Masala without all the cream and butter (okay, there's a little butter). Simple roasted chicken breasts provide the protein and can be prepped the evening prior making both adults and kids happy. Wholegrain flatbread instead of buttery, white-flour naan will still hit the spot with the kids, while the grown-ups will like the more complex flavors and the easy prep.

Wednesday: Spinach Ricotta Frittata with wholegrain toast and balsamic-macerated strawberries