Thoughts on sneaky vegetables...
…and broccoli cheese cornbread (with a bonus mocha pudding!)
Where do you fall on the whole “hiding vegetables in other foods” concept? You know - mac ‘n cheese but it’s butternut squash that makes up the sauce, or finely chopped kale in your meatballs hidden amongst the herbs, or that chocolate mousse made with avocado…
To be honest, I’m kind of on the fence here (except about that avocado chocolate mousse, I don’t know about that).
On the one hand, part of me feels like if we’re hiding vegetables in other foods and not even telling our kids, how are they ever going to learn to like them? But on the other hand, I understand trying to get more nutrients in for a picky eater.
I guess I got lucky with a kid who eats most fruits and vegetables, and we didn’t have too many arguments.
My mother-in-law tells of growing up in a house where you couldn’t leave the table unless you had eaten everything on your plate. Similar story in my dad’s childhood, he has a funny story about one of his brothers sitting at the table with a mouthful of peas for an hour refusing to swallow while the other brothers are trying to convince him just to get it over with!
For my brother and I, I don’t remember being forced to eat anything, but dinner was dinner, and if you didn’t want it, that was fine, but you weren’t getting anything else.
We approached it similarly when we had our son. I cooked dinner as normal, vegetables out in the open. If he balked at a vegetable, we didn’t force him to eat everything on his plate, but he had to at least try a couple of bites before ice cream. (And ice cream is very important around here!) Eventually, he learned to like pretty much everything, and boy are we thankful!
These days, there are tons of websites and bloggers with tips about hiding vegetables in other foods. Jessica Seinfeld (Jerry Seinfeld’s wife) even wrote a whole cookbook about it. Oh the deception! But, I get the appeal. Veggies included, no one’s the wiser, no one’s fussing.
This week’s recipe is a compromise - we’re putting broccoli in the cornbread, but you can see it, so it’s not exactly hidden.
I grew up eating this, and it’s still one of my favorite things - Broccoli Cheese Cornbread. Soft cornbread studded with little bites of broccoli and cheddar cheese. The cottage cheese stirred into the batter boosts the cheesiness and keeps it moist (while adding a little protein, but I don’t think that was mom’s main goal). It works as a side dish and veggie dish in one or as a little something extra to go with a big bowl of soup.
And then, at the bottom, once you finish with the broccoli cornbread, we have a Double Chocolate Mocha Pudding. No hidden vegetables here, just pure dessert because I was excited to share this one and after all that veggie talk, we deserve something sweet! This pudding came about one day when I was making vanilla pudding for a big dish of Banana Pudding, but I really wanted chocolate. I added cocoa powder and semi-sweet chips (the double chocolate) and a little instant coffee powder (the mocha) and ended up with a pudding that tasted just like brownie batter! It’s not hard to make (just go slow so it doesn’t curdle) and lasts for a few days in the fridge. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying a little bowl in the evenings when I have that craving for something rich and chocolatey.
However you feel about sneaky vegetables, you do what’s best for your family. Just get those veggies in so we can have pudding!
MONDAY - Beef and Bean Burritos, Rice, Chips/Salsa
We never need a reason for a taco night, but Cinco de Mayo is a great excuse to go all out! We’ll do big burritos stuffed full of seasoned ground beef, black beans, cheese, and rice (with more rice on the side for anyone who wants it) and extras like salsa, avocado, lettuce, and sour cream. I’ve also been on a Paloma kick as my fun drink of choice lately - grapefruit and lime juice, tequila, agave, and a splash of soda water - so I see one of those coming up also.
TUESDAY - Honey Mustard Chicken and Twice Baked Potatoes
Chicken breast baked in a sauce with a couple of different kids of mustards, honey, and herbs. Twice baked potatoes can be made ahead and warmed up in the oven at the same time.
WEDNESDAY - Sheet Pan Gnocchi
Going with store bought gnocchi, baby broccoli, and grape tomatoes on a sheet pan topped with pieces of Italian sausage. All roasted together to get nice and crispy and then served with a shower of parmesan cheese over the top.
THURSDAY - One Pot Chicken and Orzo
The weather has been cool and rainy, and this one pot whole braised chicken with creamy orzo just sounds good. Ina Garten has a version, as does Nigella Lawson (and several other people), I’ll just combine their ideas in a way that works for us.
FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-Up!
SATURDAY - Friends over for Dinner!
Inviting some friends over for a casual dinner on the patio. I can’t decide between shawarma style chicken thighs and yellow rice or a big family-style bowl filled with pasta.
SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s!
Cheeseburgers and corn on the cob!
LUNCHES for this week -
Going to make some more of that air fryer marinated chicken (because when we had it last week, both the Kiddo and I agreed that it’s too good not to have more often). I got a nice looking bag of arugula and some marinated goat’s milk feta cheese at the first farmer’s market of the season, so some of the chicken can go for a salad. I’ll also roast some veggies and do grain bowls for the days when I’d rather have something warm.
EXTRAS for this week
I’ve been jotting down lots of ideas lately - some things with fresh corn now that the season is almost here, a couple of pasta ideas, and a thought about the harissa paste I just grabbed at our new Trader Joe’s- so I’ll see how many tests I can squeeze in this week.
Broccoli Cheese Cornbread
Makes one 8x8 or 9x9 pan
· 2/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
· ½ cup Plain Cornmeal
· 3 tablespoons Sugar
· 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
· ½ cup Cottage Cheese
· 2 large Eggs
· 6 tablespoons Butter, melted
· 2 tablespoons Vegetable or Canola Oil
· 1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
· ½ cup small chopped Broccoli (frozen and thawed is just fine!)
Preheat the oven to 350 with the rack arranged in the upper third. Coat an 8x8 or 9x9 square pan with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another smaller bowl, whisk together cottage cheese, eggs, butter, and oil until well combined. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined, then stir in cheese and broccoli.
Spread mixture in the prepared baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes until a tester comes out clean (or with just a few crumbs) and the cornbread is golden on top. (If using the larger sized pan, it may take less time.)
Cool in pan at least 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
Double Chocolate Mocha Pudding
Makes about 6 servings
· ½ cup White Sugar
· 3 tablespoons Flour
· ½ teaspoon kosher Salt (Morton or other store brand)
· 1 ½ tablespoons Instant Espresso or Coffee Granules
· ¼ cup Cocoa Powder (Dutch process or Hershey’s Dark are both good choices)
· 2 large Eggs
· 1 large Egg Yolk
· 2 cups Whole Milk
· ½ teaspoon Vanilla
· ¼ cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
· ½ tablespoon Butter
In a medium-large saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, salt, instant coffee, and cocoa and whisk to combine. Whisk in the two eggs and one egg yolk until mixture is thick and smooth. Slowly whisk in the milk until well combined.
Set the pot over medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes (while stirring frequently) until you see steam coming off the mixture. Then, reduce the heat to medium low, and continue cooking for another 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until the pudding thickens. You should be able to see the track left behind by your spoon or whisk. Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla and chocolate chips, until chocolate chips have melted. Then stir in the butter until melted and pudding is smooth and shiny.
Cool slightly, then pour the pudding into a container or bowl. (If it looks like your pudding may have lumps, you can strain it through a sieve into your container.)
Cover the pudding with a layer of plastic wrap, pressing it against the top of the pudding to prevent a “skin” from forming. Refrigerate until cold.
If desired, serve pudding with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa powder.
Sweetened Whipped Cream
· ¾ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
· 2 teaspoon White Sugar
· ½ teaspoon Vanilla
Combine cream, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl, and whip with a hand mixer until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.
That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!
(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)
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My Mom was a wonderful, funny, sweet, loving, amazing person. But, she did not like to cook and sabotaged most meals so no one would ask her to cook again. I may have actually liked veggies if she was a wonderful cook like you. Broccoli is still my Achilles heel - no way, no form. Not hidden, not covered in cheese, not raw, not cooked. All eeck! BUT...the pudding is rich and so very tasty.