August 10, 20128/10/12 Barb Boose 0 comments Share

Got a picky eater at home? Or are you one yourself? Then you might relate to a post by “Against All Grain” blogger Danielle, a self-described mom, wife and grain-free cook from the San Francisco Bay area who “drastically” changed her diet after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. While I’m in that very happy category of people who can – and do – eat all types of foods, I restrict anything I consume to only those foods that taste good. When they’re healthy, too, well, that’s like no-calorie icing on the fat-free cake.

Danielle shares her attempts to persuade her toddler to try new foods, including vegetables, which he hates. She decided that “maybe the best way for him to get excited about trying new things was to let him make them himself.” Parents of toddlers, take note! Empower your children EARLY to cook, sweep, dust, push the vacuum, etc. without criticism (or, worse, redoing the task while they’re watching), and they’ll grow into self-directed, disciplined and independent people. And, if your experience is like Danielle’s, you may even get your kiddo to dive into the veggies.

Photo: Against All Grain

For the recipe below, I substituted olive oil for the coconut oil; a little lime juice for the kaffir lime leaves; and low-sodium soy sauce for the coconut aminos. Like all my favorite recipes, this one is utterly flexible to fit your tastes and what you have on hand.

Danielle’s toddler-approved vegetable curry

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 cups vegetables, fresh or frozen (Danielle used a mix of broccoli, carrots, snow peas, zucchini and mushrooms)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, fresh or from the jar
• 1 teaspoon coconut aminos
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander
• Dash nutmeg
• Pinch of cayenne
• 1/2 cup coconut milk

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add all the ingredients EXCEPT the coconut milk and sauté for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the coconut milk and simmer for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked and soft.