How to get your kids to love yams!

Asher has recently discovered that yams are Yummy!!!

How do I get my 4 year old to eat yams? 

He loved them as a baby but as he got older he wouldn't eat them unless they were in fry form. So one night while making a batch of mashed yams for my dinner instead of regular potato, I added in a bit of butter and the spices I would normally use in my pumpkin scone recipe... Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger! I put a little on his plate as well and told him it was like pumpkin pie. 

He tried, he loved! The rest is history! 

But what if you can't even get you kid to put them in his mouth? 

Try a blind taste test! 

Have them try different foods blind folded! 

Get them to guess what each food is and then show them after, this will ensure that after they have tried the food item they can visually associate it with the taste they just had. 

Start with items they love to build the trust and go from there. You might be surprised at the foods they actually like! 

Have fun with it and dont push too hard! I always put a food item on Asher's plate even if he doesn't eat it or I know he doesn't like it because you never know! 

Veggie enchiladas with avocado cream sauce

It's been a long time since I made this recipe for dinner but when Gord sat down to the table tonight he said "mmmm my favourite" I was surprised! No shocked!

Why? 

Well because my meat and potatoes man just named a vegetarian dish a favourite! 

It is pretty tasty but I kind of thought of it as one of those dishes I loved and everyone else tolerated! I guess not! 

The original recipe came from here. 

I leave out the peppers but everything else is basically the same! 

I do find it makes more filling than we need but it's great to use the next day too! 

This is what I did with what I had on hand:

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups sweet potato, chopped
• 2 handfuls spinach, chopped
• 1 can black beans (~2 cups), drained and rinsed
• Enchilada sauce  - Recipe Below
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
• 4 whole grain tortilla wraps (I used Food for Life Ezekiel)
• Avocado Cream Sauce, to pour on top (recipe below)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grab a baking dish large enough for 4 enchiladas. Pre-cook the chopped sweet potato, by steaming it for about 5-10 minutes until just tender. Do not overcook. Drain and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, add 1 tbsp oil and bring to medium to low heat. Add in the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until translucent. Add in garlic and reduce heat to low and cook for a couple more minutes. Now add the pre-cooked sweet potato, drained black beans, and chopped spinach. Cook for about 5-7 more minutes on medium-low heat.

3. Now add in your enchilada or pasta sauce. Stir well, and add in the nutritional yeast (optional), Stir well. I don't add in the extra seasonings that the original recipe lists because the enchilada sauce contains it all plus!

4.  Scoop about 1/2-3/4 cup of the mixture onto each tortilla and wrap, placing the fold down on the casserole dish. Repeat for the remaining 3 tortillas and leave a bit of filling left to spread over the top. Cover with enchilada sauce and sprinkle with cheese if preferred.

5. Bake tortillas at 350F for 18-20 minutes. Meanwhile, make your Avocado cream sauce (see below). When enchiladas are cooked, remove from oven and pour the sauce over top. Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onion. Serve immediately. Makes 4 enchiladas.

Avocado cream sauce 

1 avocado

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup water

In food processor blend avocado and spices until smooth, when mostly chopped up add in water to make into a thick sauce! 

Adding in cilantro to this sauce is amazing, but I didn't happen to have any on hand tonight!  

Enchilada Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in flour until well combined, about 1 minute.
• Stir in tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Give it a try and let me know what you thought!