“I hate vegetables,” “this has no flavor,” “I’m not eating this!” – how many people out there have heard at least one of these from their kids? It can be difficult at times to make vegetables appetizing to children, and it gets even more frustrating come dinner time. Wondering how to get your children to eat some of the summer’s best produce? Much like incentivizing their household chores, coupling summer vegetables with something they love is a tried and true way to win your children over. Shifting to a more kid-friendly meal, enjoy this week’s in-season recipe
Zucchini Rice Casserole
Don’t worry folks, this cheesy crowd-pleaser works on both the young AND young at heart! You’ll be sure to win over kids and adults alike with this flavorful casserole filled with summer vegetables and cheesy goodness! And another awesome part of the recipe: chicken/turkey sausage is brought in instead of pork, making the dish even healthier without cutting out the fan-favorite sausage flavor!
Nutrition Information: Per serving: 248 calories; 9 g fat ( 5 g sat , 1 g mono ); 34 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 13 g protein; 2 g fiber; 491 mg sodium; 273 mg potassium.
Carbohydrate Servings: 2
Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 high-fat meat
Recipe found in EatingWell!
Ingredients
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Pour rice into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir hot broth into the rice along with zucchini (and/or squash), bell peppers, onion and salt. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 35 to 45 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, whisk milk and flour in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until bubbling and thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add 1 1/2 cups Jack cheese and corn and cook, stirring, until the cheese is melted. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add sausage. Cook, stirring and breaking the sausage into small pieces with a spoon, until lightly browned and no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
- When the rice is done, stir in the sausage and cheese sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Jack cheese on top and dollop cream cheese by the teaspoonful over the casserole. Top with jalapeños.
- Return the casserole to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.
Also this week:
Healthy Summer Recipes For Kids
Fun Ideas for Healthy Children
Having trouble getting your kids to go for the healthy options this summer? With all the food at their fingertips during their summer recess, it can be tempting to snack on some less-than-stellar options. Try these simple and fun summer recipes to give your children healthy foods they’ll love! But don’t be fooled, these recipes are so delicious, and guilt-free, you may even make them yourself! You can even buy some ingredients at the market!
Kid-Friendly Recipes
Zu-Canoes
Buttermilk Oatcakes with Raspberry Compote
Chicken Schwarma
Cherry Sorbet
EatingWell Energy Bars
——————————————————————————————–
New Vendor Offerings this Week:
- Back Forty Acres – Meats / Poultry / Eggs, all raised naturally
- Beverly’s Crafts and More – Pillows, baked goods, body cream, soap, granola, tarts and pies
- Chandra June – Jewelry and garden art
- Frog Hollar Farms – Produce, home-baked breads and cakes, crafts, cut flowers, and more
- fresh – Locally roasted coffee beans
- Greystone Farm & Creamery – Cream cheeses, camembert style cheeses, feta, and gouda, and manchego style cheeses from the sheep’s milk.
- H & H Sugarbush – Maple syrup, maple cream, maple candy, maple nuts, popcorn
- Heim Gardens – Perennials, annuals, hanging baskets, planters, produce (vegetables, raspberries, strawberries)
- Janet’s LLC – Herbs and spices, blends and grilling rubs, flavored nuts, chocolate, jams, dolls and greeting cards
- Kapnick Orchards – Sweet and sour cherries, black and red raspberries, blueberries and a few peaches.
- La Baguette – French breads and baked goods
- Mama Mofoods – 17 varieties of hummus, 8 varieties of seitan and pesto
- Merkel Gardens & Greenhouses – Hanging baskets, flats and produce
- Myer’s Blackberry Farm – blackberries, raspberries, jams and vegetables
- Ruhlig’s Produce – Wide variety of vegetables and cut flowers
- Stone Hearth Breads and Bakery – Artisan breads, bagels, favo, pepperoni rolls, cookies
- Tantre Farm – Organic Produce: Arugula, Beans (Green, Yellow), Beets (Chiogga, Red, Long Root), Chard (Swiss), Collard Greens, Cucumbers, Fresh Cut Flowers, Fresh Garlic, Kale, Leeks, Potatoes (Red), Onions, (Green, Summer), Peas (Snap, Snow), Raspberries (Red), Spicy Greens, Squash (Summer) and Zucchini (Yellow, Green)
- Tasty Bakery – Gluten-free baked goods – NEW!
- Zatkovich Pastures – Grass fed beef, eggs, poultry – NEW!
- The Happy Peasant – Soaps, local granola, herbal products
- Johnny Secreto – Pasta, pasta sauce, BBQ sauce and rubs
- Dancy’s Fancy Butter – Flavored butter
- Flying Dragon Arts – Ribbon jewelry
- Milos Creations – Children’s accessories