Anyone use the Jessica Seinfeld cookbooks? I want to hide veg in meatballs

[npmommie]

what would be a good veg to hide in meatballs? I had her books from the library and don't have them anymore, and I forget what veg she used for meatballs or meatloaf.
Do you think pureed cauliflower would work?

I really really need to make a bigger effort to get more veg and fruit into my ds.
he will only eat bananas, corn, apples.
he will not touch broccoli, cauliflower, or any leafy green.
I get spinach and leafy greens into him by hiding them in chocolate smoothies ( you can't taste or see the green)
I think I have allowed him to eat a mostly carb ( bread pasta) diet for too long.
he loves mac and cheese, cereal, bread, plain pasta and that is it.
and that isn't healthy.
I was trying not to set up issues by forcing things, other things are available but he just won't eat them
I think our house is going to be a bad carb free zone totally, zero tolerance for now.

 

[antmaril]

I have Jessica Seinfield's second cookbook called "Double Delicious". She has a recipe for sweet and sour meatballs and uses a broccoli puree in that one. Her recipe for meatball subs calls for a sweet potato puree in the meatballs.

Her recipe for turkey meatloaf calls for a carrot puree and a cauliflower puree. I think a cauliflower puree would be fine in meatballs.

 

[npmommie]

I have Jessica Seinfield's second cookbook called "Double Delicious". She has a recipe for sweet and sour meatballs and uses a broccoli puree in that one. Her recipe for meatball subs calls for a sweet potato puree in the meatballs.

Her recipe for turkey meatloaf calls for a carrot puree and a cauliflower puree. I think a cauliflower puree would be fine in meatballs.

Thank you! I am due for a grocery store run and I only have cauliflower and broccoli on hand!

 

[tlbwriter]

If I were going to hide a vegetable in meatballs, I'd chop it very finely rather than using puree. Tomatoes, carrots, zucchini would probably be good.

Speaking of the Jessica Seinfeld book, was she ever cleared of plagiarism? I know she was accused of lifting most of her recipes straight out of an earlier cookbook on the same theme. And while you can't copyright a recipe, basically slapping your own cover on someone else's book is still frowned upon (if that's what she did).

 

[TheIncredibles!]

You don't need the cookbook. I hide vegetables all the time.

I chop carrots finely and put it into my tomato sauce. I steam and puree them and put them in pizza sauce.

Steamed pureed carrots and sweet potatoes can also be put into home made macaroni and cheese, pancakes, waffles etc. Also much like using apple sauce as a sub for oil when you bake, you can also do the same thing with pureed carrots or sweet potatoes.

Can do grated or steamed veggies in meatballs or meatloaf.

I honestly wouldn't bother with zucchini. If you are going to go through all that effort, do it with a vegetable that packs a punch etc.

It's very easy to steam your veggies, puree them. (If you need to add water to get them smooth use the water you steamed with) then freeze in ice cube trays or in small snack ziplock bags.

 

[BeenHereB4]

I do have and like that book but I've found equally delicious "hidden veggie" recipes just using Google.

 

[wishesuponastar]

You don't need the cookbook. I hide vegetables all the time.

I chop carrots finely and put it into my tomato sauce. I steam and puree them and put them in pizza sauce.

Steamed pureed carrots and sweet potatoes can also be put into home made macaroni and cheese, pancakes, waffles etc. Also much like using apple sauce as a sub for oil when you bake, you can also do the same thing with pureed carrots or sweet potatoes.

Can do grated or steamed veggies in meatballs or meatloaf.

I honestly wouldn't bother with zucchini. If you are going to go through all that effort, do it with a vegetable that packs a punch etc.

It's very easy to steam your veggies, puree them. (If you need to add water to get them smooth use the water you steamed with) then freeze in ice cube trays or in small snack ziplock bags.

thank you for your post! Wondering about how many carrots to use in the pizza sauce? Or how much spinach to use in the chocolate smoothie (from prev. poster)

 

[TheIncredibles!]

thank you for your post! Wondering about how many carrots to use in the pizza sauce? Or how much spinach to use in the chocolate smoothie (from prev. poster)

Not sure about the spinach but as far as the pizza sauce. It's up to your kid. I can do a 15.5 oz can of pizza sauce with a 1/2 cup of pureed carrots and my kids have no idea. However when I used that sauce for my nephew he knew immediately it was in there and vomited.

When I do spaghetti sauce I have the chunk of carrots in there if I am making meat sauce. If I am just doing a marinara I will do (2) 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes with (1) cup of pureed carrots. Mac and Cheese I make a white sauce and add cheese to it. I use at least 1 cup of carrots in there too. The added bonus is that it makes it obnoxiously orange just like kids like - lol

A lot of it is just playing around till you get something that tastes good and that they will eat. Whatever amount you put in there is more than what they would get if you did not put it in there so it's all goo

 

[Disneynutbsv]

I also like sweet potato or pumpkin in my oatmeal, very yummy, high in fiber!

 

[LuvOrlando]

Not trying to stir the pot or anything but why are you hiding veggies?

 

[shirleyb]

Not trying to stir the pot or anything but why are you hiding veggies?

I was sort of thinking the same thing. You're not going to expand his eating horizons by hiding things he dislikes. I also wonder how much nutrition you're losing by cooking a vegetable enough to puree, then baking it something else. I don't know the answer to that one, and it may be specific by vegetable.

 

[tlbwriter]

You might try mixing vegetables in without hiding them, to get him used to the texture and flavor. For example, my family really likes this recipe. I changed it up by using a tub of baby spinach instead of the parsley, so it's got a good veggie kick.

 

[npmommie]

You don't need the cookbook. I hide vegetables all the time.

I chop carrots finely and put it into my tomato sauce. I steam and puree them and put them in pizza sauce.

Steamed pureed carrots and sweet potatoes can also be put into home made macaroni and cheese, pancakes, waffles etc. Also much like using apple sauce as a sub for oil when you bake, you can also do the same thing with pureed carrots or sweet potatoes.

Can do grated or steamed veggies in meatballs or meatloaf.

I honestly wouldn't bother with zucchini. If you are going to go through all that effort, do it with a vegetable that packs a punch etc.

It's very easy to steam your veggies, puree them. (If you need to add water to get them smooth use the water you steamed with) then freeze in ice cube trays or in small snack ziplock bags.

Not sure about the spinach but as far as the pizza sauce. It's up to your kid. I can do a 15.5 oz can of pizza sauce with a 1/2 cup of pureed carrots and my kids have no idea. However when I used that sauce for my nephew he knew immediately it was in there and vomited.

When I do spaghetti sauce I have the chunk of carrots in there if I am making meat sauce. If I am just doing a marinara I will do (2) 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes with (1) cup of pureed carrots. Mac and Cheese I make a white sauce and add cheese to it. I use at least 1 cup of carrots in there too. The added bonus is that it makes it obnoxiously orange just like kids like - lol

A lot of it is just playing around till you get something that tastes good and that they will eat. Whatever amount you put in there is more than what they would get if you did not put it in there so it's all goo

lots of great ideas! thanks!!

Not trying to stir the pot or anything but why are you hiding veggies?

because imo a hidden veggie is better than no veggie.

You might try mixing vegetables in without hiding them, to get him used to the texture and flavor. For example, my family really likes this recipe. I changed it up by using a tub of baby spinach instead of the parsley, so it's got a good veggie kick.

thanks that looks good.
he will eat some that are mixed in and still chunky

I have a ziti recipe that uses shredded carrots and it is a big hit.
his favorite used to be a brown rice/spinach mix that I would make with a little parm cheese, but he doesn't like spinach anymore

I do still offer veg in regular ways not hidden, I just feel like he could be getting more of the benefits of veg if I hide some since he doesn't eat them much.
yes he takes a vitamin, but there is so much more to get from the actual food that you can't get in the vitamin.