Healthy Eating: Week 2, Brussels Sprouts (#52newfoods) January 16 2012, 3 Comments

Sizzle, sizzle, pop! A comforting aroma filled our kitchen as we fried the pancetta for our new food of the week: Brussels Sprouts. If I plan to advocate for my kids to try new foods, I figured I had better set a good example by trying something new myself!

Setting a Good Example 

brussels sproutsFor me, Pancetta goes hand in hand with comfort food. My grandmother used it in every one of my favorite family dishes. Reasoning that I liked most everything that I had tried with Pancetta, I thought the addition of this deliciously crispy complement would make Brussels Sprouts palate pleasing for my whole family (me included!).


Feature Recipe: Pan-Seared Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Pancetta

cooking brussels sproutsDawn Viola is masterful at creating delightfully easy recipes that showcase the beauty of bringing together a few simple ingredients. Using what are staples in most kitchens – lemon, garlic, olive oil, and pancetta (or bacon) – her recipe for pan-seared Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Pancetta was a delicious addition to our meal and made our weekday dinner feel like a special occasion.

Crunch a Color Kids Vote: 2 Thumbs Up! We'd make it again.

What we liked: This dish required minimal prep work (yeah!), was easy enough for my 5 year old to make, and made a ho-hum weeknight dinner feel festive.  I always try to get three colors on our plate with healthy sides, but I tend to lean heavily on the basic (and sometimes boring) lightly steamed version of fresh veggies. Dawn’s recipe provided an easy and tasty way for me to dress up our dinner! While they are still in season, we’ll keep Brussels Sprouts on our weekly shopping list.

Healthy Eating: Week 3, Mandarin Oranges

mandarin orangeWith Chinese New Year fast approaching, my mind has turned to the special treats we love to indulge in at this time of year. Mandarin oranges, with their bright personalities both in taste and appearance, are an important part of this celebration. Ambassadors of prosperity and good luck, these mini bursts of citrus delight always make my little food adventurers smile. So I thought I’d try a new twist on an old favorite. Our feature recipe for week 3 of #52NewFoods comes from Natalie Perry at Perry’s Plate: Avocado and orange salad with hazelnuts. I’ll swap mandarin oranges for the regular orange slices called for in this dish. I hope you’ll try it with me.

Do you celebrate Chinese New Year? What are some of your favorite dishes to bring in a New Year filled with prosperity and good health?

Craving more new recipes to try? Catch up on last week’s Beef Vegetable Soup.

About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color™ -- the award-winning game that makes healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into a healthy eating game and she’s giving back to support Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, FoodCorps, and Alice Water’s Edible Schoolyard. Watch her picky eaters tell the story of how they turned into healthy eaters playing the game. Follow @crunchacolor and #52newfoods to tune into Crunch a Color's healthy eating adventure and Jennifer’s tips and kid-friendly, easy recipes.