Regardless how much I love vegetables and how creative I am with cooking and serving veggies to my kids, it always seems that I need to use the art of ‘negotiation’ to convince them to try and eat.  So here an idea I had to not only get vegetable in them but serve them in a fun and ‘Pip-pip’ British manor, wrapped in wax-paper, lined newspaper.

You can cut up one or mix of any of these vegetables:

• Potatoes – any variety
• Sweet potatoes
• Yams
• Carrots
• Beets
• Parsnip

Simple directions:

1. Cut your choice or combo of vegetables as listed – recommended to cut them approximately the same size.
2. Toss cut veggie strips in a generous splash of olive oil (Try some flavoured olive oils ie. lemon-flavoured or truffle-flavoured/basil-flavoured etc.)
3. Sprinkle and toss with a dash of sea salt or kosher salt
4. Spread on tin baking pan (cookie sheet)
5. Brown in 425℉ oven for 20-25 minutes until brown.

I love serving this in a rolled parchment paper lined cone – use white paper (have the kids first decorate the outside of it first before rolling into a cone shape) or newspaper.

Carefully pack them in a paper bag and take to your park and sit on the bench and nibble away of serve them with any dinner.  Here are some great dips to serve with your Veggie Fries:

• Multi-Purpose Lemon Dill Dressing
• Multi-Purpose Honey Mustard Dressing
• Homemade Healthy Ketchup
• Good old malt vinegar & more salt
• Old-fashion Mayonnaise

Did you know trivia:

• The French fry is NOT invented by the French but was the invented in Belgium
• In England, they are called “chips”
• In France “pommes frites” (which means, literally, “fried apples”)
• In Belgium and Holland “patat” (not the word for potato, which is “aardappel”)
• In Quebec, Canada, “Poutine” was originated – French fries topped with fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy

Top picture is from http://www.yumuniverse.com/2010/10/11/mixed-root-veggie-fries-and-skrub’a-giveaway/

I have been a fan of Michael Smith – cookbook author, newspaper columnist, and Canadian cuisine ambassador plus busy dad, at home on PEI, with his partner Rachel and their son Gabriel.  The thing I like about his recipes is the why he promotes the recipe to be a ‘guideline’, ‘words on paper’; ‘a starting point from which to improvise’.  Anyone who has sat in my kitchen (with a glass of vino) and watched me cook, has witnessed some creative improvisation on recipes.  I am notoriously known to never follow the recipe by verbatim.  You would be hard pressed to see me even using a measuring cup or measuring spoon.  So with that said, Michael Smith’s philosophy of cooking follows my ways of creating in the kitchen.

Here is a great recipe that I have been asked to make countless times.  We have had this as our New Years late night celebration main course with fresh baguettes, salad and plenty of vino flowing!  I didn’t know if the kids would enjoy this but to my surprise, they loved the flavours and enjoyed dipping fresh bread and nibbling away at the floating fish and veggies.

My recipe is a version taken from Michael Smith’s Seafood Chowder with Dill.

Ingredients:  Be creative, add, what you wish, adjust the amounts, play with the recipe.

• 1/2 pound bacon, chopped
• 2 onions (can use leeks too)
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 cup frozen corn nibblets
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 6 cups milk (or 3 cups milk + 3 cups whipping cream – if you want a richer chowder)
• 1 cup white wine (drink the rest)
• 2 baking potato, washed and grated (This is the “soup thickening” secret)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pound fresh fish (cut into cubes) – salmon, halibut, cod, tilapia or sole (any combination)
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and de-veined (previously frozen works fine)
• 1 bunch fresh dill, chopped (If don’t have fresh, use 1 tbsp dried dill)
• Any herb you like – I often add some chopped Italian parsley, fresh chives.
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Brown the bacon in a large soup pot until crisp.
2. Add chopped onions, celery and carrots into the pot of browned bacon. Saute until veggies are softened.
3. Add in the frozen corn nibblets and peas (if you are adding in those veggie options) into pot and stir together.
4. Add in milk (and cream, if desired), wine, grated potato and bay leaves.  Stir and cook over medium heat until potato dissolves and thickens the soup (approx 20 mins).
5. Add cut of mixture of fish, season with salt and pepper.  Simmer just until fish is cooked through (5-10 mins).
6. Just before serving stir in the fresh chopped herbs (dill etc.)

Being creative with vegetables takes some imagination.

Let’s be creative with some vegetables!  Focus on squash… acorn, banana, winter… and add some flavour so your children won’t turn it down but ask for more!

Directions:

• Cut squash into wedges.  Remove and discard seeds.
• Mix some ‘Flavour options’ (See below)
• Brush ‘Flavour’ over the inside of the wedges.
• Place on aluminium baking sheet or pan (or a foil-lined baking sheet)
• Roast at 400℉ oven until fork-tender (approx 25-30 mins)

6 Diffferent Flavour Options – try any one of these…or make one up yourself.

Tip: balance the flavours – something salty, sweet, spice and oil.

1. Mix 2 tbsp olive oil with 1 tbsp liquid honey, 1 tbsp minced ginger (or lemongrass), sprinkle of salt
2. Mix 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp Madras-curry paste, pinch of salt.
3. Mix 2 tbsp olive oil with 2 tbsp white sugar, juice of 1/2 lemon, pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Mix 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tbsp soya sauce, 1 tbsp liquid honey, juice of 1/2 small lime.
5. Mix 2 tbsp vegetable oil with 2 tsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tsp soya sauce, sprinkle of salt and whole sesame seeds.
6. Mix 2 tbsp olive oil with 2 tbsp brown sugar (or honey), 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, pinch of salt, squeeze of lemon or lime.

Another tip:  Roasting anything is best in the old-fashion Aluminum pans or sheet.

Ideas:

• Try this with cut pumpkin wedges
• Add cut up onions and/or other ‘root veggies’ around wedges when cooking

Go ahead.  Get messy! Be creative. Have fun with flavour and veggies!