Here’s a mostly complete list of what my children, ages 5 and 7, eat for dinner:
Plain pasta (spaghetti and farfalle only), rice and beans (any kind but lima), chicken (roasted thighs, nuggets), salmon, avocado rolls, hot dogs, pizza, slices of steak. They do eat some green vegetables, but they don’t do tacos, meatballs, dumplings, baked saucy dishes or, really, sauce of any kind. Soup, as an entire category, is a no.
My older kid is the far more adventurous of the two, and you can count on her to actually taste new things, though I still can’t convince her to try lasagna. (Lasagna!)
I know I’m opening the door here for some unsolicited parenting advice, and that I’ll receive at least one email from someone whose children absolutely love Brussels sprouts. It comes with the territory whenever you bring up kids and food. But I’ve been asked a few times lately what mine eat, and the hopefully reassuring reality is that they don’t eat everything under the sun, even though their mom is the food editor at The New York Times. My professional life hasn’t instilled in them a love of capers or a yearning for minestrone (at least not yet).
Last week I got an email from a reader named Elly asking for fast meals “with a slant toward kid-friendly.” No problem, Elly! The five recipes below are dishes that my own children like, with simple modifications. A tip if you’re just getting started cooking for kids: It really helps to have a few basics down, which make it easy to get dinner on the table — things like seared boneless chicken thighs, microwave salmon, baked sweet potatoes and lemony steamed broccoli.
And if you aren’t cooking for kids, I think you’ll still find something to make below — these are great recipes for anyone at any age.
1. Mojo Chicken With Pineapple
This simple, bright chicken dinner will transport you to a sunnier place, no matter what color the sky may be where you are. It starts with a citrusy, garlicky Cuban mojo. Instead of marinating the chicken in the mojo before cooking, you marinate it afterward: As the warm, broiled chicken sits in the mojo (for up to an hour), it soaks up the lively flavors.
By Ali Slagle
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 pineapple, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (about 3 cups)
1 orange, zested, then quartered
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 jalapeño, stemmed
A few cilantro sprigs, leaves removed, then stems finely chopped
2 large limes, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
DIRECTIONS
1. Pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat the broiler with a rack 6 inches from heat source. On a foil-lined quarter sheet pan (or half sheet pan), drizzle the pineapple chunks and orange quarters with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then broil until charred in spots, 8 to 13 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the mojo: On a cutting board, coarsely chop the garlic and jalapeño. Add the chopped cilantro stems, orange zest, lime zest, dried oregano and 1 teaspoon salt. Chop and smash the mixture until a coarse paste forms. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, then stir in the lime juice, ground cumin and 2 tablespoons olive oil.
4. Transfer the charred fruit to the mojo and transfer the chicken to the sheet pan. Coat with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and broil until cooked through and charred in spots, 15 to 20 minutes (no need to flip).
5. Add the cooked chicken to the mojo, pineapple and orange wedges, and toss to coat. Let sit 5 minutes or up to 1 hour. Slice the chicken and serve on a platter, with the sauce poured over top and the charred pineapple and orange wedges alongside. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Squeeze orange wedges over top as desired.
2. Sesame Salmon Bowls
Sesame salmon bowls. Customize the veggies for each person at the table, if you like, and omit the vinegar from the rice for picky kids. Food styled by Monica Pierini. (Linda Xiao/The New York Times)
This one-pot meal, which is inspired by chirashi, or Japanese rice and raw fish bowls, features a savory vinegared rice that’s typically served with sushi. Traditionally, the rice is cooked first, then mixed with vinegar, but here, the rice is cooked in vinegar-seasoned water to eliminate a step. The result is sticky rice that’s tangy and sweet, and a perfect bed for fatty salmon. The salmon is added toward the end to steam directly on top of the rice for an easy one-pan meal. Packaged coleslaw is a time saver, eliminating extra knife work. Make a double batch of the zesty dressing for drizzling over roasted vegetables or green leafy salads the next day.
By Kay Chun
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1 1/2 cups sushi rice (short-grain white rice), rinsed until water runs clear
1 1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons safflower or canola oil
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger (from one 2-inch piece)
3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
8 ounces green coleslaw mix (about 3 packed cups)
1 avocado, halved, pitted and thinly sliced
Torn toasted nori sheets, for garnish (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large saucepan, combine rice vinegar, sugar and salt; stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the rice and 1 3/4 cups water, and mix well. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, toss salmon with 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil and season with salt. Once rice is tender (after about 20 minutes), arrange salmon in an even layer on top of rice. Cover and steam over low heat until fish is cooked to medium, about 12 minutes longer.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine soy sauce, white vinegar, safflower oil, scallions, ginger and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil. Mix well, and season with salt.
4. Scoop salmon and rice into bowls. Top each with some cucumbers, coleslaw mix and avocado. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Top with nori, if using.
3. Vegan Coconut-Ginger Black Beans
Vegan coconut-ginger black beans. This creamy pot of beans gets a punch of flavor from ginger and uses canned black beans for busy-parents ease. Food styled by Simon Andrews. (David Malosh/The New York Times)
The velvety combination of beans and coconut milk is found in a number of African and Caribbean dishes, like Nigerian frejon and Haitian sos pwa nwa. In this recipe, black beans are simmered in coconut milk with a healthy dose of fresh ginger, then finished with lime juice. The result is a light vegan main or side dish. Finish with crushed plantain chips seasoned with lime zest for sweetness and crunch, or top with coconut flakes or tortilla chips, which are also excellent.
By Ali Slagle
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans
2 tablespoons coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin or coriander
1 (3-inch piece) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated (about 3 tablespoons)
1 (13-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup plantain chips or toasted coconut flakes
1 teaspoon lime zest plus 2 tablespoons juice (from 1 lime)
Hot sauce, for serving (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Rinse 1 can of black beans, and set aside. In a large saucepan, heat the coconut oil over medium. Add the cumin and half of the ginger and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the rinsed black beans and the remaining whole can of black beans (including the liquid), and the coconut milk; season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are soft and the mixture is flavorful, 15 to 20 minutes. (If you want a thicker consistency, smash some of beans with the back of a spoon as the mixture cooks, and simmer longer.)
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, crumble the plantain chips into bite-size pieces. Add the lime zest and a few generous grinds of black pepper, and stir to combine.
4. Remove the beans from the heat. Stir in the remaining ginger and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the lime juice a little at a time until the beans taste bright but the coconut flavor is still rich. Top with the seasoned plantain chips and serve with hot sauce for more kick.
4. Pasta With Brown Butter and Parmesan
Pasta with brown butter and parmesan. Sometimes you just want a big bowl of pasta with butter and Parmesan. Food styled by Simon Andrews. (Con Poulos/The New York Times)
Sometimes you just want a big bowl of pasta with butter and Parmesan. Starchy, silky and salty, it’s always good — and practically foolproof. To make it a little more grown up, just take it one step further: Brown the butter. When you slide the butter into the skillet, let it cook until the milk solids turn a toasty brown. It adds a rich, nutty flavor that makes the dish a bit more sophisticated with very little extra work.
By Ali Slagle
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Kosher salt
1 pound spaghetti, linguine or other long noodle
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water (2 heaping tablespoons kosher salt to about 7 quarts water) to a boil. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta, but don’t shake it fully dry.
2. In a skillet or Dutch oven large enough to hold the pasta (and preferably with a light-colored bottom so you can see the butter solids brown), melt the butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the foam subsides, the milk solids turn golden-brown and it smells nutty and toasty, 3 to 4 minutes. (Watch carefully to see that it does not burn. If it does, start over.) Remove from heat immediately.
3. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss with the brown butter. Stir in the cheese until melted. Stir in pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the pasta is glossy with sauce (you probably won’t need the full 1/2 cup).
4. Serve with black pepper and more Parmesan on top.
5. Grilled (or Broiled) Steak With Sauce Rof
Grilled (or broiled) steak with sauce rof. To cook this in the oven, heat the broiler to high and cook the steak until it’s charred and you’ve reached your desired level of doneness, two to five minutes per side. Food styled by Cyd Raftus McDowell. (Armando Rafael/The New York Times)
A combination of onion, parsley, scallions and chile, this classic Senegalese sauce adds complexity to dishes. Typically used to stuff fish as a marinade and top it as a bold relish, it is also great for tempering the smoky char of grilled chicken or steak. In this recipe, some sauce rof is used as a marinade and served as a topping. Thinned with a dash of olive oil, the relish also gets lemon juice to add a lovely sparkle. Go for a nice marbled cut of meat — the fat intensifies the flavor of the grilled meat and the sauce rof cuts through the richness. This condiment can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated in an airtight jar.
By Yewande Komolafe
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds skirt steak or boneless short ribs (see tip)
Coarse kosher salt (such as Morton) and black pepper
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
1 serrano chile or jalapeño, stemmed
2 garlic cloves, peeled
4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 small bunch parsley, leaves and tender stems only (about 2 ounces)
1 lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Pat the steak dry and season lightly with salt.
2. Roughly chop the onion in a food processor by pulsing repeatedly. Add the serrano and garlic and pulse to combine. Add the scallions and parsley and pulse until chopped into a coarse paste. Transfer the paste to a large bowl and zest the lemon directly into it. Stir in 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. (Alternatively, finely chop the onion, serrano, garlic, scallions and parsley into a coarse paste by hand. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the lemon zest, oil, salt and pepper.)
3. Transfer about 3/4 cup of the paste to a small bowl. Place the meat in the large bowl and turn to coat. Marinate for at least 15 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate, covered if needed, for up to 12 hours.
4. Combine the reserved marinade with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and squeeze in about 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper, stir to combine and set aside.
5. Heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high.
6. Scrape any excess marinade off the steak and discard. Grill the steak until the contact side is seared, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes for medium-rare. Cook for an additional minute on each side for medium.
7. Transfer the steak to a board to rest for at least 5 minutes. Slice and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon the marinade dressing over the steak and serve immediately.
TIP: If your boneless short ribs are already in slices that are 1/2 inch thick or thinner, you can use them as is. If they’re thicker, lay several strips on a piece of plastic wrap, leaving about 1/2 inch between each slice and top with another piece of plastic wrap. Pound the meat with a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy bottle until the strips are flattened to about 1/2 inch thick.
Related Articles
Egg-free baking: You won’t miss the eggs in these four desserts
Why is egg shopping so unpredictable?
Salty pancetta and fermented pepper paste lend deep umami to this meaty pasta dish
Estelle owners to open Liliana, an Italian restaurant, in Woodbury this summer
An Iranian-American chef sets out to demystify the cuisine of his youth in a cookbook
