Supper Wars - Week 1

Working to expand our "try something new" meals beyond just a couple times each week, by adding new side dishes with old favorites, or alternating days between the familiar and the unusual. When I'm fixing something terribly spicy or truly odd, I'll still fix a separate kid and grown up meal, but I'd like that to be the exception, rather than the norm. Tying the planning necessary to keep the kids trying new foods to the planning for reducing the average grocery bill seems like a no-brainer.

Green - Hit; will make again
Red - Miss; try a new variation, or not
Black - Mixed results; tweak & try again.

Pan Fried Deviled Eggs, on Mixed Greens
Kids did NOT appreciate at all, unfortunately. I thought it was delicious.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup w/Rustic Bread (Old favorite)

Adobo Chicken w/ Rice & Salad (Variation)
The kids don't like dark meat. Prepared a couple of skin-on split chicken breasts, in addition to the thighs. Worked like a charm.

Baked Tofu w/Fried Rice (Old favorite),
Edamame Succotash w/ Roasted Red Pepper (Variation)
Figure if I keep putting bell peppers in dishes, I will eventually stumble upon a method of cooking and presentation they like. This wasn't it. Not only would they not eat the peppers, they wouldn't eat the corn and edamame when cooked together. They eat both on their own, quite happily. (Ack!)

Turkey Burgers (old favorite) , Couscous Salad (Variation)
I'm upping the parsley, mint, and vegetable content of the salad each time I make this. Overdid it this time. Will have to keep the chopped red peppers on the side and add just to grown up plates. Kids picked out peppers and ate rest of salad, but there was much grumbling.

Flatbread Pizza
Build-your-own pizzas. Choice of either italian sausage & cheeses or shredded adobo chicken with sauteed onion & garlic slices. You can guess which kids picked.

Butter Chicken w/Basmati Rice, Nan and Green Beans
Two kids loved the mild curry chicken; one did not. He was extremely opposed to the entire concept. Will try this again, but let him add coconut milk, instead of the yogurt.

Pho Bo (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) w/Basil-lemongrass Meatball (Old Favorite)
Big bowl of rice noodles, topped with ladles of fragrant broth (beef, chicken & ginger). Toss in a couple of the basil meatballs, and let everyone pile bean sprouts, fresh leaves of thai basil and cilantro on from the salad plate. Can't go wrong.