Day 17 - Healthy cooking for Kids

Like a lot of moms, when either one of my children were born and starting to eat solid foods, I put a lot of effort and thought into making sure they were eating healthy foods and healthy diets.  I bought all the baby food cookbooks and toddler cookbooks and they sit prominently in my kitchen, where I can grab them easily.  And they have the bonus side effect of showing everyone how I'm such an awesome mom, right?  Well, I'm a fraud!  I've used those cookbooks 3 or 4 times!  HA!  It is unfortunate, because they are great books.  But, they seem to be books written for different parts of the world, using ingredients that are hard to find her in the southern United States.  I, instead, usually just fed them what we were eating anyways, with maybe some modifications to accommodate their gummy little mouths.  But, while I was planning our menu this week, I remembered that those books had unique items in them, and decided to thumb through for some wheat free recipes that we could dine on and that the kids would love.
I found a recipe for "Mashed Potato and Hamburger Casserole."  It is very similar to a Shepard's pie. The top was a mixture of a mash made from one baking potato and one sweet potato.  The recipe called for ground lamb, but I didn't have any on hand, so I used ground turkey instead.  I also added a little bit of tomato paste, and added some seasoning.  Everyone enjoyed the meal.  (I will post the recipe below)

I served with roasted corn on the cob.  Yes, friends, I know corn isn't a vegetable!  But, when we were at the market, my son saw these amazing looking corn on the cobs and begged me to get them.  And who am I to tell him no?  ;)  We have corn on the cob only a couple times a year, but the kids love it, the devour it and then ask for more.  It is pretty cute. I wish it were healthier!

Mashed Potato and Hamburger Casserole
(from Healthy Cooking for Your Kids, by: Sarah Banbery)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 lb 10 oz lean fresh ground lamb or beef  (I used about 1.25 lbs of ground turkey instead)
1 leek, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped (I used extra because my kids love carrots)
1 celery stalk, chopped
3.5 oz mushrooms, chopped
14 oz canned tomatoes
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1/2 Cup water
1 lb 2 oz potato, boiled and mashed
14 oz sweet potato boiled and mashed
4 Tbsp whole milk (I used almond milk)
unsalted butter (I used smart balance w/flax seed)
sea salt and pepper

1. Heat half the oil in a nonstick skillet and cook the ground lamb over high heat, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until well browned.  Remove the ground lamb from the skillet with slotted spoon and pour away any fat, and wipe the skillet with paper towels. 
2. Add the remaining oil to the skillet and cook the leek, onion, carrots, and celery for 15 minutes (I found it didn't need this long) until soft.  Return the meat to the pan and add the mushrooms, tomatoes, thyme, and water.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and let simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350.  Mix the 2 mashes of potatoes with half the milk and half the butter in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.  
4. Spoon the meat sauce into a baking dish and top with the potato mixture.  Brush with the remaining milk and dot with the remaining butter.  Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes until the top is brown and crisp.