BY SIERRA ROSALES
It’s August. Soon, kids will be back in school, life will move at a faster pace and everyone tries to make the best of the fleeting moments of summer.
It’s a great time to take extra quality time to spend with your family or friends.
Dinner time was always an important part of the day in my family. If we were all home we all sat at the kitchen table together or sat in the living room to watch a movie together. On busy days, we would all go out to one of our favorite restaurants together. We would talk about our days, the good and the bad.
One evening when the power went out, we ended up having dinner by candlelight. It was fun to eat in the dark and play silly games afterwards. It was a great dinner memory that I still hold close to my heart.
I always knew sitting down and eating dinner together created great memories but I didn’t know that it was linked to other benefits. In a 2020 podcast, Anne Fischel, the director of the Family Dinner Project, discussed the importance of families regularly eating dinner together to Harvard University’s Jill Anderson.
Fischel explained that, “Regular family dinners are associated with lower rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, eating disorders, tobacco use, early teen pregnancy, higher rates of resilience and higher self-esteem.”
Despite all the benefits, she reported that only about 30% of families eat dinner together regularly.
For your next dinner, try taking the time to sit down with your family, or friends or someone you care about and listening to their day. You can also try adding a twist to some of your favorite dishes.
This month I wanted to include a healthy take on side dishes. Radishes are often prepared the same way as potatoes so I want to add them to my french fry recipe for added nutrients like antioxidants, calcium and potassium.
For the mac and cheese recipe, I used butternut squash for some added fiber, thiamine and vitamins A, C and E. Hiding healthy foods in recipes is easier than you would think!
I hope you enjoy this month’s recipes and are inspired to start hiding some fruits and vegetables in your everyday meals.
Items marked with an asterisk (*) are available through MCHD WIC. Please contact us at 304-598-5181 for more information.
HOMEMADE MIXED FRIES
- Four potatoes (I prefer russet) One package of radishes or eight radishes
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Seasoned salt
- Garlic salt
- Paprika
- Onion powder
- Wash and cut your potatoes and radishes into your fry shape. Then add them to a bowl of cold water with some ice for five minutes.
- Remove the potatoes and dry them completely off.
- In a large bowl, add the fries, olive oil and all of the seasonings. Gently toss the fries around until they are generously coated.
- Air fry or bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes. I prefer to air fry. It gives them a great crisp.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH MAC AND CHEESE
Serves 6-8
- One butternut squash*
- One package of wheat elbow macaroni* or your favorite pasta
- Three garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon of sage
- 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese*
- 1 cup of mozzarella cheese*
- 2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cook your pasta according to the directions on the box. Make sure to save 1 1/2 cups of pasta water before straining. While pasta is cooking, sauté five chopped garlic cloves in butter until brown.
- Add in chunks of the butternut squash. Make sure to take off all the skin and cut out rotten or soft spots. Add all the seasonings to the squash. Slowly add in 1/2 cup of pasta water as needed, cook the squash until it’s soft and you’re able to squish it with the back of a spoon. Mash it in the pan until smooth or puree it.
- Add in the rest of the pasta water (1 cup) and
1 cup of vegetable or chicken broth to the butternut squash. Stir on medium/high until it starts to bubble. - When bubbling, turn it down to low. Add in the cheeses and mix. Mix in your pasta next and enjoy!
For extra options on this recipe check out our TikTok video on this recipe @monongaliaWIC or on our Instagram at @mchdwic.
