Mikey likes it!

Leighton used to be a fairly adventurous eater and would try (and enjoy!) almost anything.  We knew we were lucky, and I hoped that he'd stay that way forever.  But, as Roy (Mr. white rice and ketchup for a lengthy portion on his childhood) reminds me, Leighton's a kid.  And kids having changing tastes and enjoy things plain (and I'd like to add that they probably have a secret let's-drive-our-moms-crazy-at-meal-times pact as well).

Over the last year, there's been a decline in Leighton's willingness to taste new things, and more and more it seems as though old favorites are now on the I-don't-like-that-anymore list.  However, every now and then he surprises me.  And lately (knock on wood - you just KNOW I am jinxing myself with this), there's been a few more of these rare occurrences.  I even heard, "Mom, you are the best cooker!" the other night for the first time in many months.

Every time Leighton says he likes something that I totally didn't expect him to, I envision the "He likes it!  Mikey likes it!" LIFE cereal commercial in my head.

Here are a few examples of some unexpected successes.  And note that I fully expect the next time I try to serve any of them, the meal will be met with a sigh, super s.l.o.w eating, and declaration of being full 1/4 of the way through his plate.  I'm a realist.

Creamy curry salmon pasta
Roy: "Do you want to taste some of mine?"
Leighton: (hesitates) "Sure, I will taste it.  But just a little."  Followed shortly by, "Mommy can I have some of the sauce on my noodles, too?"

* This was a throw together meal with no actual recipe.  It was noodles, steamed cauliflower, baked salmon and a sauce made from onion, garlic, curry powder, turmeric, salt, diced tomatoes, cilantro, and cream.
 
Lettuce wraps
Leighton: "Mmmm, Mommy, this meat is really yummy." and "This lettuce is so nice and crunchy."

*recipe adapted from THIS ONE.  My method: I marinated pork in soy sauce, fresh garlic, honey, and lime juice over night. I used the pork, baby corn, water chestnuts, mushrooms, green onion, and cashews (not pictured because I had forgotten them at first!) for the filling. Used the first 6 ingredients listed in their recipe for the 'special' sauce plus a bunch of crushed red pepper flakes and heated it on the stove with a little cornstarch.

Sweet Italian sausages
Leighton "Mommy what are we having for dinner tonight anyway?"
Me: "BBQ sausages and pasta salad."
Leighton: "Yummy.  Sausages.  (imagine the look of shock on my face here) Can I have two sausages? (imagine the look of extreme doubt on my face here)  Or can I have three?"
Me: "No, Leighton, you can't have three.  I don't have enough for you to have three.  And they are pretty big.  Let's give you two."

And he ate them both and asked to go buy more tomorrow!

A new recipe I tried last week that was NOT a hit with Leighton ("Mmm, yeah, it tastes good, but too zingy for me.") was Chicken Enchilada Pasta.  Roy and I really enjoyed it though!  I served the kids all of the components plain without the sauce. 

 I made a few minor adjustments to the recipe:
- I used 2 chicken breasts. I marinated them in lime juice, olive oil, cumin, and garlic and then baked them in the oven.
- I added in mushrooms.
- I used one red pepper and one green pepper.
- I used one can each of the enchilada sauces.
- I didn't add in 2 cups of cheese to the sauce. Instead I sprinkled a bit on each plate as garnish. I don't think it was necessary to add that much into the sauce.
- I only added in a few spoons of sour cream into the sauce. I then used more as garnish.
- For garnish I used sour cream, cheese, and cilantro. I had the avocado, tomato, and green onions, but didn't get the chance to get them prepped.  All three would be delicious additions, so I WILL use them next time!

And, it's only fair that we complete this series of savory dinner dishes with a sweet dessert.  Leighton liked it.  He always likes it.  No surprise there!
Strawberry rhubarb pie
My pies aren't pretty.  They won't be winning me any competitions any time soon.  But, really, who cares what they look like when they taste this fantastic?!?!  And I am just proud of myself that I've learned to make pie crust from scratch. 

I've made this recipe several times over the last few summers.  I've read the comments, tried out some adjustments, and have finally settled on the following changes: 3 cups strawberries, 3 cups rhubarb, 1 cup sugar, and an extra 1/4 cup of cornstarch.