The Monkey often surprises me. I think I have him all figured out and then wham, he pulls a fast one. Last night I made Chicken Larp for dinner. We have this Thai inspired dish occasionally and the kids like it for the tart sweetness of the chicken. I had purchased some napa cabbage to go with the dish this time for the adults...I mean what child is going to want raw cabbage? I know this goes entirely against my mission, I am always offering new items for the kids to try. But cabbage. Ha Ha, right, there was NO WAY the Monkey or EGG would eat THAT. In fact, I did not even bother to offer it to either of them.The dinner conversation went like this:
Monkey: What's that?
Me: Umm, cabbage. You won't like it.
Monkey: Yes I will. It's crunchy.
Me: You don't like carrots or apples and they are crunchy.
Monkey: But I really want some.
Me: Oh, okay. Here give it a try.
Monkey: Yummy, cabbage is awesome.
Go figure.
Proof:
This dish is super easy to make and does not require a special trip to the farmers market. It is a good intro to Thai food for kids. As their palates grow you can expand this recipe or try some more curry based dishes. Coconut milk curries are popular with our family as well.
Kid Friendly Chicken Larp
recipe adapted from: Thai Food by David Thompson
1 pound ground chicken
1 minced garlic clove
3 TB chicken stock
1 tsp brown sugar
3 TB lime juice
1 tsp roasted chili powder
1 TB fish sauce
1/2 onion minced
handful of minced mint and cilantro leaves
Heat stock in pan add sugar and pinch of salt, add ground chicken and garlic. Simmer gently until cooked, but do not overcook or chicken will become tough. Take off of heat and add all other ingredients. Season to taste, should be sweet, tangy, and a tad spicy.
Serve with raw veggies. I typically use cucumber, long beans, and now napa cabbage.
