Vegetables. Ask almost any child to draw a picture of that word and they'll produce an illustration of an angry, alien-looking object wielding a fork and running after a terrified child. And for some reason, the subject of the artwork is either a tomato, carrot, or a bunch of broccoli.
     It seems at times that no amount of coaxing and pleading will get our kids to try one bite of veggies. My own children have slipped so many carrots to our dogs that they've become addicted. Ever caught the family pooch trying to open the fridge and steal the bag of carrots? It's not a pretty sight.
     When I was a child, there wasn't an option. You ate everything (under the glaring stare of parents) on your plate and was grateful for every bite. But my boys ignore the "cross mama" look, so it's trickery I resort to.
     This past Sunday I came up with a delicious biscuit recipe that's super-moist thanks to the grated carrot. I used Bisquick™ for simplicity, and amped up the flavor with a touch of grated orange peel and ground cinnamon. If you're gluten-sensitive (like I am), you can use the gluten-free version of Bisquick™. Tell me what you think!

Hidden Goodness Biscuits
(Yields 12)

3½  cups Bisquick™  
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
1 cup carrots (4 medium), finely shredded
3/4 to 1 cup milk (for tops)


Preheat oven to 450°.

In a food processor, pulse together the Bisquick™, orange peel, cinnamon and salt until the peel is no longer visible and everything is combined. Pour the dry mixture into a large mixing bowl.

Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the carrots and milk until just combined.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 4-5 times. Pat or roll to ¾”. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-½”
biscuit cutter. Lightly brush the tops of the biscuits with 1 tablespoon of milk.

Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, place in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are brown.

 

  Okay, I confess, There's a secret affair that I've had a hard time getting rid of and ignoring. It's...pizza. 
  Pizza and I go way back-- during college and before marriage to my best friend (yep that's a long time ago). I'd sometimes slip away from a yawn-worthy lecture, and venture  to the local Mr. Gatti's where fresh pizza pie and The Little Rascals awaited me.
     Unfortunately, now my indulgence of choice isn't kind to my body. One slice can make my rump resemble a pair of half-rotten watermelons, so I've been experimenting with healthier alternatives. The picture above is of an original recipe of mine, White Pizza With Roasted Tomatoes (Pizza Bianca con Pomodori Arrostiti). Kids like it, and I'd like to place the recipe in my upcoming cookbook. But here's the problem, it serves 6, and has a whopping 503 calories a slice.
     So, I'm appealing to you. How would you make this healthier and keep it kid-friendly?
The recipe can be viewed here.