Lying by omission

As I have no doubt stated before, I am not one for sneaking in hidden ingredients. I know Jessica Seinfeld has made a successful career out of it, but I have never quite understood how you get from hiding green beans to having children happily eat green beans. My policy has always been to just plonk a pile of green beans on their plates and wait until the day they decide to eat them. I seem to remember reading somewhere that a child can try something 10 times and dislike it, and then the eleventh time is often a charm. Well, it hasn't worked for me every time (Brussel Sprouts anyone?), but I live in hope.

I am the first to admit that I am also very lucky, in that my children do not eschew the majority of healthy foods. Sure there are some that they seem to have concluded are the work of the devil (Brussel Sprouts anyone?), but in general they eat healthily, so I confess that perhaps my preference for avoiding vegetable sneakiness is driven in part by the satisfaction that I don't need to. However, there are a couple of recipes which have entered my regular repertoire, where the veggie ingredients are all but invisible. Sure zucchini muffins (see here for example) have green flecks, but they seem to disappear pretty quickly anyway. The recipe below is one which I challenge any picky eaters to turn down. The hidden ingredient is completely undetectable, even by my most suspicious (and squash-hating) child. It's a doozy, and whereas Mac 'n' cheese is usually a wasteland where nutritional value is concerned, this is one you can serve up without feeling that you totally capitulated to the whims of any tiny vegetable-haters. And it also gives you the satisfaction of having pulled the wool over their eyes - victories like that can be hard to come by as a parent, so I take them where I can get them!

The original recipe comes from Cooking Light magazine, but I have tweaked it somewhat - my kids may not turn many veggies down, but they do prefer other types of cheese than in the original.

Mac 'n' Cheese with a secret
Serves 8

3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
1 1/4 cups chicken broth/stock
1 1/2 cups milk (I use semi-skimmed/2%)
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 TBSP plain yogurt
1 1/4 cups shredded/grated Monterey jack cheese (or cheddar, or.... you choose)
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1lb uncooked pasta (I use macaroni, but it doesn't really matter!)
oil spray
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley (unless the presence of green stuff will cause a riot)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Combine squash, broth, milk and garlic in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until squash is tender (about 25 minutes). Remove from heat.
3. Place hot squash mixture in a blender. Add salt, pepper and yoghurt. Remove the center piece of the blender lid so steam can escape and cover loosely with a clean towel. Then blend until smooth.
4. Place blended squash mixture in a large bowl and add Monterey Jack cheese, pecorino and 1/2 cup of parmesan.
5. Cook pasta according to directions (do not overcook, as it will cook a little more in the sauce in the oven). Drain and add to cheese sauce mixture.
6. Spread mixture in an ovenproof dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and bake for 25 minutes until bubbly and golden. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.