Healthy Family: One bite leads to another

It's been a while since my boys were little, and I'm admittedly out of practice when it comes to dealing with young kids who have picky palates.

So when my niece was coming for a visit from out of state and bringing her 8-year-old son with her, I texted her in advance to see what foods I should have on hand. Her response was, "His taste is pretty basic. He'll eat mac and cheese, but not the homemade kind."

OK, I was fine with that answer. I hadn't bought a blue box of mac and cheese in years, but I love my great-nephew, and wanted him to have a great weekend, so whatever he wanted was good with me. Well, sort of.

When they arrived, I learned that he had recently tried a bite of edamame and actually liked it. In an effort to open his mind to new foods (I just couldn't let him live off mac and cheese for the entire weekend), and to keep him entertained, I decided we'd make edamame potstickers together. The idea was that if he saw an ingredient he thought he liked, going into a food he didn't recognize, he might be more willing to give that food a shot.

Of course, making potstickers is a fun little food project, so I figured, at worst, we'd keep him occupied for a bit, and the rest of us would have a few delicious little bites as a result.

It turns out he was a potsticker prodigy. After I showed him how to make one, he proceeded to knock out the rest with the precision of a sushi chef. Who knew? I guess little fingers and young eyes are key factors when it comes to putting together small packages of filled dough.

Once they were all made, I browned them and briefly steamed them in a skillet under the watchful gaze of my 8-year-old assistant. When they were done, I put a few on a plate and set them in front of him. He examined his work carefully. It's one thing to play with your food, but to actually eat it is quite another thing all together.

Yes, he did eat a bowl or two of that mac and cheese, but he also learned he liked a few other foods he'd never tried before, which made his mom (and his aunt) happy, too.

Meredith Deeds is a cookbook author and food writer from Edina. Reach her at meredith@meredithdeeds.com. Follow her on Twitter ­at @meredithdeeds.

Makes 24 potstickers.

Note: Edamame makes a flavorful and light filling for these quick and easy potstickers. From Meredith Deeds.

• 1 c. shelled edamame, defrosted

• 1 tbsp. soy sauce

• 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

• 1 tbsp. finely minced fresh ginger

• 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil, for frying

• Sesame Soy Dipping Sauce (see recipe)

Directions

Combine edamame, green onion, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, sesame oil and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 6 to 8 times until the mixture is finely chopped, but not puréed. (You can also place all the ingredients in a bowl and mash together with a fork.)

Place a generous teaspoon of the filling in the center of each wonton. Brush the edges of the wrapper with a little water. Gather up the corners of the wrapper and pinch them together around the top. Make sure all the edges are sealed. Continue to the make the dumplings until the filling is used up. Space them on a large cookie sheet, making sure they don't touch.

Place the cooked dumplings on a warm platter and serve with the Sesame Soy Dipping Sauce.

To make ahead: The filling can be made 1 day ahead and kept in the refrigerator. The dumplings can be made up to one month ahead. Freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet, and then transfer to a freezer bag. Cook directly from the freezer, adding on another few minutes to the cooking time.

Nutrition information per serving (1 potsticker):

Calories52Fat2 gSodium90 mg

Carbohydrates6 gSaturated fat0 gCalcium8 mg

Diabetic exchanges per serving: ½ bread/starch, ½ fat.

Makes about 1/2 cup

• 1/4 c. rice wine vinegar

• 2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce

• 1 tbsp. sugar

• 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

• 2 tbsp. finely chopped green onions

• 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger and sesame oil until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the green onions and sesame seeds.