Kayla Soroka shows us how she uplifts kid-friendly food to give it more pizzaz. The secret’s in the dips

My Cooking Philosophy:

Things are super busy, so I try to create nutritious, balanced meals that take minimal time and effort, but that most kids will eat. Which is asking a lot! I’m also a bit of a foodie (being in kiruv today means being a caterer and mixologist!), so I’m always reading cookbooks. As my kids get older, they’re more willing to try new dishes. I’m definitely not a health nut, but I try to keep ultra-processed food to a minimum (some snacks and Shabbos treats). So I likely won’t put a sugary sauce on chicken, and I’ll use whole-grain or nut flours where my kids won’t notice.

My kids are opinionated about food and each have their preferences and favorite dinners, so I try to make sure they all feel like their requests are honored on a regular basis, rotating between them.

Something I make that I never thought I would:

Tofu. A friend once mentioned that she makes tofu once a week for supper because it’s so cheap, so quick and easy to cook, and her kids love it. At first, I thought my kids would NEVER. And that I would never myself! I didn’t even know what tofu was until I was married. But my kids love pareve chicken nuggets because they think it’s so cool that they’re not fleishigs after. I researched recipes forever, because I knew I had one chance to impress them or they’d become “never tofu” people. I wanted something similar to chicken nuggets: super crispy, moist, canvas for a yummy dip, and easy to make. And I struck gold with a recipe I adapted from NYT Cooking.

Favorite spice or sauce:

I recently found a popper sauce recipe from kosher.com that was just hot sauce, maple syrup, and apple juice, and could not believe how good it was! Been using that one a lot. My favorite secret-weapon spice is thyme; I find it adds a depth and a woodsy, savory element that most people enjoy but can’t even identify.

My go-to easy suppers:

Healthy pancakes is one. The other is my best life hack: find one quick, easy supper your kids LOVE, make it your emergency supper — and use it RARELY. For my kids, it’s frozen pierogies. I keep a stash in the freezer and they take about three minutes to cook. When it’s a real no-time-to-cook situation, I pull them out, and my kids jump for joy!

Something I serve for my family’s health:

I try to make sure there are vegetables at every meal. My husband and kids prefer raw and crunchy over cooked, so it’s often just something sliced with a dip, and we rotate: cucumbers one night, baby carrots one night, peppers one night, etc.

Sunday

Shabbos leftovers

I don’t usually have Shabbos leftovers, but when I do, it’s a great break for me. Otherwise, I make something with cubed chicken cutlets.

Monday

Chicken night

Either schnitzel or wings, with petitim or mashed potatoes and sliced peppers.

Tuesday

Pareve night

We either do the tofu “chicken nuggets” with oven-baked crispy fried rice and Asian cucumber salad, build-your-own crispy rice sushi tower (we put sushi rice in the waffle maker to make crispy rice patties, and the kids can choose their toppings), or sourdough with soup and seared salmon or eggs.

Wednesday

Ground beef night

Burgers, meatballs, tacos, or arayes.

Thursday

Pizza

I’m already cooking for our Shabbos kiruv seudah!

Schnitzel Experiments:

My go-to schnitzel coating is seasoned panko (basically the cranberry-BBQ chicken from Secret Restaurant Recipes), but I like trying new ones. This week, I made hot honey ramen schnitzel from
kosher.com, and that was a hit! Wings are always spiced and roasted to a crisp in the oven, served with an amazing dipping sauce (our favorite is Clifton Springs Chicken Wings from Foodwishes). Usually with petitim or mashed potatoes and sliced peppers.

If my kids are hungry after supper, they could eat:

I leave supper out on the table for a couple of hours after we finish eating, and it slowly disappears as the night goes on. So that’s always an option. But we do keep a stash of healthier snacks like multigrain chips and salsa, microwave popcorn, and pretzels and chocolate hummus around for our hungry almost-bochurim.

Something common I never make:

Fish sticks and tuna, which my kids won’t go near. If I ever want tuna, I make it for my own lunch when they’re not around.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 946)