The answer is – FOOD! Home-cooked meals are Jessica’s recipe to keeping the world-famous comedian satisfied!
In fact, she reveals to Healthy Hollywood, her kitchen skills are what first attracted the former longtime single guy, adding, “I think the reason he fell in love with me was because he was so freaked out and confused that someone my age (26 at time) cooked. I cooked all the time, and when we were going to go out for our first date he said, ‘Let’s go out to dinner.’ I said, ‘No, let me cook at home.’”
Now, Jessica is passing her love of cooking on to their three kids and the rest of us! In her second book, “Double Delicious! Good, Simple Food for Busy, Complicated Lives,” the busy mom continues her quest to get kids and families to eat healthy.
Yes, that means more veggies and fruit on the plate. Not always a pleasant experience with finicky kids at the dinner table.
Jessica’s advice: “I found the less pressure you put on the dinner table situation…the more comfortable your kids are eating.”
Jessica also recommends, “I found little tricks like putting vegetables on the table before we eat dinner, so while I’m making dinner they’re snacking on something.” Another trick? “I put tons of (veggie) purees into my kids’ food, so I always feel like they’re getting a better meal…I just had to get that stress out of my life.”
Even though the Seinfeld family can afford to eat out or have their own personal chef, Jessica reveals she’s the only one in the kitchen and tries to make dinner every night!
“I like to know what’s going into my family’s food. Plus, I get my own personal enjoyment out of cooking.”
The author/mom hopes to inspire others (no matter how busy they are) to get back into the kitchen! “The bottom line is people used to cook, and people don’t cook anymore. Packaged foods have become a lifestyle vs. an emergency-go-to…I think people are cooking less and less and they aren’t teaching their children how to do it.”
Jessica shares with Healthy Hollywood a favorite family recipe – Pumpkin Ravioli.
Homemade ravioli seems impossible, right? Not at all! This is both the tastiest and the prettiest dish. I love to serve this for a casual meal, and they are so elegant that they work for a fancy dinner party as well.
Ingredients:
1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium white beans, such as navy, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup canned 100% pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 large egg
72 wonton wrappers, about 1-1/2 (12-ounce) packages
1 tablespoons cornstarch
1-1/2 cups jarred marinara sauce, microwave 1 minute or until warm
1. Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil. Place the beans, pumpkin puree, ricotta, Parmesan, and garlic powder into a food processor. Process until smooth.
2. In a small bowl, beat the egg with about 1 tablespoon of water.
3. Set the wonton wrappers on a cutting board. Place 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto a wrapper. Brush the edges of the wonton with the egg wash. Top off with another wonton sheet. To make a round shape, cut around the base of the pumpkin can. Press the edges of the ravioli together firmly, to seal.
4. Place the ravioli on a baking sheet sprinkled with the cornstarch. When all the ravioli are cut out, carefully place them in the boiling water using a slotted spoon. As soon as they rise, about 4 minutes, they are done. Lift them out with the slotted spoon and divide the ravioli between 6 bowls. Top each portion with ¼ cup marinara sauce and serve immediately.
Prep: 25 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Yield: Makes 36 ravioli
1 serving = 6 ravioli
Calories: 352, Carbohydrate: 62g, Protein: 15g, Total Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 520mg, Fiber: 5.5g
Besides her book, Jessica recently launched her own website packed with simple recipes and time-friendly tips to healthy eating. Check it out at www.doitdelicious.com.
Copyright © 2024 by NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be republished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.