The trick to eating broccoli

I walked into a library this week and saw this book displayed right there on the center of the "librarian's favorites" book shelf. I have been meaning to get my hands on this cookbook for sometime now, so when I saw it I snapped that sucker up and headed to the check out without looking at anything else. Deceptively Delicious has gotten rave reviews enough for me to know this was worth taking home for three weeks, and it didn't take long for me to find a recipe to try out that very same evening.

Broccoli is the arch nemesis in our home. For some reason I have yet to understand Jake won't so much as look at, taste or even have broccoli touching anything on his place mat. I don't get it, considering I shoveled the green stuff into his happy little mouth for a good 10 months of his life. And apart from broccoli Jake has a pretty good palate for veggies: avocados, red peppers, carrots, yams, corn, celery, cucumber, butternut squash, plenty of multi coloured vegetables grace his plate daily. But broccoli? not a chance. He won't have it even if it means sacrificing chocolatey desserts (aka: Bribes).

 
So I made Jessica Seinfeld's recipe for a soft ginger loaf. It includes one cup of broccoli and half a cup of carrots - and my boy wolfed that little slice of heaven down first thing this morning like he'd been waiting for it his whole life. He was asking for "more cake" before noon.

Hiding hated vegetables in delicious food. Is it cruel? I don't really care. It tastes just like the real thing, it's soft and flavorful with all the wintery spices gingerbread should have. It just also happens to have broccoli, and my boy happened to eat it. In abundance. All day.

 
What he doesn't know, is good for him.