In 2007, former Eating Well magazine publisher Missy Chase Lapine took the foodie world by storm with her book "The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kid's Favorite Meals".  In it she described ways to get your pickiest child eater to "eat their vegetables" by pureeing them and hiding them in some of their favorite foods such as Brownies and Macaroni & Cheese.  This time she is taking those same techniques and applies them to the other picky eater in the house, your husband.  I don't believe in deceiving your children to get them to eat healthy unless in the most extreme situations. Kids need to know what certain foods taste like, but unfortunately when it comes to our husbands sometimes it can't be helped. 

Many grown men, that are relatively healthy, really believe that they can survive on meat and potatoes alone.  My husband didn't eat anything green before he married me except for Broccoli and the occasional salad, and only with Ranch dressing ("What's Balsamic Vinaigrette?").  I'll never forget the first time that I served him corn on the cob, he pushed it around on his plate much like a child would do and when I asked him what was wrong he told me that growing up he had only eaten corn that had been frozen or out of a can.  Talk about shocking.  So when I found out about Missy's latest book, "The Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on Your Man (In the Kitchen)", I was definitely intrigued. I have no problems with bribing my 2 year old to eat certain foods but I knew it would take a little more than that for my husband. 

The book has several tidbits from women recalling tales of feeding woes they've experienced with their husbands and at times the book has a bit of self-help feel:  "If you can hold your tongue and take matters into your own hands by cheating in the kitchen, you will enhance your relationship with peace and love, and in some magical way, this will enrich the food you cook".  But, all in all, if you have a husband that can not be moved, this book could be for you.  My husband loves pasta so I decided to try out the Linguine with Red Clam Sauce which contains mashed-up sardines in it (Omega - 3) and the make ahead orange puree which is a combination of carrots and sweet potatoes used in a host of other recipes found in the book.  It was quite good and I may even make it again with or without the orange puree, the sardines gave it a nice kick. I also have to say that it was a very clever way to get some Omega-3 in my dear husband. 

Linguine with Red Clam Sauce 

From The Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on Your Man (In the Kitchen) by Missy Chase Lapine, Running Press 2008 

I’ve secretly added sardines, the world’s healthiest fish, to this classic red clam sauce. They enhance the taste as well as the nutritional profile of this dish. But no amount of nagging or statistics on the benefits of sardines’ omega-3 rich oils can convince my husband to eat these heart-healthy fish, so I’m extra sneaky when I prepare this recipe. It’s always hard for me to hold my tongue as he devours this linguine with red clam sauce! 

Makes 6 servings

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium-size onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup Orange Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe #2)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 (6 1⁄2-ounce) cans chopped clams, drained
• 1 (3- to 4-ounce) can skinless and boneless sardines, packed in water, drained
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1 pound linguine, ideally whole wheat, freshly cooked 
  

Heat the oil over medium heat in a deep skillet or earthenware pot. Add the onion and cook until they are slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, Orange Puree, tomato paste, clam juice, diced tomatoes, and clams. Stir to combine well. Add the sardines, breaking them up with the spoon, slightly mashing into the pot so there are no remaining pieces visible. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste.

Add the linguine to the sauce and toss to coat. Transfer to a large serving bowl and serve. 

Make-Ahead Recipe #2: Orange Puree 

From The Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on Your Man (In the Kitchen) by Missy Chase Lapine, Running Press 2008

• 1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 3 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced into thick chunks
• 2 to 3 tablespoons water 
  

Makes about 2 cups of puree 

In a medium-sized pot, cover the sweet potatoes and carrots with cold water and boil for about 20 minutes, until carrots are very tender. If the carrots aren’t thoroughly cooked, they’ll leave telltale little nuggets of vegetables, which will reveal their presence to your man—a gigantic no-no for the Sneaky Chef.

Drain the sweet potatoes and carrots and put them in the food processor with two tablespoons of water. Puree on high until smooth; no pieces of carrots or potatoes should remain. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to smooth out the puree, but the less water, the better.

The Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on Your Man (In the Kitchen)

The Sneaky Chef now targets the other picky eater in the family! For parents of finicky eaters, The Sneaky Chef was the answer to their prayers, giving them solutions for hiding healthy food in the meals kids crave. Within a month of publication, it was a New York Times bestseller. But author Missy Chase Lapine knew another secret: the kids aren’t the only ones in the family not eating their veggies! Hundreds of women wrote to tell her how the men in their lives were consistently making poor choices when it came to their diet. Men know they should eat better, but the classic male perception is that fruits and veggies are “rabbit food” and don’t seem to satisfy their appetite. Now “The Sneaky Chef” has donned her apron again and developed delicious recipes that are sure to appeal to guys. Recipes include “Macho Meatballs,” “Love Me Tenderloin,” and “Champion Chili.” These hearty meals successfully cloak ingredients that specifically target men’s health issues: foods proven to help the heart, lower cholesterol, ensure a healthy prostate, and other concerns. Now everyone in the family (kids and adults alike) can benefit from The Sneaky Chef.

Available at Amazon.com