How do you convince kids to eat cauliflower over KFC? Teach them to cook!

How do you change behavior? How do you persuade kids to see the benefits of curried chicken with cauliflower over Cheetos and KFC?

The odds are so stacked against home cooking - from the time it takes to shop and prepare dinner to the advertising campaigns for prepared foods to the salty, high-fat fast food engineered to please the taste triggers in our brains. For time-pressed parents trying to get a meal on the table, and kids whining for their favorite takeout, is it any wonder the drive-through dinner is such a popular choice?

But as these convenience foods have contributed to skyrocketing rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, especially in low-income neighborhoods, getting kids to eat well has become a public health concern. Thus, the goal of My Daughter's Kitchen cooking classes: Teaching kids to cook dinner, providing a primer on the basics of chopping and sautéing while exposing them to new fresh foods along the way.

This spring, volunteers in 31 classes around the region have had a good measure of success: In my class at Prince Hall Elementary in West Oak Lane, for instance, Alia Miles, 11, made turkey sloppy joes for her family, and Samir Norris, 9, made banana Dutch baby pancakes. And several kids in other classes did the same, mostly with those two recipes - they were so good the kids were motivated to prepare them at home.

But each class is a new journey. And though Alia loved the quick pickled cucumbers we made with the sloppy joes, she was turning her nose up at the cauliflower in last week's recipe for curried chicken with cauliflower, apricots, and olives.

"This stuff stinks!" Alia said , though it didn't dampen her enthusiasm for cutting it up. Jalea Johnson, 10, was happy to cut the olives in half but announced she didn't like them and would not be eating them.

Yet everyone was enthusiastic for our dessert, a healthier take on strawberry shortcake.

"Can I taste a strawberry?" asked Jordan Francis, 9, who, along with Samir, was hulling and slicing them.

"I fear if you all taste the strawberries there won't be any left," I said, even though we had a pound of berries.

The girls measured the olive oil, curry, cinnamon, cayenne, paprika, and vinegar for the chicken marinade, but couldn't understand why the cinnamon would go with chicken. "It's a Mediterranean dish - savory and sweet," I said. "The same idea as sweet-and-sour chicken."

While the apricots were being sliced, I explained that these were apricots that had been dried to preserve them. It prompted Samir to recall a history lesson: "Hey, Lewis and Clark ate dried fruit on the Oregon Trail," he said.

"Terrific connection!" I said. "Why do you think they ate dried fruit on the trail?"

"Because they didn't have wet fruit?" said Jordan.

"Well, yes," I said. "Fresh fruit wouldn't keep on such a long trip."

The chopped olives, apricots, and cauliflower were spread on a sheet pan, and after the chicken had marinated for 15 minutes, it was placed on top and popped into the oven.

The boys had chopped the strawberries and sprinkled them with a little bit of sugar to draw out their juice; they had measured the flour, salt, and sugar for the biscuits.

After the butter was cut into small pieces, Samir had to combine it with the flour, the key step to good biscuit making: "You have to rub the butter and flour between your palms, but not too much," I said. "The butter chunks should be the size of small peas."

His pants were covered with flour in the process. "The mark of a baker!" I told him.

We added the milk and stirred the dough until it was just combined, then formed the biscuits by dropping spoonfuls onto the baking sheet. And into the oven they went.

Somehow, despite our finicky oven, we managed to get the chicken cooked and the biscuits baked, and both ready at the same time.

"That looks delicious," Jordan said as we took the chicken out of the oven.

The girls thought the biscuits and strawberries should be part of the dinner, but I had to insist on saving them for dessert. Both of them loved the chicken, but neither girl was a fan of the olive, apricot, and cauliflower medley.

Alia tried one bite of the cauliflower, made a face, and that was it. Jalea was not interested in even trying.

"Sometimes it's not only about eating what tastes good, but what is good for your body and your brain," I said. "I know you want to play in the WNBA, Jalea, and for you to perform at your best, you have to give your body the best foods."

Samir and Jordan needed no persuading: "I'm just stuffing my face right now," said Samir. Both went back for seconds, and Samir took the leftovers home.

There were no strawberry shortcake leftovers. The kids were fighting over every last bite. And no one complained about the sub of vanilla yogurt for whipped cream.

"Jalea, you got to taste this," said Alia. "Miss Maureen," she called out. "This is SO good."

Though I was pretty sure the strawberry shortcake would be a hit, it's not always easy to predict what will appeal. Several of the other classes loved the curried chicken so much they chose it as the meal to prepare for their families next week at the final party.

And it was such a hit with the kids at Wissahickon Charter school, Awbury campus, that the students called me from the class: "We love the curried chicken," they sang in chorus when I answered the phone at my desk earlier in the week.

"We had to call you, they loved it so much," said volunteer Lisa Krader.

Ahdia Young, a Wissahickon student, told me she asked for more vegetables and then caught herself: "I have never said that sentence before in my life," she said.

What a revelatory moment for her: learning she really liked something she didn't think she would.

So that is how you change behavior, one curried chicken with cauliflower recipe at a time.

mfitzgerald@phillynews.com

215-854-5744

www.philly.com/mydaughter

MY DAUGHTER'S KITCHEN

The mission. To teach schoolchildren to cook healthy, easy meals on a budget.

The reach. Sixty-two volunteers are teaching 31 classes in Philadelphia and Camden, with intent to expand.

The partner. Vetri Community Partnership shares the goal of encouraging healthy eating for children.

To support. Send donations to Vetri Community Partnership, 211 N. 13th St., Suite 303, Philadelphia 19107; note "My Daughter's Kitchen" or go to vetrifoundation.org.

To participate. Submit recipes to be considered: Simple, 500-calorie, nutritious meals, prepared in under an hour, for $20 or less for six servings. Send recipes to Food@philly.com.