Nutritious food for your fussy brood

So here it is... my very first blog.  I guess the first thing I should do is tell you a little bit about me and what it is I am planning on writing about.

My name is James, I am a father of two - a four year old boy called Finn - who is very much the focus of the beginning of this journey and a seven month old girl called Roxy.  I had some training in the kitchen which has helped me develop this idea, but am most certainly not a chef.  I'm a dad, I love food, but more importantly I love my kids and just want to get them full of stuff that's good for them.  I am passionate about this, and think that a lot of other parents feel the same.

The concept is simple, its about packing my pre-school son's meals with more fruit and veg than he realises.  After years of cooking for a fussy son, I've developed over 60 recipes that he loves yet which contain lots of hidden nutrients and so thought they might be worth sharing. 

This blog isn't about nutrition, nor is it a study on the psychology of meal times with pre-schoolers, although I will offer up some opinions as I go...  I have developed all my recipes independently, and have had friends and family cook them for their children to see if they work - so far so good... There is nothing challenging, expensive or unusual in what I do, this blog is by a dad for other parents.

Crispy stuffed chicken

I really like this recipe, it gives you a great opportunity to sneak in all sorts of good stuff... For me, this one is all about mushrooms (which Finn claims to "HATE"), however after wolfing down this dish when I concocted it earlier in the week he exclaimed that it was his "favourite dinner ever"!

You can of course add anything to the filling but mushrooms are a great source of iron, vitamins C, B6 & D, as well as lots of anti-oxidants and protein.

Ingredients per portion

Chicken thigh fillet
Knob of butter
20g mushrooms
1 spring onion
I clove of garlic
Dessert spoon of cream cheese
2 slices of cheddar cheese
I egg beaten
2 spoons of flour
Handful of breadcrumbs
Slice of pineapple fresh or from a tin, it doesn't matter

How to do it

1. Melt the butter in a pan. Chop the mushrooms, garlic and spring onion and add to the pan, cook on a medium heat until the mushrooms lose their white colour and go soft.

2. Put the mushrooms, garlic and spring onion in a blender with the cream cheese, and blend until smooth.

3. Lay the chicken fillet out on a board and lay a slice of cheddar on it, then spoon on the blended mushroom mix and top with another slice of cheese.

4. Roll the fillet up and skewer, roll first in the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs.

5. Heat an oven proof frying pan on the hob with a little oil, cook the chicken lollipops on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until golden.

6. Transfer to the oven on gas 4/180/350 for 15/20 mins - as you put them in the oven, you can add a couple of bits of pineapple for a Hawaiian twist if you fancy!

7. I served them with a little roasted sweet potato, some broccoli and a smiley plate!

A tasty little burger

This tasty treat is a favourite with the kids and is a great way to sneak in some extra goodness - so everyone's a winner!

Burgers are a great way of making food fun and that’s key with kid's dinners. Food that’s fun is far more interesting to youngsters and adults alike, so simply by putting the burger on a little wooden board or playing with presentation can make a world of difference.

This little burger is packed with goodies - apple for vitamin C, beetroot for bone-building folates, celery for a little fibre and onion which is good for boosting those all important anti-oxidants. The mince is also a great source of iron and protein. 

I've used minced beef in this recipe, however you could use lamb, pork, turkey or a combination of any of these. I also served Finn's burgers with some sweet potato chips (simply cooked in a little oil) and some steamed green beans (as they're one of his favourite vegetables at the moment!).

Serves 3 pre-schoolers

Ingredients

100g lean minced beef

1 tbsp cooking oil
1 small onion finely chopped
1 stick of celery finely chopped

75g grated apple

75g beetroot finely chopped
50g breadcrumbs (you can use stale bread - just grate it)

How to do it

1.  Heat the oil in a pan and add the chopped onion and celery then cook for 3 to 4 minutes on a medium heat until they've softened.

2.  Chop the beetroot into small pieces and put into a mixing bowl with the mince, grated apple and breadcrumbs.

3. When the onion and celery are cool enough to handle, add to the bowl with the other ingredients and mix together.

4.  Shape into patties, making sure that you get them all about the same size.

5.  Cook the patties in the same pan you used before (no need to wash it as you can use the residual oil).  The first side should be cooked uncovered for 3-4 minutes on a low to medium heat. Once you have a nice colour on the underside of the pattie, flip and cover the burgers (any lid or metal bowl will do).  Keep the burgers nice and moist by adding a couple of tablespoons of water under the lid to steam the meat, if you see the pan is drying out, just add a little more water. 

Cook the burgers, lid-on for 10 minutes and then add a slice or a bit of grated cheese if desired onto the burger, replace the lid and cook until melted.

6.  Put the burgers into buns and serve with your choice of accompaniments!

       Here's Finn enjoying one of the burgers made in the above pictures!