It's nothing personal

So it's been a while since I've posted, and I should explain why. 

First, let me share with you something of a personal revelation, one that you, like me will have heard many times, but it turns out to be true... When it comes to food, yes kids are fussy and often dismissive but the most important thing to realise is it's not personal. You want the best for them, you hear all sorts of things in the press about obesity and poor diet, all you want to do is fill them full of goodness, and everything you put down in front of them is met with a look of contempt. It's exasperating!! 

It's not personal, it's because children are hard wired not to eat things that are unfamiliar, afterall it could be poisonous. This is an instinct that harks back to cave dwelling days.

Mealtimes can often be a time of strife as it's one of the only real opportunities for a toddler to assert themselves. It's control, and if you're not careful, it can easily turn into a battle. Once tempers flare, it becomes even harder, the adrenalin that is now pumping through your child's body because they are upset that you're angry will suppress their appetite further. Keep calm!

Over the last year or so I felt that with Finn refusing just about everything that went down in front of him, I'd be a fraud to continue posting. What I realise however is that every time I get him to eat something good, no matter how trivial I might think it, it's a good thing. He's healthy, full of energy (which is interesting at times), happy and if your kids are too, you're doing a great job! We all have the same good intentions, and if my little tricks are still of interest, then I'll keep going.

I think that this blog needs to reflect the efforts we all put in for the little wins.. My kids don't live on cabbage and lentils, they eat chocolate and love ice cream and I make no apologies for this. They could eat a little less pasta, and more fish, but they are five and two, this will come. They eat lots of fruit, some vegetables, lots of carbs, dairy, meat and all that combined provides them with what they need to grow up healthy. I cook almost everything because I enjoy it. I use as much fresh ingredients as I can and if I get the kids involved all the better (although I am a control freak and sometimes find it hard). 

To finish, I'll leave you with a little tip.. Try to introduce new things with a firm favourite, if they don't try it, it's because it's scary. Oh and if in doubt... Blend! It's a really good way of getting things into them and they won't know. Veg in bolognese will no longer be discarded to the side of the plate. Anything with chunks becomes easier to eat, just be careful you don't end up with a plate of brown gunk. 

Good luck, keep calm and well done, you're doing great! A new recipe to follow soon... 

Mexican Pizza

So I have been a little busy recently, sorry about that.. My kid's food has still however been as time consuming as ever, and the battles with Finn still arise on occasions. We are by no means perfect let me tell you.

The next stage of our lives as a normal family has begun, Roxy is eating and seems to devour anything in front of her - I just wish that would continue forever, lets just hope she is a real foodie like me.

A new favourite I have found for them both is 'Mexican Pizza'. Now if trading standards, or Mexico or indeed Neapolitans had anything to say, they would find me in contempt, but it is what it is and the kids love it!

Ingredients

1-2 large flour tortilla wraps (depending on appetite
Tablespoon of Cornerstone Sauce (or a squeeze of tomato puree with a smidge of honey to slacken it)
Tablespoon of sweetcorn
Tablespoon of tinned crushed pineapple
Slice of ham
Handful of grated cheddar
Knob of butter

Recipe

Now this is the easiest thing ever.. Simply build it up as you would a homemade pizza. If you are using just one tortilla - only fill one half and then fold it over.

Spread the Cornerstone Sauce on the wrap

 

Add your toppings

 

Cover with cheese

 

Apply the second wrap or fold in half (if you are using just one)

Melt the butter in a frying pan on a medium heat and cook the pizza until the tortilla is golden, then flip and repeat on the other side.

Voila! Perfect melty-cheese tastiness and good for them too.

 

I like to serve Finn and Roxy's with some cucumber as they both like it.

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! 

Banana porridge

This is a popular breakfast choice in our house come rain or shine... Quick, cheap, full of good stuff and one of Finn's favourites!

Studies have shown that in addition to providing iron and fibre, porridge helps regulate blood sugar. By adding a sneaky addition or two, such as banana and dried fruits, porridge can give kids an amazing breakfast time boost.

Serves 2 pre-schoolers.

Ingredients

• 1 medium banana chopped
• 1 knob of butter
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup of any supermarket oats (I use Scotch porridge oats because my folks are from up there and they are the ones we always had, but Quaker or own brand alternatives are fine).
• 2/3 cup whole milk plus a little for a moat on top
• Handful of raisins or other fruit
• A squeeze of honey

How to do it

1.  Add the banana, butter and cinnamon to a smallish heavy bottomed saucepan and cook on a low heat until the banana goes golden in colour and starts to really soften. Make sure you turn the banana to cook both sides

2.  Turn up the heat a little to medium and add the oats, milk, raisins and honey. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until most of the milk has been absorbed, stirring occasionally. It's really important that you don't cook it for too long or it becomes really stodgy. If the porridge does become too thick, just add a dash of milk or water to bring it back to your preferred consistency.

3. Pour it into a serving bowl and add a little more milk over the top. I always loved that as a child and it has the additional benefit of cooling the porridge down around the edges!

Blueberry pancakes

These pancakes are a great option for breakfast at the weekend or can be enjoyed anytime as a delicious snack! This is a good recipe to get the kids involved in, plus they're really quick to make.

Blueberries are a 'superfood', so full of goodness. They one of the best fruits available when you want to deliver a load of vitamins and nutrients. The rule with fruit and veg is generally the more brightly coloured, the better they are for you. 

When you're mixing the ingredients in this recipe together, try not to overwork the mixture as it can make your pancakes rubbery. Also, don't worry if you have little lumps once the milk is added as they'll come out in the cooking process.

The volume of batter you'll end up with will make about 15 jam pot lid sized pancakes, so unless you have plenty of mouths to feed you may have some left over, in which case you can freeze them. When you decide to use them, don't worry about defrosting them - just pop them in the oven from frozen on a medium heat for about 20 minutes or until warmed through.

Ingredients

300g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 eggs
300ml whole milk
200g blueberries
Knob of butter

How to do it

   1.  Weigh out your flour into a decent sized bowl (don't worry about
        sieving it first) and then add the bicarbonate of soda

    2.  Break in the eggs and mix into the flour

    3.  Once the eggs are mixed in, add the milk and blueberries (don't be 
         concerned if the batter seems thick - this is normal)

    4.  Put a pan on a medium heat and melt the butter



    5.  Add a serving spoonful of mixture to the pan and cook until the  
         pancake is starting to look a little puffy (about 3-4 minutes)

    6.  Flip the pancakes and squash down to pop the blueberries, then cook 
         until golden

    7.  Serve with honey and yoghurt