My Young Jedi is Learning…

3YO DD really impressed me this morning…  I was preparing her lunch box for playgroup, & showed her the tomatoes, cucumber & kidney beans I was mixing to put in some pitta bread. ‘Looks lovely’ she said (good girl). Then I told her I was adding olive oil so it wasn’t too dry. ‘But you won’t need it’ she said immediately, the tomatoes are juicy so it won’t be dry’.

An utterly banal domestic moment (like the rest of this blog is so earth shattering…!) but I thought that really showed she was thinking about the food & the tastes & textures. I added the olive oil anyway, when she wasn’t looking, plus a bit of black pepper… it was pretty good.

And whilst I’m *thrilling* your day with the minutiae of my mine… when she came back, she looked at me rather coyly & said, ‘Mum? Shall we have just a cheeky little piece of chocolate?’

Oh go on then.

*Secret Tip for Feeding Kids*: Don’t TELL the children they won’t like it!

Thought I’d share my lunch with you today (figuratively speaking of course)… as its inception goes some way to explaining the reason why you’ll very rarely see me post a ‘recipe’ but more a ’sort of idea I had’. This was also a lesson to self not to assume your kids won’t like anything till they (& you!) have tried it!

I opened the vegetable basket & saw: 4 beetroot with leaves still on, 3 carrots & a red onion. Pretty inspiring huh?

It was past midday, & I had 2 pretty whingy kids already so figured there was no time to boil or roast (usually my favourite) the beetroot. I remembered I’d once seen a recipe in a Jamie Oliver book about a beetroot salad, so flicked through some tattered indexes till I found it. It was for ‘Beetroot, Pear & Feta Salad with lemon dressing’.

Delicious!

Slight hitch.

I didn’t have any pears, feta or lemons.

Undeterred, I had found what I was looking for, which was reassurance from a proper chef that it was OK to grate or slice beetroot raw, & an idea. So in the absence of pears I found an apple, my feta became a pack of halloumi cheese, & my lemon… 2 fairly tired-looking satsumas & a lime.

Beetroot & carrots scrubbed, topped & tailed & grated (or you could use a mandarin or chop into matchsticks), beetroot leaves washed & ripped / chopped, apple cored & cut about the same, & half the red onion thinly sliced… (this honestly took less than 5 minutes). I squeezed the satsumas & the lime, & put the juice in a jam jar (no jam . You knew that. Just saying.) with a few large glugs of extra virgin olive oil & some black pepper. Shake the jar, & then pour it over the veggies & toss. (Fairly frantic tossing by this point actually as 21 m.o. was hanging off my leg screaming).

I grilled the halloumi (it’s cheese… which of course you knew, but I’m making sure this really is food-phobe proof…) – put the slices in a hot frying pan or griddle with no oil, & turn after a few minutes – you want it just brown on both sides. Obviously the feta crumbled over would also have been fab, as would any other sheep or goats’ cheese.

So, back to my salad  which is a very pink, crunchy bowlful of veggies, tossed with dressing & with grilled cheese on top. (Sorry Jamie, this is now bearing no resemblance whatsoever to your original, but you were the inspiration!).

On the side we had some fresh spelt bread dipped in the rest of the dressing. Dipping… we all know how kids love to dip. But this sort of dipping isn’t just for adults & gastro pubs you know – kids love it & extra virgin olive oil (cold- pressed please), with or without some balsamic vinegar, makes a nice change from fishfingers & ketchup.

My kids (21 months & 3.5 years) found it sheer genius that Mummy had made apple go bright pink, & thought the whole thing was delicious. The fact that they also had red teeth to bear at each other was an added bonus ( not to mention the *hysterical* red wee a few hours later).

Now I have to admit, I did think that even I might be pushing it with 2 very young tummies & my citrus-y, oily dressing & raw beetroot concoction, but with no ‘you probably won’t like this’ preamble… they ate it with gusto. If I’m honest, it probably wasn’t my finest culinary hour, but it was zingy & tasty, as well as being fresh, different & full of nutrients.

Don’t second-guess your kids, or assume they won’t eat something,  until they have. I have seen parents nervously place something in front of a child, over-zealous in their cajoling to ‘just try it’ & with the fishfingers on stand-by…

…They can SMELL YOUR FEAR Dear Parent!! ) And they will react as you expect them to – by rejecting it. Similarly, there is really no need for a carnival fanfare & promises of trips to Disney just because they DID eat it.

Calm down.

Eat.

Have a laugh.

Leave what you don’t want. (I know your grandparents said it, but I’m afraid the starving children in Africa really WON’T benefit by your clearing your plate… Give to charity instead.).

Please tell me about your experiments – the ones that do work & the ones that don’t!

Have confidence, Dear “I-just-can’t-cook” Parent! You CAN feed your kids!

I know that many parents are great cooks: ‘foodie’, Goddesses who rustle up super-healthy casseroles & fresh, omega & antioxidant-rich meals for their children on a daily basis… But many are just, well, not.

I often hear from Mums who have the very best intentions, but simply struggle to think of what to feed their kids every day. They don’t know where to start, cannot see how to combine their own meal choices with child-friendly options, & so resort time after time to the same, boring stand-bys. Don’t panic if he/she isn’t interested today – stand your ground & leave it till tomorrow – nobody’s going to starve overnight!

These posts are for you. Have confidence! Take a few ideas  & guidelines, & go with it. It’s not rocket science  & children are really very easy to please – provided you don’t pass on any hang-ups!  – They love to get involved with preparing & making food, they don’t care if it goes wrong, & if you are relaxed & keen to try new things, then so will they be.

Mealtimes should not be battlegrounds, & many issues & problems with weight & food in later life stem from a stressful or unhappy relationship with food as a child. A parent’s preoccupation with fat, calories or body image is all too easily passed on to her child – so try to make the relationship with food in your home a happy one!

Remember, food is not the enemy, it’s just food. Make it the good stuff , relax & enjoy discovering it & eating it WITH your children. Good luck !!

Time for some actual ideas (they’re not clever enough to be called ‘recipes’)

What to serve up for ‘kids’ tea’…? That quaint English term for the meal we throw together for the children somewhere between 4.30 & 6pm, which we have no intention whatsoever of sitting down to eat with them, & that has the sole purpose of filling the slightly over-tired & teasy gap before bath/bedtime.

Mostly my kids get a version of what we’ll be eating for dinner later, but this isn’t always practical… So, accepting the reality of the situation (I am an annoying, obsessive, organic foodie evangelist, but I am also a real mother who knows what time wine o’clock is ), what do you give them?? Well, at the risk of sounding bossy, I’m often asked, what do I give mine? So here goes with a few ideas from my repertoire… (*I’ve added  some shopping & brand ideas at the bottom if you’re not familiar with buying some ingredients)

Rice, Fish & Peas. Mine LOVE this. It’s kind of risotto. But so much quicker & is a brilliant store cupboard / freezer stand-by. You will need:

• a bag of rice (preferably wholegrain, but I won’t judge you);
• some fresh or frozen fish (I buy the bags of frozen cod/haddock/salmon from the supermarket.  But it has to be JUST fish – i.e. no batter, breadcrumbs, no extras – just  fillets of real fish).
• And some frozen peas or any other fresh or frozen vegetables

Put a pan of water on to boil (I add some organic, low salt stock to the water for extra taste). When it’s boiling, add your rice (if it’s wholegrain you’ll need to give it a good 10-15 mins, if it’s white basmati or whatever then 5 mins), then add the frozen fish &  peas or fresh veg (cut small).

That’s it – all in the same pan of stock, simmer for a few more mins & then strain & break up the fish a bit. Just keep trying a forkful of fish to make sure it’s cooked but not leathery. My kids like the tiniest splash of soy sauce & then happily devour a huge bowlful.

The Picnic Tea. Easy easy easy, & healthy & quick. Place in a bowl (or a tupperware – this is also a fiendishly simple packed lunch or picnic), mixed up & chopped up, any combination of  the following:

• banana; apple; actually any fresh fruit…; raisins; oatcakes*;  rye-bread*;  dried apricots (NO additives – that means they’re brown, not orange), cheese (organic please, & try goats, or sheep’s for variation); almond, cashew or proper peanut butter*; hummus; raw carrot, celery, broccoli, peppers or tomatoes.

The list is infinite – but hopefully you get the idea. Kids love being able to pick out separate mouthfuls of finger food – they love small, raw bits & pieces & it’s a great way to introduce  tastes, colours & variety.

Pasta & Tomato Sauce. No sorry, not from a jar. This comes back to an earlier post on how the same words can describe very different foods, but what I am referring to is:

• pasta – wheat is fine, but make it wholewheat, & try spelt, buckwheat or corn pasta* for a change. Incidentally, don’t go there with the ‘my kids only like the white soggy stuff’. Only if that’s what they always get… It’s all pasta, it’s just that some of it is good for you, & some of it is high GI gluten with next to nothing to offer. So try the other stuff & make it interesting
• The sauce. You’ll need some veggies… any combination of: carrots, broccoli, onions, garlic, celery, courgettes, any greens, peppers, whatever you can find. The key is to chop them up small – kids are often phased by big chunks of vegetables. I don’t usually advocate disguising or hiding vegetables, but  depending on the age & fussiness of your kids you could blitz this sauce with a hand-held blender once it’s cooked to make it easier for them). Heat some olive oil in a thick-based pan, add the vegetables, cook for just a few minutes, add a tin of plum tomatoes, break them up (or use a tin of chopped ones) & heat through. Stir into your cooked pasta.
• Make it taste good! Add a splash of worcestershire sauce, or some fresh or dried herbs, some grated parmesan or other strong cheese, a little pepper… Just because they’re kids it doesn’t mean they need or want bland food!

When you use meat, make sure its organic (or at least free-range) but remember too that protein comes in other, very cheap, easy, & incredibly healthy forms! Add a drained & rinsed can of cannelini beans, kidney beans or chickpeas to a homemade pasta sauce, a vegetable casserole, soup, shepherds pie, lasagna… instead of meat sometimes.

Don’t be scared of cooking with fish – buy it fresh from the fish counter in the supermarket or a fishmonger, & always ask for it it filleted, skinned & ready to cook if you’re not sure about doing it yourself. It doesn’t matter what type of fish, any basic white fish will fill out a fish pie, grill beautifully when brushed with olive oil, or simmer for a few minutes with rice & vegetables. A single salmon fillet or steak will easily feed 2-3 small kids – just add some steamed or stir-fried broccoli or greens & some noodles or rice.

Tinned oily fish like pilchards, sardines or mackerel – you may well be surprised how much kids love these warmed through on some wholegrain toast with butter…

Don’t forget the classics… Beans on Toast, Boiled Egg & Marmite Soldiers, Scrambled Eggs… they’re all good, but remember the finer, but essential differences: wholegrain toast, free range or organic eggs, real butter.

Cook in olive oil, buy only free range or organic meat, buy fish minus the coatings & fillings & colourings. Margarine is the devil’s work IMHO – organic butter & olive oil are real, pure foods which in moderation are a thousand times better for your kids than weird spreads & ‘pretend’ butters (& they certainly don’t need the ‘low fat’ hang ups either).

Now I’m thinking about breakfasts, but this post has gone on long enough & the dog needs to go out, so I’ll just tell you what & where to buy some stuff, as promised, & sign off. Hope it helped!

*Oatcakes: a great snack, bread alternative, & almost gets away with being a ‘biscuit’ or ‘cookie’ (well OK, maybe your kids are clever-er than that)… I buy Nairns brand from the supermarket – the cheesy ones or mini’s are great on their own, the rough, fine milled or herby ones are all perfect with a scraping of butter, hummus or nut butter. An oatcake with butter & jam is a favourite treat too.

*Rye or spelt bread: wheat alternatives – you buy it in packs in the bread section of the supermarket, or fresh from a specialist baker. Rye bread can be a bit heavy – it needs to be cut thin & spread with something so it’s not too dry. Spelt has a very mild sourdough taste. Again, don’t pre-empt them ‘not liking it’ – they may surprise you!

* Nut butters – peanut butter should be made with unblanched peanuts & no added sugar or sweeteners (Whole Earth is a good brand – available from supermarkets). If you’re not a fan of peanut butter, almond, cashew & seed butters are absolutely delicious, eminently good for you & slightly less ‘claggy’ or dry – buy them in health food shops.

* Wholewheat (not just ‘brown’), spelt, buckwheat, corn & vegetable pastas – all in the supermarket (the latter ones in the ‘wheat-free / free-from / healthy aisles… where you should be shopping anyway

Oh, & PS I know you’re probably eating later, but try & take a break, grab a cup of tea & sit with them while they eat – the difference in table manners & actually eating the food if you join them & engage in a some light conversation, instead of ignoring them or shoving spoonfuls of food in their face is quite something. I mean would YOU want to eat something that was being thrust in your face by someone a bit stroppy & pretending to be an aeroplane? Me neither.