Recipes
I don't know about you, but I get pretty tired deciding what's for dinner! Between working all day, picky kids that don't want to eat what I want to eat, and various dietary restrictions, I'm done! Over many years, we have finally curated a modest amount of recipes that we all love, or can be easily adjusted for picky eaters.
We decided to make diner more of an adventure! Once the kids got involved with cooking, they became slightly less picky. Then when they started helping to grow the food, they became slightly less picky again! We only ask they take an adventure bite before passing on a new thing! Maybe one day they will eat like regular humans!
Here is what we serve our kids. I hope it can help some family out there to get veggies into their kids!
Sorrel: Use it in pesto, or on sandwiches! A light lemony taste goes great with fish. I've also been know to just give the kids a handful and call it a day! It tastes so lemony they won't know its good for them. Here is a great recipe form West Coast Kitchen that includes walnuts that can be sourced locally (and cause I'm too thrifty to buy pine nuts!)
Sorrel can also take the place of other greens in recipes, not just in pesto. It's a perennial green that goes great here and with little water.
Diakon: A quick pickle on a tofu banh mi is great for adults and can be deconstructed for kids. Our kids will eat it with all the parts separated. One day they will eat a fully assembled meal! Also, who doesn't love toasted bread!
A quick cheat I like to do is pop thinnly chopped carrots into a pickle jar with the left over brine when the pickles are done. Goes great with smoked tofu or on bagel and cream cheese.
Napa Cabbage: A quick japanese pancake is so easy and healthy. We put three eggs, 3 tbsp water, soy sauce and sesame oil in a bowl, whip together. Then add shredded napa cabbage and grated carrot with about a half cup of flour or so. You want a pancake batter consistency - obviously! Then pan fry and top with japanese mayo (or regular cause you forgot to go to the shop!). We probably eat this for lunch twice a week!
Woking veggies into your breakfast is a great way to make sure you get at least 5 a day. Smoothies are another sneaky way to sneak veggies in...but I have yet to try a caggage smoothy!
Salad rolls save us every weekend. They are fun to make together and you can put anything in them! Prawns, smoked tofu, carrots, sprouts, lettuce, mint, cucumber, arugula...whatever! And they transport well. The trick to getting the rice paper wrap ready is to use a large high wall pan with cool water so you can submerge all at once. If you find the wraps are too sticky, try leaving them in the water for less time.
