Kid-Loved Recipes - Leslie

This week is all about the foods our kids love to eat.  Right now A, being two, is in this picky eater stage.  Most of the time she's not willing to try ANYTHING new, which I find frustrating because I know that a lot of the time if she would just try it, she would like it.  We even try singing the "Try It, You'll Like It" song from Yo Gabba Gabba.  It has about a 5.3% success rate so far.  Or maybe that's me being a little too generous today.  *sigh*  Sometimes she even has a problem with things she previously liked, but now finds to be the wrong color or whatever other reasons that only make sense to a two-year-old. Or maybe they only make sense to MY two-year-old.  Or maybe they don't even make sense to her but she enjoys the way mommy's face turns dark red and has to leave the room for a minute.  Especially when a quarter of the plate is gone before she declares that her food is nasty and she doesn't like it, so can she have a cookie please?  That must be pretty funny!  Ha!

Anyway, on to the recipes!

French Bread Pizza
Ingredients:
Loaf of french bread
Your choice of pizza sauce, or make your own!
Your favorite cheese
Your choice of toppings
(Usually we have pepperoni or sausage available, black olives, and mushrooms)
Any herbs you like

Preheat your oven to 325*
 
If you use sausage or any other topping that needs to be prepared before being put on the pizza, do that first.  We always pre-cook our sausage into smaller, crumbly pieces ahead of time.

Get a cookie sheet and cover the bottom.  I like parchment paper for this, but I have used foil successfully as well.

You don't necessarily have to use french bread for this.  Sometimes we use pita bread in place of the french or even hamburger buns if you want more of a pizza burger feel.  If you do use french bread, cut it in half and then cut each half down to whatever sizes you would like your pizzas.  For a small loaf, often you can get away with just cutting the whole thing into quarters.  Larger loafs will be easier to eat if they are cut smaller than that.  You can also make it even healthier by using any sturdy wheat bread.

Arrange your bread onto the cookie sheet.  (An optional step if you are using the french bread is to spread a very thin layer of butter onto the cut side of the bread and put in the oven to pre-toast a little, about 5 minutes)

Add your toppings as you like.  I love this recipe because A can get up there and put whatever she likes on her own.  Usually I just spread the sauce on hers first and then she does the rest with a little help.  You can be as weird as you want.  It's your pizza!  Everyone here pokes fun at me for putting my pepperoni on before my sauce.  I can't help it that I like crunchier bread underneath!  Usually once everyone has their cheese on, we shake some oregano over the whole pan.  It makes such a big difference.

When everyone has their pizza the way they like it, put into the oven and bake just until the cheese is melted. 


Quesadillas
Tortilla Ingredients:
Your choice of cheese.  I like really any Mexican blends for this.
Tortillas (you can get wheat if you like)
For us, about 2 chicken breasts is good for 5 or 6 quesadillas
Quesadilla sauce (Optional, but so so good.)
Any other veggies you may enjoy with Mexican food (Optional)

Sauce Ingredients (Can be easily doubled):
1/4 C Mayonnaise
2 tsp minced jalapenos and 2 tsp jalapeno juice
     OR
4 tsp jalapeno juice
3/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 dash of salt

If you choose to use it, make the sauce at least an hour or two (or even better, the day before).  Just put all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix until well incorporated.  Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge until ready to use.

Cook the chicken until all pink is gone.  We cook with taco seasoning or just a little cumin to give it a bit more flavor.  Shred the chicken.  I have found that using my stand mixer is GREAT for shredding chicken.  Just put the cooked breasts into the mixer with the paddle attachment and turn it on.  Shred until it's the size you like.  It saves so much time.

Turn your griddle or pan on medium heat.

You can spray your tortillas on one side with oil if you like or just leave them alone.  Spread a thin layer of the quesadilla sauce onto the whole tortilla (non oiled side).  Sprinkle a layer of cheese and chicken onto only half of the tortilla and then flip the other side over the top.  Place in the pan and cook until the cheese is melted and the outside is as soft or crunchy as you like.

I like to take a little of the sauce and use it to dip while I'm eating.  A wants to like the sauce so badly, but it is a little spicy and she usually complains after a couple of bites.  Haha.  She gets a little sour cream instead.  The sauce is online as a copy of the recipe Taco Bell uses for their quesadilla sauce.  I don't think it tastes anything like TB's sauce.  In fact, this sauce is WAY better than theirs.


Rice with Chicken and Veggies
Ingredients:
White or brown rice
Chicken broth
Garlic powder (optional)
1-2 chicken breasts
Vegetables that you and your kids enjoy

Cook the rice according to package directions, but use the chicken broth instead of water.  I use the Brown Minute Rice, so it's pretty quick.  I also sprinkle in a few shakes of garlic powder at the beginning.

Cut the chicken into bite size (not too big for little mouths) pieces and cook.  I season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

A likes peas, corn, and carrots with hers.  I usually steam the carrots and cook the peas and corn in boiling water.

Mix into bowl together and enjoy.

A LOVES rice, so this is a perfect healthy dish for her.  Seasons can be adjusted in whatever way you like.  Experiment and find what YOU like.  I sure do.


Pinterest Brownies
Source
Ingredients :
1 C sugar
1/2 C flour
1/3 C cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate or butterscotch chips (optional)
Nuts (Optional)

Preheat oven to 350*

I find that this recipe makes a fairly thin brownie, so we often double it for thicker ones and just let them cook a little longer.  (Keep checking them so they don't overcook!)

Spray or grease a square brownie pan well.

Add all dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk together.  Add to that the wet ingredients and mix until well incorporated.  Fold in any of the chips or nuts you would like to add.  I find that folding them in at the end makes mixing easier.  For me, anyway.  If you want, you can always put them in with the dry ingredients.

Pour into baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.


Other:

Roast Beast and Monster Sandwiches
This is something new we were actually able to get A to try.  We made the name fun, so she thought it was a blast and really liked it.  All it is, is a roast beef lunchmeat sandwich (use any bread they like) with muenster cheese.  That's it!  A won't eat any condiments, so hers is dry, but you can add any they might like.  We serve with fruit and pretzel sticks or carrot sticks.

Peanut Butter and Jelly
Ah.  The ol' go-to.  Please tell me you know how to make these.  :P  Served the same way.

Peanut Butter Sandwich
Yes, A will just eat a plain peanut butter sandwich.  She likes to have a banana and milk on the side.


A will eat just about any fruit as a snack.  Her favorites are bananas.  They seriously don't last long in this place.  She also loves strawberries, apples, pears, and oranges.  Her favorite veggies are carrots, corn, green beans, and peas.  Other snacks she loves are yogurt (we get Greek yogurt with fruit added), applesauce, pretzel sticks, and pita chips.

We don't try to force her to eat things she doesn't like, but a lot of the time I will have her try something more than once.  For example, at first she would not touch avocado.  She wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.  Then she would at least smell it.  Then I told her it was kind of like lettuce so she tried it, but hated it.  Now I will put a little on her plate and sometimes she'll eat a few bites and other times she won't touch it at all, but she's more open to it being an option.  Like Heather said, you can't expect them to like it if you just try once and then give up.

So there are a few things we make around here.  Hope you enjoyed! 

    

    

Kid-Loved Recipes~priddymomma

I laughed myself stupid when I saw this week’s topic.  Cheerio Champ isn’t in love with too many recipes.  He’s kind of picky.  Long gone are the days when I could put a few sprinkles on top of a new food and watch him devour it with relish (oddest thing?  Lasagna).  I also haven’t had the chance to experiment with recipes like I would like to, because I have an eleven month old daughter as well.  Finding time to cook can be a challenge.  Alas!  I do, however, have some recipes and some mom-in-the-trenches advice to share.  Be sure to check back Saturday for Leslie’s post (I know I will be!  She’s a master cook.)

Blueberry Muffins

These are adapted from a recipe hyped by Gwyneth Paltrow, which you can view here: http://www.self.com/healthystars/2011/05/gwyneth-paltrows-favorite-recipes-slideshow?slide=3   My version is healthier, in that it uses 1% milk instead of whole milk, and whole wheat flour instead of white.

½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

2 eggs

½ cup 1% milk

2 cups whole wheat flour

¾ cup sugar, plus 1 tsp. to top muffins

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

2 ½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries (fresh are best, but either is good)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.  Whisk butter, eggs, and milk in a bowl.  Combine flour, ¾ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in another bowl.  Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients (add slightly more milk if batter is too dry.  Whole wheat flour tends to drink it in); fold in blueberries.  Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.  Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. sugar.  Bake until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.  25-30 minutes.  Serve warm.  (I actually like mine refrigerated too, but I’m weird like that.)

Hawaiian Pizza Quesadillas

My husband and I thought up these after seeing a recipe for pizza quesadillas.  Best of all, they are quick and easy to make.

Barbecue sauce (your favorite.  Ours is Sweet Baby Ray’s)

Smoked ham or Canadian bacon

1 small can pineapple tidbits (you can use fresh, but unless it is already in tidbit size, it

won’t be very quick)

Mozzarella cheese

Whole wheat tortillas

You decide amounts.  Less cheese = less calories.  We make them in a skillet, but you can also bake them on a cookie sheet for 6-10 minutes at 400 degrees.  In a skillet, the easiest way is to cover half a tortilla and fold it over on itself to cook.  These can be quite sweet, depending on the barbecue sauce you like best.

Tropical Fruit Salad (feeds four)

1 mango

2 bananas

2 kiwis

Juice from ½ of a lime

Peal fruits, cut into pieces, combine, and squeeze juice over top.  BEST FRUIT SALAD EVER!  It is also surprisingly filling.  I think it would also be awesome with some fresh pineapple, though I have yet to try that.

Cheerio Champ isn’t willing to try new foods 75% of the time, but he eats some surprising foods on a regular basis.  Cheerio Champ will eat marinated chicken breast of any sort, provided that you give him ketchup to dip it in.  He likes fish (again with the ketchup).  He loves sweet potato fries.  His favorite lunch is a peanut butter, nutella, and banana sandwich on 100% whole wheat bread, served with carrots and grapes.  He loves having yogurt, granola, and fruit for breakfast.  And he practically begs for cottage cheese (Princess Cheerio also inhales cottage cheese).

Other tips:

Here are some tips on how to get your picky eater to sample new foods.

• Presentation.  Try making a design on a plate that is appealing to the eye.  Funny faces are a hit here.
• Steam it.  The whole family adores steamed veggies.  Steamed broccoli is more kid-friendly, as steaming it takes out the offensive sulfur-like flavor that most people don’t care for.  Also, try squeezing some fresh lemon juice on it.  There are some amazing microwave steam bags on the market.  You can do fish too!
• If they’re little, trick them into it.  Add veggie purees to dishes to get the veggies in (it makes brownies moister, btw).  Add some cheese to the top, or goldfish crackers (or again, sprinkles if they are into that). 
• Introduce literature and movies or shows that demonstrate healthy eating is cool.  Sid the Science Kid is a great place to start.
• Give the foods funky names.  Broccoli can be called “trees”, for instance. 
• Try, try again.  Kids need to be exposed to foods a countless number of times before they can become accustomed to them.  They will never like carrots if you try them once and give up.
• Serve them several ways.  Not into veggies raw?  Steam them, bake them!  Try a stir-fry!  Vegetable soup!  Give them something to dip veggies in (hummus is a great option).
• Get your kids involved in the shopping.  They’ll be more likely to try turnips if they picked the freshest ones themselves.
• Don’t make it a big deal.  Trying to force your child to eat anything is only going to lead to a power struggle you don’t want to have and possibly a life-long issue with trying new things.  And don’t be a short-order cook!  If your kid doesn’t want to eat what is on his plate for dinner, too bad.  He’ll be plenty hungry for breakfast, and it won’t hurt him to miss one meal.  If you are really worried about it, serve a side that you know he’ll love.