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Young Child Dinner Ideas - Share Your Successes

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  • 16-03-2021 5:35pm
    #1
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,966 ✭✭✭✭


    Hey Folks,

    I'm not sure if there's an appetite for this. Maybe it's been done before and gone off. Why not share your successful dinner ideas so that the rest of us can find a handy recipe that we can experiment eh try on our little ones.

    CheeseBurgers

    Without fail my little one loves these (she's almost 4). I make a very thin patty with a little bit of fennel seed in it. There's a slice of proper chedder, very finely chopped white onion, some salad & avocado. One part of the bun will have a thin layer of relish while the other part will have a thin layer of sour cream.

    118085642_2733219303559007_942281803040440742_n.jpg?tp=1&_nc_ht=scontent-dub4-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=111&_nc_ohc=uulRgQWXE9YAX9gDVU6&oh=9195b33451ff5d93b38cb0d172d76b6c&oe=607A7907


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    #2
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,966 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    Quiche

    This is fairly successful too. Make a thin pastry base, fill with some finely chopped onion, pancetta cubes or bacon (whichever you prefer), finely diced mushrooms, cheddar, whisk two eggs with some milk, Italian seasoning and pour over your quiche. Bake in the oven at about 180 for 30 minutes or so. What you serve it with is up to you but my little one loves gherkins and coleslaw.

    You can easily make a vegetarian version by just using broccoli & mushrooms. I add a little Worcestershire sauce to help liven the flavour up a little.

    101949654_175261860639615_7797067178934117795_n.jpg?tp=1&_nc_ht=scontent-dub4-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=103&_nc_ohc=epRpeNO3jwwAX9nHaOQ&oh=2471926d36b7ec597fbddbe41415d626&oe=607A7956


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    #3
    fits
    Registered Users Posts: 13,261 ✭✭✭✭fits


    Just had avocado pasta. My boys love it. Adapted from baby led feeding cookbook.

    Fry half onion gently until softened. Add 2 cloves of garlic and fry until soft. Put into blender with two avocados, a tablespoon of olive oil, juice of half a lemon. Blend.

    Stir into cooked pasta. We add frozen peas and frozen prawns and cook for 2 minutes. Serve.


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    #4
    bee06
    Registered Users Posts: 4,514 ✭✭✭bee06


    Quesadillas are usually a big hit here. Grated cheese, relish, scrambled egg and crumbled black pudding is a nice filling one that gets a particularly good reaction.


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    #5
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,966 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    fits wrote: »
    Just had avocado pasta. My boys love it. Adapted from baby led feeding cookbook.

    Fry half onion gently until softened. Add 2 cloves of garlic and fry until soft. Put into blender with two avocados, a tablespoon of olive oil, juice of half a lemon. Blend.

    Stir into cooked pasta. We add frozen peas and frozen prawns and cook for 2 minutes. Serve.

    I'm not a fan of seafood so any suggestions for a prawn substitute?


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    #6
    fits
    Registered Users Posts: 13,261 ✭✭✭✭fits


    Kintarō Hattori wrote: »
    I'm not a fan of seafood so any suggestions for a prawn substitute?

    You can just leave it out. It’s nice without.


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    #7
    SmallgirlBigcity
    Registered Users Posts: 234 ✭✭SmallgirlBigcity


    I've always hated cooking and been bad at it but I needed to learn when my baby came along and I found the Joe Wicks Wean in 15 book absolutely amazing. His recipes are so simple and easy to follow. It's tasty healthy food and I happily eat them as well. Id defo recommend it for anyone who isn't great at cooking and wants to make healthy nice food for their little one.


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    #8
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,966 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    Enchiladas

    160580675_161902939095766_8809766653813297033_n.jpg?tp=1&_nc_ht=scontent-dub4-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=110&_nc_ohc=PhtjTnxOvJMAX8fPG6R&ccb=7-4&oh=378118eefa9a2371ef44f3fe3d5fbc2c&oe=607C12B3&_nc_sid=86f79a

    Tried her out with these earlier this week and they were fairly well received. This was a recipe from Annabel Karmel:

    https://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/annabels-tasty-beef-enchiladas/

    I added a little sour cream to make it a bit more appealing and threw on some plum tomatoes and avocado on the side.


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    #9
    Pistachios & cream
    Registered Users Posts: 762 ✭✭✭Pistachios & cream


    Really interested in this thread. i actually love cooking but i find its difficult to get a range of dinners that suit the adults and the 16 month old.
    A dish we all love is egg fried rice. You can have it as a side or a main with some added protein

    Leftover rice approx 1 Cup fried in a tablespoon of oil
    add veg, Peas, Sweetcorn, Peppers chopped finely (any mix really just chopped fine) about 1 cup
    1-2 eggs scrambled and then added to the mix, stir through the rice and veg until cooked
    add a Dash of Soy sauce
    top with chopped scallion


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    #10
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,966 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    Pistachios & cream wrote: »
    Really interested in this thread. i actually love cooking but i find its difficult to get a range of dinners that suit the adults and the 16 month old.
    A dish we all love is egg fried rice. You can have it as a side or a main with some added protein

    Leftover rice approx 1 Cup fried in a tablespoon of oil
    add veg, Peas, Sweetcorn, Peppers chopped finely (any mix really just chopped fine) about 1 cup
    1-2 eggs scrambled and then added to the mix, stir through the rice and veg until cooked
    add a Dash of Soy sauce
    top with chopped scallion

    Great idea. I never thought of this. I've been trying to figure out how to get my little one to eat more rice as she's a monster for potatoes and pasta but hasn't taken to rice based dishes all that much. She initially ate a very mild chicken tikka masala but then went off of it.


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    #11
    catrionanic
    Registered Users Posts: 2,091 ✭✭✭catrionanic


    I am reading these meals in envy knowing that my fussy children would eat none of them!

    My highs are small sneaky victories like sneaking ground seeds and nuts into their porridge and pasta (they won't eat meat but at least that's a bit of protein), mixing nut butter in with Nutella so he doesn't realise he is eating it, sneaking very small amounts of a pale butternut squash/sweet potato pasta sauce into his plain pasta and cheese and getting away with it because the colour is so similar, and on the very very rare occasional that he will nibble the end of a carrot baton or dip his bread into some vegetable soup!


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    #12
    bee06
    Registered Users Posts: 4,514 ✭✭✭bee06


    catrionanic wrote: »
    I am reading these meals in envy knowing that my fussy children would eat none of them!

    My highs are small sneaky victories like sneaking ground seeds and nuts into their porridge and pasta (they won't eat meat but at least that's a bit of protein), mixing nut butter in with Nutella so he doesn't realise he is eating it, sneaking very small amounts of a pale butternut squash/sweet potato pasta sauce into his plain pasta and cheese and getting away with it because the colour is so similar, and on the very very rare occasional that he will nibble the end of a carrot baton or dip his bread into some vegetable soup!

    Meat is a total no go here as well unless it’s sliced ham from a packet, bacon or sausages (basically all the salty ones!). Cheese is probably his main source of protein followed by egg if he’s in the right mood.


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    #13
    fits
    Registered Users Posts: 13,261 ✭✭✭✭fits


    Hang in there. One of my four year olds was iffy with meat for ages but much better in recent months. He ate a full serving of haddock yesterday too ( fresh fried - no breadcrumbs or anything). . Couldn’t believe it. He’s still not great with green veg though.


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    #14
    Milly33
    Registered Users Posts: 8,638 ✭✭✭Milly33


    Oh fantastic thread, thank you.. We are having a bit of a nightmare the last yearish with our little miss. Just trying to get her to eat anything but fruit, and cereal... Looking forward to all this wisdom..


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    #15
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,966 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    Pork Meatballs in a Mascarpone Sauce

    145454727_2210223025789274_6534835218395164984_n.jpg?tp=1&_nc_ht=scontent-dub4-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=102&_nc_ohc=-Dh2SMsJD3UAX-W5DWO&ccb=7-4&oh=029acdcf81ef33eb7d646d457ade7cee&oe=6082B424&_nc_sid=4f375e

    This usually goes down fairly well. If you serve it with some wholemeal pasta it's that little bit better.

    Fry some finely diced onion, bit of garlic, mix it into your pork mince with breadcrumbs and an egg. I add some fennel seed, oregano and then fry them gently in the pan. Once well on their way to being cooked you can either use some canned tomatoes and puree or passata. Add a bay leaf, a bit of brown sugar and cook until it's thickened to a nice consistency. Towards the very end add in some mascarpone cheese. I love this myself. The meatballs are soft and juicy and it makes a change from beef.


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    #16
    thejaguar
    Registered Users Posts: 730 ✭✭✭thejaguar


    Kintarō Hattori wrote: »
    Pork Meatballs in a Mascarpone Sauce

    ....Once well on their way to being cooked you can either use some canned tomatoes and puree or passata......

    We do something similar but we make a tomato sauce with celery, carrot, onion and any other leftover veg we can find. Bung that all in a pot with a can of tomatoes or some passata and blend it up when it's cooked. We make a big pot of it and freeze it in batches. It goes into anything as tomato sauce base - we've even used in on pizza in a pinch.

    Good way to get some veg into the diet if you have fussy eaters.


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    #17
    shesty
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,894 Mod ✭✭✭✭shesty


    I make beef meatballs from Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food book which also go down very well - often make them in batches with fresh lean mince, freeze them and then cook when I need them. They are handy because I can chop and kind of "mash" it in among the pasta, so the toddler is more inclined to eat them. The kids add a bit of parmesan on top, which they like doing themselves. I must try those pork ones, they look nice.


    I also do chicken breast chunks coated in panko breadcrumbs. Nevin Maguire has an excellent "Chicken Dippers" recipe in his Family cookbook, which turn out really well. They can be quite dry though for toddlers, so the panko seems easier for them to manage. I bake in the oven with a little spray of olive oil on them. Again, can be pre-made and frozen, and then cooked as needed and served with homemade oven chips and veg.



    My little boy has completely different taste to my 2 girls - he will eat a bit of chilli and more spicy things more than they will, so it can be tough to get a dinner they all eat. "Homemade" pizza is always a hit here too (I admit I buy the main elements but I am fussy enough about what I buy) - you can get some really nice pizza bases and pizza sauces that are great quality for kids, and they love adding the grated mozzarella and other bits. Two of mine eat my own vegetable soup no bother - potato, carrot, celery, onion, sweet potato, bit of thyme, and a veg stock cube, all boiled together and then whizzed up. Again, I generally make a big pot, divide it into storage pots and freeze it for use when needed. It's a handy way to get a good portion of veg into them.


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    #18
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,966 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    shesty wrote: »
    I make beef meatballs from Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food book which also go down very well - often make them in batches with fresh lean mince, freeze them and then cook when I need them. They are handy because I can chop and kind of "mash" it in among the pasta, so the toddler is more inclined to eat them. The kids add a bit of parmesan on top, which they like doing themselves. I must try those pork ones, they look nice.


    I also do chicken breast chunks coated in panko breadcrumbs. Nevin Maguire has an excellent "Chicken Dippers" recipe in his Family cookbook, which turn out really well. They can be quite dry though for toddlers, so the panko seems easier for them to manage. I bake in the oven with a little spray of olive oil on them. Again, can be pre-made and frozen, and then cooked as needed and served with homemade oven chips and veg.



    My little boy has completely different taste to my 2 girls - he will eat a bit of chilli and more spicy things more than they will, so it can be tough to get a dinner they all eat. "Homemade" pizza is always a hit here too (I admit I buy the main elements but I am fussy enough about what I buy) - you can get some really nice pizza bases and pizza sauces that are great quality for kids, and they love adding the grated mozzarella and other bits. Two of mine eat my own vegetable soup no bother - potato, carrot, celery, onion, sweet potato, bit of thyme, and a veg stock cube, all boiled together and then whizzed up. Again, I generally make a big pot, divide it into storage pots and freeze it for use when needed. It's a handy way to get a good portion of veg into them.

    Some great ideas there Shesty. Pizza is a winner here too. In terms of sauce I just use some good quality passata and a pre-made base.


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    #19
    Pistachios & cream
    Registered Users Posts: 762 ✭✭✭Pistachios & cream


    Tonight i'm trying a new one for the toddler. African Peanut stew. Specially adapted for my husband by the addition of chicken. Otherwise it'd be vegan.

    She likes sweet potato's, rice and has liked satay sauce so i'm hoping this will be a hit but sure who knows with toddlers.

    Ingredients
    * 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
    * 1 medium red onion, chopped
    * 2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
    * 4 cloves garlic, minced
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 4 bullets of frozen spinach (recipe calls for collared greens but frozen spinach is what i have.
    * ¾ cup unsalted peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
    * ½ cup tomato paste
    * Hot sauce, like sriracha (as an optional garnish)
    * ¼ cup roughly chopped peanuts, for garnish
    * 1 chicken breast
    * 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

    Instructions
    1. In a medium Dutch oven or stock pot, sauce the onion, garlic and ginger
    2. Add the chicken and sweet potato.
    3. Add the broth and bring to a boil.
    4. Cook on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
    5. combine the peanut butter and tomato paste, then transfer 1 to 2 cups of the hot stock to the bowl. Whisk the mixture together until smooth, t
    6. pour the peanut mixture back into the soup and mix well.
    7. Stir in the Kale and season to taste.
    8. Simmer for about 15 more minutes on medium-low heat, stirring often.
    9. Serve over rice if you'd like, and top with chopped peanuts and hot sauce to taste.


    every time i plan to make this i think coconut milk would be a good addition but when it comes to it its not needed. i'll see how it tastes tonight and make a call on whether to add it or not.


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    #20
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,966 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    Sounds very interesting Pistachios & cream. I'd love to know how this goes down.


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    #21
    Pistachios & cream
    Registered Users Posts: 762 ✭✭✭Pistachios & cream


    Kintarō Hattori wrote: »
    Sounds very interesting Pistachios & cream. I'd love to know how this goes down.

    I'd say this was moderately successful. she ate most of the portion i gave her (small one) and didn't look for other food after.

    I've portioned up some of the leftovers for her weekend lunches as i find this the most difficult meal as we eat our lunch later than her.
    Cottage pie tonight. We shall see how that goes


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    #22
    noplacehere
    Registered Users Posts: 502 ✭✭✭noplacehere


    My two are horrendous picky eaters. I’m not sure why as us two would eat anything

    For anyone who is on the same page as that I’ve had good success with three things they like and one new. The new one has to be tasted. And I do it over and over and gradually things get added in. I do hide blended veg in sauces etc.

    I also have carb, two veg and protein at each meal. Usually three of those are things they like and the fourth is new or something they aren’t fond of. So we had chicken curry yesterday and the veg was served on the side as was the rice. So chicken curry style was new, the broccoli and cauliflower and rice they both eat already. They both had to taste the chicken. One liked it and had another two pieces.

    Peppers are a total no go, only one of them will eat eggs, only one likes peanut butter. It’s a mess.

    Homemade nut balls work for them both and I usually make sure I use them for a snack when I know I’m trying something they aren’t fond of protein wise at dinner


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    #23
    Milly33
    Registered Users Posts: 8,638 ✭✭✭Milly33


    How are these homemade nut balls made then!


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    #24
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Always find with my kids that the more they have to _do_ to eat the more into it they get.

    So rice paper wraps or tortilla wraps are always a win. They get to construct the meal their way and get a bit messy doing it and it's all good.

    A table top cooker / cheese melter also works well. Again the hands on experience of it makes them forget _what_ they are eating and concentration more on _how_ they are eating it. So they end up eating foods they might not be so keen on in other contexts.

    And never be scared to just food process a lot of good food into a goo and slap it on pasta. You can sneak a lot of healthy good into kids this way. This recipe here is so easy for example as you just chop things up roughly without really caring - roast it all - puree it and slap it on pasta and cover it with a nice cheese.

    Calling anything cake and making it look like cake also seems to have a good reaction on kids. This one for example.

    Also as much as possible get kids into growing or preparing or even cooking their own food. The more invested they are in any or all parts of the process - the more invested they tend to get in eating the end result.


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    #25
    Milly33
    Registered Users Posts: 8,638 ✭✭✭Milly33


    I am liking this egg dish.. Mind I tried the egg souffle dish with herself and nope she loved making it but did not eat it..

    Can I ask where ye get the rice paper wraps from? I have it on my list to try with her but never come across the wraps..


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    #26
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    I tend to make rice paper myself so I am not sure where you can buy them. But I think shops like Tesco and a few others make Vietnamese Meal Kits which include them. At least that is where I remember last seeing them to buy. Asian Supermarkets will of course likely have them too.


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    #27
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,966 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    Kid Friendly Carbonara

    121658404_869898380209389_3730782606121758316_n.jpg?tp=1&_nc_ht=scontent-dub4-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=109&_nc_ohc=X822UwUncOkAX8DrjKw&ccb=7-4&oh=c38ca883b45b7369cf496e648f10cafb&oe=608DAC19&_nc_sid=4f375e

    A little onion, bacon or pancetta cubes, chicken stock, cream cheese, some seasoning and grated parmesan or pecorino cheese on top. It's always well received.


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    #28
    thejaguar
    Registered Users Posts: 730 ✭✭✭thejaguar


    That carbonara looks good.

    There was a thread on here a while back about carbonara. I'd recommend you stay away from it - some people have VERY strong views on carbonara :rolleyes:


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    #29
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,966 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    thejaguar wrote: »
    That carbonara looks good.

    There was a thread on here a while back about carbonara. I'd recommend you stay away from it - some people have VERY strong views on carbonara :rolleyes:

    Just had a skim over that thread.... :eek:


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    #30
    noplacehere
    Registered Users Posts: 502 ✭✭✭noplacehere


    Sorry for the nut balls I do 5-7 dates, 5-7 prunes (my lads can be slow especially if they’ve had banana) with 75g of nuts. I vary whatever I’m putting in. Blend. Then add a dash of maple syrup if needed to bind it


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    #31
    Milly33
    Registered Users Posts: 8,638 ✭✭✭Milly33


    Made a carbonara for Ourselves this weekend and the 1 and a bit year old went bonkers for it.. Donal Skehan recipe very easy to make, but added mushrooms (that were cooked in garlic and some wine would not have used wine it i thought he would eat it) he could not get enough of it


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