Toddler-Friendly Food

Assalam alaikum, peeps. 

Its been a whole ten (!!) days since my last post. The past two weeks have been absolutely, mind-bogglingly crazy, not least because of Baby Girl.

While the main cause of worry was (and is) her sleeping habits, her eating habits have also caused some concern. She's not always a fussy eater; but when she is, she makes sure not to eat a single thing the whole day. Except what falls on the floor. Oh yeah, floor food is the best. 

But I persevere. On her picky eating days I give her bread and butter, or Ella's Kitchen Puffits and raisins, to assuage my guilty conscience that atleast she's eating something. On the other days, if they happen to coincide with the days where I manage to cook actual food, I try new recipes. Because I really want us to have a varied, balanced diet. So what if the kitchen is an absolute mess and the sink (and the counter tops and kitchen table) are overflowing with dishes? If there is anything motherhood has taught me, it is that dirty dishes don't matter as much as full tummies and happy hearts.

And boy, were the tummies full and hearts happy with Chicken Pie and Cheesy Broccoli Bites! Not only hubby, but Baby Girl loved these as well. Baby Girl LOVED these foods! Can you sense my happiness? I found not one, but TWO fail proof recipes for my toddler that had actual vegetables in them! So, without further ado, the recipes:-

1. Chicken Pie

(This recipe was given to me by my oldest and dearest friend, Ms. Wardah Fayyaz - baking whiz and best friend extraordinaire.) 

Ingredients:

500gm readymade puff pastry block

2 onions (chopped)

2 medium capsicums (chopped)

2 carrots (chopped)

2 medium potatoes (boiled and chopped)

3 chicken breasts (cubed into 1 inch pieces)

1 cup peas

1/2 sweetcorn (I used 1 cup because I love sweetcorn; feel free to adjust according to your taste)

Spices, to taste: salt, black pepper, paprika, chilli flakes

4 tbsp soya sauce

2 tbsp garlic paste

2 tbsp plain flour

1/2 cup cooking oil

Method:

1) Pour oil in a large pan, and heat on medium/high flame.

2) Add garlic paste to oil. Take care to step back, it will sizzle.

3) After a few seconds of cooking the garlic paste, add the chicken cubes. Cook till all the water from the chicken evaporates and oil separates.

4) Add onions; stir fry till translucent.

5) Now add spices and soya sauce. (At this point I also added a generous dash of lemon juice and 1 cube of chicken stock. And I didn't add chilli.)

6) Add veggies and stir fry on high heat for 5 mins. (I also added mushrooms and leeks, and omitted the potatoes.)

7) Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and mix well.

8) Finish off with 1-2 cups water; cover and cook for 5 minutes. You should have a liquidy, creamy texture. Pour into a casserole dish.

Directions for covering the dish with puff pastry taken from BBC Good Food:-

Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. On a floured surface, roll the pastry to the thickness of two £1 coins. Cut a long strip as wide as the rim of the pie dish and, using a little of the egg, fix to the edge of the pie dish. Brush with egg, then lift the rest of the pastry over the pie, using the rolling pin to help. Gently press the edges with your fingers and trim with a sharp knife. Brush lightly with egg to glaze, then bake for 30 mins or until the pastry is risen and dark golden brown.

               (Picture courtesy: Ms Wardah Fayyaz)

Cheesy Broccoli Bites

Ingredients:

• 2 cup chopped – broccoli, raw
• 2 large – egg
• 1/2 tsp – salt
• 1/2 cup, crumbs – panko (japanese bread crumbs)
• 1/2 cup – parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoon – olive oil

Method:

1. Steam 2 cups of broccoli
2. Add broccoli, egg, salt, panko or bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese to a food processor.
3. Blend just till chopped finely.
4. Using 1 tablespoon at a time, form into balls.
5. Heat oil in a skillet.  Drop balls of broccoli mixture into pan.  Flatten with a spatula and cook until both sides are crispy.

(Recipe courtesy: Super Healthy Kids)

 (Picture courtesy: Super Healthy Kids)

So there you have it! Try these healthy and easy recipes, and let me know how they turned out.

P.s. Liked this post? Sharing is caring! ;)

(Edited to add: this post was also published on Muslim Moms USA Blog)