feeding a 3yr old

[lisa396ss]

I have a 3 yr old that really eats a variety of different foods. I would like to introduce foods from other cultures to her (and our) diet. I need recipes for easy to prepare snacks and meals. All help will be very appreciated.
Lisa

[angel29]

here are some german recipes that I grew up with and my two dds love them:

german spaetzle:
mix 1lb flour + 5 eggs + pinch of salt + 2 cups water. Knead it into a dough and then scrape the dough through a colander directly into a pot of boiling saltwater. boil for about 3 minutes (till the spaetzles float to the top) and serve with a gravy.

If you use carbonated water in the recipe they`ll be fluffier!

You can also make a cheesy casserole out of them: Take the cooked spaetzles and mix them with 2 tblsp butter, 1 chopped up and browned onion and 2 cups shredded cheese (I use swiss cheese) and a pinch of nutmeg in a casseroledish. Top with breadcrums and bake 15 min by 350F.

German Bratkartoffel (fried potatos):
Cook potatos with their skin in boiling water for 20 min. Let them cool off, peel them and slice them. Then brown the slices with salt, pepper, paprikapowder and 1 chopped onion in a pan with butter.
You can also season the potatos with some rosemary!

I hope you and your daughter will like this!

[Stargazer]

Try cucumber sushi - my kids love it!

*Nori
*Rice (or better sushi rice), cooked
*Cucumbers cut in long, lengthwise strips (can try carrots too - sliced and blanched.)

Buy Nori (flat paperlike seaweed in a packet - great toasted over your stovetop - just till changes color and eaten that way too!) at your local healthfood or asian grocer.

You can get a bamboo rice mat for $2.

Lay the nori on the rice mat. Cover with a thin layer of rice to all edges but the top. Lay 3 or 4 strips of cuke 1/3 away from bottom. Roll the mat up and in toward the top, tightening as the roll is made. Continue rolling, tightening the roll as you go along. Just before you get to the end, dip your finger in water and moisten the empty edge of nori. Roll again, and tighten. The roll will be nice and closed.

Take a knife and cut the nori (may need to wet the knife for clean cuts every two or three slices). Arrange on a plate. Serve plain, or with soy sauce (grownups like it with ginger too, but most kids I know don't like the ginger).

[Lifestar]

Angel...My kids love the spaetzle with melted butter :p

....Chicken soup with Matzoh balls..yummm you make it from a mix... the matzoh balls are a dumpling that cooks in the soup. They are made from matzoh crackers and leavening..you add eggs and oil ... they are simple, kind of plain...but when cooked in the chicken soup they are fluffy and good. Kids tend to like them a lot. If you cook your own chicken soup...then cook the matzoh balls in the soup mix that comes with the "kit"..you can then transfer the matzoh balls into your own soup for serving. (Your soup will probably be tastier than theone that comes with the mix...)


CousCous...It's basicaly pasta..little balls of it that is popular in middle eastern cooking. It comes boxed in various sizes...follow the directions for cooking. You can cook it in chicken soup, or in a vegatable dish... many different ways to make it, but again,,it's tiny,a nd kids love tiny pasta ...

If you want some italian recipies...I have some of those...

And i have a VERY easy recipe for Arroz con Gandules ( Yellow rice with Pigeon Peas) very yummy...two versions available...authentic and with Goya jarred stuff... just let me know :-)

Val

[lisa396ss]

Angel29 and Stargazer, thank you so much for the recipes. I have saved them and will try them out on both my husband and my daughter.

Lifestar, thank you for the recipes also and I would love any recipes that you have. We love Italian food among other types of food!

I also have lots of different recipe files and cookbooks and may be able to help find certain recipes. Just let me know.

Lisa

[Lifestar]

Lisa.

You might consider joining us on the "what's for dinner" forum in the Food & meal planning area of Family Corner...we share a lot of recipies there...and there is the recipe exchange too...


Here is a recipe you might enjoy from the Italian Menus:

BAKED CAVATELLI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND EGGPLANT

1 lb. Bulk Italian Sausage
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves, pressed
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 medium eggplants, peeled, cut into ¾ inch cubes (Japanese or Asian are slender & have fewer seeds)
2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce
½ cup water
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 oz cavatelli (narrow shell pasta)
2 tablespoons snipped Italian parsley
1 cup (4oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat Skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add sausage, breaking into pieces; cook, stirring until browned. Chop onion and add to meat. Add onion, pressed garlic and red pepper flakes to meat mixture; cook 1 minute.
2. Add diced eggplant; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato sauce, water and pepper; mix well. Cook 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile boil pasta according to package directions.
4. Drain pasta and toss with sauce. Place half the mixture in a square baking pan and top with half of the parsley and half of the cheese mixture. Repeat with second layer. Cover with foil.
5. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

[lisa396ss]

Thanks, Lifestar, I will check into that.

The recipe sounds great. Thank you for sharing it.
Lisa

[ajrsmom]

Angel....

My MIL turned me on to spaetzles.....OH SO GOOD!!! We make them and eat some with gravy for the first meal and the next day we cut the leftovers into chunks and fry them in butter!! NOT healthy but GREAT!! Maybe Ill surprise DH and make these for dinner tomorrow night.


Lifestar....

Can I come to your house to eat dinner when youre fixing the cavatelli? That recipe sounds awesome!! The eggplant would throw a klinker in the plan for the rest of my family......so Ill just come alone....LOL!!! What else do you have up your sleeve for Italian recipes?