Feta Cheese Chicken Kievs for Kids and Adults

Feta cheese is one of those fantastic cheeses like paneer which doesn't completely melt.  But unlike paneer, feta does soften and the action of heat is great on the flavour.  There is a traditional Greek recipe for baked Feta I keep meaning to make just because it's something I go a bit nuts for.

It also though compliments chicken pretty well and, in the spirit of invention and well just playing willy nilly with food origins, I've taken a chicken kiev style dish (either Russian or Ukrainian) added Feta (Greek) and Japanese breadcrumbs.  Some say a crime of (con)fusion food, I say "it tastes great!"  The other joys are:

• No frying
• No worrying about leaking filling because the feta stays pretty much where it's put
• My son will eat anything if cheese is involved

Result!

Sugar Free Apple Pies for babies, toddlers and grown ups

A great way to not need to add sugar or reduce sugar in baked goods is to use fruit.  When fruit is ripe there is really no need to go on sweetening it, especially if you have a bit of dried fruit too.

From talking to parents I find that so many get really het up on what they should do if a child refuses part of their meal or holds out for dessert.  I think you have to do the thing which works for you but I'd also advocate making sure the meal is pretty balanced anyway, e.g. having fruit as a dessert or choosing a no added sugar option rather than a sticky cake or chocolate.

Anyway, it's the way I've always approached it and from my sample of one I now have a pretty open minded toddler when it comes to food who was asking for more broccoli yesterday but saying "no" to sweet potato.  Fair enough, I just go with it.  I sometimes feel like kids are born with personalities and my son has definitely inherited my stubborn streak.  There are times when I stand my ground but if I don't allow him some control and choices in his food, he digs his heels in and it gets worse.  Likewise though just because he's refused something once, doesn't mean he won't be offered it again.  This only reinforces fussy behaviour in my opinion.

A great way to get kids trying something they think they don't like is to change the way you offer it, so perhaps mashed sweet potato next time rather than roasted?  He went off broccoli for a while so I used to give him broccoli nuggets and well he's now back to loving it.

So if you do have a fussy child, don't give up, don't stop trying but do make lovely little things like these mini apple pies.  Not only will your child probably wolf them down but also parents think they're pretty good too!

Sticky Spare Ribs for kids and adults

I didn't try this on my toddler.  Not that I think the flavour wouldn't be great for him but he's never  been one for bones.  I know some kids doing baby led weaning are happily chomping away on chicken drumsticks but, much like his Dad, my son just looks at me oddly if I put something on his plate then say "you don't eat that bit".

So if I did give this a go for the little one, belly pork strips might be the way to go.  As it was, due to the joys (sometimes) of internet shopping, the ribs I got were a bit on the lean side.  No idea how they managed to get lean pork ribs but they did.  I was a bit concerned with the long slow cooking that they'd end up dry.  Testament to a good recipe perhaps that they didn't!

I've been making this recipe for years.  So much so there's a page in my cook book where I've put in the revised proportions, tweaking and changing the recipe until I felt it was 'right'.  So here we are!  A bit healthier than a takeaway, maybe (where the ribs are often fried) but no less tasty for it!

Three Bean Chilli for the Whole Family

After the excesses of my son's birthday, something better for the body and soul felt in order.  This met with approval from the wee man; the exact quote was "It's yum!"

Ok, you're thinking I'm giving my (only just) three year old chilli.  Yes I am and have been giving him a toned down version since before he was one!  There is really no need to completely avoid spice with kids.  If you want to tone it down, reduce or miss out the chilli but leave in the paprika so there is still some flavour but trust me, a bit of chilli is not bad thing.  This was warming and tasty enough for me but if you like it spicier as an adult, add some salsa or pickled jalapenos, that would be great if you then served it with grated cheese and tortillas... Hmm, I think we can see how I'm going to be eating the leftovers.

Use the mix of beans you prefer but I think pinto are needed as they help thicken the sauce.  If you're using dried beans remember to soak overnight before using and follow pack instructions to cook first.

Cheesy Pastries for the Whole Family

A simple recipe made after a full on day.  Today was my son's 3rd birthday party.  We had a fantastic party but what with staying up till 11pm to ice the cake and worry about whether I'd made enough chipolatas (no, I'm not joking, it was my thought on waking at 4am), I'd only had 4 hours sleep.

So I made for comfort.  When I was little we used to go to Greece a lot and my Dad would sometimes buy pies like this from the local bakery for our lunch.  Followed by a slice of watermelon, this is the taste of my youth.

Now this is by a bit of taste memory and might not be authentic but I liked it and my son said it was "yummy".  Don't serve directly from the oven, better to serve warm rather than hot.

Spicy(ish) Lamb Meatballs for the Whole Family

A tasty and warm if not excessively spicy dish which could even be finger food if you're feeling brave (and have your surfaces covered!)

If you're cooking just for kids who really like spicy food or adults, I'd up the harissa to 1tsp, perhaps 2 if you're really feeling the burn!  Or alternatively add a bit of extra harissa or chilli sauce in at the table.

Baked Chicken Katsu for the Whole Family

I'd been planning to make something like this for my son for a while and I'd had the breadcrumbs in the cupboard waiting but with one thing and another I'd never got round to it.

As it happened, it was a great idea, just my son decided to take one look at the sauce and said "no".  He's not much of a dunker though and I reckon this would be a great dish for the dunkers out there (children and adults) and hey, if not, it's still some pretty good home made chicken goujons or nuggets without any junk.

Traditionally Japanese Katsu is served fried with a fairly sweet curry sauce.  I wanted to reduce the fat by baking and introduce the sweetness with vegetables rather than sugar.  A pretty good result.  If you want to make it for adults only though you might like the sauce a little spicier so just add more curry paste.

Spice Biscuits

Biscuits without much sugar are pretty tricky but I gave this a go and they were very popular with the wee man.  Not strictly sugar free in a way as there's honey in them (so not baby friendly; sorry) but still much less sugar than a normal biscuit.

They're pretty crunchy and certainly spicy.  Also they're dairy free, wheat free (if you use gluten free oats) and egg free.  You never know when you need a good allergy friendly recipe!

Chunky Bacon and Bean Soup

It might officially be spring; the weather may be slowly improving in the UK but I still woke up to frost this morning.  On the 20th April!

So, in my book, soup season is still here and this is a substantial, chunky, fill you up, thrifty kind of soup.  Is there any better kind?

Gyros (Pork Kebabs) for the Family

I have the dubious honour of making "The worst tzatziki I've ever tasted" according to a Greek friend of mine.  To be fair, the tzatziki I'd made that day was very poor.  Shocking really.  My mistake was trying to use low fat non Greek yogurt.  In my defence I was a student living in a small town with only a poor choice of supermarket options and there was no Greek yogurt in stock (the answer should have been "don't make tzatziki then.")

So I'm probably on a loser here and Yiannis will probably message me on facebook and tell me my Tzatziki looks like milk or something (sorry Yiannis).  But being the glutton for punishment I am I've tried to make a Gyros type dish at home.

It's been some years since I've been to Greece but I used to love getting Gyros from the stalls.  Delicious grilled meat with salad and various sauces / dips.  Often served with chips in there too but I've missed them out, this is unhealthy enough.  I think this would be great if the pork were barbecued.