Wednesday 21 September 2016

Super healthy, easy - and yummy - lunch for hungry chops

It is a never-ending challenge to come up with healthy, nutritional meals for picky eaters, especially for energy packed lunches that aren’t too siesta inducing when the kiddies have to return to school in the afternoon.

To be honest, I had run out of ideas. And as a last resort I handed over Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Veg Everyday cook book to my daughters (aged 7 and 9) and challenged them to pick one thing out to try the following week. The reason I chose this particular book is that there is a large photograph of each dish, and lots of child friendly type easy to cook dishes inside.

This actually worked really well – they soon picked a dish each that they liked the look of. And today I cooked my eldest daughter’s choice – Steamed Veg with a hint of Garlic – she liked it because it looks ‘really green’ in the picture. And boy did it go down amazingly well! I cobbled together a steamer from a colander in a large pan with aluminium foil covering any holes poking out over the top of the pan.

Steamed veg is the business. Veg is incredibly flavoursome cooked this way and of course you are getting a mixture of fab nutrients to boot. I’m also fast coming round to the idea that everything tastes great smothered in garlic butter – I mean, what’s not to like! And what a success it was. The whole family cleared the entire dish off – from daddy to my youngest!  It was yum.

This is a dish I wish I’d discovered when my children were at the finger food stage – it is perfect for tots and little fingers.

Recipe:
  • 400-500g green veg (I used green beans, broccoli, cauliflower and a generous helping of frozen peas)
  • 25g butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 fat garlic clove, crushed
  • salt & pepper
Prepare the veg and steam over boiling water until just done (tender but still a little crunchy) While the veg is cooking, heat the butter and oil in a saucepan over a low heat. Once melted, add the garlic. Cook very gently for a couple of minutes, letting the butter fizz slightly but taking care that the garlic doesn’t colour. Remove from the heat. Toss the steamed veg in the garlicky butter and season. En guete!

13 comments:

  1. Way to find a really green dish that everybody loves, Sarah! 👍🏻😎🍴

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  2. what a great idea. I also have a picky eater, so this sounds like something good to try.

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  3. Great idea to have your kids pick it out if a cookbook! Great idea!

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    1. Thanks Kate, sometimes those last resorts can turn out really well :D

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  4. I find my kids always love the food more when they're involved in the process! Yay for you all.

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    1. Yes, I think it's certainly the way forward. Thanks Rachael, it always feels good when you get something so right :)

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  5. Isn't it brilliant? I can also especially recommend the peanut noodles in a lime dressing. Super yum.

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  6. This looks delicious!

    My husband and I would eat it up. My daughter will only eat raw veg, though! (Better raw veg all the time than no veg at all...)

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    1. Hi Liz, the veg in this dish is almost raw - it is steamed so very al dente. Perhaps give it a go - you never know! Although hurrah for such a healthy 'pickiness' :D

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  7. I wish my kids were picky about the same items! ha ha, but this looks yummy :)

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    1. Haha, yes Tara, I know what you mean. My 9-year-old went through a terrible two year phase of an extremely limited palate. But has come out the other side now thank goodness!

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