Entries Tagged as 'family meals'

how to get fussy eaters to eat

I’ve had a fussy/picky/tricky (pick a word) eater since the day she was born.  The first clue she gave us was the on the day she was born.  She wouldn’t drink her milk or barely had a few drops.  I was actually kept in hospital an extra two days as they were concerned about her lack of appetite. Then came weaning – probably the most difficult phase we’ve been through yet.  It took nearly 1.5 years to wean her – that is truth.  Fast forward seven years and lots of creative, sometimes downright crazy tricks and methods used by me and things have improved.  While I’m no expert on how to get fussy eaters to eat, I think I’ve learned a thing or two.  I would still call her a fussy eater but at least she eats far better than she used to.

Continue Reading "Friday chat: How to get fussy eaters to eat (seriously)"

vietnamese chicken ad rice soup

It’s no secret that chicken soup is so good for you.  So when the weather turns cooler I crave a dose of good, comforting, warming, homemade chicken soup.  Nothing hits the spot quite like this simple dish.  While I love a good old fashioned clear broth, my go to chicken soup is this Vietnamese one.  Not only is it a full meal in a bowl but the subtle flavour of lemongrass adds such a delicious dimension to the soup.  Add to that the coriander and dash of lime and you may have the best chicken soup ever.  Once you try this Vietnamese chicken and rice soup recipe, you will be hooked.  It’s easy enough to make for a mid-week meal which everybody will love, even the fussiest of kids (maybe minus the coriander!)

VIETNAMESE CHICKEN SOUP RECIPE
Serves: 4

For the broth:
1 small chicken
I medium onion peeled and quartered
2-3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
2 inch piece of ginger sliced roughly
1 dried red chili (optional)
2 stalks lemon grass cut lengthwise and lightly bruised
2 tbs fish sauce

To finish the soup:
2 stalks lemongrass cut in to 3 pieces each and lightly bruised
110gms thai jasmine rice (or any rice you like)
1 tbs fish sauce
3-4 pak choi (optional)
small handful coriander roughly chopped
1 lime cut in to wedges

Start by putting all the broth ingredients in to a large pot – as large as you have!  Add 2.5 litres of water and bring to the boil.  Let it boil for a couple of minutes.  Turn the heat down to a low simmer, cover and leave to cook for 2 hours.

When cooked, skim the fat off the broth, remove the chicken and shred it.  Strain the broth and set aside.  I usually do up to this stage in advance like in the morning so I find the fat much easier to remove once the broth is cooled.

When you’re ready to eat, heat the broth and bring it to a boil.  Turn down to a simmer, stir in the remaining lemongrass, fish sauce and the rice.  Let it cook uncovered on a low heat till the rice is cooked – around 20-25 (but it really depends on your ratio of rice to broth).  Once the rice is done, add as much of the shredded chicken in as you want (I usually keep some back for chicken sandwiches the next day!).  Add your pak choi or other veg if using and once the veg has wilted a bit and the chicken is heated, it’s ready.

vietnamese chicken and rice soup recipe

Spoon generously in to big bowls, top with lots of chopped coriander (may be not for the kids) and a good squeeze of lime and enjoy!

vietnamese chicken and rice soup recipes

The subtle flavours of this Vietnamese chicken and rice soup are not only so comforting but they are also so refreshing.  If food could give you a great, big hug, this would be the dish that does it for me.  Whenever I mention that this soup is tonight’s dinner, everybody in my house is jumping up and down.  And not just them – I’ve made it for friends too and they’ve all become addicted and taken the recipe.  If I sound a bit crazy getting over excited about a bowl of soup, all I can say is that once you try it you’ll know exactly why!

P.S. If you like your Vietnamese food, you might enjoy this delicious Vietnamese grilled chicken dish too.

*Recipe adapted from Ghillee Basan’s Vietnamese Food & Cooking

Vietnamese food recipes for kids

Eating fresh and healthy food as a family doesn’t have to mean boring.  We love oriental style meals in this house as they always offers lots of flavour and often without too much effort.  Home cooked oriental food is always better and so much healthier than a take-away.  One of my favourites is this Vietnamese street food inspired dish of grilled chicken with rice and pickled veggies.  The Vietnamese version almost always uses pork and noodles but I use chicken for a healthier option and I think rice works better than noodles in this dish so rice it is.  I also use different herbs and spices than the traditional so you could say this is my take on a Vietnamese classic.

Vietnamese recipes with pictures

Once you try this dish, I promise you will never look back.  How can ingredients like the ones pictured above be anything but flavourful?  The grilled chicken in the dish is just delicious and all the other flavours come together to make for an absolutely beautiful bowl of food.  What’s more this dish is versatile and can be adapted for different tastes within a family – if you want to go low carb, leave out the rice and have it on a bed of salad or if you’re eating really healthy use brown rice.  Also the toppings are all optional so everybody can choose what they want on their dish.  The dish takes a little effort to prep but you can strip it down for a quicker meal or go the whole hog when you have a bit more time.  Like the pickled veg for instance – you can serve it with just freshly sliced veg instead of pickling when time is short.

VIETNAMESE GRILLED CHICKEN AND RICE RECIPE
Serves: 4

For the marinade:
700gms boneless & skinless chicken thighs
2-3 shallots very finely chopped
3 garlic cloves minced (add more or less depending on taste)
2 stalks fresh lemon grass lightly bruised and very finely chopped
50gms granulated sugar
2 tbs fish sauce
1.5 tbs dark soy sauce (the dark soy is important as it’s a lot thicker than usual soy)
1.5 tbs sesame oil
generous amount of freshly ground pepper

Toppings:
2-3 tbs toasted sesame seeds
handful of chopped coriander
3-4 thinly sliced spring onions (topped with 2 tbs hot olive oil and a pinch of salt and sugar)
1-2 sliced red chilies (optional)

Pickled veg:
2 x 3 inch piece of cucumber cut in to matchsticks
2 x 3 inch piece of carrot cut in to matchsticks
250ml warm water
40ml white vinegar (add more if you like a sharper taste)
1 tbs sugar
½ tsp salt

200-250gms basmati rice cooked as per packet instructions

Start by marinating the chicken thighs.  Just trim any big pieces excess fat but leave a little on as you don’t want the chicken to dry out when it’s cooked.  Cut in to large-ish bite size pieces.  Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl and add the chicken to this.  Give it a very good mix and leave to marinate for at least 1.5-2 hours or longer.

For the picked veg, take a jar and combine the warm water, vinegar, sugar and salt stirring till the sugar is dissolved.  Add the matchstick veg and leave to pickle.  Even an hour or two will do for light pickling.  I don’t like a sharp taste (I prefer a bit more sweetness) so I put very little vinegar but you can adjust quantities to your own taste.  The best way to find the perfect quantities for you is to taste the pickling liquid before you put the veg in so you know exactly how sharp/sweet/salty it is.

vietnamese grilled chicken and rice recipe

Chop and prepare all the toppings if you haven’t done so yet.  For the sesame seeds toast them lightly in a dry frying pan over a moderate heat.  Move them around with a wooden spoon to make sure they toast evenly.  Keep an eye on the seeds as once they start browning they can burn very easily.  Once they’re lightly browned, take them off the heat and out of the frying pan immediately otherwise they will continue to cook.

vietnamese grilled chicken and rice recipe

That’s all the prep done!  When you’re ready to eat cook the rice and place the chicken under a hot grill.  You can also skewer the chicken and cook over a barbecue.  It’s even more delicious but a grill works well too.  Turn the chicken once – around halfway through cooking.  The chicken will take around 10-15 minutes to cook and will come out all dark and beautifully caramelised.  Scoop some rice in to a bowl, top with the chicken and the pickled veg.  Then generously scatter some sesame seeds, coriander, spring onions and chilies (if using) and eat!

This Vietnamese grilled chicken and rice recipe is one of my favourite mid-week family dinners and it’s also a very tasty one dish meal to serve when you have a few friends over as it appeals to adults and kids.  What’s more, kids love being given all the bits of the dish and building their own.  Try it and you won’t regret it!

*I’ve linked up to Honest Mum’s Tasty Tuesdays.

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