Toddler Cafe - Jennifer Carden [30]
¼ cup diced crisp apple or jicama
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 large flour tortillas
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Cinnamon-sugar, for sprinkling
preparation * Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Combine the fruits and vinegar in a medium bowl and mix gently with a spoon.
While the fruit is macerating, make the tortilla chips. Brush the tortillas with the butter and sprinkle with a generous amount of cinnamon-sugar. Place the tortillas on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. When cool, break the chips into manageable pieces and serve with the fruit.
variation
In the summer, add very ripe cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quartered, to give this a slightly different tangy flavor.
toddler tip
Ask your child if they can shovel up the “confetti” with the chips!
Serve a slice of apple to use as a food pusher or “shovel” to help get the salsa onto the chip.
quick-cooking fish
To cook a piece of salmon or other hearty fish quickly, use the sear and roast method. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small sauté pan over high heat, add 1 teaspoon oil, and season your fish with salt and pepper. Cook the fish top-side down. Leave it alone; don’t turn it over until it is golden. Turn the fish over and finish cooking it in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through and it no longer looks raw (internal temperature of 140°F).
yes, it’s a fruit! avocados are a great source of the good kind of fat you want your kids to eat. they are technically a fruit and kids like fruit, so be sure to tell them that! in indonesia, it is common to prepare an avocado shake (see below). try it, you’ll like it. when choosing an avocado, pop off the little hard stem end, and if you see green underneath, it is a good one. if you see black underneath, keep looking. pick one that is slightly soft, not mushy. i call for dehydrated corn here because unlike dried vegetables or fruits, all the water has been extracted, making it easy to crush.
avocado dippers
makes 3 servings
ingredients
1 ripe avocado
Short skewers or Popsicle sticks
½ cup dehydrated corn or other vegetable, frosted flakes, or shredded wheat cereal
preparation * Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Cut each half into ½-inch cubes and put 1 on each skewer or Popsicle stick. (Or just let your child dip the avocado with no stick.)
Place the corn or cereal in a zip-top bag and crush with a mallet or the bottom of a small heavy pan. Dip the skewers into the crushed ingredient of your choice.
variation
Serve the skewers stuck into half an orange so they are sticking out. Let your child grab one and dip it into each topping.
recipe note
Dehydrated fruits and vegetables are a healthy, quick snack and are easy to crush. They can be found in the produce section or bulk section of most grocery stores.
avocado milkshake
1 medium avocado, peeled and seeded / 2 cups ice cubes / cup milk / up to 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk, depending on sweetness of avocado
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until the ice is completely crushed and the drink is thick and foamy.
no need to cook this one! it’s fast, easy, and—best of all—it’s natural. it’s also tasty on top of pancakes or cereal. a micro grater will make the apple deliciously mushy and juicy. if you don’t have one, a regular box grater will do nicely.
split-second applesauce
makes 1 serving
ingredients
Juice from ¼ to ½ lemon
1 firm apple
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
preparation * Place the lemon juice into the bottom of a small bowl. Using a micro grater, grate the apple into the lemon juice. Mix in the cinnamon and eat.
variation
Add currants, shredded carrots, or crushed pecans to the mix.
toddler tip
Tell your child it is food that horses love. Plan a trip to see a real horse, and feed it an apple. Or get a book on horses from the library. Neigh . . .
recipe note
Adding dehydrated fruit to sugar cuts the amount of sugar you will need to sprinkle on top of foods. To make fruit sugar, put 1 cup granulated sugar in a food processor. Add