I don’t pretend to know everything about food and cooking. Much to the contrary, I learn every time I am in the kitchen! Especially when cooking with kids. But I do love food, and if I can make it from scratch I often do!
I hope to share with you some of the tried and tested recipes that we use. Some kid friendly for cooking, and others kid friendly for eating. Feel free to suggest changes or comment with idea. Sharing is caring 🙂
Date Balls
This is a go-to recipe for our house for treats and snack time, and has been requested time and time again from friends and family. It’s easy to make, kid friendly for helping not to forget nutritious, delicious and healthy!
I first discovered this recipe from my lovely friends at Urban Energy Fitness. They are a great source of yummy recipes for runners and fitness fuel as well as mum-to-be nutritious treats. With some Precision Nutrition coaches on the books they are a great source of healthy and good nutrition and happy to speak to you about improving your health.
I’ve since adapted this recipe slightly based on the ingredients we get here in Dubai as well as a no nut version that are good to go to school if needed. Keep them in the fridge and pop one in your mouth as you walk past. They are enough to satisfy any sweet cravings, midnight hunger … and I’ve gotta admit that I’ve used them as bribery for the kids to finish their dinner!
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 0
Keywords: snack ,Date, almond, coconut
Photo credit to dessertedplanet.com
Ingredients (Approx 24 Balls)
- 8-9 soaked seedless dates or about 1 cup of date paste (available at Spinneys and Geant)
- 2 cups of jumbo oats – always look for ‘wholegrain’ oats for full nutrition
- 2 tablespoons of honey (optional)
- Cinnamon to taste
- 1/4 cup almond meal or almond powder
- 1/3 cup ground pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup dried unsweetened desiccated coconut + extra for rolling
Instructions
Soak the dates with enough hot water to just cover them. If you are using the date paste, then add enough hot water that you can get stir it to soften it. Once soft, put together with other ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
Roll into heaped teaspoon sized balls and roll into desiccated coconut. Chill to serve.
If you are a chocolate lover, you can always add a heaped tablespoon of raw cacao to the mix when processing it.
Some options and changes:
For a nut free version use sunflower seeds instead of almonds. You will need to grind them up first in a coffee grinder or food processor, then add all remaining ingredients and continue with all the other steps.
Honey is optional. I normally just add a squirt of honey, if at all. The dates are so sweet, it’s really not needed. However a nice way of introducing Manuka honey and all the benefits that go with it.
If you don’t have Jumbo oats and only have quick oats at home, then you can always use these too. The mixture will be a little smoother if you process it too long, so try adding the oats last after everything else is mixed to keep a little of the texture.
The kids can help roll into balls and roll in the coconut. Just make sure that if you do this, you let the water in the dates cool a little before mixing so the mixture isn’t too hot for their little hands!
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Breakfast Radishes
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Keywords: fry saute breakfast vegetarian radish
Ingredients (2 Serves)
- A handful of radishes, either normal round ones or french breakfast radishes which are more oblong shaped
- 1 teaspoon of butter or ghee
- A sprig of thyme
- 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
Instructions
Slice the radishes into thin rounds. It doesn’t have to be too perfect, just as long as they are even thickness.
Melt a teaspoon of butter or ghee in a frying pan and add the garlic and radishes over medium heat. Cook the radishes until they start to seem a little translucent, maybe 5 to 7 minutes. By cooking radishes you take the peppery bite out of them, so you can check if they are done by tasting one to see if it’s mellowed out.
You may need to turn the heat down so as not to burn the garlic. Also you don’t really need the radishes getting any colour.
Season with thyme leaves, parsley and salt and pepper.
Best served with a full cooked breakfast!! YUM.
Kurth Kitchen 