Cooking with Toddlers

[gogomama]

DS is just now really starting to "get" being in the kitchen and really likes be a part of it. Before he really just had no interest. He likes mixing, turning on the elements, cracking eggs, shaking the spices, etc. I really have to make sure I have everything laid out beforehand though because in a couple seconds he will add the whole lot if I am not looking.

Anyone made bread with their LO?

We make chapatis quite a bit around here and DS likes kneading the dough, sprinkling the flour on top, rolling, etc. It is a good one to make with LOs aside from the hot pan part

[creations]

I make all our bread,

Now I feel really inadequate!

Nuala, I think F would love one of those knives.  For our english muffin pizza (at toddler group) we chopped cherry toms in half, sliced a mushroom, although she'd need some help for a while the knife is so safe it would mean more involvement for her.  She could chop the bits for the pizzas herself.

Gogomama, chapatis sound great fun.  I've just book marked a recipe to do with DS (although it won't be until at least next week I think).  I've only made them a couple of times and it was years ago.
Can you tell me.  This recipe says to leave the dough to stand (rolled into balls) for 15 mins.  Would it be ok to leave them longer, like a couple of hours or is this going to ruin the dough?
And once they are rolled and ready to cook, can they be left at all (stacked up in a container for minutes/hours say) or must each one be cooked as soon as it is rolled out?
This would help me decide when in the day would be better to make them with DS (pre nap, post nap etc).

[gogomama]

The english muffin pizza is a good idea! I will have to try that one of these days.

Re the dough, it tends to dry out pretty quick if you leave it out especially the smaller you break it up. If you don't want to cook right away I would leave all of the dough in a bowl covered with a moist towel to make sure it doesn't dry out too much. If you make too much, you can store the extra in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a couple days. HTH

[creations]

Thank you!

Yes the english muffin pizza was much nicer than I expected.  It also felt like a much more fulfilling activity due to DS doing the chopping rather than just laying the food on which tbh would have taken about 30 seconds.

I often buy garlic flat bread from the supermarket and use that to make pizza (without the tomato sauce base, using the garlic that is there already as the base) which I love far more than regular pizza base.  If the chapati goes well with DS we will be making a range of different flat breads I think.

[Papaya]

I make all our bread,
Now I feel really inadequate!

haha, nothing special I assure you - it's just the only way to get bread that's not sweet!

I think I will look into getting a knife like that - or suggest it to the grandparents, they're always asking what they can send us I really like the idea of making chapatis too - if your recipe works out well, you'll have to post it.

[michaeljacknnugg]

Well, we've just made some veg gratin for tea. DS (4.5) was able to help make the breadcrumbs, wash the veg, grate the cheese and assemble everything. He loved it!

On to beetroot tarte tatin next. He may love making these things, but will he eat them...?

[creations]

I really like the idea of making chapatis too - if your recipe works out well, you'll have to post it.

I said it would be next week but actually made them yesterday.
I used this recipe (but halved the quantity to just make 6)
http://indianfood.about.com/od/breadrecipes/ig/How-to-Make-Chapatis/
I liked the tip about pressing down the edges with a teacloth it really makes them puff up.  tbh I would have preferred a softer chapati, I used all wholemeal flour so maybe half white would suit me more.  I also used milk rather than water as the recipe said it makes them softer, plus the other tip of adding oil.

DS enjoyed measuring out the flour - I put a cup measure inside a mixing bowl in case of spillages, then gave him a smaller spoon to spoon the flour from tub to the cup measure.  He also liked helping pour the spoon of oil.  He enjoyed some of the mixing together but lost interest once he realised his hands were covered in sticky stuff.  He didn't want to play with or knead the dough either.  After leaving the dough for 10 mins I went back to roll it out, he wasn't really interested in that and didn't stay to watch the cooking.
He did however enjoy washing his table down to clean up and thoroughly enjoyed eating the finished chapati.  On the whole I think it was a success, he seemed thrilled to be invited to cook and clean.

DS (4.5) was able to help make the breadcrumbs

How do you make the breadcrumbs?  In a whizzer?  I don't think I could be bothered to organize getting my whizzer down to DS's level at his table.
Does he use a regular grater for the cheese?

On to beetroot tarte tatin next.

Sounds yummy, DS loves beetroot it would be great to have a recipe he could make.
Can you share the recipe and any tips?

So...after me saying the funpod was out of our price range and I wouldn't be able to find space for one in the kitchen, well, erm...MIL came over yesterday and just as she was leaving surprised me with a wad of cash
She is far more a money giver than a time giver, DS has only seen her a handful of times in his life, so in her absence I'm quite happy to accept her cash and get things for DS I might not ordinarily get.  I do think the funpod is way over priced, and we don't NEED it, he has his little table he can cook at, but you know what I really think we might get one with this unexpected money.  I've even been measuring places in the kitchen where it might fit for storage.

[amayzie]

YAy! Check e-bay if your into that... there was one up on ours recently but we were pretty strapped for cash and we don't NEED it yet so i haven;t bought it... but you might be lucky!

[michaeljacknnugg]

We just use a normal cheese grater. It does come with a bit of a health warning but I think it's worth kids being able to join in rather than having special stuff for everything.

And the tarte was a River Cottage recipe - we're working through the Veg Every day book.
 
The pod sounds lovely, but do you really need one? We've always had DS at the worktop, but just by turning around his little chair so he can stand on the seat.

[creations]

The pod sounds lovely, but do you really need one?

Well, that's the big question.
I'm not sure he would be safe enough standing on a chair as he's only 18 months old but then I'm not sure about getting the fun pod either.

I made naan for the first time yesterday.  I'd planned on DS being involved but it didn't work out like that.  He watched for a few minutes whilst sitting in his high chair so he could see up on the work surface but he didn't want to play with any of the dough.

[Buntybear]

Maybe he could help with the washing up if he doesn't get the food prep bit yet! Olly loves a bowl of water, a sponge and some plastic plates and cups!

[creations]

Maybe he could help with the washing up if he doesn't get the food prep bit yet! Olly loves a bowl of water, a sponge and some plastic plates and cups!

He would LOVE this.  I haven't let him stand up on a chair yet though.  And I know he would empty the entire sink of water onto the floor so there would be some serious mopping up to do

He gets excited to be shown and involved in things, just not always in the mood I suppose.  He was like this when I introduced arts materials and would only do about 5 mins but now he knows exactly which materials he wants and spends much longer at it.
He just got into play dough because there is a machine to stuff it in and pull the lever to make it 'poo' out the other side.  I think the naan dough was less fun because it lacked a pooing machine
Which makes me think he might like to put pasta through a machine but I don't have one.

[Buntybear]

He is still so young so it is great he is showing an interest already. Olly didn't really until he was older, unless it involved getting messy of course 

[creations]

He is still so young so it is great he is showing an interest already. Olly didn't really until he was older, unless it involved getting messy of course 

Yes it is nice that he has some interest.
DS is the opposite - he is happier up to the point he realises he is a mess, then he wants cleaning asap and loses interest!
I think my approach is going to be taking part in prep etc for part meals rather than trying to get him to stay for a full recipe/activity.

[michaeljacknnugg]

What about giving him his own pots of some cheap ingredients so he can make up his own 'recipes' while you cook?

We have small pots of pasta, lentils, rice which DS uses, and I let him go in the garden and pick herbs! Useful when I want to do some cooking but know he won't be interested in the real thing.