HELP - quick recipes suitable to cook with a uncooperative toddler

[reastie]

Subject says it all really . My 1yo won't let me cook and I'm really struggling to do super quick minimal prep cheap healthy meals - anyone have any ideas they can pass on? I usually do a big veggie bolognese at the week end and this keeps us going a few days with potato/pasta/rice but can't always and really struggle when I can't. It feels like we live on omlette, baked potatoes, and frozen stuff . FWIW DH and I are veggie and I'm also gluten free, so it is all a bit of a headache.

put cbeebies on

What about quick stir-fry's? If you can do the prep earlier in the day when DC is asleep it's just throwing it all in a wok for 5 mins.

Cbeebies doesn't work

Have tried stirfries but she only has a few teeth and really struggles to eat the veg (she's 15 mo)

When mine were like this I did lots of chilli, casseroles, curries etc that could be cooked at lunchtime when they were asleep then reheated later. Or salad that requires no cooking.

I batch cook/ pre cook veg onions/leeks/carrots/pepperswhatever is in the end of fridge and freeze so I can just grab veg tip it in with passata for pasta, use left over for a pizza topping, throw it in on top if of rice and do a savoury rice/fried rice, make lasagna and freeze in portions to have when you are tied to a child. I usually do a large amount of cooking when DP can keep the area small person free and freeze as it takes the stress out of it, we are a wheat, dairy and nut free house, due to an intolerance's thankfully not an allergies.

My prob is mrsjohn I work 3 days a week and my days off I'm often out when she naps after lunch so I don't have time to cook then

Ah, that is tough.

Is it feasible to have a big batch-cooking day once a month, fill up the freezer, then dip into that? Rather than have cooking eating into your limited weekend time?

Yeah I started off doing that but it took me literally a whole week end of cooking and drove me insane . Just wondering what people cook as a quick easy prep dinner to try to give me some ideas.

Do you have a backpack baby carrier? Around this age DD1 would spend all meal prep times on my back peering over my shoulder. I fully expect the same to happen with DD2.

issimma we all eat together at 5:30 - no way could we wait till she goes to sleep as that's not till 8:30 on a good day and tbh we just collapse and go to bed. I used to menu plan but can't anymore as I never know which days DH will be home in time to give me 15 minutes to cook dinner or not. Have you nn changed btw - I don't recognise the name

rilla I have a bad back and can't carry her [useless]

A slow cooker and passata are your friends.

I usually use meat but you can do many veggi things. So buy / take out of the cupboard your slow cooker and switch it on.

Put the kettle on to boil

Put sliced onion, carrots, peppers and mushrooms in.
Open a tin of kidney beans / chick peas / butter beans etc.
Pour over the passatta. Add seasoning, top up with a bit of boiling water and leave for the day.

You could do it entirely with tinned veg. If you use frozen you need to defrost firsts.

So an even easier one - buy a packet of mixed veg and defrost. Put the defrosted veg in the slow cooker, add passatta and season, top up with boiling water and leave.

What about roast root veg? You could chop all the veg when little one is asleep.

Peel where appropriate and roughly chop

carrots
parsnips
peppers
onions
turnips

when ready to cook toss in olive oil and add cherry tomatoes and herbs. Put in the oven for 30 - 50 mins depending on size and choice of veg.

Buy a raclette and cook at the table - make sure litlle on is in a high chair or another room though.

Some good ideas sas - I've got a slow cooker but the only thing I've ever managed to cook in there which was nice is ratatouille. I've ordered some frozen chargrilled Mediterranean veg so may try that as the basis of the dish which would make it very quick indeed. When I've tried stews they've always been pretty disgusting - have tried differing amounts of water/less time but do't think I"ve quite worked out the trick of it yet.

Same as Rilla - when ds is being a pain, I shove him on my back in the sling.

Oh I had this, DS would want to get involved!

Gratins are easier and tend to down well. Jamie Oliver has a nice Celeriac Gratin recipe.

Welcome to the world of fish fingers too.

Sometimes you can distract them by giving them their own set of pots and pans, with plastic vege.

Get them to help put your veggies in the pan.

Smoked Mackerel with broad bean dip and cherry tomatoes

You can cook meatballs in the oven and dress them with passata and mushrooms

issimma how annoying - now I have no idea who you are!

We do fish fingers.....at least 2 times a week, and fish cakes. I feel I can't give her any more processed fish if I tried

I've bought some prepped veg that just needs zapping in the hope that helps although she never eats veg anyway

smeared broad bean dip? please pass on the recipe, sounds nice. She won't eat cherry tomatoes though, or meatballs

I use the slow cooker alot. I get DH to chop the veggies the night before & use a timer plug to turn it on at 4am so it's ready for lunch time. ideas here?

Both my DDs prefer their "stir-fry" veg steamed to actually stir-fried.

We eat in the kitchen, so I often set them up at the table with some toys while I cook. Or I get them to "help" - DD2 will happily play with a pile of flour(!) while I'm rustling up some savoury muffins

Falafel & salad is always good too - as you can give it to them bit by bit as you prepare it.

Might try that falafel this week bessie as I've just bought some chick peas, although DD has never eaten anything vaguely spicy when I've tried but sure H can manage to eat it . Don't have any greek yoghurt but think I have some plain yoghurt so see how that works.

DD won't sit in her highchair no matter what I give her to play with and we only have a small kitchen [sigh]

Broad bean dip can't do link on iPhone but google Hugh fearnely Whittington when you get a chance

Or cheat like me and order it from ocado

might do that smear buy it from ocado that is . Made humus today for her and she loves the stuff from the supermarket but wouldn't eat mine . I did, however, buy some breaded chicken breasts which she loved

Mine refused to eat my humus for ages too, but I eventually did this version which they loved! I don't think I previously added enough olive oil or (any) lemon juice. fussy buggers

have tried differing amounts of water/less time but do't think I"ve quite worked out the trick of it yet.

Reduce the liquid you use in a stew by 1/3. I'm a corpse cruncher and do gluten, so I use flour to dust the meat to thicken stews - you probably need to have some sort of thickening agent.

Don't forget things like beans on toast - microwave the beans in a jug and use a toaster.

Rice in orange juice? I actually do fish with it, but you are veggy. Just use half fresh orange juice and half water to cook the rice. You could serve it in halved pappers if you wanted.

Convent eggs

buttered ramekins - one egg in each, add a bit of cream season and bake.

You can experiment with adding cheese or beating the egg - be warned beated egg rises quite a lot.

sashh I do beans on toast quite a bit. Never heard of rice in orange juice but may give that a go. She loves eggy meals too. Think I might try slow cooker ratatouille with frozen Mediterranean veg for dinner tonight actually

Never heard of rice in orange juice

I had fish one day and nothing to season it with, so I put it in the pan with rice and orange juice - it worked.