Finger food recipes for a 16-mo old - PLEASE???

[wobblyknicks]

DD, now 16 months, has recently (finally) REALLY got into finger food, and really got out of eating things with a fork/spoon. So now I'm desparately trying to find finger food meals to make her. Things like pasta with sauce etc are out because she doesn't like slippy things - she gets annoyed and throws them on the floor. So 'dry-ish' finger foods would be brill, am just very unimaginative and running out of ideas!!!

I give her toast, sandwiches, cut up fruit/veg and home-made 'pizza' (toast spread with bolog sauce and cheese) but what else can I make?

Would love any new ideas and recipes for toddler-friendly meatballs and fruity flapjacks - PLEASE!!!

Forgot to ask - are there any good books around for finger foods?

Annabel Karmel's Chicken and Apple Balls are here and these might hold together as finger food.

Slices of chicken or fish rolled in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs and fried gently.

Pitta bread spread inside with houmus or cheese or marmite.

Parboil potatoes in skin then slice into wedges and finish in hot oven.

Would she dip toast fingers into egg or any of the above into a puree/sauce ?

Thanks LIZS!! Will try those, have some chicken and tats in atm so can do some later. She won't do any dipping unfortunately, hasn't got the hang of that!!

The 'missy independent' chapter of Cooking for Coco has lovely finger foods

hi wk!

"finger foods" by jennie maizels is a brilliant book that i used for dd1. i got it on amazon

Thanks - both of those books look good, may have to order them now!! I looked through the popular ones in the bookshop but they only had a couple of recipes each so not worth it - always better to get MN recommendations!!!

I use pitta bread, tortillas filled with various things. Nan bread,chaptais, crumpets. At a friends house recently she had those middle-eastern stuffed cabbage rolls that you get in tins a bit like dolmas and I gave my 16 month year old thinking he would turn his nose up and he wolfed them down. Roasted veg may be a bit slippy for you. I make home made hamburger. Just minced meat (I have use chicken, beef lambe, pork and turkey) and herbs cooked in the oven. You could shape them into balls. Cheese is always good, bits of chicken, ham, cucumber.

Carrot and Potato Rosti
I medium baking potato
I carrot
! slice of onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon plain flour

Coarsely grate the potato and pat dry with kitchen towel. Coarsely grate the carrot and mix in a bowl with the potato, onion and flour.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and drop dessertspoonfuls of the mixture into the pan, spreading out into a thin, even layer. Cook 4 mins on each side or until golden.

Serve with veg that can be picked up - broccoli, baby corn, sticks of carrot etc.

Mini Quiches
Use ready-made pastry or make your own and line the hollows in a bun/muffin tray.

Fry up any combination of vegetables that the child likes - diced mushrooms, celery, leek, peppers, onions, etc, for three or four minutes until they soften. Put a spoonful of the mixture in each pastry case.

Beat together one egg and a tablespoon of milk, pour into the pastry cases and top with a sprinkling of grated mild cheese.

Bake at GM6 for about 15 - 20 minutes.

You could also try tortillas, pancakes or omelettes cut into strips.