Fun Food Recipes for your Child – to Eat at Home and in School

Cheesy Noodle & Vegetable Cutlets

1 cup cooked instant noodles, ¼ cup sweet corn kernels (cooked & crushed), 2 finely chopped spring onions, 1 finely chopped green chilly, 2 tbsp tomato ketchup, ¼ cup grated cheese, ¼ cup bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste.
(oil for frying & bread crumbs for coating)
Mix together all the ingredients very well with your hand. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions and shape it into a patty or cutlet. Coat the cutlet with bread crumbs and shallow fry in a girdle or pan on both sides until golden brown in color.

Apple and Carrot Sandwich

For the apple spread – 1 apple grated, 1 tbsp cheese spread, salt & pepper to taste
For the carrot spread – ¾ cup grated carrot, 2 tbsp cheese spread, salt & pepper to taste

Mix together the ingredients of the apple spread and carrot spread separately. Apply the apple spread on top of one slice of bread. Cover with a second slice. Apply the carrot spread over the second slice and cover it with a third slice of bread. Repeat this procedure to make two more sandwiches. Slice off the edges and cut the sandwiches diagonally into 4 triangles. It is an excellent snack for school lunch.

Sprouts and Corn Salad

Boiled mixed sprouts-2 cups, ¼ cup sweet corn, 2 spring onions chopped, ¼ cup tomato chopped, 1 tsp chopped coriander leaves, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp sugar and salt to taste.

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and garnish with crushed cornflakes. This is a very healthy snack to eat while your child is watching television.

Spinach & Cheese Pancakes

For the pancakes – Whole wheat flour – 1/3 cup, Flour – 1/3 cup, Milk – 1/3 cup, Melted butter – 2 tbsp & salt to taste
For spinach & cheese filling – chopped onions-2, chopped garlic-2, chopped spinach-1 cup, chopped tomatoes-2, grated cheese-1/2 cup, butter-2 tsp & salt to taste.

Mix all the ingredients for the pancake with 1 cup water into a smooth batter. Meanwhile, heat a pan, add butter. Add onions & garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes. Then add the spinach, tomatoes and salt and cook for 5 minutes more. Take off heat and mix the grated cheese into it. Heat another pan and a ladle of pancake batter and tilt the pan around to make it an even pancake. Flip the pancake and cook the other side. Once done, put a tbsp of the spinach & cheese mixture onto the pancake on one side and fold the other side over it.

Power packed Granola bars

1 cup crushed cornflakes, 1 cup rolled oats, ½ cup chopped mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, cashew nuts), 2 tbsp melon seeds, 1 tbsp sultanas/raisins, 1 cup sugar and oil to grease.

Roast the oats, nuts and melon seeds lightly. After it is cooled, mix it with the cornflakes and sultanas. In a heavy bottomed pan, melt the sugar on low heat, stirring continually till it gets caramelized (it will turn brown). Take off heat and add all the other ingredients to the caramelized sugar and mix well. Pour the mixture on a greased wooden or stone counter to and roll it out lightly into a square shape. Cut it into rectangular pieces while still warm and store in sealed containers.

Yogurt Lollies

1 cup curds/unflavored yogurt,, ¾ cup fruit puree ( any fruit like strawberry or mango), 3 tbsp sugar, ½ tsp vanilla essence.

Mix all the ingredients in a blender into a smooth mixture. Pour the mixture into lolly moulds and freeze it until it sets well. Remember to insert wooden ice-cream sticks into the lollies before freezing them.