By Kristina | February 27, 2008
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The Toddler Cookbookby Annabel Karmel is full of easy to follow recipes using easy to find ingredients, many of which you’ll probably already have stocked in your pantry or fridge, that you can create with your toddler or preschool aged child’s help.  Together, an entire meal can be prepared, from appetizer to dessert, using the recipes provided.

The recipes are quick and utilize easy measurements that make cooking a great way for your little one to learn and understand mathematical concepts (measurement, numbers and timeline sequence).  The introduction goes through some basic cooking concepts, facts and safety tips; and the cookbook also shows what tools may be needed.  Karmel’s wording throughout the entire cookbook also makes it easy for little ones to understand and follow along.  The fun photos throughout the book show each step in every recipe and these are great for encouraging kids to get involved, because the photos will give them that “Hey!  I can do that too!” attitude.

I felt that most of the recipes were appropriate  for doing with older toddlers (3 years) and preschoolers, but it may be too much to hope that a rowdy little just-turned-2 year old will have the patience to do anything but stir batter for as long as 10 seconds (if you’re lucky, that is) ;).  It all depends on your little monster angel, though.  Depending on your child, she may be able to take on more responsibility over cooking the dish or meal(always under your supervision, of course!).

littleQ and I (okay, so mostly “I”) prepared 3 different recipes from The Toddler Cookbook,and each one was delicious!  littleQ loved the Chicken Dippers the best, and I loved the Mini Banana Muffins.

The chicken dippers recipe was nice and easy.  The marinade called for buttermilk, and  I actually had accidentally grabbed a container of cultured buttermilk, but if anything that only added to the flavor.  I thought this recipe was cute because it uses crushed potato chips as part of the crunchy outer coating.  I used Baked Lays - cheddar and sour cream flavor- and it turned out so scrumptious with a hint of that cheddar cheesiness!

Karmel also included recipes for two different dips, and I made the Maple Mustard Mayo, which tastes like honey mustard, and it was too yummy!

As you can see from the photo, I created this recipe for Chicken Satay Skewers minus the skewers.  Well, my supermarket was out of skewers (why? I have no idea).  I really enjoyed this recipe.  The chicken came out super flavorful, so if you can marinate your chicken breasts for longer than ten minutes (I marinated for about 24 hours) that will definitely add to the flavor.  Oh, and make sure you pound the chicken breasts nice and thin so they’ll cook up quickly and you won’t have to leave them under the broiler and risk having dry chicken for dinner.

The sauce for the Chicken Satay Skewers was quite delicious.  I altered it slightly, adding more coconut milk than called for, using smooth peanut butter instead of crunchy, skipping the sweet chili sauce and opting for sweet and sour sauce instead… oh, I also added about a tablespoon of curry powder to the sauce.  Yep… all in all the chicken plus my slightly modified version of the sauce paired with white rice made a delicious meal.

Although this recipe called for the use of mini-muffin pans, I did end up using just one regular muffin pan, which was fine, though you must definitely keep in mind that each individual muffin doesn’t need too much batter (so that you’ll have enough to fill all the cups).  Silly me, I forgot to buy cinnamon, so I substituted that with crushed cloves.  As per Karmel’s tip, I added banana slices to the top of each muffin before I popped it into the oven.  Mmmm.  I just have to say that I loved these muffins!

These muffins are made using whole wheat flour and brown sugar, which is a big plus in the nutrition department, and the muffins came out moist, soft and delicious.  I wrapped the ones we didn’t gobble down that day in saran wrap and they were still as yummy 5 days later.

Followed verbatim, the recipes are definitely delicious, but every recipe is easily customizable to better suit your family’s tastes.  The recipes found in this book are the type that will placate the picky eater, and they’re quick, nutritious alternatives to fast food.  

The Toddler Cookbookdefinitely contains great recipes that are simple and easy enough to do with a young child but still manage to pack in great flavor in a healthy way.  If you know that your little one can handle certain delegated duties around the kitchen, then definitely get this cookbook, because cooking together is a great way to bond and when you’re eating the meal together, your child will have a feeling of accomplishment and be proud knowing that she helped create the wonderful meal!

Buy the Toddler Cookbook at Amazon.com.

Technorati Tags: toddler cookbook, kid’s cookbook, children’s cookbook, cookbook, toddler friendly recipes, recipes, kid’s recipes, children’s recipes, cooking, baking

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