My toddler turns two years old next month.
He has been eating very well. He started to prefer feeding himself - grabbing food with fingers - probably around 10-11 months old. Then, there was a period of fussy eating between 13-15 months old due to teething (incisors and molars). By that time, he was already using spoon (and fingers) - by making the dining area a war zone. LOL.
By 19 or 20 months old, he could self-feed quite well, but still quite messy. Finally, by 22 months old, he could eat using spoon WITHOUT making a huge mess. I'm so relieved!
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My MIL brought over lots of frozen ikan tenggiri cuts (from the east coast). So, my toddler is lucky to try out different types of fishy meals.
In this post I have three recipes:
Tomato Paprika Fish
Baked Fish & Veggie Stew
Steamed Fish with Leek & Shiitake
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By the way, I have also blogged about 7 wholesome meals for toddlers and 3 easy ways to cook creamy soups for toddlers.
You can also view the full list of baby/toddler meals and soups on my Baby & toddler menu page too!
Don't miss my latest blog posts by connecting with me on fb.com/joycescapade :)
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Okay, back to the fishy meals. :)
Menu #1:
Tomato Paprika Fish
This is a very delicious dish for toddlers who love tomatoes. By the way, tomatoes are only recommended for little ones over 1 year old. Tomatoes are considered an allergenic vegetable.
Paprika powder is a bright red powder made from ground dried sweet red peppers. It is mainly used as seasoning for its characteristic sweetness. Paprika releases its color and flavor when heated. Paprika powder is not spicy like cayenne pepper powder.
I have slowly introduced a few variety of spices to my coming-to-two-year-old toddler. This non-spicy creamy veggie korma - with ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, and curry powder - is very well accepted.
Note: Every child is different. If your child cannot tolerate spices at all, you don't need to introduce spices into their meals.
Ingredients:
(Serves 2)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 tablespoon paprika powder
1 small ikan tenggiri cut, seasoned with salt & pepper
1 medium organic tomato, cut into chunks
5-6 organic cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup hot water
1 teaspoon homemade ikan bilis powder
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
How to:
Heat up olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook red onions until soft. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Then, add tomato paste and paprika powder. Cook until fragrant. Reduce heat to medium-low.
Add fish and cook for 4 minutes. Turn to the other side and cook for another 4 minutes. Then, add tomato chunks and cherry tomatoes. Add hot water and ikan bilis powder. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil before serving. Best served with steamed rice.
Menu #2:
Baked Fish & Veggie Stew
I love baked stews. They are so versatile and easy to cook. I can add in whatever meat and vegetables, especially if I want to clear "old" vegetables from my fridge.
Another thing about baked stews is that I can leave it to cook in the oven (as long as the temperature is correct) without worrying that it will over-boil until overflows (this happens very often when I use normal gas stove) and burns while my toddler takes his nap in my lap.
For this stew, I make it Mediterranean style with the addition of pitted black olives and garbanzo beans (chickpeas). If I have some feta cheese to sprinkle on top, this would make a perfect ala Mediterranean fish stew.
Ingredients:
(Serves 2)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium ikan tenggiri cut, seasoned with salt & pepper
2 cups celery stalk & leaves, sliced
1/2 cup canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1/2 cup pitted whole black olives
1 cup cooked homemade pasta
3 cups hot water
1/2 tablespoon homemade ikan bilis powder
1/2 cup cooking cream
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
How to:
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Heat up olive oil in an ovenproof pot over medium heat. Add fish and cook for 5 minutes. Turn to the other side and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add celery, garbanzo beans, black olives, and cooked pasta. Give everything a good stir and cook until celery looks somewhat cooked. Add hot water and ikan bilis powder. Cover and bring to a boil.
Then, reduce heat to medium. Uncover the pot and stir in cooking cream. Simmer gently, without cover, until the liquid is about to boil again. Remove from heat, cover the pot, and place it in the oven.
Bake for 40 minutes. Then, reduce heat to 160°C and bake for another 10 minutes. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil before serving.
Menu #3:
Steamed Fish with Leek & Shiitake
Steamed fish is very easy to make and can be very delicious with the right ingredients. I don't have spring onions on hand, so I use young leeks. Add some ginger slices if you have fresh ginger. Or else, like me, I use ginger powder.
Ingredients:
(Serves 2)
1 small ikan tenggiri cut
1 teaspoon ginger powder
2-inch young leek, cut into round slices
3 fresh shiitake mushrooms, cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon goji berries, soaked & drained
1 tablespoon coconut amino (to replace soy sauce)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
How to:
Rub fish with ginger powder. Put it in the stainless steel pot of an electric lunch box. Add in the rest of the ingredients.
Cover and steam for about 35 minutes. Best served with steamed rice.
I hope you like all these recipes. Happy cooking!
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