Five dinner recipes to make for your picky little eater

Last week I got an email from a reader named Rachel that really spoke to me, and will probably speak to anyone who’s ever had to feed children or another phalanx of picky eaters:

Could you please share a recipe that all three of my kids will eat? One eats most things but not peanut sauce, one eats only cucumbers and pizza, one eats only dinosaur nuggets and whatever I am currently eating, especially if I’m very hungry and not in the mood to share.

The stringent randomness of children’s preferences, the irritating puzzle of how to feed everyone with one meal, the cannibalisation of your own dinner – it’s all here.

I picked two recipes below that may work in that scenario, and a few others that I’m making for dinner myself.

This one-pot meal, which is inspired by chirashi, or Japanese rice and raw fish bowls, features a savoury vinegared rice that’s typically served with sushi. Traditionally, the rice is cooked first, then mixed with vinegar, but here, the rice is cooked in vinegar-seasoned water to eliminate a step. The result is sticky rice that’s tangy and sweet, and a perfect bed for fatty salmon. The salmon is added toward the end to steam directly on top of the rice for an easy one-pan meal. Packaged coleslaw is a time saver, eliminating extra knife work. Make a double batch of the zesty dressing for drizzling over roasted vegetables or green leafy salads the next day.

By: Kay Chun

Serves: 4

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

60ml unseasoned rice vinegar

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt, plus more for seasoning

200g sushi rice (short-grain white rice), rinsed until water runs clear

680g skinless salmon fillet, cut into 2½cm cubes

½ tsp toasted sesame oil

60ml low-sodium soy sauce

3 tbsp distilled white vinegar

2 tbsp safflower or canola oil

2 tbsp coarsely chopped spring onions

2 tbsp minced fresh ginger (from one 5cm piece)

3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced

225g green coleslaw mix

1 avocado, halved, pitted and thinly sliced

Torn toasted nori sheets, for garnish (optional)

Method:

1. In a large saucepan, combine rice vinegar, sugar and salt; stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the rice and 400ml water, and mix well. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, toss salmon with ¼ tsp sesame oil and season with salt. Once rice is tender (after about 20 minutes), arrange salmon in an even layer on top of rice. Cover and steam over low heat until fish is cooked to medium, about 12 minutes longer.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine soy sauce, white vinegar, safflower oil, spring onions, ginger and the remaining ¼ tsp sesame oil. Mix well, and season with salt.

4. Scoop salmon and rice into bowls. Top each with some cucumbers, coleslaw mix and avocado. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Top with nori, if using.

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With a topping of tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella, it’s no wonder that I always think of this easy one-pan dish as “pizza chicken”. It’s a tangy, milky, gooey, lovable meal that’s somewhat reminiscent of chicken parmesan, but with succulent bone-in chicken pieces instead of breaded and fried cutlets. Even better, it has pancetta and anchovies for complexity of flavour, and the whole thing comes together in under an hour.

By: Melissa Clark

Serves: 4

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1.6kg bone-in chicken pieces (or use a 1.6kg chicken cut into 8 pieces)

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

140g pancetta, diced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 anchovy fillets

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

1 (800g) tin whole plum tomatoes

1 large basil sprig, plus more chopped basil for serving

225g bocconcini (small mozzarella balls), halved (or use one big mozzarella ball cut into 2cm pieces)

Method:

1. Heat oven to 200C. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.

2. In a large ovenproof frying pan, warm oil over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pancetta to a paper-towel-lined plate.

3. Add chicken to pan. Sear, turning only occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Pour off all but 1 tbsp oil.

4. Add garlic, anchovy and red pepper flakes to pan; fry 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and basil. Cook, breaking up tomatoes with a spatula, until sauce thickens somewhat, about 10 minutes.

5. Return chicken to pan. Transfer pan to oven and cook, uncovered, until chicken is no longer pink, about 30 minutes.

6. Scatter bocconcini or mozzarella pieces over pan. Adjust oven temperature to broil. Return pan to oven and grill until cheese is melted and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes (watch carefully to see that it does not burn). Garnish with pancetta and chopped basil before serving.

This refreshing weeknight meal comes together in less than 15 minutes and barely requires turning on the stove. Aromatic garlic, ginger and spring onions are gently heated in oil until they sizzle and infuse it, turning into a fragrant, lively sauce for mild silken tofu. Peppery rocket and a final drizzle of tangy coriander sauce brighten the dish. Enjoy with steamed rice for a heftier meal, or top with fried eggs. Leftover tofu can be stored in the spring onion oil and refrigerated; it will have absorbed even more flavour the next day.

By: Kay Chun

Serves: 2 to 4

Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (400-450g) package silken tofu

Salt and pepper

60ml neutral oil, such as safflower or canola

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

25g thinly sliced spring onions

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp minced, peeled ginger

2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves and tender stems

2 tsp unseasoned rice vinegar

2 cups baby rocket

Method:

1. Remove the tofu from its package; drain the tofu then pat it dry. Scoop spoonfuls of the tofu onto a large platter and arrange in an even layer. Season with salt and pepper.

2. In a small saucepan, combine neutral oil, sesame oil, spring onions, garlic and ginger. Cook over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until oil is sizzling and garlic, ginger and spring onions are softened but not browned, about 3 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine soy sauce, coriander and vinegar.

4. Spoon hot spring onion mixture over the tofu. Top with rocket and drizzle with the coriander sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Good, flexible and fast, this recipe is a surefire standby: all you have to do is toss together sausage, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, shallots and olive oil on a baking tray, then slide the entire thing under the grill. In just 15 minutes, you’ll have nicely seared sausages, tomatoes and peppers, all of which have released juices that you should dunk bread into or spoon over pasta or rice. Experiment with adding cumin, paprika, oregano or red-pepper flakes in step 1, or swap the garlic for spring onions or red onion. You could also scatter crumbled feta, lemon slices, olives, pickled hot peppers or string beans across the top in the last few minutes of grilling.

By: Ali Slagle

Serves: 4

Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

450g fresh sausage, such as sweet or hot Italian sausage

450g sweet or mild peppers, such as mini sweet peppers, bell or Cubanelle, seeded and sliced into 5cm strips if large

450g cherry or grape tomatoes

4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

2 shallots, peeled and cut into 1½cm wedges

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Heat the grill with a rack 15cm from heat source. Score the sausages in a few places on both sides, making sure not to cut all the way through. In a shallow baking dish or baking tray, toss the sausages with the peppers, tomatoes, garlic, shallots and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and spread in an even layer.

2. Grill until the sausage is cooked through and the peppers and tomatoes are nicely charred, 10 to 15 minutes. Rotate the pan and ingredients as needed so everything gets under the grill. If everything is charring too quickly, cover the pan with foil. Serve immediately.

Sweetcorn is at the heart of this flavourful and simple-to-make pasta. The jalapeno offers a pleasant kick, and the feta cheese tossed in at the end melts slightly, giving the sauce a silky texture. It’s worth seeking out orecchiette here, as it nicely catches the corn kernels, creating perfect bites. If you can’t find it, fusilli or farfalle would work in its place. Serve with a bright, simple salad alongside and fresh fruit for dessert.

By: Colu Henry

Serves: 4

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

450g orecchiette

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1 jalapeno, finely chopped

570-650g sweetcorn (or 5 ears corn, shucked and kernels removed)

Salt

225g crumbled feta cheese

½ cup torn basil leaves, plus more for serving

Flaky salt, for serving (optional)

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until it is just short of al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water.

2. While pasta cooks, make the sauce: in a 30cm frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add jalapeno, and cook until softened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add corn, and cook until it begins to brown in spots, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt. Add ¼ cup (60ml) of pasta water and bring to simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Add pasta to pan, tossing to coat with sauce. Add feta cheese and an additional ¼ cup of pasta water, tossing until pasta is slick and glossy with sauce. If needed, add in another ¼ cup pasta water. Stir in basil. Transfer to a large bowl and scatter with remaining basil. Season with flaky salt, if desired.

© The New York Times