Summer Dining: Bringing That Holiday Spirit Home With you - Annabel Karmel
One of the best things about holidays is eating out and sampling the different cuisines and fresh local ingredients! And for any fussy eaters out there, often holidays can be an amazing opportunity to explore exciting new healthy foods and dabble in new flavour combinations.
But back home many of us face the juggle of childcare, full-time work and other competing responsibilities. A far cry from sun-kissed fine dining and glorious beach days.
But this summer we CAN bring that fresh, feelgood spirit to our dinner tables. Here are some of my top tips for enjoying good food together from the comfort of your own home.
A holiday ‘home from home’
From fresh fruits to traditional dishes, holidaying abroad can be a great opportunity to encourage children to give new foods a go and there is no reason why you can’t apply this positive experience to home too!
Have a picnic party and theme food to different cuisines from around the world. For example, one day why not embrace the tapas style dining experience of Spain? Some cubes or slices of Spanish tortilla, pieces of cheese or low salt breadsticks are good options. It’s a fantastic way to encourage children to try new flavours and an opportunity to teach them about different country’s delicacies. Why not get an inflatable globe so you can show them which country the food they are eating comes from? It will double up as a good game of catch post lunch too!
Fire up the BBQ
A beautiful summer’s day wouldn’t be complete without a fabulous al fresco feast. It’s also amazing what a change of scenery can do to tempt little ones into trying new foods and flavours.
Children often like the independence finger foods offer and BBQs or picnics present finger food opportunities a-plenty. Bite-size portions mean more manageable mouthfuls which are less overwhelming for a small child. My advice is to put bowls of different finger foods out (including lots of colourful veggies) to encourage them to explore new foods and flavours.
Try my Mini Burgers recipe which contain hidden grated carrot and my secret ingredient - grated apple. You could also serve some griddled strips of protein-packed chicken with a simple tomato salsa to dunk and dip, cook-up a classic corn on the cob with cheesy butter or assemble a colourful quinoa salad.
Healthy holiday ‘treats’
Holidays offer the ideal excuse for those extra foodie ‘treats’ usually in the form of afternoon ice creams! And there is no reason why this shouldn’t be the case at home. I personally like the age-old saying ‘everything in moderation’. Plus, there’s no reason why healthy foods can’t be a treat too. Take my Banana & Strawberry Ice Cream which has just three ingredients – bananas, strawberries and a dash of maple syrup. Or my fresh fruit ice lollies! Kids love them and they count towards their 5-a-day.
One on one time!
The great thing about holidays is the opportunity to spend quality time together. And there’s no reason why you can’t do this in the kitchen! Cooking is a great opportunity for children to master new skills, and it’s great for bonding time too. Before the day runs away with you and your inbox starts to call, why not get your little chefs helping with breakfast. My Apple, Cinnamon & Sultana Pancakes are a hands-down winner to get the whole family to the breakfast table.
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