Simple Asian Style Soup Recipe: How to get bone broth into fussy kids

Lately my kids have been really grumbling about drinking their broth.  The drill in my family for the past few years has been to consume 1/2 cup of broth (eg chicken, beef or fish stock) before the main meal. Maybe it's taste fatigue? Maybe they are not hungry enough? Maybe it's just boredom? So I needed to get creative about it. Here's what I'm experimenting with:

1. Instead of a cup of straight broth consumed as an entree before the main meal I'm using the broth/stock as a base for soups. Last night it was fish soup (made with left over snapper fillets and steamed veggies) and tonight was Asian style soup made as follows:

• Steam Asian style veggies until soft (eg carrots cut on diagonal, thinly sliced red capsicum, green shallots, asparagus spears, sliced mushrooms, spinach leaves)

• Heat chicken broth/stock (together with any left over meat such as chicken pieces) in saucepan (allow 1/2 cup stock per person) until warm. Turn off heat.

• Add miso paste (allow 1 teaspoon/person) into the saucepan with the broth and mix with stick blender until blended through.

• Divide steamed veggies among serving bowls and add dollop of butter on top. Pour stock/miso mixture into bowls.

• Add a drizzle of tamari (wheat free soy sauce) into each bowl together with a scattering of activated sesame seeds and a handful of nori seaweed (cut into strips).

Not only did my kids eat ALL of this soup without any fussing or stalling tactics but Michaela pronouned at the ned "That was really yummy! I'd like more please". Ironic that this was the one occasion where there was no more!

2. Not making such a big deal about them eating their "broth". Perhaps just referring to it as "soup"

3. Stretching dinner out to later (e.g. just before bed time) and reducing size of their arvo tea so that they are genuinely hungry at dinner time.

4. Making their serving portions smaller so they get through dinner easily without feeling daunted.

5. Adding a little more cold gelatinous broth to our banana kefir smoothies in the morning (without making a big deal that it's in there!)

6. Making sure the stock (or soup) isn't too hot when served which instantly puts them off.

7. Adding gelatin powder to desserts such as coconut vanilla panacotta. Gelatin powder is made from 100% ground up beef bones. It is gelatinous like home made broth and I use it as a setting/jelling agent in desserts.

I'd love to hear from other parents on their thoughts about these suggestions and any other ideas in terms of different ways of incorporating broth into their kids' diets.

How to use cream-cheese

After my recent lacto-fermentation class, I had a plethora of cream cheese that we  made from whole cows milk ("quark") in my fridge. Here's what I've been doing with it:

1. Add a couple tablespoons of cream cheese into my morning scrambled egg/omelette mixture instead of milk or cream.

2. Make whipped coconut banana cream-cheese dessert as follows:

• 100g cream cheese

• 100g coconut cream - I like the Ayam brand as it doesn't contain guar gum (if not available, just double amount of cream-cheese)

• 1 banana

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

• 1/2 tsp raw cacao powder (or more if you're a choc fiend like me) 1/4 tsp vanilla bean powder

Blend the above together with hand-held blender for an easy quick sweetener-free dessert or snack. My kids took this to school today as their morning tea topped with a mountain of organic berries (see picture).

3. Make ice-cream by substituting cream cheese in place of cream (this makes for a less rich, more protein-heavy ice-cream). Here's the recipe for my recent ginger coconut ice-cream invention:

• 400g cream cheese

• 100g coconut cream

• 5 egg yolks (reserve the whites for scrambled eggs/omelettes) 30g fresh ginger

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup

Process the above in a food processor (you don't need an ice-cream maker!) until well blended then pour into small glass containers or ice-block moulds and freeze. Leave on bench for 10-15 mins to soften before serving.

4. smear cream-cheese onto raw veggies (e.g. sliced cucumber) and (if desired) top with wild salmon roe (from The Canadian Way) for a simple snack or pre-dinner appetiser.  You could also do this with home-made goats curd. Enjoy!

Homemade Icecream! (Mango / Chocolate / Coconut & Ginger / Macadamia)

Home-made ice-cream! Definitely one of my favourite summer staple desserts or snacks enjoyed by young and old alike. In keeping with my food philosophy of nutrient-density and utter simplicity, my basic Vanilla ice-cream recipe calls for only 4 ingredients:

2 tablespoons vanilla bean powder
5 egg yolks from pastured hens (reserve the whites for omelettes or scrambled eggs)
500g full fat cream
3 tablespoons maple syrup (could substitute raw honey)

Blend ingredients in a food processor until well mixed.  It's that easy. The key will come down to the quality of the ingredients so buy the best quality you can afford.

Pour into iceblock moulds (for iceblocks) or small glass containers (for ice cream) and freeze (will keep for 2-3 months in freezer).

Take glass container of ice cream out of freezer and place at room temperature about 15 minutes before serving to soften. To remove iceblocks from moulds, run under hot water for a few moments.

Iceblock moulds can be bought from any homeware store (eg Peter's of Kensington, Wheel and Barrow etc). More expensive über groovy ones can be purchased from Seed Clothing.

Other ice-cream variations to basic recipe:

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Mango ice-cream:    

The flesh of 5 mangos5 egg yolks500g full fat cream5 tablespoons coconut oil Note- no sweetener required as mango is sweet enough

Chocolate ice-cream:

5 tablespoons raw cacao powder5 egg yolks500g full fat cream 3 tablespoons maple syrup 

Coconut and ginger ice-cream:

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 5 egg yolks1 can coconut cream (I prefer the Ayam non-organic brand without the guar gum additive to the organic brands that all contain guar gum). 3 tablespoon maple syrup 

Make up your own flavours. I recently experimented with strawberry and with banana/coconut. Or freeze your favourite breaksfast smoothie. If dairy doesn't agree with you, opt for coconut cream instead of cow's cream. Or if cream is too rich, substitute yogurt for a frozen yogurt dessert.

With only a couple weeks to go before summer ends, what are you waiting for?!

Various ice-block moulds sold at Wheel & Barrow Homewares

Cool ice-block moulds sold at Seed Clothing