There are these phases when the Minimes want nothing but pasta with ketchup, pretzels and sausages. Everything that is green is pushed off the plate and, ideally, over the edge of the table. This can be a test of patience for parents who not only want to make their children happy with their food, but also themselves. Actress and presenter Nina Bott knows the problem. She is mother of four children. For the “Nina easy-peasy family cookbook” she has collected dishes that not only delight children’s palates, but are also quick to make and healthy.
“Enjoyment is very high, that’s why it’s so important to me that children and adults like it,” says Bott, who knows “it’s not always easy to please everyone” in the book’s foreword. Whether fish nuggets, parsnip fries or cheese and spinach waffles – the dishes are selected in such a way that they can usually be prepared quickly and stored well. The list of ingredients is manageable, the recipes themselves are variable and can be adapted to the respective tastes with simple tricks. Since everyday life often has to be done quickly, many dishes are designed to be made within 20 to 30 minutes.
Family cookbook without rigorous rules
Bott makes sure that the recipes are balanced and varied. But that doesn’t mean that certain foods are taboo. Dogmatic cooking is alien to her. Her cookbook is not an “overly ambitious health book”. The dishes should be fun. It is much more important to her than following every rule that children and teenagers (and some adults) learn how to deal with good food in a positive, enjoyable way. “As sensible and important as healthy nutrition is: take it easy!” says Bott. Trying to sell green fodder five times a day to someone who refuses vegetables will do no good. “Then mix in a good pinch of looseness.”
We present four recipes from “Nina’s easy-peasy family cookbook: Simple, quick recipes that save time and nerves” by Nina Bott in the photo gallery above.
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