Play with, Try and Enjoy Fruits and Vegetables

Many children eat few or preferable fruits and vegetables, don’t like or are reserved to try the new one. A very good way to break their habit is by letting them to explore the texture, smell and flavor when helping you in cooking. Preparing food for a surprise party, a play date or for someone who the child loves is the best time to push in the new ingredients to their diet.

Yesterday Basia made Dad's favorite Vegetable Salad with Mayonnaise.

Basia, 2012

“The origin of cooked vegetable salad goes back to 1864. Russian chef Lucien Olivier prepared this salad especially for Tsar Nicholas II. Oliver never gave this recipe to anyone. After his death, people tried to reconstruct the recipe, naming it Olivier salad. It was more sophisticated then present vegetable salad, which, after the war, was simplified and called Russian salad.”

Vegetable Salad with Mayonnaise - Recipe

Ingredients (for 8 servings)

3 large carrots
3 large potatoes
1 parsnip

5 hard boiled eggs
1 can of green peas
5 medium pickled sour cucumbers
2 apples, peeled, cored
1 small jar of mayonnaise
1 tsp of mustard

Preparation (time around 1hr)

Boil water in a large saucepan. Add and cook the carrot, potato and parsnip until tender. Remove them and drain. Set aside to cool. When cool, peel and chop into small cubes. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Chop the apples, pickled sour cucumbers and egg into small cubes. Mix with cooked vegetables. Add green peas. Season with salt and pepper.

Basia, 2012

Add mayonnaise and mustard.

Basia, 2012

Mix well. Add more salad and pepper if necessary.

Final Result, 2012

To learn more about picky eaters and ideas how to face the problem go to my old posts:

http://slpzone.blogspot.com/2012/04/picky-eater-and-new-food.html