Healthy happy meal

An easy but healthy dinner that makes the whole family happy!

#healthy #happymeal #kidsfav #meatballs #milkbread #cucumbersticks #kidsmeals

Whoever has kids, knows how hard it is to cook something that makes the whole family happy. We all have different tastes and age gaps are of no help when it comes to finding a common ground among thousands of dishes. If, on top of that, you’re trying to teach healthy eating habits, you know the struggle I’m going through! So sometimes a parent has to either cook four different meals at once - while getting crazy on the way - or cook one single meal and stand the sad face and screams of a picky eater during dinner... Well, after living the above two experiences over and over, I’ve finally found some meal options that actually make our whole team happy, which is why I call them our “Happy meals”. Here you are one of them: pan seared meatballs, homemade dinner rolls, salad and cucumber sticks.

Ingredients

Milk buns

• 200 g milk

• 1 Tbs sugar

• 10 g active dry yeast

• 400 g multipurpose flour

• 30 g Canola oil (or 40 g butter)

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 Tbs milk

Meatballs

• 800 g minced beef meat

• 1 slice of toast bread (crust removed)

• 1/4 c of milk

• 1 egg

• 1 egg yolk

• 1/4 c Parmesan cheese (about 50 g)

• 1/4 c of parsley, chopped

• Salt and pepper to taste

Salad

• 1 bag lettuce

• 1 beetroot

• 10 cherry tomatoes

• 1 cucumber

• 1/2 c olive oil

• 1/4 c balsamic vinegar

• 1/2 tsp honey, optional

• 1 garlic clove

• 1 tsp rosemary leaves

• Salt and pepper to taste

Cucumber sticks

• 1 cucumber, washed and peeled

Method

Milk buns

1. Mix milk, sugar and yeast and let this mix rest until it bubbles (5 to 10 minutes). Add in flour, oil or butter and salt and work the dough until it’s smooth;

2. Divide your dough into 24 little balls, then lay them on an ovenproof tray lined with baking paper. Let them rest for 15 to 20 minutes in a covered dark place. Then bake on the middle rack of your oven at 200 C/400 F for 25 minutes. Your buns are all ready!

Meatballs

1. Place milk and bread in a glass and let sit for a couple of minutes, then drain the milk. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the drained bread along with all the remaining ingredients. Mix gently with your hands until a ball forms;

2. Using a spoon or an ice-cream scoop form 32 little little balls and place them on a tray;

3. Spray a no-stick pan with olive oil and heat it up. Place meatballs in the pan and cook on medium-high heat for around 2 minutes per side, then lower the heat, cover with lid and keep cooking for 5/8 more minutes or until cooked through. If you got an air fryer, you may cook them there too: it will take 10 to 12 minutes at 200 C/400 F;

Salad

1. Wash and chop all the veggies;

2. Combine vinegar, honey, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until combined, then, while whisking, add in oil little by little. Keep on mixing until all ingredients are thoroughly combined;

Cucumber sticks

1. Chop the top and bottom of cucumber. Cut it lengthwise so you have two equal halves and scoop the seeds out. Finally chop each half into 5/6 sticks.

Dinner si served!