Very simply made and even easier to eat, this would be great for adults or first weaners.
Check out the recipe for Parsnip Mash by clicking on the link!
Happy Friday!
Welcome back some people and new face tonight in my class. Everyone love all the food and fun to work with.What a happy Friday and great tea...
Showing posts with label Meals for the Kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meals for the Kids. Show all posts
Parsnip Mash
I came up with this recipe for Parsnip Mash on my new blog but thought I'd would share it here as well because it would be absolutely fantastic for babies too.
Very simply made and even easier to eat, this would be great for adults or first weaners.
Check out the recipe for Parsnip Mash by clicking on the link!
Very simply made and even easier to eat, this would be great for adults or first weaners.
Check out the recipe for Parsnip Mash by clicking on the link!
Banana and Honey Ice Lollies
I've never bought an ice lolly for my son which has led to full on, lying back, kicking, screaming because he wanted more. Apart from my son's behaviour (and not wanting to reward it), it's not going to make you feel too bad giving him two.
It's also a great way to use up and store bananas which are past their best as you do want them slightly over-ripe.
Banana and Honey Ice Lollies - makes 4-6 depending on mould size
Ingredients
1 ripe banana
2 tsp runny honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
100g, 3.5oz Yogurt (low fat is fine)
Method
Peel and chop the banana. Blend the ingredients together. Pour into an ice lolly mould and freeze until solid. Run some warm water over the outside of the mould to release them.
It's also a great way to use up and store bananas which are past their best as you do want them slightly over-ripe.
Banana and Honey Ice Lollies - makes 4-6 depending on mould size
Ingredients
1 ripe banana
2 tsp runny honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
100g, 3.5oz Yogurt (low fat is fine)
Method
Peel and chop the banana. Blend the ingredients together. Pour into an ice lolly mould and freeze until solid. Run some warm water over the outside of the mould to release them.
Don't give to under 1's due to the honey (you could always miss it out if your bananas are super ripe and sweet.)
Minestrone Soup for all ages
Soup might not seem like the most summery recipe but with a drizzle of olive oil, this really hit the spot, especially when the weather is less than you'd hope for.
Minestrone Soup - Makes enough for one adult and one child with leftovers, freezes well.
Ingredients
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 courgette (zucchini) finely chopped
1 rib of celery, finely chopped
1-2 carrots, finely chopped
180g, 6.5oz Smoked bacon
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tin borlotti beans (120g, 4oz drained weight)
45g, 1.5oz small pasta shapes - I used alphabet shapes because I thought they were cute
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1 large fresh tomato, chopped
1 tsp pesto
Olive oil and grated cheese to serve (optional)
Method
Gently fry the onion in the oil for a couple of minutes. Add the courgette and carrots and fry for a couple more minutes. Add the garlic, celery and chopped bacon and fry until the bacon is looking cooked and the onion is translucent.
Add 650ml, just over a pint, of boiling water and the borlotti beans. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the carrot is almost cooked. Add in the pasta and tomato and boil until the pasta is cooked, this will depend on the pasta type so be guided by the pack. Mine took 4-5 minutes.
Add the pesto, stirring in and serve with chopped parsley and cheese sprinkled on top if liked. A lovely summery soup!
If you like this, you might like my lovely Moroccan soup too!
Minestrone Soup - Makes enough for one adult and one child with leftovers, freezes well.
Ingredients
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 courgette (zucchini) finely chopped
1 rib of celery, finely chopped
1-2 carrots, finely chopped
180g, 6.5oz Smoked bacon
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tin borlotti beans (120g, 4oz drained weight)
45g, 1.5oz small pasta shapes - I used alphabet shapes because I thought they were cute
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1 large fresh tomato, chopped
1 tsp pesto
Olive oil and grated cheese to serve (optional)
Method
Gently fry the onion in the oil for a couple of minutes. Add the courgette and carrots and fry for a couple more minutes. Add the garlic, celery and chopped bacon and fry until the bacon is looking cooked and the onion is translucent.
Add 650ml, just over a pint, of boiling water and the borlotti beans. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the carrot is almost cooked. Add in the pasta and tomato and boil until the pasta is cooked, this will depend on the pasta type so be guided by the pack. Mine took 4-5 minutes.
Add the pesto, stirring in and serve with chopped parsley and cheese sprinkled on top if liked. A lovely summery soup!
If you like this, you might like my lovely Moroccan soup too!
Or why not try this lovely chowder?
Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms are one of those foods people think are difficult to make. "Life is too short to stuff a mushroom" a phrase apparently coined by Shirley Conran. Stuffing a mushroom does sound difficult, or fiddly but I promise it's not.
This super simple stuffing also makes it easy (and delicious). I just had this as an adult meal for one but my son, a fan of both mushrooms and cheese would love these. Do include the herbs, after all, without them they'd be a two ingredient recipe and that feels a little bit lame!
Stuffed Mushrooms - Serves 1 Adult or 1-2 Children
Ingredients
5 White Mushrooms (I didn't use large open capped ones, just ones around 2-4 cm across. The bigger they are, the fewer you'll need.)
A few sprigs of fresh herbs, I used parsley, thyme and chives
60g, 2oz Feta cheese, crumbled
Method
Preheat the oven to 200oC, 400F, gas mark 7.
Take the stalks out of the mushrooms just leaving the caps. If you like the stalks can be chopped up and used in another dish, like Bolognese or vegetarian lasagne.
Chop up the herbs and mix with the feta.
Put the mushrooms in a baking dish and fill the caps with spoonfuls of feta.
Bake for 20 minutes or until browned on top and the mushrooms are cooked through. Great served with a simply dressed tomato salad.
Make it thrifty
It is possible to buy "Greek Style Salad Cheese" which is often less than half the price of feta which I sometimes do when short of money. The quality of it is very variable though. Certainly if having in a salad I would always buy authentic feta but in this recipe the alternative is fine for stuffed mushrooms.
This super simple stuffing also makes it easy (and delicious). I just had this as an adult meal for one but my son, a fan of both mushrooms and cheese would love these. Do include the herbs, after all, without them they'd be a two ingredient recipe and that feels a little bit lame!
Stuffed Mushrooms - Serves 1 Adult or 1-2 Children
Ingredients
5 White Mushrooms (I didn't use large open capped ones, just ones around 2-4 cm across. The bigger they are, the fewer you'll need.)
A few sprigs of fresh herbs, I used parsley, thyme and chives
60g, 2oz Feta cheese, crumbled
Method
Preheat the oven to 200oC, 400F, gas mark 7.
Take the stalks out of the mushrooms just leaving the caps. If you like the stalks can be chopped up and used in another dish, like Bolognese or vegetarian lasagne.
Chop up the herbs and mix with the feta.
Put the mushrooms in a baking dish and fill the caps with spoonfuls of feta.
Bake for 20 minutes or until browned on top and the mushrooms are cooked through. Great served with a simply dressed tomato salad.
Make it thrifty
It is possible to buy "Greek Style Salad Cheese" which is often less than half the price of feta which I sometimes do when short of money. The quality of it is very variable though. Certainly if having in a salad I would always buy authentic feta but in this recipe the alternative is fine for stuffed mushrooms.
Rhubarb Cake
Rhubarb is such an odd fruit. It's almost a twisted fact of nature that rhubarb is great at this time of year, just as we should be donning our suncream and sunglasses. Then you have a spring like this one. Days of dismal rain and almost tempted to switch on the central heating.
So rhubarb suddenly has a strange purpose. The joy, if you like, in the drizzled disappointment of British weather!
After initial reluctance, my son loved this cake and so did I. It lasted for 2 further days in a tin and I also froze some wedges which defrosted in the microwave beautifully.
Great served warm as a pudding with silky double cream or custard or cold as a cake. Ok, I'm not winning any prizes on health here but I figure it's still healthier than a chocolate bar, and, cream aside, it's pretty low in fat.
Rhubarb Cake - makes 1 large cake
Ingredients
60g, 2oz Margarine
300g, 10.5oz Sugar (I used a mix of half white and half dark soft brown sugar which gave lovely little toffee flavoured flecks in the mix)
2 Eggs
300g, 10.5oz Self Raising flour (or the same amount of all purpose / plain flour with 3 tsp baking powder)
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Mixed Spice (apple pie spice)
300g, 10.5oz Low Fat Yogurt
250g, 9oz Rhubarb cut into short lengths
Method
Preheat an oven to 160oC, 325F, Gas Mark 3.
Line a 7.5", 19cm cake tin with baking paper and grease lightly (a mild flavoured oil spray is great for this).
Cream the margarine with the sugar as best you can as there isn't much fat. Add the eggs and beat in. Add the spice, vanilla and the yogurt and beat together.
Add in the flour then fold in the rhubarb.
Pour into the tin and bake for approx 1hr 15mins. Check after an hour and cover if it's browning too much. Check with a sharp knife or skewer to see if it's done.
Allow to cool on a wire rack and serve warm or cold. This would be great warm with custard. Central heating from the inside thanks to Rhubarb cake!
So rhubarb suddenly has a strange purpose. The joy, if you like, in the drizzled disappointment of British weather!
After initial reluctance, my son loved this cake and so did I. It lasted for 2 further days in a tin and I also froze some wedges which defrosted in the microwave beautifully.
Great served warm as a pudding with silky double cream or custard or cold as a cake. Ok, I'm not winning any prizes on health here but I figure it's still healthier than a chocolate bar, and, cream aside, it's pretty low in fat.
Rhubarb Cake - makes 1 large cake
Ingredients
60g, 2oz Margarine
300g, 10.5oz Sugar (I used a mix of half white and half dark soft brown sugar which gave lovely little toffee flavoured flecks in the mix)
2 Eggs
300g, 10.5oz Self Raising flour (or the same amount of all purpose / plain flour with 3 tsp baking powder)
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Mixed Spice (apple pie spice)
300g, 10.5oz Low Fat Yogurt
250g, 9oz Rhubarb cut into short lengths
Method
Preheat an oven to 160oC, 325F, Gas Mark 3.
Line a 7.5", 19cm cake tin with baking paper and grease lightly (a mild flavoured oil spray is great for this).
Cream the margarine with the sugar as best you can as there isn't much fat. Add the eggs and beat in. Add the spice, vanilla and the yogurt and beat together.
Add in the flour then fold in the rhubarb.
Pour into the tin and bake for approx 1hr 15mins. Check after an hour and cover if it's browning too much. Check with a sharp knife or skewer to see if it's done.
Allow to cool on a wire rack and serve warm or cold. This would be great warm with custard. Central heating from the inside thanks to Rhubarb cake!
Cauliflower Pakoras; great finger food for kids
Cauliflower pakoras are something I'd never made before until recently, but as part of my 7 a day challenge I made some vegetable pakoras using peas and loved them. When I moved house a few days back and restocked my cupboards (including buying some gram flour), the helpful assistant in the shop suggested cauliflower was pretty good and, in fact her favourite. She also said that fresh spinach was, in her opinion much better in Indian food than frozen.
I always like a bit of advice when it comes to cooking so I gave it a go. The jury is out in the spinach. In my opinion frozen is just as good but the great thing about baby spinach is you can use it as a salad vegetable or cook with it and it just so happened I had some in my fridge so I went with it.
Traditionally I don't think the cauliflower is precooked but although I don't like soggy cauliflower, I'm not overly keen on cauliflower which bites back either so I partially precooked mine.
Heat up approx 1 inch of vegetable oil in a deep saucepan. Never leave hot oil unattended.
Traditionally I don't think the cauliflower is precooked but although I don't like soggy cauliflower, I'm not overly keen on cauliflower which bites back either so I partially precooked mine.
Caulflower pakoras - serves 2-3
Ingredients
7 Small cauliflower florets
30g, 1oz Fresh spinach, finely shredded
100g, 3.5oz Gram flour (chickpea flour, garbanzo bean flour, besan)
2 tsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp Madras curry paste (or more if cooking for adults if liked)
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp Baking powder (use gluten free if avoiding gluten)
75 - 150ml Cold water
Oil for frying
30g, 1oz Fresh spinach, finely shredded
100g, 3.5oz Gram flour (chickpea flour, garbanzo bean flour, besan)
2 tsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp Madras curry paste (or more if cooking for adults if liked)
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp Baking powder (use gluten free if avoiding gluten)
75 - 150ml Cold water
Oil for frying
Method
Part cook the cauliflower by boiling for approx 4 minutes so still firm but almost cooked. Cut into halves.
Part cook the cauliflower by boiling for approx 4 minutes so still firm but almost cooked. Cut into halves.
Heat up approx 1 inch of vegetable oil in a deep saucepan. Never leave hot oil unattended.
Mix the flour, curry paste, lime and baking powder with enough water to make a batter like consistency.
Add in the spinach then add in the cauliflower. Try a drop of batter in the oil, if it sizzles immediately, put a coated piece of cauliflower and see how it cooks. If it browns too quickly but the batter is still runny inside, lower the heat. If it takes a long time and seems greasy, increase the heat.
Cook in batches of 3-4. Leave to drain on kitchen roll then serve as a starter, a side dish or as I did for my son with some rice cooked with peas and some mango chutney mixed with plain yogurt to dip.
Add in the spinach then add in the cauliflower. Try a drop of batter in the oil, if it sizzles immediately, put a coated piece of cauliflower and see how it cooks. If it browns too quickly but the batter is still runny inside, lower the heat. If it takes a long time and seems greasy, increase the heat.
Cook in batches of 3-4. Leave to drain on kitchen roll then serve as a starter, a side dish or as I did for my son with some rice cooked with peas and some mango chutney mixed with plain yogurt to dip.
Reheating: Once cooked, keep in the fridge and either eat cold (although they do go a bit soft) or much better, reheat in a preheated 180oC / 350F oven for approx 6-10 minutes or until warmed through and crisp. It's almost worth making extra to have the leftovers with no effort the next day!
Quesadillas for the Whole Family
Quesadillas was something I used to make for my son when he was very little. This is a slightly updated version with plenty of sneaky hidden vegetables!
Quesadillas - Serves 2 adults and a toddler
Ingredients
1 tomato, diced
1 tbsp fresh coriander, cilantro chopped
1/4 Green pepper (capsicum), finely chopped
Approx 1-2 inches courgette (zucchini) finely chopped
1/2 tin (drained, 120g, 4oz drained weight) red kidney beans
1 Clove garlic
1/2 tsp mild smoked paprika
45g, 1 1/2 oz Extra mature (extra sharp) cheddar
4 tortillas
Salsa or chilli sauce, to serve
Method
Mix the ingredients apart form the cheese tortillas and salsa and heat in a saucepan for 5-10 minutes or until hot through and combined.
Spread half the mix on a tortilla, top with half of the cheese then put a second tortilla on top. Don't be tempted to overfill them as they'll fall apart.
Dry fry in a non stick frying pan.
When browned on one side, flip by putting a plate on top then turning out and sliding back into the pan.
Brown on the other side then slide out, cut up and serve. Grown ups might want some salsa for dunking.
Make it Thrifty
Use up leftovers in quesadillas. Leftover cooked chicken might be nice. You can use pretty much anything you want. I keep meaning to put some cooked sweetcorn in sometime. The only thing you must include is cheese as it holds it all together.
If you have any tortillas left over, either freeze them or spray with oil, bake for about 6 or 7 minutes at 200oC, 400F, Gas Mark 6 or until browned and crisp. Serve with dips.
Quesadillas - Serves 2 adults and a toddler
Ingredients
1 tomato, diced
1 tbsp fresh coriander, cilantro chopped
1/4 Green pepper (capsicum), finely chopped
Approx 1-2 inches courgette (zucchini) finely chopped
1/2 tin (drained, 120g, 4oz drained weight) red kidney beans
1 Clove garlic
1/2 tsp mild smoked paprika
45g, 1 1/2 oz Extra mature (extra sharp) cheddar
4 tortillas
Salsa or chilli sauce, to serve
Method
Mix the ingredients apart form the cheese tortillas and salsa and heat in a saucepan for 5-10 minutes or until hot through and combined.
Spread half the mix on a tortilla, top with half of the cheese then put a second tortilla on top. Don't be tempted to overfill them as they'll fall apart.
Dry fry in a non stick frying pan.
When browned on one side, flip by putting a plate on top then turning out and sliding back into the pan.
Brown on the other side then slide out, cut up and serve. Grown ups might want some salsa for dunking.
Make it Thrifty
Use up leftovers in quesadillas. Leftover cooked chicken might be nice. You can use pretty much anything you want. I keep meaning to put some cooked sweetcorn in sometime. The only thing you must include is cheese as it holds it all together.
If you have any tortillas left over, either freeze them or spray with oil, bake for about 6 or 7 minutes at 200oC, 400F, Gas Mark 6 or until browned and crisp. Serve with dips.
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Spinach and Carrot Cannelloni
Cannelloni is a surprisingly easy dish to cook for one. I had made some tomato and pesto soup the other day and the leftovers were in the fridge. It occurred to me that it would also make a really good pasta sauce.
But I had no cream cheese, no goats cheese, no mince, nothing traditional for a cannelloni filling in the house. So why not vegetables. Why not? You know what, it didn't just work, it was delicious!
A great idea for fussy kids not keen on vegetables (or even adults!)
Spinach and Carrot Cannelloni - Serves 1 adult or 2 children
Ingredients
1/2 a carrot, peeled and grated
20g, 2/3oz Fresh spinach, finely shredded
2 tbsp Single cream (light cream) but any cream could be used
30g, 1oz Extra mature (extra sharp) cheddar
200-250g 7-9oz of homemade tomato and pesto soup
4 tubes cannelloni. Mine were quite small, weighing 45g, 1.5oz. Make sure you choose the dried kind which can be cooked without precooking
Method
Mix the grated carrot, spinach, cream and grate in a third of the cheese.
Preheat the oven to 200oC / 400F. With your fingers (the messy bit), shove the filling inside the tubes.
Pour a spoonful of the soup into the base of the baking dish, put the cannelloni on top, finish with more soup and then the rest of the cheese grated on top.
Check pack instructions but it should take about 30-40 minutes to cook until bubbling, browned and the cannelloni are cooked through.
Make it Thrifty
A completely different dish from leftovers. What could be thriftier than that?
A great idea for fussy kids not keen on vegetables (or even adults!)
Spinach and Carrot Cannelloni - Serves 1 adult or 2 children
Ingredients
1/2 a carrot, peeled and grated
20g, 2/3oz Fresh spinach, finely shredded
2 tbsp Single cream (light cream) but any cream could be used
30g, 1oz Extra mature (extra sharp) cheddar
200-250g 7-9oz of homemade tomato and pesto soup
4 tubes cannelloni. Mine were quite small, weighing 45g, 1.5oz. Make sure you choose the dried kind which can be cooked without precooking
Method
Mix the grated carrot, spinach, cream and grate in a third of the cheese.
Preheat the oven to 200oC / 400F. With your fingers (the messy bit), shove the filling inside the tubes.
Pour a spoonful of the soup into the base of the baking dish, put the cannelloni on top, finish with more soup and then the rest of the cheese grated on top.
Check pack instructions but it should take about 30-40 minutes to cook until bubbling, browned and the cannelloni are cooked through.
Make it Thrifty
A completely different dish from leftovers. What could be thriftier than that?
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Honey Ginger Glazed Tuna
Glazed tuna, a pretty tasty invention, I have a feeling this would work with any kind of robust oily fish. The idea is you add the flavour after the cooking so you don't get issues with the sweet sauce burning in the pan. I enjoyed this and have made it twice already, what's more, fresh or frozen tuna is a great source of Omega 3 (tinned isn't). It's also great to make something like tuna the star of the show when so often it's just bunged in a sandwich as a cheap protein source, although I have to admit my favourite way to have tuna is sushi but with the sweet gingery notes, this still hits the mark.
This isn't mad spicy so should be fine for kids but no babies please as it contains honey.
Honey and Ginger Glazed Tuna - Serves 2 adults
Ingredients
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sweet Chilli Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
2 Tuna Steaks
Spray oil
Stir fried vegetables and noodles or salad and rice to serve
Method
Mix the ginger, honey, soy, chilli sauce and oil together in a bowl and put to one side.
Cook the rice or noodles. Fry the tuna steaks for a couple of minutes on each side or until done on the outside and still pink in the middle (fully cook for young kids). Put onto a warm plate and spoon on some of the glaze.
In the meantime, finish cooking the rice or noodles and stir fried vegetables or this would be great with a shredded salad.
Serve drizzling more of the glaze onto the fish and vegetables if liked.
Make it Thrifty
Look out for frozen tuna steaks in the freezer section and defrost before using, they're much cheaper than fresh.
This isn't mad spicy so should be fine for kids but no babies please as it contains honey.
Honey and Ginger Glazed Tuna - Serves 2 adults
Ingredients
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sweet Chilli Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
2 Tuna Steaks
Spray oil
Stir fried vegetables and noodles or salad and rice to serve
Method
Mix the ginger, honey, soy, chilli sauce and oil together in a bowl and put to one side.
Cook the rice or noodles. Fry the tuna steaks for a couple of minutes on each side or until done on the outside and still pink in the middle (fully cook for young kids). Put onto a warm plate and spoon on some of the glaze.
In the meantime, finish cooking the rice or noodles and stir fried vegetables or this would be great with a shredded salad.
Serve drizzling more of the glaze onto the fish and vegetables if liked.
Make it Thrifty
Look out for frozen tuna steaks in the freezer section and defrost before using, they're much cheaper than fresh.
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Gluten Free Pancakes
Chickpea pancakes might sound like an odd proposition for breakfast but bear with me. Chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour or 'Besan' has a distinctive, savoury taste but there is something delicious about that served with syrup, just like that salty sweet combo of bacon and syrup is something fantastic, so was this.
The amazing thing about chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour is it has over double the amount of protein compared with wheat flour which makes them amazingly filling so a great start for the day, and, handily for coeliacs (or people choosing to avoid gluten), it's naturally gluten and wheat free.
The verdict was "nice but not quite as good as the normal ones" from the household, I disagreed. I really liked them and I felt seriously full until lunch.
Gluten Free Pancakes - Makes enough for 3-4
Ingredients
Batter
225g, 8oz Chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour (besan)
2 tsp Gluten free baking powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 Apples, grated (including skin but excluding the core)
300ml, a generous half pint Milk
2 Eggs
Butter or spray oil
Butter, honey (over 1s only), golden syrup or maple syrup to serve.
Method
Blend all of the batter ingredients together including the grated apples. I normally take them and crate them back to the core.
Heat a non stick frying pan and either rub butter over it or spray with spray oil (see my original pancake post for more instructions).
Pour or spoon on a little batter. Keep on a medium heat and turn when the bubbles start to burst. It might take a little trial and error to get the perfect heat.
Once ready, put on a plate and top with your choice of toppings.
Make it Thrifty
Look out for big bags of Besan or Chickpea flour in the Indian / South Asian section of your supermarket. They're also great for making pakoras!
The amazing thing about chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour is it has over double the amount of protein compared with wheat flour which makes them amazingly filling so a great start for the day, and, handily for coeliacs (or people choosing to avoid gluten), it's naturally gluten and wheat free.
The verdict was "nice but not quite as good as the normal ones" from the household, I disagreed. I really liked them and I felt seriously full until lunch.
Gluten Free Pancakes - Makes enough for 3-4
Ingredients
Batter
225g, 8oz Chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour (besan)
2 tsp Gluten free baking powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 Apples, grated (including skin but excluding the core)
300ml, a generous half pint Milk
2 Eggs
Butter or spray oil
Butter, honey (over 1s only), golden syrup or maple syrup to serve.
Method
Blend all of the batter ingredients together including the grated apples. I normally take them and crate them back to the core.
Heat a non stick frying pan and either rub butter over it or spray with spray oil (see my original pancake post for more instructions).
Pour or spoon on a little batter. Keep on a medium heat and turn when the bubbles start to burst. It might take a little trial and error to get the perfect heat.
Once ready, put on a plate and top with your choice of toppings.
Make it Thrifty
Look out for big bags of Besan or Chickpea flour in the Indian / South Asian section of your supermarket. They're also great for making pakoras!
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Pasta Salad for the Whole Family
Pasta salad is one of those things you can use any old stuff in. Leftover cooked chicken? Marvellous. Tuna? Equally at home. Well I'd picked up an avocado which was actually ripe (unheard of so of course it was down to 20p and 'reduced for quick sale'!) I would have loved some guacamole and maybe I'll use the other half for that but I had nothing to serve it with so a pasta salad it was. It's a great way to squeeze in fruit and vegetables which your child might not ordinarily try.
Pasta Salad - Serves 2-3
I should have made this during my week of eating 7 fruits and vegetables a day! A surprising hit with my youngster who's normally a bit of a salad dodger. Substitute the dressing for mayonnaise or a mayo / yogurt mix if you prefer.
Ingredients
90g, 3oz Wholewheat pasta (use regular if you prefer)
90g, 3oz Frozen sweetcorn
100g, 3.5oz Smoked bacon, chopped
90g, 3oz Cucumber, chopped
A handful of cherry tomatoes or baby plum tomatoes
1/2 Ripe avocado
Dressing
1 tbsp Yogurt (I used low fat)
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
2 tsp Olive oil
(Or alternatively use 2 tbsp mayonnaise mixed with 2 tbsp low fat yogurt)
Method
Cook the pasta following pack instructions, add the sweetcorn into the boiling water for the last 2 minutes.
Once cooked drain and refresh (rinse) under cold running water until cold.
Cook the bacon in a non stick pan without adding any fat until cooked and slightly browned. Allow to cool.
Mix the pasta, sweetcorn and bacon together and add chopped cucumber and tomatoes.
Mix the yogurt and lemon juice then gradually whisk in the oil. Peel and cube the avocado then toss in the dressing so it doesn't go brown. Mix the avocado and dressing in with the pasta salad and serve. Add seasoning if liked for adults.
Baked Onion Rings
Onion rings, love them but don't love the oiliness. I'm not some health freak but I can feel my arteries hardening as I eat! These are cunningly baked so much less fatty!
Baked Onion Rings
Ingredients
1 Small onion cut into 2mm rings
2 tbsp Mayo
1 tbsp Milk
20g, Just over 1/2oz Rice Krispies
15g, 1/2 oz Plain (all purpose) flour
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
Spray Oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 200oC, 400F, Gas Mark 6. Line a tray with non stick baking paper.
Crush the rice krispies and put in a bowl with the flour and garlic powder.
Mix the mayo and milk together. Dip the rings in the mayo mix then into the dry mix. Put on the tray.
Once you've done them all, wash off all the gunk from your hands then spray with spray oil.
Bake for approx 10-15 minutes (12 in my oven, keep an eye on them so they don't burn).
Make it Thrifty
Use the oven for other things to maximise the use of the power while you're cooking these. Also keep your eyes peeled (excuse the pun) for value or smart price packs of onions. Often they're much cheaper because they're slightly smaller onions than the premium packs but still make delicious onion rings.
Baked Onion Rings
Ingredients
1 Small onion cut into 2mm rings
2 tbsp Mayo
1 tbsp Milk
20g, Just over 1/2oz Rice Krispies
15g, 1/2 oz Plain (all purpose) flour
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
Spray Oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 200oC, 400F, Gas Mark 6. Line a tray with non stick baking paper.
Crush the rice krispies and put in a bowl with the flour and garlic powder.
Mix the mayo and milk together. Dip the rings in the mayo mix then into the dry mix. Put on the tray.
Once you've done them all, wash off all the gunk from your hands then spray with spray oil.
Bake for approx 10-15 minutes (12 in my oven, keep an eye on them so they don't burn).
Make it Thrifty
Use the oven for other things to maximise the use of the power while you're cooking these. Also keep your eyes peeled (excuse the pun) for value or smart price packs of onions. Often they're much cheaper because they're slightly smaller onions than the premium packs but still make delicious onion rings.
Weetabix Cake
Weetabix cake? Am I serious? Well I'd been trying different ways of using cereals quite a bit recently what with rice krispies with mackerel but I'd never found a way of using them in cakes like I had with bran loaf. Shreddies seemed promising but were a bit of a failure when I gave them a go. Who knew Weetabix would work?
This tastes similar to my bran loaf, loads of fibre, sweet whilst being low in added sugar, dairy free fat free and lovely with a pot of tea!
Weetabix Cake
Ingredients
2 Weetabix (or own brand equivalent)
350ml, 12 fl oz Decaffeinated tea (just make with one decaf teabag)
110g, 4oz Muscovado or soft brown sugar
280g, 10oz Sultanas (golden raisins)
1 egg
225g, 8oz Self Raising Flour (or all purpose / plain flour plus 2 tsp baking powder)
1 tsp mixed spice
Method
Crush up the weetabix, mix with the sugar and dried fruit. Soak in the tea for about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 160oC. Mix in the spice, flour and egg and pour into a greased silicone loaf tin or a greased and lined conventional loaf tin.
Bake for about 1hour 10 mins (in my oven anyway) or until a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Eat warm or cool. Keeps reasonably well despite being fat free.
Make it Thrifty
Keep an eye out for value or smart price packs of self raising flour, breakfast cereal and dried fruits. They work just as well in this as the more expensive packs.
This tastes similar to my bran loaf, loads of fibre, sweet whilst being low in added sugar, dairy free fat free and lovely with a pot of tea!
Weetabix Cake
Ingredients
2 Weetabix (or own brand equivalent)
350ml, 12 fl oz Decaffeinated tea (just make with one decaf teabag)
110g, 4oz Muscovado or soft brown sugar
280g, 10oz Sultanas (golden raisins)
1 egg
225g, 8oz Self Raising Flour (or all purpose / plain flour plus 2 tsp baking powder)
1 tsp mixed spice
Method
Crush up the weetabix, mix with the sugar and dried fruit. Soak in the tea for about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 160oC. Mix in the spice, flour and egg and pour into a greased silicone loaf tin or a greased and lined conventional loaf tin.
Bake for about 1hour 10 mins (in my oven anyway) or until a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Eat warm or cool. Keeps reasonably well despite being fat free.
Make it Thrifty
Keep an eye out for value or smart price packs of self raising flour, breakfast cereal and dried fruits. They work just as well in this as the more expensive packs.
Pesto Crusted Fish
Bored of fish pie? Want something interesting with fish and kid friendly? This is a way to introduce a different flavour to white fish and great if your kids are less keen on fish without some kind of disguise. Very quick and thrifty to prepare too.
Pesto Crumbed Fish
Ingredients
2 White Fish fillets, e.g. Pollock, cod, coley. I use fairly thin fillets around 100-150g each
1 tbsp Mayonnaise
2 tsp Pesto
30g, 1oz Breadcrumbs
15g, 1/2oz Grated extra mature (extra sharp) cheddar
Spray oil or olive oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 200oC / 400F / Gas Mark 6.
Mix the mayo with the pesto. Put the fish on a baking dish or tray lined with non stick baking paper. Spread the mayo mix on the fish.
Mix the breadcrumbs and cheese together and sprinkle on the top. Spray with oil or drizzle with oil.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until browned and cooked through. The thicker the fish, the longer it will take. Mine was only about a cm thick so cooked reasonably quickly.
Make it Thrifty
Using pollock makes this a source of omega 3 (which is pretty much absent in most other white fish), it's also more sustainable than cod and cheaper! Look out for it in the chiller or the frozen aisle where it's often marketed as 'white fish' (but pollock might be in small writing somewhere on the back); defrost before cooking.
Pesto Crumbed Fish
Ingredients
2 White Fish fillets, e.g. Pollock, cod, coley. I use fairly thin fillets around 100-150g each
1 tbsp Mayonnaise
2 tsp Pesto
30g, 1oz Breadcrumbs
15g, 1/2oz Grated extra mature (extra sharp) cheddar
Spray oil or olive oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 200oC / 400F / Gas Mark 6.
Mix the mayo with the pesto. Put the fish on a baking dish or tray lined with non stick baking paper. Spread the mayo mix on the fish.
Mix the breadcrumbs and cheese together and sprinkle on the top. Spray with oil or drizzle with oil.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until browned and cooked through. The thicker the fish, the longer it will take. Mine was only about a cm thick so cooked reasonably quickly.
Make it Thrifty
Using pollock makes this a source of omega 3 (which is pretty much absent in most other white fish), it's also more sustainable than cod and cheaper! Look out for it in the chiller or the frozen aisle where it's often marketed as 'white fish' (but pollock might be in small writing somewhere on the back); defrost before cooking.
Chocolate Custard (low sugar)
Custard. I never make it from scratch but I do make it from custard powder. It occurred to me when making some custard from custard powder the other day that custard powder is simply cornflour (cornstarch) natural flavouring (vanilla) and colour (normally a natural colour like annatto). I don't have much annatto floating around the house and there feels like something wrong about making white custard even though that's the colour it would be if not made with eggs, so my idea was to make chocolate custard.
This would be great hot with chocolate cake, poured over banana (if you want to keep on my 7 a day routine), on it's own or allowed to cool in small pots and eaten cold like blancmange. It's pretty low sugar too with only 1 tsp added sugar per portion. There's more sugar in a fromage frais!
Chocolate custard - Makes 2 small bowls
Ingredients
280ml, Half Pint milk
1 rounded tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
1 tsp Cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 tsp Sugar
Method
Mix the cornflour with the cocoa powder and sugar with 1 tbsp of the cold milk then add the vanilla. Heat the remaining milk in a microwave for 2 minutes or until hot. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the cornflour mix then return to the microwave for 2-3 minutes on full power or until cooked and thick. Keep an eye on it as it can boil up and boil over.
After all, who can resist delicious chocolate custard?
This would be great hot with chocolate cake, poured over banana (if you want to keep on my 7 a day routine), on it's own or allowed to cool in small pots and eaten cold like blancmange. It's pretty low sugar too with only 1 tsp added sugar per portion. There's more sugar in a fromage frais!
Chocolate custard - Makes 2 small bowls
Ingredients
280ml, Half Pint milk
1 rounded tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
1 tsp Cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 tsp Sugar
Method
Mix the cornflour with the cocoa powder and sugar with 1 tbsp of the cold milk then add the vanilla. Heat the remaining milk in a microwave for 2 minutes or until hot. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the cornflour mix then return to the microwave for 2-3 minutes on full power or until cooked and thick. Keep an eye on it as it can boil up and boil over.
I would be honoured if you would consider nominating me in the Britmums BIB awards, especially the food category.
After all, who can resist delicious chocolate custard?
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