Scallops

To write up later...

Bolognaise

Bolognaise of my childhood.  To write up...

Chorizo soup

I am moving so will write these up soon.

Prawn curry

I am moving house so will catalogue some of the best healthy recipes for me to work on later.

See also the pea, onion and tomato curry (with turmuric, cumin, coriander).

Thanks to 'A moveable feast', my memory of cooking this with Pimlico Mums and Dads in London on a hazy 2009 day.

Chicken and pearl barley stew.

This is a very warming stew that can be adapted to suit your taste.  Chicken and sweetcorn is a classic combination; very tasty indeed!

Serves 4 adults

Four chicken thighs with most chicken cut off the bone and cubed (keep the bones)

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 courgette, grated

150g pearl barley

300ml cold water

1 carrot, grated

a small tin of sweetcorn

150g grated parmesan

1 chicken stock cube

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1. Quickly fry the garlic and chicken cubes until brown.

2.  Add the chicken bones, stock cube, water and pearl barley.

3.  Cook as per pearl barley packet instructions, until the water is mainly absorbed.

4.  Add the vegetables a few minutes before the end of the pearl barley cooking time.

5.  Serve with parmesan and a parsley garnish.

Homemade burgers

Burgers are a great opportunity to hide some vegetables and also mess about with the flavours you like.  I am writing this out, not because I think that burgers require a recipe, but because I want to repeat making them again and again.

500g lean minced beef

4 tbsp porridge oats

1/2 small courgette

1 garlic clove, minced

seasoning

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1.  Mix together the ingredients and shape into patties (or use a burger press).

2.  Cook in, on or next to an oven (on a BBQ!) for however long you like according to taste.

Tuna Avocado Dip

This recipe is inspired by Natalie Savona in her Wonderfoods book.  Since the ingredients are so mushy, it is great fun for children to make.  We all enjoy eating this dip.

1 ripe avocado

1 tin drained tunafish

squeeze of half a lemon

1 sweet pepper

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Blend all ingredients together and serve in pretty bowls.  Dip with carrot and cucumber batons, breadsticks, baked pitta breads (old pitta sliced into strips and dried off with olive oil in the oven).

Kara's Pasta Bake

My dear friend Kara, now living and writing in New York (see link to her blog below - real proper writing and blogging!), baked this for my little family and I have adapted and loved it ever since.  We have ended up calling it 'sharks in water' because of the tortilla chip fins poking out of the melted cheese.  This seems to be an excellent way of including a little spice and pulses in the diet.

1 onion

pinch of cayenne, chilli powder and cumin

stock cube (either chicken or vegetable)

a jar of passata (or 2 400g tins of tomato)

250-500ml water

a handful macaroni pasta

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1 tin black eyed beans

1 tin sweetcorn (in water)

handful of peas (if desired)

1/2 grated courgette (if in season)

100g (3oz) mature cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 packet tortilla chips (preferably unsalted)

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1.  Sweat the onion with the spices.

2.  Crumble the stock cube and add the tomato and water.  Bring to a simmer.

3.  Add the macaroni and cook until soft.  Leave to cool.

4.  Add the beans, peas, sweetcorn and other vegetables.

5.  Tip into a baking dish and sprinkle over the cheese.

6.  Have some fun sticking in the tortilla chips.

7.  Bake in a medium oven (180 degrees c) for 30 minutes or until bubbling and lightly golden.

Click to link to Kara's wonderful blog, 'triple decaf - the memory channel'

Meatballs for Monty

I got a pack of pork mince out of the freezer the other day.  It sat there, looking at me in the most unappealing way.  What can a create out of this almost non-food, I thought.  Then, it struck me!  The pasta caprese salad has been a hit with all the family and we have rediscovered the joys of sundried tomatoes.  Why not mix some into a meatball mixture.  The result was indeed met with approval and I liked the sweetness of the dish.  We served it with the thinnest of noodles and some steamed vegetables.  For those who like 'wet food' you could sprinkle over soy sauce or a thai chilli sauce.

p.s.  Meatballs for Monty because our omnivorous dog (called Monty) managed to sneak into the kitchen....

Makes enough for 4 people

5 sundried tomatoes, chopped very finely 

1 thick slice of bread, crustless

250g (9oz) pork mince

1 apple, grated (no need to take skin off)

a sage leaf, chopped finely

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1.  Whizz up the tomatoes in a mixer.

2.  Add the bread and whizz.

3.  Add the apple and sage leaf.  Whizz.

4.  Add the pork mince.  Whizz.

5.  Roll into balls (no more whizzing!) and store in fridge.

6.  Bake (less fatty this way and just as tasty) at 180 degrees C on a rack on a foiled baking tray for 20-30 minutes or until brown and cooked through.

Toad (and frogspawn) in the hole

I sometimes find standard toad in the hole too heavy, but maybe that's my cooking.  In this recipe, I have added a small amount of lentil mix.  This serves two purposes.  First, it hides some excellent sources of nutrition.  Secondly, it just tastes really nice because the lentils have a meaty flavour.

Serves 4

Batter

2 eggs

125g (4oz) wholemeal flour

300ml whole milk

1 tsp salt

Innards

4 sausages cut into pieces 

a tin of lentils

onion

1/2 grated carrot and courgette

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1.  Mix the batter ingredients together in a food processor and leave to stand.  You can prepare in advance and store in the fridge for a day.

2.  Fry off the onion for a few minutes, then add the carrot and courgette.  Add the lentils and cook for 10 minutes.  Add a little water if necessary.

3.  In a hot 230 degrees C oven, heat up your dish with a layer of sunflower oil in the bottom, for about 10-15 minutes.

3.  Take out your dish, and add the chopped sausages.  Spread a thin layer of lentil mix over the top.  Finally, fill up with the batter mix.

4.  Cook for about 30 minutes at 200 degrees C, or until fluffed up and browned.  It won't rise as much as if you had used plain flour.  

Pick 'n mix chicken traybake

Thanks to a friend who suggested this dish, the kids were delighted with the result, and could pick which bits they liked.  It has a yummy Mediterranean taste and it is incredibly easy to prepare in advance.

Serves 4

3 chicken breasts (cut in half), 8 thighs or 4 legs

2 parboiled potatoes per person (ie 8), cut in 1/4s

vine tomatoes or other tomatoes (cut into 4)

1 roughly chopped onion

2 mashed cloves of garlic or 2/3 chopped bulbs of wet garlic

a small, drained pot of olives

1/2 chopped chorizo sausage

1/4 pint chicken stock or white wine

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1.  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

2. Do all the chopping and chuck into a roasting tin.  Add the small amount of liquid.

3.  Either cover and store in the fridge, or place straight into the oven.

4.  Roast for 30-50 minutes until browned and the chicken juices running clear.

5.  Enjoy!  Or, in my eldest daughter's view, choose the bits that you like (for her, she leaves the onion!!).

My daughter wonders which bit of the dish to eat!

 

Hummus dip

Are you a hummus eater?  It's a bit like marmite in terms of love and hate of this beige food.  Give it a try and jazz it up with a smattering of smoked paprika.  

200g (7oz) drained, canned chickpeas

3 tbsps lemon juice

1 garlic clove

1 tsp ground cumin

90ml tahini (a pot will last for 3 rounds of this recipe)

4 tbsp water

2 tbsp olive oil

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1.  Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor.

2.  Adjust lemon levels to your taste.

3.  Sprinkle with paprika.

Pesto sauce & dip

I include this recipe because I think it is absolutely delicious on pasta, breads, or as a base for a dip.  It also keeps for up to a month. This quantity makes about the equivalent of 3 jars, but there are no nasty preservatives here. 

150g (5oz) parmesan or pecorino (often cheaper so I go for this!) cheese

100g (3.5oz) pine nuts

2 cloves of garlic

2 bunches of basil

300ml best olive oil

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1.  Use a food processor to blitz the cheese.

2.  Add the pine nuts, garlic and process.

3.  Add the cleaned basil and pour in the oil.

4.  Ready to eat!

Chicken wrapped in bacon

This is a classic way of cooking chicken, but with the little twist of smoked paprika and herbs.

Chicken breasts, thighs or legs

Two slices of bacon (any kind) per piece of chicken

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 sprigs of thyme or 1 tsp mixed dried herbs

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1.  Mix up the smoked paprika and herbs and sprinkle on chicken.

2.  Wrap the bacon around the chicken.

3.  Cook in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 30 minutes or until brown and juices running clear.

Traffic Light Rice salad

Warmer weather makes it so much easier to prepare cold salads.  I have always struggled with preparing interesting rice dishes, but made up this very simple salad the other day.  Somehow the crunch and sourness of the pepper is balanced by the sweet peas and creamy cheese in a very pleasing way.  It was a perfect accompaniment to lamb chops.

Makes 4 small plates of salad

200g (7oz) wholegrain rice

1/2 red pepper, chopped into small pieces

a cup of frozen peas

a handful of grated cheddar cheese

seasoning

Honey dressing  - 4 parts (e.g. tbsps) olive oil to one part of each: honey, soy sauce, english mustard & white wine vinegar.  My favourite dressing!

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1.  Cook the rice (for upwards of 30 minutes to 50 minutes - more cooking makes it squishier)

2.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.

3.  Easy!  Store in fridge.

Dhal

It is sunny at the moment in the UK and dahl is a great meal which has the light taste of spiced food, in addition to the wonderful nutrional benefits of lentils.


Olive oil

2 onions and 1 clove of garlic

equal measures (eg 1 tsp) coriander, cumin and turmeric to taste

1 mugful of split orange lentils

3 mugfuls water

can chopped tomatoes

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1.  Fry onions and garlic and spices

2.  Add lentils, water and tomatoes

3.  Simmer for 30-40 minutes

Lovely with brown rice and salad (and some fish - I use tinned mackerel!)

Orla's potato skins and more

This post is by way of a reminder to remind my daughter to cook this meal again. 

Apart from finding a few things and opening the oven door, my 7 year old made all of this.  I just let her loose in the kitchen.  This recipe used ham and cheese.  I don't need to explain how to make it.  Broad beans from frozen were an excellent side.  

We then made the remaining potato/cheese/ham mix into patties and fried it in oil for a snack the next day.  Very good too.

A Suffolk version of Pad Thai

This Pad Thai recipe is by no means exact.  I think it changes every time I attempt it; perhaps I am not purist enough about the combination of flavours, because as ever, I use what I find in the larder or fridge.  Nonetheless I will be sticking to vermicelli rice noodles.  They have been renamed 'Princess Hair' in our girl dominated household.  Thanks to Natalie Savona and her Wonderfoods for Kids recipe book for inspiration.



a couple of stacks of vermicelli rice noodles (or other rice noodles)
a packet of cooked prawns (best quality possible)
equivalent of a chicken breast, diced (I used left over off cuts from chicken thighs)
2 spring onions or one leek or a couple of onions
1 garlic clove
a packet of beansprouts
1 egg
juice of one lime
2 tbsp thai fish sauce
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

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1.  Cook the rice noodles as per instructions.  Drain and cool.

2.  Fry the chicken for 5 minutes or until cooked.

3.  Add the garlic, onions and prawns.

4.  Add the beaten egg, stirring vigorously!

5.  Add 1/2 packet beansprouts, lime juice and sauces (if kids don't like the sauces add afterwards).

6.  Add the noodles and make sure that everything is cooked through.

7.  Serve with some chopped coriander if desired.

Sweet potato and butter bean hotpot

With the cooler weather in the UK, the need for one pot stews and hotpots increases.  This is a delicious and lightly spiced recipe.


3 celery stalks
2 sweet potatoes
2 tsp smoked paprika
3 garlic cloves
thyme
large tin chopped tomatoes (400g)
about 250ml beef stock
large can butter beans (400g)
bread and cheese

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1.  Fry chopped celery and sweet potato with lid on (for 7 minutes).

2.  Add paprika, finely chopped garlic and a few sprigs of thyme.  Fry for a few minutes.

3.  Add tomatoes and stock.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes with lid on.  If necessary, reduce by simmering with lid off.

4.  Remove lid and cook butter beans through for 5 minutes.

5.  Meanwhile, toast however many squares of bread/baguette/ciabatta you want on one side.  Finely grate cheese and grill this on non-toasted side (seasoned).  Serve with aoili if you fancy.

Pizza, pizza!

Click on the link below to cook this with children!

I am cataloging this recipe because it is one of the best I have made in a long time.  This recipe made three large pizzas.  I know the wholemeal flour is not very authentic, but it adds some nutrition and actually makes the pizza crispy and easier to roll.

Make extra and create more meals: tomato sauce with pasta & bread dough for bread rolls.

Add the following to a breadmaker in this order:

1 tsp dried yeast
150g (5oz) strong white flour
150g (5oz) strong wholemeal flour
1 tsp sugar
15ml (3 tbsps) olive oil
1 tbsp skimmed milk powder
1 tsp table salt
170ml water (slightly warm)

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1. Leave the dough in the maker once the cycle has finished.

2. When you are ready, knead the dough, split into three and roll out.

3. Oil three baking trays and place rolled out dough onto trays.

4. Stretch cling film over each tray and place in airing cupboard an hour or more (to rise).

5. Whenever convenient, bake the dough for 4/5 minutes.

In terms of tomato sauce I suggest an onion/garlic base to tinned chopped tomatoes, beef stock cube and some water, grated carrot, seasoning AND roasted squash (if any left over from pumpkin cake or other cooking).  The squash made the sauce really stick together and gave it some flavour.  I have added grated courgette in the past but this has left a yukky, slightly acidic taste to the sauce.  The carrot, however, provides some hidden nutrition.  

Free download! Do you want to cook this recipe with your children? Click here to download a recipe sheet especially designed for children to read and have fun with cooking.