Easy Food Kids Cookbook by Zahra Media Group

’s K^idcookbook

120 Children’s Recipes Including • Everyday Meal Ideas • Lunch Box Essentials • After School Snacks • Special Occasions • Party Planner PLUS loads of insider hints & tips!

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Gina

Contents 4

Everyday

The meals that your family will want to eat, using the ingredients you know and love

Hunger Busters be a chore. But if Cooking for your family, day in, day out can r child’s relationship you think of it as an opportunity to build youEmerging from with food, it takes on a whole new meaning. probably the biggest childhood with a positive attitude to food is y’ll have to feed gift you’ll ever give them, considering that thes! themselves every day for the rest of their liveclever ideas and tasty So... we’ve packed this cookbook with lots of ere are ideas for quick recipes to tantalise fledgling taste buds. Thare guaranteed to keep everyday cooking, plus hunger busters that because everyone needs kids interested in their packed lunches. Andparty theme ideas and cake (sometimes!), we’ve included brilliant recipes for special occasions. you in the kitchen for So, pop on your pinnies, pull up a chair besidecooking. We’d love your the shorter members of the family, and get please send them onto feedback and pictures of your creations, so cook@easyfood.ie. Enjoy!

Gina

Solving the problem of keeping kids interested in packed lunches... and how to bridge the gap between school and dinner

It’s Party Time

Special Occasions

Essential Information

120

Your step-by-step guides to the parties of the year

No matter what the occasion, we’ve got you covered

The key ingredients to making your kitchen work for your family, including information about children’s nutritional requirements, shopping for a healthy diet and essential freezer tips

to help ngs that kids can do There are always thi develop to p hel involved can in the kitchen. Being e them rag ou enc so d foo of a lifelong appreciation we’ve w you what we mean to get involved. To sho t kids can tha s ipe rec in ps all the ste added this symbol to r, so that pte cha rst done this for the fi help with. We’ve only your kids in h wit at wh do o’ll iding wh you can have fun dec rs. the next three chapte

Gina Mullins, publisher, Easy Food

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Everyday

Everybody has to eat, right? Well, when it comes to feeding the family, we’re the first to admit that it’s difficult to stay motivated... and interested in preparing the family meal. So, with a tiny bit of forward planning, and a host of great tips, we think we’ve found the key to stress-free evening meals.

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The pitfalls of the modern family meal are well chronicled: we work too hard, the family exists on different schedules, we have crazy dietary requirements (“I’m not eating green food at the moment”), and our greatest fears are so often realised with the comment “I’m not eating that – it looks disgusting”. Despite the obvious challenges, we are here to tell you that feeding your family does not have to be a thankless, joyless exercise. We promise that there is a way to avoid slaving over a hot stove, and that by the end of this chapter, you’ll be armed with all sorts of handy tips and tricks to get you through the week.

Forward Thinking

● Plan ahead. Try to plan your meals for the week being careful to balance the family’s nutritional requirements over the week, e.g. don’t have meat every night. Try to include fish twice a week, a vegetarian meal twice a week and meat three times a week. Not only is this healthier but it’s cheaper too. ● Think ahead. If you’re cooking a stew for tonight, make double the rice so that you can make a fried rice tomorrow. ● Excellent standbys are pasta, eggs and sandwiches – not together, of course! But you can mix countless things with each of them, e.g. a tin of tuna and a handful of grated cheese mixed into scrambled eggs is delicious and nutritious. ● Make double and freeze half. That way you always have something ready to go, when you need it.

5 A Day

Kids may not naturally gravitate towards fruit and vegetables, but try to include a handful of their daily allowance throughout the day. A child-sized portion is: 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables like rocket or spinach 1 medium apple, pear or orange 1 melon wedge or pineapple slice 2tbsp dried fruit 175ml pure fruit juice

The Store Cupboard

No time for cooking, full stop? Not to worry – this is where your store cupboard comes in! Try tomato and bacon rice (page 9) or use the kid’s favourite instant noodles to whip up a nutritious chow mein (page 10). Still not convinced? Take some pasta, a tin of tuna and that cheese that is languishing in your fridge and create a yummy pasta bake that is ready in under half an hour.

What if they won’t eat it?

Getting kids to eat can be tricky. When all else fails, try bringing a picture book to the table and get the kids to guess what various things are, while feeding them. They’re focused on the book rather than eating and they learn something at the same time – a result in our books! Be sure not to give kids too big a portion. They often find big plates of food intimidating, and can always come back for more. As a general rule of thumb, remember that your stomach is roughly the size of your fist. Now look at your child’s hands… are you maybe forcing them to eat too much?

• By adding grated vegetables to dishes like spaghetti bolognese and shepherd’s pie, you increase the nutrient content without your children being any the wiser. • A good way to make sure that kids are getting enough fruit is to offer a piece after each meal. Make it a habit.

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Everyday

1 If you find your child isn’t eating very well, try offering a selection plate for a while by getting plates that have four or five different little sections. Put something different into each section (slices of ham, tiny blocks of cheese, some grapes, fingers of toast or pasta) and before you know it, you have a completely balanced meal – just presented like a mini buffet on a plate. Giving things interesting names is often the only thing needed to entice a fussy eater, e.g. pot of gold soup (page 23). Or weave a story around the meal and their favourite super hero (‘Sporticus eats this just before he…’)

Help kids get the cayolcighumurt they need by makinpag ge 30 smoothies - see

A World of Flavour

A fun way to introduce new tastes like mild curries or Chinese food is to talk about the culture and create some excitement around the meal. One family we know make a night of it – they take turns to choose a country, then get a family dvd that is set in that country and make a traditional dish to eat while watching it. Mulan, the most brilliant yet underrated Disney movie set in India, would make a perfect match for a mild veggie korma (page 10).

Useful Tips And Tricks

● A handy way to get kids to eat more dairy and get the calcium they need, is to make yoghurt smoothies with them and then freeze them in ice pop moulds. Because it’s cold they somehow forget that it’s good for them. ● Another good way to ensure that they get enough calcium is to give them a choice of a glass of milk, piece of cheese or small tub of yoghurt with or after each meal. Because they feel like they’ve got a choice, it’s less of a battle. ● A homemade bolognese sauce is the gift that keeps on giving. You can eat it on pasta on the first night, top it with mashed potatoes on the second night and have ‘toastie pies’ on the third night with cheese and chutney. It also freezes very well and is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. ● Cut things into small bite-sized pieces and make ‘mini’ things e.g. mini meatloaves. Kids don’t like to work too hard to eat. Think about how you feel when presented with a bowl of mussels or a whole crab. It’s almost not worth it! ● Activity meals (tortilla wraps/kebabs/homemade pizzas/things you can dip) are brilliant, because they involve the kids and make even the most ordinary ingredients interesting. ● There are lots of ways to encourage kids to eat more fish – add a tin of tuna to your egg mixture when making scrambled eggs, make homemade fish fingers or fish cakes and serve with a dip or whip up a lovely fish pie with lots of creamy mash on top.

Get kids to eat more fish by making star shaped fish cakes - see page 16

d pieces Cut things into biteinsigszelike mini and make ‘mini’ th e page 14 meatloaves - se

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Everyday

1 Tomato and bacon rice

Note

Serves 2-3 1 onion, finely chopped 50g streaky bacon, chopped 25g butter 1tsp olive oil 250g risotto rice 850ml chicken stock 250ml tomato passata 60g frozen peas 2tbsp Parmesan, grated

1 2

e the Replac h a it w n baco na n of tu ti ll a sm h s e fi y for som ss! e goodn

In a saucepan, soften the onion and cook the bacon in the butter and oil. Add the rice and stir for a moment or so. Turn up the heat and add the stock and passata. Bring to the boil. Stir once, then turn down the heat to low and leave with a lid on for 15-20 minutes. Stir through the peas, and leave for a further five minutes. Sprinkle over the Parmesan and serve! t

Fat

20g

Sat. Fat

Protein

12g

Sodium

0.6g

Carb

22g

Sugar

Energy Fibre

309kcal 4.7g

Page 9

= Page 28

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Store Cupboard Dinner Menu... Tomato and bacon rice + Meringue smashies Ready in 20 minutes using store cupboard standbys!

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Pork chow mein Serves 4 1tbsp vegetable oil 500g lean pork mince 1tbsp curry powder 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 large carrot, finely chopped 2 trimmed celery ribs, thinly sliced 150g button mushrooms, thinly sliced 250ml chicken stock 80ml oyster sauce 2tbsp soy sauce 450g pre-cooked egg noodles 60g frozen peas 55g frozen sliced green beans ½ Chinese cabbage, shredded

Fat Protein

25g

Sat. Fat

7.5g

Carb

90g

Energy

41.5g

Sodium

1.4g

Sugar

4.8g

Fibre

728kcal

8.6g

Note

n You ca the te substitu ce in pork m b m with la f. or bee

leftover Use whatehvaevre in the fridge vegetables uylkouup this dish! to b

Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and stir-fry the mince until browned. Add the onion, garlic and curry powder and stir-fry for one minute, or until fragrant. Add the carrot, celery and mushrooms and stir-fry until the vegetables soften. Stir in the stock, sauces and noodles, stir-fry gently until combined and bring to a boil. Add the peas, beans and cabbage, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, tossing occasionally for about five minutes or until the vegetables are just soft.

Top Tip Korma tastes great the next day!

Either make double the rice and reheat for dinner in a flash or fold the leftover korma mixture into naan bread or tortilla wraps and heat. Delicious!

Extra mild veggie korma Serves 3 1tbsp oil 1 small leek, trimmed and sliced thinly 1tbsp mild korma paste 1 carrot, diced ½ aubergine, chopped 1 small green pepper, diced 60g small broccoli or cauliflower florets 60g sliced mushrooms 60g broad beans/green beans 200ml water or stock 2tbsp tomato purée 60g creamed coconut To serve: Couscous or rice

1 2 3 4

Note

n use You ca ou ggies y e v r e v te e a g . wh the frid have in d a total nee You’ll ped g chop 0 5 3 of . s veggie

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the leek and curry powder for two minutes. Add all the other ingredients, except the creamed coconut and stir to mix. Cover, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, for about 20 minutes. Stir the creamed coconut into the korma and heat for a further two minutes. t Serve the korma on a bed of rice or couscous.

Fat Protein

19g

Sat. Fat

12.5g

Carb

35g

5.5g

Sodium

0.4g

Sugar

Energy Fibre

253kcal 7g

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Everyday

Cooking class

for the little ones

stirring hot Be careful when you. Kaeerep your hands things in saucepans boiling liquid and and face away from to give you a hand always ask an adult pots and pans. carrying heavy

Fat

11g

Sat. Fat

2.5g

Carb

Protein

33g

Sodium

0.2g

Sugar

32g 12.3g

Energy Fibre

348kcal 2g

Beef casserole

Fat Protein

2.7g

Sat. Fat

1.3g

Carb

Sodium

0.5g

Sugar

24g 15.2g

Energy

135kcal

Fibre

Spaghetti stuffed peppers Serves 4 1 x 400g tin spaghetti hoops in tomato sauce 4 red peppers 2tbsp grated Cheddar Fresh parsley, to garnish

1 2 3 4

These would be delicious with the mini meatloaves on page 14

Preheat the oven to 180˚C/gas mark 4. Slice the tops off the red peppers with a sharp knife and remove the insides and seeds. Put the peppers into a deep oven-proof dish and use a spoon to fill them with equal quantities of the spaghetti. t Sprinkle Cheddar over the spaghetti and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. t Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Serves 4 2tbsp vegetable oil 2 onions, sliced 1tsp paprika 500g stewing beef, cut into bite-sized pieces 30g plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes 250g potatoes, cut into chunks 250g carrots, cut into chunks 150ml water 125g squash, pumpkin, aubergine or peas To serve: Rice or mashed potatoes

1 2 3 4

Make double the casserole and freeze half to use in a pie. Simply defrost, top with rolled puff pastry and pop in the oven for a meal in minutes!

Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and fry until soft, for about five minutes. Add the paprika and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Toss the meat in the seasoned flour and add to the pan. Stir for a few minutes while the meat browns. Add the tomatoes, potatoes, carrots and water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1½–2 hours. Add the squash, pumpkin, aubergine or peas, during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

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Loopy hoops Serves 2-4 1 x 200g tin tuna ½ red pepper, chopped into small pieces 1 scallion, cut into small pieces 1 x 400g tin wholewheat spaghetti hoops in tomato sauce 1tbsp fresh parsley, chopped Salt and black pepper 100g Cheddar, grated To serve: Crispy crunchy salad

1 Preheat your oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. 2 Open the tin of tuna, drain completely and spoon into a bowl. 3 Chop the red pepper and scallion on a wooden board and add to the t

tuna in the bowl.

4 Open the tin of spaghetti and stir the contents into the tuna mixture. 5 Fat

9.3g

Sat. Fat

5.5g

Carb

16g

Protein

20g

Sodium

0.8g

Sugar

Energy Fibre

223kcal

Add the parsley and salt and pepper and mix all the ingredients together really well. t Spoon the loopy hoop mixture into 2-4 small dishes, depending on how hungry everyone is and sprinkle with Cheddar. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned. Serve with a crispy crunchy salad.

3.5g

. . . a r t x e e k a M rs for pasta and use the leftove Store cupboard pasta bake Serves 3-4 260g fusilli or other pasta shape 100g frozen sweet corn 75g frozen spinach 2 large leeks, washed and chopped 1tbsp olive oil 200g tinned tuna 150g Cheddar Freshly ground black pepper 200g tub créme fraîche or Greek yoghurt 2tbsp grated Parmesan

1 2 3 4

soup with the creamy tomato pa . cheesy toasts on ge 18

Note

s are veggie Frozen tritious as nu w just as ep a fe s, so ke ezer e n o h s e e fr fr in the packets u get your yo lp to he ay! five a d

Pre-heat the oven to 220˚C/gas mark 7. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions and five minutes before it’s done put the frozen vegetables in the pot. Meanwhile, fry the leeks in the olive oil for about ten minutes, until soft. Put the pasta, vegetables and tuna into an oven-proof dish. Add the Cheddar, grind over some pepper and mix in the créme fraîche. t When it’s just ready, sprinkle the Parmesan on top and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes until crispy on top.

Fat

25g

Sat. Fat

13g

Carb

30.3g

Energy

Protein

33g

Sodium

0.5g

Sugar

5.05g

Fibre

465kcal 1.05g

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Everyday

t-ma.d.e .products try tos, s s P g ready avouring

When buyinor with ‘no artificial fl ’. buy organicolorants or preservatives c

Fat

13g

Sat. Fat

4.5g

Carb

11g

Protein

18g

Sodium

0.4g

Sugar

4.8g

Energy Fibre

228kcal 1.13g

Mini meatballs in herby tomato sauce

Fat

12g

Sat. Fat

1.1g

Carb

30g

Energy

Protein

36g

Sodium

0.3g

Sugar

7.4g

Fibre

366kcal 1.15g

Spaghetti stir-fry Serves 4 2tbsp olive oil 2 carrots 1 head of broccoli 2 scallions 3 chicken breasts, cut into strips 400g leftover spaghetti 250ml jar tomato-based pasta sauce or leftover pasta sauce Handful flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 2 3 4 5

Peel and chop the carrots into small strips. Separate the broccoli into small florets t and chop the scallions finely. Cook the chicken in oil in a wok. Add the vegetables. Stir-fry for about 5-8 minutes until the chicken is well browned. Add the spaghetti and pasta sauce to the pan. Stir the mixture until the spaghetti has heated through completely. Sprinkle some fresh parsley over and serve in bowls. t

Serves 4 For the meatballs: 250g minced lamb or beef ½ small onion, finely chopped 2tsp parsley, finely chopped 30g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs 1 egg yolk 1tbsp vegetable oil For the tomato sauce: 250g tomatoes, seeded and chopped 150ml water or vegetable stock ½ small onion, finely chopped 1tbsp tomato purée 1tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped pinch sugar salt and pepper To serve: Spaghetti

Note

lly eze rea alls fre m after Meatb e reeze th nd allowed well. F em a ie fr d th n pop them you’ve ca m u o l. Y ight fro to coo es stra ough, c u a s r sta th into pa er and heat ox. ez lunchb a the fre in w fe y b a or pop be defrosted l ty ’l s y e ta h a T r time fo break snack. d e iz -s bite

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. For the meatballs, place all 2 3 4

the ingredients, except the oil, in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Use your hands to divide and shape the mixture into approximately 25 balls. t For the sauce, put all the ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly, then liquidise. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the meatballs, turning them frequently, until they are lightly browned all over, about 5-10 minutes. Put the meatballs into an oven-proof dish. Pour the sauce over the meatballs, cover with a lid or foil and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes. Serve with spaghetti.

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Break up the mince in your pan before ur adding the rest of yo ingredients!

Mini meatloaves Serves 4-5 2 small carrots, peeled 1 courgette 550g lean beef mince 70g breadcrumbs ½ small onion, grated 50g frozen peas 2½tbsp tomato ketchup 1 egg, lightly whisked

. . . s e h c u o T g n a Finishai tiny sprinkling of seaansdlt Season witpher and serve with mash and pep steamed broccoli.

1 Preheat the oven to 220˚C/gas mark 7. 2 Grate the carrots and courgette. Use your hands to squeeze out as 3 4

If you don’t have frozen peas, try sweet corn instead.

much liquid as possible and place in a large bowl. Add the mince, breadcrumbs, onion, peas, ketchup and egg, and use your hands to mix until well combined. t Divide the mixture between12 medium muffin tins, pressing it firmly into each tin and smoothing the tops. t Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden, crispy and cooked through.

Fat

9.4g

Sat. Fat

3.8g

Carb

14.4g

Protein

26g

Sodium

0.39g

Sugar

4.6g

Energy Fibre

243kcal 1.5g

Note

n e muffi silicon you e s These u t beca a e r g r. e ar nd ove cases over a m e ger th r e ost la can us le in m b a il a n v ea and ca They’r stores t n e the departm ned in be clea r. she dishwa

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Everyday

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Star fish cakes Serves 3-4 1 x 415g tin baked beans 1 x 200g tin tuna in brine, drained 1 scallion, finely chopped 50g chopped green pepper, finely chopped 4tbsp sweet corn A little vegetable oil, for frying Small bowl of flour

1 2 3 4 5 Fat

1.8g

Sat. Fat

0.33g

Carb

20g

Protein

18g

Sodium

0.7g

Sugar

Energy

Open the tuna and drain using a colander over the sink. Wash the colander and drain the beans using a bowl to catch the tomato sauce. Set this bowl aside. Place the tuna, drained beans and scallion together in a bowl. Stir well to combine. t Place the mixture out onto a floured board and pat into a flat round. Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to make shapes. t Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the star fish cakes until golden brown. Make sure you turn over to brown on each side. Mix the green pepper and sweet corn into the tomato sauce from the beans to make a salsa for serving with the fish cakes. t

161kcal

Fibre

Top Tip Any meat works well for kebabs, just

make sure that you choose boneless cuts that do well under ferocious heat. Ask your local butcher for recommendations on the best value cuts on offer.

If you want to be fancy, garnish with some flat leaf parsley.

Chicken kebabs Serves 3-4 2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes 1 yellow pepper, cut into cubes 10 small mushrooms 2tbsp tomato ketchup 2tbsp barbecue sauce

1 2 3 4

String the chicken cubes, peppers and mushrooms along a kebab skewer. t Mix the ketchup and barbecue sauce and brush over the skewers. t Place under the grill or on the barbecue to cook (wrap in tin foil if you are going to barbecue them so that the skewers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t burn). Make sure to turn to each side so that they cook evenly. Serve with sweet corn.

Fat

1.7g

Sat. Fat

0.4g

Carb

Protein

22g

Sodium

0.3g

Sugar

7g 6.6g

Energy Fibre

130kcal 1.7g

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Everyday

PIn iza larzgeabowdol mixugtoghether

200g self raising flour, 100ml milk and 50ml olive oil. Use your hands to bring the mixture together and knead r until smooth. Divide into fou balls and stretch each ball to form a pizza base. Place on a greased tin before cooking.

Fat Protein

9.6g

Sat. Fat

Sodium

0.18g

Carb

38.8g

Sugar

5.3g

Energy Fibre

251kcal 2.6g

Easy-peasy potato salad Serves 4 800g small new potatoes Salt 1tbsp olive oil Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated Freshly ground black pepper 3tbsp salad cream 3tbsp Greek yoghurt 1tbsp parsley, finely chopped 1tbsp chives, finely chopped Fat

27g

Sat. Fat

15.3g

Carb

19g

Protein

23g

Sodium

0.07g

Sugar

3.8g

Energy

405kcal

Fibre

2.4g

Pizza Faces

Serves 4 4 pizza bases (see recipe above) 8tbsp tomato passata 300g cheese e.g. Mozzarella, Cheddar A combination of toppings eg sweet corn, spinach, tomatoes, pineapple.

1 Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4. 2 Spread 2tbsp of the passata over each of the pizza bases. 3 Sprinkle the cheese over the bases. 4 Arrange your choice of toppings on the bases. The toppings can be t

3 4 5

This tastes better the next day!

Scrub the potatoes t under cold running water. Cut out any bruised or dark bits. Cut any bigger potatoes so that they’re all roughly the same size. Fill a saucepan ¾ full with water and bring to the boil. Carefully add the potatoes. Add a pinch of salt. Bring back to the boil and cook for about 20 minutes – this will depend on the size of the potatoes. Test to see if they’re cooked by sticking a knife into the largest potato – it should feel tender. Drain the potatoes through a colander in the sink, then tip them back into the hot saucepan. Remember to use your oven gloves! Add the olive oil and lemon zest. t Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir the potatoes gently so they are all covered in oil. Leave to cool for about 10 minutes. Put the salad cream, Greek yoghurt and herbs into a serving bowl and mix together well. t Add the cooled potatoes and stir gently.

arranged to look like a face, or in any design you like!

5 Place on a greased baking sheet and into the oven for 10-15 6

minutes until the base is cooked through. Serve with salad.

.. t. ss P If you don’t have any salad cream

use some mayonnaise and a squeeze of lemon juice instead. 17

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Tuna melt Serves 4 8 slices crusty brown bread 1 x 185g tin tuna in oil, drained 50g sweet corn (tinned or frozen) 4tbsp mayonnaise Salt and pepper 100g Cheddar, grated 2tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 Toast the bread until lightly browned and preheat the grill. 2 Using a sieve, drain the tuna and sweet corn. Place in a large bowl.

3 Combine the tuna, sweet corn and mayonnaise in a bowl. Season 4 5

Fat

26g

Sat. Fat

Protein

25g

Sodium

0.7g

Carb

42g

Energy

Sugar

3.4g

Fibre

with salt and pepper. Spread the tuna mixture over the bread and sprinkle with the Cheddar. t Slide the brown bread slices under the grill, and toast until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately. t

496kcal 2.3g

Top Tip If you want to add veggies to your melt,

t Experiment with dipffoferenyour to kinds of cheese on oz lla or M melt - we love l.zare Emmenta

chop up half a red pepper and a few scallions and add to the tuna mix.

Tomato soup & cheesy toasts Serves 4 1tbsp olive oil Â˝ onion, finely chopped 700ml tomato pasta sauce 400ml chicken stock 100ml water 100g pasta shapes of your choice 1 courgette, grated 100g cheese, grated 4 slices toast

1 2 3 4

Heat the oil in a deep saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook stirring, until soft and translucent. Add the sauce, stock and water and bring to the boil. Pour the pasta into the soup. Stir until well combined, then return the soup to the boil and reduce the heat to low. Cook, uncovered, for three minutes. Stir the courgette into the soup and cook until the pasta is tender. Sprinkle the cheese over the toast and place under a hot grill until the cheese melts. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with the cheese on toast. t

Fat

15g

Sat. Fat

Protein

15g

Sodium

1.3g

Carb

38g

Energy

Sugar

14g

Fibre

339kcal 0.6g

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Everyday

Baked bean salsa Serves 4 1 x 415g tin baked beans 1 onion, finely chopped 1tbsp coriander, chopped 1tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1 Mix the beans with all of the ingredients and stir. 2 Serve as a dip with the sweet potato wedges or be adventurous t

and try it as a filling for a burger or wrap!

Note

es potato Sweet sly u elicio make d edges! yw health

Fat Protein

Sat. Fat

1.5g

Carb

11g

20g

Sodium

1.5g

Sugar

Energy Fibre

173kcal 0.8g

Chicken and veggie nuggets

Fat Protein

12g

Sat. Fat

0.85g

Carb

0.5g

Sodium

0.8g

Sugar

9g 4.7g

Energy Fibre

87kcal 1g

Sweet potato wedges Serves 4 2 sweet potatoes 2tbsp olive oil

1 2

Scrub the sweet potatoes t with a potato scrubber. Do not remove the skin as this is a good source of fibre and it’s tasty too. Then cut into long thin wedges. Place the potato wedges in a roasting tray, t drizzle over some olive oil and cook in the oven for 30-40 minutes until soft in the middle and crispy on the outside. Allow the wedges to cool a little before handling them. Serve with the baked bean salsa.

Serves 8 1 courgette, finely grated 500g chicken or turkey breast mince 1 carrot, finely grated ½ tin sweet corn, drained 1 egg, lightly beaten Salt and pepper 50-75g dried breadcrumbs Olive oil cooking spray To serve: Potato wedges

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

. . . t s s P s If you can’t get your hand

rkey on some chicken minkeced, tutuna mince or even fla well in would work equallys. these nugget

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6 and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Using your hands, squeeze the grated courgette to remove the excess liquid and place it in a large bowl. t Add the chicken mince, carrot, sweet corn and egg. Season and mix until well combined. Place the breadcrumbs on a large plate. Shape tablespoons of the mixture into nuggets. Coat the nuggets in breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess. Place the nuggets on the prepared tray and brush or spray them lightly with oil. Place in the oven and cook until golden and cooked through, turning the nuggets now and then. Serve immediately with potato wedges.

19 1.Everyday_1-31-482010.indd 19

11/8/10 09:30:44

Tangy chicken nugget sandwich Serves 4 440g chicken nuggets 4 soft rolls, sliced lengthways 4tbsp coleslaw Handful baby spinach leaves 4tbsp mango chutney

1 2 3

Preheat the oven to 190˚C/gas mark 5. Cook the chicken nuggets in the oven for 10-12 minutes until cooked. Set aside until needed. Cut the rolls in half and divide the coleslaw between four halves, followed by the spinach. Top with the chicken nuggets and a tablespoon of chutney each. t Top with the other halves of the rolls and serve immediately. t

Great ideas Fat

18g

Sat. Fat

4.4g

Carb

62g

Energy

Protein

27g

Sodium

1.3g

Sugar

21g

Fibre

502kcal 0.7g

Supercarreaotsys andcohalelfslaawwhite

For a super fancy cheese burger, simply top your burger with pesto, baby spinach leaves and mozzarella and serve in a white bap. Don’t like burger buns? Wholemeal pitta breads are a healthier option. Sprinkle them with water, pop them in the toaster for one minute, and then slice open and pack with your favourite burger filling.

Grate 2 e bowl with cabbage and place inlioansla.rgStir in 2tbsp 2 finely chopped scueal eze of lemon juice, mayonnaise, a sq pepper and serve! season with salt and

. . . t s s P , you fancy a veggie option

If r some substitute the chickend thfoe bacon fried mushrooms anocado. for some av

Chicken and bacon bistro burger Serves 4 4 chicken breasts 4tbsp mayonnaise 1tbsp white wine vinegar 1 onion, finely sliced into rings 4 floury baps A few lettuce leaves 8 slices thick-cut bacon, grilled until crisp 4 large tomatoes, chopped

1 2 3 4

Preheat the oven to 190˚C/gas mark 5. Cook the chicken breasts in the oven for 25-30 minutes until cooked. Set aside until needed. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, white wine vinegar and onion. t Cut the baps in half and place some lettuce leaves on each half. Top with the mayonnaise mixture, followed by the bacon, chicken and tomato and the other bap half. Serve immediately. t

Fat

26g

Sat. Fat

6.7g

Carb

30g

Protein

66g

Sodium

1.8g

Sugar

Energy Fibre

615kcal 0.6g

20 1.Everyday_1-31-482010.indd 20

11/8/10 09:31:14

Everyday

Cooking class

for the little ones

your Always use the timerwonhen your ow cooker to let you knsh oking. food should be fini ed co

Fat Protein

17g

Sat. Fat

25.4g

Sodium

0.6g

Carb

60g

Sugar

Energy Fibre

472kcal 1g

Cheesy fish burgers

Fat

42g

Sat. Fat

13g

Carb

Protein

41g

Sodium

1.8g

Sugar

Basil club burger

13g 3.23g

Energy Fibre

590kcal 0.94g

Note

r large ke fou g To ma ine 450 Serves 4 s comb 1 egg, a r e g r u b with 4 burgers d beef opped mince nely ch fi , n 4tbsp mayonnaise io n r. Pat o e ll p sma nd pep a lt a 4tbsp basil leaves, apes, s and rger sh und bu y until o r finely chopped to in ill or fr and gr through! 4 large lettuce leaves k coo ed 4 floury baps, halved and toasted 3 tomatoes, sliced 8 slices bacon, crisply cooked

1 Barbecue or grill the burgers until cooked through. 2 Mix the mayonnaise with the basil leaves in a small bowl. Set aside. 3 Place a lettuce leaf on each bap. 4 Top with two slices of bacon, a burger, a couple of slices of tomato,

Serves 4 75g plain flour 2 eggs, lightly whisked 45g dried breadcrumbs 30g grated Cheddar 2 boneless white fish fillets, halved crossways 1 carrot, coarsely grated 50g mange tout, ends trimmed and chopped 2 scallions, finely sliced 2tbsp mayonnaise 2tsp fresh lemon juice Vegetable oil, for shallow-frying 4 hamburger buns, split 4 lettuce leaves

1 2 3 4

a dollop of the mayonnaise mixture and the other bap half. Serve immediately. t

Place the flour and eggs in separate bowls. Combine the breadcrumbs and Cheddar on a plate. Using your hands, coat the fish in flour then dip in egg and drain off any excess. Dip in the breadcrumb and cheese mixture, pressing firmly to coat. t Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill. t Combine the carrots, mange tout and scallion in a bowl. Add the mayonnaise and lemon juice and stir until well combined. t Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the fish and cook until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain. Divide the hamburger bun bases among serving plates and top with lettuce, fish and carrot mixture. Top with the remaining buns and serve immediately. t

21 1.Everyday_1-31-482010.indd 21

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Veggie-rich spaghetti bolognese Serves 4 1tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, finely diced 1 stick celery, finely diced 1 red pepper, finely diced 1 carrot, peeled and grated ½ courgette, grated 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 tin chopped tomatoes 450g minced beef 4tbsp tomato purée 2tbsp tomato ketchup 250ml beef stock ¼tsp dried oregano Salt and pepper 1tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped To serve: Spaghetti

1 Fat Protein

13.5g

Sat. Fat

4.5g

Carb

10.8g

Energy

27g

Sodium

1.7g

Sugar

8.75g

Fibre

270kcal 2g

2 Wipe the pan out with a piece of kitchen paper then add the mince and 3

Simple fish pie

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and sauté the vegetables and garlic for 10 minutes, until soft. Transfer to a blender and add the tinned tomatoes, then blitz until smooth.

fry over a medium-high heat, breaking the mince up with a wooden spoon, until browned (you may need to do this in two batches). Add the tomato and vegetable sauce to the mince then stir in the tomato purée, ketchup, stock and oregano. Bring to a simmer and cook for 40-45 minutes, until the sauce is thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the fresh basil. Serve with spaghetti, cooked according to the packet instructions.

a r t x E e k a M a topping for ry using leftover mash as

Serves 4 6 medium potatoes, peeled 1tsp butter Salt and pepper A little oil, for frying 1 onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 leek, roughly chopped 1 tub of seafood chowder 50ml cream 100g Cheddar, grated

1 2 3 4 5

Preheat the oven to 180˚C/gas mark 4. Boil the potatoes until cooked. Once they are ready, mash and add a little butter. Season to taste and set aside. Heat a little oil in a saucepan and gently fry the onion, garlic and leek. Add the chowder and cream and allow to simmer for about five minutes. Spoon the mixture into a casserole dish. Gently spoon on the mashed potato and smooth over the top with a fork. Sprinkle the grated Cheddar over the top. t Place the pie in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the potato topping is lightly browned.

the beef casserole on page

11.

Fat

24g

Sat. Fat

24g

Carb

39g

Energy

Protein

28g

Sodium

0.6g

Sugar

5.6g

Fibre

478kcal 4g

22 1.Everyday_1-31-482010.indd 22

11/8/10 09:32:57

Everyday

Cooking class

for the little ones

re you fo be e p ci re e th h g u ro th Read ou have all the y t a th re su ke a m to rt sta fore you be ou y of t on fr in s nt ie ingred begin cooking.

Fat Protein

5.7g

Sat. Fat

10.5g

Sodium

1.2g

Carb

44g

Energy

Sugar

16g

Fibre

257kcal 11g

Pot of gold soup Serves 4-6

Fat Protein

Sat. Fat

0.5g

Carb

37g

31g

Sodium

0.6g

Sugar

Energy Fibre

280kcal 1.6g

Herby fish fingers Serves 4 450g white fish fillet 100g wholemeal breadcrumbs 1tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped 3tbsp plain flour 2 eggs, beaten To serve: Garden peas

1 2 3 4

Preheat the oven to 220˚C/gas mark 7. Cut the fish into about 12 thick strips. Mix the breadcrumbs and parsley together in a bowl. Coat each piece of fish in the flour, then in the egg and finally, toss in the breadcrumbs. t Place the fish fingers on a non-stick baking sheet and cook in the oven for 8-10 minutes until golden and crisp. Serve with garden peas.

2tbsp butter 1 medium onion, chopped 4 carrots, peeled and sliced into discs 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced 1 garlic clove, crushed 2tbsp tomato ketchup 1 litre vegetable stock 1 x 415g tin baked beans 250ml milk Salt and pepper To serve: Buttered cheese & ham soda bites

1 2 3 4 5

See overleaf for Cheese & ham soda bites!

In a large pot, melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about five minutes, stirring until softened. Add the carrots, potatoes and garlic and continue cooking for two to 2-3 minutes, stirring once or twice. Now add the tomato ketchup and stock. Stir well, then cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Drain the beans t then add them to the pot and stir gently. Stir in the milk and cook until just heated through – don’t let it boil. Taste, and season with salt and pepper. Serve with buttered cheese & ham soda bites.

23 1.Everyday_1-31-482010.indd 23

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24 1.Everyday_1-31-482010.indd 24

11/8/10 09:34:47

Everyday

1 Cheese & ham soda bites Makes 24 225g wholemeal flour, sieved 115g plain flour, sieved Â˝tsp salt 1tsp baking soda 5 slices ham, chopped up into little pieces 3tbsp Parmesan, grated 300ml buttermilk 1 beaten egg or milk, to glaze

1 2 3 4 5

Preheat the oven to 220Â°C/gas mark 7 and grease two mini muffin tins. t In a bowl, combine the flours, salt, baking soda, ham and cheese. Then stir in sufficient buttermilk to make a soft dough. t Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead very lightly. Take small handfuls of the mixture and shape into small golf ball-sized pieces. Press the pieces into the muffin tins. t Use a pastry brush or teaspoon to brush each soda bite with a little beaten egg or milk. t Cut a shallow cross on the top of each bite and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool. Serve the soda bites warm with butter.

Fat

1.3g

Sat. Fat

0.6g

Carb

10.3g

Protein

3.3g

Sodium

1.1g

Sugar

0.4g

Energy

64kcal

Fibre

Page 23

+ Page 29

1.Everyday_1-31-482010.indd 25

Dinner Menu... Cheese & ham soda bites will be served with Pot Of Gold Soup. The meal will finish with Baked Apple & Pear Crumble. Yum!

25 11/8/10 09:35:12

The seeds on top of these cheesy snacks make them all the more deliciously crunchy.

Cheese and potato sticks Makes 10 sticks 400g mashed potato 125g Cheddar, grated ½tsp ground coriander 1 egg yolk, beaten A little flour for dusting A little beaten egg or milk for brushing 1tbsp seeds such as fennel, caraway, sesame or sunflower, or a combination of all four

1 Preheat the oven to 200˚C/gas mark 6. 2 Mix the mashed potato, cheese, coriander and egg yolk in a bowl. 3

Fat Protein

6.7g

Sat. Fat

Carb

Sodium

Sugar

6g 0.4g

Energy Fibre

Lightly flour a board or clean work surface. Roll out the potato mixture until 2.5cm thick. t Cut into finger lengths. Brush the sticks with beaten egg or milk and roll in the seeds, gently pressing them into the potato to help them stick. t Place them onto a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for ten minutes or until crispy and golden.

99kcal 0.5g

Top Tip Make your cornbread in advance and

. . . s e h c u o T g in h is in F es th e spices in e It’s easy to alternate th

freeze in individual loaves. They are the perfect accompaniment to any winter casserole, soup or stew.

we like onion cheese and potato stsickans;d even finely powder, chilli flake ns in ours. chopped scallio

Mini cornbreads Makes 20 500ml buttermilk 500g self-raising flour 1 large tin of sweet corn

1 2

Preheat the oven to 180˚C/gas mark 4 and grease and line 20 mini loaf tins or two medium-sized loaf tins. Mix the buttermilk, flour and sweet corn together. t Pour the mixture into the tins and bake for between 30 minutes and one hour (depending on the size of your loaf tin) until golden brown or a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Fat

0.5g

Sat. Fat

0.13g

Carb

Protein

3.4g

Sodium

0.2g

Sugar

20.4g 1.7g

Energy Fibre

94kcal 2g

26 1.Everyday_1-31-482010.indd 26

11/8/10 18:00:44

Everyday

1 .ideal . . t s s P e th e Smoothies ar solution for any fruiert that has seen bett days!

Fat Protein

Sat. Fat

3.5g

Sodium

0.4g

Carb

15g

Energy

Sugar

10g

Fibre

142kcal 0.8g

Brekky bars

Fat Protein

11g

Sat. Fat

Sodium

1.1g

Carb

37g

Energy

Sugar

35g

Fibre

270kcal 4.1g

Makes 18 Butter, for greasing 100g self-raising flour 100g desiccated coconut 100g brown sugar 70g pumpkin seeds 70g sunflower seeds 50g sultanas 50g chopped dried apricots 200ml low-fat milk 1 egg

Fruit skewers and chocolate dip

Serves 4 For the chocolate dip: 2tbsp drinking chocolate powder 400ml Greek-style yoghurt For the skewers: Four wooden skewers, soaked in water Fruit pieces such as melon, strawberries and bananas

1 2

Serve with a glass of milk for an extra filling breakfast or snack.

Preheat the oven to 180Â°C/gas mark 4 and grease a medium-sized baking tin. Line with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang at the long ends. Combine the flour, coconut, sugar, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sultanas and apricots in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the milk and egg and add to the flour mixture. t Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until firm. Leave the slices to stand in the tin for 15 minutes, cut into 18 bars, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. If not serving immediately, store in an airtight container.

To make the dip, mix the drinking chocolate with the yoghurt in a mixing bowl. t Alternate fruit pieces on the skewers, then serve immediately with the chocolate dip. t

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Muesli bars Makes 12 bars 100g butter 100g light brown sugar 4tbsp golden syrup 350g unsweetened muesli 1 ripe banana, mashed 100g almonds, chopped

1 2 3

Fat Protein

14g

Sat. Fat

5.2g

Carb

35g

Energy

Sodium

0.08g

Sugar

19g

Fibre

Sweet, delicious and healthy!

Preheat oven to 180Â°C/gas mark 4. Grease and line the base of an 18 x 28cm tin with baking parchment. Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a medium pan over a low heat. Stir until the butter has melted and sugar has dissolved. Cool slightly. Tip the muesli, banana and half of the nuts into the pan and stir until well covered. Spoon into the prepared tin and press down with the back of the spoon until the mixture is firmly packed. Scatter the other nuts over the top and press lightly into the mixture. t Bake for 20-25 minutes until the muesli turns golden and the edges have started to crisp. Cut into slices while warm and then leave in the tin to cool. The slices will keep in an airtight container for up to five days.

274kcal 0.26g

s e h c u o T g in h is in F ve a fancy, use getablatee If you want to be extra ol te and dark choc peeler to peel curls ofmerwinhigue topping. for your

Meringue smashies Serves 4 4 small meringue nests 1 x tin peach slices in juice 1 small carton of custard 1 chocolate flake, crumbled

1 2 3

Use a spoon to crush the meringues roughly in a large bowl. Drain the juice from the peaches through a sieve over the sink. t Place a tablespoon of custard into the bottom of four dessert glasses, followed by some peach slices, another spoonful of custard and some crushed meringue. t Top each glass with a dollop of custard and some crumbled flake. Serve immediately. t

Fat

Sat. Fat

8.4g

Protein

Sodium

Carb

43g

Energy

Sugar

40g

Fibre

255kcal 1g

28 1.Everyday_1-31-482010.indd 28

11/8/10 09:36:43

Everyday

Cooking class

for the little ones

cooking. rt a st ou y re fo be d se ni Get orga ring cups and su ea m , ils ns te u e th t ou Pull ’t have to on w ou y so ng si u be l ’l spoons you run all over the kitchen.

Fat

Sat. Fat

1.2g

Carb

42g

Energy

Protein

Sodium

0.4g

Sugar

36g

Fibre

245kcal 5g

Baked apple and pear crumble

Fat Protein

18g

Sat. Fat

18g

Carb

38g

Energy

Sodium

Sugar

38g

Fibre

324kcal 1.3g

Serves 4 300ml fresh cream 4 meringue cases 20 mixed berries 4tbsp icing sugar ½ chocolate flake, crumbled

oats on top and drizzle the honey over.

5 Bake for 25 minutes or until the fruit has softened. 6 Serve with natural yoghurt.

1 Whisk the fresh cream in a bowl until thick. 2 Lay the meringue cases out onto a board and spoon the freshly 3 4 5

Oaty, crumbly goodness!

1 Preheat the oven to 180°/gas mark 4. 2 Chop the apple and pear into small pieces. Place in a bowl. 3 Stir in the sultanas or currants, nuts and cinnamon. 4 Divide the mixture into two small oven-proof bowls, sprinkle the

Snow flakes with berries

whipped cream onto each one. t Place about 4-5 berries on each one. t Sieve a little icing sugar and crumbled chocolate flake on top. Place in the fridge and serve chilled.

Serves 2 1 apple 1 pear 50g sultanas/currants 25g chopped nuts 1tsp cinnamon 100g porridge oats 2tsp honey To serve: Natural yoghurt

. . . t s s P it the seasons. fruit combinations to su

Change your s, blackberries in th on m er m m su e th in es We love nectarin d apples and cinnamon and nuts the autumn an ng winter time. duri

29 1.Everyday_1-31-482010.indd 29

11/8/10 09:37:02

Fiesta yoghurt fool

. . . t s s P it se a flavoured yoghurt if

U We love chocolate takes your fancy! fla or hazelnut vourt. for an added trea

Serves 2 50g rice crispies 50g almonds, chopped 1 apple, finely chopped 1 small tub natural yoghurt 25g chocolate, grated

1 Mix the rice crispies, almonds and apple together. 2 Place in the bottom of a tea cup or small bowl. 3 Spoon over the natural yoghurt. Sprinkle with chocolate and serve t

chilled.

Great Keep Them Hydrated! ideas

Fat Protein

Sat. Fat

2.4g

5.3g

Sodium

Carb Sugar

11g 10.7g

Energy

97kcal

Fibre

Top Tip Serve the Fiesta Yoghurt Fool

just after you have made it to ensure that the rice crispies maintain their snap, crackle and pop!

80% of our brain is made up of water, so poor hydration can affect a child’s mental performance and learning ability*. But how much liquid do they need? For boys and girls aged 1-3yrs, the RDA is 4 cups of beverages including water, for 4-8 yrs, it’s 5 cups, for 9-13 yrs it’s 8 cups for boys and 7 for girls, and for 14-18 yrs it’s 11 cups for boys and 8 cups for girls. Young children are at a higher risk of dehydration because their thirst mechanism isn’t fully developed and they can’t always tell if they’re thirsty. All children should drink regularly throughout the day and drink extra when running around. * Symptoms of mild dehydration may include tiredness, headaches as well as reduced alertness and the ability to concentrate.

If you like an extra cool smoothie, chill your glasses in the freezer until frosted.

Summer berry smoothies Serves 2 100g strawberries 100g raspberries 125ml cold milk 100g natural yoghurt

1 2 3 4

Wash and dry the strawberries and raspberries and place in the blender. t Pour the milk into the blender. t Blend for 20-30 seconds until thick and creamy. Make sure to hold down the lid so that no liquid spurts out. Pour into a tall glass and serve immediately. Fat

20g

Sat. Fat

4.8g

Carb

44g

Energy

Protein

12g

Sodium

0.24g

Sugar

22g

Fibre

396kcal 1.1g

30 1.Everyday_1-31-482010.indd 30

11/8/10 09:37:23

Everyday

solate on e h c u o T g in h is in F oc ch urite milk catter curls of your favo g in a

S just before servin top of the hot choctholaticke glass.

Fat

24g

Sat. Fat

14g

Carb

38g

Energy

Protein

11g

Sodium

0.2g

Sugar

38g

Fibre

403kcal 0g

Snow-ey hot chocolate Makes 2 cups 400ml milk 100g white chocolate 2tbsp double cream

1 2 3 4 Fat Protein

0.05g

Sat. Fat

Carb

Energy

0.4g

Sodium

Sugar

Fibre

Fruity fantasia Serves 2 100g strawberries 50ml sparkling water

14kcal 1g

Cooking class

for the little ones

Serve in a giant cocktail glass and garnish with a kiwi slice.

1 Wash the strawberries under a running tap and cut the stalks off. 2 Drain and place the berries into a blender. Whisk until the fruit is

3 4

well blended. Add the sparkling water and stir. t Pour into a tall glass and enjoy! t

Heat the milk in a small saucepan until bubbling round the edges, but not yet boiling. Turn off the heat and add the white chocolate and cream. Stir until the chocolate has melted and is smooth. t Divide between two mugs or glasses and serve.

cold water er nd u it u fr sh a w s y a lw A opping. ch or g in ic sl , g lin ee p re befo

31 1.Everyday_1-31-482010.indd 31

11/8/10 09:37:46

32 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 32

11/8/10 09:27:00

Hunger Busters

s r e t s u B r e g Hun

Children use up a massive amount of energy during the school day, so it is super important to keep them filled up with yummy food that is both attractive to look at and delicious to eat. The key when selecting food for either the lunch box or an after school snack is to focus on ingredients that work hard for you and your kids.

33 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 33

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The Ideal Lunch Box The Lunch Box

Non-dairy

With so many rules and regulations about what you can and can’t tuck into your child’s lunch box, it can feel like a mine field. The best thing to do is to ask your child’s school about what they recommend or ban from lunch boxes, and work around it.

Psst...

Protein Dairy

The key is respecting your child’s eating style and preferences. Some kids like eating the same things every day while others want variety. Work with your child and their lunch is less likely to end up in the bin!

Make it easy on yourself...

The secret to stress-free lunch box packing is to be organised. Think about what you’re going to include when you’re buying the groceries and be sure to include a good variety of healthy foods from which to choose from. Also make sure you have a good selection of small plastic containers for packing non-sandwich snacks like fruit, dips etc.

Fruit and Veg (1/3)

(1/3)

Carbohydrates (1/3)

Choose from the following: Fruit and Veg ( ) 1/3

• 100% fruit juice • 100% fruit bars • Carrot and celery sticks and other raw vegetables that can be sliced. • Cherry tomatoes • Dried fruit/raisins

Carbohydrates (

1/3)

Lunch Box Golden Rules ● Items must be easy to eat. Avoid complicated wrapping or foods that are messy to eat. ● Provide all necessary cutlery and accompaniments. A good tip is to collect extra disposable cutlery, napkins and sauces on (rare!) visits to fast food outlets. ● Get kids to help make their lunch the night before. This creates interest and they’re more likely to eat it. ● Let your child choose their own lunch box. Think about getting an insulated bag that keeps things cold. ● Consider your children. You might find it easy to peel oranges or hard boiled eggs, but they may not. ● If you’re sending a thermos, make sure they know how to use it. In fact make sure they know how to open and close any containers that you may be sending along. ● Package things separately. Nobody likes soggy sandwiches or fruit covered with breadcrumbs!

• Bread sticks with hummus • Pancakes • Wholegrain crackers • Wholegrain bread • Bread rolls • Wraps • Pitta bread • Bagels • Leftover thin-crust pizza • Pretzels • English muffins • Popcorn

Protein ( ) made up of: 1/3

Dairy protein (1/6)

• Yoghurt, on its own or as a dip • Cheese cubes • Milk • Low-fat cottage cheese

Non dairy protein (1/6) • • • • • • • •

Peanut butter Sliced ham Tuna Chopped chicken or turkey Egg salad/hard boiled eggs Stew Bean-based soups Nuts and seeds

34 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 34

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unger Busters

Sandwich Filler Ideas:

• • • •

he A ter hool lum

Though kids need snacks less frequently as they get older, it’s not surprising that most are hungry after school. Many kids eat lunch early – 11:30 or even before – and then have an afternoon of classes and maybe even an afterschool activity before their next chance to eat. It’s no wonder the snack food vending machine looks so appealing at the end of the day. Depending on your child’s age and after-school routine, you may not always be able to control what he or she eats in the late afternoon. But don’t throw in the towel just yet. Take these steps to guide your child to good after-school snacks that will be satisfying and still leave room for a nutritious dinner. Older kids often like making their own snacks, so provide the ingredients and a few simple instructions. If dinner is just around the corner, consider allowing a 'first course' such as a small salad or chopped raw vegetable while you finish preparing the family meal. For those nights when dinner is hours away, you could opt for a more substantial snack such as half a sandwich or a quesadilla made with a wholewheat tortilla or low-fat cheese and salsa warmed in the microwave. Nothing too complicated, though. A good snack should take more time to eat than it does to prepare! What if your child comes home to an empty house? Again, the best strategy is to leave something healthy front and centre on the kitchen counter or in the fridge. A hungry child, like a hungry adult, is likely to take the path of least resistance. Fast and easy snacks are what children love after school. Such snacks are also handy for putting in lunch boxes. Freeze individual portions in plastic zip lock bags and remove from the freezer in the morning just before the kids head off to school. They will be thawed by lunch time, and will keep the rest of the lunch cold in the meantime.

i ed hi ken and sweet orn rated arrot and heddar eanut butter and sli ed bananas alad o di ed a les raisins and grated carrots inside a pitta • una salmon with a s oon ul o low at r me ra he or mayonnaise • li ed avo ado and ba on • ashed banana and nely ho ed dates • old roast bee and mild and ruity relish • una ho ed egg grated arrot and mayonnaise • gg mayonnaise • heese and ham • hi ken and gua amole • Berry am with ream heese on ruit bread Try adding cookeda chicken for an extr filling snack! see page 44

his mu n makes a lling and nutritious bite see page 56

35 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 35

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36 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 36

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Hunger Busters

2 Use leftover roast chicken if you like!

Chicken pesto pasta salad Serves 2 100g pasta shapes 1tbsp olive oil 2tsp finely chopped scallion 1tbsp pesto 1tbsp mayonnaise 100g leftover chicken, shredded 3 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1 2

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and toss in 1tbsp of the olive oil. Mix together the scallion, pesto, mayonnaise, chicken and pasta. Stir though the chopped tomatoes and store in a plastic container before eating.

Fat

38g

Sat. Fat

Protein

25g

Sodium

0.3g

Carb

34g

Sugar

Energy Fibre

573kcal 0g

Great ideas

You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to spend hours slaving over a hot stove to make pasta sauce. For a quick snack, simply add a knob of butter, a teaspoon of grated Parmesan and a little black pepper to cooked spaghetti. The Parmesan and butter will melt together to form a delicious topping.

37 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 37

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Perfect pinwheel sandwiches

Note

if you easier This is d with a e bre th n e tt rst. fla g pin fi a rollin

Serves 2 2 slices white bread 2 slices brown bread 1tsp mayonnaise ½tsp butter 1 x 80g tin tuna ½ avocado, mashed 2 lettuce leaves 2 slices ham Handful white Cheddar, grated 1 carrot, grated

1 2 3 Fat Protein

Great ideas

15g

Sat. Fat

20.6g

Sodium

0.7g

Carb

33g

Energy

Sugar

2.7g

Fibre

343kcal

Not your average sandwich!

Cut the crusts off the slices of bread. Spread mayonnaise over the brown bread, and the butter over the white slices. Spread a thin layer of tuna followed by a thin layer of avocado and the lettuce over the slices of brown bread. Lift the far side of the slice, and roll the slice of bread towards you so that it resembles a Swiss roll. Place the remaining ingredients on the white slices of bread and roll up in the same way. If you are afraid of them coming unrolled, simply push a toothpick through them. Pop in a lunch box and send to school with your children!

If you don’t have any cookie cutters, just use a drinking glass to make little round sandwiches.

Go the extra mile by occasionally packing something extra special in your child’s lunch box like a little note with ‘I love you’ or a smiley face.

Butterfly ham sandwiches Serves 2 2 slices white bread 2 slices brown bread 2 slices ham Butter for spreading

1 Butter the brown and white slices of bread. 2 Place one slice of ham between the bread and using a cookie cutter, cut out two butterfly shapes from each sandwich.

3 Wrap in cling film and store in a lunch box.

Fat

Sat. Fat

1.6g

Carb

33g

Energy

Protein

Sodium

0.5g

Sugar

2.6g

Fibre

188kcal 2g

38 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 38

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Hunger Busters

Cooking class

for the little ones

s, meat and Lay out chopped veggscieho ol and allow re fo be ht g ni e th d brea wiches nd sa n ow r ei th ke a m to the kids the next day!

Fat

7.5g

Sat. Fat

1.1g

Carb

34g

Protein

16g

Sodium

0.5g

Sugar

Energy

260kcal

Fibre

Tricolour tuna Fat Protein

Sat. Fat

1.7g

Carb

11g

13g

Sodium

0.5g

Sugar

2.2g

Energy Fibre

162kcal 0g

Healthy rye bread sandwich Serves 2 2tsp low-fat mayonnaise 4 slices of rye bread, cut into rounds 1 tomato, sliced 4 slices cucumber 4 slices turkey Handful beansprouts or lettuce Cress, to garnish (optional)

1 Spread the low-fat mayonnaise over the rye breads. 2 Layer the tomato, cucumber, turkey and beansprouts and cress, if

Serves 2 2 slices white bread 2 slices brown bread 6 cherry tomatoes, chopped ¼ cucumber, washed 1 x 80g tin tuna 1tbsp mayonnaise

1 2

Great for kids who don’t like eating brown bread!

Spread mayonnaise on the slices of bread. Slice the cucumber into thin rounds and lay these over the mayonnaise. Drain the tuna and mix with the tomatoes. Spread this mixture over the brown slices and top each brown slice with a white one. Wrap in cling film or tin foil, ready for the lunch box.

. . . t s s P uidge of ix m like tuna, try ing a sq

If you don’t om dinner and fr t ea m r ve to lef e m so h mayo wit popping it in a sambo.

using, on two of the slices of bread and top with the remaining two before wrapping in cling film and storing in a lunch box.

39 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 39

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Sweet and sour bean dip pittas Serves 4-6 For the dip: 1 x 415g tin baked beans 1 x 400g tin chickpeas ¼ small onion, chopped very finely ¼ garlic clove, crushed very finely juice of ½ lemon 3tbsp honey ¼tsp mild chilli powder ¼tsp cumin pinch of salt For the pittas: 12 mini pitta breads 12 cherry tomatoes, chopped 12 small curly lettuce leaves

1 2 3 Fat Protein

Sat. Fat

0.4g

Carb

58g

Energy

13g

Sodium

0.7g

Sugar

16g

Fibre

296kcal

Use iceberg lettuce instead of curly leaves for extra texture!

Use a sieve to drain the tomato sauce from the baked beans over a bowl. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Using a food processor or a fork, mash the drained beans and all the other dip ingredients into a paste. Fill the pitta breads with the sweet and sour dip, cherry tomatoes and lettuce. Wrap up well and refrigerate until you need them.

5.2g

Top Tip Make double the amount of chicken

Dip the strips twice in the breadcrumb mixture for extra bite.

strips and place half on a baking tray. Freeze on the tray and when completely frozen, pop in a freezer bag to be cooked when needed!

Crispy chicken strips Serves 2 4tbsp tomato ketchup 2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts 6tbsp breadcrumbs 4tbsp Parmesan, finely grated Olive oil, for drizzling

1 2 3 4 5 6

Preheat the oven to 190˚C/gas mark 5 and grease a baking sheet. Cut the chicken breasts lengthwise into strips on a chopping board. Mix the breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan together in a bowl. Dip the chicken strips into the ketchup and then into the breadcrumbs and Parmesan mixture. Lay the chicken strips out on the greased baking sheet, making sure there is a little space between each one. Drizzle the chicken strips with a little olive oil. Place the chicken strips into the oven for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the breadcrumbs are nice and crispy. Allow the chicken strips to cool before packing them into a lunch box. Fat

12g

Sat. Fat

Protein

42g

Sodium

0.9g

Carb

34g

Energy

Sugar

8.4g

Fibre

397kcal 2g

40 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 40

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Hunger Busters

Cooking class

for the little ones

board g in p op ch e m sa e th se u Never ltry that you ou p or sh fi t, ea m w ra r fo or fruit. es bl a et g ve , d ea br r fo use

Note Fat

0.9g

Sat. Fat

0.2g

Carb

15g

Sodium

0.2g

Sugar

Energy Fibre

82kcal 1g

Ham and relish surprise wraps Serves 2 2 white flour tortillas 2tbsp guacamole 2tbsp tomato relish 2 slices ham 4 large Butterhead lettuce leaves, washed

1 2 3

20g

Sat. Fat

7.4g

Carb

15g

14g

Sodium

0.8g

Sugar

Energy Fibre

283kcal 0.5g

Cheesy bacon salad rolls

aps our wr Make y by using r ie , health wraps wheat t s o whole le in m availab hops. s d o o g

Protein

Fat Protein

Lay the tortillas flat on a chopping board and spread with the and the guacamole and the relish. Layer the ham and lettuce on top of the relish in the centre of each wrap. Roll up tightly, wrap in cling film and pack away in a lunch box.

Serves 2 2 bacon rashers 1tbsp mayonnaise 3tbsp lettuce, shredded 1 large tomato, thinly sliced 4tbsp Cheddar, grated 2 wholewheat bread rolls

1 2 3

Use wholegrain rolls for extra texture.

Cut the rind off the bacon rashers and cook under a hot grill for three minutes on each side. When the rashers are cooked, set them aside and allow to cool. Chop the rashers into strips. Spread the bread rolls with the mayonnaise. Fill the rolls with the lettuce, tomato, cheese and bacon. Wrap the sandwiches with cling film and put them into a lunch box.

. . . t s s P you like. se ee tever meat/ch combo

Use wha sto through cream pe of t bi a g in ix m ve lo We h leftover chicken. cheese and pairing it wit 41

2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 41

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Mini meatballs Serves 2-3 1tbsp tomato purée 2tsp olive oil 1 small onion, peeled and very finely chopped 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed 1 small carrot, peeled and finely grated 115g lean minced beef 55g fresh white breadcrumbs 1tbsp freshly chopped parsley 2 small eggs, beaten

1 2 3 4 Fat Protein

3.5g

Sat. Fat

Sodium

0.1g

Carb Sugar

7g 1.5g

Energy Fibre

Preheat the oven to 190˚C/gas mark 5. Heat the oil in a small frying pan, add the onion and garlic and gently fry for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Mix the carrot, beef, breadcrumbs, parsley and tomato purée. Then add just enough beaten egg to bind together. Divide the mixture into 16 equal amounts and roll each into a small ball. Place on a lightly greased baking tray and cook in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through, turning over halfway through cooking. Leave to cool before packing in a lunch box or freezing for later use.

81kcal 0.6g

Great ideas

Dips make eating fun. Keep a bowl of chopped carrots, celery, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes available for dipping. Pitta bread, tortilla chips, baguette slices and bread sticks make yummy dippers too. Quick dips to try are: hummus, a jar of ready-made pasta sauce heated up or a tub of sour cream mixed with half a packet of instant soup. Try a 240g tin of butter beans drained and blended with 125ml of natural yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon juice. A quick dip for fruit is 250ml plain yoghurt mixed with 1tbsp of brown sugar and 1tsp of cinnamon.

LLunochvonealystickw, onitpahge..4.4

Tangy salad cream dippers Serves 4 4tbsp salad cream 4 scallions, chopped 2tbsp fresh coriander, chopped ½ cucumber, finely chopped Extra scallions, to garnish To serve: Carrot sticks Chopped cucumber Mini meatballs

1 Mix together the scallions, fresh coriander and cucumber in a bowl. 2 Add the salad cream to the vegetables and mix it in well. 3 Garnish with extra scallions and serve with carrot sticks, chopped cucumber and mini meatballs as dippers.

Fat Protein

Sat. Fat

0.4g

Carb

3.4g

Energy

0.6g

Sodium

0.1g

Sugar

3.3g

Fibre

49kcal 0.5g

42 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 42

11/8/10 09:32:08

Hunger Busters

Cooking class

for the little ones

from its e nc lia p p a l a ic tr ec el ny a Unplug to remove any g in y tr re fo be nt oi p er pow , e.g. when it in ht g u ca be y a m t a food th toaster. toast gets caught in the

Fat

Sat. Fat

Protein

Sodium

0.04g

Carb Sugar

1g 0.32g

Energy

93kcal

Fibre

Kidz guacamole Fat

Sat. Fat

0.8g

Carb

11g

Protein

Sodium

0.15g

Sugar

0.4g

Energy

118kcal

Fibre

Humming Hummous Serves 6 1 tin chickpeas, drained 2tbsp tahini 2tsp lemon juice 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed To serve: Pitta bread, sliced

1 2

Pop the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic into a bowl and using a hand-held blender, whizz until smooth and creamy. Place in a dish and serve as a tasty dip with pitta bread that has been cut into strips.

Serves 4-6 1tbsp lime juice 2 ripe avocados, halved and diced 1tbsp crème fraîche 1tsp fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped Salt To serve: Nacho chips Carrot sticks

1 3

Make your guacamole extra special by adding an extra dollop of crème fraîche on top.

Put the avocado flesh, lime juice, crème fraîche and coriander in a food processor and whiz until smooth. If you don't have a food processor you can mash all the ingredients together with a fork. Season with salt and stir. Serve the guacamole with nacho chips and carrot sticks.

.ripen in a warm . . t s s P to ed must be allow

Avocados d up the process by ee sp ; ed us e ’r ey th re fo place be n paper and sitting them wrapping them in brwow in a bo l with bananas.

43 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 43

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Lunch on a stick Serves 2-3 2tbsp barbecue sauce 2 chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces 6 cherry tomatoes, halved Â˝ cucumber, sliced and chopped in half 4 wooden skewers

1 Preheat the oven to 180Ë&#x161;C/gas mark 4. 2 Mix the chopped chicken breasts with the barbecue sauce in a bowl.

3 Place the chicken pieces in an oven-proof baking dish and cook the 4 5

Fat

2.1g

Sat. Fat

Protein

28g

Sodium

0.2g

Carb Sugar

3.6g 4g

Energy Fibre

chicken for 30 minutes. Stir the chicken a couple of times while it is cooking to prevent it from sticking together. When the chicken is cooked, set it aside to cool. Then thread two pieces of chicken, tomato and cucumber onto each skewer. Store the kebab sticks in a covered container in the refrigerator until you need them.

Top Tip Make the bruschetta topping

146kcal 0.6g

ahead of time if you can. This will allow the flavours to develop. Season just before serving, with an extra drizzle of olive oil if needed.

Use any combination of vegetables that you and your kids enjoy.

Open bruschetta sandwich Serves 4 4tbsp olive oil, for drizzling 1 garlic clove, crushed 4 rolls, sliced lengthways 4 large tomatoes, cubed 2tbsp chopped basil leaves 1tbsp Parmesan shavings Basil leaves, to garnish

1 2 3

Mix the olive oil and garlic together in a small bowl and drizzle the mixture over each roll half. Place the rolls under the grill for five minutes. Mix the tomatoes and basil together and divide equally over the bread slices. Sprinkle Parmesan shavings on top. Serve immediately garnished with extra basil leaves.

Fat Protein

14g

Sat. Fat

Sodium

0.4g

Carb

30g

Sugar

Energy Fibre

266kcal 0.2g

44 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 44

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Hunger Busters

Cooking class

for the little ones

a damp cloth h it w er st a to h ic w nd sa Wipe your ). That n! ow d ed ol co ’s it ce on ( after each use ty toaster. ir d lly a re a ve ha r ve ne l way, you’l

Fat Protein

Sat. Fat

12g

Sodium

0.6g

Carb

41g

Sugar

Energy Fibre

284kcal 0.2g

Pizza bagels Fat

21g

Sat. Fat

10g

Carb

38g

Protein

20g

Sodium

0.9g

Sugar

Toastie pies Serves 2 4 slices of bread Soft butter 150g leftover bolognese sauce 50g grated Cheddar 2tsp mild fruit chutney

Energy

408kcal

Fibre

Toast until golden brown and extra crispy!

1 Plug in the sandwich toaster and allow it to heat up. 2 Butter the bread evenly on one side. 3 Place two slices of bread on the sandwich toaster with the buttered side touching the metal plates of the toaster.

4 Spoon on the bolognese sauce onto the centre of the bread. Do not 5 6 7

fill right to the edges as it could burst out during cooking. Top with a tablespoon of chutney and a sprinkling of grated cheese. Place the other slice of bread on top with the butter side facing the lid of the sandwich toaster. Close down the lid of the sandwich maker and toast the pie for about 5-7 minutes. Remove the pie and place on a plate, cut into triangles and serve.

Serves 2 2 fresh bagels 1tbsp tomato purée or leftover pasta sauce 2 slices of ham, cut into small slices 2tbsp grated cheese 1tsp chopped parsley

1 Pre-heat the grill. 2 Cut the bagels in half and spread with the tomato purée or leftover pasta sauce.

3 Arrange the ham slices on top of the sauce. 4 Sprinkle grated cheese over them. 5 Place under the grill for 4-5 minutes until the cheese has melted.

. . . t s s P leftovers, are brilliant for using up

Toastie pies eet fillings too! Trytwthois sw h it w e ad m be n ca d an peanut butter on for a real treat: spreonade large marshmallow and slices of bread. Addolate, then toast until golden one square of choc n. Scrummy! brow

45 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 45

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Keep hot pans and diofshthese away from the edgey spills. stove to avoid an

Note

rfect the pe This is nagers for tee snack selves m e e th ay to mak hard d after a ool. at sch

Classic beans on toast Serves 2 1 x 200g tin baked beans 2 slices of bread (any type) Butter, for spreading Salt and pepper

1 Open the baked beans and empty into a saucepan. 2 Heat the baked beans over a low temperature for about 5-8 minutes, stirring regularly.

3 Put the bread in the toaster or under the grill and toast until lightly browned.

4 Butter the toast and put the slices on to a plate. 5 Pour the baked beans over the toast. Season to taste and eat immediately. Fat

Sat. Fat

0.4g

Carb

31g

Protein

Sodium

0.8g

Sugar

Energy Fibre

161kcal 9g

Great ideas ivide Get everyone involvedn !yoDu and the jobs up betwee ious food you will have delic ion! in a speedy fash

The beauty of baked beans is that they are so brilliantly versatile – use your imagination and experiment with different ingredients. How about a dash of hot chilli sauce or a couple of pinches of curry powder? Here are some other yummy ideas to zest up your baked beans on toast: • Melted grated cheese with a dash of sweet chilli sauce on top. • A crispy rasher of bacon on top. • A dash of Worcestershire sauce.

46 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 46

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Hunger Busters

47 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 47

11/8/10 09:33:52

satevsertle.ft.o.vers you P ied d wh

r Ad idge to youior ufs! r f e h t in e v a h ste delic rice. It will ta

48 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 48

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Hunger Busters

Fried rice e When chopping, direurctbothdy knife away from yongers! and mind your fi

Serves 4 380g rice 250g carrots, chopped into sticks 250g frozen peas 3 eggs 150g sliced ham, chopped 2tbsp vegetable oil 2tbsp soy sauce

1 Cook the rice as directed on the packet, then drain and set aside. 2 Cook the carrots in a saucepan of boiling water, then drain and set aside.

3 Make an omelette with the eggs: first whisk the eggs until they are light and frothy in a bowl.

4 Heat some oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and pour the eggs into the pan. Fry until cooked and set.

5 Transfer the omelette to a plate, allow to cool and chop it into small pieces.

6 Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the ham pieces with the carrots and peas. Add the rice and chopped omelette. Season with a little soy sauce and serve immediately. Fat Protein

Sat. Fat

30g

Sodium

0.6g

Carb

115g

Sugar

Energy Fibre

662kcal 6g

Chicken noodle soup Serves 2-4 1 x 130g tin sweet corn 2 cooked chicken breast fillets 375ml chicken stock 500ml water 1tsp soy sauce 85g packet chicken-flavoured instant noodles 10 chives

1 2 3 4 5

Pour the sweet corn into a colander or sieve over the sink to drain. Rinse under the tap and set aside in a bowl. Cut the chicken into 1cm wide strips on a chopping board. Put a medium saucepan on the stove. Pour in the stock and water and turn the heat up to high. Put the lid on and bring the stock to the boil. Add the chicken pieces, sweet corn, soy sauce and the noodles to the pan. Bring the soup back to boil, then lower the heat to medium and cook for two minutes. Turn the heat off. When the soup stops boiling, use kitchen scissors to cut the chives into the soup. Use a ladle to divide the soup between the soup bowls and serve immediately.

Fat

2.6g

Sat. Fat

0.6g

Carb

Protein

21g

Sodium

0.4g

Sugar

8.7g 2g

Energy Fibre

140kcal 0.3g

Slurp from Asian style spoons! 49

2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 49

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Cowboy hotpot Serves 4 1 x 415g tin baked beans 1 red pepper, seeded and diced 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped 4 rashers, chopped 1tbsp olive oil 50g Cheddar, grated To serve: Toast triangles

1 2 3 4 5 6

Fat

12g

Sat. Fat

Protein

33g

Sodium

1.4g

Carb

30g

Energy

Sugar

13g

Fibre

Preheat the oven to 200Ë&#x161;C/gas mark 6. Fry the red pepper, onion and rashers in a pan with the oil. Cook until the onion is soft and the bacon is cooked. Tip the mixture into an oven-proof dish. Gently mix in the baked beans, and then sprinkle the cheese over the top. Bake the hotpot for 15 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Serve with toast triangles.

350kcal 8g

Cut the toast into tiny triangles.

Note

LKidzoGvuaecalymolwe, onitpahge..4.3

ns binatio y com n a e d s U eat an ese, m e h c ur f o e in yo you lik s ie a g tr g x ve r an e illa. Fo d me a s o e s u q pread twist, s c re ti n fo e e auth tilla b the tor n ! o e a s e ls sa e che g on th in r e y la

Cheese and spinach quesadilla Serves 2 4 white flour tortillas 100g Cheddar, grated Handful baby spinach leaves

1 Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat. 2 Lay the tortillas flat on a chopping board and layer the cheese and spinach onto each.

3 Top with the second tortilla and fry until the underneath is golden brown and crispy

4 Carefully, using a spatula, flip the tortilla over and cook on the other 5

side. Just before serving, cut into wedges and pop onto warm plates!

Fat

18g

Sat. Fat

11g

Carb

25g

Energy

Protein

18g

Sodium

0.6g

Sugar

1.8g

Fibre

330kcal 1.1g

50 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 50

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Hunger Busters

s e h c u o T g n i h u s Frveiwnitih your kids' favourite sa ces.

Note

n buy You ca es to za bas ade piz -m jazz y d rea er and e freez th a in d e p kee you ne never e n h a w c up e kids eal. Th m ir k e ic th u q sing n choo fu e v a . h ppings own to

Fat

23g

Sat. Fat

10g

Carb

66g

Protein

42g

Sodium

1.1g

Sugar

Energy Fibre

622kcal 3g

Easy peasy burger

Fat Protein

Sat. Fat

16g

Sodium

0.3g

Carb

31g

Energy

Sugar

3.4g

Fibre

226kcal 0g

BBQ chicken pizza Serves 2tbsp barbecue sauce 4 small pizza bases 2tbsp Mozzarella, grated 3tbsp cooked chicken, chopped

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. 2 Place each pizza base onto a greased baking sheet and spread with barbecue sauce.

3 Divide the chicken pieces over each pizza and sprinkle over grated mozzarella.

4 Bake the pizzas in the oven for ten minutes until the topping becomes crispy.

Serves 4 2tbsp tomato ketchup 2tbsp Worcestershire sauce 450g lean minced beef 1 onion, chopped 2tbsp parsley 120g breadcrumbs 1 egg, beaten 4 burger buns 4 slices Cheddar ½ onion, sliced thinly Few lettuce leaves, washed and dried To serve: Extra tomato ketchup

1 2 3 4 5

Preheat the oven to 190˚C/gas mark 5. Mix the minced beef with the onion, parsley, breadcrumbs and beaten egg in a large bowl. Add the tomato ketchup and Worcestershire sauce to the minced beef and stir it all together well. Then take handfuls of the mince mixture and shape them into four hamburger patties. Place the patties onto a lightly greased oven tray and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes until well-browned and cooked through, turning during the cooking. Lightly toast the burger buns under the grill. Place the patties onto one half of the burger buns and divide the cheese, onion and lettuce between them and serve with some extra tomato ketchup.

51 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 51

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52 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 52

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Hunger Busters

s e h c u o T g n i Fintteirschhopped chives overseyrovuinrg. Sca st before ju s g g e d le b scram

Cheesy scrambled eggs Serves 2 4 eggs 60ml milk Salt and pepper 1tbsp olive oil 25g grated Cheddar To serve: Toast cut into animal shapes

1 Use a fork to whisk the eggs and milk together, then season to taste.

2 Heat the oil in a small non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. 3

When the eggs are foaming, pour them into the pan. Use a wooden spoon to stir occasionally. When almost set, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese. Cut animal shapes out of toast using cookie cutters and serve with the scrambled eggs.

Fat

32g

Sat. Fat

16g

Carb

0.9g

Energy

Protein

16g

Sodium

0.3g

Sugar

0.9g

Fibre

349kcal 0g

Great ideas

Eggs are truly natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fast food. They are super nutritious and only take a few minutes to cook. Try mixing a few of the following ingredients into your egg mixture before scrambling to make it extra tummy filling: grated cheese, tuna, sliced mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, chopped ham or bacon, smoked salmon slices or even chopped up leftover sausages.

53 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 53

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s e h c u o T g n i h f o s FTieinupi the wraps with eawpitiehceextra

Note

g the of slicin Instead leave them as, banan rap a and w le o wh u o ar nd tortilla ne. each o

and serv g in r t s n e h c it k maple syrup.

Banana and peanut butter wraps Makes 4 4 white flour tortillas 8tbsp peanut butter 4 bananas, sliced 4tsp honey or maple syrup

Fry the tortillas in a large non-stick frying pan or wrap them in foil and warm them in the oven.

2 Spread 2tbsp of peanut butter on each tortilla and top with sliced bananas.

3 Drizzle with honey or maple syrup, then wrap up and serve immediately. Fat

20g

Sat. Fat

Protein

11g

Sodium

0.2g

Carb

46g

Energy

Sugar

30g

Fibre

399kcal 4g

Great ideas

Wrap sandwiches are a great variation on normal sambos and kids can safely make them themselves. You might have to show them the basics, like how much filling to put in and how to wrap the tortilla tightly, but once thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s done, you can leave them to it. Tasty wrap fillers include shredded lettuce, grated cheese, guacamole, chopped tomatoes, chopped chicken or meat, tuna, shredded carrot, chopped scallions, sliced meats. Sauce/dressing ideas include hoisin sauce, creamy salad dressing, natural yoghurt, mayonnaise and cream cheese.

. . . t s s P ur kids! k ac ite a healthy sn for yo

This is qu ium, while peanut Bananas provide pochtasosswill sate appetites butter is protein-riessential fatty acids. while providing

54 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 54

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Hunger Busters

55 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 55

11/8/10 09:37:36

Mighty muffins

Breakfast on the go!

Makes 18 275g caster sugar 300g plain flour 2tsp ground cinnamon 2tsp baking powder 160g sultanas 3 small carrots, grated 1½ small apples, grated 90g dessicated coconut 125g chopped walnuts 3 eggs 250ml vegetable oil 1tsp vanilla extract icing sugar, to dust

1 2 3 Fat

23g

Sat. Fat

Carb

37g

Energy

Protein

4.2g

Sodium

Sugar

24g

Fibre

363kcal 0.7g

Note

out n leave You ca you if s ltana the su uffins – the m prefer te s ta ll will sti ! s u io c deli

Preheat oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Use 18 paper cases to line two muffin tins. Sift sugar, flour, cinnamon and baking powder into a large bowl. Add sultanas, carrot, apple, coconut and walnuts. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, oil and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and fold until just combined – do not over mix.

4 Spoon into muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Decorate the hot chocolate with marshmallows!

Top Tip No drinking chocolate in the cupboard?

Not to worry! Heat milk in a saucepan, and place three squares of chocolate at the bottom of each glass. Top with the hot millk, stir and serve!

Hot chocolate Serves 2 2tsp drinking chocolate 150ml cold milk 2 marshmallows

1 Place the drinking chocolate into two drinking glasses. 2 Then pour the milk on top of the drinking chocolate and blend well. 3 Heat the glasses in the microwave on medium power for 45 seconds. Stir vigorously.

4 Place a marshmallow on top and serve immediately.

Fat

Sat. Fat

Protein

Sodium

0.06g

Carb

16g

Energy

Sugar

15g

Fibre

103kcal 0g

56 2.After school_32-55-2907-2.indd 56

11/8/10 18:18:10

Hunger Busters

Cooking class

for the little ones

uit always fr g in tt cu nd a g lin ee p If you are ngthways and le g in tt cu re fo be t rs fi l pee om here. fr s nk u ch r lle a sm to in g cuttin

Fat

0.4g

Sat. Fat

0.1g

Protein

1.6g

Sodium

Carb

32g

Energy

Sugar

30g

Fibre

128kcal 3.4g

Grilled fruit kebabs Fat

9.5g

Sat. Fat

4.7g

Carb

17g

Energy

Protein

1.4g

Sodium

0.15g

Sugar

15g

Fibre

Health bars Makes 14 200g rolled oats 25g wholemeal flour 25g mixed dried fruit 50g sesame seeds 100g brown sugar 100g butter 3tbsp honey

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

154kcal 0.1g

These health bars keep really well in a sealed container!

Preheat the oven to 180Â°C/gas mark 4. Lightly grease a 12cm shallow tin. Mix the oats, wholemeal flour, dried fruit and sesame seeds in a bowl. Melt the butter, sugar and honey in a saucepan over a low heat. Pour this into the oat mixture and mix together thoroughly. Press the mixture into the tin with a wooden spoon or spatula. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven using oven gloves to protect your hands. Cut into slices while still warm, then leave to cool completely before removing from the tin.

Serves 4 16 grapes 12 strawberries Â˝ fresh pineapple 2 bananas 2 passion fruit 2tbsp honey 4 skewers 4 pieces of foil

Stop banana pieces going brown by tossing in lemon juice and sugar before threading onto the skewers.

1 Wash the grapes and strawberries and cut each piece in half. 2 Prepare the pineapple by removing the skin and taking out the core. 3 4 5 6

Cut the pineapple ring into 4 pieces. Peel the banana and cut into 2cm thick pieces. String the fruit along the skewer. Alternate the colours of the fruits. Place on a piece of foil. Combine the passion fruit and honey together and brush over the fruit. Wrap up each parcel and place on the barbecue or under a grill for about seven minutes, depending on the heat. Serve immediately on their own or with vanilla ice-cream, natural yoghurt or chocolate sauce.

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It’s Party Time!

tI ’s Party Time

Whether you see parties as the social event of the year or a day to cherish your tiny person, there is no doubt that some inspiration and lateral thinking goes a long way when it comes to creating a party that can be enjoyed by everyone – organiser included! The main thing to remember is that everyone is there to have a good time – eat great food, play some games and if you’re lucky, toddle off home, happy and sated!

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Organising a party for your little one can be a rewarding experience. If possible, begin planning your party a few weeks in advance. This will give you plenty of time to choose the theme, buy what you need, send out invitations and get organised. Of course, parties in the home should not be planned with the military precision that, say a business conference would be, but a little planning will save tears (yours!) on the big day. Most of all, remember that the purpose of this day is to make your birthday girl or boy feel special. How you do this depends on your child, but it might be having a special birthday breakfast of choice cooked for them; eating off a special plate; talking about the day they were born and how happy that made you; having a birthday cake with Grandma. It doesn’t always have to be a party. It’s just about celebrating who they are and how happy you are that they were born!

Theme it Themed parties are lots of fun, and in some ways make thing easier because they give you something to work with when you’re deciding on a cake, invitation, party food, etc. To choose a theme, first start with the cake and work your theme from there. We have an ancient Australian Women’s Weekly book of different birthday cakes in our house (which my mom used with us), and when it’s coming up to a birthday we sit down and choose a cake. Once that’s decided, you can develop the theme from there. Some great websites for cake ideas are www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com and http://party.kaboose.com

The party plan: First 30 minutes Guests will arrive. Receive gifts and put them somewhere safe. Have a game or activity ready to go so that it breaks the ice and everyone will have something to dive straight into! Next 30 minutes One organised game or activity and free play. Next 30 minutes Birthday cake cutting and birthday feast! Last 30 minutes Two quieter games and giving out of party bags.

Try to involve your child as much possible in the preparation because this adds to the excitement. For instance, you can handmake some invitations. They can be simply hand-drawn on a piece of card, or you can get fancy on your computer. Even easier is using one of the many free downloadable party invitations that are available on-line e.g. www. myfuncards.com

er ch at w ck lo C ldren, time the the perfect party length. For younger chi

Two hours is nap, e.g. 2-4pm or 3-5pm. The tois party for after their afternoonper ly and will also give you tim up gives them time to wake up prothe par so that they don’t wake ty ore bef al me per pro a m the e giv the party food, leaving you with a hungry from their nap, and attack hour’s time. toddler on a sugar down in an about an

h Steer clear of sweetsposswitible, artificial colours if linked to as these have been ren. Not hyperactivity in chtildto deal with something you wan rty! at your pa

60 3.PARTY TIME_56-81-2907.indd 60

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It’s Party Time!

3 You’re not on the list

Who to invite? This is tricky because it’s easy to feel obliged to invite everyone in your child’s class. But think back on birthday parties that you had as a child. It was unthinkable to have 30 children at a birthday party in the ‘olden days’. This number of children is unmanageable for you (not to mention expensive!) but is also overwhelming for the birthday boy or girl. A good rule of thumb when deciding on how many children to invite is to use your child’s age plus one. So if your child is turning five, you’d invite six guests. The theory goes that this is the maximum number of children and excitement that your child is able to cope with at that age. It works – try it!

Food fight

In terms of party food, make sure that you have a good mix of sweet and savoury, to provide real energy for busy little revellers. When planning the menu, think of things that might tie in with the theme. Anything can be tied in by just giving it a clever name, e.g. calling hot dogs ‘dino dogs’ or simple cordial ‘lava juice’ for a dinosaur party. It’s fun to make labels for all the party food and put these out on the party table, so that it sets the tone and adds to the excitement. Try to do all the shopping for the party the day before, because you’ll be too busy on party day. Also, try to bake and decorate the cake the night before, after the birthday girl or boy has gone to bed. This guarantees minimum interference and decoration robbing, but is also a wonderful surprise for them in the morning.

u! yo k an th , hy W For party favours, creativity wins

den every time. For instance, for aa gar flower party, you might give guests cou y pot and some seeds. Or the atld take home something they madelollies. the party with a small bag of boy or Make sure that the birthday t they girls hands them out, and tha . remember to say thank you

Play Time Plan some party games because it’s good to keep them busy. A good rule of thumb is to plan some sort of activity that lasts for ten minutes, every half an hour. So for a two hour party, you’d have four activities or games and they can have free play in between. Obviously, see how it’s going first. If they seem to be having a ball of a time playing with each other, then you don’t want to interrupt with a structured activity. It’s a mood killer! When playing games, make sure that everyone goes home a winner. For instance, if you play pass the parcel, try to time the music stopping so that a different child gets to unwrap a layer and win a small prize each time. This makes for happy guests and prevents squabbles.

Party etiquette

If possible, don’t let your birthday girl or boy open presents during the party. This is traditionally considered to be bad manners because, as you know, children say the most inappropriate things when you least need them to! And really, no one wants to be told that their present isn’t up to scratch. Better to do it when everyone’s gone home and things have calmed down a little. Make a note of what everyone has given your child so that they can send a little thank you note out afterwards.

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Buttercream icing provides a sticky surface on which to pop your props.

The Wild, Wild West

Round up your buckaroos for a cowboy-themed party that will knock their socks off!

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It’s Party Time! On the Menu:

Prairie punch cks Sticky maple drumsti Corn on the cob Wagon wheels Cowboy cups Wild West fort cake

Serves 12 For the cake: 225g self-raising flour 175g caster sugar 175g butter 3 medium eggs 1½tbsp milk For the buttercream icing: 185g butter, softened 375g icing sugar 1-2tbsp hot water 3 boxes milk chocolate fingers 2tbsp cocoa 1tsp hot water Few drops of green food colouring To decorate: Assorted sweets 25cm square cake board Cowboy and Indian figurines

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

ered Chocolate-caovke a fingers m nce. perfect fe

Wild West fort cake

FToyincoiswbohyinandginTdianoufigcurhineess

any cowboy are an essential pafortr ofthem at toy cake! Look out shops. shops or €2

First make the cake. Preheat the oven to 150°C/gas mark 2. Then grease and line an 18cm square or round cake tin. Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix thoroughly into a smooth batter. Spoon into the prepared tin, smooth the top and bake for one hour. You’ll know the cake is cooked when it’s golden on top and pulling away slightly from the edges of the tin. If you stick a knife or skewer into the middle, it should come out clean. Place a cooling rack over the cake tin and turn it upside down so the cake tips out onto the rack. Carefully peel off the greaseproof paper and leave to cool. Now make the icing. Place the butter, icing sugar and 1-2tbps of hot water into a mixing bowl and bind together using a mixer or hand beater on slow speed. Increase the speed and beat until light and fluffy. Remove a quarter of the icing and place in a small bowl. Add a few drops of green food colouring and mix through. Mix the cocoa powder with the hot water to form a smooth paste and mix into the remaining three quarters of the buttercream icing, to make chocolate icing. Now decorate the cake. First, level the top of the cake to make it flat. Place the cake onto the cake board and spread the chocolate buttercream around the sides and top. Press the chocolate fingers vertically around the sides of the cake. Place the models and sweets in position. Spread the green buttercream around the cake board and use a fork to rough it up slightly to resemble grass.

Fat Protein

32g

Sat. Fat

19g

Carb

76g

Energy

Sodium

0.3g

Sugar

57g

Fibre

594kcal 0g

63 3.PARTY TIME_56-81-2907.indd 63

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hicken You can uoser cdrumsticks wings, thighthsis recipe. for

Sticky maple syrup drumsticks Serves 8 3tbsp soy sauce 2tbsp teriyaki sauce 4tbsp maple syrup Salt and pepper 8 chicken drumsticks

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. 2 Place the soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, maple syrup and salt and pepper in a non-metallic bowl and mix to combine.

3 Add the drumsticks and toss to coat. 4 Place the drumsticks on a baking tray lined with baking paper and cook for 40 minutes, turning occasionally or until the chicken is cooked through and caramelised.

Fat

2.4g

Sat. Fat

0.7g

Carb

6.7g

Energy

13g

Sodium

0.1g

Sugar

5.7g

Fibre

Protein

Top Tip Allow your drumsticks to

99kcal 0g

rest for about ten minutes before serving, to avoid burned hands and mouths!

3 ways to set the scene •

•

The best party punch ever!

Prairie Punch Makes 3.5 litres 1 raspberry jelly tablet 250ml boiling water 1 litre orange juice 1 litre pineapple juice 1.5 litres lemonade

1 2 3

Dissolve the jelly tablet in the water and pour into ice cube trays. Place in the freezer to set and freeze to make jelly ‘ice cubes’. Mix the two fruit juices together in a large plastic bucket. Add the lemonade and jelly ‘ice cubes’ just before serving.

Fat Protein

0.2g

Sat. Fat

Carb

21g

Energy

Sodium

Sugar

21g

Fibre

82kcal 0g

64 3.PARTY TIME_56-81-2907.indd 64

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Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Party Time!

us Sticky, delibcioest eaten chicken thaotuisr hands! with y 65 3.PARTY TIME_56-81-2907.indd 65

11/8/10 09:42:30

Wagon wheels Makes 9 10tbsp icing sugar 3tsp water 2tsp cocoa powder 18 rich tea biscuits 9 Smarties 1 carton ready-made custard

1 2 3

Fat

Sat. Fat

3.5g

Carb

47g

Energy

Protein

Sodium

0.2g

Sugar

32g

Fibre

254kcal 0g

Make the icing by mixing the icing sugar with the water and cocoa powder and placing it in a piping bag or firm plastic bag (e.g. a ziplock bag) with the corner snipped off. Create the rims and spokes of the wheels with the icing on nine biscuits and place one Smartie in the middle of each biscuit. Leave to set. Using a knife, spread a thick layer of custard onto each of the other nine biscuits and sandwich an iced biscuit and a custard biscuit together, to form nine wagon wheels.

Other cool cowboy food: • •

Top Tip If you can’t get your hands on fresh

• •

Carb

13g

Energy

Sugar

10g

Fibre

corn on the cob just use frozen ones. Cook according to the packet instructions and serve with lots of napkins for wiping buttery fingers!

Corn on the cob

hit A guarantekeidds! with the

Serves 8 3 large corn on the cob 25g butter 4tbsp soft brown sugar 2tbsp water

1 2

Cut the corn on the cob into 3-4cm sections. Cook in boiling water for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Melt the butter, sugar and water in a large frying pan over low heat. Add the cooked corn cobs and cook over a low heat gently for about five minutes, turning frequently to prevent the sugar from burning. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Fat

Sat. Fat

Protein

Sodium

0.03g

80kcal 1g

66 3.PARTY TIME_56-81-2907.indd 66

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It’s Party Time!

or plastic cowboy For an easier option, get straw and toy hats and fill them with a gun fingeholrstepupr, pets, snakes, lizards or horses, horse colate coins. plastic sheriff’s badges or cho

Drawstring loot bags Fat Protein

33g

Sat. Fat

20g

Carb

13g

Sodium

0.3g

Sugar

4.4g

Energy Fibre

360kcal 0g

Cowboy cups Serves 12 1 lemon flavoured jelly tablet ½ cup boiling water 500g cream cheese, softened ½ packet rich tea biscuits 150g melted butter 1 additional jelly tablet (choose your favourite flavour) 285ml additional hot water

1 Dissolve the jelly tablet in ½ a cup of boiling water. 2 Allow to cool slightly then whisk into the cream cheese until

Per loot bag: Hessian material, measuring 200mm x 400mm Needle and thread Cord or string Sheriff’s badge Sweets for inside the bag

1 2 3 4

Fold the material in half and sew the two sides together, leaving the top open. Fold under about 20mm and sew a hem to form a casing, leaving a small section open to thread the cord through. Turn inside out and thread the cord through the casing. Tie the ends of cord together. Attach a sherrif’s badge to the bag and fill with treats like toy snakes, mini dream catchers, water pistols and sweets.

Cooking class

for the little ones

smooth.

3 Crush the rich tea biscuits and combine with the butter. 4 Press into the base of 12 small cups or glasses or a 30cm round or 5 6

square shallow dish. Pour over the cream cheese filling, then spread evenly to cover the biscuit base. Make up the additional jelly with the remaining water according to the packet instructions. Allow to cool to an egg white consistency, then gently pour the cheesecake filling into each glass or cup. Set until firm in the fridge, and serve.

fun. Ask st be e th be n ca s it u sc bi Crushing s into a zip it u sc bi e th t u p to lt u d a an against g ba e th sh ba en th nd a lock bag e biscuits look th il nt u er nt u co n he tc ki the completely mushed up. 67

3.PARTY TIME_56-81-2907.indd 67

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On the Menu:

Clown pizza Jumbo fries Finger lickin’ ch icken Jelly custard cu ps Strawberry pops icles Clown smiles Yummy popcor n clusters Clown birthday cake

Pipe the icing for maximum effect!

Top cake icing tips:

ire oughly on a w is cooled thor ke ca ur ld be yo ou at th r cooking sh 1. Make sure one hour afte ut bo (a g tin ar rack before st cake the top of the fine). lly cutting off fu re ca by f any ke of ca rface. Brush 2. Level your decorating su en ev an ve so that you ha ing . er the cake, us loose crumbs r of icing all ov ye la in th It a s. ad doing the side 3. Gently spre top and then e th at in g ke tin ar ca a spatula, st e. Place the ct at this stag rfe pe you be s ve to gi doesn’t have crumbs and This sets any s. ur on’t ho D 2 . 1g’ r the fridge fo ‘crumb coatin off. It’s called k or w th to oo se m a super-s a smooth ba the secret to e because it’s skip this stag nish. sides. professional fi and then the ting at the top ar st , ke as you ca ke ur ce of your ca 4. Now ice yo uch the surfa to a ul at ce. sp rfa ur su Never let yo imming the ould just be sk sh u Yo g. in ic spread the

Trouble shnsooistetersnc:y of icing works best. Try addiorngk wa itfeh.w 1. A thin co

w g it difficult to if you’re findin be, dip your to it e drops of water lik d ooth as you’ sm as t n’ is g smooth out 2. If your icin then use it to dry it off and , er at w t ho times. spatula in do this a few may need to the icing. You

Ruff Collar

Hat

Use this template as a guide for your clown cake!

68 3.PARTY TIME_56-81-2907.indd 68

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It’s Party Time!

Under the big top

There’s no clowning around when it comes to creating this amazing party! Look for the brightest coloured sweets to ensure maximum sparkle!

Clown birthday cake Serves 16 For the cake: 6 eggs 450g sugar 500g flour 6tsp baking powder Pinch of salt 270ml vegetable oil 270ml water 2tsp vanilla essence For the icing: 300g butter, at room temperature 3 cups icing sugar sieved 1tsp vanilla essence 5tsp boiling water A few drops red food colouring To decorate: Assorted sweets e.g. Smarties, liquorice, jellies Silver balls

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

First make the cake. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ gas mark 4. Beat the eggs, then gradually add the sugar and beat until thick and pale. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. In another bowl, lightly whisk the oil, water and vanilla essence to combine. Gently fold the dry ingredients, alternating with the liquid into the egg mixture. Divide the cake mixture into two tins: one round tin measuring 200mm in diameter and one square tin measuring 210mm in diameter. Bake for 45 minutes or until an inserted

Fat Protein

8 9

skewer comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely before icing. Make the icing by creaming the butter and icing sugar together.

10 Add the boiling water, a little at a time 11 12 13

14 15 16 17

and mix until the desired consistency is reached. Add the vanilla essence. Once the icing has been mixed, remove a quarter of the icing, place in a small bowl and mix with a few drops of red food colouring until you get a bright red. Now assemble the cake. The round cake is obviously used for the face, and the hat and ruff are cut from the square cake as shown in the cutting layout on the opposite page. Join all the sections together and ‘crumb coat’ the cake (see opposite). Add another layer of white icing and use a star nozzle to pipe the icing around the edges of the ruff to define the scallops, as well as around the edge of the hat. Decorate with the sweets, forming eyes, cheeks and hair from jellies; eyebrows from strips of liquorice and the hat and ruff from Smarties. Use a toothpick to draw the outline of the mouth, then using the star nozzle, define it with red icing. Ice a centre strip of white to separate the lips or insert a long white sweet (a jelly snake cut in half). Finish by placing the silver balls in position. Ice any spare cake cuttings and enjoy as your cook’s treat!

35g

Sat. Fat

12g

Carb

74g

Energy

Sodium

0.1g

Sugar

50g

Fibre

609kcal 0g

69 3.PARTY TIME_56-81-2907.indd 69

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Clown pizza Serves 8 1 large ready-made margarita pizza 1 large cherry tomato 50g white Cheddar 50g red Cheddar 2 olives Slice of green pepper

1 2 3 4 5

Fat

14g

Sat. Fat

Protein

16g

Sodium

0.4g

Carb

33g

Energy

Sugar

2.3g

Fibre

314kcal 0.1g

Finuischhinesg o T Add a sprinkling of

Clown smiles

Bake the pizza according to the instructions on the package. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before decorating. Place the tomato in the middle of the pizza to form the nose. Cut four star shapes (two large and two small) out of the two Cheddars. Place on top of each other and use the olives to form pupils. Cut two heart shapes out of the remaining cheese and use to form cheeks. Lastly, form the mouth with the slice of green pepper to complete your clown’s face.

Great ideas

Party hats, clown noses and silly music can all help set the carnival atmosphere. Cream pies are another typical clown food. These can be made very simply using a shop-bought pastry case, lemon jelly and whipped cream. Simply place the pastry case in a tinfoil pastry dish. Make the jelly according to the packet instructions, pour into the pastry case and leave to set. Before serving, cover with the whipped cream, lay plastic covering on your furniture and take cover so nobody creams you in the face!

freshly ground peppg.er just before servin

Makes 24 1 orange jelly tablet 250ml boiling water 8 large ripe oranges

1 Make up the jelly with the boiling water and allow to cool slightly. 2 Slice the oranges in half and scoop out 1tbsp of pulp from each orange half.

3 Arrange the orange halves facing up on a tray, and carefully fill with the cooled jelly.

4 Refrigerate until set, and then slice each half into wedges to create smiles.

3 ways to set the scene • • •

Fat

0.7g

Sat. Fat

Carb

Energy

Protein

0.6g

Sodium

Sugar

Fibre

22kcal 0.13g

70 3.PARTY TIME_56-81-2907.indd 70

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It’s Party Time!

. . . t s s P thy than ies are so much more heal

Jumbo fr use a spray bottle u yo if lly cia pe es s, ip ch frozen re baking. to mist them with oil befo

Fat

28g

Sat. Fat

Protein

46g

Sodium

0.8g

Carb Sugar

12g 11.5g

Energy Fibre

478kcal 0g

Finger-lickin’ chicken

Fat

Sat. Fat

0.3g

Protein

Sodium

Jumbo fries Serves 6 4 large baking potatoes 3tbsp olive oil 1tsp sea salt

Carb

38g

Energy

Sugar

1.4g

Fibre

180kcal 0g

favourite Dip in youomr ato, sweet sauce – t barbecue. chilli or

1 Turn the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. 2 Scrub the potatoes under running water and cut each potato in half

Serves 8 1kg chicken pieces e.g. drumsticks & wings 4tbsp honey 2tbsp mustard 1tbsp olive oil For the dipping sauce: 2tbsp tomato ketchup 1tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1tbsp mustard 2tbsp brown sugar

1 2 3

? No barbecuein Cook them 40 the oven fosrtead. minutes in

Combine the honey, mustard and olive oil in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat all over. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Make the dipping sauce by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl. Cook covered in the microwave on high (100%) for one minute. Place the chicken in a single layer over hot coals and brush over the remaining marinade. Barbecue for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is well-browned and cooked through. Serve chicken with the dipping sauce .

lengthways, then in half again and again, to form 8 wedges.

3 Dry the wedges on a tea towel, place in a roasting tin and sprinkle with olive oil and sea salt.

4 Cook for 10 minutes, turn and cook for another 10 minutes. 5 Serve in paper cones (party hats turned upside down with the elastic cut off).

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Allow your custard toe set before pouring on th layer of jelly!

Jelly custard cups Makes 8 1 x 290g tub ready-made custard 1 jelly tablet of your choice 250ml water

1 Half fill eight small cups or glasses with the custard. 2 Allow them to cool in the fridge while making the jelly. 3 Combine the jelly tablet and water according to packet instructions, cool, and then pour over the custard.

4 Set in the fridge until firm, and then serve.

Cooking class Fat Protein

2.2g

Sat. Fat

Sodium

0.03g

Carb

5.6g

Energy

Sugar

5.6g

Fibre

for the little ones

49kcal 0g

by mixing lly je r u vo a fl n ow r ou y Make tablets lly je r u vo a fl te ri u vo fa r together you ecial jelly! sp n ow ry ve r ou y te ea to cr

Top Tip You can use any kind of soft fruit

in these popsicles, jut make sure that they are puréed first. If you want super smooth results, sieve the fruit to get rid of any seeds.

Strawberry popsicles Makes 6 1 jelly tablet of your choice 250ml boiling water ½ punnet of strawberries, washed and puréed 150ml fruit yoghurt

1 2 3

Creamy and delicious ice pops!

Dissolve the jelly tablet in the boiling water and allow to cool slightly. Combine the dissolved jelly, fruit yoghurt and puréed fruit and mix well. Pour mixture into ice pop moulds and freeze for four hours, or until required.

Fat

0.8g

Sat. Fat

0.5g

Protein

1.5g

Sodium

Carb Sugar

9g 8.2g

Energy Fibre

45kcal 0.7g

72 3.PARTY TIME_56-81-2907.indd 72

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It’s Party Time!

Yummy Carnival-themed food:

• • •

Party favours with food tickets

Fat Protein

Sat. Fat

0.5g

Carb

19g

Energy

0.5g

Sodium

0.3g

Sugar

16g

Fibre

120kcal

Yummy popcorn clusters Serves 20-25 250g chewy toffee sweets 60g ready-made or homemade popcorn 4-6tbsp milk

1 2 3

Heat the sweets in a saucepan over a medium heat until the toffees have melted into a smooth and sticky mixture. Add a few tablespoons of milk – this prevents the sugar in the toffee from getting too hard. Take the saucepan off the heat and add the popcorn. Mix well to make sure all the popcorn is covered in the toffee mixture. Wait for it to cool down a little, then use two dessert spoons to form clusters of toffee popcorn. Place the popcorn clusters onto a large plate and place in the refrigerator to set once you’ve used all the mixture. Serve your clusters in bowls.

Per favour: Stiff white card Stiff card or paper in different colours Scissors Coloured inkpens Craft glue 2 large googly eyes 1 red pompom Small gift box Lollipop

1 2 3 4 5

Finishinesg h c u o T A pom pom makes

a great clown nose!

Cut a clown face shape out of the white card by first drawing the shape and then carefully cutting it out. Colour the hair, mouth, hat and bow-tie with coloured inkpens. Stick the pompom on for the nose. Then stick the clown’s face onto the gift box. Secure a lollipop under the clown’s hat. To make the food tickets, cut the card to size and snip off the corners. Outline each ticket with a broken black line and write the party snacks on the front e.g. Hot Dog or Popcorn. You could add a drawing of the item so that younger children can easily identify the cards. Place the ‘tickets’ inside the party favour boxes and get the children to ‘redeem’ their tickets for food.

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On the Menu:

Mini shepherdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pies Mini hotdogs Jam cookies Itsy bitsy spiders Jelly pigs Farmyard truck cake

Fun in the farm Yard A firm favourite, kids love all things animal-themed. If you want to be super authentic, why not prop a bale of hay outside your front door before the party begins?

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It’s Party Time!

s e h c u o T g n i h s d e FLionokiout for brightly ocuolor ucarke in

orating y sweets for daedcing up to the party! the week le

Farmyard truck cake Serves 10-14 For the jelly trailer: 2 Lime jelly tablets 1 pint boiling water For the cake: 125g butter 215g caster sugar 2 large eggs 280g self-raising flour 10ml baking powder 20g cocoa powder 250ml milk For the icing: 215g icing sugar 125g butter 30g cocoa powder To decorate: 3 boxes Oreo or Kimberley biscuits Pretzels Wafer biscuits Liquorice Allsorts Smarties For the hay bales: 100g desiccated coconut Reserved cake Reserved icing

Note

e the n mak er You ca ix rath cake m f o ly t u o r. Simp trailer u prefe o y e if k y a ll cipe, b than je cake re e te th a ecor double s and d to loaf tin o tw l ’l need in d. You te c u tr g too. as ins the icin double

3 4

First make the jelly trailer by dissolving the jelly tablets into the boiling water. Pour into a 28cm loaf tin and place in the fridge to set, preferably overnight. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Make the cake by firstly greasing and lining a 28cm loaf tin. Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sieve the dry ingredients and mix into the creamed mixture, followed by the milk. Pour into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool for ten minutes, then remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack. Make the icing by sieving the icing sugar and beating in the butter, until well mixed,

Fat Protein

7 8

adding a little milk if the mixture is too stiff. Stir through the cocoa powder. To assemble the truck, first cut a 10cm piece off the end of the chocolate loaf. Then cut a square out of the front of the truck to form the windscreen and bonnet. Set aside the trimmed pieces. Place the trimmed cake on the final tray or board that you’re going to serve it on. Spread the icing over the engine. Save any leftover icing to make hay bales. Invert the jelly trailer behind the engine on the tray or board. If you struggle to get it out of the tin, dip the bottom of the tin into boiling water for a minute before turning it upside down.

12 13

Now start decorating the cake. First use the Oreo biscuits to make wheels, putting a blob of icing on the back of them to stick them to the cake. Put one on each side of the engine and four onto each side of the trailer. Stick a Smartie onto the middle of each wheel with a blob of icing. Finish decorating the engine by using two yellow Liquorice Allsorts for the headlights and sticking Smarties onto the bonnet and roof. Use wafer biscuits to make the windscreen, windows and doors. Reserve the remainder of the icing. Now decorate the trailer by breaking 3 pretzels in half and inserting a stick into the four corners of the jelly trailer. Put another stick in the middle of each side of the trailer. Trim the wafer biscuits to fit between the pretzel sticks to form the sides of the trailer. Fill the trailer with plastic farm animals. Crush the remaining Oreo biscuits and sprinkle them around the cake to look like dirt. To make the hay bales cut the reserved cake into cubes and ice each cube on all sides with the reserved icing. Toss each cube with the toasted coconut and arrange them around the truck.

17g

Sat. Fat

11g

Carb

50g

Energy

Sodium

0.4g

Sugar

35g

Fibre

360kcal 0g

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Mini shepherd’s pies Serves 4 2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped 125ml milk 1tsp olive oil 450g lean beef mince 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 medium carrot, grated 125ml water 1tbsp tomato purée 1tsp soy sauce 1tsp Worcestershire sauce ½ small beef stock cube, crumbled 1tbsp flour 2tbsp water, extra 100g cheese, grated

ritious Cute and nourte could what m nt! you wa

1 Put the potatoes on to boil until soft. Drain and mash the potatoes and mix in the milk until smooth. Set aside and keep warm.

2 In the meantime, heat the oil in a pan, add the mince, onion and carrot and stir until the mince is browned all over.

3 Stir in the water, tomato purée, sauces and stock cube. Bring to the Fat

26g

Sat. Fat

12g

Carb

27g

Protein

35g

Sodium

369g

Sugar

Energy

475kcal

Fibre

0.6g

boil and simmer uncovered for five minutes.

4 Blend the flour into the 2tbsp of extra water and stir the mixture into the mince. Boil until the mixture boils and thickens.

5 Spoon into four small ramekins and top with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top and bake in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes until the topping is lightly browned.

Top Tip If you’re making lots of mini hot dogs, cook the sausages with a teaspoon of oil in a hot oven for about 20 minutes.

Hand-helds! deliciousnes

Mini hot dogs Makes 8 8 small sausages 8 small cocktail rolls Butter To serve: Mustard Ketchup

1 Fry the sausages in a frying pan until cooked through and leave on kitchen paper to drain.

2 Cut the cocktail rolls in half and butter lightly. 3 Decorate with a squiggle of mustard and serve with a bowl of ketchup. Fat Protein

23g

Sat. Fat

11g

Carb

21g

Sodium

0.4g

Sugar

Energy Fibre

319kcal 2g

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It’s Party Time!

Cooking class

for the little ones

roll out the s, ie ok co ng ki a m e ’r ou y When the same is it il nt u ce a rf su d re dough on a flou little finger nail. Then cut thickness as your using a cookie cutter. your cookies out

Party Bag Per bag: Thin pink card Scissors Black marker Pink pipe cleaners Gift bags Toy eyes Craft glue Fat Protein

22g

Sat. Fat

13g

Carb

64g

Energy

Sodium

0.3g

Sugar

30g

Fibre

455kcal 0.04g

Jam cookies Makes 40 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup caster sugar 1 large egg 1tsp vanilla essence 2tsp baking powder 1tsp salt 350g plain flour 4tsp strawberry jam, heated

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. 2 Cream the butter and sugar. 3 Beat in the egg and vanilla. 4 Sift the baking powder, salt and flour together. 5 Add one cup at a time to the butter mixture. The dough should be 6 7 8

quite stiff. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half out on a floured surface and cut cookies using animalshaped cutters. Use the back of a spoon to make an indent in each cookie and fill with jam. Bake the cookies on a lined baking tray for about eight minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and serve.

1 2 3 4 5

Add unusual sweets and little toys as a parting gift.

Trace the pig shapes on these pages and cut out of pink card, cutting two body pieces for every bag. Colour in the trotters with a black marker. Turn the pipe cleaner into a corkscrew shape and cut slightly shorter. Make a tiny hole in the card at the tail marking, insert the tail, then paste onto the back of the gift bag. Glue the eyes and mouth onto the piggy face and colour in the ears, mouth and nostrils using the black marker. Fold a 2.5cm x 5cm piece of pink card into a small concertina or fan. Glue one end to the snout and the other end to the face. Glue the piggy face and the other body piece to the front of the bag and leave to dry. Fill the bags with a selection of plastic toys like balls or tops and farmyard animals, or perhaps even a tractor, animal-shaped jelly sweets and animal stickers.

3 ways to set the scene • •

•

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Top Tip

Make these bites the morning of the party.Be sure to store in a cool space until party time. Don’t keep them in the fridge though, they’ll go soggy.

s can be foyuonudr k ic t s l e z t e r P section of in the Polisshupermarket local

Extra farmyard treats:

n • Hoe-down fried chicke n tzels, nuts and popcor pre of • Chicken feed mix • Homefries (thick cut

chips)

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It’s Party Time!

FToyintreeiss anhdinbugshesTadoduacflahvoeurs of the outdoors.

Note

Itsy bitsy spiders Makes about 15 100g margarine or butter, softened 2tbsp Marmite 100g Cheddar, grated 30 savoury biscuits Pretzel sticks

ave don’t h If you ke the a ulds, m water o m y jell lf the ing ha a firm) jelly us that it’s extr o allow (s h s d require r into a small u en use and po dish. Set, th out e r a to cut squ cutters es. p a h cookie s uired the req

1 Mix the margarine or butter with the Marmite and add the grated Cheddar.

2 Spread a little of the mixture onto a savoury biscuit. 3 Cover with another savoury biscuit. 4 Break pretzel sticks into pieces and stick them into the filling, four 5

on each side, to resemble legs. Make two dots on the top of the biscuit with Marmite, to form eyes.

Fat

Sat. Fat

2.6g

Carb

16g

Protein

Sodium

0.2g

Sugar

0.4g

Energy Fibre

130kcal

Fat

0.6g

Sat. Fat

0.3g

Protein

0.9g

Sodium

elf. When rs ou y r te a w ng ili bo le Never hand lways ask an a , lly je e lik ng hi et m so making for you so r te a w e th r ou p nd a il adult to bo rned fingers! bu h it w p u d en r ve ne ou that y

Energy Fibre

Makes 3 pigs 1 packet strawberry jelly ½ pint boiling water White and brown jelly beans, liquorice and red lollipops to decorate

73kcal 0g

ce, If you don’t like liqstuoearid! use black jellies in

for the little ones

17g 14g

Jelly pigs

Cooking class

Carb Sugar

Dissolve the jelly into the boiling water. Place into 3 x 6cm jelly moulds (for the head of the pig) and 3 x 2.5cm moulds (for the pigs’ snouts). Leave to set in the fridge. Turn the set jelly out onto a serving plate, placing the ‘snout’ onto the ‘head’. Decorate the pigs by forming eyes and nostrils from the jelly beans. Break the sticks off the lollipops and use the candy part to form ears. Cut the liquorice to form the mouth and insides of the ears.

Great ideas

Animal-loving boys and girls love the farmyard theme. For an edible version of pin the tail on the donkey, make the donkey shape out of rice crispie cake. Simply melt two Mars bars and one large bar of chocolate, and stir in one pack of rice crispies. Draw a large donkey shape on a piece of card and cover with cling film. Pile the rice crispie mix on top, inside the lines of the shape, and push a cherry into the mix to mark where the tail goes. Push a skewer through the top of a liquorice string for a tail and you’re done!

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Witches & Wizards Party Channel your inner Harry Potter with this magical celebration!

See step by step to make this cake on page 83

On the Menu: Snake collywobbles Spell jellies Magical witchesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hats ke Wizardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birthday ca

ahead Make thesoe avoid of time t ssary any unnecestress! pre-party

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It’s Party Time!

s e h c u o T g in h is in F ag m e extra ical, If you want to make thes lly e when the je at ol oc ch ed elt m h it w r ve co e children bite is set. That way, whendn athmulti-coloured into them, they’ll fi within! surprise

Note

obbles Collyw These with e mad can be lly je r u o v any fla ke! you li

Fat Protein

0.06g

Sat. Fat

Carb

0.2g

Sodium

Sugar

3g 2.2g

Energy Fibre

11kcal 0g

Spell jellies Makes 36 jellies 1 lemon jelly tablet Small jelly bears, jelly monsters or jelly babies

Fat

0.3g

Sat. Fat

0.2g

Protein

0.3g

Sodium

Carb

Energy

Sugar

Fibre

28kcal 0.1g

Snake collywobbles Makes 12 1 lime jelly tablet 1 lemon jelly tablet 6 jelly snakes

1 2

Make the jelly according to the packet instructions and leave to set. Place the jelly snakes in each glass, with the snake’s ‘head’ coming out over the edge. When the jelly has set, pile into each glass, layering green first, then yellow and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

2 3 4

Make the lemon jelly according to the packet instructions. Allow to cool for five minutes. Place a jelly bear in each cube of an ice cube tray. Pour the cooled jelly over each bear and place in the fridge to set. Once set, carefully remove using the tip of a butter knife and teaspoon. Arrange on a plate and serve.

Make and Do! Magic Wand Per wand: ce of wood) 40cm piece of 8mm dowel (cylindrical pie Craft knife Black and gold craft paint Paintbrush tip of one end of the 1 Using the craft knife, carve the int the wand with a coat dowel to create a crooked effect. Pa ecorate the base of black craft paint and leave totodrydry. D . with gold craft paint and leave

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Magical witches’ hats Makes 12 1 quantity basic icing (from Wizard’s hat cake opposite) 2-3 food colourings of your choice 12 ice-cream cones 12 digestive biscuits To decorate: Assorted sweets Coloured balls

1 2 3

Fat Protein

31g

Sat. Fat

20g

Carb

68g

Energy

Sodium

0.3g

Sugar

55g

Fibre

549kcal

n decorating You will have the bencste thfue jelly is set, use your witches’ hats.gOof your favourite sweets some icing and a ba decorate! to

Make and Do!

Invisible cloak Per cloak: 150 x 100cm black fabric e.g. satin 100 x 50cm gold fabric Appliqué paper 150cm black cord or ribbon Black sewing thread the black fabric 1 Fold a narrow hem around allingsidaloesngofone of the 150cm and stitch in place. Stitch a cas h. sides for the cord to pass througpes on this page onto 2 Trace the star and moon sha ply the appliqué paper onto appliqué paper and cut out. Ap the shapes onto the gold the back of the gold fabric. Pinn the gold fabric shapes onto fabric and cut out and then iro e that the iron is at the the cloak at random, making sur right setting for the fabric. ing and tie a knot at each 3 Insert the cord through the cas end of the cord to secure.

Prepare the icing and divide it between two or three bowls and give each one a different colour with a few drops of food colouring. Spread a thick layer of icing on a digestive biscuit and stick a cone down onto the biscuit, so that the digestive is on the bottom. Repeat with the remaining cones and biscuits. Spoon the remaining icing into piping bags and pipe patterns onto the cones. Decorate with lollies and coloured balls. Leave to harden.

3 ways to set the scene •

table with black sparkles to make it as spooky as possible! • stickers and glitter. • spiders to add a witchy feel!

Party Favours

These little boxes make novel party gifts. Buy a small box for each guest and fill with assorted jelly monsters, snakes and sweets. Think creepy! Thread a piece of ribbon through a buckle from a toy or craft shop and place on top of the box. Secure the ribbon under the box with a piece of sticky tape.

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It’s Party Time!

Wizard’s hat birthday cake

Serves 15-20 For the gold stars: 125g almond marzipan Edible gold lustre powder Icing sugar for rolling out Star-shaped cookie cutter For the cake: 1 Chivers strawberry jelly tablet 340g caster sugar 340g soft butter 6 large eggs 35ml milk 420g self-raising flour For the basic icing: 250g soft butter 450g sifted icing sugar 15ml hot water 5ml vanilla extract Black food colouring Piping bag with small nozzle To decorate: 1 large piece of black cardboard Sticky tape

2 5

3 6

5 6

7 8

Make the jelly by dissolving the strawberry tablet in ½ pint boiling water. Add enough cold water to make ¾ pint and pour into a shallow dish or tin (a pizza tin is ideal). To make the stars, lightly dust a clean surface with icing sugar and roll out the marzipan to 2mm thickness. Cut out star shapes using your cutters. Place on a plate and allow to dry. Once dry, paint with dry edible gold luster powder using a pastry brush or small paintbrush. The kids can help with this. Preheat the oven to 150ºC/ gas mark 2. Grease and line a 28cm/11inch round cake tin with baking paper.

Fat Protein

10 11 12

26g

Sat. Fat

16g

Carb

63g

Energy

Sodium

0.3g

Sugar

47g

Fibre

To assemble the cake place the two halves of the cake on a clean flat surface.Take the jelly out of the fridge and slice with a knife. Carefully lift the jelly slices using a spatula and arrange on one half of the cake, completely covering it. Top with another half of the sponge. Cover the sides and top of the cake with icing. Make a cone shape using the black cardboard and seal with sticky tape or glue. Place the cone on top of the cake. Fill a piping bag with icing and pipe dots around the cone and stick a gold marzipan star on each dot. Stick the remaining stars around the sides of the cake.

•

Note

out n leave You ca yer if you y la the jell leave Either r. prefe le or e who the cak jam or h fill wit icing

Other witchy food: •

Put the caster sugar, butter, eggs and milk into a large mixing bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon and then beat with an electric beater for one minute. Sift the flour into the bowl and stir with a metal spoon to combine. Spoon into the prepared tin, smooth the surface and place in the preheated oven. Bake for one hour or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pan, then remove and slice in half. Set aside. Make the icing by beating the butter until light. Add the sifted icing sugar, hot water and vanilla extract and beat until soft and creamy. Stir in the black food colouring and a little more hot water if the icing is too thick.

486kcal 0.4g

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Special Ocassions

Special Occasions

Save on time and stress by involving the whole family in the preparations for all kinds of celebrations. Pop a kitchen step beside you and give your little people a job that will have them working with you, feeling as though they are as responsible as anyone else for the feast that the family will eat!

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Involve the kids in the whole experience of a special occasion by getting crafty! Gather the whole family around the kitchen table, with some music on the stereo and a box of craft supplies and make decorations for your celebratory feast!

Christmas

Table manners: Encourage the kids to make their own Christmas place mats. Give them a sheet of A4 paper, some colouring pens, pencils, stickers, and lots of glitter and Christmas sparkles. When their place mats are decorated, get them laminated or cover them in clear school book covering and cut out. Cookie envy: Roll out some cookie dough and give your kids festive pastry cutters to cut out ornaments. Make a small hole at the top of each cookie using a straw, pencil or toothpick, then bake in the oven at 180˚C/gas mark 4 for 15 minutes. Allow to cool and decorate with icing tubes and thread some ribbon or string through the top!

Safety First! Keep it safe: Make sure all cooking and crafts are done with adult supervision. Give young children plastic knives or small flexible icing spatulas for cutting soft vegetables or decorating cakes and cookies. For crafts, offer blunt-edged scissors and non-toxic and washable paints, markers and glue. Glue guns are for adults only. Keep it clean: Cover your table with an inexpensive vinyl or oilcloth tablecloth for a work surface that is big and easy to clean. Have plenty of paper towels and damp sponges ready for quick clean-up. Keep it simple: Remember your child’s age and attention span before starting any cooking or craft project. Start by preparing quick and easy crafts or treats.

ay D s r’ he ot M pop sticks can make a ice er -ov fect: Frames made from left

Picture per ice pop sticks together of r pai a g ein glu by art St . me fra to fabulous pho to make the four sides of yourmafrakemethe. side-by-side. Repeat three timthees rig side of a flat surface to Place one of the pairs down onepeat thihts for the left side and then glue the right side of your frame. R lolly sticks across them. Leave the frame top and the bottom pairs of icea piece of thick card. Paint the frame in a to dry completely and glue to dry and fit a photo in the frame! bright colour, leave to

Making Christmasty for decorations is an actotivienjoy! the whole family

The Essential Craft Kit!

Coloured paper and card Craft glue Paint and paint brushes Pens and pencils Glitter Sequins, beads and old buttons Safety scissors During any craft activity there is bound to be mess. Paint, glitter, glue and other craft materials tend to get everywhere, so get your kids to wear an apron or paint shirt and cover your table and your floor with a plastic sheet or newspaper. Keep a wastepaper basket on hand and encourage your little ones to clean up as they go.

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Special Occasions

4 Halloween

Pumpkin carving: Kids love designing scary faces on pumpkins, but can get bored scooping out the insides. Combat this by buying smaller pumpkins and having a carving competition. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to leave the lid off the pumpkin when the candle is lit! Doughnuts on a string: This is a classic Halloween game that kids love! Hang a number of plain doughnuts from a string. The winner is the first to eat their entire doughnut without using their hands.

Easter

Host an egg-decorating party: Why not throw an egg-decorating party one or two weeks before Easter and decorate some blown eggs? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really simple to blow out eggs following these simple steps. 1. Make sure the eggs are at room temperature. 2. Carefully pierce a hole in each end of the egg with a large sewing needle. Make the hole at the fat end of the egg bigger. Stick the needle into the egg and puncture the yolk. 3. Position yourself over a large mixing bowl and gently blow through the small hole, until the egg is empty. If you break a few just use the contents to make scrambled eggs or pancakes! 4. Rinse your blown eggs in a bowl of water of water then return them to the egg carton to dry. 5. Decorate with paint, markers, stickers or glitter when dry.

ValenI lovtie youne,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;sspud.Day

Use heart-shaped cutters to cut heart shapes out of potatoes. Dip the hearts in paint and stamp home made cards or fabric squares with endearments!

Make some edible play dough with marzipan: Massage food colouring into chunks of prepared marzipan and let your children play with it as they would modelling clay. Form bunnies, chicks, eggs and other Easter shapes to decorate cupcakes or a cake, or simply eat like sweets. Throw an egg hunt: Hide chocolate eggs in the garden and send the kids off to hunt them! Make sure that they are wrapped well in cling film or foil to protect them against the elements!

The greatest gift a Mum can get is a delicious breakfast in bed, made by her children.

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Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day Let the love flow with these heart-filled treats that will make you feel like the luckiest person in the world!

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Special Occasions

You can make your chocolate kisstosesre in advance and either freeze or in an airtight container!

Note

Chocolate kisses

roughly gh into be using u o d ll Ro u will in cling ape yo the sh re wrapping fridge. e fo e it in, b chilling in th a pastry g d film an u’ll be makin ick disc th yo E.g. If oll out into a makes case, r chilling. This work before ch easier to es it mu hen it com with w the fridge. out of

Makes 20 140g butter, softened 100g icing sugar 1 drop vanilla essence 1 egg yolk 200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting For the chocolate icing: 125g icing sugar, sieved 4tbsp cocoa powder Few drops hot water

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Using a hand whisk, beat together the butter, icing sugar and vanilla essence until the mixture is light and creamy. Add the egg yolk and beat well. Stir in the flour and mix to form a firm dough using your hands. Knead into a ball, flatten into a disc shape, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for one hour. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/gas mark 4 and grease two non-stick baking trays. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to a thickness of 5mm. Use a knife or cookie cutter to cut out ‘X’ shapes in the dough. Arrange the shapes on the baking trays and bake for 8-10 minutes or until firm and golden brown. While the cookies are baking, make the icing. Put the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add a few drops of hot water to the bowl and beat together to make a smooth icing. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to settle for one minute before removing them with a palette knife onto a cooling rack. Once the cookies have cooled, ice them carefully using the back of a teaspoon, leave to set and enjoy!

Fat

Sat. Fat

Protein

Sodium

0.1g

Carb

20g

Energy

Sugar

12g

Fibre

143kcal 0g

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Love-heart cupcakes Serves 12 100g soft margarine 100g caster sugar 2 eggs 150g self-raising flour Few drops milk 200g icing sugar 50g marzipan 2 drops red food colouring

1 2 3 4 Fat

Sat. Fat

1.8g

Carb

38g

Energy

Protein

Sodium

0.1g

Sugar

28g

Fibre

232kcal 0.3g

The sweetest of treats!

Preheat the oven to 190Â°C/gas mark 5. Place the first four ingredients into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add a little drop of milk if the mixture is very thick. Place the cupcake paper cases into a muffin tin and spoon some mixture into each. Make sure each case gets a similar amount so that your cakes will be even in size. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Make the icing by blending a little water with the icing sugar. Add the water slowly so that the icing remains slightly stiff. Spread the cakes with the icing and leave to set. Meanwhile, place the marzipan on a plate. Using a dropper, add the red food colouring. Wearing gloves, knead the marzipan until the colour is evenly distributed. Roll the marzipan out and either use a cookie cutter or a knife to cut out love heart shapes. Place these in the centre of the iced cakes and serve.

Top Tip Add crunch to your love shake by crumbling some crushed biscuits over the top!

Cupidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love-shake Makes 2 1 banana 20 strawberries 4tbsp vanilla ice cream 500ml milk

1 2 3

A super luxurious ry take on a milkshakfoe. rTa with raspberries tangier taste!

Peel and chop the banana and cut the strawberries in half on a chopping board. Using a tablespoon, scoop out the ice cream from the tub and place in the blender. Pour in the milk and add the fruit. Whiz up until the mixture is thick and creamy. Divide the milk shake between two glasses and enjoy. Fat

15g

Sat. Fat

Protein

12g

Sodium

0.2g

Carb

40g

Energy

Sugar

39g

Fibre

333kcal 4g

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Special Occasions

Cooking class

for the little ones

r baking ou y se a re g to r be em m re Always se a brush and U . ng ki ic st id vo a to t shee fore baking. be er tt bu d te el m or l oi paint on

Fat

13g

Sat. Fat

3.2g

Carb

16g

Protein

17g

Sodium

0.7g

Sugar

Energy

234kcal

Fibre

Hearty beanies

Fat Protein

Sat. Fat

0.2g

Carb

52g

Energy

6.3g

Sodium

0.1g

Sugar

24g

Fibre

300kcal 5g

Banana and chocolate pizzas Serves 4 4 easy peasy pizza bases (see page 17) 4tsp chocolate spread 2 bananas, peeled and sliced 4tbsp raspberries 1tbsp natural yoghurt icing sugar, for dusting

1 Preheat the oven to 180Â°C/gas mark 4. 2 Place each pizza base onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes and then remove from the oven.

3 Spread each pizza base with chocolate spread. 4 Divide the bananas and raspberries between each base. 5 Put a spoonful of natural yoghurt onto each one and dust with icing sugar.

6 Eat while still warm and enjoy!

Serves 2 1 x 200g tin baked beans 4 eggs 1tbsp milk Oil, for frying To serve: Hot buttered toast

d These are super eaensyt anto a a cute accompanimng fry! Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s morni

1 Carefully break the eggs into a bowl. 2 Add the milk and beat the eggs together with a whisk until they are light and frothy.

3 Heat a little oil in a frying pan and place metal heart-shaped cookie 4 5

cutters in the pan. Then carefully spoon a little egg into the cookie cutters to make heart-shaped omelettes. Gently warm the baked beans in a small saucepan over a medium heat and use a spoon to add them to the omelettes while they are cooking. Remove the heart shaped omelettes from the pan using a fish slice and tongs. You will know it is cooked once it turns golden and the egg has set. Serve with hot buttered toast.

Note

e your n mak You ca elettes ed om p a h s em thear king th e, stac m ti f o ing ahead of bak sheets n e it. e betw ou wa while y t n e e th m parch fly on up brie m e th . Heat rving fore se pan be

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Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day Give your mother the day she deserves by preparing a meal to remember for her

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Special Occasions

4 Crack eggs carefullyl over a glass bow

Mumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special omelette Serves 1 2 eggs 1tsp butter 2tbsp water Handful chives, chopped 100g cottage cheese 6 cherry tomatoes, halved Handful rocket leaves Black pepper

1 2 3 4 5 6

Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them until they turn a pale yellow colour. Heat a heavy-based, non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat and melt the butter. When the butter in the pan is hot, pour in the eggs. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stir, just let the eggs cook for up to a minute or until the bottom starts to set. Sprinkle the chopped chives over the egg mixture. With a fish slice, gently push one edge of the egg into the centre of the pan, while tilting the pan to allow the still liquid egg to flow in underneath. Repeat with the other edges, until thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no liquid left. Your eggs should now resemble a bright yellow speckled pancake, which should easily slide around on the non-stick surface. If it sticks at all, loosen it with your fish slice. Now gently flip the omelette over, using your spatula to ease it over if necessary. Cook for another few seconds, or until there is no uncooked egg left. Slide the omelette onto a plate. Spoon the cottage cheese across the centre and garnish with the tomatoes and rocket. Season with black pepper and serve immediately.

Fat

19g

Sat. Fat

Protein

25g

Sodium

0.5g

Great ideas

Carb

Energy

Sugar

Fibre

290kcal 1.2g

Feel free to fill the omelette with whatever ingredients take your fancy. Some classic combinations are tomato, spinach and cheese, mushroom and ham, cheese and onion, and salmon with cream cheese. If you enjoy a combination in a sandwich, the chances are you will love it in an omelette!

Let Dad handle the hot pan

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Fluffiest ever scones Makes 12 350g self-raising flour, plus more for dusting ¼tsp salt 1tsp baking powder 85g butter, cut into cubes 3tbsp caster sugar 175ml milk 1tsp vanilla extract Beaten egg, to glaze To serve: Whipped cream Jam

After adding the wet ingredients, avoid handling the mixture too much.

1 2 3 Fat

Sat. Fat

Protein

Sodium

0.2g

Carb

38g

Energy

Sugar

10g

Fibre

242kcal 0.5g

Preheat oven to 220ºC/gas mark 7. Sieve the flour into a large bowl with the salt and baking powder, then mix. Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar. Put the milk into a jug and heat in the microwave for about 30 secs until warm, but not hot. Add the vanilla, then set aside for a moment. Put a baking sheet in the oven. Make a well in the dry mix, then add the liquid and combine it quickly with a fork – it will seem pretty wet at first. Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Dredge the dough and your hands with a little more flour, then fold the dough over 2-3 times until it’s a little smoother. Pat into a round about 4cm deep.

4 Take a 5cm cutter and dip it into some flour. Cut out from the

Mini banana pancakes Serves 4 100g flour 2tbsp sugar 1 egg 250ml buttermilk Oil for frying 1 banana, sliced Chocolate spread

Note

de be ma es can k a c n. n e a z P nd fro ance a ou y t in adv re tha ake su m et s s a u e J f gr sheet o n e e place a etw aper b proof p to stop e k a anc each p ! ticking them s

dough, then repeat until you have four scones. By this point you’ll probably need to press what’s left of the dough back into a round to cut out another four. Brush the tops with beaten egg, then carefully place onto the hot baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes until risen. Eat just warm or cold on the day of baking, generously topped with jam and cream.

1 Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl. 2 Add the sugar, egg and half the buttermilk to the flour in the bowl. 3 Whisk to a smooth paste. Add the rest of the buttermilk. Leave to 4

stand for about 20 minutes or prepare the night before and keep covered in the fridge until you need it. Heat a little oil in a pan. Pour 1tbsp of the mixture into the pan and tilt the pan so that the mixture spreads out a little. Cook until bubbles form on top of the pancake; this will take about one minute. Turn your pancake over and cook for about two minutes on the other side. You can cook several mini pancakes at a time depending on the size of your pan. Stack three or four pancakes on each plate and top with chocolate spread and banana slices. Set up a tray for Mum and surprise her with breakfast in bed.

Fat

Sat. Fat

0.7g

Carb

42g

Energy

Protein

Sodium

0.05g

Sugar

23g

Fibre

230kcal 1g

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Special Occasions

Carefully cut the oranargedss in half, cutting tow d. the chopping boar

Fat

7.4g

Sat. Fat

4.5g

Carb

Energy

Protein

0.6g

Sodium

0.01g

Sugar

Fibre

93kcal 0g

Chocolate truffles Makes 25 small truffles 227g dark chocolate 180ml double cream 28g unsalted butter Cocoa, to coat

1 Chop the chocolate and place in a metal bowl. Set aside. 2 Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat Fat Protein

0.3g

Sat. Fat

Carb

34g

Energy

Sodium

Sugar

27g

Fibre

Mumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pamper juice

149kcal 0g

3 4 5

Makes 1 glass 2 oranges 50ml cranberry juice

and bring to the boil. As soon as it boils, pour the cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for five minutes. Whisk until smooth. Cover, and place in the fridge until the mixture is firm. This will take several hours, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best to do it overnight. Put some of the cocoa on a plate. With a melon baller or small spoon, form the chocolate into round bite-sized balls. Roll each truffle in the coating and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet or tray. Cover and return to the fridge. Truffles can be refrigerated for a couple of weeks or else frozen for a couple of months. Bring to room temperature before serving.

1 Cut the oranges in half on a chopping board. 2 Squeeze the juice from the oranges with a lemon squeezer. 3 Pour the juice into a fancy glass and top off with a splash of cranberry juice.

Pour the cranberry juice on top of the orange juice for a cocktail-like effect! 95 4.Ocassions_83-117-2907-2.indd 95

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Easter

Celebrate Easter in the most traditional way... with lots of food!

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Special Occasions

s e h c u o T g n i h Finifsort of making the icingmcaazrinrogt!s

Go to the eaflly make the cake look a - they re

Bunny’s carrot cake Serves 10 175g butter 175g sugar 3 eggs 175g self-raising flour 200g grated carrots 50g walnuts, chopped 250g ready-to-roll icing 150g marzipan 2tbsp apricot jam 1 drop red food colouring 2 drops yellow food colouring 2 drops green food colouring

1 2 3 4 5

6 7

Note

uite work q Try to g workin when quickly tends it s a arzipan the with m kept in little if a . g n to dry lo r too open fo

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4 and grease a 20cm round cake tin. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then sieve in the flour and gently fold in. Fold in the grated carrots and chopped walnuts. Bake the cake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. For the icing, roll out the icing until it is ½cm thick. Spread the apricot jam all over the cake, and cover with the icing. Use your hands to press the icing onto the cake. Meanwhile, take 50g of the marzipan and place it on a plate. Using a dropper, add the red and yellow food colouring. Wearing gloves, knead the marzipan until the colour is evenly distributed and the it is an orange colour. Form into carrot shapes and score with a knife to create “carroty” ridges. Now take the remaining marzipan. Mix with the green food colouring in a similar way. Roll it out in a long strip until it is a ½cm thick. Cut one side so it resembles grass. Shape the cutoffs to resemble green carrot tops. Stick the long strip of “grass” to the side of the cake with a little jam. With a skewer, make a hole in the top of the orange carrots, and push the green carrot top into it. Arrange on top of the cake and dust with icing sugar.

Fat Protein

24g

Sat. Fat

24g

Carb

67g

Energy

Sodium

0.2g

Sugar

54g

Fibre

489kcal 1g

. . . t s s P an airThis cake will keep well in tight container for 3-5

days.

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Chocolate Nests Makes 12 200g cooking chocolate, chopped up 300g rice crispies 36 small chocolate eggs

1 Place the chocolate into a large glass bowl and melt in the microwave for one minute.

2 Add the rice crispies to the bowl and mix really well so that the crispies are well-coated with chocolate.

3 Put paper or foil cases on a tray and spoon some of the chocolate 4

Fat Protein

9.6g

Sat. Fat

6.6g

Carb

Sodium

0.2g

Sugar

43g 21.9g

Energy

mixture into each case. Make sure you put equal amounts into each one so that the nests are roughly the same size. Make a little hollow on top of each nest and pop three chocolate eggs on top. Allow to set for about 30 minutes.

262kcal

Fibre

Great ideas Mini Easter eggs add wow factor

Kids always have an abundance of Easter eggs, so why not use some to make a chocolate fondue? Chop up all the leftover chocolate and melt in the microwave for a minute. Stir, add 1tbsp golden syrup and bring to the table. Dip slices of apple and other fruit into the melted chocolate. Delicious!

Meringue Nests Serves 4 4 ready-made meringue nests 4tbsp green jelly 1 bar chocolate, crumbled

1 Fill each meringue nest with one tablespoon of jelly. 2 Sprinkle the chocolate over each nest and serve immediately.

Top Tip

For the adults, try filling meringues with a sweetened cream and topping with crumbled chocolate.

Fat

Sat. Fat

Carb

Energy

Protein

Sodium

Sugar

Fibre

54kcal 0g

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Special Occasions

Cooking class

for the little ones

adymade icing Ice your biscuits usinggoored supermarkets! tubes, found in most

Fat Protein

Sat. Fat

1.7g

Sodium

0.2g

Carb

19g

Energy

Sugar

7.7g

Fibre

Surprise Easter cookies

Easter bunny 1 clean and empty tin Cotton wool balls 2 eyes 1 pot fabric glue 20cm pink felt 20cm yellow felt 20cm black felt 1 pair of scissors

1 2 3 4

Store cupboard craft!

Take one used and cleaned tin and spread fabric glue all over the sides of the tin. Stick cotton wool balls all over the tin until it’s completely covered. Stick on the two eyes with glue. Cut a small piece of black felt to make a nose and stick it on. Cut two small rectangles of yellow felt and cut strips, leaving a base at the end. Stick these on bunny’s cheeks to make whiskers. To make the ears, cut two small triangles of pink felt and stick on top of the tin (the bunny’s head). And now you have your Easter bunny!

Makes 15-20 1tbsp tomato ketchup 110g butter 55g caster sugar 55g brown sugar 1 egg, beaten 2tbsp maple syrup 300g plain flour 1tsp baking powder 2tsp ground ginger ½tsp cinnamon ½tsp ground nutmeg

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

123kcal 0g

PThessescotok.ie.s.

freeze really well!

Note

ve s will lo The kid g f addin velty o gh. u the no o ookie d c to p ketchu really es them It mak ato-ey ot tom tasty; n at all!

Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. Measure out your ingredients carefully. Cream the butter and sugars together in a bowl. Add the egg, tomato ketchup and syrup to the bowl and give it a good stir. Sieve the flour, baking powder and spices into a bowl and then stir it into the wet mixture. Knead to combine. Wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for 10 minutes. Dust a clean surface with flour so that the dough doesn’t stick to it. Roll out the dough to about ½cm thickness. Cut into shapes and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack before icing.

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The Best Halloween Ever Make your Halloween a creepy crawly success with our easy-to-make dishes!

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Special Occasions

4 s e h c u o T g n i h Finirsice strips make the most Liquo

er legs

believable spid

Creepcakes Makes 12 125g butter 125g caster sugar 2 large eggs 1tsp vanilla essence 125g self-raising flour, sieved 200g milk chocolate, melted and mixed with 3tbsp icing sugar 24 liquorice strips, quartered 6 liquorice tube sweets 1 tube decorative black icing 12 small thin strips coloured sweets

1 2 3 2 4 5

Fat Protein

Fat

15g

Sat. Fat

Sodium

0.2g

Sat. Fat

6.13g

Carb

26g

Energy

Sodium

0.04g

Sugar

36g

Fibre

Chocolate-dipped apples

Preheat the oven to 180Â°C/gas mark 4. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla essence and fold in the flour. Line a bun tin with paper cases and half fill each case with the mixture. Bake for 20 minutes, or until well risen and golden. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Then decorate the cakes. Place a blob of melted chocolate onto the centre of the top of each cake. Make spider legs by attaching eight pieces of black liquorice to the chocolate. Use cocktails sticks to hold them secure while you work, but remember to take them out when you are finished. For the eyes, cut two liquorice tubes in half and finish with a dot of black icing for pupils. For the mouth, cut strips of sweets and attach to the chocolate. Leave to set before serving.

Protein

10g

Carb

46g

Energy

Sugar

34g

Fibre

325kcal 0g

Serves 6 6 wooden lolly sticks or chopsticks 6 small apples, washed and dried 2 x 100g bars white chocolate, melted and mixed with 2tbsp icing sugar 1 tube of black icing

1 2

244kcal 1.35g

Ask the kids to draw the spiders onto their apples

Push the lolly sticks into the apples. Then dip them carefully into the chocolate mixture, swirling them around and allowing the excess to drip off so the coating is not too thick. Leave to set on wax paper or greased foil. Once the chocolate has set, draw spiders on to the apples using the black icing.

Top Tip You can make your creepcakes well

in advance and freeze them before decorating. That way, all you have to do is decorate before the party!

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Decorate the table s with Halloween light! and scary masks

Grilled cheese bat-wiches with pretzel broomsticks Makes 4 8 slices Cheddar 8 slices pumpernickel bread 4tbsp butter, at room temperature 4tsp Dijon mustard For the broomsticks: Â˝ packet pretzels, halved 4 breadsticks handful of chives

1 2 3 4 5

Preheat the oven to 200Â°C/gas mark 6. Using a bat shape or any Halloween-shaped cookie cutter, cut out a bat shape from four slices of cheese. Reserve the scraps. Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter. Spread the unbuttered side of four of the bread slices with a little mustard. Place them on a baking sheet, buttered-side down. Divide the remaining cheese, plus any scraps, between slices of bread on the baking sheet. Top with the remaining bread, buttered side up. Place the sandwiches in the oven and cook for ten minutes or until the cheese has melted. Place a cheese bat on top of each sandwich. Bake until just melted, about two minutes. To make the pretzel broomsticks, use a few chives to tie a small handful of halved pretzels around a breadstick. Serve the sandwiches with the pretzel broomsticks.

Fat

22g

Sat. Fat

13g

Carb

38g

Energy

Protein

17g

Sodium

Sugar

1.6g

Fibre

414kcal 3g

es Have a few extra costhaum and accessories on . nd for dressing up

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Special Occasions

chebsout u o T g n i h s i n i F e cheese for just a

Melt th nds so that it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t thirty seco lose shape!

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Special Occasions

4 Halloween cookies Makes 18 For the biscuits: 225g plain flour ¼tsp salt 1tsp baking powder 1½tsp ground ginger ½tsp mixed spice 50g butter 100g dark brown soft sugar 100g golden syrup 1tbsp milk For the icing: 225g icing sugar, sieved 2-4tbsp hot water Few drops black food colouring

1 2 3 4 5 6

stic Add some llrouween flair to ha s with decorationaterial hessian m aw and str

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and lightly grease two baking sheets. Sieve together the flour, salt, baking powder, ginger and mixed spice into a mixing bowl. Heat the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a small saucepan over a low heat until dissolved, then allow to cool for five minutes. Stir the syrup mixture and milk into the dry ingredients. Pat into a round shape and cover with cling film. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until about it’s about 3mm thick. Cut out Halloween shapes using cookie cutters. Use a straw to make a hole in each one if you want to hang them later. Bake for 10–12 minutes until lightly browned and then cool on a wire rack. To make the icing, mix the icing sugar with the hot water to the consistency of thin cream. Work quickly as it will set fast. Divide the mixture in half and add black food colouring to one. Use both icings to make black and white iced biscuits.

Fat Protein

Sat. Fat

1.5g

Carb

33g

Energy

1.3g

Sodium

0.1g

Sugar

23g

Fibre

151kcal 0g

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Pumpkin oranges Serves 6 6 large oranges, 2 x 135g packets of strawberry flavoured jelly

1 2 3

Prepare the jelly according to the packet instructions, but using slightly less water to make it firmer. Cut a slice from the top end of each orange. Cut out eyes, a nose and a mouth using a sharp knife. Hollow out the oranges using a small sharp knife and spoon, so that you are left with just a shell. Fill with chopped jelly and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

Fat Protein

0.6g

Sat. Fat

0.6g

Carb

49g

Energy

Sodium

0.1g

Sugar

46g

Fibre

195kcal 0.8g

Green slime lemonade

Sat. Fat

0.2g

Sodium

Carb

26g

Energy

Sugar

26g

Fibre

110kcal 0g

Great ideas

Spiderweb pancakes are another great treat kids love. Simply make the pancake batter as detailed on page 94. Heat some butter in a large pan. With a spatula, drip the pancake batter onto the hot pan in a spiderweb design. If it sticks, slide a fish slice under it. After three minutes, take it off the heat and dust with icing sugar. Serve with spooky jelly spiders or snakes.

tra Add some tesx as jelly swee r you pou

Serves 6 200g caster sugar 150ml boiling water Juice of 6 large lemons 850ml still or sparkling water, chilled Few drops of green food colouring Few slices of lime and lime rind 4 orange slices 6 kiwi fruit slices Pick â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mix jelly sweets like jelly snakes and spiders

1 2 3

Make the syrup first. Put the sugar in a heat-proof bowl and add the boiling water. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then set aside to cool. Pour the lemon juice into a jug and stir in the sugar syrup, add the chilled water and a few drops of green food colouring. Drop in the orange and kiwi fruit slices, followed by the jelly sweets.

Cooking class

for the little ones

e without an Never use a sharp knteifr still, if you adult present. Bet ng, always ask want to cut somethi it for you. an adult to do 106 4.Ocassions_83-117-2907-2.indd 106

11/8/10 10:00:07

Special Occasions

4 FCuttiinngisyohurinjellyginTto chounukychcuebess makes all the difference.

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Christmas Invoke your festive cheer by getting busy in the kitchen!

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Special Occasions

s e h c u o T g n i Finishome pretty fabric to add Wrap in s mour to your gift. gla

Blueberry muffins

. . . t s s P e! If you y kind of muffins you lik

Makes 12 100g butter 100g caster sugar 2 large eggs, beaten 140ml milk 1tsp vanilla essence 300g self-raising flour, sieved 1tsp baking powder, sieved 150g fresh or frozen blueberries

Make an combo, try raisins ur vo fla e iv st fe e or m a fancy Delicious! and a pinch of all spice.

1 Preheat the oven to 160ºC/gas mark 2. 2 Line a muffin tray with paper muffin cases. 3 Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy then add in the eggs, one at 4

a time. Add the milk and vanilla essence, then fold in the flour and baking powder to make a thick and creamy batter. Stir in the blueberries and spoon the mixture into the muffin cases. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until risen and golden.

Fat

Sat. Fat

Protein

Sodium

0.3g

Carb

30g

Energy

Sugar

11g

Fibre

201kcal 1g

Great ideas

If you don’t like blueberries, try replacing them with chocolate chips, sultanas or diced glacé cherries. For triple chocolate muffins, add a teaspoon of cocoa and a handful of chocolate chips to the mixture before baking. After baking, and once they have cooled, dip the tops in melted chocolate. For lemon muffins, add two teaspoons of lemon juice and the zest of one lemon to the mix. Boil 75g sugar with a tablespoon of water and some lemon juice, and brush the muffins with this glaze after baking.

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Special Occasions

for Leave a trehartistmas Santa on Ce! Ev

Shortbread for Santa Makes about 70 250g unsalted butter, softened 4 mandarins, finely grated rind 200g caster sugar 2 egg yolks 2tbsp glacĂŠ orange peel, very finely chopped 75g self-raising flour, sieved 300g plain flour, sieved 375g white chocolate, melted

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, rind and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and orange peel and beat until combined. On low speed, gradually beat in the combined flours until the mixture comes together. Form into a ball of dough, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180ÂşC/gas mark 4 and grease and line two baking trays. Roll out the dough between two sheets of lightly floured baking paper until 1cm thick. Then, using a Christmas tree-shaped cutter or cutter of your choice, cut out shapes and place them on the baking trays. Repeat until all the dough is used. Refrigerate the dough on the oven trays for 30 minutes, then bake for eight minutes or until lightly browned. Cool the biscuits on the trays. Once the biscuits have cooled, dip them in melted chocolate, place them on baking paper-lined trays and stand until set. The biscuits will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Fat

Sat. Fat

Carb

11g

Protein

Sodium

Sugar

Energy Fibre

88kcal 0g

Fat

Sat. Fat

Carb

53g

Energy

Protein

Sodium

Sugar

53g

Fibre

Festive fudge Makes 18 squares A little butter, for greasing 675g granulated sugar 150ml water 1 x 397g tin condensed milk 50g butter 2tsp vanilla essence 2tbsp grated chocolate 2tbsp walnuts, very finely chopped Thin red ribbon

1 2 3

. . . t s s P the suggest you make double

We recipe; Santa shortbread needed inwhothiswill love them! isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only one

276kcal 0g

Note

has ething ge if som To test e soft ball sta t o th h d e e h th reac ful of spoon ry cold e a v p f o o r l d bow all e into a d soft-b a mixtur reache s s m a r h fo it If easily water. ixture ter a m w e th ld e co stage, ile in th oved ball wh ns once rem e tt a r. fl t te bu e wa from th

Grease a 16cm square tin very lightly with butter. Place the sugar, water, condensed milk and butter into a saucepan and place over a low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the butter has melted. Turn up the heat slightly and bring to the boil, stirring all the time until it reaches soft ball stage. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla essence, chocolate and walnuts and continue to beat until the mixture becomes thick and creamy. Then pour into the prepared tin and leave to cool. When nearly cool, use a knife to cut into squares and leave to cool completely. Once set, break into squares and tie each piece with red ribbon.

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Christmas cookies Makes 12-15 150g plain flour 50g icing sugar 100g soft margarine To decorate: Icing sugar Edible Christmas decorations

1 Preheat the oven 150Â°C/gas mark 2. Grease a baking sheet. 2 Beat the margarine in a bowl until it is really creamy. 3 Sieve in the icing sugar and flour. Use a wooden spoon to bring the mixture together into a doughy consistency.

4 Using your hands, bring the mixture into a ball. Dust your rolling pin 5 6 7

and a clean, flat surface with flour, then roll out your dough to a 1cm thickness. Using a cutter, cut out the cookies and place them on the greased baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes in the oven. Cool on the baking tray for 15 minutes. Dust with icing sugar and stick on some edible Christmas decorations.

Fat Protein

5.7g

Sat. Fat

1.2g

Sodium

Carb

11g

Sugar

Energy Fibre

97kcal 0g

e of phs. Trace the shapda ra og ot ph d ol or rs pe pa Choose patterned the paper or photograph. Cut out and blet the cutter on top ofg the cutterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edge. Press paper in place; r white craft glue alonon between the top of the cutter and the pape dry. Poke the ribb ot.Use as Christmas tree decorations. and tie in a kn

Finish with edible Christmas decorations!

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Special Occasions

Cookie cutter shapes

4 Old photographs

Patterned paper

Cookie umcuinttumercoookrienacumtterenststo turn out

Use inexpensive al a batch of cookies. ke ba n ca u yo an th er st fa ts en ornam 113

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sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Use your kllidies to favourite jete! decora

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Special Occasions

4 c way Buttons are a fantckasagtie! to finish a pa

Snow-capped fairy cakes Makes 18 For the cakes: 175g butter 175g golden caster sugar 3 eggs 200g self-raising flour, sieved Rind of 1 orange, finely grated 1tsp vanilla essence 4tbsp milk For the icing: 1 egg white 4tbsp orange juice 175g icing sugar Fruit jellies and silver balls, to decorate

1 2 3

Potato stamp wrapping paper

Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole bun tins with paper cases. Melt the butter in a saucepan and cool for five minutes, tip into a large bowl with all the cake ingredients, then beat together for 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Spoon the cake mixture into the bun cases, filling them ¾ full. Bake for 15-18 minutes until lightly browned and firm to the touch. Cool on a wire rack. To make the icing, put the egg white and orange juice into a heat-proof bowl, sieve in the icing sugar, then set over a pan of simmering water. Using an electric hand whisk, whisk the icing for seven minutes until it is glossy and stands in soft peaks. Remove from the heat, then whisk for a further two minutes until it is slightly cooled. Thinly slice the fruit jellies. Spoon the icing onto the cakes, swirling it with a knife, then decorate with slices of fruit jellies and a few silver balls. Leave to set. The cakes will keep for up to three days in an airtight container.

Fat

Sat. Fat

Protein

Sodium

0.1g

Carb

30g

Energy

Sugar

21g

Fibre

Selection of shaped cookie cutters 3 potatoes, halved Few pots of different coloured poster paint Sheets of plain and coloured paper Selection of large and small buttons Ribbon Spool of twine

1 2 3

Use a cookie cutter to press a star shape into the flat side of the potato half. Then use a sharp knife to cut away the potato flesh around the shape, so that you’re left with a raised area. Then dip the potato half into a saucer filled with poster paint and stamp the shapes onto your paper. Leave to dry before wrapping your gifts and decorate with spare bits of haberdashery like buttons, ribbon and twine.

Cooking class

for the little ones

201kcal 0g

cake mixture r ou y t u p to ns oo sp rt Use desse way you t ha T e. m ti a t a n oo sp into its cases, a er of over-filling them. won’t be in dang 115 4.Ocassions_83-117-2907-2.indd 115

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FinEisdiblheinsilvger baTllsoadudches extra sparkle!

Sparkling Vanilla Christmas Cookies Serves 35 140g icing sugar, sieved 1tsp vanilla essence 1 egg yolk 250g butter, cut into small cubes 375g plain flour, sieved To decorate: 200g icing sugar, sieved Edible food colouring, optional Edible gold and silver balls Approx 2m thin ribbon cut into 10cm lengths

2 3 4 5

Tip the icing sugar, vanilla essence, egg yolk and butter into a mixing bowl, then stir together with a wooden spoon or pulse in a food processor until well combined. Add the flour and mix to a firm dough. Shape the dough into two flat discs and wrap in cling film. Chill for 20-30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 190Â°C/gas mark 5 and line two baking sheets with non-stick baking paper. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of about 1mm. Cut out Christmassy shapes using a cutter and place on the baking sheets. Using the tip of a skewer, cut a small hole in the top of each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. Lift the biscuits onto a wire rack to cool. Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar with a few drops of cold water to make a thick, but still runny icing. Colour with edible food colouring, if you like. Spread the icing over the cooled biscuits, decorate with edible balls and thread with ribbon once dry.

Fat

Sat. Fat

Carb

19g

Energy

Protein

Sodium

Sugar

10g

Fibre

130kcal 0g

Encourage the kidsh to get involved wit present wrapping!

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Special Occasions

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Stephens Great for Saty! D

Turkey paella

Note

s are Serves 4-6 recipe These up 4 large sausages in r us g great fo ham d n a 2tbsp olive oil y r turke e v o ft le want 2 medium onions, chopped en you nd wh a ick. 2 red peppers, seeded and chopped ing qu someth 400g cooked long grain white rice 750ml chicken stock 4tbsp tomato ketchup 4 large tomatoes, chopped 1tsp salt 1tsp dried oregano ½tsp cayenne pepper 500g cooked leftover turkey – cut into ½ inch cubes 1 cup frozen peas

1 2 Fat

17g

Sat. Fat

Carb

47g

Energy

Protein

31g

Sodium

Sugar

12g

Fibre

456kcal 3g

A guaranteed hit with the kids!

3 4

Preheat the oven to 180°/gas mark 4. Heat a large frying pan and fry the sausages in a little oil for about five minutes until they are browned all over. Remove from the heat, allow to cool and cut into 2cm slices on a chopping board. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a mediumhigh heat. Add the onions and cook until golden, stirring often with a wooden spoon, for about four minutes. Add the red peppers, cook for three minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the rice, then the chicken stock, tomato ketchup, tomatoes, salt, oregano and cayenne pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the sausage, turkey and peas to the rice mixture. Turn into an oven-proof dish and bake the paella for 10 minutes and serve.

Store cupboard ham and pasta bake Serves 4-6 1 x 400g tin spaghetti hoops in tomato sauce 5 large slices of leftover ham 1 jar white sauce 4tbsp Cheddar, grated To serve: Green salad

1 2 3 4 5 6

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Carefully trim any fat off the ham. Line a baking dish with four slices of ham. Keep the fifth slice of ham for the topping later. Top the ham base with a layer of spaghetti hoops and their sauce. Then top with a few spoonfuls of white sauce. Continue to layer the spaghetti hoops and their sauce with the white sauce until they are all used up. Chop up the remaining ham slice into small pieces and sprinkle over the top with the grated Cheddar. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until piping hot and the cheese is melted. Serve with a green salad.

Fat

Sat. Fat

2.6g

Protein

Sodium

Carb

14g

Sugar

Energy Fibre

143kcal 2g

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Special Occasions

s e h c u o T g n i Fint Cihsrhistmas cards and cut into Collec

festive circles.

Recycled card garland Selection of leftover Christmas or birthday cards Spool of embroidery thread Glitter glue (optional) Scissors

Gumdrop wreath Makes 1 wreath 1 x 20cm styrofoam wreath form Florist’s wire Approximately 100 jelly sweets in lots of different colours Box of toothpicks, halved Long piece of decorative ribbon

1 2

.lot . . t s s P a lf se Save your

of time using a circlesors cutter instead of sccleis . to cut out a cir

Wrap enough florist’s wire around the top of the wreath form to make a large loop for hanging. Lay the wreath form flat on the table. Begin with a short row of sweets. Place the pointed end of a few toothpick halves into the styrofoam following the form’s curve from inside to outside; push one sweet onto the broken end of each toothpick. After a row is a few inches long, make a parallel row on each side until a section is covered. Repeat until complete. Suspend the wreath from the wire hanger on a door and tie ribbon onto it if you like.

Use coins or other small round objects to trace different sized circle shapes on the cards and cut them out. Lay the circles coloured side down on a table. Lay a long piece of thread flat on the table and use glue or sellotape to attach the circles to it. Continue to attach the circles to the string until you have a garland effect. Decorate the circles with glitter glue, if desired. Hang the card garlands from a tree or fireplace.

is: Homee aiscookwieherdouge hthhoeushe!eaRroltl out

Mak d cut out four some cookie dough an shapes (see rectangles and two hoeusoveen until cooked, diagram). Bake inuethtogether with icing allow to cool and gl e. Use extra cookies to make a house shapd decorate with icing, to build a roof an ts and Jelly Tots! Liquorice Allsor

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Essential Information

n o i t a m r o f n I l a Essenti

When it comes to organising your cupboards, a simple plan is all you need. Buying in season is essential, as is maintaining a working store cupboard. From freezing your leftovers to your essential guide to whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in season, consider this section your reference to making life as easy as possible, all the while ensuring that your family eat the most nutritious and delicious food!

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Kids’ Nutrition It’s of vital importance to be aware of the nutrients kids need to stay healthy. A balanced diet will reduce the likelihood of many major problems later in life, including diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis. Below are guidelines for creating a healthy diet for your child.

Don’t forget exercise!

Kids need to be outside in order to absorb vitamin d from the sun. This vitamin is essential for kids, as its major role in the body is helping with the absorption of calcium and the building of bone mass. It’s important to encourage your children to play outdoors for at least 30 minutes per day. Bring your kids to the park, or the garden if you have one, to allow them soak up this important vitamin.

Make the kids feel involved by giving them their own aprons!

What is a child’s portion?

The amount of food a child needs varies with age, body size and physical activity. As a rough guide, one portion is the amount they can fit in the palm of their hand. To get an idea of how to convert an adult-sized portion into a portion appropriate for their age, compare your hand against theirs. Their stomachs are also much smaller than yours so a smaller portion will fill them up. Feeding them more won’t make them grow any faster, but will lead to fat being stored in their bodies.

Plate it up!

member:ays Always atrehom e is alw

Food cooked a better option than processed foods. If you are buying prepackaged or processed foods, try to make it organic or ‘no preservatives/added flavours or artificial colouring’.

When serving your children, arrange their food on a plate sized to their needs. Children under five years eat happily off side plates, children under 10 on small dinner plates and children of 10+ on adult-sized dinner plates.

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Essential Information

5 The Food Pyramid

Note

ng ari t sp Ea da ion ort 2p ion

ars po

Group 2: Fruit & Veg - 100% Fruit Juice, Fruit & Veg

Group 1: Starches - Bread, Cereals, Rice & Pasta

po rt

ion

rtio

4-6

y da

2-4

rtio

ion

ort

ad ay

ars

Group 3: Dairy - Milk, Yoghurt & Cheese

ort

5 ye

ion

ort

Over

Group 4: Protein - Meat, Fish & Beans

ion

ort

Group 5: Fizzy Drink & Sweets

ari

t sp

Und er

for you st way ting The be lthy ea ge hea a r u o By c to en urself. well yo t a les e is to egetab s and v it u fr in g g eatin ulgin ver-ind o t â&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll o u n o and grub, y itious tr u n t h s les e rig ding th be sen e. g messa

The core food groups your child needs in his/her diet and how many portions you should offer, every day.

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Freezing Food The freezer really can make a big difference to your budget. It’s the best friend to Mums on the run, mainly because with a bit of preparation it is easy to have a meal ready in minutes. It’s also a great time-saving device, because less time is spent shopping and cooking, as food can be bought in bulk, cooked and then divided into suitable portions and frozen. And most importantly from a budget point of view, a freezer minimises wastage, because leftovers can be frozen for future meals.

How to defrost

Perishable items (e.g. meat/ poultry/seafood/dairy) or precooked foods high in moisture content (e.g. soup) and/or containing dairy or egg products, should always be thawed in the fridge. Pre-cooked foods that are low in moisture content (eg. breads, cakes, cookies) can be thawed at room temperature. Make sure you have lots of storage solutions to hand for easy freezing!

Note

Items that freeze well Bread and cakes: Slice bread and halve bagels or baps before freezing in re-sealable freezer bags, so you can easily remove the number of servings you need once frozen. Also, slip bagel and bap halves into the freezer bag, back-to-back so that they don’t stick together. Bread and muffins can be frozen for up to three months. Both iced and un-iced cakes can be frozen, but it works best to freeze an un-iced cake and then ice it after it’s been defrosted. Iced cakes will keep for up to two months, while un-iced cakes can be frozen for up to four months.

ns happe f r burn rface o u s Freeze e ches th ause foods u to ir a ec when eezer b or sealed your fr ed food in been wrapp up and ’t ghens n d u e v to a d h o osty an fo fr e s ly. Th d look e n th a t r u proper u b avo eat, ome fl safe to be dried loses s is still l d il o w o s F a are grey. sults burned best re freezer- steless. For ed n r u d ta ezer-b out an the fre ooking. y a w a cut re c s befo portion

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Essential Information

5 Note

label ber to m e m e R freeze. ht, od you any fo e weig th y at it is, n h a w , s e Writ rving r of se tions numbe ating instruc zing l rehe of free specia e date w o n k and th t you so tha py at lum th t a h w is! s s a m frozen

Baby weaning and toddler meals: Batch cook baby weaning and toddler foods and freeze in the same way, just in smaller portions. It’s particularly handy and time efficient to freeze purées in ice cube trays first, then pop them into freezer bags or plastic pots suitable for microwave use. Use within a month.

Liquids: Freeze soups, sauces and other liquids flat in resealable freezer bags, then stand them up sideways for storage, like files in a filing cabinet. Not only will they take up less space in the freezer, they will thaw much faster when you’re ready to use – the greater the surface area, the faster the thaw. Most sauces will keep for up to four months, but those made with eggs/cream will keep for one month. For soft things, like berries, meatballs and cooked ravioli: Spread out on a tray and freeze for 2 – 3 hours until solid, then transfer into a freezer bag or other suitable container. This prevents things from sticking together. Note that defrosted fruit will be softer than fresh fruit, so they’re best used in smoothies, pies and cakes. Berries will keep for up to one year in the freezer. Cooked ravioli will keep in the freezer for up to two months, but will freeze better if undercooked first. Cooked meatballs can be frozen for two months, while raw uncooked meatballs will keep for three months.

Foods that don’t freeze well...

These are all safe to freeze, but they don’t retain their quality if frozen for too long: • ruits and vegetables with a high water content e.g. Cabbage, cucumbers, watermelon, tomatoes and citrus fruits. • heese or rumb to ings • ream or ustard llings milk sauces, yoghurt and sour cream. • au es and gravies thi kened with flour. • ooked egg whites and i ings made from egg whites. • ried oods • Any sort o elly • ooked asta or ri e

Vegetables: Peel and chop vegetables as required then drop into boiling water for 2 – 4 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces. Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold water, drain again and dry on kitchen paper. When cool, place in a freezer bag, seal and label. It’s a good idea to chop them up into the sizes that you’re most likely to use them. Vegetables can be frozen for up to six months, however raw onions are not suitable for freezing. Raw meat, poultry and fish: Wrap in freezer paper then put into a freezer bag. It’s okay to keep in the store packaging, but it’s best to wrap the whole package in plastic wrap or place in a freezer bag for extra protection. Fresh meat will keep for up to one year in the freezer. Cooked meat will keep in the freezer for two months, while cured meats will keep for one month. Fish will keep for up to three months.

Ice trays are really handy for freezing baby food

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Food Substitutes Ever run out of an ingredient right in the middle of cooking? Then you know how frustrating this can be. But all needn’t be lost with the help of our handy food substitutes

If you don’t have: Use:

If you need yoghurolt esfo,r curries or casser ème you can use some crd fraîche instea

Self-raising flour

1tsp baking powder for every 150g of plain flour

Buttermilk

Natural yoghurt or milk + 1tbsp lemon juice or vinegar

Baking powder

½ quantity each cream of tartar + baking soda

Caster sugar

Finely ground granulated sugar

Cornflour

Double quantity of plain flour

Crème fraîche

Plain yoghurt

1tsp mixed spice

1tsp ground cinnamon + pinch each of ground ginger and cloves

200ml honey

270g sugar + 65ml liquid, e.g. water or orange juice

Pecan nuts

Walnuts

Pine kernels

Sunflower seeds

Sour cream

Plain yoghurt or cream + 1tsp lemon juice or ½tsp wine vinegar

Tomato purée

1½ quantity fresh tomatoes, skinned, seeded and cooked till soft

Wholewheat flour

Brown bread flour + rolled / crushed wheat to taste

Herbs, 1tbsp fresh

1tsp dried herbs

Lemon juice, 1tsp

½tsp vinegar

Mustard, 1tsp dry

½tbsp prepared mustard

Orange, 1 medium

125ml orange juice

1 tin tomatoes

500ml chopped fresh tomato

Yoghurt, plain

Buttermilk, sour cream or cottage cheese + 1tsp lemon juice

Bread crumbs

Crushed crackers

Carrots

Parsnips or turnips

290ml tomato juice

5tbsp tomato purée + 250ml water

Curry powder

Turmeric + ground cardamom, ginger and cumin

. . . t s s P ow Make up your n spice

to mixes and store in vejarrsrun ensure that you ne ials! out of the essent

Flour is an essentia!l part of any larder

(equal quantities)

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Essential Information

The Shopping List!

Want to be able to make every recipe in this book at the drop of a hat? Well now you can! Simply stock your kitchen and freezer with the following items, and get cooking! Oils/spreads/sauces Butter Olive oil Vegetable oil Oyster sauce Soy sauce Barbecue sauce Tomato ketchup Salad cream Mayonnaise Sweet chilli sauce Mango chutney Pesto Relish Tahini Mustard Worcestershire sauce Teriyaki sauce Margarine Peanut butter Chocolate spread

Herbs/spices/seasoning Chicken stock Curry powder Parsley Paprika Pepper Salt Chilli powder Cumin Chives Coriander Oregano Basil Fennel Cinnamon Ground ginger Nutmeg Mixed spice Store cupboard Eggs Plain flour Wholemeal flour Self-raising flour White sugar Caster sugar White wine vinegar Sesame seeds Caraway seeds Pumpkin seeds Baking powder Brown sugar Sultanas

Dried apricots Almonds Marzipan Muesli Milk chocolate White chocolate Dark chocolate Marshmallows Icing sugar Walnuts Vanilla extract Cocoa powder Food colouring Jelly tablets Ready-to-roll icing Drinking chocolate powder Desiccated coconut Beverages Sparkling water Orange juice Pineapple juice Lemonade Ready-made Pizza bases Chicken nuggets Coleslaw Seafood chowder Pretzels Guacamole Margarita pizza White sauce Rich tea biscuits Smarties Milk chocolate fingers Liquorice Oreo biscuits Meringue nests Custard Wafer biscuits Digestive biscuits Jelly snakes Ice-cream cones Small chocolate eggs Tins/jars Tomato passata Chickpeas Tomato purée Creamed coconut Mild korma paste Marmite Spaghetti in tomato sauce Wholewheat spaghetti hoops

Tomato-based pasta sauce Chopped tomatoes Sun-dried tomatoes Tinned tuna Baked beans Olives Pineapple Honey Maple syrup Condensed milk Golden syrup Peach slices Jam

Pasta/grains/bread

Risotto rice Egg noodles Couscous Rice Fusilli Spaghetti Wholemeal sliced bread Crusty brown bread White sliced bread Rye bread Soft rolls Pumpernickel bread Floury baps Hamburger buns Bagels Pitta bread Tortillas Wholewheat rolls Porridge oats Rice crispies Fruit/vegetables Onions Lettuce Garlic Carrots Celery Cucumber Beansprouts Cress Mushrooms, Chinese cabbage Aubergine Peppers Broccoli Cauliflower Leeks Potatoes Squash Pumpkin

Scallions Tomatoes Courgettes Sweet potato Spinach Mange tout Avocados Mandarins Lemons Blueberries Limes Strawberries Melon Bananas Raspberries Apples Pears Meat/fish Streaky bacon Rashers Sausages Burger patties Lean pork mince Stewing beef Turkey Chicken breasts Minced lamb Minced beef Minced turkey Sliced ham Chicken drumsticks White fish fillets Dairy Low-fat milk Cream Double cream Buttermilk Créme fraîche Greek or natural yoghurt Fruit yoghurt Parmesan Cheddar Mozzarella Cream cheese Cottage cheese Freezer Peas Sliced green beans Sweet corn Spinach Corn on the cob Vanilla ice cream

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Shopping for a healthy diet Invest in mince!

We all give in to the impulses of shopping aisles every now and then, but here’s a few pointers to help you stick to your plan... Always go with a list. Tried and tested, this tip is always your best option. If you go without, you might as well be donating your money to the local supermarket. Before you go, prepare a comprehensive list of everything you need, from your weekly menu. Don’t go when you’re hungry. Always a trap – you’ll end up with a trolley filled with sugar... we promise.

Always go with a list!

Have a budget. Know exactly how much you want to spend. Now stick to it. Keep a list on your fridge. That way, you can write things down as they run out, or as it occurs to you that you need them. Make a store cupboard checklist. Keep a checklist of everything you keep in your storecupboard. As it runs out, cross it out and add it to your fridge list.

Love your leftovers! Page 49

Buy in bulk, but only when it makes sense. If you can save money on something you already buy in bulk, then this is a great idea, but don’t give in to Buy One Get One Free offers

when they don’t benefit you or your family. Keep stocked up on frozen veggies. The essential of harried mothers everywhere, these will provide much needed nutrients, in a pinch. Have meat-free Monday! Not only is it expensive, but it’s good for the family to take a break from meat eating at least once a week – it will encourage you all to try out new dishes! Embrace the leftover! Re-educate your family about leftovers, and show them that not only are they delicious, they form the basis of some truly amazing meals. Clip the coupon. Now more than ever, we need to embrace the coupon. Clip them when you see them and keep them in your wallet so that you have them to hand in the supermarket. Go ‘own brand’. Often just as delicious as branded products, give them a try and find the ones you and your family love. Forget the sugary cereal. Bad for you, bad for your family, and bad for the wallet. Invest in mince. Minced beef is good value, versatile and can be stretched to make budget-friendly meals that the family will love.

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Essential Information

In Season - Fruit and Vegetables

Plan meals around fruit and vegetables that are in season. They are generally cheaper at that time and are better for you and the environment because they havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t travelled thousands of miles to satisfy out-of-season demands.

Beetroot Broad Beans Broccoli Brussel Sprouts Butterhead Lettuce Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Courgettes Cucumbers Fennel French Beans Iceberg Lettuce Kale Leeks Mangetout Marrows Mushrooms Onions Parsnips Peas Peppers Potatoes Radish Rhubarb Runner Beans Spring onions Shallots Spinach

HERBS

Swedes Sweetcorn Tomatoes Turnips Basil Chives Coriander Dill Mint Parsley Sage Thyme

FRUITS

V E G E TA B L E S

Asparagus Aubergines

Apples: Cooking Apples: Eating Blackberries Blackcurrants Blueberries Gooseberries Loganberries Raspberries Strawberries

APR APR

MAY MAY

JUNE JUNE

JUNE JAN JAN JAN JAN JAN

FEB FEB FEB FEB FEB

MAR MAR

MAR

JAN

JAN JAN JAN

JAN

FEB

FEB FEB FEB

FEB FEB

MAR

MAR MAR MAR

APR APR

APR

MAY

JUNE JUNE

FEB FEB

JAN

FEB

MAR MAR APR

MAY

MAR JAN

FEB

JAN JAN

FEB FEB

MAR

APR

MAY MAY MAY MAY

JUNE JUNE JUNE

JUNE

JUNE JUNE JUNE JUNE JUNE JUNE JUNE JUNE

NOV

OCT OCT

NOV NOV

DEC DEC

OCT OCT OCT OCT

NOV NOV NOV NOV

DEC DEC DEC DEC

NOV

DEC

SEPT SEPT

OCT OCT

JULY JULY

SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT

OCT OCT OCT OCT OCT

JULY JULY JULY JULY JULY JULY JULY JULY

AUG AUG AUG AUG AUG AUG AUG AUG

SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT

OCT OCT

AUG

SEPT SEPT

AUG

SEPT

JUNE

JULY JULY

JUNE

JULY JULY JULY JULY

JUNE

OCT OCT

AUG AUG AUG AUG AUG AUG AUG AUG

MAY

DEC DEC DEC DEC DEC

JULY JULY JULY JULY JULY

AUG AUG AUG AUG AUG AUG AUG AUG AUG AUG AUG

APR

NOV NOV NOV NOV NOV NOV NOV

OCT OCT OCT

JUNE

JULY JULY

MAY

OCT OCT OCT OCT OCT OCT OCT

SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT

JUNE

JUNE JUNE

DEC

AUG AUG AUG AUG

MAY

JUNE

NOV

JULY JULY JULY JULY

JUNE JUNE

MAY

OCT

AUG AUG AUG

MAY

JULY JULY JULY JULY JULY JULY JULY

APR

SEPT SEPT

JULY JULY JULY

JUNE JUNE

MAY JAN JAN

AUG AUG AUG AUG

SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT SEPT

MAY MAY

MAR MAR

JULY JULY JULY JULY JULY

AUG AUG

NOV

DEC

NOV

DEC

OCT OCT OCT OCT OCT

NOV NOV NOV NOV

DEC DEC DEC

OCT OCT

NOV NOV

DEC DEC

SEPT SEPT

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Essential Information

Recipe Index Vegetables and vegetarian

pg 10 Extra mild veggie korma pg 11 Spaghetti stuffed peppers pg 17 Easy-peasy potato salad pg 17 Pizza face pg 18 Tomato soup & cheesy toasts pg 19 Baked bean salsa pg 19 Sweet potato wedges pg 23 Pot of gold soup pg 26 Cheese and potato sticks pg 40 Sweet and sour bean dip pittas pg 42 Tangy salad cream dippers pg 43 Humming hummous pg 43 Kidz guacamole pg 44 Open bruschetta sandwich pg 46 Classic beans on toast pg 50 Cheese and spinach quesadilla pg 53 Cheesy scrambled eggs pg 66 Corn on the cob pg 70 Clown pizza pg 71 Jumbo fries pg 79 Itsy bitsy spiders pg 91 Hearty beanies pg 93 Mum’s special omelette pg 102 Grilled cheese bat-wiches with pretzel broomsticks

Meat

pg 9 Tomato and bacon rice pg 10 Pork chow mein pg 11 Beef casserole pg 13 Mini meatballs in herby tomato sauce pg 14 Mini meatloaves pg 21 Basil club burger pg 22 Veggie-rich spaghetti bolognese pg 38 Butterfly ham sandwiches pg 41 Ham and relish surprise wraps pg 41 Cheesy bacon salad rolls pg 42 Mini meatballs pg 45 Toastie pies pg 45 Pizza bagels pg 49 Fried rice pg 50 Cowboy hotpot pg 51 Easy peasy burger pg 76 Mini shepherd’s pies pg 76 Mini hot dogs pg 118 Ham and pasta bake

Poultry

pg 13 Spaghetti stir-fry pg 16 Chicken kebabs

5 pg 19 Chicken and veggie nuggets pg 20 Tangy chicken nugget sandwich pg 20 Chicken and bacon bistro burger pg 37 Chicken pesto pasta salad pg 39 Healthy rye bread sandwich pg 40 Crispy chicken strips pg 44 Lunch on a stick pg 49 Chicken noodle soup pg 51 BBQ chicken pizza pg 64 Sticky maple syrup drumsticks pg 71 Finger-lickin’ chicken wings pg 118 Turkey paella

Seafood

pg 12 Loopy hoops pg 12 Store cupboard pasta bake pg 16 Star fish cakes pg 18 Tuna melt pg 21 Cheesy fish burgers pg 22 Simple fish pie pg 23 Herby fish fingers pg 38 Perfect pinwheel sandwiches pg 39 Tricolour tuna

Desserts and baking

pg 25 Cheese and ham soda bites pg 26 Mini cornbreads pg 27 Fruit skewers and chocolate dip pg 27 Brekky bars pg 28 Muesli bars pg 28 Meringue smashies pg 29 Snowflakes with berries pg 29 Baked apple and pear crumble pg 30 Fiesta yoghurt fool pg 54 Banana and peanut butter wraps pg 56 Mighty muffins pg 57 Health bars pg 57 Grilled fruit kebabs pg 63 Wild West fort cake pg 66 Wagon wheels pg 67 Cowboy cups pg 69 Clown birthday cake pg 70 Clown smiles pg 72 Jelly custard cups pg 72 Strawberry popsicles pg 73 Yummy popcorn clusters pg 75 Farmyard truck cake pg 77 Jam cookies pg 79 Jelly pigs pg 81 Snake collywobbles pg 81 Spell jellies

pg 82 Magical witches’ hats pg 83 Wizard’s hat birthday cake pg 89 Chocolate kisses pg 90 Love-heart cupcakes pg 91 Banana and chocolate pizzas pg 94 Mini banana pancakes pg 94 Fluffiest ever scones pg 95 Chocolate truffles pg 97 Bunny’s carrot cake pg 98 Chocolate nests pg 98 Meringue nests pg 99 Surprise Easter cookies pg 101 Creepcakes pg 101 Chocolate-dipped apples pg 105 Halloween cookies pg 106 Pumpkin oranges pg 109 Blueberry muffins pg 111 Shortbread for Santa pg 111 Festive fudge pg 112 Christmas cookies pg 115 Snow-capped fairy cakes pg 116 Sparkling vanilla Christmas cookies

Drinks

pg 30 Summer berry smoothies pg 31 Fruity fantasia pg 31 Snow-ey hot chocolate pg 56 Hot chocolate pg 64 Prairie punch pg 90 Cupid’s love-shake pg 95 Mum’s pamper juice pg 106 Green slime lemonade

Make and Do

pg 67 Wild west drawstring loot bags pg 73 Clown party favours with food tickets pg 77 Farmyard party bag pg 81 Witches and Wizard’s magic wand pg 82 Invisible cloak pg 82 Witches and Wizard’s party favours pg 99 Easter bunny pg 113 Cookie cutter ornaments pg 115 Potato stamp wrapping paper pg 119 Gumdrop wreath pg 119 Cookie dough house pg 119 Recycled card garland

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Easy Food is Ireland’s number one food magazine, providing the most enthusiastic home cooks with over 85 recipes each month, as well as a wealth of tips and tricks created with the ‘easy’ life in mind! We pride ourselves on focusing on the food that our readers want to eat, made with ingredients found in the average store cupboard. The Easy Food Kid’s Cookbook is the second addition to our cookbook family, and is filled with the best family-orientated recipes, from the people who know family food. From delicious, nutritious everyday fare to step-by-step children’s parties, this cookbook is packed with all the insider knowledge you need to make feeding your children as stress-free as possible. Gina Mullins is the publisher of Easy Food and easy health & living magazines. She lives in County Wicklow with her husband and two sons.

publishing w w w.z a h r a p u b l i s hi ng. com

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