When my three children were all little, I struggled to come up with quick, easy meals all of them would eat. Talking to mums and dads now, I see that is still a struggle coming up with inspiration every day to feed your family.
I have put together this new book ‘Quick & Easy Toddler Recipes’ to create some fun quick recipe ideas that all the family can enjoy. Here are some recipes from it for you to try!
PEACH AND RASPBERRY CRUMBLE
Makes 4 portions
Suitable for freezing
INGREDIENTS
• A knob of butter
• 2 large ripe peaches, chopped into cubes
• 150g raspberries
• 50g light brown sugar
FOR THE CRUMBLE
• 150g plain flour
• 75g butter, cubed
• 50g brown sugar
METHOD
- Pre heat the oven to 200ºC / 160ºC Fan/Gas Mark 6.
- Melt the knob of butter in a saucepan. Add the peaches and sprinkle over the sugar. Stir over the heat for 2 minutes. Add the raspberries, then pour into a shallow oven-proof dish.
- Put the flour and butter into a bowl, rub in until it looks like breadcrumbs.
- Add sugar, sprinkle on top of the fruit. Bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden and bubbling around the edges.
MINI CHICKEN BURGERS
Makes 8 burgers
Suitable for Freezing before cooking
You could make this recipe using chicken or beef.
INGREDIENTS
• 250g minced chicken or turkey
• 5 spring onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• Half apple, grated
• 50g parmesan, grated
• 50g carrot, grated
• 50g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tsp soy sauce
To Grill
• butter or margarine
• Marmite
Or
• Oil for Frying
METHOD
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Season and shape into 8 burgers.
- Pre heat the grill. Arrange the burgers on a baking sheet and put a little butter or margarine and Marmite on each one.
- Cook for about 5 minutes each side under the hot grill until cooked through.
- Alternatively, to fry, heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry the burgers for about 5 to 6 minutes, turning half way through until lightly golden and cooked through in the middle.
- Serve on their own or with mini buns or bagels and a little mayonnaise or ketchup and salad.
LEMON SOLE GOUJONS
Makes approx 16 Goujons
Suitable for freezing before frying
Try coating fish in Japanese (Panko) breadcrumbs instead of ordinary breadcrumbs, they have a lovely light texture. You can buy them in large supermarkets.
Another good coating for fish goujons is crushed cornflakes.
INGREDIENTS
• 450g lemon sole fillets, skinned (4 fillets)
• A little plain flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 50g Japanese breadcrumbs
• 30g parmesan, grated
• 2 tbsp chives, chopped
• Zest of half a lemon
• A little oil and butter
METHOD
- Slice each fillet into thin strips – about 4 from each fillet. Season the strips, then toss in the flour. Dip the sole into beaten egg.
- Mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan, chives and lemon together and spread out on a plate.
- Coat each strip in the mixture.
- Heat a little oil and a knob of butter in a frying pan.
- Fry the goujons for a few minutes each side until lightly golden and crisp.
TASTY CHICKEN AND PASTA SALAD
Makes 4 portions
This tasty pasta salad is also great for lunchboxes.
INGREDIENTS
• 150g fusili pasta
• 3 heaped tbs basil, chopped
• 100g cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 50g sweetcorn
• 125g cooked chicken breast, diced
DRESSING
• 1 tbs rice wine vinegar or White Wine Vinegar
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp soya sauce
METHOD
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.
- Drain and refresh in cold water.
- Measure all of the dressing ingredients into a mixing bowl.
- Whisk together and season. Mix the pasta and remaining ingredients, season with salt and pepper and toss together.
QUICK BBQ STEAK
Makes 2 portions
By bashing out the steaks to make thin strips, the meat will cook in minutes.
INGREDIENTS
• 2 tsp sunflower oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp soy
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Ketchup (to taste)
• ½ tsp balsamic vinegar
• 150 ml water
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 250g sirloin steak
METHOD
- To make the sauce, heat the oil and sauté the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and fry for one minute.
- Add the ketchup, soy, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and 100 ml of water. Mix the remaining 50 ml of water with the cornflour. Add to the sauce, bring up to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Heat a little oil in a frying pan. Bash the steak out very thinly, then slice into strips.
- Fry the strips quickly over a high heat until just cooked. Add to the sauce and remove from the heat.
- Serve with vegetables and rice.
All the recipes are from ‘Quick & Easy Toddler Recipes’ Ebury Press £9.99
