top of page

     Cooking with kids: Spaghetti & meatballs with hidden veg sauce

 

By Barney Desmazery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Easy        Serves 6 (4 children, 2 adults)

Teach children how to make this pasta supper - it's a tasty family meal packed with nutrients

 

Ingredients

 

For the meatballs:

  • 300g good quality pork sausage (about 4 large or 8 chipolatas)

  • 500g lean beef mince

  • 1 small onion, coarsely grated

  • 1 carrot, finely grated

  • 1 tbsp dried oregano

  • 50g Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve

  • 1 medium egg

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

 

For the tomato sauce:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 courgette, coarsely grated

  • 3 garlic clove, finely grated

  • 1 tbsp tomato purée

  • pinch caster sugar

  • splash red wine vinegar

  • 2x 400g tins chopped tomato

 

To serve:

Cooked spaghetti

 

Method:

 

  1. Children: Squeeze all the sausage meat out of the sausage skins into a large bowl and add the mince. Tip all the rest of the meatball ingredients, except the olive oil, into the bowl and season with black pepper then squish everything together through your hands until completely mixed. Keep an eye on younger children to make sure they don’t taste any of the raw mix.

  2. Children: Roll the meatball mix into walnut-sized balls and place them on a plate – this is a job children as young as 2 can help with and a great job to help teach older children basic division.

  3. Grown ups: While the children are rolling the meatballs make the sauce. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the courgette and garlic and cook for 5 mins until soft and mushy. Stir in the tomato puree, sugar and vinegar leave for 1 min then tip in the tomatoes and simmer for 5 mins. If your children like courgettes then you can leave the sauce chunky. But if, like mine, they hate courgettes then blitz the sauce with a hand blender – either way continue to simmer sauce gently while you cook the meatballs. If your child is confident with heat, from 7+ they can cook the sauce with supervision.

  4. Grown ups: Heat the oil in a large frying pan and, working in batches, brown the meatballs on all sides then pop them into the sauce – continue to simmer the sauce for 15 mins, stirring very gently until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve with cooked spaghetti, extra grated Parmesan and a few torn basil leaves your child has picked and torn.

     

     

     

     

    The ultimate makeover: Shepherd's pie

     

By Angela Nilsen

 

Prep: 25 mins

Cook: 1 hr, 25 mins

Easy        Serves 4

Angela Nilsen works her magic on a classic and gives Shepherd's pie a super healthy face-lift

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

For the filling:

  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil

  • 1 onion, chopped

  • 3-4 thyme sprigs

  • 2 carrots, diced (total weight 300g/11oz)

  • 250g lean minced lamb (we used 10% fat)

  • For the topping

  • 650g Maris Piper or King Edward potato, roughly chopped

  • 250g sweet potatoes, roughly chopped

  • 2 tbsp half-fat crème fraîche

  • 1 tbsp semi-skimmed milk

 

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large, deep sauté pan or saucepan. Tip in the onion and thyme sprigs and fry for 2-3 mins. Then add the carrots and fry together for 5-8 mins, stirring occasionally until the vegetables start to brown. Stir in the mince to break it down. Fry for 1-2 mins until no longer pink. Stir in the flour, scraping the bottom of the pan in case the meat sticks, then cook for another 1-2 mins. Pour in the stock and stir until thickened. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée, lentils and Worcestershire sauce and season with pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 45 mins, stirring occasionally.

  2. Meanwhile, prepare the topping. Drop all the potatoes into a large pan of boiling water. Bring back to the boil, then simmer for 12-15 mins or until the potatoes are tender. Drain well in a colander then tip back into the pan. Mash with a masher or, briefly, with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Beat in the crème fraîche and milk with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

 

 

 

 

 

        Family meals: Easy lamb tagine

 

By Caroline Hire

 

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 2 hrs, 10 mins

Easy        Serves a family of 4 - 6 or makes 6-8 toddler meals

Sweet juicy apricots and tender butternut squash are a winner with kids and make for a delicious Middle Eastern family meal for toddlers through to teens and beyond.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 onion, finely diced

  • 2 carrot, finely diced (about 150g)

  • 500g diced leg of lamb

  • 2 fat cloves garlic, crushed

  • ½ tsp cumin

  • ½ tsp ground ginger

  • ¼ tsp saffron strands

  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 1 tbsp clear honey

  • 100g soft dried apricot, quartered

  • 1 low-salt vegetable stock cube

  • 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1cm dice

  • steamed couscous or rice, to serve

  • chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts, to serve (optional)

 

Method

  1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pan and add the onion and carrot. Cook for 3- 4 mins until softened.

  2. Add the diced lamb and brown all over. Stir in the garlic and all the spices and cook for a few mins more or until the aromas are released.

  3. Add the honey and apricots, crumble in the stock cube and pour over roughly 500ml boiling water or enough to cover the meat. Give it a good stir and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer, put the lid on and cook for 1 hour.

 

 

 

       Prawn & cod cakes

 

By Good Food

 

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 25 mins

Easy        Serves 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make the most of leftover mash with these super healthy fishcakes

 

Ingredients

  • 250g cod

  • loin, skinless and boneless

  • 175g cooked king prawns, chopped

  • 175g mashed potato

  • small bunch chives, snipped

  • zest 1 lemon, plus 1 lemon cut into wedges, to serve

  • 5 eggs,0g breadcrumbs

  • 2 tsp olive oil

  • 200g green beans

  • 100g cherry tomatoes

  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

 

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. In a small saucepan cover the cod with cold water and gently poach for 3-4 mins until just cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and pat dry. Flake into a medium bowl with the prawns, potato and most of the chives, lemon zest and some seasoning. Shape into 4 even-size cakes and chill for 10 mins.

  2. Dip each cake in the beaten egg, then coat in the breadcrumbs, repeat with the remaining fish cakes. Brush each cake with 1 tsp of the olive oil, place on a roasting tray and cook for 25 mins, turning halfway through. Cook beans in salted boiling water for 3-4 mins, until tender, adding the tomatoes for the final min. Drain and toss through the remaining oil, vinegar and reserved chives, mashing the tomatoes lightly with a fork, season with some black pepper and set aside.

  3. For the poached eggs bring a shallow pan of water to just boiling, stir the water once or twice and crack in the eggs. Poach for 3-4 mins, then remove with a slotted spoon. Serve the fishcakes topped with a poached egg and garnished with the beans and a few wedges of lemon for squeezing over.

 

 

 

 

        Family meals: Mild chicken curry

 

By Caroline Hire

 

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 1 hr, 20 mins

Easy        Serves 2 adults, 1 child

 

 

 

 

 

A mildly-spiced curry with a rich yogurt sauce that will appeal to adults and children alike

 

Ingredients

 

  1. 1-1½ tsp coconut oil (we used Fushi) or sunflower oil

  2. 1 large onion, finely chopped

  3. 2 fat garlic clove, crushed

  4. 1cm fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped

  5. 1 tsp ground coriander

  6. 1 tsp yellow mustard seed

  7. 1 tsp garam masala

  8. ½ tsp ground cumin

  9. 1 x 500g pack chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks), or thighs

  10. 1 chicken stock cube

  11. 1 cinnamon stick

  12. 250g Greek yogurt, at room temperature

  13. 2 tbsp sultana handful chopped coriander, to serve (optional)

​

Method

 

  1. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan. Fry the onions gently for 5 – 10 mins until soft. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, mustard seeds, garam masala and cumin and cook for 1 - 2 min allowing the aromas to release.

  2. Add the chicken and cook for 10 mins over a gentle heat, flipping occasionally and making sure the spices don’t catch. Pour in around 300 ml boiling water until almost covering. Stir in the stock cube and cinnamon stick. Simmer for around 45 mins - 1 hour with the lid off so there is a small amount of thickened sauce at the bottom of the pan. Remove the cinnamon stick.

  3. Stir in the yogurt and sultanas, heat through gently and serve. Scatter with coriander, if using.

 

 

 

 

 

      Creamy veggie korma

 

By Good Food

 

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Easy        Serves 4

 

 

 

 

 

Creamy and healthy - a winning combination for this curry, which can be easily adapted to suit all the family if some want to add meat

 

Ingredients

 

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil

  • 1 onion, finely chopped

  • 3 cardamom pods, bashed

  • 2 tsp each ground cumin and coriander

  • ½ tsp ground turmeric

  • 1 green chilli, deseeded (if desired) and finely chopped

  • 1 garlic clove, crushed

  • thumb-size piece ginger, finely chopped

  • 800g mixed vegetable, such as carrots, cauliflower, potato and courgette, chopped

  • 300-500ml hot vegetable stock

  • 200g frozen peas

  • 200ml yogurt

  • 2 tbsp ground almonds (optional)

 

Make it non-veggie

 

  • ½ small raw chicken breast per portion

 

To serve

 

  • toasted flaked almonds,

  • chopped coriander,

  • basmati rice or naan bread

 

Method

 

  1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Cook onion with the dry spices over a low heat for 5-6 mins until the onion is light golden. Add the chilli, garlic and ginger and cook for 1 min, then throw in the mixed vegetables and cook for a further 5 mins.

  2. Divide the mixture appropriately between two pans if serving vegetarians and meat eaters. Chop the chicken into small chunks and stir into one pan. Add the stock, dividing between the pans appropriately, and simmer for 10 mins (if only cooking the veggie version in one pan, use 300ml stock; if dividing between two pans, add 250ml to each). Divide the peas, if necessary, and add, cooking for 3 mins more until the veg are tender and the chicken is cooked through.

  3. Remove from the heat and stir through the yogurt and ground almonds, if using. Serve sprinkled with the toasted almonds and coriander, with basmati rice or naan bread on the side.

     

     

     

     

       Spinach & courgette frittata

     

By Good Food

 

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Easy        Serves 4

 

 

 

 

 

Serve this thick Spanish-style omelette in wedges for a healthy vegetarian lunch bite or picnic addition

 

Ingredients

 

  1. 1 onion, sliced

  2. 1 tbsp olive oil

  3. 1 tsp dried chilli flakes

  4. 350g courgette, sliced

  5. 200g bag spinach

  6. 125g ricotta

  7. 6 medium egg

 

Method

 

  1. Fry onion in oil in a large ovenproof frying pan until soft. Add chilli flakes and courgettes, and cook for 5 mins more.

  2. Tip spinach into a large colander and pour over a kettle of boiling water. Cool under cold running water, then squeeze dry. Scatter spinach into the pan, then dot over ricotta.

  3. Heat the grill to high. Beat eggs with seasoning, pour into the pan and cook until almost completely set. Finish under the grill for 3 mins or until golden and cooked through.

     

     

     

     

    Ricotta, tomato & spinach frittata

     

By Good Food

 

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 35 mins

Easy        Serves 4

 

 

 

 

 

Healthy veggie bites that are packed with flavour - a midweek must​

 

Ingredients

 

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 large onion, finely sliced

  • 300g cherry tomatoes

  • 100g spinach leaves

  • small handful basil leaves

  • 100g ricotta

  • 6 egg, beaten

  • salad, to serve

 

Method

 

  1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the onion for 5-6 mins until softened and lightly golden. Add the tomatoes and toss for 1 min to soften.

  2. Remove from the heat, add the spinach leaves and basil, and toss together to wilt a little. Transfer all the ingredients to a greased 30cm x 20cm rectangular baking tin. Take small scoops of the ricotta and dot over the vegetables.

  3. Season the eggs and beat well, then pour over the vegetables and cheese. Cook in the oven for 20-25 mins until pale golden and set. Serve with salad.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

© 2016 Springboard Diploma in Project Management

  • w-facebook
  • Twitter Clean
  • w-googleplus
bottom of page