Taking a two week break from the kitchen! See you all soon with some new yummy yummy recipes for the little people

Pasta Carbonara

This famous Italian dish is quick to make, and always tastes really good.

I adapted this little person recipe from my

"much complimented" big person carbonara.

Millie & Poppy enjoying their Carbonara 

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4 to 5 little people)

250g Spaghetti or any pasta

200g Short Cut Bacon, diced

3 Egg Yolks

6 Tbsps Double Cream or Creme Fraiche

50g Parmesan Cheese, finely grated

Optional: add to Step 4

75g cooked Peas, canned Sweetcorn or steamed broccoli florets



Millie mixing at Step 3

METHOD

Step 1: Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.

Step 2: Meanwhile, place the bacon in a non stick fry pan and cook over a high heat until it becomes slightly crispy.

Step 3: Mix together the egg yolks, cream and parmesan in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if you choose.

Step 4: Drain the pasta once cooked, return to the saucepan it was cooked in. Add the cooked bacon, and the egg mixture. Mix until well combined. (The heat from the pasta and the saucepan will cook the egg yolks in a few seconds.)

Serve immediately.

 

Baked Mac Cheese

Mac Cheese: A cheesy pasta dish ideal for the little people!

Did you know that Macaroni Cheese dates back to the 1800s?

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4 Little People as a side)

1/4 to 1/2 Panko Japanese Breadcrumbs
10g Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
2 Tsps Olive Oil
150g Dried Macaroni Pasta
90g Shortcut Rindless Bacon, roughly chopped (optional)
1 Cup Milk
30ml Thickened Cream
25g Butter, chopped
3 Tbsps Plain Flour
1 Tsps Dijon or Wholegrain Mustard
1 Cup Tasty Cheese, grated
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper


METHOD

Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 3 cup-capacity baking dish (a small pyrex square dish is perfect).

Combine breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and 2 teaspoons oil in a bowl. Set aside.

Cook pasta in a saucepan of salted boiling water, following packet directions, until just tender. Drain. Transfer to a bowl.

If adding bacon, do this step now:
Meanwhile, heat frying pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.

Combine milk and cream in a jug. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour. Cook, stirring, with a wooden spoon, for 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture bubbles.

Gradually stir in milk mixture. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens.

Stir in mustard and tasty cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes or until combined and cheese melted.

Add sauce (and bacon) to pasta. Stir to combine. Spoon into prepared dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Millie & Poppy love their Mac Cheese served with fish fingers. A great no fuss weekend dinner.

Millie: "Mummy this is such a beautiful dinner"

For something different:

For a Seafood pasta bake, replace bacon with a 185g can of tuna or salmon, drained. And throw 2Tbsps of chopped dill into the breadcrumb mixture (Step 2).

French Toast

 

 

This is a fun and easy Breakfast for little people.

 

Millie and Poppy love to help make french toast.

 

This French toast recipe also cuts back on fat by using only 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites.

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 Egg

2 Egg Whites

1/4 Cup Milk

1/4 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

Pinch Nutmeg

6 Slices of day old Bread

1 Tsp Butter

METHOD:

In a shallow bowl, whisk egg and egg white until foamy. Whisk in milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

 

Have warming drawer heated or heat oven to 200°.

Heat butter in large fry pan over medium-low heat.

Dip 4 slices of bread in the egg mixture, turning to coat thoroughly. Let excess drip back into bowl.

Place coated bread slices in hot skillet. Cook, turning, until both sides are nicely browned, about 2 minutes each side.

Transfer to a warm plate and keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining bread and egg mixture.

Serve with maple syrup (and bacon or fresh fruit)

Find my bacon curl recipe at:

http://beccannonsrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/10/bacon-curls-great-breakfast-side-dish.html

Beef Stew with Dumplings

This recipe is full of beef and loads of veggies.

Everyone in our house loves this recipe.

And the little people particularly love the dumplings!

Make up a large batch and freeze in individual portions for up to 3 months.

Do not be put off by the long list of ingredients, as they all go into one pot and cook!

INGREDIENTS

1kg Beef (stewing beef ie chuck)

2 Tbsps Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Butter

10 Sage Leaves, torn
1 Brown Onion, diced
1/4 cup Plain Flour

2 Large Potatoes, peeled and cut in 2 cm chunks
2 Large Carrots, peeled and cut in 2cm chunks
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Swede, peeled and cut in 2cm chunks

1 Large Parsnip, peeled and cut in 2cm chunks

2 Squash, trimmed and cut in 2cm chunks

2 Jerusalem Artichokes, peeled and diced (Thanks to Jamie Oliver for this ingredient!)

400ml Beef Stock
500ml Red Wine
3 Tbsps Tomato Paste
1 Tbsp Rosemary, finely chopped
1 Bay Leaf
Finely Grated Rind of 1 Lemon

Freshly Ground Pepper

Sea Salt

For Dumplings
1 Cup Self Raising Flour, plus a little extra
2 Cups Suet Mix (available in the baking aisle at supermarket)
1 Tsp Table Salt
2/3 Cup Cold Water

METHOD

Preheat the oven for 160C

Remove all visible fat from beef; cut beef into 2.5 cm cubes.

Put the oil and butter into an appropriately sized casserole dish. Add the onion and sage leaves and fry for 3 or 4 minutes.

Toss the meat in a little seasoned flour, then add it to the pan with all the ingredients, and gently stir together. Bring this mixture to the boil.

Place the lid on the casserole dish, put into the preheated oven and bake for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove casserole dish from oven, and take out the bay leaf.

Serve at once with crusty bread.

If including dumplings, add the next steps: add an extra 15 minutes to cooking time.

Approximately 15 minutes before you take the stew out of the oven. (2hrs 45mins cooking)

Sift flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, stir in suet and combine.

Make a well in the centre, then pour in the water and mix gently by hand; add extra cold water if needed form a firm dough.

Form 2 cm balls from the dough,.

Remove the stew from the oven at 3 hours cooking time, and place it on the stove top on a low heat.

Drop the prepared dumplings onto the surface of the bubbling stew.

Place the lid back onto the casserole dish and simmer for 10 minutes. Dumplings should be light and fluffy.

Turn off the heat and leave the casserole dish covered for a further 5 minutes.

Serve at once.



Croquettes

This tasty recipe is perfect for fussy eaters and 
little people who don't like vegetables.

They won't even know that they are eating vegetables!

Millie & Poppy love to help with the breadcrumbing step.

 

INGREDIENTS (Makes 6 to 8 croquettes)

Suitable for freezing

Appropriate for 16 months plus

500g Potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 to 2 Tsps Butter
75g Broccoli, cut into small florets
75g Carrots, peeled and quartered
Approx 60g Cheese, cut into 3cm x 1cm rods
1 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
Sea Salt to season


METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil.

Add the potatoes and carrots and cook until tender. Drain. Then mash with butter. Season to taste.

Meanwhile, place the broccoli in a steamer and cook until tender, approx 6 mins.

Cheese rod before rolled into a croquette

Coarsely chop the cooked broccoli, and add them into the mashed potato. Combine well.

Use your hands to shape the potato mixture around the cheese rods to form sausage shaped croquettes.

Roll the croquettes in the breadcrumbs until well coated.

Place croquettes on a lined oven tray and bake for 1o minutes. Then turn and bake for a further 10 minutes.

Serve with tomato sauce for dipping.

Red Lentil Savoury

This recipe is for the real little little people: 7 months plus.

Both of my girls loved this recipe as babies. I must thank Gina Ford for this one.

INGREDIENTS (makes about 4 to 6 Serves)

Suitable for freezing

75g Red Lentils, rinsed really well

150g Parsnips, peeled and cubed

225g Carrots, peeled and cubed

350g Potato, peeled and cubed

600ml Filtered Water or Vegetable Stock

For an older baby:

A pinch of ground tumeric, coriander or cumin for extra flavour.

METHOD

Put the lentils and vegetables into a saucepan with the water or stock.

Bring to the boil, cover, then reduce the heat to a simmer for 40 minutes or until lentils are soft. Stirring occasionally.

Puree in a blender or with a hand stick. You may have to blend in batches.

Substitute Butternut Squash instead of the Parsnips or Carrots.



Mini Italian Meatballs

 

These mini meatballs are baked instead of fried,

they are much easier to prepare and healthier than traditional fried meatballs.

 

 

INGREDIENTS (Makes about 24 mini meatballs)

This recipe is suitable for freezing. See note below.

 

Mini Meatballs:

500g Pork & Veal Mince

1 Slice of Bread, crust removed

1/3 Cup (80ml) Milk

1 Onion, coarsely grated

2 Tbsps Continental Parsley or Baby Spinach, coarsely chopped

1/2 Tsp Dried Thyme

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/4 Cup of Parmesan Cheese, finely grated

1 Egg, lightly whisked

Sea Salt

Freshly Ground Pepper

 

My Very Simple Tomato Pasta Sauce:
(Cheat's Version)

300ml Jar of Passata (tomato pasta sauce)

1 Clove of Garlic, minced

1 Tsp of Raw Sugar 

1 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt & Freshly Cracked Pepper, to season

 

Dried Pasta, of your choice 

Parmesan Cheese, shaved or grated

METHOD

Put the milk and bread in a small saucepan and place over a low heat. When the bread has absorbed the milk, remove from heat and mash with a fork. Allow to cool.

 

Whilst the bread is cooling.

 

To make my very simple tomato pasta sauce (cheat's version):

 

Pour the passata in a saucepan over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 

Add the remaining ingredients, cook for 1 minute then remove from the heat.

 

Preheat oven to 200°C.

 

To make the mini meatballs:

Combine mince, onion, parsley, thyme, garlic, egg, parmesan, and bread in a bowl.

Season with salt and pepper.

Use clean wet hands to roll 1 tablespoonful of the mixture into a mini ball.

Repeat with the remaining mixture.

Place as many meatballs for one meal into a small ceramic baking dish

and pour over the simple tomato pasta sauce.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water

 following packet directions or until al dente. Drain and return to the pan.

Divide the pasta among serving bowls and top with the meatball mixture.

To Serve:

 

Sprinkle with some extra parmesan cheese.

 

The Extra Mini Meatballs to Freeze

Place the remaining meatballs (the ones you are going to freeze) on a lined oven tray,

and place in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes (uncovered).

Can be frozen for up to 3 months. 

 



I first created this meatball recipe when my girls were much younger: 

- Millie (3) & Poppy (20 months)

 

Millie loved helping then to mix the ingredients, and roll the meatballs!
And 3 years on: both her & Poppy still do!

Crispy Calamari

My two little girls love this calamari!

We recently visited Millie & Poppy's cousins,
Isaac (11), Pru (10) & Charlie (6)
and they could not get enough of this calamari.

This recipe is a real hit, ESPECIALLY WITH BIG PEOPLE TOO!

This is also a great recipe to get your kids involved in the kitchen.

Pru (aged 10) dipped and coated all the Calamari pieces!

INGREDIENTS

Fresh Calamari Hoods, about 1 per child

1 Cup of Plain Flour

1 Tsp Sea Salt

2 Eggs, lightly beaten

2 Cups of Japanese Panko Breadcrumbs

Oil, for frying

Adult Version: Wasabi Powder, Lemon Zest or Cayenne Pepper

PREPARATION METHOD - This is where the kids are ale to help out!

Using a knife, cut open the calamari hoods so that they lie flat.

Rinse the calamari and place on a tea towel or absorbent paper. Pat them dry. Dry them as well as possible, otherwise the flour won't stick.

Score the hoods in a diamond pattern. (just like pork crackling) 

Cut the calamari lengthwise into strips (approx. 2 cm wide by 3cm long ), and place in a mixing bowl.

Take 3 soup or pasta bowls:

1st Bowl: Mix together the flour and salt.

Adult version: Mix in cayenne or any other ingredients to the flour.

2nd Bowl: Place the lightly beaten eggs

3rd Bowl: Place the panko breadcrumbs

Toss 4 to 5 calamari pieces into the flour.

Dip Flour coated Calamari pieces into the egg mixture.

Then toss the flour and egg coated calamari pieces into the breadcrumbs.

Set aside on a plate or chopping board.

Repeat the above steps until all the calamari pieces are coated.


COOKING METHOD

Place a wok or heavy based fry pan on the stove top on a medium to high heat.

Add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of oil. I use sunflower oil.

Working in small batches again, place the calamari into the oil and cook until golden brown. Approx 15 secs each side.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked calamari, and place on absorbent kitchen paper towel to drain.

And repeat the cooking process until all the calamari is cooked.

Serve with lemon, and your choice of sauce. Pru just loves Seafood Sauce with her Calamari!

Link to Pru's Favourite Seafood Sauce Recipe:
http://beccannonsrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/09/homemade-seafood-or-cocktail-sauce.html

Salmon Skewers

INGREDIENTS (Makes 6 skewers)

200g Salmon Fillet, skinned, boned and cut into 2cm cubes

2 Tbsp Runny Honey

2 Tbsps Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Sunflower or Vegetable Oil






METHOD

Mix together the the honey, soy and oil in a shallow dish, add the cubes of salmon. Make sure they are well coated.

Cover, marinate in the fridge for about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, soak 6 bamboo skewers in water. This helps them to not burn under the grill.

Preheat the grill. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

Thread 3 cubes onto each skewer, and place on the baking sheet.

Brush the salmon with the reserved marinade. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes one side. Turn, Baste, then 2 to 3 minutes the next side.

If you choose to you could put the reserved marinade in a saucepan, heat for a few minutes until reduced.

Serve kebabs with rice and mashed vegetables, and spoon over reduced sauce.

Honey Sausages - Finger Food

This is great tasty twist for the plain old chipolata sausage.

Poppy (20 months) & Millie (3 years old) love these!

Also a great party finger food: skewer with toothpicks and served with pots of tomato sauce.

INGREDIENTS

16 Chipolata Sausages

2 Tbsps Honey, runny

1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds

Optional

2 Tbsps Wholegrain or Dijon Mustard

METHOD

Preheat the oven for 200 degrees Celsius.

Line an oven tray with baking paper, arrange the sausages on the tray and cook for 15 minutes.

If using the mustard option: Mix together the honey and mustard in a small bowl.

Remove the sausages from the oven, brush with honey to coat. Then sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Return to the oven for a further 15 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Serve with vegetables and a pot of tomato sauce.