Pasta with Trees and Sausage Meatballs

This dish is a great no fuss, and extremely quick weeknight dinner.

It is also a great way of introducing broccoli to your little people.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4 to 6 Little People)

200g Fusilli Pasta

1 Tbsp Oil

1/4 Onion, finely chopped

4 Chicken Sausages, skins removed and chopped into 1cm pieces

4 Broccoli Florets, cut into really small "trees"

2 Tbsps Parmesan Cheese, grated

Salt and Pepper, to season

METHOD

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water following packet directions or until al dente. Add the broccoli to the pan in the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and return to the saucepan.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until soft.

Add the sausage "meatballs" and cook for 6 minutes or until browned.

Reduce the heat, add the broccoli and stir to combine.

Add the sausage mixture to the saucepan. Ensure all the juice is added to. Toss to combine.

Season with salt and pepper.

Divide the pasta among serving bowls and sprinkle with parmesan to serve.





Sausage and Bean Casserole

This simple, satisfying and hearty bean casserole

 is the perfect weeknight dinner for little people.

(Particularly if they have had a busy day!)

The best thing about this recipe, is that it is fast to prepare

and there is very little washing up!

And it is great for Big People, served on toast for breakfast the next day!

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4 to 6 Little People)

Oil Spray

8 Chipolata Sausages

1/2 Onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 Garlic Cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 Medium Potato, peeled and cut into small cubes

1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika (optional, gives a lovely smoky flavour)

1 Small Tin of Sweet Corn Kernels, drained (optional)

1 Tin of Tomatoes (finely chopped)
1/3 Cup Beef or Vegetable Stock

Pinch of Brown Sugar

1 Tin of Cannellini Beans, drained 

Salt and Pepper

Toast Fingers or Pasta, to serve

Grated Cheese, to serve

METHOD

Heat a lidded fry pan over a medium to high heat. Spray lightly with oil spray and fry the sausages for 4-5 minutes, turning frequently until browned all over. Remove from the pan, and set aside. (if you wish, cut the sausage into bite size pieces )

Drain any excess oil from the pan then add the onion and garlic and sauté for a few minutes until onion has softened.

Add in the potato and paprika and cook for 4-5 minutes.

Pour in the tomatoes, stock and sweet corn, and add a pinch of sugar.

Combine all ingredients and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and return the sausage to the pan, along with the cannellini beans.

Cover with a lid and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes.

(Alternatively, add the sausages and beans to the tomato mixture, then tip everything into a casserole dish, and bake in a 200 degree Celsius oven. Covered for 25 minutes, uncovered for 10 minutes)

Season to taste, and serve with toast fingers or cooked pasta with a sprinkle of grated cheese.

Fish Pie

This fish pie is a family friendly meal, which is so tasty and so SIMPLE to make. Little people and big love this pie.

What I love the most is that this pie is full of goodness and nutrition without the little people knowing.

A real winner!

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4 to 5 Little People)

 

125g Salmon Fillets, skin off, bones removed

125g Cod Fillets, bones removed

100g Green Prawns, peeled

1 Cup Grated Cheese

500g Potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
Dash of milk

1 Carrot, peeled and grated

1 Celery sticks, grated

1/2 Lemon, juice and zest

1 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 Tsps Dijon Mustard

2 Sprigs of Continental Parsley, finely chopped

Olive Oil

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Optional Ingredients

1 Red Chilli, finely sliced (optional)

50g Baby Spinach, chopped (optional)

2 Roma Tomatoes, finely chopped (optional)

2 Eggs, hard boiled and finely chopped (optional)

Add 2 to 3 Tbsps Creme Fraiche if you enjoy a creamy fish pie.



METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200°C and bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.

Once the water is to the boil, add the potatoes and cook for around 12 to 15 minutes, until soft.

In a large casserole dish, combine cheese, carrot, celery, zest, garlic, mustard, parsley and any optional ingredients.

Cut the salmon and cod into bite-size pieces and add to the casserole dish along with the prawns.

Squeeze over the juice from the zested lemon, drizzle with olive oil and add a salt and pepper to taste.

Make sure all the ingredients are combined together very well.

The potatoes should now be cooked. Drain them in a colander and return to the pan.

Add a dash of milk and season with salt and pepper.

Mash the potatoes until smooth.

Then spread the mashed potato evenly over the top of the fish mixture in the casserole dish.

Place the dish in the preheated oven for around 40 minutes, or until the potato crust is crispy and golden.

Serve immediately.


Recipe Link below to big people version:
http://www.beccannonsrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/01/fish-prawn-pie.html

Potato & Chicken Latke (Pancake)

Grated potatoes and onions, chicken, and 

vegetables of your choice are bound

with flour, salt and eggs, then pan fried to

make this delicious potato pancakes that is crispy on the outside and nutritous on the inside.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4 to 5 Little People)

250g Chicken Breast Mince or Left Over Chicken

250ml Chicken or Vegetable Stock

1 Large Potato, peeled and grated

1/2 Onion, peeled and grated

2 to 3 Tbsps Favorite vegetables, grated (carrots, zucchini, capsicum, peas, etc)

1 Egg, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp Plain Flour

Salt & Pepper

Oil Spray

METHOD

Place the stock and chicken in a large saucepan. Place over a high heat, bring to the boil.

Turn off the heat and pull the pan completely off the heat, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and let it rest there, off the heat, for 5 to 10 minutes.

Millie & Poppy Mixing

Squeeze the liquid out of the grated potato and onion.

Place in a mixing bowl and combine with vegetables, egg, flour, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.

Add the cooked chicken to the vegetable mixture.

Spray the oil into a 20cm fry pan, and place over a medium heat.

Take the mixture and spread it over the base of the fry pan. Use a spoon and press down firmly on to the vegetable mixture. Fry for 5 minutes.

Turn the pancake onto a dinner plate.

To do this: Invert a large round heat-proof dinner plate over the fry pan. Then with one hand on the base of the plate, the other hand holding the fry pan handle, flip the plate and fry pan together so the plate is the right side up, and the fry pan is inverted. The pancake should now be sitting cooked side up on the dinner plate. 

Now slide the pancake back into the fry pan to cook the pancake on the other side. Fry for a further 5 to 7 minutes.

Turn the pancake onto the dinner plate again. Cut into wedges and serve with sauce of your little person's choice.

NOTE:

Latkes are potato pancakes that are perhaps best known as traditional Hanukkah food (Jewish Holiday). Made with potatoes and onion, these crispy treats symbolize the miracle of Hanukkah because they are fried in oil.

 



Veal Schnitzel with Spaghetti

Veal schnitzel or Wiener schnitzel as it is known in Europe is a classic dish.

The veal is given a light crumb coating, then oven baked.

Little People and Big really love this meal.

The veal schnitzel is also yummy served with mashed potato.

(tomato relish and simple green salad for the big people)

INGREDIENTS (Serves 5 Little People)

1/2 Cup Fresh Breadcrumbs
1/2 Cup Packet Breadcrumbs
1/2 Lemon Zest (optional)
5 (80g) Veal Leg Steaks
1/2 Cup Plain Flour
1 Egg, lightly beaten
Oil Spray

1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 Cup Passata
4 Button Mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 Onion, finely chopped
Large Handful (25g) Baby Spinach, finely chopped
100g Spaghetti

METHOD

Place veal between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound until 5mm thick.

Place flour and salt and pepper in one shallow bowl. Place the lightly beaten egg in another shallow bowl. Mix together the two types of breadcrumbs and lemon zest; place mixture in a third shallow bowl.

Lightly coat veal in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg mixture then breadcrumbs, pressing crumbs on with fingertips to secure. Place schnitzels on a plate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Place the veal pieces on a lined oven tray. Spray lightly with spray. Bake for 5 minutes.

Turn and bake for a further 5 minutes or until light golden.


For the Spaghetti:

Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water over high heat for 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta, keep warm until ready to serve.

Meanwhile for the sauce, spray a frying pan with oil spray, place over a medium heat.

Add garlic and onion and cook for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and spinach and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the Passata, mix the sauce until well combined and allow the sauce to simmer for 5 minutes. 


To Serve:

Divide the pasta between serving bowls. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of sauce over the pasta.
(You can mix the sauce thru the pasta if you choose)

Cut the veal schnitzel into fingers and place on top of the pasta and sauce.

Serve immediately. 

Big Person Serving

 

Recipe Link for the Big Person Version:

http://beccannonsrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/01/veal-schnitzel-and-spaghetti.html

Fish Fingers & Cheesy Rice Pie

This is great for fussy little people -

it is simple, healthy and delicious.

Homemade fish fingers, with cheesy rice pie.

This cheesy rice pie recipe is very versatile - 

it can be serve with fish, chicken, lamb, beef or sausages.

Feel free to change up the vegetables used in the cheesy rice pie.

I sometimes substitute corn, spinach, mushrooms or carrots in the rice pie.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4 Little People)

Cheesy Rice Pie

1/4 Onion, finely chopped

Oil Spray

1 Roma Tomato, finely chopped

1/4 Cup Frozen Peas

1 to 2 Cups Cooked Rice, white or brown

1/2 Cup Grated Cheese

White Sauce

1 Tbsp Butter or Margarine

1 Tbsp Plain Flour

1 Cup Milk

Pinch Salt

Fish Fingers

8 Boneless Whiting Fillets, skinned and boned

50g PLain Flour

1 Egg, lightly beaten

80g Japanese Panko Breadcrumbs

Salt and Pepper, to season

Oil Spray

METHOD

Cheesy Rice Pie

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Grease an ovenproof dish.

Heat a fry pan over a medium to high heat. Spray with oil.

Sauté the onion, then add tomatoes and the frozen green peas and stir in.

To make a runny white sauce:

Heat a sauce pan over a medium to high heat.  Melt the butter then stir in the flour. Add the milk slowly, stirring constantly till the sauce begins to thicken then remove from the heat. season to taste.

 

Layer the ovenproof dish with half the cooked rice, then the tomato mixture, the other half of the rice.

 

Pour over the white sauce (it must be a little bit runny) and then sprinkle grated cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes.





Fish Fingers

Cut the fillets into approximately 3cm x 5cm 'fingers'.

Prepare three bowls, one containing the flour, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper.

Another containing the beaten eggs.

And a third containing the breadcrumbs.

One at a time, dust the fish fingers lightly with the flour, shaking off any excess, then dip in the egg and finally, coat each finger thoroughly with fresh breadcrumbs. Place the finger on a plate.

Place a heavy-bottomed fry pan over a medium-high heat. Spray lightly with oil.

Dry-fry the fish fingers for approximately 2-3 minutes each side until golden.

Serve immediately with cheesy rice pie, a squeeze of lemon, and tomato sauce.



Teeny Weeny Cheese Burgers

Little People and Big love these Teeny Weeny Burgers.

My two little girls absolutely devour these.

They are particularly great at a little person's party.

 

INGREDIENTS (Makes 18)

500g Extra Lean Beef Mince

1 Carrot, grated

1 Brown Onion, finely chopped or grated

1/3 Cup Japanese Dry Breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1/3 Cup Tomato Sauce

1 Egg, lightly beaten

Sea Salt & Pepper, to season

To Serve

18 Small Dinner Rolls or Mini Panini

5 Slices Tasty Cheese, quartered

Optional Condiments

Tomato Sauce, BBQ Sauce, Rocket, Tomato Slices, Mustard, Mayo, Cooked Onion Rings

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Place the minced beef, breadcrumbs, grated onion, worcestershire and tomato sauce, carrot and egg yolk in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix well together.

Use wet hands to form 18 small rissoles patties. Approx 3 to 4 cm in diameter.

Place patties on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until done.

Split rolls horizontally, place a meat patty and a piece of cheese in each roll. Top with desired condiments.

Serve immediately.