Low sugar and low salt ketchup

Ketchup is generally renowned for being laden with both salt and sugar. This has led to lots of reduced/low versions coming onto the market. At the end of last year, M&S launched its ‘Reduced Sugar Ketchup’. At just £1.00 for a 495g bottle this, on the face of it, appears a great healthier option. However, on closer inspection you can see that this ‘reduced’ option offers just 1.1g less sugar than Heinz’s regular tomato ketchup and contains just 0.42g less salt.

By the way, the British Heart Foundation has written a really good guide to the hidden health hazards in our food including ketchup and other favourites such as brown sauce, soy sauce, pesto and mayonnaise: How much sugar, salt and fat are in your sauces?

Real Good Tomato Ketchup

We were sent samples of Real Good Tomato Ketchup to try. This product is 100% natural with no added sugar and crucially no artificial sweeteners. It has 75% less sugar and 83% less salt than Heinz’s regular ketchup and 74% less sugar and 79% less salt than M&S’s Reduced Sugar Ketchup.

In a nutshell:

• No added sugar
• No artificial sweeteners
• Natural, plant-based ingredients, vegan
• Free from 14 top-listed allergens
• Over 80% less salt
• Award winning taste
• World Food Innovation Award Winner
• Recyclable packaging and powered by renewable energy

The taste test

I am not a fan of ketchup myself, but the rest of the family are huge fans so I left them to do the taste testing. Our go to is Heinz, but I’m always looking for healthier options, which don’t compromise on taste so I was very interested to see what they thought. For last night’s dinner I made fishcakes, which my children always slather with ketchup!

The first observation was that the consistency was a little more like tomato puree than our usual brand. In terms of flavour they said that it tasted exactly like Heinz just ‘a little more tomatoey’ (I take this to be a big plus!). They all said that it tasted perfectly sweet so were amazed that it contained no added sugar.

The verdict: They loved this product and have said that they would like me to buy this brand going forward as it tastes exactly how they want it to taste and is healthier. Winner!

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Real Good Tomato Ketchup is available to buy at Ocado, Wholefoods Market London stores, selected Co-ops & health food shops. 

Check out some of Real Good’s recipes here.

The post The Genuine Low Sugar, Low Salt Ketchup: Real Good Ketchup appeared first on The Parent Social.

From town to town, in the provinces of Genoa and La Spezia, a humble dish appeared on countless menus: farinata. The children loved it so I decided to give it a try at home.

Farinata is fantastically simple (just four ingredients including water!) so the kids can help with the cooking. It’s great as a snack or accompaniment to your aperitivo and makes a brilliant low carb, gluten-free side, substituting bread or potatoes.

Chickpea flour

Chickpea flour also known as garbanzo bean flour, gram flour and besan flour is the key ingredient. It is low carb and light on calories; high in protein and fibre, and gluten-free.

I initially thought the chickpea flour from Veggy Duck seemed expensive at £6.49 a kg. However, 150g makes two farinatas, so a little goes a long way. I’m yet to experiment with gram flour from the world food aisle, but this could be a cheaper option.

Ingredients for farinata

(makes two)

• 150g of chickpea flour
• 350ml of water
• 50ml of olive oil, plus extra for cooking
• Two sprigs (or to taste) of rosemary chopped *
• Salt and pepper

Method for making farinata

1. Whisk together the chickpea flour, water and oil then cover and leave to rest. This should be for at least an hour, but I leave the batter overnight in the fridge.

2. Remove from fridge and add the salt, pepper and rosemary (I like to use a combination of table salt and slat flakes). Give a good whisk again as the flour will have sunk to the bottom.

3. Preheat the grill and then heat an ovenproof skillet/frying pan on the hob over a medium heat with a splash of oil

4. Pour in half of the mixture (it should be a bit thicker than a regular pancake) and swirl it around so that it’s evenly dispersed and reaches the edges of the pan

5. After about two minutes, move the pan to the grill. Leave under until the farinata turns golden on top and the edges begin to brown and come away from the pan sides.

6. Serve straight away

* Note on the rosemary – When I haven’t got fresh available I buy a packet from the supermarket and store in the freezer. I add it to the batter straight from frozen.

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The ritual of Afternoon Tea originated with the seventh Duchess of Bedford (Anna Maria Russell) in around 1840. The upper classes generally ate lunch at midday, but had dinner late in the evening. The Duchess – for one – experienced a big energy lull in the afternoon. On one occasion, she requested tea, bread and butter and cake be sent to her room to fill the void. It became a regular thing, which progressed to having guests for the occasion. The rest is history.

Creating your own Afternoon Tea at Home

Children love getting hands on in the kitchen and are more inclined to eat what they’ve prepared themselves. Plus the elements of an afternoon tea are very likely to appeal to even the fussiest of eaters.

The quality and presentation of your afternoon tea doesn’t need to rival The Ritz. The order of the day is to have fun and create an eating treat that’s a bit different to the norm.

Sandwiches

This is a special occasion so act posh and cut off the crusts (you can give those to the birds). Tea sandwiches are differentiated from normal ‘doorstep’ sandwiches because of their daintiness so think delicate, small fingers.

If you’re being a traditionalist then cucumber sandwiches are a must. However, don’t get hung up on authenticity just pick your favourite fillings. If you’re looking for inspiration, these are the current top 10 sandwiches for afternoon tea according to Afternoontea.co.uk:

1. Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese
2. Egg Mayonnaise & Cress
3. Chicken & Mayonnaise
4. Cucumber & Cream Cheese
5. Cheese & Chutney
6. Ham & Mustard
7. Prawn & Mayonnaise
8. Beef & Horseradish
9. Tuna & Mayonnaise
10. Roasted Vegetables & Cream Cheese 

Scones

Sweet scones served with clotted cream and jam (but which first!???) are the traditional component of afternoon tea, but I love a savoury scone. Here are recipes for both.

Classic scones

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/classic-scones-jam-clotted-cream

Cheese scones

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/classic-cheese-scones

…and if garlic and a more rustic feel is your thing check out the recipe for Garlic cheese scones. On the savoury theme, we also love pancetta and cheese muffins. Check out our recipe below.

Pastries and cakes

Here the possibilities are endless from humble vanilla fairy cakes, lemon drizzle and chocolate cup cakes to brandy snaps, mini Victoria sponges and meringues. Go with your preferences and let your imagination run wild. I also add biscuits to the mix, and I’m quite partial to a macaroon!

If it feels like sweet overload, I think Pizzette (mini puff pastry pizzas) make a great savoury option. Here’s our recipe.

Going out for Afternoon Tea

If you’re not so keen on the DIY approach then lots of places offer child-friendly afternoon tea experiences. Hotels such as The Savoy, The Langham and The Ritz all offer tailored ones for younger guests as does the iconic Aqua Shard. Lots of garden centres offer them and there are even special Afternoon Tea busses and river cruises where you can sightsee at the same time. Childrens’ Afternoon Teas are often themed and I’ve seen everything from Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and Charlie & The Chocolate Factory to sci-fi, the potion rooms of Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes!

I have my eye on The Luxury Family Hotels’ Matilda Afternoon Tea, which is done in partnership with The Roald Dahl Story Company.

The post National Afternoon Tea Week 2022 appeared first on The Parent Social.

Ways to counteract food inflation

By changing habits a little, being a bit more adaptable/flexible and knowing some of the pitfalls there are a number of simple ways to regularly save money. So here, in no particular order are 12 tips.

Don’t pay for convenience

Carrot batons, celery sticks, pre-grated cheese, prepared fruit, ready diced meat… they’re all more convenient, but this comes at a hefty price.

For example, 350g of pre-cut celery sticks are £1.10 compared with 70p for 470g (over 350g when cleaned); loose carrots at Sainsbury’s are 80p per kg versus its carrot batons, which are a whopping £2.50 per kg (and they’re pretty flavourless)!

Aldi’s Ashfields British Chicken Breast Fillets 1kg are £5.99 per kilo, the exact same brand’s diced version is £7.48 per kilo.

Ready-meals are a lot more expensive than making the dish yourself. I spotted an M&S Carbonara (for one), which was a staggering £4.75! That’s more than it costs me to make a Carbonara for five of us. Recipe here.

Shop around (literally)

Loyalty doesn’t always pay so mix up your shops. Chopping and changing where you do your supermarket shop often results in the ‘neglected’ supermarket sending you money off vouchers to entice you back.

If you’re trying to save, it’s tempting to only visit the budget supermarkets. However, if you shop at a variety you can access lots more deals, receive far more money off coupons and can also gauge which ones have the best prices on particular products. Also, many of the traditionally more expensive supermarkets now price match the likes of Aldi.

Check your marketing emails

The more supermarkets you’re signed up with, the more marketing emails tailored to your buying habits you’ll receive. I also get inbox notifications each week from Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencers about my new vouchers, which are linked to my loyalty card.

I recently received a promotional code straight into my inbox for £10 off my first three shops on Amazon’s same day delivery service of Morrisons groceries. The minimum spend is just £40. You can receive the same by visiting here.

Freezer fodder

If you see a good multi-buy or just a good deal for something that can be frozen, stock up whilst it’s on offer. Yellow stickered items can be so cheap, but that’s often because they have to be eaten that day. If however, they’re freezable you’re onto a winner.

Fill up on frozen veg. It’s a common misconception that frozen veg is far inferior to fresh. In the case of something like peas, they are frozen within a couple of hours of being picked so very few nutrients are lost. The frozen varieties of things like sweetcorn, broccoli and peas are not only cheaper but also save on waste.

Switching brands and making substitutions

Chopped tomatoes is a classic example of where a brand substitution makes a huge difference; just look at the price per 1kg variations above! There’ll probably be differences in quality, but for making a basic tomato sauce/base of a casserole you don’t need the finest. The same applies to tinned beans and lentils.

My kids go bonkers with cheese on their pasta so I often substitute Parmesan for Grana Padana; the former is £15.50 per kg and the latter £10.23 per kg at Tesco. They’re both Italian hard cheeses made from unpasteurised cow’s milk and for the purposes of grating they can’t tell the difference.

Similarly, I was making a quiche that called for Gruyere cheese. It was an eye-watering £26.30 a kg so I opted for Swiss Fior Delle Alpi instead for £21.77 a kg. Again no one noticed.

Also, check out Tesco’s Perfectly Imperfect range, which tackles both food inflation and food waste.

Head to the baking and world food aisles

For nuts and dried fruit such as raisins, sultanas and berries, head to the baking aisle instead of the ‘snacking’ aisle. Often in bigger pack sizes and minus the recognisable branding, they are usually a lot cheaper.

Likewise hit the ‘world foods’ aisle to pick up your herbs, spices, sauces, rice and more on the cheap.

Swap to less popular/cheaper cuts of meat

I now use turkey thigh mince as opposed to breast mince to make turkey burgers. It’s much cheaper and actually more flavoursome. Check out the recipe here.

The same goes for beef/lamb mince that has more fat (5% versus 10/15%). It takes seconds to drain excess fat when you’re cooking and the saving is significant.

Pork shoulder steaks are really cheap. They require a lot of cooking time to become tender, but its completely worth it. I use them for a pork, cannellini and chorizo stew.

Buy seasonal

Obviously, you can’t do this for everything, but buying fruit and veg that’s in season is a major way to fight food inflation. Products also taste so much better if they’re in season and haven’t had to be picked early so they can be flown 1000s of miles; you’ll also be reducing your carbon footprint.

Of course you can always visit a pick your own farm too.

Yellow stickers

Different supermarkets reduce the price of items (aka yellow stickers) at different points in the day. Find out what that time is and then go grab yourself some bargains. I follow a great Facebook group called Feed Your Family on a Budget – much kudos to member Tori Drinkwater who bagged everything in the picture above for an amazing £10.90.

Buy in bigger sizes

For your non-perishables, buy in bigger sizes/larger numbers as it works out substantially cheaper. For example, we buy three litres of olive oil and then decant into a Kilner bottle.

Check the deal is as good as it sounds

Watch out on 3-for-2 offers or buy two for x amount deals. Whilst some are great, others are simply a way for supermarkets to get rid of surplus stock. Check how the unit price or price per 100g/100ml compares to similar items and evaluate how good the deal actually is.

Then sometimes you just need to step away from the offer. There was a two for £3 on lemons, which I was about to take up. Did I really need 12 lemons? The answer was no. An offer is only good if you actually need the product!

Visit supermarket websites for ideas to tackle food inflation

Sainsbury’s has brought back its Feed Your Family for a Fiver . They provide the recipes; the prices for the ingredients required are valid for three weeks.

Aldi also has meal suggestions in its Feed the Family for £5 section: https://www.aldi.co.uk/c/recipes/feed-the-family-for-a-fiver-recipes

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Costs of running cooking appliances

Another thing to bear in mind is how you’re cooking your food as some methods are more expensive than others. Hometree has done some great number crunching to reveal the costs of running your cooking appliances.

Here are the findings:

Slow Cooker

Slow cookers are one of the most energy-efficient ways to cook. Even left on all day it will use about the same amount of energy as a lightbulb. They have low wattage, so even cooking something for 8 hours will use less energy than an oven or hob.

On average, slow cookers usually use about 1.2kW over the course of eight hours. This works out at just 5 pence per hour. 

Microwaves

Microwaves aren’t as versatile as conventional ovens. However, they’re very useful for reheating, defrosting, melting/softening etc. They’re also great for cutting the cooking time of baked potatoes! As microwaves can cook or heat food more quickly, they use up to 80 per cent less energy than conventional ovens.

An average 700w microwave will use about 0.058kWh of energy. Five minutes of usage will cost around 1.98p.

Air Fryers

Air fryers are all the rage and much more energy-efficient than most convection ovens because they cook food much faster (though they do use electricity, which is typically more expensive than gas). Research shows that cooking in an air fryer costs about half the price of cooking in an oven.

Using one of average wattage (1kW) for around 10 minutes would cost an average of 5p.

Hobs (Gas/Electric/Induction)

An induction hob uses energy more efficiently than a gas or electric ceramic hob because no energy is wasted heating the space around the pan. 

Electric hobs are the next best bet in terms of efficiency because when you’re cooking with gas, a significant amount of heat is lost. However, electricity is more expensive than gas, so a gas hob may save you a few pounds a year. 

An average electric hob (2kW) run for 15 minutes will cost 17p.  

Ovens (Gas/Electric)

The same applies to ovens and hobs: gas is cheaper than electricity, but electricity is more efficient. In either case, if you’re reheating food, the Energy Saving Trust recommends using a microwave.

If you have to use an oven, there are ways to maximise your energy efficiency. For example, refrain from storing baking trays inside the oven when cooking, as they block the airflow. Also, cleaning your oven regularly helps maintain more effective heat distribution.

The average oven (c.3kW) run for around 20 minutes costs approximately 34p.

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In scenes reminiscent of George’s Marvellous Medicine, I tried to recreate the soup from memory. Here’s the recipe I’ve now immortalised. This can be adjusted according to taste so don’t worry if you’re a few grams short on potato or a little heavier on the carrots. I’d already adapted the original slightly as it was too parsnipy for our liking. This is really easy and pretty quick to make.

Ingredients for winter vegetable soup

Serves 5

• Salted butter – 75g
• Two small leeks (sliced) approximately 165g
• 1 small onion – 125g (I use frozen chopped onions)
• Carrots – 500g
• Parsnips – 230g
• 1 large potato – approximately 200g (peeled and roughly chopped)
• 1 litre of vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Melt the butter in a high sided pan/casserole dish, add the leeks and onion and gently heat until softened. This should take approximately five minutes

2. Peel and very roughly chop the carrots, parsnips and potato if using a food processor (which I’d recommend) or chop smaller if not. I still use my trusty 13-year-old Babycook for this!

3. Add the carrot, potato and parsnip to the leek and onion and fry until softened.

4. Add one litre of hot vegetable stock (as per pack instructions) to cover all the veg, add pepper to taste and bring to the boil

5. Simmer gently for 20-25 minutes with the lid on until all the vegetables are tender

6. Blitz with a hand stick blender or similar to desired consistency (add milk if you like a bit thinner)

7. Check seasoning and adjust accordingly. Add garnish if you fancy

We serve with some warm crusty bread. It’s a hearty and reasonably healthy crowd pleaser 🙂

It’s now firmly back on the meal planner. Check out other tried and tested family meals here: https://www.theparentsocial.com/family-meal-inspiration-2019/

I would love to hear about your go to recipes. Please share any favourites in the comments below.

The post Winter Vegetable Soup Recipe appeared first on The Parent Social.

This particular rice salad is roughly based on what my Italian aunt makes. However, in true Italian style everyone has a different take and the final result is often dictated by what you have in the cupboard/fridge; if you Google Italian rice salad you’ll be confronted with 1000s of varied recipes… fish, cheese, ham, peas (yuk), carrots, the list of ingredients seems almost infinite.

My version of rice salad

Whilst I would recommend sticking to the amount of rice, the other ingredients can be adjusted according to taste or even substituted completely.

Ingredients (serves 5)

• Long grain rice – 500g
• One pack of frankfurter sausages (I use Herta Frankfurter x10 classic)
• Several salad tomatoes
• Three hard boiled eggs
• One ball of mozzarella
• Parmesan or Grana Padana for shaving
• Capers to taste
• Whole olives to taste (green or black)
• Olive oil
• Mayonnaise
• Salt & pepper

Method

This rice salad can be prepared well ahead or even in stages.

1. Boil the rice as per instructions being careful not to overcook. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Transfer the rice into the final serving bowl and mix in a good glug of olive oil

2. Cook the frankfurters as per instructions and allow to cool. Then chop into discs and add to the rice alongside a few squirts of mayonnaise

3. Put the bowl in the fridge covered with cling film whilst you sort the rest of the ingredients

4. Boil three eggs. Delia has some advice on this. Again, chop into small pieces

5. Drain the mozzarella, cube and sprinkle with a bit of salt

6. Deseed the tomatoes, cut into small pieces and sprinkle with salt

7. Add the previous ingredients to the rice along with as many olives as you fancy. I cut some up so they infuse a little more and add the rest whole

8. Put in the capers to taste

9. Grate in some Parmesan or Grana Padano on the biggest setting on the grater

10. Add more oil, salt and pepper to taste and give a good mix. Check the seasoning and serve

…..

You might also like:

Family Meal Inspiration

Pork, chorizo and cannellini stew

Salmon and gruyere quiche

Easy Pancetta and Cheese Muffins

The post Rice Salad Italian Style – a Great Cold Dish on a Hot Day appeared first on The Parent Social.

Orzo is a durum wheat pasta but looks like large grains of rice. It really lends itself to salads. I always cook pasta al dente, but for this dish it’s particularly important not to overcook the pasta or it will be mushy.

This dish is a great accompaniment to BBQ food and we particularly like it served with lamb and halloumi kebabs. Some of the marinade in the below recipe is for the salad and the rest is to pour over the lamb pieces for the kebabs. If you don’t fancy the lamb, the marinade keeps well in the fridge for quite a while.   

Ingredients for orzo salad

(serves four)

• 300g of orzo
• 80ml of extra virgin olive oil
• 65ml of red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh oregano
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• A pinch of dried crushed chillies  
• Ground black pepper
• 4 whole spring onions, sliced thinly
• Chopped fresh mint to taste
• 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice to taste
• Salt

Method

• Bring a saucepan of well-salted water to boil and cook the orzo according to the packet instructions.

• Drain and rinse immediately with cold water and put in a bowl.

• In a small container (with lid) combine the olive oil, vinegar, oregano, garlic, crushed chillies, 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper (to taste). Put the lid on and give a good shake.

• Add 80ml of the mixture to the orzo and give a thorough mix (pour the rest over the meat and halloumi to marinade if you’re making kebabs).

• Mix the spring onions, mint, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pinch of pepper into the orzo. Check the seasoning and lemon juice and add more if required.

The mint in the salad works particularly well with the lamb but can be omitted. Similarly the rest of the ingredients can be altered to taste.

You might also like:

Easy Pancetta and Cheese Muffins

Cod fish cakes 

Pork, Chorizo and Cannellini Bean Stew

Turkey Burgers – Cheap, Quick and Easy

Rice Dishes for Children

The post Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe appeared first on The Parent Social.

It’s a really cheap dish; I use cod fillets from Lidl, which are £2.69 for two.

Recipe for cod fish cakes

Ingredients

This makes 10 decent size fish cakes.

• 4 skinless, boneless cod fillets – approximately 500g
• 2 medium-sized potatoes suitable for mashing
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese (cheaper Grana Padano works just fine)
• 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 tsps salt
• Pepper to taste
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Polenta (optional)

Method

1. Boil and then mash the potatoes

2. Meanwhile fill a pan with lightly salted water and place the cod fillets in so that the water covers them. Simmer until the cod flakes easily. Drain and flake with a fork

3. Mix the flaked fish, potatoes, breadcrumbs, grated cheese, garlic, parsley, eggs. If the mixture is too crumbly, add another egg. If too sticky, add some more breadcrumbs. Season to taste.

4. Roll into 10 balls and then flatten into cakes. I then dust them in some polenta, which gives a lovely crispness and crunch, but this is optional. If you have time stick them in the fridge to firm up

5. Fry on a medium high heat in a well-oiled frying pan until they’re well browned on both sides. Blot on some kitchen roll and serve

I serve the cod fish cakes with peas for the kids and summer asparagus for my husband and I. Don’t forget the wine!

Discover more recipes here:

• Family meal inspiration
• Rice dishes for children
• Bake alongs with friends on Zoom
• Fuss-free food for children
• Mocktails for children

The post Cod fish cakes – cheap and easy to make appeared first on The Parent Social.

Family meal recipes and ideas

Turkey Burgers

Really cheap and easy to make, turkey burgers are a healthier alternative to beef burgers (though we love those too). I use frozen chopped onions for extra speed and less tears. I also make up extra patties to put into the freezer. Turkey Burgers recipe.

Pork, Chorizo and Cannellini Bean Stew

This is a great winter warmer. It’s really cheap and easy to make, but requires a couple hours of cooking. Here’s the recipe:  http://www.theparentsocial.com/family-favourites-pork-chorizo-and-cannellini-bean-stew/

Light Chicken Korma

This Korma recipe uses fat-free Greek yogurt instead of cream for a healthier family meal option. It’s quick and very easy to prepare and doesn’t require much cooking time. We omit the sugar and it still tastes great. Here’s the recipe: Korma. If you’re after a really authentic Indian treat then I can highly recommend the pre-prepared freezer meals of Mandira’s Kitchen.

Pizzette 

These mini puff pastry pizzas make a great snack/canapé or light lunch and is something that the kids can get involved with cooking. 

http://www.theparentsocial.com/pizzette-recipe-cooking-children/

Quick Chicken Stew

A great one pot meal that’s easy to do and as the name suggests doesn’t take an age to cook. For a family meal for five, I add two extra chicken breasts and an extra carrot. We do tend to have quite big portions though! Here’s the recipe.

Oven Baked Salmon

This is ludicrously easy and makes two meals if it’s just for the children (I’ll explain later).

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175c (fan oven)
2. Use four boneless salmon steaks and put two steaks onto two pieces of foil
3. Score the steaks, squeeze some lemon juice over them, stick knobs of butter in the scored bits and add one chopped shallot over the top
4. Season and then parcel up and put in the oven for 25-30 mins (just check to see if cooked through)

I always make too much, so the next day I flake the cold leftovers and mix into couscous along with broccoli or peas (whichever I haven’t used the day before).

Winter Vegetable Soup

This is a really nice, smooth but thick winter warmer. Check out my recipe here: Winter Vegetable Soup

Cheat’s Jacket Potatoes

A quick way to get tasty crispy-skinned potatoes.

• Prick the potatoes several times with a fork
• Microwave at 900W for three minutes, turn the potatoes and microwave for a further three minutes
• Brush with oil and season
• Put in an oven pre-heated to 230c (fan) for 25 minutes

Taco Rice and Bean Boats

These are super easy to make and the children absolutely love them. They’re more a quick mid-week dinner for the children than a big family meal. Here’s the recipe: Taco rice boats

Spaghetti Carbonara (serves 4)

This is a perennial favourite and really easy to do. I use the recipe from the bible of Italian cooking: The Silver Spoon cookbook (there’s also a Children’s Silver Spoon). There is NO cream in carbonara by the way

• 25g butter
• 100g cubed pancetta
• 3 whole peeled garlic cloves (recipe says one clove but even three isn’t very strong)
• One pack of spaghetti
• 2 large eggs (beaten)
• 40g Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
• 40g Pecorino (freshly grated)
• Salt and pepper

Method 

1. Melt the butter in a pan, add pancetta and garlic cloves and cook until garlic turns brown. Discard the garlic
2. Meanwhile cook the spaghetti for a minute less than packet instructions say in a large pan of salted boiling water
3. Drain the pasta, add to the pancetta and mix to coat
4. Remove pan from heat and pour in the eggs – my children prefer the egg to be better cooked so I usually leave on the heat for a few seconds longer
5. Add half the Parmesan and half the Pecorino and season to taste with pepper. Mix well, add the remaining cheese and mix again. Serve

Chilli Con Carne (serves 4)

A classic family meal favourite.

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 400g lean beef mince
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 400g chopped tomatoes (tinned)
• 1 tsp chilli powder (to taste)
• ½ tsp cumin, ground
• black pepper (to taste)
• 400g kidney beans (or cannallini beans)

Method

Chicken Saltimbocca

This should actually be made with veal escalopes, but they aren’t always that easy to get hold of so I use chicken breasts instead and it’s still really tasty.

Chicken Saltimbocca

• Five chicken breasts
• Pack of prosciutto slices/Parma ham
• Fresh sage leaves
• 50g butter
• 100ml of dry white wine
• Salt
• Cocktail stick

1. Flatten the chicken so that it’s the thickness of an escalope (no need to do this if you’re actually using veal escalopes)
2. Place half-one slice of prosciutto on each escalope followed by one large sage leaf (or two small) secured in place with the cocktail stick
3. Melt butter in a frying pan and cook meat on both sides over a high heat until golden brown
4. Season with salt, pour in the wine and cook until the wine’s evaporated
5. Remove cocktail sticks and serve

Sausage and Bean Casserole

I use cannellini beans and 12 sausages instead of the eight it says in the recipe. If there’s any left over I serve it on top of rice the next day.

Salmon and Gruyere Quiche

Although this is fine in winter, it’s a great thing to make in summer when you can serve it cold with a salad.

http://www.theparentsocial.com/salmon-gruyere-quiche 

 Lamb Koftas

Just five ingredients in this family meal. I serve with pita breads, cheese, cucumber and tomatoes for the girls and my husband and I have them with a feta salad (that he makes with radishes, cucumber, onion), pitas and tzatziki.

Here’s the recipe.

Pan-Fried Lemon and Garlic Sea Bream

A new edition! My husband and I like sea bream but hadn’t tried it with the girls. However, when it was on offer in Sainsbury’s I had to give it a go. This was a surprise hit!

The below served four. It was meant to be five but the kids ate so much it didn’t! I serve with peas or broccoli (top tip: always have a stock of frozen veggies in the freezer).

• 6 boneless sea bream fillets (skin on)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves (minced)
• Juice of 1 and a half  lemons 
• Black pepper 

1. Place the fillets in a bowl and rub salt (to taste) on both sides
2. In another bowl mix the olive oil, garlic and lemon juice well. Pour this over the fillets and rub in well
3. Grind the black pepper over the fillets, cover and set aside to marinade for about two hours
4. Add a little oil into a non-stick frying pan and place on a medium high heat. When hot, put the sea bream in skin-side down and cook for 2-3 mins (until the skin is crispy).
5. Turn the fish over and cook for a couple more minutes until completely cooked

Serve with peas or samphire (we had that) and small roasted potatoes or  wholegrain rice for a healthier alternative.

* Please comment below with your family meal favourites.

The post Family Meal Inspiration for 2019 appeared first on The Parent Social.

Two mocktails that were a big hit

New Year Sunrise (Sofia Summer Sunrise)

Ingredients:

• Orange juice
• Sugar free lemonade
• Grenadine
• Orange slices to serve

Method: 

1. Get your glasses ready – both highball glasses or tumblers work.
2. Carefully cut slices of orange ready to decorate the glasses (Sofia missed this bit out! ).
3. Fill each glass about one third of the way up with the orange juice.
4. Add the lemonade, filling it almost to the top of the glass.
5. Slowly pour a small amount of grenadine into each glass. The grenadine will sink to the bottom and form the pinky red layer.
6. Add an orange slice to the side of each glass for decoration.
7. Add a paper straw and/or some cocktail umbrellas and serve.

* For a classic Tequila Sunrise it’s: six parts orange juice, three parts Tequila and one part Grenadine. Serve with an orange slice and a glacé cherry or two.

Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade Mocktail

Ingredients (to make up a one litre jug):

• 490ml of ginger ale
• 490ml of lemonade
• 9 medium sized strawberries

Directions:

1. Take the tops off of four of the nine strawberries and then chop them into small pieces.
2. Pour the lemonade into the jug
3. Add the ginger ale
4. Sprinkle the finely chopped strawberry pieces on the top.
5. Cut the remaining strawberries in half and add to the tops of the glasses as a garnish.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Some other food posts that you might like:

• Pizzette Recipe – Cooking with Children

• Rice Dishes for Children

• Fuss-free food for children

• Salmon and Gruyere Quiche

• Pork, Chorizo and Cannellini Bean Stew

The post Mocktails for children appeared first on The Parent Social.