Courgette Risotto      - One of the winners of the Eat fit keep fit competition
 
Ingredients
 
25g unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium/ large onion
1 large courgette (or 2 small courgettes)
1 large yellow or orange pepper
250g Arborio risotto rice
800ml of hot vegetable stock
(freshly made with 3tsp of Marigold Swiss Bouillon powder)
100g mature cheddar
 
1. Combine oil and butter in a medium saucepan, and heat on a low setting.
2. Chop onion finely and fry gently for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile cut pepper (discarding stalk and seeds) into 2cm long slices (larger or smaller depending on child’s preference). Cut courgette into pieces roughly the size of pound coins (usually easiest to quarter a large courgette lengthwise and then slice the quarters).
4. Add pepper and courgette to onion and continue to fry gently for 5-10 minutes, until courgette starts to soften.
5. Meanwhile prepare stock using freshly boiled water. Stir well to dissolve powder.
6. Add rice to onion/ pepper/ courgette mix, and stir well to coat rice. Fry gently for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add a ladleful of stock to pan and stir. Rice will absorb this fairly quickly, so it's best not to stray too far from the pan. Add another one or two ladlefuls before the rice mix starts to stick, but don’t add too much at once, the rice shouldn’t be floating in stock.
8. Continue adding the rest of the stock in separate ladlefuls over the following 15 minutes. Rice will swell and soften.
9. In the meantime grate the cheese roughly.
10. Serve the hot risotto as soon as the last of the stock has been absorbed. The rice should retain some bite. Sprinkle cheese generously over the plated portions.
 
Rainbow Pasta Bake             - One of the winners of the Eat fit keep fit competition
 
Ingredients
 
9 oz wholemeal Pasta twists
3 slices of ham (chopped into squares)
3 oz frozen sweetcorn
3 oz broccoli (broken into small florets)
1 red pepper (diced)
1 teaspoon of mixed herbs
1 teaspoon of Worcester sauce
1 teaspoon of tomato sauce
1 295g can of condensed tomato soup
Organic full fat milk
3 oz full fat cheddar cheese
 
1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees.
2. Cook the pasta on the hob in boiling water for approximately 10 minutes which will give you the opportunity to wash and chop the vegetables and ham and place in a large ovenproof dish.
3. Add the herbs and sauces and the soup straight from the can and fill the can with the milk and add this to the dish.
4. Drain the pasta and then add this to the bowl and stir all the ingredients thoroughly so that they are well combined and the pasta covered in the creamy milky tomato sauce.
5. Grate the cheese on top and then place in the oven for 15 minutes.
6. Serve with either a side salad of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber or sliced baguette.
 
Sweet potato cottage pie       - One of the winners of the Eat fit keep fit competition
 
Ingredients
 
Beef mince 400g
Butternut squash/ sweet potato (already diced and peeled)
Peas 300g
Diced Swede
Gravy 170g
1 onion
 
1. Brown the mince and onion in a pan, no need to add any fat the juices from the meat will be enough.
2. In the meantime you need to steam or boil the sweet potatoes, swede, peas and butternut squash.
3. Then put the cooked meat into the bottom of the Pyrex dish, then mix a bit of gravy and just cover the meat with the gravy in the dish at the bottom, then a layer of peas.
4. You then need to mash the butter nut squash and sweet potato and swede together and put on the top of the peas as normal.
5. Then cook on 200 degrees for about 20-30 minutes until topping is brown, then re mix some more gravy, dish up the amounts on your plate and just pour over your adequate amount of gravy on top.
 
Easy Frittata              - One of the winners of the Eat fit keep fit competition
 
Ingredients
 
½ tsp olive oil
100g fusilli or macaroni
1 leek or bunch of spring onions-chopped
100g sweetcorn
100g peas
1 red pepper
3 large eggs
165ml semi skimmed milk
1 tbsp lemon thyme
65g extra mature cheddar
3 tbsp parmesan grated cheese
 
1. Preheat oven to 190Ëšc, then grease a large baking dish with the olive oil.
2. Cook pasta in large pan for 8 minutes. Add all the vegetables and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, until vegetables are tender and the pasta has softened.
3. Drain all well and tip into baking dish and mix well
4. Beat eggs and milk together in a bowl and add the thyme
5. Mix cheeses together in a separate bowl, then add most of the mixture to the egg mix and season.
6. Pour into dish and stir gently, then scatter remaining cheese on the top.
7. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until set and golden.
8. Cool and serve with green salad, such as spinach and green beans.

 

 Comforting C-food Meal (C is for chicken, carrot, curry & cheese!)

Ingredients       

2 fresh chicken breasts cut into thin stir-fry strips  
1 cup of carrot cubes      
1/2 cup of onion strips      
1 cup of lettuce strips      
1 cup of grated cheddar & mozzarella cheese   
2 tsps of mild curry powder     
3 tsps of cooking oil      
Dash of sesame oil      
Dash of salt       
2 cups of long-grain rice (preferably Thai Jasmine)  
           

1. Boil & simmer to cook the rice (turn off the fire at 20 mins and let it stand covered for 5 minutes.
2. In the meantime, heat the cooking oil in a large frying pan together with the carrots & onions for 3 minutes.
3. Add the chicken strips, then the sesame oil, salt & curry powder & stir well for another 5 minutes.
4. When the rice is cooked, scoop it into the frying pan to mix well to flavour the rice.
5. Dish the rice into the 4 relevant portions and top off each portion with cheese & lettuce.
6. Enjoy this quick comforting C-food meal, (wonder why this is called C food meal as you relish the lovely fusion of curry & cheese).

Hawaiian Chicken

The tomato and pineapple juices combine to make a delicious flavoured sauce in this recipe without the need to add either salt or sugar. Chicken will love the sweetness of the pineapple and six different types and vegetables make this dish a great way to boost your five-a-day.

Ingredients       

250g pack mini chicken fillets       
1 x 420g tin pineapple in natural juice    
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes     
1 red pepper, sliced thinly      
1/2 white onion, chopped      
1/2 red onion, chopped      
1 x 200g tin sweetcorn, drained     
150-200g basmati rice (depending on appetite)   
           

1. Pre heat oven to 180Ëš/ Fan 170Ëš/ Gas mark 4
2. Dice the chicken and place into a large ovenproof casserole dish
3. Add all the other ingredients including the juice from the pineapple
4. Mix all the ingredients and ensure the chicken is under the liquid
5. Place in oven for 1 hour
6. At end of cooking time you may need to mix 1-2tsp cornflower with cold water and add this to the sauce to thicken it to desired consistency
7. Cook the rice as per instructions on packet and serve.

Alternatives: Serve with pasta if children prefer

Laughing Falafels

Ingredients       

1 sweet potato       
1 x 400 g can chickpeas     
1 clove garlic       
1 tbsp fresh mint      
1 tsp ground cumin      
lemon zest       
1 tsp lemon juice

To serve

4 x pitta breads      
1/2 iceberg lettuce (shredded)     
1 tub greek yogurt      
          

1. Bake sweet potato in its skin in the oven on 200c for 30 minutes
2. Scoop out the flesh from the potato the put in a food processor with all of the other ingredients. Whizz until smooth, then roll into golf ball sizes and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. After 30 minutes in fridge, fry in olive oil on a medium heat for 10 minutes until golden.
4. Meanwhile place some lettuce in the bottom of the pitta bread. Place cooked falafels inside and serve with dollop of greek yogurt.

Vegetable Pasta

Ingredients
  
1 pepper with the stalk removed, halved and deseeded
2 large courgettes washed and cut into 2" pieces
2 medium onions, peeled and halved
3 cloves of garlic (whole)
8 medium size tomatoes cut into halves
1 sprig of rosemary
Olive Oil
1 pack of Penne Pasta
0.5 pint of vegetable stock
A small amount of grated cheese

  
1. Place all the vegetables into an oven proof dish and drizzle with Olive Oil
2. Place in a pre heated oven at 190 degrees and roast for 30 to 40 minutes until all the vegetables are tender
3. Place the Penne Pasta into a pan of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes (or as directions on the packet)
4. As the pasta is cooking remove the oven proof dish from the oven and discard the stem from the rosemary.
5. Place the roasted vegetables into a liquidiser and blend until smooth
6. Add the vegetable stock and blend again
7. Drain the pasta and place in a serving dish
8. Pour the sauce from the liquidiser over the pasta and garnish with the grated cheese

Note: Can be served with garlic bread

Try making double the quantity and freezing in meal size portions for adults and children in freezer proof bowls.  Small containers for the toddler can be transported for a nutritious healthy meal when out and about.

Declan's Terrific Turkey

Ingredients       

Small pot of natural yogurt     
Turkey thigh cut into strips     
1 tbsp chicken seasoning     
1 red onion (chopped)      
2 carrots (cut into sticks)     
1 clove garlic (crushed)      
2 leeks (sliced)       
150g rice       
Chicken stock cube      
       

1. Cook rice in salted boiling water with the chicken stock cube
2. Spray frying pan with oil and cook onion, carrot, leeks, garlic and turkey until turkey is browned
3. Add chicken seasoning, turn down heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes
4. Remove pan from heat and stir in yogurt - reheat gently and serve with rice

Lamb Risotto

Ingredients       
 
300g lamb mince      
4 carrots       
1 red pepper       
2 cloves garlic       
2 onions       
1 parsnip       
Small butternut squash or gourd     
200g frozen peas      
2 sticks celery       
300g risotto rice      
       

1. Fry the lamb until browned and drain
2. With some of the fat and juices saute the chopped onions, garlic and celery until opaque then add the chopped pepper, parsnip, squash and brown lamb
3. Cook for 5 minutes before adding the rice, cook for a further few minutes until all the juices have been absorbed
4. Add sufficient water for the rice to absorb and a little over (approx 350ml)
5. Add the peas and cook for 20 to 30 minutes until the rice is cooked

Alternatives: Turkey mince can also be used