Please take a look at some of these websites for a range of recipes to try at home.

Our boys and girls love to cook in school, I am sure they will love to help at home too! Enjoy and have fun!

https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/recipes

https://lovefoodhatewaste.com/toast?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzcvW3e6y6AIVh63tCh11IA2jEAAYAiAAEgLKxPD_BwE

https://www.rspcaassured.org.uk/news/cooking-with-kids/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzcvW3e6y6AIVh63tCh11IA2jEAAYASAAEgImZ_D_BwE

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/kids-cooking

Some websites that have some fab ideas.....

www.healthline.com/nutrition

www.pinchofnom.com

www.jamieoliver.com

www.superheathlykids.com

www.slimmingworld.co.uk

Chicken, sausage, stuffing and cranberry sauce wrap.

These wraps are really tasty and filling. You can use whatever fillings you fancy or have leftover in the fridge. Why not try, bacon 🥓, scrambled egg, tomatoes and some cheese. Or, ham, grated cheese, onion and tomatoes. You can serve with some crisps or oven chips.

Using foil, cut out a pattern and put to one side.

Simply toast one side of the bread under the grill.

Then place the foil on the untoasted side and toast under the grill.

Serve with butter and some jam or even some beans. Enjoy and have fun making the patterns 😋

Banana breakfast split

• Slice a banana 🍌 in half.
• Spoon on your favourite yogurt.
• Add your chopped up favourite fruit. I used tinned peaches, blueberries and strawberries.
• Then sprinkle some granola on top. 
• Enjoy!!! 

(To make this a healthier dessert or treat, you could always add a few chocolate drops 🍫)

Hello boys and girls, I tried making the messy vegetable lasagne on Sunday and it was delicious! Have a go and try it yourself. Don't worry if you don't have lasagne sheets at home, you can use any pasta. When I make this again, I think I'll use pasta tubes and boil for 5 minutes or so before adding the pasta to the mix and baking. There was so much that I have enough for dinner tonight too! Yummy!! 

Take care and keep safe, Miss Thain.

Creamy Red Pepper Chicken Pasta #pinchofnom.com

Ingredients

Serves 4 / freezable

(sauce)

200g red onion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, crushed

300g red roasted peppers from a jar, roughly chopped

500g passata

90g low fat soft cheese (any brand)

3tbsp balsamic vinegar

1tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 vegetable stock cube

1/2 tsp paprika

300g mushrooms

200g dried pasta

2 chicken breasts, diced

Method

• cook pasta according to instructions on packet

• in another pan, add a little oil and gently fry the chicken until cooked al the way through, meanwhile....

• in another pan, add onion, garlic and red peppers and fry for 10 minutes.
• add the rest of the sauce ingredients to the pan and mix well, cook gently for 1-2 mins. 
• then blend the sauce until smooth. (If you don’t have a blender don’t worry, just chop the vegetables really small at the beginning)
• add the chicken and pasta to the sauce mixture
• serve with a fresh salad and some crusty bread

To make this recipe vegetarian, just leave out the chicken pieces 🤗

Chocolate mousse

serves 4

ready in 10 mins, plus cooling and setting

Ingredients

50g dark choc (85 per cent or higher)

80ml double cream, plus 120ml extra 

2 egg yolks

To serve

10g dark chocolate, shaved into curls

2 tbsp berries or your favourite fruit

1. Chop the chocolate into chunks and place in a heatproof bowl.  

2. Place the double cream in a small heavy based saucepan and bring slowly to the boil over a medium heat. Watch it carefully, as cream often boils over suddenly. 

3. When the cream is boiling, take it off the heat, immediately whisk in the egg yolks and pour the hot cream mix into the chocolate bowl.

4. Cover with a plate and allow to melt for 5 min, before whisking until smooth. Allow the mixture to cool completely.

5. Whip the extra 120ml cream, add to the cooled chocolate mixture and fold through.

6. Divide between 4 small serving bowls and place in fridge to set.

7. Serve with the fruit and chocolate curls.

Homemade wedges, veg and cheese.

Tasty and very easy to make. This can be used as a snack or  as an accompaniment.

Wash and cut the potatoes into wedges.  Parboil these for a few minutes, meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees/gas 6. Drain the wedges and place onto an oiled baking tray, spray a little oil over them, season with salt and black pepper. Then place into oven and bake until they are cooked through and beginning to brown.  Dice a red or yellow pepper (or both if desired), slice an onion and add to the wedges. Place back into the oven and bake for a few minutes until beginning to soften. Then add some grated cheese and bake until cheese melts. ENJOY!!!

Mexican scrambled eggs

Cut up 3 rashers of bacon. Dice 1 small onion. Dice half of a red pepper. Dice 6 mushrooms and place them all in an oiled frying pan, and gently fry until softened. Meanwhile beat 2 eggs and a little milk into a microwaveable  bowl, season and microwave for 3 mins. Then add the scrambled eggs into the pan and gently mix all the ingredients together. Once all combined serve with warm toast and a lovely cup of tea ☕️🍳 (to make this vegetarian, leave out the bacon).

Serves 4 / freezable / tasty and so easy to make

(if need be, you can cut up the vegetables really small )

You will need:

2 chicken breasts, diced

250g dried pasta

1 onion, diced

4 spring onions, chopped

2 mixed peppers, diced

8 mushrooms, sliced

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 handful chopped cherry tomatoes

Handful of sweetcorn

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp Cajun seasoning

2 eggs

60g GoGo cheese (I used cheese spread)

4 tbsp quark

1 chicken stock dissolved with 250ml water

1 tsp Schwartz season all (I didn't have any so make a teaspoon of.....paprika, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, onion powder (use what you have))

Method

• Cook pasta
• Cook chicken and onion, until browned
• Mix Cajun season, paprika and Schwartz season all, then add half to the pan and cook for 1 min
• Add mushrooms, peppers and carrots, cook for 1 min
• Add tomatoes and stock
• Then add remaining seasoning, stir well
• Cook for about 5 mins, then add rest of veg and cook for a further 5 mins
• In a separate bowl, mix the quark, Gogo cheese and eggs together until smooth, then add this to the chicken and veg mix. Stir well
• Add cooked pasta, mix well.  Plate up and sprinkle the grated cheese on top.  Enjoy with some crusty garlic bread

Quick meals to do with your left over chicken (or beef/pork)

Quick curry

• Fry a chopped onion and peppers
• Add a jar of store brand curry sauce
• Add the left over, chopped up chicken
• Warm through and serve with boiled rice and chips

Chicken Fried Rice

Left over chicken

Handful of frozen peas

Diced onion

Few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Few dashes of dark soy sauce (optional)

Cooked boiled rice

2 -3 eggs, whisked

Diced mushrooms (optional)

• Fry onion and mushrooms until beginning to soften
• Add boiled rice and fry gently for a few minutes
• Add chicken, frozen peas, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce and fry gently until well mixed and warmed through
• Add whisked eggs and mix well, fry gently until eggs are cooked through.
• Serve with your favourite curry sauce

Of course you don't have to use meat, you could just make egg fried rice with your favourite curry

Bacon, onion and potato bake

Serves 4 / oven 200 degrees / fan 180 / gas 6

You will need:

• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 1kg medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 16 bacon medallions (I used 8 rashers of bacon cut into two)
• 200ml chicken or veg stock
• salt and pepper to season
• 40g reduced fat cheddar cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven
2. Spread a layer of sliced onion on the bottom of an ovenproof dish.
3. Arrange a layer of sliced potato and bacon on top of the onions, alternating a couple of slices of potato with a piece of bacon.
4. Next, add another layer of onions.  Repeat until you have used up all the bacon and potatoes.  You should have at least three layers.
5. Pour the stock over the top, then season with a little salt and pepper.
6. Cover with foil and seal the foil tightly around the dish.
7. Cook in oven for 1 hour, then remove the foil and check that the potato is cooked.  If not, re-cover and return it to the oven for a bit longer.
8. When it is cooked, sprinkle the cheese over the top, then return to the oven for another 10-15 mins until the cheese has melted and golden brown.

A very tasty and easy meal.  Ours was served with spicy baked beans and crusty bread.

You will need:                                            200 degrees/gas 6, serves 4, freezable

2 chicken breasts, diced                       1 lemon - juice only (or a few dashes of lemon juice)

1 tsp paprika                                         15 mushrooms, sliced

1/2 tsp cumin                                        10 cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/2 tsp turmeric                                      1 glug of Worcestershire sauce 

1 onion, chopped                                  220g spaghetti

150ml chicken stock                             1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1 carrot, chopped                                  2 tbsp tomato puree

4 gloves of garlic, crushed

1. mix paprika, cumin, turmeric and lemon juice and sprinkle over chicken. Set aside for 10-20 mins or leave in fridge overnight.

2. heat large pan, add some oil and lightly brown the chicken, then set aside in a clean bowl.

3. add more oil if needed and fry onions, carrot, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and garlic.

4. when onion begins to soften, add tomato puree and Worcestershire sauce and cook for 3 mins.

5. add stock, tin tomatoes and place the chicken on top.

6. place in oven and cook for 20 mins.

7. whilst chicken is cooking, cook pasta, minus 2 mins.

8. take chicken out of oven and remove from dish.  Add the pasta to the sauce and mix thoroughly. 

9. add the chicken but place it under the pasta.

10.cover the chicken with foil and bake for another 10-15 mins.

11.serve with some crusty bread and salad.

Homemade pizza and wedges        oven 200 degrees / gas 6

First you need to make the pizza dough.

500g strong bread flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

7g dried fast acting yeast

300ml warm water

1. Combine all the ingredients and mix well

2. Knead dough on floured surface for 10 mins.

3. Form into a ball and place into a greased bowl and cover with cling film/tea towel and leave to rest in a warm place. It needs to double in size.

4. Knead again for 2 mins, cut into 2 and place on greased pizza trays and gently push to cover the trays.

5. I use shop brand pasta sauce, spread this over the bases and add your favourite toppings. I used Cajun chicken on one pizza and cheddar cheese, pepperoni and mozzarella on the other.

To make Cajun chicken topping - prepare this whilst dough is proving.

Chicken breast, thinly sliced and coated in Cajun seasoning

1 onion, thinly sliced

Handful of mixed peppers.

Gently fry all ingredients until chicken is cooked through and browned. When cooled, add to pizza base.

Chicken Jambalaya

A simple, healthy and filling family meal. Plus you only use one pot....even better

# pinchofnom.com

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 2 chicken breasts, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 75g chorizo, sliced (I used salami as that's what I had)
• 250g long grain rice
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 350ml chicken stock

Add oil to pan and brown chicken for 5-8 mins.

Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside in a clean bowl.

Add onion to pot and cook gently for 3-4 mins, until soft.

Add pepper,  garlic, chorizo, Cajun seasoning and cook for 5 mins.

Add chicken back to pot with the rice. Add stock and tomatoes, stir and simmer gently fro 20-25 mins.

Serve with crusty/garlic bread.

Basic cake recipe

This recipe makes 12 cup cakes or a medium cake to fit an 18cm round cake tin.

You wil need:

175g unsalted, softened butter

175g caster sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

175g plain flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

3 tablespoons milk, room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees or gas mark 4.

2. Grease tin or put cake cases into bun tray.

3. Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and whisk unitl light and fluffy.

4. Gradually add the eggs, mixing well in between each addition.

5. Add the vanilla essence and mix well.

6. Sift together the flour and baking powder and add into the bowl.

7. Carefully mix well, until smooth.

8. Add the milk and mix again.

9. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin or cake cases.

10. Bake in the middle of over until golden brown, well risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of of the cake comes out clean.

Decorate with whatever you have at home.

20.04.20

Mrs Surtees and I held a healthy eating cooking day a few weeks ago and in the current climate there is no better time to try some new recipes with the family. We used recipes supplied to us from Focus on Food/Healthy Schools and they are truly amazing.  We only ever bought the store brand ingredients so the meals were so cheap, cheerful and healthy.

It is important for children to develop their cooking skills as it builds an awareness of the social and cultural importance of food. Without even realising you even use some maths. Whether you’re cutting a whole recipe in half or just measuring out flour, it’s a great way to give your kids a jump-start on maths skills. Cooking may help children see that maths has a practical application in the real world.

Children will learn to prepare a variety of meals and take control of their own health.  They will learn the importance of a healthy balanced diet for their bodies and minds.  When the children are involved in the making of meals, they learn to appreciate the food more and will even try different foods.

I have photographed the recipe cards that we used, so please have a try. Good luck and enjoy.......

 

450g Beef pieces

1 chopped onion

Few handfuls of frozen veg

2 or 3 white potatoes, chopped (optional)

Cold water

Gravy granules

Ready to use shortcrust / puff pastry

(You can make your own pastry and freeze what is left over for next time)

1. Preheat oven to 180degrees / gas 4.

2. Place beef pieces into ovenproof dish.

3. Add chopped onion, frozen veg and potatoes (if using).

4. Cover well with the water and sprinkle over the gravy granules.

5. Place in oven and cook slowly. Check and stir regularly and if needed add more water and gravy granules.

6. Once beef is cooked through and gravy is to your liking, take out of oven.

7. Unroll ready to use pastry and place carefully on top of dish. Cut off excess pastry.

8. Place back into oven and cook unitl pastry is nice and golden.

9. Serve alone, with seasonal veg or some homemade healthy chips.

Home made Beef and Veg Hot pot

Use the same ingredients as above but instead of putting pastry on the top, slice a few potatoes into thin slices and place on top of beef and veg. Cook in oven until potatoes are cooked nice and softly.

It’s Easter

Good morning, it’s nearly that time of year again when the Easter bunny will be delivering some delicious chocolate eggs to our loved ones. Why not try some of these easy, delicious recipes at home with your family.

Recipe serves 18

20 mins to prepare and 10 mins to cook

Freezable (before decorating, allow to cool, wrap in cling film and the then foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Loosen cling film and foil and leave to defrost at room temp)

Ingredients

200g butter, room temperature 

200g caster sugar

1 egg

400g plain flour

To decorate

250g royal icing sugar

assorted food colourings 

Method

1. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and add the caster sugar.

2. Using a wooden spoon beat until light and fluffy.

3. Gradually beat in the egg, until well mixed.

4. Gradually add the flour, using your hands to bring the mixture together to form a stiff dough.

5. Gather into a ball, cover and chill for 30 mins.

6. Heat the oven to gas 4, 180c, fan 160c.

7. Roll out the dough onto a floured work surface until it’s the thickness of a £1 coin.

8. Using an egg shaped cutter or a cardboard egg shaped template, cut out the biscuits.

9. Place on greased baking trays and bake in middle of oven for approx 6-10mins, until golden brown.

10. Allow to cool for 5 mins before removing from baking tray to cool completely.

11. To decorate, make up the icing as directed on packet. Divide between 3-4 bowls adding a bit of food colouring to each and mix well. Place mixture into piping bags and decorate using the children’s favourite sweets or sprinkles.

Or just dip them in some melted chocolate and allow to cool, or just leave them plain.

It doesn’t matter what they look like, they will taste delicious.

The biscuits will keep for up to a week when stored in a sealed cake tin.

Have fun and enjoy!!!

These beautiful, buttery shortbread biscuits are so easy to make, you can even add chocolate chips as well.....

Ingredients 

125g/4oz butter

55g/2oz caster sugar, plus extra to finish

180g/6oz plain flour

1. Heat oven to 190c, gas 5.

2. Beat butter and the sugar together until smooth.

3. Stir in flour to get a smooth paste (add choc chips here if using).

4. Turn out onto a floured work surface and gently roll out until paste is 1cm thick.

5. Cut in rounds, fingers or any shape you fancy and place onto a lined baking tray.

6. Sprinkle with caster sugar and chill in the fridge for 20 mins.

7. Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins, or until pale golden brown. 

8. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

You can dip these into melted chocolate and allow to cool.

HAVE FUN AND ENJOY!!