Food Minia

I came up with this recipe for Parsnip Mash on my new blog but thought I'd would share it here as well because it would be absolutely fantastic for babies too. Very simply made and even easier to eat, this would be great for adults or first weaners. Check out the recipe for Parsnip Mash by clicking on the link!

I've never bought an ice lolly for my son which has led to full on, lying back, kicking, screaming because he wanted more.  Apart from my son's behaviour (and not wanting to reward it), it's not going to make you feel too bad giving him two. It's also a great way to use up and store bananas which are past their best as you do want them slightly over-ripe. Banana and Honey Ice Lollies - makes 4-6 depending on mould size Ingredients 1 ripe banana 2 tsp runny honey 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 100g, 3.5oz Yogurt (low fat is fine) Method Peel and chop the banana.  Blend the ingredients together.  Pour into an ice lolly mould and freeze until solid.  Run some warm water over the outside of the mould to release them. Don't give to under 1's due to the honey (you could always miss it out if your bananas are super ripe and sweet.)

Soup might not seem like the most summery recipe but with a drizzle of olive oil, this really hit the spot, especially when the weather is less than you'd hope for. Minestrone Soup - Makes enough for one adult and one child with leftovers, freezes well. Ingredients 1 onion, finely chopped 2 tsp olive oil 1 courgette (zucchini) finely chopped 1 rib of celery, finely chopped 1-2 carrots, finely chopped 180g, 6.5oz Smoked bacon 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1/2 tin borlotti beans (120g, 4oz drained weight) 45g, 1.5oz small pasta shapes - I used alphabet shapes because I thought they were cute 1 tbsp fresh parsley 1 large fresh tomato, chopped 1 tsp pesto Olive oil and grated cheese to serve (optional) Method Gently fry the onion in the oil for a couple of minutes.  Add the courgette and carrots and fry for a couple more minutes.  Add the garlic, celery and chopped bacon and fry until the bacon is looking cooked and the onion is translucent. Add 650ml, just over a pint, of b...

Stuffed mushrooms are one of those foods people think are difficult to make.  "Life is too short to stuff a mushroom" a phrase apparently coined by Shirley Conran.  Stuffing a mushroom does sound difficult, or fiddly but I promise it's not.   This super simple stuffing also makes it easy (and delicious).  I just had this as an adult meal for one but my son, a fan of both mushrooms and cheese would love these.  Do include the herbs, after all, without them they'd be a two ingredient recipe and that feels a little bit lame! Stuffed Mushrooms - Serves 1 Adult or 1-2 Children Ingredients 5 White Mushrooms (I didn't use large open capped ones, just ones around 2-4 cm across.  The bigger they are, the fewer you'll need.) A few sprigs of fresh herbs, I used parsley, thyme and chives 60g, 2oz Feta cheese, crumbled Method Preheat the oven to 200oC, 400F, gas mark 7. Take the stalks out of the mushrooms just leaving the caps.  If you like the stalks can be chop...

Rhubarb is such an odd fruit.  It's almost a twisted fact of nature that rhubarb is great at this time of year, just as we should be donning our suncream and sunglasses.  Then you have a spring like this one.  Days of dismal rain and almost tempted to switch on the central heating. So rhubarb suddenly has a strange purpose.  The joy, if you like, in the drizzled disappointment of British weather! After initial reluctance, my son loved this cake and so did I.  It lasted for 2 further days in a tin and I also froze some wedges which defrosted in the microwave beautifully. Great served warm as a pudding with silky double cream or custard or cold as a cake.  Ok, I'm not winning any prizes on health here but I figure it's still healthier than a chocolate bar, and, cream aside, it's pretty low in fat. Rhubarb Cake - makes 1 large cake Ingredients 60g, 2oz Margarine 300g, 10.5oz Sugar (I used a mix of half white and half dark soft brown sugar which...

Quesadillas was something I used to make for my son when he was very little.  This is a slightly updated version with plenty of sneaky hidden vegetables! Quesadillas - Serves 2 adults and a toddler Ingredients 1 tomato, diced 1 tbsp fresh coriander, cilantro chopped 1/4 Green pepper (capsicum), finely chopped Approx 1-2 inches courgette (zucchini) finely chopped 1/2 tin (drained, 120g, 4oz drained weight) red kidney beans 1 Clove garlic 1/2 tsp mild smoked paprika 45g, 1 1/2 oz Extra mature (extra sharp) cheddar 4 tortillas Salsa or chilli sauce, to serve Method Mix the ingredients apart form the cheese tortillas and salsa and heat in a saucepan for 5-10 minutes or until hot through and combined. Spread half the mix on a tortilla, top with half of the cheese then put a second tortilla on top.  Don't be tempted to overfill them as they'll fall apart. Dry fry in a non stick frying pan. When browned on one side, flip by putting a plate on top then turning out and sliding back in...

Cannelloni is a surprisingly easy dish to cook for one.  I had made some tomato and pesto soup the other day and the leftovers were in the fridge.  It occurred to me that it would also make a really good pasta sauce.  But I had no cream cheese, no goats cheese, no mince, nothing traditional for a cannelloni filling in the house.  So why not vegetables.  Why not?  You know what, it didn't just work , it was delicious! A great idea for fussy kids not keen on vegetables (or even adults!) Spinach and Carrot Cannelloni - Serves 1 adult or 2 children Ingredients 1/2 a carrot, peeled and grated 20g, 2/3oz Fresh spinach, finely shredded 2 tbsp Single cream (light cream) but any cream could be used 30g, 1oz Extra mature (extra sharp) cheddar 200-250g 7-9oz of homemade tomato and pesto soup 4 tubes cannelloni.  Mine were quite small, weighing 45g, 1.5oz.  Make sure you choose the dried kind which can be cooked without precooking Method Mix the grated carr...

Glazed tuna, a pretty tasty invention, I have a feeling this would work with any kind of robust oily fish.  The idea is you add the flavour after the cooking so you don't get issues with the sweet sauce burning in the pan.  I enjoyed this and have made it twice already, what's more, fresh or frozen tuna is a great source of Omega 3 (tinned isn't).  It's also great to make something like tuna the star of the show when so often it's just bunged in a sandwich as a cheap protein source, although I have to admit my favourite way to have tuna is sushi but with the sweet gingery notes, this still hits the mark. This isn't mad spicy so should be fine for kids but no babies please as it contains honey. Honey and Ginger Glazed Tuna - Serves 2 adults Ingredients 2 tbsp grated ginger 2 tbsp honey 2 tsp Soy Sauce 1 tsp Sweet Chilli Sauce 1 tsp Sesame Oil 2 Tuna Steaks Spray oil Stir fried vegetables and noodles or salad and rice to serve Method Mix the ginger, honey, soy, c...

Chickpea pancakes might sound like an odd proposition for breakfast but bear with me.  Chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour or 'Besan' has a distinctive, savoury taste but there is something delicious about that served with syrup, just like that salty sweet combo of bacon and syrup is something fantastic, so was this. The amazing thing about chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour is it has over double the amount of protein compared with wheat flour which makes them amazingly filling so a great start for the day, and, handily for coeliacs (or people choosing to avoid gluten), it's naturally gluten and wheat free. The verdict was "nice but not quite as good as the normal ones" from the household, I disagreed.  I really liked them and I felt seriously full until lunch. Gluten Free Pancakes - Makes enough for 3-4 Ingredients Batter 225g, 8oz Chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour (besan) 2 tsp Gluten free baking powder 1 tsp Cinnamon 2 Apples, grated (including skin but excluding the core...

Pasta salad is one of those things you can use any old stuff in.  Leftover cooked chicken?  Marvellous.  Tuna?  Equally at home.  Well I'd picked up an avocado which was actually ripe (unheard of so of course it was down to 20p and 'reduced for quick sale'!)  I would have loved some guacamole and maybe I'll use the other half for that but I had nothing to serve it with so a pasta salad it was.  It's a great way to squeeze in fruit and vegetables which your child might not ordinarily try. I should have made this during my week of eating 7 fruits and vegetables a day !  A surprising hit with my youngster who's normally a bit of a salad dodger.  Substitute the dressing for mayonnaise or a mayo / yogurt mix if you prefer. Pasta Salad - Serves 2-3 Ingredients 90g, 3oz Wholewheat pasta (use regular if you prefer) 90g, 3oz Frozen sweetcorn 100g, 3.5oz Smoked bacon, chopped 90g, 3oz Cucumber, chopped A handful of cherry tomatoes or baby plum tomatoe...

Onion rings, love them but don't love the oiliness.  I'm not some health freak but I can feel my arteries hardening as I eat!  These are cunningly baked so much less fatty! Baked Onion Rings Ingredients 1 Small onion cut into 2mm rings 2 tbsp Mayo 1 tbsp Milk 20g, Just over 1/2oz Rice Krispies 15g, 1/2 oz Plain (all purpose) flour 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder Spray Oil Method Preheat the oven to 200oC, 400F, Gas Mark 6.  Line a tray with non stick baking paper. Crush the rice krispies and put in a bowl with the flour and garlic powder. Mix the mayo and milk together.  Dip the rings in the mayo mix then into the dry mix.  Put on the tray. Once you've done them all, wash off all the gunk from your hands then spray with spray oil. Bake for approx 10-15 minutes (12 in my oven, keep an eye on them so they don't burn). Make it Thrifty Use the oven for other things to maximise the use of the power while you're cooking these.  Also keep your eyes peeled (excuse the pun) f...

Weetabix cake?  Am I serious?  Well I'd been trying different ways of using cereals quite a bit recently what with rice krispies with mackerel but I'd never found a way of using them in cakes like I had with bran loaf .  Shreddies seemed promising but were a bit of a failure when I gave them a go.  Who knew Weetabix would work? This tastes similar to my bran loaf , loads of fibre, sweet whilst being low in added sugar, dairy free fat free and lovely with a pot of tea! Weetabix Cake Ingredients 2 Weetabix (or own brand equivalent) 350ml, 12 fl oz Decaffeinated tea (just make with one decaf teabag) 110g, 4oz Muscovado or soft brown sugar 280g, 10oz Sultanas (golden raisins) 1 egg 225g, 8oz Self Raising Flour (or all purpose / plain flour plus 2 tsp baking powder) 1 tsp mixed spice Method Crush up the weetabix, mix with the sugar and dried fruit.  Soak in the tea for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 160oC.  Mix in the spice, flour and egg and pour into a gr...

Bored of fish pie?  Want something interesting with fish and kid friendly?  This is a way to introduce a different flavour to white fish and great if your kids are less keen on fish without some kind of disguise.  Very quick and thrifty to prepare too. Pesto Crumbed Fish Ingredients 2 White Fish fillets, e.g. Pollock, cod, coley.  I use fairly thin fillets around 100-150g each 1 tbsp Mayonnaise 2 tsp Pesto 30g, 1oz Breadcrumbs 15g, 1/2oz Grated extra mature (extra sharp) cheddar Spray oil or olive oil Method Preheat the oven to 200oC / 400F / Gas Mark 6. Mix the mayo with the pesto.  Put the fish on a baking dish or tray lined with non stick baking paper.  Spread the mayo mix on the fish. Mix the breadcrumbs and cheese together and sprinkle on the top.  Spray with oil or drizzle with oil. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until browned and cooked through.  The thicker the fish, the longer it will take. Mine was only about a cm thick so cooked reasona...

Custard.  I never make it from scratch but I do make it from custard powder.  It occurred to me when making some custard from custard powder the other day that custard powder is simply cornflour (cornstarch) natural flavouring (vanilla) and colour (normally a natural colour like annatto).  I don't have much annatto floating around the house and there feels like something wrong about making white custard even though that's the colour it would be if not made with eggs, so my idea was to make chocolate custard. This would be great hot with chocolate cake, poured over banana (if you want to keep on my 7 a day routine), on it's own or allowed to cool in small pots and eaten cold like blancmange.  It's pretty low sugar too with only 1 tsp added sugar per portion.  There's more sugar in a fromage frais! Chocolate custard - Makes 2 small bowls Ingredients 280ml, Half Pint milk 1 rounded tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) 1 tsp Cocoa powder (unsweetened) 1/2 tsp Vanilla extrac...