Who doesn’t love a good Chinese crispy duck? We’ve been making our own homemade version for ages and I thought it was about time to share the recipe here. This homemade version of crispy duck is far healthier than the restaurant version as it isn’t deep fried. But it’s just as delicious. And unbelievably easy to make.
Soup is so delicious at any time of the year and is such a great option for when you want to shift a few pounds (like I am trying to do at the moment). I can’t ever do diets that need separate meals to be made as realistically I’m not going to make myself a meal and then a separate one for my family. So soup is my answer. It’s a healthy and filling meal for all and everyone else can have some bread with it but I just stick to the soup.
I’ve recently become addicted to roasted cauliflower and have been experimenting with it so many ways. Last week I decided to try out a roasted cauliflower and garlic soup. I wanted to add a bit of a twist to the soup so I decided to add some smoked cheese to give it a subtle smoky flavour. Here’s my recipe:
Continue Reading "Roasted cauliflower and garlic soup"
At the moment I am so in to one pot meals especially during the week. Because of other stuff happening in life, I have less time to cook. But I still like a delicious family meal at the end of the day. So one pot meals are the answer for me. Pasta is one the best one pot meals because it lends itself to so many flavours and ingredients. This is one of my favourite easy, quick and yummy mid-week pasta dishes that my entire family enjoys (fussy kid included) and I don’t spend hours slaving or prepping over.
Continue Reading "Easy pasta with pesto spinach and pancetta"
One of my healthy eating food goals for this year is to eat more vegetarian meals each week. We are usually fairly healthy only eating fresh food cooked from scratch but realised that we could cut down on eating meat. One of my favourite go to dishes is this Indian style vegetarian chili called Rajma (it’s vegan too) made with red kidney beans. Bags of flavour and warmth, this dish is traditionally served with just rice – it really needs nothing else. But if you feel like it you can make a side dish of some spiced veggies. I’ve grown up on this dish and it was always a favourite. I’ve even got my fussy eater to eat it so it not only makes a an easy and delicious mid-week family meal but also a very healthy one as kidney beans are so good for you as are many of the spices (like turmeric and cumin) in this dish.
Continue Reading "Warming Indian style vegetarian chili (rajma)"
As we are getting closer and closer to the party season, I wanted to share some of my favourite party food recipes. Party food should always look as good as it tastes but for me shouldn’t involve too much last minute prep – you want to be able to spend time with your guests too. Easy, tasty and pretty is my motto! Last week I shared my mini fish & chips recipe and this week it’s these delicious honey soy and ginger chicken skewers. Small enough to be picked up by little or large hands, these chicken skewers are great for any kind of gathering – kids birthday parties, adult festive parties or mixed family gatherings. I usually serve them for mixed parties as it’s something everybody loves. Always make more than you think you’ll need because believe me when I say that these chicken skewers are so more-ish that they disappear in minutes!
HONEY SOY AND GINGER CHICKEN SKEWERS
Makes: 20 skewers
20 mini chicken breast fillets (you can also use regular breasts sliced lengthways in to strips)
3 cloves garlic crushed
3 cm piece fresh ginger grated
3 tbs soya sauce
2 tbs honey
2 tsp soft brown sugar
2 tbs sesame seeds toasted
2 spring onions finely chopped (optional)
Put the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, honey and brown sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Add the mini chicken breast fillets and stir well so that all the chicken pieces are well coated in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.
Remove the chicken from the fridge about 30 minutes before you’re ready to cook. In the meantime toast the sesame seeds on a hot, dry frying pan till they turn light golden brown. Remove the chicken strips from the marinade and thread on to bamboo skewers – one strip per skewer. Put under a hot grill for around 7-9 minutes, turning halfway through. It’s really important not to overcook the chicken as it will get really hard so keep an eye on it at all times. You want it so that the chicken is just cooked through and the honey/sugar caramelises to a nice golden brown colour.
Arrange the skewers on a platter or I sometimes like to stand them up in a jam jar, scatter with the toasted sesame seeds and chopped spring onions (if using) and watch them disappear! I like to serve a bit of sweet chilli dipping sauce on the side but this isn’t essential.
Do you cook with your kids? There are so many benefits of cooking with kids and involving them in the kitchen. I am on a mission to involve Anya in the kitchen as much as I can. Everyday when I cook dinner I get her to join me and help. I give her tasks like making marinades, peeling garlic, getting all the ingredients together or anything else that doesn’t involve knives or heat. What I love most about this time is our chats. We have lots of fun conversations where she tells me stuff about school, about her friends and I’ve found she chats to me much more during our cooking time than if I sat down and asked her lots of questions. Similarly on weekends, Richard loves cooking and I can see what a great father/daughter bonding time this has become.
So, when Abel & Cole offered to send us their kids Summer boxes, I agreed. I tend to make more complex food on a regular basis so while I involve Anya, it is me who is very much in charge. But these boxes contain recipes that are super easy to follow, allowing kids to read the instructions and take the lead. Most of the recipes have 3-4 ingredients like this vanilla ice cream Anya made – just honey, vanilla pod seeds, cream and egg yolks. This box also contained ingredients to make a strawberry sauce and banana ice-cream which we will try over the weekend.
The recipes are very simple and so your kids aren’t likely to make you the most delicious meal you ever ate but what I love about them is that kids around 5 and older can totally be in charge and you are there just as a helper. We’ve had a few boxes now and Anya is so excited when a new box arrives as she thinks of it as hers and can’t wait to see what she’ll be cooking next. I also love the convenience of pulling out a box and knowing I have all the ingredients to get started. Abel & Cole are doing kids boxes throughout the Summer with different recipes each week so if you’re in need of ideas, check it out. Also it’s a fun way way to keep kids occupied over the Summer holidays.
Here are some simple tips to help get kids involved in the kitchen:
1. Start involving them by making foods they love – maybe baking some cookies or muffins. One of Anya’s favourite things to make is pizza which would be fun for any kid to be involved in making even for kids as young as 2 or 3.
2. Go food shopping together and once in a while let them choose what meal they would like to make or if you can, go to a pick your own fruit/veg place and they will be so keen to cook and eat what they’ve picked.
3. Make a very simple recipe where they can be in charge – this can bring such a sense of pride and achievement as I saw when Anya made this simple ice-cream. Kids love to help especially with adult tasks as this makes them feel good and appreciated.
4. Even if you’re making an involved meal, give them small tasks like stirring or measuring ingredients.
5. Involve the kids in the cooking when you have time. Everything takes longer with kids so as long as you’re relaxed they’ll enjoy it much more.
Above all make it fun. Play some music, be silly and if you’re anything like me don’t worry about the mess like I used to – it used to actually put me off cooking with Anya but I’ve learned to put my fear of mess asisde 😉 It takes a few extra minutes to clean up but it’s so worth it. Do you cook with your kids?
P.S. I moved all my kitchen clutter to one side when I took these pics – my kitchen doesn’t normally look this tidy even though I wish it did! 😀
{All photos by ebabee. Anya wears frankie fox print shirt from the ebabee shop}
We are huge foodies in this house. We LOVE to eat! And we love to cook. If you’ve been following this blog you’ll know that we were doing a huge house renovation project which meant we haven’t had a kitchen for six months! But we do now and we’ve haven’t stopped cooking since. I am all for experiencing and eating different foods, foods from around the world but also food that is family friendly. In the past, I’ve often ended up cooking two meals in an evening – one for Anya and one for Richard and me. That just takes the joy out of cooking and it starts to feel like a chore. So I keep looking for new ideas and flavours that will feed us all and I thought I would share some of my favourties here too.
Even though Anya is a fussy eater, I’ve slowly been introducing her to new flavours and tastes and today I wanted to share my version of this delicious spiced Lebanese rice with mince lamb recipe. This recipe has lots of spices which are exactly what gives this rice dish so much flavour but these spices are in no way spicy. What’s more, this Lebanese rice is a one pot meal making it a convenient and quick mid-week meal without compromising on flavour.
Spiced Lebanese rice with minced lamb recipe:
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
500 gms minced lamb (I prefer 10% fat but up to 20% is fine)
basmati rice*
1 medium onion
¾ tsp all spice
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 black cardamom pods (or ½ tsp ground cardamom)
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground clove
¼ tsp ground cumin
beef or chicken stock
1 tbs olive oil
large knob of butter
couple of handfuls of frozen peas
handful of coriander (optional)
*I measure my rice in a measuring jug so I know exactly how much liquid to add. I put in rice up to the 300ml mark and then I put in a little over double the amount of water/stock – around 700-750ml.
Start by finely chopping the onion. Then measure out your spices and keep them aside.
Next heat the olive oil in a fairly deep pan and add the chopped onions. Stir the onions until they soften and turn a very light brown. Add in the minced lamb to brown making sure that any clumps of meat are broken down. (These steps can be done a few hours in advance so I usually do this in the afternoon making the dish even quicker to put together at dinner time.)
If you’ve browned the lamb mince in advance, just heat it up first. Add the knob of butter and once melted throw in all your spices and really mix it well so that they are spread through the lamb. Add the rice and peas and give it all another very good mix. Add your hot stock, bring to the boil and let it all boil for a minute or two, turn down heat to low, cover and simmer for around 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the rice as it’s done once the water has all evaporated. But make sure all the water has gone and it’s dry – if the rice is even a little wet it will be soggy and not as enjoyable. Often the rice at the bottom of the pan will burn a bit which makes that rice go crispy – this is the best bit of the dish so don’t throw it away, eat it!
I like to garnish with chopped coriander but that’s not essential. I usually have this with a simple red onion salad. Just thinly sliced red onions, sliced cucumbers and chopped coriander mixed together with a bit of salt, pepper and a ¾ teaspoon of vinegar.
This spiced Lebanese rice with mince lamb is a yummy little dish. If you give it a go, it may just become a weekly favourite as it’s become in our home. And the best bit is that not only is it a quick mid-week family dinner to put together, but you also have everything in one pot. This quantity comfortably feeds the three of us leaving a good amount leftover and this rice dish tastes even more delicious the next day.
P.S. If you want some more inspiration for tasty and easy mid-week family meals, take a look at my soba noodles recipe and my cheesy quesadillas.
*I’ve linked up to Honest Mum’s tasty Tuesday’s.
Since December we have been living with very limited kitchen facilities – a hob, no oven, barely any kitchen space and barely any cooking equipment. On top of that, the area where the make-shift kitchen was is freezing as it wasn’t heated. We have now begun renovations on our new home so I can’t wait till be have a brand-spanking new kitchen. But these last couple of months have been a challenge. Takeaways aren’t really our thing – I just think they taste nowhere near as good as fresh, home-cooked meals. So I’ve been trying to think of meals that are very quick to make on a hob but are still fresh and healthy. Eggs have been a lifesaver and as much as I adore them, I still want variety. And that’s where these delicious quesadillas have saved the day!
From play date food to after school snacks to a fast but fresh family dinner, quesadillas are quick, easy and so versatile. You can eat them three days running but with completely different fillings and you feel like you’re having a different meal each day. The tortilla wraps are handy to keep in the store cupboard and when you don’t have time to cook or just don’t feel like it, you can whip up a meal in minutes. The filling can be absolutely anything you have lying in the fridge already or anything you fancy. And these can be made ahead and just heated gently in the oven.
I made these the other day when I had some roast chicken around (which I had bought as without an oven, roasting a chicken is difficult!) so I went for chicken and cheese quesadillas Here’s what I used:
Flour tortillas
Shredded roast chicken
Grated cheese (I used emmental but have used cheddar and gruyere before)
Finely sliced spring onions
Handfuls of coriander
Finely sliced small green chilli
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter or oil
To make, simply take a tortilla and fill one half of it with your filling and then fold over the other half. It’s much easier to make these by filling half a tortilla and folding over. Heat a pan over a medium heat and melt a tiny drop of butter. Use very little butter to make sure they get crisp – too much and the tortillas will go soggy. Place the filled tortilla in the pan and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes. Remove, slice in to wedges and dinner is ready! It couldn’t be simpler. (For my kids version, I only put in chicken and cheese as not all kids like coriander and onions and of course no kid likes chillies). Such an easy dinner that really takes so little effort.
Some more filling ideas: I always like to use a bit of cheese as it helps keep all the filling together but apart from that, anything goes. Ham, mushrooms, re-fried beans, mozzarella, pesto, peppers, tomatoes, tuna, left over roasts, chorizo, bacon, broccoli, sweetcorn, prawns, guacamole, spinach and so much more. I’ve spoken savoury fillings as this is meant to be a quick and easy family dinner but for a bit of an indulgence I am planning to try a sweet version soon – maybe chocolate spread or peanut butter and fruit. Sounds yum!
{all photos by ebabee}
I’ve linked up to Honest Mum’s Tasty Tuesdays.
A few weeks ago we went strawberry picking. We had such fun and of course ended up coming back with a ton of strawberries. A few days later I had some friends and their kids coming over for dinner so dessert had to be strawberries and cream. Not only did I have the strawberries, I also wanted a very quick and easy dessert as I was short on time. But even with quick and easy, I wanted it to look nice and not just serve it as a bowl of strawberries and cream. So I decided to involve some meringues and some madeleines to dress up the dessert.
These ones were mini shop bought meringues topped with whipped double cream and chopped strawberries. No added sugar here as meringues are so sweet. It took me seconds to put together but still looks pretty.
With these ones I bought some delicious madaleines and layered these with the strawberries and cream, topped with a dusting of crushed meringue to add some crunch. I also chopped the strawberries and left them in a bowl with a little bit of sugar so their juices would run. I used these juices to keep the dessert moist, especially the madeleines. You can use strawberry liquor too but I had made these especially for the kids.
It’s not always possible to make desserts from scratch so I’m totally in to using shop bought stuff and putting my own touch on it. These strawberries and cream went down a treat with both the kids and adults and my friends even commented on how lovely they looked. What are your favourite short-cut desserts?
I’ve linked up to Honest mum’s tasty Tuesdays.
{all photots by ebabee}
I love cooking but I’m not nearly as keen on baking or making sweet stuff. I guess I’m just more of a savoury person. Anya though loves baking and so lately I’ve been thinking that I need to do a bit more with her. A couple of weekends ago she and I made some bunny cookies and she loved getting involved. The look of pure excitement on her face when I told her we were going to be making cookies together made me think I need to do this more often. It also made me realise that it doesn’t have to be a complicated exercise, in fact the simpler the better. Sometimes it can even be about decorating some shop bought cakes or cookies. Or making simple fairy cakes and just decorating the cupcake liners. So with half-term coming up I thought it would be handy to have a few easy baking ideas up my sleeve:
1. Making cookies in different shapes like we did a few weeks ago is always fun. I found a very simple cookie recipe and showed Anya all the cookie cutter shapes we have and she chose to make bunnies. I didn’t have time to make icing so instead we made little tails from the same cookie dough. She had great fun cutting out the shapes and getting flour all over herself. Next time we might try cloud, star and moon shaped ones.
2. This is such a cute idea! Make simple shapes with filo pastry and then bake the pastry. In this filo boat recipe they’ve also made a chocolate pool (yum!) but if you didn’t want to do that, you could just fill the boats with chopped red berries and dust with icing sugar. Or for an extra sweet treat, fill will little M&M’s. This is top of my list to try soon.
3. Make simple cupcakes or buy them and have fun decorating them. I especially like the idea of making little paper decorations to adorn the cupcake liners and to top them rather than using sprinkles and icing. Just like these mustache cupcakes, they’ll look so much more unique and you can be as creative as you like.
4. Baking doesn’t always have to mean sweet things. Like these teddy bear rolls, making bread can be just as much fun. Kids love playing with dough of any sort so why not try making fun shaped bread. You can make any shape you like and then give it ears, a tail or anything else that your kids can imagine.
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