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TRIED AND TESTED MEALS FOR KIDS
Cooking for children has never been easier, thanks to a new book from BBC Good Food Magazine called 101 Recipes For Kids. We share some tried-and-tested meal ideas sure to win favour with their taste buds, that are also packed full of goodness.
Parents are always feeling guilty. These days not only do we worry about feeding our children the right food, while they are bombarded with an onslaught of unhealthy horrors through both advertising and peer pressure. But also - especially when both parents are holding down busy jobs - its oh, so much easier just to slap a ready meal in the microwave.
However two busy women, Angela Nilsen and Jeni Wright, have come to the rescue by collecting together 101 Recipes For Kids in a new book, from BBC GoodFood.
Tried and tested, the recipes include familiar favourites such as Banana Splits and Fairy Cakes as well as introducing more exotic dishes to tempt modern young palates such as Chinese Egg-Fried Rice and Mexican Tortilla Wraps.
Angela says: Temptation is all around - so its easy for kids to end up eating too many high fat, high sugar, high salt, high additive, ready-made snacks and meals, especially when parents feel they dont always have time to pay as much attention as they would like to what the children are eating.
But start young by offering children a good balance and a variety of healthy foods. Get the children involved in the choosing and shopping so they are aware of what they are eating. Then make time to eat and share each meal.
Weve selected some easy winners - Sausage Pasta Salad, Rainbow Rice and Glamorous Fairy Cakes.
:: SAUSAGE PASTA SALAD
Packed with slow-release carbohydrates this salad combines two kids favourites: sausage and pasta, and packed into airtight containers makes a handy packed lunch.
(Serves two)
(Time: 25 minutes, plus cooling)
Nutrition per portion: 244 kcalories, protein 8.6g, carbohydrate 36.1g,
fat 8.3g, saturated fat 2.3g, fibre 1.8g, sugar 2.4g, salt 0.95g
2 Chipolata sausages
85g/3oz Dried fusilli or other short pasta shape
2tsp Olive oil
2 Cherry tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 Spring onions, finely chopped
2tbsp Home-made or ready-made tomato salsa
1. Heat the grill to high and grill the sausages for about 15 minutes or
until cooked through, turning them occasionally. Leave to cool then
slice into bite-sized pieces.
2. Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling water for 8-10 minutes or
according to the packet instructions, until tender. Drain into a sieve
and hold under the cold tap till cool.
3. Shake the pasta well to remove excess water, then tip into a bowl and
stir in the oil to prevent the shapes sticking together. Mix in the
sausages, tomatoes, onions and salsa. Taste for seasoning.
:: RAINBOW RICE
A healthy dish thats high in vitamin C, this colourful rice salad is a good way of getting lots of veggies and seeds into a childs diet.
(Serves two big kids or four small ones!)
(Time: 30 minutes)
Nutrition information per portion based on two servings: 225 kcalories,
protein 5g, carbohydrate 32g, fat 14.5g, saturated fat 1.5g, fibre 3g,
added sugar none, salt 0.035g
100g/4oz Basmati, long grain or brown rice
1 Small red pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 Cucumber, seeded and finely chopped
1 Large carrot, grated
6 Dried apricots, chopped
2tbsp Toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds
2tbsp Olive oil
Juice 1/2 orange
1. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions. Drain, rinse and
drain again.
2. Tip the rice into a large bowl and add all the other ingredients. Mix
well and season to taste.
:: GLAMOROUS FAIRY CAKES
A childhood favourite that is enjoyed at any age. These dainty little cakes can be decorated for a young girls birthday party or for teenagers too.
(Makes 24 cakes)
(Time: 45-55 minutes)
Nutrition information per cake: 193 calories, protein 2g, carbohydrate
36g, fat 6g, saturated fat 3g, fibre none, sugar 31g, salt 0.2g
For the cakes:
140g/5oz butter, very well softened
140g/5oz golden caster sugar
3 medium eggs
100g/4oz self raising flour
25g/1oz custard powder or cornflour
For decorating:
600g/1lb 5oz icing sugar, sifted
6tbsp water or half water and half fresh lemon juice, strained.
Edible green and pink food colourings
Crystallized violets
Crystallized roses or rose petals
Edible wafer flowers
1. Pre-heat the oven to 190C/Gas 5/Fan 170C. Arrange the paper cases in
bun tins. Put all the cake ingredients in a large bowl and beat for
about two minutes until smooth. Divide the mixture among the cases so
they are half-filled and bake for 12-15 minutes until risen and golden.
2. Mix the icing sugar and water until smooth. Use a third on eight of
the cakes. Divide the rest of the icing mixture in two, then colour one
half pale green and the other half pale pink and use it to ice the rest
of the cakes.
3. Decorate the white-iced cakes with crystallized violets, the pink
ones with the roses and the green ones with the wafer flowers. Leave to
set. Will keep for up to 2-3 days when stored in an airtight container
in a cool place.
:: 101 Recipes For Kids by Angela Nilsen and Jeni Wright, is published
by BBC Books, priced £16.99.
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