An easy and quick playdate lunch…

Abbie had a friend to play today and they were both famished after swimming…. so ‘Flash in the Pan Bangers’ it was – always a favourite – an alternative to sausages and baked beans – the unprocessed version! I also made homemade oven chips and served some really fresh sprouting brocolli on the side – not surprisingly the whole lot was wolfed down!

Flash in the Pan Bangers – from BBC Good Food ‘101 Recipes for Kids’

1 tblspn vegetable oil

8 pork sausages – I used 12 chipolatas

1 small onion – peeled and chopped

400g cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

400g chopped tomatoes

1 tblspn maple or golden syrup

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce or dash of Tabasco, to taste

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan until hot and fry the sausages, over a medium heat for 20 mins, turning them now and then, until golden and sticky. Remove the sausages from the pan and set aside.
• Add the onion and cook for 3-4 mins until softened. Tip in the beans and tomatoes, stir thoroughly and cook for 2-3 mins, then stir in the syrup and the Worcestershire sauce or Tabasco and 150ml/ 1/4 pt hot water. Cook for a further 2 mins or until slightly thickened.
• Return the sausages to the pan and cook for a further minute or until bubbling.

Serves 4 (plentifully)

Homemade oven chips/wedges

Preheat oven to 200C.

Cut potaoes into thin wedges and toss in rapeseed oil (and garlic puree – optional).  Spread over a baking sheet and cook in the hot oven for 30-35 mins, turning half-way through cooking.  They should be crispy when cooked – cook for extra 5 minutes if not. Sprinkle over Maldon salt to taste.

Flash in the Pan Bangers, homemade chips and sprouting broc

Two happy customers!

Turkey, sweet potato and pea curry… well Jon and I liked it!

I got this recipe from an old BBC Good Food ‘Cooking for Kids’ booklet, created by Leslie Waters, and had really high hopes for it – Abbie is keen on chilli flavours, but not yet on curries….  Jon and I both LOVE curries! This was very mild (korma paste used) and had cocunut milk in it. Have to admit that Abbie has never eaten as much of a curry before, but still only ate about half of the small portion I gave her – she tried all the componenets, but told us that it did not get ‘two thumbs up’ – her rating of a good dish!

Abbie was not altogether convinced!

The recipe was supposed to feed 2 adults and 2 children, but we only at half of the curry last night (even though Jon had seconds) and so I have frozen the leftovers for another go, maybe for when Abbie is not so tired and more receptive to new flavours.  Jon and I loved the curry, even though it was a bit tame for us.

I would love you to have a go with your children and let me know what they think about it!   Here’s the link: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1555/chicken-sweet-potato-and-coconut-curry

A one pot meal!

served on top of rice, to soak up the cocunutty juice