Broccoli & Cheddar Soup 

(a great way to disguise broccoli for little ones who are not so keen)

Ingredients:

1 medium onion peeled
6oz peeled potatoes
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1lb broccoli
salt & pepper
1½ pts vegetable stock
½ tsp honey
6oz mature cheddar cheese, grated
 

Method

Chop the onion and potato roughly and fry gently in oil.  Trim broccoli and cut stems into half inch slices.  Add stems to the potato and onion mixture.  Fry for 5 minutes and season.

Add half of the broccoli florets to the potato mixture, add stock and simmer for 20 minutes until vegetables are soft.  Add the remaining broccoli florets and the honey.  Cook for 1 minute.

Leave to cool for a couple of minutes, then put into a liquidiser and blend.  The newly added broccoli retains a slightly crisper texture. * Return to the pan, add the grated cheese, stirring in until it melts, then serve. 

* If you wish to freeze this soup, complete this recipe to this point, but do not add cheese yet.  To use soup, defrost it, heat and add grated cheese.

Ingredients:

450g broccoli
300g pasta shapes, e.g. penne
50g butter
300ml milk
50g flour
100g mature cheddar, grated
 

Method:

Cut the broccoli into 1 inch pieces, and steam for 12 minutes, until soft. 

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and stir, cook for 1 minute.  Gradually add the milk and stir until the sauce thickens.  Stir in half of the cheese. 

Place the broccoli and pasta in an ovenproof dish, then pour the sauce over and top with the rest of the cheese.  Brown under a hot grill.. 

Ingredients:

Sausages:

175g (6oz) Caerphilly Cheese, grated
250g (9oz) fresh breadcrumbs
1 leek, trimmed & finely chopped
2 tsp mixed herbs
1 tsp mustard powder
salt & pepper
2 large eggs separated

Breadcrumb coating:

2 tbsp plain flour
100g (4oz) fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp sunflower oil, for frying

Method:

Mix the cheese, breadcrumbs, leek, herbs, mustard and seasoning in a bowl.  Add the egg yolks and bring ingredients together to form a soft paste.  Chill for an hour (the mixture, that is!), then remove from the fridge and divide into 12, forming them into sausages.

Lightly whisk the egg whites.  Dip each sausage into the flour, then the egg white, then the breadcrumbs, rolling them gently until they are coated.

Heat the oil, then fry the sausages for 4 minutes, turning them as they cook.

Ingredients:

1 large onion
3 tbsp olive oil
2 large courgettes
1 litre (1¾ pints) vegetable stock
350g (12oz) arborio rice
350g (12oz) frozen peas
salt & pepper
150g  (5oz) parmesan cheese, freshly grated
handful of basil leaves


 

Method:

Heat the oil in a saucepan, then add the onion and courgette and cook until softened. 

Heat the vegetable stock in a separate pan and keep warm

Add the rice to the onion and courgettes and stir well before adding a ladleful of vegetable stock and letting it simmer.  Once the stock has been absorbed, stir and add another ladleful, and repeat until all the stock has been added.  Stir in the peas and simmer for a further 5 minutes, or until the rice is cooked al dente.  Add the parmesan cheese, basil and butter and stir well before serving. 

Creamed Mushrooms with Toast

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil
4 spring onions, chopped
275g (10oz) button or chestnut mushrooms, chopped
100g (4oz) soft / cream cheese
1 loaf ciabatta or baguette

Method:

Heat half of the oil in a pan and fry the spring onions over a medium heat until softened.  Add the mushrooms and fry for 5 minutes.  Lower the heat, add the cheese and stir until melted.  Meanwhile cut the ciabatta into slices, brush with the remaining oil and place under a grill until lightly browned.  Spoon the creamed mushrooms onto the top and serve. 

Tip: Little ones may prefer the mushroom mixture pureed and served in a bowl with toast soldiers for dipping. 

Ingredients:

3oz glace cherries
3oz dates, stoned
3oz butter
2oz light brown sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
6oz rolled oats

4oz milk chocolate (optional)

 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C.  Grease and line a shallow 7" baking tin.  Rinse cherries in hot water and dry.  Chop the cherries and dates.  Place butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan and heat gently until melted.  Pour the butter mixture into a bowl with the oats and stir well.  Add the cherries and dates, stir, and transfer the mixture to the baking tray, pressing it down.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until golden.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool. 

If using chocolate, melt it in a basin over a saucepan of simmering water.  Pour over the top of the flapjack, spread out with a spatula, and leave to cool.

Cheese Biscuits

Ingredients:

4oz plain white flour
3oz butter
3oz grated Cheddar cheese
1oz Parmesan cheese
½egg yolk

Method:
 

Preheat the oven to 200ºC, Gas Mark 5.  Rub the butter into the flour until it starts to resemble moist breadcrumbs.  Add the remaining ingredients and combine to form a dough.  Roll out the dough on a floured board to a quarter of centimetre thickness.  Cut into biscuits with a pastry cutter, and place them on a baking tray.  Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.  Turn onto a wire rack to cool.  Be warned - these are very more-ish - so you may wish to make a double batch!

Ingredients:

125ml natural yoghurt
125ml milk
2 bananas, mashed
250g strawberries
1-2 tbsp honey or caster sugar

Method:

Wash & hull the strawberries.  Place all the ingredients in a liquidiser and blend.  Serve immediately

NB: Honey is not suitable for babies under 12 months

Mango Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 mango
1 banana
300ml (10fl oz) natural yoghurt
150ml (5fl oz) milk
4 tsp runny honey
Pinch ground cinnamon
Handful of raisins
6 ice cubes
 

NB  Do not serve honey to infants under 12 months

Method

Cut the mango in half down the middle and remove the stone.  Scoop out the flesh and place it into a liquidiser with all the remaining ingredients.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into glasses and serve.