Chicken and Mushroom Orzo Pasta

Serves 1 parent and 1 baby

Ingredients

75g Orzo (or other pasta if your baby prefers the larger pieces)
1 chicken breast
4 or five medium sized mushrooms
1 tbsp creme fraiche
1 tsp basil pesto
Garlic pepper to taste

Method
Cut the chicken into pieces (of a size preferred by your child) and cook in a frying pan
Once cooked, remove the chicken and add the mushrooms, fry gently until cooked
In a separate pan cook the orzo (or other pasta), when cooked drain and return to the pan
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
The temperature my be about right for your baby right now, but you can heat a little for yourself if required

Pea and Mushroom Risotto

Serves parent and child

Ingredients

1 small onion, finely chopped
1tbsp oil suitable for frying (sunflower or rapeseed - not olive oil)
1 clove garlic
150g mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen peas
 500ml low salt vegetable stock
150g arborio rice
25g parmesan
a little butter


Method

Fry the onions until they start to become clear, add garlic
Add the mushrooms and continue to gently fry
In a separate pan heat the vegetable stock
Add the rice to the onions and mushrooms and stir well to coat all the rice in oil, add a little more oil if necessary
Add some of the stock to cover the rice, and then add the peas. Cook gently.
Stir continuously until all the stock is absorbed, then add little more stock, and do the same again.
Keep going with this until the rice is cooked and the food takes on a creamy appearance.
Turn off the heat and add the butter and parmesan and mix well.


Note
Although the constant stirring may make you think risotto is not a dish to cook when looking after a baby it actually works well. Just turn off the ring if you have to leave for a while and you'll find that when you come back the rice has absorbed a little more stock. I actually find the slower it's cooked the better it tastes!

Wholemeal Banana Bread

Ingredients


3-4 bananas (depending on size)
1/3 cup butter
1 large egg
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups wholemeal plain flour

Method
In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas using a potato masher
Melt the butter in the microwave and add to the bananas - mixing in with a wooden spoon
In a separate bowl, beat the egg, then add the sugar, baking powder and vanilla and mix well
Add this mixture to the banana and butter mixture and mix with the wooden spoon
Lastly add the flour and fold in until well mixed
Put the mixture into a greased 2lb loaf tin and bake at 175°C for about 50 mins (slightly longer if not using a fan oven)
Turn out and leave to cool on a cooling rack

Lightly seasoned lentil patties

Makes 12-14 patties so plenty for freezing

Ingredients

1 small onion (finely chopped)
1 cup red lentils
2 cups low salt vege stock
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 carrot (grated)
1 medium potato (grated)
1 small sweet potato (grated)
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander or 1 tsp dried
3 eggs (beaten)
5 or 6 slices wholemeal bread (crumbed)
fouler for dusting
cooking oil (rapeseed or sunflower)

Method


Fry the onion and garam masala until the onion starts to become transparent
Add the lentils and vege stock and bring to the boil
Simmer for 10 - 15 mins
Add the grated vegetables and coriander and cook for a further 5 mins or until the mixture is quite dry
Beat the eggs in a bowl, add the vege mix from the saucepan and the breadcrumbs and mix well
Dust the bench with flour and form patties.
Fry in vegetable oil at a medium to high temperature

Uncooked patties can be frozen

Quick and easy lentils, chickpeas and beans

In my opinion, home cooked chick peas, lentils and beans taste heaps better than those from a tin - they are also loads cheaper. You can have all the taste of homecooked, all the convenience of a tin, and minimise the cost if you buy a bag of the dried product, cook the whole packet in one go, and then freeze in portions (about 1 cup full works well for us). You can prepare these at any time - such as after baby's bed time.

First, soak for 24 hours, changing the water halfway through, and then rinse.

Cooking times are usually on the packet - but just in case...

Chick peas and yellow split peas - 90mins
Kidney beans, pinto beans, black eyed beans (and almost any other bean except soya ) - 40 mins
Soya beans generally require 2-3 hours (see pack)

Gardener's Pie

Servings: some for now and some for the freezer

Ingredients:

1 cup brown lentils

1 tbsp oil suitable for frying (eg sunflower or rapeseed - not olive oil)
1 large onion, finely chopped

1 clove crushed garlic
4-5 medium mushrooms, sliced
1 stick celery, sliced
1 carrot finely sliced
1/2 cup broccoli florets

1 cup low salt vegetable stock

1 tsp mixed herbs(or other herbs that you prefer - oregano is nice in this dish)
Garlic pepper
3 tbsp tomato paste

3 cups mashed potato (optional)


Method:
Soak the lentils for 2 hours or overnight, drain and rinse (or prepare in advance and freeze)

Heat oil in a large saucepan and saute onion, garlic and mushrooms for 5 minutes
Add remaining vegetables and saute a further 5 minutes
Add cooked lentils, seasoning, tamari, vegetable stock, herbs and tomato paste.
Stir over heat until combined and simmer until all the vegetables are tender and the mixture is fairly thick
Place in an ovenproof dish and top with mashed potato
Brown in a hot oven for about 15 minutes

Alternatively, serve the mashed potato separately. Mashed potato can be substituted with sweet potato, or swede if you wish.

There should be enough for one meal for the two of you, and a couple of portions for the freezer (I don't recommend freezing the mash, just the base)