I know I know, you feel guilty even reading this one! But let's face it - we're adults and they are children and we have different interests. Me, I like to flop down from time to time and have a quiet cup of tea, and my kids? They want action, action and more action. Not everyone is born with an innate sense of how to entertain children, I mean why else is there a thriving community of children's party entertainers? Now there's a strange lot... So, my hot tip on this one is not to go out and buy yet another book like "1001 Crafts to Make out of Household Garbage on a Rainy Day", but I have been made aware of a pretty useful book called "I'm Bored" by Polly Beard and Suzy Barratt. It's packed full of silly (and inexpensive) games and activities for all sorts of age groups and situations (travelling, outdoors, indoors, etc). After doing one of those you'll feel less guilty about switching on the telly and making that cup of tea...
This is a simple but very tasty side dish, and it's not rocket science.
Roast Squash with Cumin
I use butternut squash for this, but if you can get hold of gemsquash or really any squash, this recipe suits them all. Cut your butternut squash into eight pieces - I use a big cleaver for this and expel a little rage as they are tough to slice and dice. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and chuck them out. Place the eight pieces onto a baking tray, skin side down. Drizzle all of the pieces with olive oil, then sprinkle them with plenty of sea salt, a generous grind of black pepper and a light coating of ground cumin. Roast in a 200 C oven for 35 minutes or until you can stick a knife in with ease, and serve with...well, anything! And yes, you can eat the skin too.
Friday, 10 October 2008
Friday, 3 October 2008
Do Your Kids Eat Too Much Crap?
I am no nutritionist, but what I do know is the following three things:
1 If you make a small or large effort to cook something fresh for your children as often as you can, and if your kids eat some fruit and vegetables every day, then you're probably doing all right. I have heard that even repeating the same few items is OK, so if your kid only likes brocolli, and not beans or peas, well you can rest assured that you can still put a tick in the "green vegetable" box. Obviously a variety of fruit and veg is better, and use the colours of food to guide you, and feed them green things, orange things, yellow things, red things - you get the picture.
2 Another thing is I never made sweets a treat in my house. Sometimes they are there and sometimes not, and I try so hard not to reward good behaviour with a sweet, as the association of "I am good" with sweets can become ingrained and last until adulthood. Do you reward yourself for "being good and going to the gym" with a treat? Do you?
3 The last thing is that no child has never been known to starve itself, so if your child doesn't want to finish what is on their plate, it's OK. We are so conditioned to finishing what is on the plate that early on in life, we lose our ability to stop eating when our brain tells us we are full, and instead we stop eating when all the food is gone. Perhaps that's one reason there is a growing epidemic in obesity? Relinquish your control here and you'll end that "just three more bites" argument that makes many a meal end in tears.
Today's recipe is another stress free dinner party in a snap:
Mediterranean Lamb Slop
This recipe has such a strange start, but stay with me.
Take a tin of anchovy fillets and spread them out across a deep baking dish, oil and all. If there is not enough oil to coat the pan then add a bit of olive oil. Place 4 lamb steaks on top of the anchovies and season them with salt and pepper. Now add a variety of vegetables, cut into 1 inch chunks to fill the dish. I use courgettes, aubergines, red peppers, carrots, squash and mushrooms but any combination should work. Sprinkle on some pine nuts, fresh thyme (stalks and all) and a sprinkling of cinammon, salt and pepper all over. Add a couple of tins of whole tomatoes with their juice (never buy chopped toms in a tin as the seeds are often sliced and they release a very bitter taste into the tomatoes). Also add 1/3 bottle red wine and scatter on some pitted black olives if you like. Cover the whole thing with tin foil and at this point you can fridge it for later, or cook straight away at 190C for about an hour. If you undercook it you'll have slightly crisper veg, and if it's overdone you'll have a stew texture. Either is great so don't stress. I serve this with rice or cous cous, and if you're feeling fancy, add a tin of drained chick peas to the cous cous.
1 If you make a small or large effort to cook something fresh for your children as often as you can, and if your kids eat some fruit and vegetables every day, then you're probably doing all right. I have heard that even repeating the same few items is OK, so if your kid only likes brocolli, and not beans or peas, well you can rest assured that you can still put a tick in the "green vegetable" box. Obviously a variety of fruit and veg is better, and use the colours of food to guide you, and feed them green things, orange things, yellow things, red things - you get the picture.
2 Another thing is I never made sweets a treat in my house. Sometimes they are there and sometimes not, and I try so hard not to reward good behaviour with a sweet, as the association of "I am good" with sweets can become ingrained and last until adulthood. Do you reward yourself for "being good and going to the gym" with a treat? Do you?
3 The last thing is that no child has never been known to starve itself, so if your child doesn't want to finish what is on their plate, it's OK. We are so conditioned to finishing what is on the plate that early on in life, we lose our ability to stop eating when our brain tells us we are full, and instead we stop eating when all the food is gone. Perhaps that's one reason there is a growing epidemic in obesity? Relinquish your control here and you'll end that "just three more bites" argument that makes many a meal end in tears.
Today's recipe is another stress free dinner party in a snap:
Mediterranean Lamb Slop
This recipe has such a strange start, but stay with me.
Take a tin of anchovy fillets and spread them out across a deep baking dish, oil and all. If there is not enough oil to coat the pan then add a bit of olive oil. Place 4 lamb steaks on top of the anchovies and season them with salt and pepper. Now add a variety of vegetables, cut into 1 inch chunks to fill the dish. I use courgettes, aubergines, red peppers, carrots, squash and mushrooms but any combination should work. Sprinkle on some pine nuts, fresh thyme (stalks and all) and a sprinkling of cinammon, salt and pepper all over. Add a couple of tins of whole tomatoes with their juice (never buy chopped toms in a tin as the seeds are often sliced and they release a very bitter taste into the tomatoes). Also add 1/3 bottle red wine and scatter on some pitted black olives if you like. Cover the whole thing with tin foil and at this point you can fridge it for later, or cook straight away at 190C for about an hour. If you undercook it you'll have slightly crisper veg, and if it's overdone you'll have a stew texture. Either is great so don't stress. I serve this with rice or cous cous, and if you're feeling fancy, add a tin of drained chick peas to the cous cous.
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Don't Make the Bed Today
A while back, I read a review of a book about how it's OK to be lazy. There were top tips to being lazy and the one that really stuck with me was "don't make your bed every day". So I don't! I don't think that makes me a slob, and although I like crisp, smooth clean sheets at night, there is equal pleasure crawling into a mass of rumpled duvet and pillows, pre-shaped and ready made into the way you want it during sleep. Me, I don't run a hotel...
Ooooozy Prawn Pasta Salad
This is a great summer supper, or side dish at a BBQ and I usually make it for any vegetarian (pescatarian actually) guests since a BBQ can be quite a carnivorous occasion. The essential ingredient is something called orzo, which is small, rice shaped pasta. It has the most wonderful texture once cooked, and I get it from my local Italian Deli. I usually cook 1/2 a pack for about 8 people. Once cooked, put it in a salad bowl and leave it to cool with some olive oil stirred into it to prevent it from sticking. Add 2 tubs of creme fraiche, a large bunch of fresh dill, finely chopped, 2 big tbsps of grainy mustard, all the juice of a lemon and two packs of cooked prawns. Make sure the dressing is enough so the dish is quite oozy and not stiff. If stiff, add more lemon juice and creme fraiche. If you like a little crunch, add a chopped red pepper.
Ooooozy Prawn Pasta Salad
This is a great summer supper, or side dish at a BBQ and I usually make it for any vegetarian (pescatarian actually) guests since a BBQ can be quite a carnivorous occasion. The essential ingredient is something called orzo, which is small, rice shaped pasta. It has the most wonderful texture once cooked, and I get it from my local Italian Deli. I usually cook 1/2 a pack for about 8 people. Once cooked, put it in a salad bowl and leave it to cool with some olive oil stirred into it to prevent it from sticking. Add 2 tubs of creme fraiche, a large bunch of fresh dill, finely chopped, 2 big tbsps of grainy mustard, all the juice of a lemon and two packs of cooked prawns. Make sure the dressing is enough so the dish is quite oozy and not stiff. If stiff, add more lemon juice and creme fraiche. If you like a little crunch, add a chopped red pepper.
Monday, 29 September 2008
Glass of wine = Mum's best friend
You are not alone. It seems to me that there are MANY mothers out there who, upon getting their children to bed, go straight to the kitchen to pour themselves a glass of wine. This is no lecture about creeping alcoholism but a friendly (whispered) "pssssst...we all do it" moment. We love our children but they do, from time to time, drive us completely mad. And after a long frazzled evening (or day) together, only Chateau-take-moi-away will do! I know many a nutritionist who positively swears that a glass of red wine every evening does more good than harm, so it's the second and third that we should talk about...another time. Pass the bottle.
Not so Boring Potato Salad
This one is not reinventing the wheel, I know! But my cooking is all about the basics, with a lovely cheating twist to make people think you are a culinary genius. But it is with humbleness that I offer this very simple recipe. Obviously you boil some peeled potatoes which I always cut up before cooking as it cuts down on the cooking time. Drain and allow them to cool (never rinse them under cold water! It's far better to serve warm potato salad than the mulch this would produce). Add enough half fat creme fraiche (healthier than mayonnaise so please forgive my creme fraiche fetish) to coat the potatoes generously, 2 tbsps of curry powder, and some apricot chutney. I know "some" is not a measurement, but if it is about 1/4 chutney to creme fraiche, that should be about right. If the chutney you are using has chunks of apricot, either chop them up or leave them out. Mrs Balls Chutney has the perfect consistency for this, but any chutney will work. Add lots of salt and pepper as potatoes are so bland. Lastly, add some chopped fresh mint or parsley, for a cheffy flourish, if you can be bothered.
Not so Boring Potato Salad
This one is not reinventing the wheel, I know! But my cooking is all about the basics, with a lovely cheating twist to make people think you are a culinary genius. But it is with humbleness that I offer this very simple recipe. Obviously you boil some peeled potatoes which I always cut up before cooking as it cuts down on the cooking time. Drain and allow them to cool (never rinse them under cold water! It's far better to serve warm potato salad than the mulch this would produce). Add enough half fat creme fraiche (healthier than mayonnaise so please forgive my creme fraiche fetish) to coat the potatoes generously, 2 tbsps of curry powder, and some apricot chutney. I know "some" is not a measurement, but if it is about 1/4 chutney to creme fraiche, that should be about right. If the chutney you are using has chunks of apricot, either chop them up or leave them out. Mrs Balls Chutney has the perfect consistency for this, but any chutney will work. Add lots of salt and pepper as potatoes are so bland. Lastly, add some chopped fresh mint or parsley, for a cheffy flourish, if you can be bothered.
Friday, 26 September 2008
Are All Men Boys?
Last night I went out with two MSM's (Married Single Mothers) after spending some time in the afternoon with Geraldine. I was particularly disappointed to hear that Geraldine, too, is an MSM as I thought of her husband as one of the more devoted and doting ones I know. She said she was terribly lonely, looking after their daughter every weekend while he went off sailing. He thinks that because he does all the cooking, he's off the hook! All I can say is jeepers, look at the mess we've got ourselves into. Does anyone out there have a truly involved husband? Do you get time off every weekend...?
I think of Guacamole as comfort food, so here's to you, Geraldine...
Cheat's Guacamole
When it comes to speedy cooking, you often have to cheat, lie or steal. Sometimes all three. This is a cheat's recipe for Guacamole as it is deeply unauthentic but delicious. Take one ripe avocado per person, and for each avocado add about one big tbsp mayonnaise, juice of half a lemon and 1/4 tsp of garlic salt. Mash all together with a fork - ta da! The mayonnaise can be any kind. I recently found a lime/chili mayonniase at Wholefoods which worked very well but I usually use Light Hellman's. Leave some lumps in so everyone knows you made it yourself.
I think of Guacamole as comfort food, so here's to you, Geraldine...
Cheat's Guacamole
When it comes to speedy cooking, you often have to cheat, lie or steal. Sometimes all three. This is a cheat's recipe for Guacamole as it is deeply unauthentic but delicious. Take one ripe avocado per person, and for each avocado add about one big tbsp mayonnaise, juice of half a lemon and 1/4 tsp of garlic salt. Mash all together with a fork - ta da! The mayonnaise can be any kind. I recently found a lime/chili mayonniase at Wholefoods which worked very well but I usually use Light Hellman's. Leave some lumps in so everyone knows you made it yourself.
Monday, 22 September 2008
We all know a Yummy Mummy...
Who coined the phrase "yummy mummy"? It's such an unfair label which only olympic mothers can achieve. For the rest of us mere mortals, it's simply an annoying label to aspire to. You know the type - she shows up at the school gate with hair perfectly coiffed, full make up and painted immaculate fingernails. She's super slim, makes her own jam, plays awesome tennis, runs a book club, participates every year in a major marathon (for charity of course) and wears only the latest fashion. And the worst thing is she's probably really nice. Well guess what, it's OK to hate her.
In honour of all those yummy mummies out there, I present to you my most revolting recipe - the antithesis of anything they would ever cook as it contains mayonnaise (fat! horror!) and tinned soup (yuck!). But it tastes good...
Chicken Divan
I suppose this is an old 70's recipe and I have no idea where I got it from, but I have been making it for 20 years, honestly. Cook 4 skinless chicken breasts in a pan and slice them up into bite size pieces. Scatter into a deep baking dish. Chop up a whole brocolli, also into bite size spears, and scatter those on top, raw. In a bowl, mix together 2 tins of cream of chicken soup, 1 cup of Hellman's Light Mayonnaise, the juice of one lemon, 3tsps of curry powder, a good pinch of sea salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Add in some milk (1/2 cup), to loosen the mixture a bit. Pour this over the chicken and brocolli, it should cover them well. Cover the top with breadcrumbs, more black pepper and a generous layer of grated parmesan cheese. Cook in a preheated oven 200C for 30 minutes or until it looks golden and hot. I serve this with rice, apricot chutney and a green salad.
In honour of all those yummy mummies out there, I present to you my most revolting recipe - the antithesis of anything they would ever cook as it contains mayonnaise (fat! horror!) and tinned soup (yuck!). But it tastes good...
Chicken Divan
I suppose this is an old 70's recipe and I have no idea where I got it from, but I have been making it for 20 years, honestly. Cook 4 skinless chicken breasts in a pan and slice them up into bite size pieces. Scatter into a deep baking dish. Chop up a whole brocolli, also into bite size spears, and scatter those on top, raw. In a bowl, mix together 2 tins of cream of chicken soup, 1 cup of Hellman's Light Mayonnaise, the juice of one lemon, 3tsps of curry powder, a good pinch of sea salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Add in some milk (1/2 cup), to loosen the mixture a bit. Pour this over the chicken and brocolli, it should cover them well. Cover the top with breadcrumbs, more black pepper and a generous layer of grated parmesan cheese. Cook in a preheated oven 200C for 30 minutes or until it looks golden and hot. I serve this with rice, apricot chutney and a green salad.
Friday, 19 September 2008
Are You Sleep Deprived?
I think sleep is way overrated. The way parents obsess about their sleep or go to bed at 9pm is just plain boring. Sure we all like a good night's sleep, but if you just accept that us parents don't get to sleep as much as before children, you will enter a whole new world. But you have to truly accept and be at peace with lack of sleep, and never get angry about it again. There's a lot of interesting research out there about sleep and the only bit I believe is that kids need sleep as it's when they grow. The next time you see a runt of a kid, ask the parents if that kid sleeps badly, or never takes a nap and 9 times out of 10 they'll say yes.
Today's recipe won't put you to sleep, but it's one of my all time favourites. It epitomises everything that I feel my cooking represents: It's a bit unusual, it's tasty, easy to make and FAST. Happy working mothers don't slave for hours at a stove!
Warm Cannelini Bean Salad
Heat a large espresso cup's quantity of olive oil in a saucepan. Add about two tsps of (ideally) fresh rosemary pulled off the stalk, or the same quantity of dried. We're not looking to deep fry it, so just heat it gently until you can smell rosemary in the air above the pan. Stick your nose in there! Then add a tin of drained cannelini beans with a generous pinch of sea salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. The beans shouldn't be swimming in oil, nor should the mixture be too dry, so add more oil if you need to. Heat through and then switch off as you can just leave it on the stove top with a lid until you need it. Don't overcook them as the beans will go hard. Serve it warm with some lamb chops and a green salad. It's a nice alternative to potatoes and healthier. I often make this in larger quantities for BBQ's too.
Today's recipe won't put you to sleep, but it's one of my all time favourites. It epitomises everything that I feel my cooking represents: It's a bit unusual, it's tasty, easy to make and FAST. Happy working mothers don't slave for hours at a stove!
Warm Cannelini Bean Salad
Heat a large espresso cup's quantity of olive oil in a saucepan. Add about two tsps of (ideally) fresh rosemary pulled off the stalk, or the same quantity of dried. We're not looking to deep fry it, so just heat it gently until you can smell rosemary in the air above the pan. Stick your nose in there! Then add a tin of drained cannelini beans with a generous pinch of sea salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. The beans shouldn't be swimming in oil, nor should the mixture be too dry, so add more oil if you need to. Heat through and then switch off as you can just leave it on the stove top with a lid until you need it. Don't overcook them as the beans will go hard. Serve it warm with some lamb chops and a green salad. It's a nice alternative to potatoes and healthier. I often make this in larger quantities for BBQ's too.
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