Recipes to try at home
Below are a list of easy and healthy recipes parents can cook for their children at home.
1. Rice Paper Rolls
- 1 cup shredded barbecued chicken
- 1/8 Chinese cabbage (wombok), finely shredded (see note)
- 1/2 cup beansprouts, trimmed
- 1 small red capsicum, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 12 x 22cm rice paper rounds (see note)
- sweet chilli sauce, to serve
Method
1. Combine chicken, cabbage, beansprouts, capsicum, mint, 1/3 cup coriander, 2 tablespoons lime juice and fish sauce in a large bowl.
2. Place 1 rice paper round in a medium bowl of lukewarm water for 15 seconds or until just soft. Place on a clean towel or a paper towel.
3. Arrange 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture along the centre of rice paper round. Fold ends in and roll up firmly to enclose filling. Repeat with remaining rice paper rounds and filling. Serve with sweet chilli sauce and remaining coriander.
2. Chicken and Vegetable Rissoles
- 500g of chicken breast mince
- 125g corn, drained, rinsed
- 1/4 cup grated reduced-fat tasty cheese
- 2 tablespoons of sweet chilli sauce
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 100 grams of button mushrooms, grated
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Sweet chilli sauce and salad to serve
Method
1. Combine mince, corn, sweet chilli sauce, carrot, onion and mushroom in a bowl. Using 1/4 cup mixture at a time, roll into 12 rissoles. Place on a plate. Preheat oven to 180 degrees/ 160 degrees fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Heat oil in a frying plan over medium-high heat. Cook rissoles, in batches, for 2 minutes each side or until browned. Transfer to prepared tray. Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with sweet chilli sauce and salad.
3. Avocado and Bean Salad in Lettuce Baskets
- 300g can red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons mild bottled tomato salsa
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
- 8 large iceberg lettuce leaves, washed
- 2 tablespoons reduced fat natural yoghurt130g can corn kernels, drained
- 1 green capsicum, chopped
- 2 vine ripened tomatoes, chopped
- 1 large avocado, chopped
- 100g toasted corn chips
Method
1. Put the corn, kidney beans, red onion, capsicum, tomatoes and avocado in a bowl and mix to combine.
2. Fold through the salsa and coriander. Spoon the salad into the lettuce leaves.
3. Top each lettuce cup with a dollop of yoghurt and a sprinkling of lightly crushed corn chips.
4. Beef, Broccoli and Snow Pea Stir Fry
- 250g cooked Hokkien egg noodles
- 1 medium brown onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, peeled and grated
- 1/2 head broccoli, cut into florets
- 100g snow peas, ends and strings removed
- 1/2 tablespoon reduced-salt soy sauce400g rump steak, sliced
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon cornflour
- 1 teaspoon chilli sauce
Method
1. Prepare noodles following packet directions.
2. Heat oil in pan, stir-fry beef in two batches, set aside and keep warm. 3. Add onion, garlic and ginger, cooking until onion is translucent.
3. Add onion, garlic and ginger, cooking until onion is translucent.
4. Add broccli, snow peas and water, cooking until vegetables soften. Return beef to pan.
5. In a small bowl combine water, cornflour and sauces. Stir through beef and vegetables and allow to bubble and thicken.
4. Apple and Cinnamon Muffins
- Canola cooking spray
- 200g canned pie apple
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 375ml low or reduced fat milk
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 2 teaspoons safflower oil
- 100g thick, reduced fat vanilla yoghurt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, extra
- 2 tablespoons rolled oats, extra
Method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Spray 12 small (125 ml) muffin tins with canola spray.
2. Put the pie apple in a bowl, stir in half the cinnamon and set aside.
3. Sift the flour and remaining cinnamon into a large bowl, stir in the rolled oats and brown sugar. Make a well in the centre.
4. Put the milk, eggs, vanilla essence, oil and yoghurt in a jug and whisk to combine.
5. Pour the liquid ingredients into the well and mix until just combined - do not over mix - the mixture should still be lumpy. Over mixing will also make the muffins tough.
6. Half fill the muffin tins with the muffin mixture, place half a tablespoon of the apple mixture into each hole, then top with the remaining muffin mixture.
7. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and rolled oats. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the muffins are risen and have started to come away from the side of the tin. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in their tins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 12.
5. Bonza Beef Burgers
Meat patties
Method
To make the meat patties
1. Wash the carrot and pat dry with the paper towels. Grate the carrot and put in the mixing bowl.
2. Finely chop the parsley and onion and add to the carrot.
3. Add the minced beef, egg, tomato paste and pepper and mix well with the wooden spoon.
4. Mix in enough oats to bring the mixture to a dough like consistency.
5. Using your hands, shape the mixture into four rounds and then flatten out into patties.
6. Heat a frying pan or barbecue over a medium–high heat.
7. Add the oil and cook the patties until golden brown on one side.
8. Turn the patties over with the egg lifter and cook on the other side until golden brown and cooked through.
To make the hamburgers
1. Wash the tomato and lettuce and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Slice the tomato and shred the lettuce.
3. Cut the bread rolls in half and spread with the mayonnaise.
4. Place one meat pattie on each roll, then top with a little tomato sauce or sweet chilli sauce.
5. Top with the tomato, lettuce and the other half of the bread roll. Serve at once.
- 1/4 carrot
- large sprig of parsley
- 1/4 small onion
- 300 g lean minced beef
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp reduced salt tomato paste
- 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil for cooking
- pinch of black pepper, coarsely ground
- Hamburger
- 1 tomato
- 2 lettuce leaves
- 4 round wholemeal rolls
- tomato sauce or sweet chilli sauce
- 4 tsp mayonnaise (made from canola, sunflower, soybean or olive oil)
Method
To make the meat patties
1. Wash the carrot and pat dry with the paper towels. Grate the carrot and put in the mixing bowl.
2. Finely chop the parsley and onion and add to the carrot.
3. Add the minced beef, egg, tomato paste and pepper and mix well with the wooden spoon.
4. Mix in enough oats to bring the mixture to a dough like consistency.
5. Using your hands, shape the mixture into four rounds and then flatten out into patties.
6. Heat a frying pan or barbecue over a medium–high heat.
7. Add the oil and cook the patties until golden brown on one side.
8. Turn the patties over with the egg lifter and cook on the other side until golden brown and cooked through.
To make the hamburgers
1. Wash the tomato and lettuce and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Slice the tomato and shred the lettuce.
3. Cut the bread rolls in half and spread with the mayonnaise.
4. Place one meat pattie on each roll, then top with a little tomato sauce or sweet chilli sauce.
5. Top with the tomato, lettuce and the other half of the bread roll. Serve at once.
6. Chicken Risotto
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 500g chicken mince
- 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
Method
1. In a lidden pan, heat the butter and fry the chicken and mushrooms until the chicken is cooked.
2. Add the rice and stir until grains are glossy and transparent.
3. Add stock and stir. Place lid on and turn heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Stir parmesan through and serve with extra parmesan.
7. Gozleme
Dough
Method
Mince Filling
1. In a frying pan, fry the lamb mince and make sure you break it into small lumps with a wooden spoon.
2. Add the garlic as it is browning and stir well.
3. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then add the cumin, tomato puree and chilliflakes and stir. Cook for a further 2 minutes and set aside.
Feta and Spinach Filling
1. Pour boiling water over the spinach and then drain. Crumble feta up and stir through spinach.
Dough
1. Combine the yoghurt with the self-raising flour and knead on a floured board for 2-3 mins.
2. Cut into 8 portions. Cover with a damp tea towel until ready to use.
Cooking
1. Roll each dough ball into a 25cm round and place 4 tablespoons of filling on one half. Fold dough round in half and press together the edges.
2. Heat a skillet, frying pan ot barbeque hotplate to medium heat and brush each Gozleme with olive oil. Cook on each side until golden "eyes" appear.
- 400g Greek style plain yoghurt
- 500g self-raising flour
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 100g baby spinach
- 200g feta cheese
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 500g lamb mince
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tin tomato puree
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
Method
Mince Filling
1. In a frying pan, fry the lamb mince and make sure you break it into small lumps with a wooden spoon.
2. Add the garlic as it is browning and stir well.
3. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then add the cumin, tomato puree and chilliflakes and stir. Cook for a further 2 minutes and set aside.
Feta and Spinach Filling
1. Pour boiling water over the spinach and then drain. Crumble feta up and stir through spinach.
Dough
1. Combine the yoghurt with the self-raising flour and knead on a floured board for 2-3 mins.
2. Cut into 8 portions. Cover with a damp tea towel until ready to use.
Cooking
1. Roll each dough ball into a 25cm round and place 4 tablespoons of filling on one half. Fold dough round in half and press together the edges.
2. Heat a skillet, frying pan ot barbeque hotplate to medium heat and brush each Gozleme with olive oil. Cook on each side until golden "eyes" appear.
8. Vegetable and Chicken Sausage Rolls
- 8 Pre-prepared frozen puff pastry sheets
- 1kg chicken mince
- 4 eggs
- 3 tablespoons LSA, (a mix of ground linseed, sunflower and almond kernels), optional
- 1 cup flaked quinoa or amaranth, optional
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1kg vegetables
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 egg for brushing pastry, cracked and mixed lightly
Method
1, Preheat your oven on high (around 210 degrees)
2. Chop up all the vegetables in a small
3. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except for the puff pastry and the extra egg (which will be used to brush the pastry). Massaging all of the ingredients together can be the best way to make sure they are well combined.
4. After the puff pastry is defrosted, cut a sheet in half and lay in front of you as a long rectangle.
5. Using a tablespoon lay out the sausage roll mix in a long line at the bottom of the sheet. Roll puff pastry over the sausage roll mix so that there are two layers of pastry overlapping by at least 1cm.
6. Before rolling up the mix in the pastry, brush some egg as 'glue'. Keep the roll whole, brush with more egg on top and place on a tray with baking power. Keep in the fridge. Repeat this process until all of the mix is used up.
7. With a sharp, thin bladed knife, cut the logs of sausage rolls into smaller pieces. Each roll makes 7 or 8 sized sausage rolls.
8. Lay each piece 2cm apart on a tray lined with baking paper. Don't try and squeeze too many on one tray as they will steam rather then bake and you won't get a golden colour from the pastry.
9. Bake on high for 15min, until the pastry starts to golden then turn the oven down to 180 degrees
9. Savoury Muffin Recipe
- 2 cups self-raising flour
- 3/4 cup grated tasty cheese
- 1/2 cup finely diced ham
- 1 capsicum diced
- 1/4 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
- 150g butter, melted
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tray with muffin sized patty pans.
2. In a bowl, place the flour, cheese, capsicum, mushrooms and ham.
3. In a jug, combine the egg, milk and butter.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Pour into patty pans and bake for 15-20 minutes.
10. Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large brown onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cumin, ground
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 kg pumpkin, peeled and diced (I used a Jap)
- ¾ cup red lentils, washed twice and strained
- 4 cups boiling water
- ¼ cup cream (optional)
- ¼ cup basil leaves (optional)
Method
1. Heat a large frying pan with oil then add onions and garlic.
2. Cook for one to two minutes then add spices and one teaspoon of salt.
3. Stir until aroma is released then add pumpkin until pieces are coated.
4. Turn your slow cooker on to HIGH and pour the pumpkin and onion mixture into the crock.
5. Deglaze the frying pan with boiling water. Pour water into crock, add lentils then stir to combine ingredients.
6. Place the lid on and cook for 3 hours.
7. Turn off slow cooker; add cream, extra salt and basil leaves (if using).
8. Puree in food processor then serve.