7 Great New Recipes To Feed Your Family
It shouldn’t be hard to encourage children to help when it comes to making meals. If it’s less of a ‘project’ and more of a fun thing that just happens – like picking a recipe, getting the ingredients out and making something for everyone – it can be something children love. Making food an activity they are included in – from picking out fruit in the shop to helping to peel veg from an early age – will make it feel like less of a gear change, and more like something they want to be involved in. As far as knives and chopping go, try giving them a safe kit from Opinel and they’ll be able to peel and chop things from about the age of three or four.
The best way to incorporate vegetables into meals is all about how you deliver it and mixing it up. Having a bowl of chopped veg on the table first, as you get lunch or supper ready, means they’ll be hungry and ready to munch on stuff without being forced. Fritters, bhajis and spiralised strings of veg added to pasta are all great ways to add different formats of the same veg, and a crispy mouthful of a fritter is a very different proposition to a boiled, soggy side of veg on a plate. Adding veg to smoothies also works so well – frozen cauliflower is a particular stealth hit.
When it comes to fail-safe recipes for easy family suppers my sweet potato bhajis are a 15-minute favourite with most people. I always have a fridge full of things I’m getting to the end of, so wraps, tortillas and tacos are a staple – everyone chooses their fillings (such as peppers, avocado, carrot and fried halloumi), we all chop them and put into bowls, and then everyone assembles their own. Stress free and fast.
Lockdown is definitely hitting us harder this time round. With three not-so-young children and both parents working full time, we have definitely not been learning Mandarin or baking sourdough every day – getting everyone outside before dark has been challenging enough. We’ve tried to give all three children a 20-minute run round the local park every morning before they start lessons and we’ve noticed how that impacts the rest of the day – especially when it comes to how easily they fall asleep. My natural remedy Be Sleepy has also been a huge help in unwinding and relaxing them in the evening, and we’ve been blown away by the thousands of happy families getting better sleep too. The natural melatonin really supports the body’s circadian rhythms that have been turned upside down at the moment.
We’re all cooking more, but not always with more time. Writing a weekly plan is always a pain to think about, but it gives you back so much headspace in the week, it’s worth every second. Batch-cooking is always a great way to steal time, too – make a double batch of a pot of chilli, ragu or stew over the weekend, and then freeze double portions, and have some in the fridge for the week.
Make use of certain hacks such as chopping veg and freezing it, and have carrots, cucumber and peppers prepped in containers of water in the fridge, so they keep for longer and are ready to go. If you want smoothies at the ready, you can put the ingredients into portions in the freezer and just add milk as it goes into the blender.
We’re all getting better at lowering our expectations generally, and food has to be part of this for now. I definitely don’t make every meal, and there are plenty of shortcuts going on. We’ve had a much-prized weekly delivery of pastas and sauces, which is similar to a ready meal. Frozen fish fingers get an outing most weeks, too. And I adore the meal kits the hospitality sector has been creating – beautiful burgers, egg and bacon butties etc. Generally speaking, though, I don’t really buy meals to go, as I’m just too greedy. I know they won’t taste as good as a cheese toastie we can put together in five minutes back at home.
Inspired? Here are six of Lizzie’s recipes to try at home…
Buckwheat Berry Pancakes
Breakfast
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, make a well in the centre, crack both eggs in and slowly incorporate from the inside out with a whisk.
Add the maple syrup and mashed banana and keep whisking slowly. Drizzle in the milk until no flour is dry and the batter is thick yet pourable.
Heat a pan and melt the butter/coconut oil, then add to the batter for a glossy finish. Fold in the blueberries carefully.
Ladle small puddles into the hot pan and flip when bubbles start to appear. Stack and drizzle with more syrup and fresh berries.
Asparagus & Prosciutto Frittata
Lunch
Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Snap the ends off the asparagus (they break where they’re meant to) and toss in some olive oil in a bowl. Transfer to a lined baking tray and roast in the oven for 5 minutes.
Slice red onion thinly and sweat in the remaining olive oil in medium sized oven-proof frying pan, for 5 minutes until translucent but not browned.
Whisk eggs in a bowl with salt and pepper. Remove asparagus from oven and place in pan, arrange evenly then pour eggs over. Heat gently for a couple of minutes, laying the slices of ham, if using, over the top, and finally the parmesan, then place in oven for about 5 minutes, until it looks firm but still glossy – it will continue cooking after you take it out of the oven. I like it with a bit of give, but if you want a very firm tart, keep in a little longer.
Serve immediately, sprinkled with chopped parsley, or slice up and have as a cold lunchbox option. It’s also delicious with a fresh, green salad, made with the pea shoots for brunch, sprinkled with seeds.
Crispy Baked Chicken & Sweet Potato Fries
Supper
Preheat the oven to 190°C.
First, make the chips. In a pestle and mortar crush the rosemary with the olive oil and salt. Drizzle over the sweet potato in a lined baking tray, massaging them so that each piece is coated.
Next, the chicken. Whisk the eggs together in a bowl and pour the ground almonds into another bowl with the salt, paprika and – if using – either the cheese or nutritional yeast.
Drag the chicken pieces through the egg wash, coating well all over and then press into the almond mix, making sure it’s crumbed all over.
Place both the chicken and the chips on lined baking trays and cook for 30 minutes. Turn the pieces over, and turn the oven down to 170ºC, and cook for a further 15-20 minutes until really golden and crisp.
Crispy Duck Pancakes With Homemade Hoisin
Weekend Treat
First, make the hoisin sauce. Heat the oil in a small saucepan add the garlic, star anise, all spice and clove, and heat gently for 2 minutes, don’t let the garlic brown.
Add in the miso paste, maple syrup, tahini and orange juice and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 5-10 minutes until thickened. Fish out the spice pieces and serve at room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas Mark 7.
Trim the duck of any overhanging fleshy fat around the neck and the back. Then with a safety pin, and with your grip allowing only about 1cm spare, prick the skin all over, particularly in the folds of the thighs where it is fattier.
Drizzle over the oil and then sprinkle with ground cloves, massaging it into the duck with your fingers. Season with salt, place the duck in a baking tray and roast for 20 minutes. After this time, remove the tray from the oven and baste the duck with the juices in the tray. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C/Gas Mark 3 and roast for a further 40 minutes, basting once or twice during this time. Leave the duck to rest.
Slice the cucumber and spring onions and place in bowls for the table. We like to have a pile of chopped red chillies alongside, too.
When you are ready to eat, turn the oven up to its highest setting and put the duck back in for another 10-15 minutes, until the skin is really brown and crispy.
Steam the pancakes and bring to the table.
Carve slices of the duck with its skin into a warm dish and bring to the table for everyone to make their own.
Lime & Coriander Hummus With Chickpea Wraps
Snack
Place all the hummus ingredients except the coriander and oil in the processor bowl and pulse until smooth. Drizzle the oil in while the blades are running. Continue to add water until you have a smooth, paste-like consistency. Add salt and pepper and coriander and blitz until green.
To make the batter, whisk the ingredients together and let it sit for a few minutes while you get the filling ready.
Fry a ladle of the pancake batter in a little oil for 2 minutes on each side.
When cooked, smooth the hummus on and add crunchy vegetables to top.
Caramel Cashew Balls
Snack
Put the nuts in a food processor until they become a fine meal. Add the apricots and dates and pulse until dark and combined.
Add the vanilla and almond butter and pulse carefully. If it doesn’t form a ball, add a small amount of water until a sticky ball comes together. Roll into individual balls and freeze.
Keen for more? You can order Lizzie’s book here, buy her Lizzie Loves Natural Remedies products here and get more recipes ideas at Lizzie-Loves.com
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