Banana and chocolate chip mini muffins - baby led weaning treat

I'm lucky enough to still see all the mums and babies from my antenatal classes that we attended prior to my oldest little person, and today I'm having them all round, as one if the mums is due another little person in a few weeks.

When having a gathering of little people and adults in can be difficult to decide what to serve. Obviously my favourite limoncello mini cupcakes are out, and so is anything with chocolate - toddlers and my cream couch don't mix - I learned that one the hard way! 

So I'm making my old favourite mini chocolate and banana muffins. 

Very easy to do, and healthy - as far as cakes go!

Also freezable!

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas mashed
• 100g chocolate chips
• 75g caster sugar 
• 100ml milk
• 1tsp baking powder
• 200g Self raising flour 
• 2 large eggs
• 100g butter 

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Line 2 x 12 hole mini-muffin tins with small paper cases, or use  silicone tins. Melt the butter in a small pan and leave to cool slightly. Peel and mash the bananas.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the milk, sugar, eggs and melted butter.
3. 
   Sift in the flour and baking powder and add the banana and chocolate. Using a large metal spoon, fold everything together until combined but don’t over-mix.
4. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases and bake for 25 minutes until risen and golden. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Homemade vegetable soup

It may be August but it's pouring with rain, making me feel all wintery, and in the winter I love nothing better than a large bowl of homemade soup.

Ingredients

  (this is enough for a large pan)

1 celery sliced 

3 small courgettes sliced 

3 carrots sliced 

120g soup mix beans (soaked over night or rinsed or boiled for 20 mins)

Seasoning (I don't add salt as I'm cooking for little people)

Enough vegetable stock to cover 

Method

Throw vegetables in a pan, add stock and seasoning, bring to the boil, then simmer until vegetables soften.

Serve with warm crusty bread.

Can be frozen once cooled. I like to freeze some in small Tupperware for a quick meal for the little people when it's a bit chilly out. 

Yummy Homemade Pizza - Perfect toddler food

I've made pizza many times for hubby and friends - it's great for a cheap and easy dinner party. For adults I normally make the dough (in my trusty bread machine), then roll out 4 pizza bases and put loads of toppings in to bowls, and when the guests arrive they can make their own. It normally turns into a competition between couples - very amusing.

This time I made small pizza bases, topped with pizza topping (i also use pasta sauce sometimes), and grated cheese. Oven cook until crispy - about 10 mins.

To make large pizzas (dough can be frozen):

• 500g bread flour (i used 50:50 wholemeal and white)
• 60ml Oilve oil
• 360ml Warm water
• Pinch of salt
• 7g yeast

Throw into a bread machine, put on dough setting, split into 4 and roll flat, then add toppings.

Sea bass & Portebello Mushrooms

 Seabass is my favourite fish and I love cooking it this way. Place fillet on a piece of foil, lay slices of lemon on top. Fold foil and crunch sides together so there is a small opening in the top. Drizzle a little white wine on top of the fish and crunch top of foil so the fish is completely sealed. Place on a baking tray and cook for 15 minutes.

I cooked the mushrooms in a small pan with butter and spicy italian seasoning. Serve with a green salad. I like to serve this fish in the foil to add interest.

Spicy Coconut Salmon Anniversary Dinner

It might not look exactly appetising, but I promise, it is very yummy, I will try to do again, and take better pictures, I'm still new to this blogging malarky!

I do find salmon a little boring, and then I came up with the idea (I know its going to sound strange) to sprinkle chilli flakes and desiccated coconut on the salmon and then grill! It's magic!

I served it with salad leaves sprinkled with balsamic and olive oil, boiled new potatoes and griddled baby courgette and asparagus. Oh and a large mushroom, topped with boursin cheese and chilli flakes (yes my staple seasoning), which I cooked in the oven for 30 mins.

I think its reasonably healthy and very tasty.

Hope you like it

No Cook Ricotta Courgette Rolls

I have never made these before, and now I have just tasted one, I am actually very impressed. They would make great canapés or a dinner party starter, maybe served on a bed of mixed leaves with some smoked salmon. No cooking required as they are marinated in balsamic vinegar which softens the courgettes.

Ingredients 

• 1 courgette would serve 2 people as a snack or several people as a starter
• a tub of ricotta
• juice of half a lemon
• a handful of basil leaves
• I used chilli flakes as i like things spicy, but pine nuts would also be delicious 
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil

Method

• chop ends off the courgettes
• slice very thinly using a peeler
• drizzle a tbsp of olive oil and balsamic onto a platter
• lay the courgette slices one by one on the platter 
• then drizzle with more olive oil and balsamic
• place in fridge covered for at least 20 mins and up to 6 hours
• Mix the ricotta lemon juice, basil leaves, chilli flakes and pine nuts if using
• season to taste 
• next take one courgette piece and at one end place a tsp of the mixture and then roll from one end to the other 

They can be placed in the fridge until needed.

Blueberry, natural yoghurt, honey and flaked almonds

I love this dessert, I was once served it by a Turkish friend of mine. 

This is great if you fancy something sweet and healthy. It's also full of all sorts of antioxidants and nutrients.

Method 

In a small pan dry fry flaked 

almonds 

In a bowl place some blueberries, natural yoghurt, a swirl of natural honey and top with flaked almonds 

Salmon, salad and griddled courgettes

I've been to the gym today in my pursuit of a beach body, and when I get home I want something healthy, filling and quick.

On the way back from the gym I bought 2 salmon steaks which come with watercress sauce, avocados, courgettes, and a bag of salad leaves.

First trim and cut courgettes in half, thinly slice, throw in a bowl with a little olive oil and a sprinkling of Italian seasoning or some pepper and chilli flakes would work just as well. 

Griddle until chargrilled.

You can cook the salmon a number of ways, grill oven or I cooked  in a small frying pan as I like a crispy skin.

I served with a green salad and some steamed rice

Mackerel, spinach and aubergine risotto

I've been reading a nutrition book recently and it says you should have 3 portions of oily fish per week, which is far more than what we do at home, so we're trying to eat more.

Method

• Place mackerel fillets on a baking tray and cook under the grill until brown
• Griddle aubergine slices
• Place mixed vegetable such as red/yellow peppers, red onion, aubergine, courgette, in a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, place in oven for 40 minutes 
• Cook risotto rice
• When rice is al dente, add in cooked mix veg

Quick and Easy Tuna & Cous Cous Salad

I've been up since 7 with the baby, dropped her off at nursery and then took the toddler to messy play. It's now lunch time and I'm very hungry. Problem is I've just joined a gym to get beach ready, and I've got my induction at 2.30 today, so can't be eating rubbish beforehand.

I raided the fridge and made this, I think it's healthy!

Ingredients

• A little bit of Cous Cous as it only takes a couple of minutes to do.
• Chestnut mushrooms cooked in a tiny bit of something, we use soya spread
• Spinach
• Salad leaves
• Cucumber  
• Half a tin of tuna
• A drizzle of olive oil
• A squeeze of lemon juice

And I served it with a popodom. I know that sounds a bit strange but other than the fact I love popodoms it's great to pick up the Cous Cous.