Stir fry vegetable rice - great for little people

My favourite food is rice, I should have been born in a different continent - I could eat it all day and all night. 

This is a very quick and easy dinner for little people - and full of healthy veggies.

I made a large batch of rice in the rice cooker (I actually have a slow cooker/ rice cooker in one - fab for making family meals).

In a pan cook some stir fry veg - I usually have a pack in the freezer, or any veg will do (carrot sticks, peas, sweetcorn, courgette sticks, mange tout). Add rice, and some soy sauce if you what, bear in mind soy sauce is high in salt, but you can get low sodium versions. If it's for a very young child, I'd leave out the soy sauce. 

Wholemeal blueberry pancakes - baby led weaning at it's best!

Well it's a lovely summers day today, so thought I'd make a lovely breakfast for the little ones.

Here's how to make wholemeal blueberry pancakes. Although I didn't actually measure anything, as I didn't want a large amount - I normally make a mountain and end up eating them for a week. 

Ingredients:

• Handful of wholemeal flour,
• Handful of currants 
• Handful of blueberries
• 1 egg
• And enough milk to make a thick consistency and not too runny

Method

• Mix together
• Place spoonfuls in a non stick pan.

I like small ones which are perfect finger foods for the girls, although you could do a really big one for an adult

I served this for my 2 year old with a few blueberries and some natural yoghurt.

My 8 month old is following baby led weaning (blw) and this is perfect for blw.

More on blw to follow

Healthy toddler food

Well I'm a little shocked, my slightly picky 2 year old is on her 3rd bowl of brown rice, chickpeas, feta cheese and currant mixture, that I had left over from yesterday's stuffed peppers. My 8 month old loves it too, but she will eat anything!

Summer evenings vegetarian dinner

It worked! Can't believe it wasn't as difficult as I thought, and actually quite yummy! 

I know it's been a little while since I posted, children are very time consuming!

But I just had to share these fab homemade vegetable samosas.

Made with peas, sweetcorn, red onion and feta cheese, with a sprinkling of tikki seasoning and wrapped in filo pastry.

Reasonably healthy as baked in the oven and so yummy ! 

Both my 2 year old and hubby love them, and they're perfect for a picnic, or a summers evening dinner. My daughter has hers with steamed veg and new potatoes and hubby and I are going to have ours with some tabbouleh, which by the way I've never made before ! 

Bulghar wheat, red onion, tomato, lemon juice and zest, olive oil and parsley and mint from the garden! 

So there we have it, a perfect summers evening dinner!

Samosas, tabbouleh, tzatiki and halloumi

Vegetable Samosas

I know it's been a little while since I posted, children are very time consuming!

But I just had to share these fab homemade vegetable samosas.

Made with peas, sweetcorn, red onion and feta cheese, with a sprinkling of tikki seasoning and wrapped in filo pastry.

Reasonably healthy as baked in the oven and so yummy ! 

Both my 2 year old and hubby love them, and they're perfect for a picnic, or a summers evening dinner. My daughter has hers with steamed veg and new potatoes and hubby and I are going to have ours with some tabbouleh, which by the way I've never made before ! 

You can't beat homemade popcorn

Home made popcorn on a Saturday night, feet up and telly on, the joys!

I love homemade popcorn, not only is it cheap (80p a bag, which lasts ages), but I actually read in a health magazine that it is the most nutritious snack! Obviously that's without all the salt and sugar. And ever so yummy!

So thought I would look into this.........

According to the Daily Mail (not the British Medical Journal - but not bad on health info), popcorn IS good for you. Although unfortunately not the really tasty stuff you buy in a cinema!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2120346/Forget-day-Popcorn-antioxidants-fruit-vegetables.html

Plain popcorn has been hailed as a great diet food for its low calorie content, and now a group of scientists claim it may even top fruits and vegetables in antioxidant levels.

Antioxidants - known as polyphenols - have huge health benefits as they help fight harmful molecules that damage cells.

Popcorn was found to have a high level of concentrated antioxidants because it is made up of just four percent water while they are more diluted in fruits and vegetables because they are made up of up to 90 percent water.

Researchers discovered one serving of popcorn has up to 300mg of antioxidants - nearly double the 160mg for all fruits per serving.

They also found that the crunchy hulls of the popcorn have the highest concentration of antioxidants and fibre.

I often male a large bowl full (throw some in a non stick pan and cover for 5 mins) and serve with a sprinkling of sugar. I also put some in some tupperware - without the sugar, for the little people. Its also great for picnics.

What more reasons do we need ?