Low GI Oaty vegetable bake

The glycaemic index (GI) is a rating system for foods containing carbohydrates. It shows how quickly each food affects your blood sugar (glucose) level when that food is eaten on its own.

High GI foods

Carbohydrate foods that are broken down quickly by your body and cause a rapid increase in blood glucose have a high GI rating. High GI foods include:

• sugar and sugary foods
• sugary soft drinks
• white bread
• potatoes
• white rice

Low and medium GI foods

Low or medium GI foods are broken down more slowly and cause a gradual rise in blood sugar levels over time. They include:

• some fruit and vegetables (but not dried fruit)
• pulses
• wholegrain foods, such as porridge oats 

A wholesome winter bake, serves 4-6, lovely with some crusty bread and a green salad 

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped 
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped (I use the frozen cubes!)
• I tbsp fresh thyme leaves 
• 1 tea spoon dried chilli flakes
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes 
• 400g tin beans (I used mixed beans, but any would work)
• 125g porridge oats 
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach/kale 
• 125g frozen peas
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce 
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 50g grated cheese 
• 4-6 tbsps wholemeal breadcrumbs

You can alter the beans and veg depending on what you have around the kitchen. Courgette, aubergine and kale works well.                                     Method                                                  In a pan add the oil and fry the onion for a few mins, add the garlic, chilli and thyme, fry for a few more minutes, then add the tomatoes, beans and oats. Bring to the boil, simmer and add the spinach/kale, soy sauce, peas. Mix together then transfer to an oven dish - a lasagne dish works well.

Season and top with cheese and bread crumbs, grill until brown and crispy.

Note: I always find it difficult when a recipe calls for bread crumbs, so the last time I had a few crusts and a couple of slices to spare. I threw them in the food processor and then into some tupperware and froze it, so I have some to hand when ever I need some.

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. 

Healthy Home Cooked Baby foods (no jars in sight)

My little person is 10 months now and the bigger little person is nearly 2 and a half, so I thought I'd share some little person foods.

Currently my 2 year old is munching through a bowl of blueberries and the baby is making lots of mess with spaghetti! 

As I have previously shared I am a huge advocate of baby led weaning, although my husband is majorly not a fan - due to the mess and wastage! 

Although I do think the problem lies with the fact that little person sits on this Mamas & Papas Snug seat and will not keep the tray on, and big little person sits in the high chair, therefore little person drops food all over the floor. The reason for this, is the toddler will not sit still for 2 minutes unless firmly strapped into a highchair, and I don't want to go down the route of buying another high chair, when she really should be sitting at her little person table and chairs that my dad very kindly got made and shipped to us!

Here is just a small selection of easy little person foods thats good to keep handy

• Hard boiled egg cut into quarters 
• Potato (cooked whole potato sliced or small ones left whole)
• Roast potatoes
• Toast soldiers 
• Steamed broccoli - long stem is great
• Pasta tubes/spirals/Spaghetti served plain or with a try small sprinkle of cheese or tomato sauce
• Steamed rice especially sushi rice as sticky and easy to pick up
• Sliced fruit
• Mashed banana on toast
• Little wholemeal pancakes 
• Vegetable batons and hummus
• Frozen/ tinned sweetcorn and peas are great if your little person has the dexterity, I add them to rice and pasta

What we often do is cook extra for us, and leave a variety for the girls for a pick and mix for their lunch, sunday lunch or friday night dinner is great for this. 

I agree with the BLW theory that there is no such thing as baby food - that all food can be suitable for little people and eating what we eat (as long as it's healthy and suitable) is best for little people.

Note: I'm not preaching, but I never add salt when cooking, as babies kidneys can't process salt well, also no honey to under 1's.

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.

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.

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

Vegetarian Hot and sour soup

I fancied making something spicy today!

I absolutely love oriental food. I am desperate to visit that interesting part of the world, but hubby spent a month travelling around Japan when he was 19 and now won't go back.

To make this delicious soup, I just used what I found in the cupboard and thrown it in a pan, as I have made it so many times. 

Taste as you go and adjust amounts depending on taste.

Ingredients 

• A pack of firm tofu, 
• 500 ml stock (I use vegetable cubes)
• tbsp light soy sauce
• tbsp dark soy sauce, 
• tsp mirin (Chinese rice wine is better but I have ran out), 
• tsp Chinese black rice vinegar, 
• tbsp balsamic vinegar, 
• a sprinkling of chilli flakes depending how spicy you like it, fresh ginger, 
• tsp sesame oil, 
• 1 egg white, 
• cornflour mixed with 2 tbsps water
• a handful of  frozen stir fry veg
• handful of frozen peas

Method

• Add everything to a pan except corn flour, egg white and peas.
• Bring to the boil
• turn down and simmer for  a few minutes, it is a very quick soup
• add corn flour mixture and stir (this is to thicken)
• add egg white and stir quickly
• add frozen peas - these are added last so they don't lose the green colour.
• Serve with a sprinkling of spring onion

For a meat version add shredded pork and prawns

Enjoy