Top meal tips for busy mums

Princes Baked Salmon Cakes

Do you find you're dishing up the same meals over and over again? You're not alone! A recent survey by Princes discovered that over three quarters of mums have fallen into a recipe rut - with little time on our hands, many of us end up rotating the same limited number of familiar recipes again and again.

But there are a few easy ways to expand your cooking repertoire and ensure you give your little ones a varied diet once they're over a year old. Pick from this selection of tempting dishes, which introduce new flavours and encourage your tot to join in family meals.

Princes Baked Salmon Cakes

These baked salmon cakes are a healthy take on a family favourite and full of omega 3.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 x 213g cans Princes Red Salmon
• 2 eggs
• 1lb/454g cold mashed potatoes
• 5 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• 1oz/28g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
• Spray oil

For the tartare sauce:

• 3 tbsp natural fromage frais
• 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• 2 mini gherkins
• 1 tbsp capers

How to make it

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Flake the Princes Red Salmon into a bowl. Beat an egg and add to the salmon with the mashed potato, 4 tbsp of parsley and some black pepper. Mix well, cover and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and form into fish cakes about 1in/2.5cm thick. Place on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment.
3. Beat the remaining egg, brush over each fish cake and sprinkle over a few breadcrumbs. Spray lightly with oil and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and cooked through.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the tartare sauce. Mix together the fromage frais and Greek yoghurt. Finely chop gherkins and capers and add to the fromage frais mixture with the remaining parsley and some seasoning. Cover and chill until required.
5. Serve the fish cakes with the tartare sauce, lemon wedges and mixed salad leaves.

N.B: The salmon cakes can be frozen for up to 1 month

Princes Mackerel and Roast Vegetable Pasta

This tasty pasta dish is full of flavours. Substitute mackerel for another canned fish for a different meal idea.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 tomato
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp dried mixed herbs
• Cooking oil
• 2 x 125g cans Princes Mackerel in a Rich Spicy Tomato Sauce
• 450g pasta

How to make it

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Quarter the pepper and onion and halve the tomato.
2. Arrange in a shallow roasting tin, season well and sprinkle with the dried mixed herbs. Drizzle with a little oil and bake for 25-30 minutes until tender.
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta following the instructions on-pack.
4. Chop the roasted vegetables roughly and mix together. Flake the Princes Mackerel in a Rich Spicy Tomato Sauce into the mixture and stir into hot cooked pasta.

Princes Mackerel Baked with Potatoes and Onions

Mackerel is a great natural source of omega 3. This hearty recipe is the perfect autumn comfort food and great for feeding a crowd.

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1x 125g can Princes Mackerel Fillets in olive or sunflower oil
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
• 2 red onions, thinly sliced into rounds
• ½ cup vegetable stock
• 4 bay leaves
• Butter for greasing
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of flat leaf parsley chopped

How to make it

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/Gas 6.
2. Grease a large baking dish with butter.
3. Layer half the potatoes on the bottom of the dish to cover and season well.
4. Scatter the onions over the potatoes.
5. Drain the oil from the mackerel fillets and place on top of the onions
6. Pour the vegetable stock over the fish and potatoes mix and scatter the bay leaves on.
7. Place the rest of the potatoes on top of the mackerel and season well again, then drizzle with the olive oil.
8. Cover with foil and bake in the hot oven for about 40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender then remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes until the top is golden.
9. Finish with the flat leaf parsley and serve with crusty bread and salad.

Princes Luxury Fish Pie

Try our delicious fish pie for a filling meal for the whole family. Why not substitute salmon for one of our other canned fish products?

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1lb 12oz/792g new potatoes
• 1 carrot
• 1 leek
• 1 level tbsp corn flour
• ½ pint/284ml milk
• 200g pot natural fromage frais
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped chives
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 x 213g cans Princes Red Salmon
• 4oz/113g prawns
• 1 egg

How to make it

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Thinly slice the potatoes and carrot and boil for 7-8 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside. Finely chop the leek.
2. In a pan, blend the corn flour with a little of the milk to form a paste. Add the remaining milk and bring to the boil, stirring, until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the fromage frais, leek, most of the chives and seasoning. Set aside.
3. Flake the Princes Red Salmon into bite-sized pieces and place in a large dish. Mix in the prawns and spoon over the leek sauce.
4. Arrange the sliced potatoes and carrots neatly over the top, ensuring all the fish is covered. Beat the egg and brush the top of the pie. Stand on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and the fish is hot. Serve immediately, sprinkled with black pepper and the remaining chives, accompanied by fresh vegetables.

N.B: This recipe is not suitable for home freezing.

Princes Tuna, Pesto and Mozzarella Pizza

This simple, easy-to-make pizza provides the perfect meal for children and adults alike!

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1x 185g can Princes Tuna Chunks in sunflower oil
• 2 ready made plain pizza bases
• 1 jar pizza sauce or tomato puree
• 1 jar ready made pesto
• 2 mozzarella balls
• Salt and pepper

How to make it

1. Preheat oven to 220°C or Gas mark 7.
2. Cover the pizza bases with the pizza sauce or tomato puree.
3. Tear the mozzarella balls and divide between the two bases.
4. Drain the oil from the tuna and place chunks on the pizzas.
5. With a teaspoon dot the pizzas with the pesto so that the bases have a nice covering of all the ingredients. Season.
6. Bake in a hot oven for 10 - 15 minutes until the mozzarella has melted and got some colour and the base is golden and crisp.
7. Serve immediately with a salad of peppery leaves like rocket and watercress.