* Pasta with a spinach and cream cheese sauce:
Boil your child’s favourite pasta and set aside. In a saucepan steam a good handful of spinach for 1 minute and drain any excess water. Put the spinach into a bowl with 2 tablespoons of cream cheese and using a hand held mixer, blend until smooth. Add to the pasta and warm through.
* Muffin pizzas:
Cut English muffins in half and lay on a baking tray. Spread 1 teaspoon of tomato puree on each half and add your child’s favourite pizza topping. It could be sweet corn, pineapple, chopped mixed peppers, mushrooms etc. then sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese and grill for 5 minutes until the cheese has melted and is browning.
* Pea soup with crusty bread:
In a saucepan fry 1 red onion chopped in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add 1 chopped celery stick and fry for a few more minutes. Add in 1 pint of vegetable stock, 2 cups of frozen peas, 1 tablespoon of chopped herbs mint or parsley and leave to simmer for 10 minutes. Blend with a mixer and add a little single cream if you like it creamy, serve with warm crusty bread and butter.
* Roasted cheesy potatoes with a tzatziki dip:
Chop a mix of potatoes and sweet potatoes into bite size pieces, mixing with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place on an oven tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees, a few minutes before you serve, grate mozzarella or cheddar cheese over the potatoes and bake for a couple of minutes until the cheese has melted. In a bowl add 3 tablespoons of natural yoghurt and 1 small cucumber grated and mix well for your tzatziki dip.
* Pesto stuffed chicken with couscous:
In a bowl add 1 teaspoon of pesto, the juice of half a lemon and a little grated parmesan and mix well. Cut a small opening lengthways on a chicken breast and stuff with the mixture. Place on a baking sheet and brush with a little olive oil and bake for 20 minutes in the oven at 180 degrees. Meanwhile in a bowl add plain couscous and cover with boiling water, leave for a few minutes, add a little butter and fluff up, serve with the chicken. In the couscous you can add chopped sun-dried tomatoes, sweet corn, peas, broccoli or any finely chopped herbs.
* Homemade baked beans on toast:
Fry half a finely chopped red onion and 1 chopped clove of garlic in olive oil for a few minutes. Add in 1 tablespoon of tomato puree, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, 2 chopped tomatoes, 1 cup of aduki or white beans and a little water and simmer for 10 minutes. Add a little more water if it is too thick. Serve on top of whole meal toast.
Lentil, carrot and sweet potato soup:
In a pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and fry a quarter of finely chopped red onion until soft. Add in 2 carrots and 1 sweet potato chopped and sauté for a few minutes. Add in enough boiled water to cover, 2 tablespoons of red lentils and simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Add in a tablespoon of chopped coriander for 2 minutes and then blend until smooth. Add in 1 tablespoon of singe cream and serve with toast fingers for dipping!
Salmon, potato and broccoli pie:
Boil potatoes, when soft drain and mash with a little butter and milk. In a pan put 1 fillet of salmon and cover with milk, add a bay leaf and cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile in a separate pan boil a handful of chopped broccoli for 5 minutes and drain. When the salmon has cooked, drain saving the milk and flake the fish. Make a white sauce using the milk from the fish, when you have a nice consistency add in the fish and broccoli and mix well. In small ramekins, layer the bottom with the salmon, topped with the mash and sprinkle cheddar cheese on the top. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 5-10 minutes until browned.
Bolognaise with lots of veggies:
Using a food processor chop very finely a mixt