Recipes: Soft chopped and mashed finger foods

Contains

Cow’s milk, egg, wheat, peanut, tree nuts, sesame

Ingredients

• 50g bran flakes
• 75ml milk
• 1 medium banana, peeled and mashed
• 1 egg
• 50ml oil (sunflower or canola)
• 50g sultanas
• 60g soft light brown sugar
• 60g wholemeal plain flour
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons homemade nut mix (see recipe on page 9) or 2 tablespoons ground peanuts

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line muffin tins with cases.
2. Mix together the bran flakes, milk and banana.
3. Transfer to a food processor and add the egg, oil, sultanas and sugar. Mix for a minute to combine.
4. Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nut mix (or ground peanut) and pulse to combine.
5. Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin cases.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until risen and firm to the touch. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Notes

• Suitable for freezing in an airtight container or bag. Typically, muffins take around 30 minutes to defrost at room temperature.
• For an interesting flavour, you can add ground ginger in addition to the cinnamon.
• You can try lots of different ‘sweet’ muffins with combinations of berry, yoghurt, apple, ground nuts, pear and more

Contains

Cow’s milk, wheat, egg, peanut (optional), tree nuts (optional), sesame (optional)

Ingredients

• 50g bran flakes
• ½ cup self-raising flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 50g parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 handful basil (about 20 leaves) chopped • 12 cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 40ml olive oil
• 1 large egg
• 100ml milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan forced and line muffin tins with muffin cases (patty pans).
2. Add the flour, baking powder, spring onions, parmesan cheese, basil and tomatoes into a mixing bowl.
3. Mix the egg, oil and milk together in a small bowl.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well then spoon evenly into the cases.
5. Bake for 18 minutes or until well risen and lightly golden. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Notes

• Suitable for freezing in an airtight container or bag. Usually, muffins take around 30 minutes to defrost at room temperature.
• You could add 1-2 tablespoons ground nut and seed mix to this mixture (see recipe on page 9).

Contains

Egg, cow’s milk, wheat, fish, peanut (optional), tree nuts (optional), sesame (optional)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil for cooking
• 75g broccoli florets
• 1 medium potato, cooked and mashed (ideally, cold) • 25g parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 60g cooked boneless white fish, diced
• 40g dried breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, beaten

Method

1. Steam broccoli for 5 minutes or until tender. Leave to cool and then finely chop.
2. In a bowl, combine the potato, broccoli, cheese, fish, spring onion, half of the breadcrumbs and half of the egg and mix well.
3. Shape into 8 sausage shapes. Coat in the remaining egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and sauté until golden and heated through.

Notes

• Suitable for freezing.
• You can substitute the fish with chicken for a different taste.
• The nut and seed mix (see page 9) could be added to the breadcrumb mixture.

Contains

Cow’s milk, egg, wheat, fish

Ingredients

• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 tablespoon oil
• ½ a small onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tomato, seeds and skin removed, chopped
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 200g tin of salmon or tuna
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
• 1 cup grated tasty cheese
• 2 cups milk
• 4 eggs, beaten lightly

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a pie dish.
2. Blanch spinach by placing in a bowl and covering with boiling water. Soak for 1 minute, drain, and refresh under cold water to stop cooking process. Drain again.
3. Heat oil in a saucepan, add the onion and tomato and sauté until softened. Add the flour and stir over the heat for 30 seconds. Add the fish, parsley and spinach.
4. Transfer mixture to the base of the pie dish.
5. In a jug, blend together milk and eggs and pour this wet mixture over the other mix in the pie dish.
6. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden and set. Serve warm or cold with salad.

Notes

• Suitable for freezing.
• For a fun presentation, you might like to decorate the top with sliced cherry tomatoes, chives etc.

Contains

Egg, fish (optional), shellfish (optional), soy, sesame

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 200g firm tofu, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 small white onion, diced
• ½ cup frozen peas
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 4 cups long grain rice, cooked according to packet instructions
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 3–4 tablespoons reduced salt soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons oyster sauce

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium to high heat. Add egg, and cook until scrambled. Remove egg, and transfer to a separate bowl.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add garlic, tofu, carrots, onion and peas. Sauté for 5 minutes or until the onion and carrots are soft.
3. Increase heat to high, and add the rice, spring onions, soy sauce and oyster sauce (if using), and stir until combined. Continue stirring for an additional 3 minutes to fry the rice.
4. Add the eggs and stir gently to combine.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the sesame oil until combined.
6. Serve immediately or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Notes

• It is recommended that cooked and cooled rice is used in step 3. You may want to use leftover rice from lunch or the day before.
• You can include any vegetables or other meat options like mince, diced pork or shrimp or for a Chinese or Thai twist, chop and stir in pineapple.
• For extra flavour, you may like to use pre-marinaded tofu (bought or self-prepared)

Contains

Fish, cow’s milk

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 400g skinless, boneless white fish fillets, cut into 3 cm cubes
• 1.25 L stock (fish or vegetable stock)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1½ cup (330g) arborio rice
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped

Method

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter or oil in a pan. Add the fish in batches and fry over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Pour the stock into another pan, bring to the boil, cover and keep at simmering point.
3. To the first pan, add the remaining butter, onion and garlic and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, or until the onion is tender. Add the turmeric and stir for 1 minute.
4. Add the rice and stir to coat, then add ½ cup (125 ml) of the stock and cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until all the stock has been absorbed.
5. Continue adding ½ cup (125 ml) of stock at a time until all the stock has been added and the rice is translucent, tender and creamy.
6. Stir in the lemon juice, parsley, chives and dill. Add the fish and stir gently.

Notes

• If using dried herbs, add these in the last few minutes of cooking.

Contains

Cow’s milk, egg, wheat, soy

Ingredients

• 100g tinned creamed corn
• 75g cold mashed potato
• 1 small zucchini, grated
• 4 spring onions, diced
• ½ clove garlic, crushed
• 25g parmesan cheese, grated
• 50g silken tofu
• 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
• 40g self-raising flour
• 2 medium eggs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

1. Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl. Add the creamed corn, potato, zucchini, spring onions, garlic, parmesan, tofu, sweet chilli sauce and flour. Mix well.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Take spoonfuls of the mixture and fry them for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until lightly golden. Set aside and keep warm until serving.

Notes

• You can also use carrot with the zucchini or include feta cheese instead of parmesan cheese.

Contains

Cow’s milk, fish, wheat

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 spring onions, chopped
• 120g pumpkin, peeled and finely chopped
• 40g corn kernels
• 100g raw salmon fillet, chopped or one small can of boneless salmon
• 1 teaspoon dill, chopped (if fresh), or dried
• 1 tablespoon Parmesan or cheddar cheese, grated
• Breadcrumbs, to coat
• ½ cup water

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a saucepan.
2. Fry the spring onions and pumpkin for 2 minutes and then add corn and ½ cup water.
3. Cover with a lid and bring up to the boil. Simmer for 8 minutes.
4. Add salmon and continue to simmer for 5 minutes (skip this step if using tinned salmon)
5. Remove from the heat and add dill and cheese.
6. Blend mixture using a food processor or blender.
7. Take spoonfuls of blended mixture and make ‘finger’ shaped croquettes.
8. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and fry croquettes for 5 minutes or until golden brown.