Recipes: Toddler and family foods

Contains

Egg, wheat, fish, peanut, soy, shellfish (optional)

Ingredients

• 400g can tuna, drained
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• Canola oil for light frying
• Sweet chilli sauce, to serve (optional)
• 1 cup couscous

Peanut sauce

• ½ teaspoon of minced ginger
• 1 garlic clove or ½ teaspoon of minced garlic
• ½ cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons reduced-salt soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Method

1. In a blender, mix together the tuna, breadcrumbs and egg.
2. Shape the mixture into small ball shapes.
3. Heat oil and fry a few of the balls at a time.
4. Cook couscous following the packet instructions. 5. Serve with couscous and peanut sauce.

Peanut sauce:

1. In a cleaned blender, mix ginger and garlic clove until finely chopped.
2. Add peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice and 1/3 cup water and blend, adding more water by the tablespoonful if needed to thin, until smooth.

Notes

• You can swap the tuna for tinned salmon or green prawn meat (shellfish) and include shredded kafir lime leaves.

Contains

Egg, wheat, tree nuts, cow’s milk

Ingredients

• 500g fresh egg pasta
• 1 bunch of basil
• 150g pine nuts (could also use walnuts or almonds)
• 2 teaspoons of crushed garlic
• 100g freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 200ml olive oil
• Parmesan cheese, to taste

Method

1. Wipe the basil leaves with a damp cloth.
2. Place the clean, dry leaves in a blender or food processor with the garlic. Turn on the machine and gradually add the nuts, then cheese and olive oil.
3. Cook pasta following packet directions, drain but save some pasta water.
4. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of pasta water to the pesto sauce and stir thoroughly into the drained pasta.
5. Toss to coat pasta in the pesto sauce.
6. Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Notes

• You can use this pesto as a topping on a frittata or serve with cooked vegetables.

Contains

Wheat, sesame, egg (optional), cow’s milk (optional)

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas (rinsed, drained and patted dry)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley and/or coriander • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 medium shallots or 1 small onion, minced
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted if desired
• 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons oil for cooking
• Breadcrumbs, to coat
• Tahini paste, to serve
• Lemon, to serve

Method

1. Combine chickpeas, parsley, shallots, garlic, sesame seeds, cumin, salt, pepper and blend using pulse function in the food processor or blender to combine until the mix forms a crumbly dough, not a paste.
2. Add 1 tablespoon flour at a time and pulse/mix to combine until the mixture can roll into a ball without sticking to your hands. You can use more or less flour, depending on the consistency of the mixture.
3. Transfer to a mixing bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
4. Once chilled, scoop out a tablespoon amount of mixture and form small discs.
5. Sprinkle on breadcrumbs and gently press to both sides so that they stick (you will need to flip them).
6. Heat a pan over medium heat and swirl to coat the pan with about 2 tablespoons of oil.
7. Once the oil is hot, cook the falafels for about 4-5 minutes, on both sides to be deep golden brown.
8. Serve warm with tahini and if desired, with grazing platter ingredients (see notes)

Notes

• For even crispier falafel, bake in a 200°C oven for 5-10 minutes after pan frying.
• To make a grazing platter, you can include pita pockets with ingredients like hummus, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, grilled eggplant, haloumi, fresh or pickled cabbage and even boiled eggs. Take your pick!

Contains

Wheat, sesame, egg (optional), cow’s milk (optional)

Ingredients

• 1 kg packet frozen mixed stir fry vegetable (peas, corn, broccoli, carrot)
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 400g firm tofu (pre-marinaded or plain)
• 1/3 cup oyster sauce
• 1/3 cup sweet chilli sauce
• 1/3 cup reduced salt soy sauce
• ¼ cup raw unsalted cashews, roasted
• ¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted, to serve

Method

1. Chop tofu into thick strips, or as desired.
2. Defrost frozen vegetables in a bowl in the microwave for 5 minutes OR if using fresh vegetables, chop vegetables thinly into sticks and put in microwave for 2 minutes.
3. Heat peanut oil in a large frying pan or wok, on a high heat. Add the tofu and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add vegetables and sauces (oyster and sweet chilli) and cook for 3 minutes.
5. Add roasted cashews and toss to combine.
6. Serve on boiled rice and topped with toasted sesame seeds.

Notes

• You can add a few tablespoons of smooth peanut butter at the step 4.

Contains

Cow’s milk, wheat

Ingredients

• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 90 g butter
• 2/3 cup milk

Filling

• 50 g butter, softened
• 100g feta cheese, crumbled
• 100g tasty cheese, grated
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 210°C and line an oven tray with baking paper.
2. Sift the flour into a large bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture is the consistency of breadcrumbs.
3. Slowly add the milk and use a butter knife to combine. Turn out the dough and lightly knead until it forms a smooth ball.
4. Use a rolling pin to roll dough out until you have a 30 x 40cm rectangle.
5. Spread the softened butter over the dough, leaving a 2cm gap around the edges.
6. Sprinkle the baby spinach leaves, feta cheese and just over half of the cheese over the top of the butter.
7. Starting at the long side carefully roll the dough until enclosed.
8. Place the scroll log into the fridge for 20 mins to chill.
9. Cut into 12 slices – approximately 2cm thick and sprinkle the remaining grated cheese over the top of the scrolls.
10. Place on a baking tray, making sure you leave enough room to rise and bake in oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top and cooked through.
11. Let the scrolls cool on the tray for 5 minutes and then enjoy.

Notes

• You can also use pre-bought puff pastry to replace the homemade dough from steps 1 to 4. Make sure you check the ingredients list of the puff pastry if your child has food allergies.

Contains

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

Ingredients

• 200g dried spirals or macaroni (try wholemeal)
• 30g butter or margarine
• 1 small can of corn
• 1 carrot, grated or finely diced
• 1brown onion, finely diced
• ½ cup frozen peas
• 3 tablespoons plain flour
• 2 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)
• 1 cup grated cheese, plus ½ cup for the top
• 190g tuna in water, drained (could substitute with cooked white fish or salmon)
• ½ cup wholemeal breadcrumbs (fresh or packet)
• ½ cup homemade nut mix (see recipe page 9)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Cook the pasta according to packet directions and drain.
3. In a large saucepan over medium, melt the butter and cook onion for 1 minute.
4. Add the corn, carrot and peas. Sauté gently for a few minutes.
5. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to coat the vegetables.
6. Pour in about 1 cup of milk and stir with a whisk until the sauce thickens. Continue to add the milk, around ½ a cup at a time until sauce thickens.
7. Add the mustard and 1 cup of cheese and stir well. Once the cheese has melted, add the tuna, stir to combine.
8. Combine the breadcrumbs, nut mix and remaining cheese in a bowl. Set aside.
9. Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce and place into a baking dish. Top with the breadcrumb mixture bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
10. Serve, or freeze in small portions for up to 1 month.

Notes

• You can also add sliced boiled egg in this dish, placed on top at step 9.

Contains

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

Ingredients

• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• Butter or canola oil to grease
• Soft fruit (e.g. banana, tinned pears or peaches), to serve

Method

1. Place flour, milk, maple syrup, egg and cinnamon in a bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat.
3. Drop tablespoon sized amounts of batter into the pan. Watch for bubbles to appear on the surface of each pikelet and then flip and cook until golden brown.
4. Serve the pikelets with soft fruit like banana or tinned fruit.

Notes

• You may also like to top with plain yoghurt and your homemade nut and seed mix (see recipe on page 9).

Contains

Egg, tree nuts

Ingredients

• 1 cup (125 g) almond meal (ground almonds)
• ½ cup (110 g) caster sugar
• 1 egg-white
• Icing sugar mixture, sifted, for dusting

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
2. Combine almond meal and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in egg white and mix well.
3. Roll level teaspoons of mixture into balls and place on trays. Flatten slightly. Dust lightly with icing sugar
4. Bake for 10 minutes or until browned lightly. Stand for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool.

Contains

Peanut, sesame, egg, wheat, tree nuts (optional)

Ingredients

• 250g plain flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons caster sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

Peanut and sesame filling

• 50g roasted peanuts, crushed
• ¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted until brown
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar

Method

1. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl add the sugar.
2. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add egg, oil and 2 cups of water.
3. Mix to a smooth batter.
4. Cover and leave to rest for around 2 hours or overnight.
5. To make the filling: Combine peanuts, sesame seeds and sugar in food processor or blender and pulse until the mix looks like a powder.

To cook the pancakes

1. 6. Heat a small non-stick frying pan over low heat.
2. Stir batter well.
3. Spoon ½ cup of batter into pan, spread evenly, cover and cook for 2 minutes or until bubbles appear.
4. Sprinkle peanut mixture over the surface and fold pancake in half.
5. Cover pan and cook for 1 minute or until pancake is crisp on the outside and soft in the centre.
6. Repeat with remaining batter and peanut mixture.
7. Serve hot, dusted with icing sugar, and sprinkled with remaining peanut and sesame mixture.

Notes

• This recipe could be made with your ready-made nut and seed mix (see recipe on page 9 which contains peanut, tree nuts and sesame).

Contains

Wheat, egg, sesame, peanut, soy, cow’s milk

Ingredients

• 500g minced chicken
• 1 egg
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped
• ½ bunch coriander, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
• 2 teaspoons crushed ginger
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil (or olive oil)
• 1–2 cups of rice

For the peanut sauce

• 1 small can light coconut milk (check if this product contains cow’s milk)
• ½ cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons reduced salt soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili paste or sweet chilli sauce (optional, can just add to parents’ meal)

Method

To make the meatballs

1. Combine the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, spring onion, coriander, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
2. Mix well and roll into small meatballs.
3. Place a frying pan on medium-high heat and add the sesame oil.
4. Add the meatballs a few at a time.
5. When meatballs are brown, place them on a plate and set aside.

To make the simmer sauce

1. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add in the coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce and chilli sauce (if you are using) to the pan. Stir until well combined.
2. Add the meatballs and bring to a simmer.
3. Cover the pan, reduce heat to low and cook gently for 15 minutes. Serve with cooked rice.

Notes

• To make this a complete meal, add some chopped vegetables (e.g. carrot, broccoli, diced potato) when you add the meatballs to the simmer sauce.
• Five minutes before serving, add some frozen peas or diced red capsicum.