Haricot Beans for Babies, Toddlers and the Whole Family

Haricot beans are the basic staple carbohydrate of some of France.  The great thing about them in comparison with potatoes is pulses can count as one of your five a day.  Although they aren't mass packed full of vitamins, they are a decent source of fibre and protein.

For babies, exclude the seasoning and use salt free or low salt stock.  This would be great for babies on soft lumps or you could mash or puree them for younger babies.  Don't miss out the garlic though.  Some babies might reject something so garlicky but if you don't try it, you won't know.  You could always tone it down a little if you like.

For adults, toddlers and older children, this is a great side dish for sausages; think of it like a deconstructed cassoulet.  For adults certainly, some seasoning would be welcome, salt seems to bring out the flavour of the garlic.

By using dried haricot beans, this is a super cheap dish.

Don't miss out the overnight soaking or boiling stage, it's important for food safety.

Garlicky Haricot Beans - Serves 2 adults and 1 older toddler

Ingredients

100g, scant 3oz Dried haricot (navy) beans
1/2 onion
1 carrot
1 tsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic (use fewer if liked)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Parsley stalks (optional)
500-600ml, approx 1 pint boiling water or salt free stock
Stock cube (optional)

Method

Soak the beans in cold water for 8 hours or overnight.

Once the beans are soaked, drain and put in freshly boiled water.  Bring to the boil and boil for 15 minutes.

While the beans are boiling, finely dice the onion and carrot and finely chop the garlic.

Gently fry the onion and carrot for a few minutes.  When they start to soften, add the garlic and fry gently.  If liked, chop up the parsley stalks finely and add at this stage.

When the beans have boiled, drain and add to the onion mix with approx 500-600ml (approx 1 pint) of fresh boiling water or stock (stock does improve the flavour).  Simmer for approx 45 minutes or until the beans are cooked and the stock reduced to a small amount of liquid.  Boil hard to reduce if too much liquid remains or add boiling water if there's not enough during the cooking process.

If you used water, you could add a stock cube at this point.  Use low salt for babies (or miss out).  Don't add at the start of cooking as the salt can toughen the skins of the beans.

To finish, stir through the chopped parsley, take out any portions for children and season to taste for adults.  Serve with sausages or roasted meats.

Reheat well.

My favourite apple recipes for kids

Apples aren't the most glamourous of fruits but they're one of the fruits we grow really well in the UK and they're great in sweet or savoury dishes.  Soon it's going to be apple season as we approach the autumn and I thought I'd share some of my favourite recipes.

My wholemeal apple pancake recipe might be appearing in a magazine soon which is kind of exciting! I will keep you posted...

With only a drizzle of honey (for over 1s) it's a great way to get fruit into breakfast time.  Bircher muesli is another great way to do this.

I think the addition of apple to coleslaw makes it way more interesting and also makes kids far more likely to enjoy it due to the natural sweetness.  A great side dish for a barbecue or baked sausages.

Or if you do have some red cabbage left, why not make this sugar free braised red cabbage sweetened with apple and dried fruit?

Mini apple pies are great for little hands and no need to add any sugar in the recipe.

These are only sweetened with fruit.  A great pudding without feeling too guilty.

My next recipe was my first attempt at a sugar free 'large' cake.  Pretty successful I thought and popular with the wee man.  As was this simple Jalousie.

Apples are one of my favourite ways to naturally sweeten without sugar.  The benefit is you also include all of the natural fibre, flavour and nutrients.  In this very old recipe for apple and sultana mini muffins, it does exactly that.  My son pretty much lived on these for a while.  

As with the coleslaw though, apples do work well with savoury and did in this duck dish.  

Duck works really well with fruit and although you don't get much meat off it, toddlers don't need huge portions so you can find enough for two adults and a child.  Another way of including apple is in these gluten free mini meatloaves.

So apples might be ever so humble and ever so British but they can also be ever so yummy.  Just keep an eye out for ones grown local to you!

Easy Gazpacho for Grown Ups

An inauthentic gazpacho for people who can't get decent tomatoes!  It is the prerequisite to get decently ripe ones for a proper gazpacho, this is a sneaky and cheap way around it.

I've not tried my son on this yet, soup for a meal is a generally popular choice for him but cold soup... perhaps a stretch too far.  But this is delicious and easy.  Great to take for lunch and a healthy and quick summer dish for parents when you really are tired after bath-time.

Gazpacho - Serves 2 adults

500g, 18oz Passata
1/2 Red pepper (capsicum)
100g Cucumber
1 Dried red chilli
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
Extra virgin olive oil to serve

Method

Cut the pepper and cucumber into chunks.  Chop the garlic finely and cut up the dried chilli.  Put everything apart from the olive oil into a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into bowls and drizzle with olive oil before serving.  Be generous with the oil.

Somehow this is what my body craves when tired and run down.  It's food for the soul.

Make it Thrifty:
I find that the value / smart price passata is just as good as the regular or premium brands from the supermarket.  Give it a go!

Hidden Vegetable Sausage Rolls for the Whole Family

I've often said it's great to have a hidden vegetable recipe up your sleeve to ensure your kids are getting enough of their 5 a day.  All kids go through their fussy stages and vegetables are often the victim of it.

Hidden Veg Sausage Rolls - makes 30-35 small sausage rolls

Ingredients

1 onion
Spray oil
1 small or half a large courgette (zucchini) mine weighed 125g / 4.5oz
1 small carrot, mine weighed 60g, 2oz
1 tbsp chopped parsley
400g, 14oz Good quality sausage meat or sausage meat squeezed from the skins of sausages
500g, 18oz Ready rolled puff pastry
Milk to brush

Method

Finely dice the onion and soften in some fry oil.  Grate the carrot and courgette and add to the onion and fry gently until everything is softened and reasonably dry.

Put into a bowl to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180oC (fan), 200oC (conventional), 400F, Gas Mark 6.

Roll out the pastry.

Mix the sausagemeat and vegetables together with the parsley with your hands.  Form into a sausage shape along the pastry, allowing space to ensure you can fold the pastry over the top.  Press the pastry edges together and prick with a knife to allow steam to escape.  Cut into small sections (or larger ones if you prefer) and place onto baking paper.  Brush with a little milk.

Bake in the oven for approx 14-18 minutes (for small sausage rolls) or until cooked through and golden.

Allow to cool a little until cool enough to give to your child or cool completely on a wire rack and serve cold.  Put in the fridge if not serving immediately.  Also freeze well.

To reheat, defrost completely if frozen then warm in the oven at about 180oC for 10 minutes.  Once reheated serve warm.