Home-baked Ciabatta

First of all, a very Happy New year to you all! Hope you had wonderful holiday season. Our holidays were so fantastic that I nearly did not want it to end. Much worse, after eating so much calorie-rich food for the holidays, we did not want to cook or eat again for another few years! But it never quite works like that and we were hungry again quite soon. So we decided to stick to simple food and sandwiches for the next couple of weeks. So that is one of the reasons I did not get much to write about in here. But today I got to try Ciabatta bread -which by the way is my favourite kind of bread. Personally, I love the crusty outside, extra-soft inside with those varying sizes of beautiful holes. I could it with pretty much anything, although, I tend to favour savoury food. With Anjalie wanting to help with the kneading of the bread I decided to try baking Ciabatta together with her. We are very pleased with how it has come out, which according to her is "perfect!" I did not need any further praise tbh, but, even my hubby who usually does not care for crusty breads said he enjoyed it and wants this exact same recipe repeated often. So I am one very pleased lady here. I have followed the measurements etc from BBC's Paul Hollywood continental recipes. Link here. But I just followed my own method that suits both Anjalie & my schedule.




You will need:
400 g white bread flour
300 ml water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp yeast
30 ml olive oil

Spaghetti with chicken/tofu (meat)balls marinara

Spaghetti and (meat)balls are usually most children and adult favourite meal. Who does not enjoy slurping in the spaghetti with the tangy marinara sauce? It is a classic meal and one that our family cannot have enough of. I prefer to make chicken and tofu meatballs instead of the traditional "meat ball" which uses ground beef due to two reasons. Although, now I cook chicken and fish for my hubby and daughter, I have been a veggie all my life and it is hard for me to deal with red meat still :(. Secondly, and more importantly, I do see the importance of including all food groups in proper proportion for a healthy diet and that is one of the reasons why I support my hubby and daughter in their choice to eat meat and I even cook for them. But I just think that the cons outweigh any benefits we get from red meat for regular consumption. So I do not make them at home. When we go out they are more than welcome to try or eat red meat. But at home they get healthy meat like chicken and fish. This gives a good moderation in their meat food groups. As usual, I still substitute soya products for meat for myself. So I modified this wonderful classic to suit our entire family by making chicken meatballs for hubby and Anjalie while I enjoy soya chunk/mince meatballs. I usually make a lot of meat balls (enough for 4 servings for three of us) and freeze them since it features at least once every week in our meal plan. I just make the marinara sauce and use thawed out meatballs when needed for a quick filling dinner. A lot of us have our own recipes for marinara sauce so feel free to use your own or you can try the one here for a change.

You will need:
For the meatballs:
1 lb chicken mince/chicken breasts or 250 g of soya chunks/mince soaked and washed in hot water well.
1 egg
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh oregano (or the equivalent dried)
Salt to taste (be careful cheese can be salty)
1/4 cup olive oil for shallow frying or 2 tsp of oil fro baking in the oven (healthier option)

Pasta with creamy garlic butter sauce

Pasta is yet another staple in our home. We get to enjoy them in one form or another every week. It is easy to please the whole family with pasta dishes and it is quick to make. When we get tired of tomato based sauces, and I when I have ran out of cheese to make cheese sauce, I try to add variety by making this sauce with pasta. The roasted garlic add excellent flavour to the dish that you will not miss the cheese :) This simple dish mainly uses what you might already have at home (like milk, butter & flour) and so is perfect for a day when you need something quick without having to run to the grocers.

 You will need:
1/4 cup butter
4 tbsp plain flour
4 cloves of garlic-crushed well
300 ml cold whole milk/single cream
250 grams dried pasta
salt to taste
ground white pepper powder to taste
1 tsp dried oregano for seasoning

Grilled vegetable and pumpkin seeds pesto pasta

Pasta usually features in our menu at least once a week. However, ever since we found that Anjalie is allergic to nuts (including pine-nuts) I have not made pesto sauce at home. Like many parents dealing with allergies, I too looked for alternative ways of making pesto for her. Recently, we found that Anjalie likes and is not allergic to pumpkin seeds :) So tonight, I tried to make pesto pasta with pumpkin seeds and also added roasted vegetables for a good measure. It was a great success at dinner. At first Anjalie was sceptical looking at the green sauce, but after trying one bite, she quickly dug into her food and really enjoyed it. I even got a "delicious dinner, Mummy" from her :)

You will need:
250 g pasta cooked according to instructions
choice of veggies - sweet peppers, courgettes, onions, tomatoes, aubergine etc
salt and black pepper to taste
fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese to garnish



for the sauce:
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds shelled, roasted
1 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves ( I used coriander leaves) or you can just use 1 cup basil leaves
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cups olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Cheesy garlic bread are fluffy, cheesy, soft and garlicky, a perfect combination to make an excellent side dish to accompany pizza, pasta, soup or risotto or can be a part of healthy snack in the evening. Today, turned to be a lovely day with blue skies and warm sunny weather that we decided to take a walk together after lunch. So I expected that after a stroll we will all return home hungry and cannot wait for dinner time. So I decided to make cheesy garlic bread which as I had expected was very much appreciated by us all when we returned. It is quick and easy to make from scratch or it can be even more quicker if you use store bought pizza base. In fact, I made enough dough to make garlic bread for snack and pizza for dinner saving myself some time to enjoy playing with Anjalie :) For making two 12 inch cheesy garlic bread and/or Pizza

You will need:
For the base:
1.25 to 1.5 cups warm water
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cups unbleached white bread flour
1.5 tsp salt
0.5 tsp sugar
1 tsp rapid raise yeast

Italian Breadsticks (Grissini)

Italian Breadsticks (Grissini) make a very healthy snack for children and the entire family. Including a cheesy dip with them is a great way to increase the children's dairy consumption. All of us here including Anjalie love breadsticks and enjoy them as tea time snack. Naz likes them soft and thick and Anjalie and I enjoy them crispy and thin. Regardless, both varieties are made from the same dough but shaped slightly different. I make them every week and store them in air tight containers and we enjoy them during the week. The soft chunky breadsticks should be eaten warm and fresh on the same day. We usually enjoy them with a nice bowl of minestrone or other soups. The crispy ones can be enjoyed with any of your favorite dips. I made my bread sticks with 3 toppings tonight: plain, Italian seasoning-garlic salt and freshly ground pepper-garlic salt. You can use coarsely ground rock salt or sesame seeds or poppy seeds or any of your other favorite topping. This recipe yields around 30-36 crispy bread sticks. Here is the recipe...

You will need:
230-260 ml lukewarm water (more or less)
3 tbsp olive oil
3 cups unbleached white bread flour
1 and 1/2 tsp salt
1 and 1/2 tsp instant active dried yeast

For coating any of these/combinations: (optional)
rock salt (coarsely ground) - use sparingly
freshly ground black pepper
dried Italian seasoning/oregano
garlic salt granules (not powder)
poppy seeds
sesame seeds
grated parmesan cheese
olive oil for greasing with pastry brush

Cheesy Broccoli Pasta

Broccoli is one of the hardest vegetables to get children to eat. It is usually right up there with spinach and other green vegetables. So it is the same with Anjalie. However, there are just two dishes with broccoli that she totally loves! One is a stir-fry with garlic with plain rice and the other is cheesy broccoli pasta. Tonight when I asked what she wanted for dinner. The cheeky one said, "I want buccoli (broccoli) pasta, Mummy. I will be a good girl and eat all out. So you can give me a "well done" sticker". Since when is it okay to demand reward stickers?! Well, anyway, if your kids/others in your family are anything like Anjalie, with broccoli, this is by far a great way to get them to enjoy it. The broccolis remain crunchy and covered  in the yummy cheesy sauce that kids find irresistible. Add in some interestingly shaped pastas and you have winner and it is very easy and quick to make as well :) So here goes the recipe...



You will need:
500 ml milk (I used whole milk)/cream
2-3 garlic cloves crushed
2 bay leaves
250 grams dried pasta of your choice ( I used fusilli)
300 grams of broccoli florets (medium size)
3 tbsp Olive oil/butter
4 tbsp plain flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder (optional)
2 tbsp of parsley coarsely chopped
1 tsp oregano
salt and black pepper to taste
1 tsp chilli flakes (optional for adults)
50 grams of cheddar cheese grated (or Parmesan or any of your favorite hard cheese mixture grated)

Tuna/Broccoli Napolitana

Pasta dishes are not only easy to make but are also filling and well loved by everyone in the family. On days when I am really rushing, but, would prefer to make our own dinner rather than order take away I always make pasta. Additionally, pasta dishes offer an extra flexibility to adapt it to satisfy both vegetarians, like me, and meat eaters, like Naz & Anjalie,  by throwing in some chicken/tuna. One of the family favorites for dinner is Napolitana with Tuna for Naz & Anjalie and with broccoli for me. It is quite quick and easy to put together from scratch and you can also make this with chicken or prawns if you prefer.

You will need:
25 grams of butter/olive oil
2 tbsp plain flour
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp garlic paste/3 cloves of garlic crushed
450 ml milk/cream
salt and black pepper to taste
50 g of cheese of your choice (optional: I use grated Parmesan)
2 tsp Italian seasoning/oregano (dried)
1 tin of canned tuna (185 grams) drained and fluffed with a fork or 250 grams of broccoli chopped to bite size pieces and steamed with salt until cooked thoroughly but still crunchy
300 grams of pasta cooked (any shape you prefer) according to the packet instructions.
1 tsp fresh parsley chopped for garnish

Homemade Pizza

Pizza is the first option most of us will think of when ever we are looking for a kids friendly meal. Home-made pizzas offer the flexibility of topping it up with whatever takes our fancies along with being healthier. More over it is very easy to put together and requires very little effort. It is so easy that children can help make it as well. Anjalie loves to help with making home-made pizza and enjoys it so much that she often asks for it. It is again very easy and you can choose whatever toppings you like. It can be part of a dinner (with salad) or a quick snack or even party food!

You will need:
2 cups of plain flour
1 tsp salt 
1/2 tbsp sugar 
2 tsp yeast 
2 tbsp olive oil
warm water to mix all up
Pizza sauce (sold as passata sauce in the groceries) according to tase
200 gms grated mozzerella and/or cheddar
toppings of your choice

Again you can add/reduce the amount of cheese according to taste.

In a mixing bowl mix flour, salt, sugar, yeast.

Add olive oil and make a soft dough with warm water. Knead the dough for 10 mins by hand until it gets smooth and stretchy. Leave to raise for 1-1 and 1/2 hour. 

Dust the work surface with flour and roll out a small pizza. 

Now you can either stretch the pizza by hand or just simply roll out a large pizza, 1/2 an inch thick, using a rolling pin. 

Place the dough on a pizza stone/baking sheet. Add passata sauce according to taste. Add 1/2 the cheese, followed by your choice of toppings and then the rest of the cheese. 

Bake in a preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius (fan assisted) for 20 mins.

Pasta with Bechamel Sauce

Anjalie loves pasta dishes, esp., pasta well done with white sauce. You can add your child's favourite cheese to this sauce to make it into a cheese sauce. The recipe is very flexible, so feel free to add veggies or meat to the dish as well. Served with a side salad and adding vegetables/cooked chicken breasts can turn this simple pasta into a filling dinner/lunch.

You will need:
1 cup pasta (various shapes keeps things interesting)
2 cups of whole milk
1 tbsp All purpose/plain flour
2 tbsp butter
2-3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano/ Italian seasoning
favorite vegetables like carrots, peas, broccoli etc chopped finely and cooked - 1 cup (optional; see below)
salt and black pepper to taste
ground chilli flakes to taste (optional)

Quick Egg noodles

When I am in a rush I usually make this one. On few occassions when I have had a really tiring day at work I make this quickly and serve with salad and call it dinner. You can change it according to your taste or make it more elaborate to suit the entire family.

You will need:
1/2 a packet of egg noodles/fresh spaghetti pasta
stir-fry veggies of your choice (chopped into bite size pieces)
150 ml of veggie/chicken stock
2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste (optional)
salt and black pepper to taste

Other options if you have more time:
Veggies of your choice, mushrooms
strips of cooked chicken breasts/soy chunks/ quorn pieces

Pizza Pinwheels

After a long hiatus, I return to add a few more recipes. Pizza is one of the easy kid-friendly foods. But some times we can do without all the fight over which toppings to add and which ones to avoid. On one such day, when I had more than one toddler and parents to attend to, I decided to make it simple and leave out the toppings. It was gone like hot cakes with nothing but rave reviews from the children and parents alike! I guess, finger foods are always bound to be a huge hit. Although, now Anjalie is no longer a toddler, she still loves this pizza pinwheels/swirls. This will make a nice quick and easy snack or party food.

You will need:
375g pack ready rolled puff pastry, thawed if frozen or you can use ready made pizza bases
6 tbsp ready made pasta/pizza sauce (not too chunky)
toppings of your choice
100g mature cheddar and mozzerella, grated

Risotto

One of the first few dishes that became quick favorites of Anjalie was risotto. The creamy texture of the rice and savory, but mild, taste can be very pleasing to children and can be enjoyed by the whole family.

You will need:
2 cloves of garlic crushed (optional)

100g chicken breast fillet, diced or broccoli and carrots or any other veggies you like

1 small celery, trimmed and finely sliced (optional)

1/2 Heinz chicken or veggie stock cube

50g rice (risotto rice needs more time than others)

25g frozen peas

1 tbsp butter

Salt and black pepper to taste