Spaghetti chicken/Quorn Bolognese

Here is another healthy version of the yummy family favourite. I am a vegetarian while Naz & Anjalie eat fish and/or chicken regularly. But as a family we all three of us avoid red meat since the risks outweigh any benefits. Having said that it does not mean Naz & Anjalie will not eat them rarely (may once or twice a year) when we eat out as a treat. Recently on once such trips, Anjalie really liked Spaghetti-bolognese at one of the restaurants. So I decided to try making it at home for dinner a couple of times with chicken instead and I used quorn for myself as a veggie option. On the first time, I heard Anjalie say to Naz "Mummy is the best baker & cooker, isn't she daddy?" Needless to say, I was very pleased with the compliment. After that I have made this few more times and tonight we enjoyed this with garlic bread and salad and Anjalie said that "Mummy, your spaghetti is the best best ever!" So here I am sharing this simple recipe in the hope that you and your family will also enjoy it. Again, if you prefer the traditional bolognese sauce, simply replace chicken with beef and you have the traditional bolognese for dinner. You can add bacon or try pork mince too for a variety :)

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

Sweet pepper macaroni and cheese/ macaroni pie

Macaroni and cheese or Macaroni pie in some parts of the world is a quick family dinner that everyone is bound to enjoy together. In Trinidad and Tobago, however, it is treated as a side dish and Naz usually likes to have it with red beans and rice during the weekends. Children often tend/want to eat the same food, they like, over a few days. Tonight, Anjalie insisted on wanting "white" pasta (cheesy pasta) again! So to cater to both of their desires, I modified the cheesy pasta into a Macaroni and cheese for Naz. Since we all enjoy Mexicano cheese, I used it and it does have a slight "spicy" taste. But you can use any cheese of your choice.

You will need:

250 grams dried macaroni pasta or pasta of your choice (I did use Fusilli since it is Anjalie's favorite)

4 tbsp of plain flour

1 tbsp butter/olive oil + for greasing

salt and white pepper to taste

100 grams of grated hard cheese of your choice

1 egg (optional)

1/4 cup sweet bell peppers (mixed colors)

2 cloves of garlic crushed

1/2 tsp oregano

500 ml whole milk/cream 

2 tbsps milk (optional)

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

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