Pa de llet

Pa de llet with sunflower seeds

WORTH THE EFFORT 
BREAKFAST,LUNCH,SNACK
CAN BE FROZEN
Hands on & cooking time 2 hours

It really isn´t as hard as you may think making your own Pa de llet.I am still mastering how to get a good shaped roll and I like experimenting with different toppings, I love poppy seeds but my daughter and husband like sunflower seeds the best.(without salt) I make these with my daughter she helps me knead the dough.  I have no machine, we do everything by hand. These are great for breakfast with a little jam, for an after school snack or in the lunchbox with cheese spreed. I make about 10 rolls and freeze some.  You need to eat them on the same day or the following morning.

Crunchy crust Hake

VERY EASY

LUNCH, DINNER
Hands on & cook time 25 mins

It doesn´t get any easier than this. Quick,easy and cheap, perfect ! Great weekday dinner.


I did this last week for my dad when he came to visit, he loved it! my daughter always clears her plate and it even pleases the non-fish lover...Daddy.
I buy a full Fresh Hake (lluç) most weeks in fillets, it´s a cheap fish and nice and lean which makes it easy to digest. I serve my daughter the tail end of the fish which normally means no bones.

INGREDIENTS

4 Hake Fillets (with of without skin)
60g (2 1/2oz) melted butter
zest of 1 small lemon, finely grated
1 clove of garlic, crushed
100g (3 1/2 oz) breadcrumbs ( I use fresh which I keep frozen)
Mayonnaise

METHOD

**Tip** This dish works well with any white fish fillets.
Heat the oven to 180·C. Place the Hake fillets on foil on a large baking tray (skin side down).
Spread a thin layer of  mayonnaise over each fillet. Combine the breadcrumbs, garlic and lemon zest, pour in the butter and mix with a fork.  Cover the fillets with the crumbs.  Transfer to the oven and roast for about 18 -20 minutes, or until the crust is golden. (don´t over cook the fish it becomes dry).
When the fish is cooked it´s easy to remove from the baking tray, leaving the skin on the foil.

Christmas Biscuit Treats

 

TREATS,SNACKS,PARTY, BISCUITS
Prep & cooking time 22 mins 
Plus chilling time


Everyone is doing it.....so I thought why not. Biscuits or cut-out cookies are now in fashion in Barcelona.
I have been to a couple of workshops for handy tips and to see how the professionals do it...and it´s really not too difficult.  Bearing in mind I have no fancy equipment, no mixer (maybe Santa will bring me one!!) and no special rolling pin to ensure the thickness is the same and look they have turned out quite well.  I have made these for gorgeous edible tree decorations, for friends & family gifts and for my daughters teachers too, a lovely treat!

You can freeze the dough sheets to make the biscuits later.

I brought some lovely Christmas cookie cutters and some ready to roll icing, some special edible glue and a small brush.

Don´t over cook your biscuits - keep an eye on them. They are perfect with a slightly golden edge.











**Tips**
This recipe mixes up quickly and it keeps well.  The dough freezes perfectly, it makes a very large quantity of biscuits so either roll out a few sheets of dough and freeze flat in the freezer between wax paper for quick cut-out biscuits later. Or simply half the ingredients.
Make sure you chill the dough before cutting for at least an hour  (I chill mine for a couple of hours)
If you roll the dough at least 1/4 inch (or  2 pound coins) thick children should have no problem cutting and picking up the biscuit shapes. I roll mine out on parchment paper so they are easy to remove. You can re-use the parchment paper.  The biscuits can be kept up to a couple of weeks in an air tight tupper without icing. If you want to use for Tree decorations make a small hole in the biscuit before cooking with a skewer.

INGREDIENTS

250gr unsalted butter at room temperature

250gr icing sugar (sucre glas)

500gr flour (farina de rebosteria)

2 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract
*ready to roll icings / or icing sugar for decorating, edible glue*

 

METHOD

Cream together the butter and icing sugar (sieve first) in a bowl, until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and the egg whites. Add the flour gradually until it forms a dough, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
Pre - heat the oven 180·C. Roll out the dough on top of parchment paper (about 1/4 inch, cut out your Christmas shapes and place on a baking sheet on top of parchment paper. Bake for about 10 - 12 mins, I prefer mine not to have much colour. The cooking time will depend on your cooker, and the size of your biscuits.
Let the biscuits completely cool before decorating. Decorate as you wish, you could keep it simple if you have no ready to roll icing, simply add a few drops of water to icing sugar ( a drop of food colouring ) and spread over biscuits.

LET ME KNOW HOW YOURS TURN OUT AND MERRY CHRISTMAS !

Easy Cheesy Fish Pie

Easy Cheesy Fish Pie

EASY

LUNCH, DINNER

Hands on time & cook time 45

This is a great dish for fussy fish eaters (like husbands!) It's very easy to make, my daughter prefers individual pies with veg served on the side, but you can opt for a large pie with chopped carrots or peas inside.  Poaching the fish is so quick and the cheesy creamy sauce  is always a winner in my house.  I sometimes make these in advance and freeze the fish pie but without the mash potato. You could also top them with a mix of potato and sweet potato for extra vitamin C.

Fishy Footballs

Fishy Footballs

EASY

LUNCH, DINNER, PICNIC

Hands on & cook time 40 mins











 
Finger foods are great for young kids especially if you are introducing new foods - it just makes it more interesting.  Here in Cataluna croquetas are really popular and I love the fact that fish cakes are now back in fashion in England so these are a  mixture of the two.  My daughter started to eat these when she was 9 months, they are lovely and soft, the salmon is not too strong and they are very nutritious. I love parsley, capers and spring onions in my footballs but Aina and Daddy don´t do green bits so I leave them out.  My daughter also says she doesn´t like onion but these need a little which is why I grate it to hide it !!

Fresh Breadcrumbs

I always use fresh breadcrumbs from fresh
granary, wholemeal or rye bread - a lot healthier than the shop bought breadcrumbs.  When you have crusts or a few slices of bread leftover whizz them up and keep them in the freezer so you always have them to hand which can be used directly frozen when cooking.
You can always add Parmesan to the breadcrumbs which adds a great cheesy crunch to the footballs !





The essential flavours and juices are retained in the parcel, leaving the fish moist and juicy.

Ingredients

300 gms  potatoes

100 gms fresh salmon fillet

half an onion (grated)

1 large  free range egg (beaten)

2 tbsp of mayonnaise

half a lemon

fresh breadcrumbs with Rye bread (centeno / espelta) I used 2 slices of bread

plain flour

olive oil

Method 

Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 20 mins, they need to be nice and soft - lumpy mash is not good!
Wrap the salmon in a parcel of parchment paper or foil with a squeeze of lemon and a little ground pepper. Cook in the oven 180 ·C for about 15 -18 mins. Grate the onion and cook in a little oil.  Drain the potatoes leave to cool a little, mash with 2 tbsp of mayonnaise and mix in the grated onion.  Flake the cooked salmon into the potatoes and be sure to remove any bones, mix it up really well.
Dusting your hands with flour shape into small footballs (I made 16). cover each with flour, dip into the beaten egg and roll into fresh breadcrumbs. Pop them into the fridge for an hour before cooking - this allows them to firm up slightly.  I´m not a big fan of frying food so I place the footballs on a lined baking sheet , spray with a little oil and grill for a couple of minutes until crisp.

Courgette and chocolate muffins

Courgette and chocolate muffins

EASY

SNACK, LUNCHBOX PARTY

Prep & cooking time 1 hour








These are lovely and chocolaty you would never guess they have courgette in them.  I put a good quality cocoa powder in mine and they are quite fudgey too.  Like almost all of my baking and cooking I make these with my daughter.  She helps me grate the courgette so it´s no secret to her the ingredients and yet she never normally eats courgette. I take the skin off the courgette so there are no ¨green bits¨, but you can leave it on if you wish.  Courgette has no strong flavour it helps to make the cakes lovely and moist. My daughter and husband love these and my neighbours!

Number Biscuits

VERY EASY

SNACK, LUNCHBOX, PARTY

can be frozen
Prep & cook time 25 min approx

I'm not a big fan of giving biscuits to children,I have never carried biscuits in my bag for snacks and I never buy biscuits. But these are a little different , it´s a nice activity to do together and beats play dough...least you can eat it.

My daughter is only four and we often make these biscuits together so she can practice numbers.  You can make any biscuit shapes, we use our number cutters, this dough makes lots of biscuits so I freeze some too. They are great for birthday parties or to make with your child's friends.  My daughter likes to play shops with them as well as eat them.

Sweet and sour chicken

Sweet and sour chicken

EASY

LUNCH, DINNER
Prep & Cook time 25 mins

Sweet & sour chicken (or Pork) is a great way to combine veg, fruit, protein and carbs. I serve it with rice or egg noodles.  My daughter is not crazy about bean sprouts but I love them and she always is willing to try them. It´s also nice to put bamboo shoots which are rich in nutrients you can buy these in a jar or tin.  It´s a really quick dish and with the vitamin A & C from the pineapple and also vitamin C from the orange juice it´s perfect for the whole family.  Don´t be afraid to cook the veg quick in this recipe - more nutrients and nice and crunchy.

Pita pockets

Wholemeal Pitta bread with cumin chicken and yogurt dressing.

EASY

LUNCH, DINNER

Prep & Cooking time 20 minutes











Pita breads are so versatile. It´s also a lot more fun for kids to explore new foods and prepare there own pitta pocket.  I buy wholemeal pitta breads, look for ones that don´t contain E numbers. We use pita breads for dipping, toasting and pockets. This recipe we all love in our family, everyone fills their own pitta at the table.

Butifarra Scotch eggs

Butifarra Scotch eggs

A LITTLE EFFORT - but worth it! 
LUNCH, DINNER,PICNIC

Prep & Cooking time 30-40 mins

Scotch eggs are pretty rectro and very English. I love to try and combine Catalan cuisine with British (to please everyone in the family !!) These are a perfect alternative way to use Butifarras - the typical Catalan sausage.  I buy the best quality meat I can directly from the Butchers in our local market. I serve these for a light dinner with salad, when made with quails eggs they are the perfect size and also ideal for picnics.

Grilled Tuna Steaks

Tune Marinade

EASY
LUNCH,DINNER

Tuna is a strongly flavoured fish, so I like to marinate it for my daughter.  She prefers fresh tuna to tinned tuna which is great.  It´s packed with Omega 3, quick and easy to cook.





This marinade is also good with chicken.





Ingredients

100 g Fresh Tuna steak
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cm freshly grated ginger
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
**Sesame seeds to sprinkle**

Method

Mix the above ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and leave the tuna steak for 30 -45 mins in the fridge covered with clingfilm.
Grill  the tuna for 3 mins on each side (depending on steak size)

I serve the tuna with cous -cous,matchstick steamed carrots and green beans. We also love it with rice noodles and courgette.

Goldilocks Breakfast

EASY

BREAKFAST

Prep & Cooking time 5 mins








Porridge is a perfect nutritious  breakfast for all the family especially in the colder months before walking to school.  It´s so quick and easy to make, add different fruits or use different toppings to vary it a little.

DIY Granola

DIY Granola

EASY

BREAKFAST,

Prep & Cooking time 30 mins










There are so many reasons why kids should be eating oats.Breakfast
*High Fiber & protein
*Enhances immunity
*Slow rise in blood sugar- enough energy to last through the morning.

If your kids reject it cooked one way (for example porridge), there is always another ! by adding different flavours to porridge or like this Crunchy Granola.
I do buy Muesli which my daughter loves but shop bought cereals are heavily sweetened, so I prefer to make my own  (Do It Yourself).  The ingredients depend on what I have available but I love to add different types of nuts, seeds, dried fruit and serve it with Greek yogurt (unsweetend - check for E- number too!!) or with slices of fresh banana and milk.  I make lots and store in an airtight container for a couple of weeks.


Ingredients

9 oz Oats -  (Organic if possible)
9 oz mixed nuts,almonds,hazelnuts,walnuts and sunflower seeds. (or less if you prefer)
6 tbsp runny honey
6 oz dried fruit (cranberries, raisins,chopped apricots
You need two baking trays.

Method

Preheat the oven to 150 C. In a large bowl mix together the oats, nuts, and 4 tbsp of the honey. Mix well and divide equally between the two baking trays. Bake for 25 mins.
After that time, add the fruit and the remaining honey. Bake for a fruther 5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool before storing.


I started to give my daughter porridge at 6 months and she still loves it, this Granola is a great alternative breakfast to keep her going until lunchtime.

http://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/babies-6-9-months/porridge

http://www.healthyandfitmagazine.com/2008/09/top-10-brain-foods-for-children/

Carrot and orange soup

Carrot and orange soup with granary bread

EASY

LUNCH , DINNER

Prep & cooking time 1 hour
Serves 4-6
Can be Frozen












Cooking with fruit is a perfect way to make sure your child is eating correctly. Making soup is so easy and quick it's ideal for a light supper. This recipe is perfect for the autumn, full of vitamin C & A. This was originally a BBC Food recipe with coriander, which I love! but my husband and daughter don´t like coriander so I´ve left it out.



Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
900 g/2lb carrots, scrubbed and chopped
1L /1 3/4 pt vegetable stock
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp paprika
Rind and juice of 1 large orange
Salt and pepper

Method

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions, then cover the pan and sweat them for 3 mins.
Peel and chop the carrots finely and add these to the pan. Cover again and sweat the vegetables for 10 mins.
Add stock, spices, rind and juice of an orange. Bring to the boil and simmer for 40 mins.
Let the soup cool and liquidise. Season and re- heat.
Serve with wholemeal or granary bread to dip.

Warm broccoli and salmon pasta salad

Hot Broccoli and Salmon pasta salad

Dunkin dippers

Red Pepper Hummus

VERY EASY
SNACK, LUNCH, DINNER

Lasagne

Lasagne

Que tens avui? -school snacks

WHOLEMEAL BREAD STICKS & YELLOW KIWI

SNACKS
LUNCHBOX

Breakfast like a king

MIXED FRUIT WITH GREEK YOGURT TOPPED WITH HAZELNUTS

Breakfast like a king......I love this proverb! Breaking your fast.
When we wake up our blood sugar level is at its lowest.  The brain needs fuel to work properly.  I would never dream of sending my daughter to school without breakfast, I would rather we arrive late to school than skip the most important meal of the day - and it really is!

Over the last 10 years of working with children here in Barcelona I have always been amazed and quite shocked to hear that a lot of children go to school without any breakfast.  I have even worked in a school whereby the teacher of P3 (3year old children) informed me that children are given a mandatory galleta (biscuit) before they go out to the patio (playground).  This is because a majority of the children come to school without breakfast. I have also witnessed the same children falling asleep over the desks !!! poor little guys.

Starting the day without breakfast  means, low blood sugar levels, poor concentration and irritability resulting to poorer performance in schoolchildren. (and everyone !)

A healthy source of protein or high-fiber foods will satisfy hunger until lunchtime.

Here are a few ideas what we eat in our house...together.  At the weekends I love to serve eggs or pancakes and we always drink freshly squeezed orange or grapefruit juice.

PEACH TOPPED WITH GREEK YOGURT TOPPED WITH WALNUTS

BRIOIX WITH BUTTER AND JAM

PORRIDGE WITH BROWN SUGAR & (a little ! ) HONEY

CRUNCHY GRANOLA (MUESLI) WITH MILK AND GREEK YOGURT

RASPBERRY CUPCAKE

GRANARY TOAST WITH BUTTER, MARMALADE & JAM

What do you eat in your house for Breakfast?

Do you eat Breakfast together?

What does your child enjoy first thing in the morning?

Do you think Breakfast is important?

I would love to hear from you.

Chicken....again!

OREGANO AND LEMON CHICKEN PINTXOS