Allergen: Contains Gluten

Light spaghetti carbonara

Light Spaghetti Carbonara

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1 pkt (400g) thin spaghetti
  • cooking spray
  • 12 slices shortcut bacon, cut into thin strips
  • 4 spring onions, sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • ½ cup skim milk
  • ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 400g low-fat cream cheese
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • freshly ground black pepper

Method

Cook pasta as per packet instructions.

In a frying pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook the bacon, spring onions and garlic for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Add milk, parsley and half of the parmesan cheese to the frying pan, stirring continuously.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and eggs and set aside.

Place the cooked pasta in the frying pan with the bacon mixture. Add the eggs and cream mixture, tossing to coat all strands for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Serve in warmed bowls, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and season with freshly ground pepper.

Notes

  • This will feed 4 to 5 people. It’s OK to halve the ingredients if you’re cooking for 2.
  • Reserve some of the pasta water to thin the sauce if it becomes too thick.
  • Try to make sure that you don’t overcook your pasta as it will continue cooking in the sauce.
  • It’s cheaper to buy a block of parmesan cheese and grate it yourself. Just wrap it in baking paper and place in a resealable bag in the fridge to store.

More pasta recipes:

This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

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Cheesy Pretzel Broomsticks

Cheesy pretzel broomsticks

Serves:

Makes 12

Ingredients

  • 12 x stick pretzels
  • 6 x cheese slices (the processed kind)
  • 3 x shallots

Method

Step 1. Cut each cheese slice in half and cut the fringes of the broom using a small sharp knife.

Step 2. Wind the fringed cheese slice around the end of a pretzel with the fringes facing down.

Step 3. Slice the soft green end of a shallot into thin 2mm strips about 10cm long.

Step 4. Use the shallot strip to secure the cheese to the pretzel.

Notes:

  • Thanks to Kidspot Australia for creating the instructional video.
  • These gorgeous little witches’ brooms will literally fly off the Halloween table, guarateed!
  • You could also use chives to secure the cheese to the pretzel.
  • This recipe was created by Penny Flanagan for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Find more related Halloween recipes:

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Double chocolate chip biscuits

Double chocolate chip biscuits

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 110 g butter (softened)
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 125 g milk chocolate (melted)
  • 100 g milk chocolate (roughly chopped, chopped into pieces)
  • 200 g white chocolate chips

Method

Preheat your oven to 160C (140C fan-forced) and line two trays with baking paper. Place the butter and brown sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat for 2-3 minutes until well combined.

Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and add the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and melted chocolate to the bowl. Add the extra chopped milk chocolate and white chocolate chips and stir with a large spoon to combine. Don’t worry if your mixture doesn’t start to come together straight away, it can take a minute or two to combine.

Use a dessert spoon to scoop up the double chocolate chip biscuit mixture and roll it into balls. If you find your mixture is quite soft, place it in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up a little. Place the balls onto your prepared baking trays and flatten slightly. Repeat, making sure you leave approximately a 3cm gap between each biscuit, until all the mixture has been used.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slight cracks have formed on top of the biscuits, before cooling on the baking trays for 5 minutes and carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Find more biscuit and cookie recipes.

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • Use your favourite kind of chocolate for these bickies. If you have a penchant for dark chocolate, go for it. If white chocolate is your thing, use that instead!
  • These biscuits are delicious and perfect to treat the kids with for parties, picnics, or a sneaky after-school snack.
  • This recipe was created by Lauren Matheson for Kidspot.

Chicken mayo nori rolls

Chicken mayo nori rolls

Serves:

2

Ingredients

  • 1 cup BBQ chicken (finely chopped)
  • 3 tbs Japanese mayonnaise
  • 1 tbs fresh mixed herbs (chopped)
  • 1 sheet sushi nori seaweed
  • 1/2 carrot (julienned)
  • 1/2 Lebanese cucumber (julienned)
  • 1/2 avocado (sliced into strips)
  • 30 g baby spinach

Method

Combine finely chopped chicken with mayonnaise and herbs. Season well with salt and pepper.

Place a nori sheet shiny side down on a bamboo sushi rolling mat. Spread half of the chicken in a thin layer along half of the nori.

Place vegetables evenly on top of the chicken.

Roll sushi, using the bamboo mat to press firmly. Brush edge of nori with water and continue rolling so that the edges seals shut. Slice sushi and place in lunch box.

More sushi recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • Kewpie is a Japanese mayonnaise that comes in a squeezie bottle. It is available in the Japanese ingredients section of most supermarkets. You can substitute regular mayonnaise if you prefer.
  • Use whatever vegetables you or your kids prefer in the filling. Capsicum, herbs such as mint or coriander, or lettuce would be perfect.
  • If you haven’t rolled sushi before, it takes a little while to get the hang of it. There are usually instructions on the back of the nori sheet packet. You can also find some great video tutorials online.
  • This recipe was created by Greer Worsley for Kidspot.

Wholemeal apricot and coconut cake

Wholemeal apricot and coconut cake

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chopped dried apricots
  • 1 cup hot milk (or soy milk)
  • half a  cup honey
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup wholemeal self raising flour
  • half a cup coconut

Method

Combine apricots, milk and honey in a bowl. Cover and stand 1 hour.

Pre-heat oven to 180åC.

Grease a 14cm x 21 cm loaf pan, line base with baking paper.

In a bowl, stir the egg, sifted flour and half a cup of the coconut into the apricot mixture.

Spread mixture into prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining coconut.

Bake for approx. 1 hour.

Stand cake in pan 5 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.

Notes:

  • This cake is like a healthy version of Apricot Delight and still delicious!
  • This makes a wonderful cake to bundle up in baking paper & stick into lunchboxes for kids. It will keep their energy levels up and you could even add a half a cup chopped walnuts for added energy and crunch.
  • This recipe was created by Kristine Duran-Thiessen for Kidspot, New Zealands best recipe finder.

 

 

Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns

Serves:

Makes 16

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon dried yeast
  • ¼ cup caster sugar
  • 1 cup (250mL) warm milk
  • 4 cups plain flour (bread flour)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon all spice
  • 60g butter, chopped
  • ½ cup currants
  • ½ cup sultanas
  • ½ cup (125mL) warm water
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon apricot jam

Flour paste

  • ½ cup plain flour
  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar
  • 1/3 cup (80mL)

Method

Place yeast, sugar and milk in a small bowl, whisk until yeast dissolves. Cover with plastic wrap, stand in a warm place (see Notes) for 10 minutes or until mixture is frothy. Sift flour, cinnamon and all spice into a large bowl and rub in butter (try the Buddhism for Mothers approach and embrace the moment). Stir in yeast mixture, currants, sultanas, egg and water. Cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place (see Notes) for 1 hour or until mixture has doubled in size.

Grease a deep 23cm square tin with butter. Turn dough onto a floured surface (let the kids help you punch the air out) and knead for 5 minutes. Divide dough into 16 pieces, form into balls and place in the tin. Stand in warm place (see Notes) for 20 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 180°C. To prepare flour paste, combine flour and sugar in a bowl; gradually blend in enough water to form a thickish smooth paste. Spoon paste into a piping bag with a small plain tube or use a snap lock bag and cut off a tiny corner. Pipe crosses onto buns—four long lines vertically and then horizontally across each row of buns.

Bake for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 160°C for about 20 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack and brush with warm jam (or not if you don’t like sticky buns).

Serve as soon as they are cold enough to touch, plain or with butter.

Find related Easter recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • This recipe involves 1h 20 min standing (rising) time for the dough.
  • Nothing like working with yeast and kneading to bring out your inner Domestic Goddess!
  • If your house is a bit on the cool side when you are baking buns, you will find warm places are in the laundry if the dryer is on, on top of the oven if you are baking something else or sit the bowl/tin on a heated wheat bag.
  • Will keep in an airtight container for a few days; reheat in the oven for 5-10 minutes before serving.
  • Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.

Slow cooker lamb shanks with red wine and mushrooms

Slow cooker lamb shanks with red wine and mushrooms

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 large lamb shanks, frenched (bones at the end trimmed of fat)
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 cup water

Method

In a bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper and coat the lamb shanks liberally.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown all over before transferring to the slow cooker.

In the same frying pan, over a medium heat, cook the onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the stock, maple syrup and red wine. Bring to the boil and pour over lamb shanks.

Cook the shanks for 4-6 hours on HIGH or 6-8 hours on LOW setting.

After the lamb is cooked, make the mushroom sauce. In a frying pan over a medium heat, cook the mushrooms for 2 minutes in butter. Remove the shanks from the slow cooker and set aside. Strain the juices from the slow cooker into the frying pan. Bring to the boil.

In a cup, combine cornflour and water; add to frying pan. Whisk for 3 minutes and cook until sauce is the consistency of gravy. Add the lamb back into the frying pan. Heat just before serving with mashed potato and steamed green veggies.

Notes:

  • I used 4 very large hind shanks for this recipe but if you have fore shanks you may need 8.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Find more slow cooker recipes:

Serving Suggestions

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Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin soup

Serves:

Pumpkin soup is a family favourite that is easy to make and kind to the budget. Using butternut pumpkin, nutmeg, chicken stock and a little sour cream at the end, you can have this soup on the table in an hour.

Ingredients

  • 4-6 cups butternut pumpkin (roughly diced)
  • 1 large carrot (roughly diced)
  • 1 large onion (roughly diced)
  • 3 chicken stock cubes
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • salt & pepper (to taste)
  • 3-4 cups water
  • half a cup sour cream (optional)
  • Parsley or basil for garnish

Method

Place water, pumpkin, onion, carrot, nutmeg, chicken stock, salt and pepper in large pot and bring to the boil.

Simmer for 1 hour or until pumpkin is tender

Remove soup from heat and puree soup in a blender.

Return soup to pot and heat through.

Add half a cup of sour cream, stirring through without boiling.

Note

  • For a special touch you can serve soup in fresh breadrolls with the centres scooped out. Warm rolls in the oven first.
  • Garnish with a swirl of sour cream and parsley or basil.
  • Roasted pepitas and a few drops of balsamic vinegar make for a tasty topping.

Serving Suggestions

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Chicken, lime and avocado tortillas

Chicken, lime and avocado tortillas

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 2 skinless chicken breast fillets
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 4 soft tortillas

Salsa

  • 1 corn cob, cooked
  • 1 cup peas, cooked
  • ½ red capsicum, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Yoghurt dressing

  • ½ cup natural yoghurt
  • ¼ cup finely chopped mint leaves

Method

Rub the chicken with half of the olive oil and all of the the spices and set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a frying pan to medium-high and add the remaining olive oil. Cook the chicken breasts on one side for 2 minutes, or until golden, turn over and cook for another 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, pour in 2 tablespoons hot water, cover with a lid and cook for 7 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside to cool a little.

Meanwhile, combine all of the salsa ingredients and stir well.

To make the dressing, combine the yogurt and mint leaves and season with sea salt.

Cut the chicken into thin strips and warm the tortillas as per packet instructions. Serve with the salsa and yogurt dressing on the table and let everyone make their own.

Notes

  • This dish is also great if you swap the tortillas with taco shells, iceberg lettuce cups or even steamed rice.
  • Serve finely chopped red chilli on the side for adults.
  • This recipe was created by Sophie Hansen

 

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Spinach and feta pie

This spinach and feta pie is a traditional Greek dish that’s surprisingly easy to make, lovely for lunch with a salad and tastes just as good the next day in your lunch box.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 brown onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 bunch silverbeet (spinach), washed, trimmed and chopped
  • 250g feta cheese, crumbled
  • 250g fresh ricotta cheese
  • 3 eggs
  • 6 filo pastry sheets (at room temperature)
  • 250g butter, melted

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180° fan-forced). Spray a 20cm pie dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Place olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic for 3 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.

Add the silverbeet to the saucepan, cover, and cook for 5 mins, stirring every minute, until all the leaves are wilted.

Drain and cool the mixture for 10 mins.

In a bowl, combine the eggs, feta and ricotta cheese. Add the silverbeet mixture and mix well.

Remove the filo pastry from its packaging and cover with a damp tea towel to keep it moist.

To make the base you need to brush three pastry sheets liberally with butter and lay them on top of each other.

Brush three pastry sheets liberally with butter and place them in the pie dish, on top of each other, to line it.

Next, place the spinach and feta mixture on top of the pastry, spreading it evenly in the pie dish.

Brush each remaining pastry sheet with butter and layer over the filling. Brush the top layer with butter.

Using scissors, or a very sharp knife, trim the pastry at the edge of the dish.

Cook the pie in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. Serve with a garden salad.

Notes:

  • Filo pastry can become crumbly within a few minutes of being exposed to air so it is very important to prevent the sheets from drying out while you are working with them by covering them with a damp cloth.
  • You can use unsalted butter to counter the saltiness of the feta if you prefer.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

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Snazzy Sausage Rolls

Snazzy sausage rolls

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 500g beef sausage mince (or just skin sausages if you have some!)
  • 1 medium carrot, grated
  • 1 small potato, grated
  • 10cm leek, finely diced
  • 1 slice grainy bread, grated
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp tomato sauce
  • pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 3 sheets frozen puff pastry
  • (egg wash or milk to brush rolls with)

Method

Take puff pastry out of freezer and allow to defrost whilst preparation takes place.

Preheat oven to 200C.

Mix all above ingredients (except the puff pastry) with a fork and make sure they are well combined.

Place the meat onto a pastry sheet about 3cm from edge in logs of about 3cm circumference allowing some extra at the ends that you can chop off to ensure meat goes all the way through.

Roll edge of pastry over meat and then roll until completely covering meat with a 1cm overlap.

Cut and place with overlap underneath on greased tray.

Prick with fork to allow hot air to vent and brush with egg wash or milk.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until completely cooked and browned on top.

Notes

  • Love, love love these. Never buy them from a bakery now as I think mine taste one million percent better (cocky huh?!) But I’m not alone – I’m pretty sure my family is with me on that one.
  • This sausage roll recipe is a great one to knock up on a lazy afternoon or for a cold day’s lunch, but you can also make them into mini sausage rolls for entertaining or serve them cold for school lunches.
  • This recipe was created by Melissa Klemke for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

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Tips for packed lunches

Tips for packed lunches

Serves:

 

Method

 

  • Use an insulated lunch box or carry bag.
  • Use a frozen ice brick or frozen drink bottle in the lunch box.
  • Freeze sandwiches the night before, as both a time saver and to keep foods cool.
  • Chill cooked foods (eg. boiled eggs) before packing in the lunch box.
  • Store lunch boxes in a cool spot ( if possible in the fridge).
  • Ensure children wash hands thoroughly before meal times and after going to the toilet or handling pets.

Find more

Serving Suggestions

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Banana pancakes with caramel sauce

Banana pancakes with caramel sauce

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 3 cups plain flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 3 cups milk
  • 3 tbsp castor sugar
  • 4 tbsp butter, melted
  • 2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 ripe bananas, 2 diced/mashed (for batter) and 2 sliced (for serving)

 

Caramel sauce

  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cups thickened cream

Method

Sift flour and baking powder in a large bowl.

Stir in sugar. Add butter and vanilla essence.

Whisk in milk half a cup at a time and add mashed bananas.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat.

Grease pan with a little extra butter.

Working in batches, pour 1/4 cup of batter into pan.

Reduce heat to low. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until bubbles start to appear on surface. Turn the pancake over and cook for a further 2 minutes, or until cooked through.

Repeat with remaining batter, greasing pan in between pancakes.

To make the caramel sauce, place all ingredients in pan and bring to the boil stirring all the time until the sugar dissolves.

Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often until nice semi-thick consistency is reached.

Notes

  • This is my families favourite pancake recipe and tastes great if you serve it with ice-cream.
  • You can make the carmel sauce days ahead and keep it in the fridge. It returns to it’s gooey caramelness with a minute or two in the microwave.
  • I was surprised that this recipe contains no egg. So I want to put it up here for all those people with egg allergies and especially my great-niece Emily Fox whose mum Bec is always on the hunt for egg free recipes.
  • This recipes was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Serving Suggestions

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Easy chocolate choc chip cookies

Easy chocolate choc chip cookies

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 125g butter
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups of brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup of plain flour
  • 1/4 cup of self raising flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 2/3 cup of M&M’s/Chocolate chips

Method

Preheat the oven to moderate. Lightly grease two oven trays

Beat butter, vanilla extract, brown sugar and egg in a small bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Transfer to a larger bowl.

Sift together plain flour, self-raising flour, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder and pour into large bowl and mix.

Drop level tablespoons of the mixture onto the trays, leaving 5cm between each cookie. Add on M&M’s or/and chocolate chips.

Bake uncovered in moderate oven for about 10 mins. Stand cookies for 5 minutes then tranfer to a wire rack to cool.

Serving Suggestions

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One cup crumble cake

One cup crumble cake

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup porridge oats
  • 200g cold unsalted butter, diced
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup mixture of linseeds, pepitas or other little seeds
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup fresh fruit, this has a sliced beurre bos pear and some raspberries
  • cream or yoghurt to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C or 160°C fan-forced. Line a 24cm springform cake tin with baking paper.

Combine the flour, sugar and oats in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and with your fingers, rub it into the flour mixture. Keep going until you have a coarse, sand-like consistency.

Stir through the coconut and linseed mix and separate about one cup’s worth of the mixture, set this aside for later.

Mix through the eggs, again this can be done with your fingers. Press mixture into the cake tin and smooth with the back of a spoon.

Press the fruit in a pretty pattern and top with reserved crumble mixture. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden on top and firm in the middle. Let cool on a wire rack and serve.

Find more delicious cake recipes:

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • You could use a lamington tin and make this as a slice.
  • Use any kind of fruit you have handy. If using apples or pears there's no need to pre-cook them if you slice them nice and thinly.
  • A few chocolate chips scattered over the top always goes down well!
  • This recipe was created by Sophie Hansen for Kidspot, New Zealand's best recipe finder.  You can follow Sophie on Local is Lovely, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

5 high fibre lunch box ideas

Fibre is one of those ‘good for you’ nutrients as it is important for keeping the digestive system healthy. Not only does fibre regulate bowel movements, it also feeds your good gut bacteria and maintains gut health. A healthy colony of good gut bacteria supports the immune system.

Getting fibre into your kids may not necessarily be as hard and as mind boggling as you think. Some of the best and most delicious foods are packed with fibre!

Here are my top five tips for making sure your children’s diets have enough fibre.

Tip 1: Keep the skin on

Most of the fibre in our fruits and veggies are found in the skin. In order to increase fibre intake, leave the skin on! Wash a carrot and cucumber really well, slice into fingers and place in a container small enough to fit into a lunch box. Kids love to dip. You can therefore team the veggies up with dipping humus or mashed avocado.

Tip 2: Zebra sandwich

The more fun, exciting and interesting food looks, the more kids want to eat it! Wholemeal bread is packed with fibre. Try making a zebra sandwich out of 2 different types and colours of wholemeal bread. One could be plain wholemeal, the other wholemeal bread could be packed with seeds. Place one type on top of the other and cut into soldiers. Turn every second one over and pack into a lunchbox container to make a zebra pattern.

Tip 3: Bake, bake, bake

Bake healthy cookies or muffins and use wholemeal flour or oat flour instead of plain white flour. For a gluten free option, try rice flour. To increase the fibre content even more, add sultanas, bananas or chopped apple (with the skin on) to the mix.

Tip 4: Sweet and delicious

Date balls are jam packed with fibre, they are sweet (just how kids like them) and filled with other vital nutrients. To make date balls, blend pitted dates in a food processor until soft. Mould a bit at a time into mouthful-sized balls and roll in desiccated coconut until completely covered. Great in any lunch box!

Tip 5: Homemade granola bars

Granola bars are exceptionally high in fibre as they contain nuts, seeds, dried fruits and oats. This combination makes them a deliciously covert lunch box fibre addition. Granola bars can be bought in the store with the added sugars, preservatives and sometimes flavouring. A better and just as easy option is to make them at home.

Here is a very basic granola bar recipe to which you can add seeds and dried fruits of your choice, or any other tasty bits you may take a fancy to. If there are no allergies, you can add nuts. However for school lunch boxes, omit the nuts and increase the seeds a little.

Basic homemade granola bar recipe

You will need:

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup wholemeal flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 2/3 cup maple syrup (preferably organic)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup diced dried fruit
  • 1/4 cup chopped nuts
  • 1/4 cup chopped seeds such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds

If you are not using nuts, double the amount of seeds.

Mix all ingredients and press into a rectangular shaped tin. Bake at 160 degrees C for 20 – 25 minutes or until the edges have browned.

When they are ready take them out of the oven and once completely cooled, cut into strips and store in airtight containers.

 

Cheese and tomato finger puffs

Cheese and tomato finger puffs

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 tbspn tomato passta
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 egg, beaten lightly

Method

Preheat oven to 180C.

Spread the tomato across one sheet of the puff pastry, making sure to cover all the edges.

Sprinkle the cheese across the tomato-covered sheet of pastry. Gently lie the second sheet of pastry on top of the cheesey pastry.

Using a sharp knife, gently cut the pastry in half and then cut each half into twelve strips.

Lie the strips on a baking sheet, being sure to give each enough room to puff up in the oven.

Brush the pastry strips with the beaten egg and sprinkle a little more cheese across the tops and then place into the hot oven to bake for approx. 15 mins or until the pastry becomes golden and puffed up.

Remove from the oven and serve hot or cold.

Notes

  • While these puffs are great cold – and make a nice lunch box filler – they are even better hot! I find that at least half of every batch I make gets eaten while they cool.
  • Make sure that these pastries are completely cold before you store them or they will become extremely soggy.
  • I use tomato passata because it is basically pureed cooked tomatoes, but you could use tomato paste or tomato sauce – you will just get a much stronger and saltier tomato flavour with these. Which may not be a bad thing!
  • Once you conquer this basic model of finger puffs, you could start adding all sorts of ingredients into the mix. I love pesto puffs!
  • This recipe was created by Ella Walsh for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Serving Suggestions

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Sesame beef stir-fry with baby corn

Sesame beef stir-fry with baby corn

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (125ml) soy sauce
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  • 500g sirloin steak, a couple of centimetres thick
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 tsp brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp brown rice vinegar
  • 1 large brown onion, sliced
  • 1 medium-sized head of broccoli, cut into little florets
  • 6 ears of baby corn
  • 3 tbsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted
  • 2 spring onions, finely chopped
  • steamed rice to serve

Method

Mix half of the soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic together in a bowl and add the steak. Set aside to marinate for half an hour.

Heat a frying pan on medium-high heat, then add the oil and cook the steaks for 3 minutes on each side (for medium-rare). Transfer to a plate, cover with foil and let it rest while you cook the rest of the meal.

Mix together the remaining soy sauce, brown sugar and the vinegar and set aside. Return the frying pan to the heat, add a little more oil and cook the onions for five minutes or until softened. Add the broccoli and baby corn and stir fry for a couple more minutes or until just tender.

Finally, pour in the soy and rice vinegar mixture and toss to combine. Slice the steak into thin strips and add this to the stir-fried vegetables. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and spring onions and serve with steamed rice.

Find related stir-fry recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • If you can't get fresh baby corn, you can use tinned baby corn in its place.
  • To lightly toast sesame seeds, swirl them around a non-stick pan over a medium heat for a minute or two until lightly golden. Keep a close eye on them – they risk becoming burnt sesame seeds extremely quickly!
  • You can swap the baby corn with sliced carrots, celery, capsicum or other vegetables if you prefer.
  • For a different take, try serving with egg noodles instead of rice.
  • This is also delicious to eat the next day, so make a double-batch for school or a work lunch!
  • This recipe was created by Sophie Hansen for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder. You can follow Sophie on Local is Lovely, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

Baby spaghetti bolognaise

Baby spaghetti bolognaise

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • 1 very small onion (or half a medium onion), finely chopped
  • 100g beef mince
  • 1/2 tomato, diced
  • a small amount of spaghetti to make 1/4 cup of cooked spaghetti

Method

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the onion. Cook until onion becomes glassy.

Add the mince and brown, constantly chopping into it with a flat-edged wooden spoon to finely break it up.

Add the tomato and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of water to the boil and add the spaghetti. Stir once the water returns to the boil. Cook for 5 minutes or until cooked through.

Place everything in a blender and puree as much as possible – there may be some lumps.

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • While it may be tempting to just puree the family version of spag bol, your baby may find the flavours of Italian herbs too strong. You’ll have more success with this plainer version.
  • Can be frozen for up to four weeks.
  • This recipe was created by Belinda Graham for Kidspot.

Tiny Teddies in the bathtub

Tiny Teddies in the bathtub

Serves:

18

Ingredients

  • 1 pkt (450g) ready to bake chocolate chip cookie dough
  • 18 Tiny Teddy biscuits, honey flavoured
  • white mini mallow bakes

Method

Step 1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Spray a 24 cup mini muffin tin with canola spray. Roll 2cm balls of dough and press into muffin cups so they are of even thickness all the way around.

Step 2. Bake for 15 minutes.

Step 3. Remove from oven leave to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from tray. Lay a Teddy in each cup with a mallow bake behind the head as a pillow.

Step 4. Fill the "tubs" with mallow bakes and serve.

Tiny Teddies in the bath tub

Find related Tiny Teddy recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • You can find cookie dough in the freezer section of the supermarket. There are many flavours to choose from but I used chocolate chip.
  • It is best to give these time to cool so they stay in shape and hold the Teddies. They are very soft when they come out of the oven.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand's best recipe finder.

Frogs in ponds

Frogs in ponds

Serves:

1 jelly cup per child

Ingredients

  • 1 pkt lime jelly crystals
  • chocolate frogs
  • sprinkles

Method

Mix the jelly according to instructions on the jelly box.

Pour equal amounts into plastic see- through cups.

When jelly has almost set, put a chocolate frog in the jelly with some sprinkles on top!

Serving Suggestions

Note

Garlic prawn pizza

This garlic prawn pizza has no cheese on top so it’s ideal if you are not a cheese lover. Make it for a romantic dinner after the kids have gone to bed. It’s OK if you BOTH have garlic.

Ingredients

  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt flakes
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 250g green prawns
  • 1 pizza base
  • 1 1/2 cups chunky pasta sauce
  • lemon wedges

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C fan-forced or 220°C conventional. Spray a pizza tray with canola spray and set aside.

In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, olive oil and salt flakes until just broken down.

Stir in the parsley and prawns.

Spread pasta sauce over the pizza base. Lay out prawns. Drizzle over any remaining garlic oil. Slide onto a pizza tray.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the prawns are just cooked.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Related pizza recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • Ordinary salt is fine for this pizza if you don’t have flakes but it really needs the salt to balance out the garlic flavour.
  • Pasta sauce is a wetter option to using traditional pizza sauce. In this pizza it is an ingredient and adds real flavour.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Bacon, spinach and feta scrolls

Bacon, spinach and feta scrolls

Serves:

Makes 12

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (250ml) warm water
  • 1 x 7g sachet yeast
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 2 cups (300g) plain flour
  • 1 cup (150g) wholemeal flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

For the filling:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 brown onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 150g bacon, diced
  • 1 x 250g packet frozen spinach, defrosted
  • 100g feta
  • 1 cup tasty cheese, grated

Method

In a jug, whisk water, yeast and honey then set aside in a warm place for 15 minutes until frothy.

Place flours, salt, oil and water mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and mix for 10 minutes until dough is soft and elastic. You may need to add a little extra water if it is too dry.

Alternatively, mix the flours and salt in a large bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in oil and water mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until dough comes together, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes until dough is soft and elastic.

Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover in plastic wrap and place in a warm place for an hour until dough has doubled in size.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a frypan over gentle heat. Cook onion and garlic for 5 minutes until soft. Add bacon and fry for a further 2 minutes. Add spinach, combine well and cook for a few more minutes, seasoning well with salt and pepper. Finally, crumble over feta cheese and stir to combine. Remove from heat.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll out into a 30 x 40cm rectangle with the longer side in front of you. Distribute spinach mixture evenly over the entire surface. Sprinkle with half of the tasty cheese. Beginning at the front, roll over the dough and continue so that it looks like a big Swiss roll.

Preheat oven to 240°C (220°C fan-forced). Line an oven tray with baking paper.

Using a sharp knife, cut roll into 12 even pieces. Take each piece and place it on its side on the tray, gently squeezing it out into a circle shape. Make sure that they nestle up against each other on the tray. Allow to rest for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top of the scrolls. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden.

Find more bread recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • Eat within 24 hours or freeze for lunch boxes.
  • Omit the bacon for a vegetarian version.
  • Recipe by Greer Worsley, who blogs at Typically Red.

Flower fairy cakes

Flower fairy cakes

Serves:

 

Ingredients

  • 110g caster sugar
  • 110g Canola Spread
  • 2 whole egg, lightly beaten
  • 110g self-raising white flour
  • 1 tsp (s) vanilla essence, (plus 12 tiny fresh flowers)
  • 30g egg white, (1 egg white)
  • 25g caster sugar
  • 25g icing sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 190C. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases.

Combine sugar, spread, eggs, flour, a pinch of salt and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Beat with electric beaters for 1 minute, or until thick and well combined. Spoon into prepared muffin tray.

Bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until risen and firm. Remove cup cakes from tray and transfer to a cake rack to cool completely.

To make crystallized flowers, paint the flower petals with lightly beaten egg white and dip into caster sugar. Leave to dry.

Mix the icing sugar with a little water and food colouring of choice to make a smooth icing. Spread onto cakes. Decorate with flowers, but do not eat them.

Notes:

  • These cupcakes can look so different, depending on which food colour you choose to colour your icing. Pastels work really well, however stronger colours like red and green can also look pretty spectacular.

Related cupcake recipes:

Serving Suggestions

Note

Biscuit necklaces

Biscuit necklaces

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 250g butter, softened
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2  cups plain flour
  • Icing
  • 2 cups icing sugar
  • food colouring
  • sprinkles, cachous or smarties to decorate
  • Ribbon, cut to 40-50cm lengths

Method

Cream the butter and sugar together with a spoon in a bowl or using an electric mixer. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the flour and mix until a smooth dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line three baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

Divide dough into three pieces. Roll each piece of dough on a floured surface to 5mm thick. Use your favourite cutters to cut out hearts, stars, circles etc. Place biscuits on baking trays and use a wooden skewer or toothpick to make a 5mm diameter hole in each biscuit. Cook for 10-15 minutes until golden. Cool biscuits on trays.

To prepare icing, mix icing sugar with enough water to make a spreadable paste and mix in your chosen colour. Or divide icing into bowls and use 2-3 different colours. Decorate with sprinkles, cachous or smarties. Leave for 30 minutes until the icing is set. Thread ribbon through the hole in the biscuit and tie off to make a necklace. Will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Notes:

  • My kids loved every bit of making these biscuits! Wonderful to see their imaginations at work for some very serious decorating.
  • If it is a hot day, only work with one piece of dough at a time and keep the rest in the fridge until you are ready to roll! Warm dough loses its shape and is hard to manoeuvre.
  • Dont panic if the holes close over during baking wait until the biscuits are cold and then use a toothpick to remake the hole.
  • For a kids party, make the biscuits in advance and then make decorating the biscuits one of the party activities. A sure hit.

Serving Suggestions

Note

Big kingstons

Big kingstons

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rice bubbles
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 1 cup coconut
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 125g unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons golden syrup
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 tablespoons boiling water

Filling

  • 100g good quality dark chocolate
  •  half cup (125mL) pouring cream

Method

Preheat oven to 150C. Line 3 trays with baking paper.

Place rice bubbles in a large bowl and squish a bit with the back of a spoon. Add flour, coconut and sugar to the bowl. Melt butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan (dont burn!), then add bicarb and water. Fizz! Stir butter-foam into dry ingredients and mix well. Roll two teaspoonfuls into small balls and place on trays. Leave about 4cm between them. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly before lifting off with a spatula to cool on wire racks.

Make filling by combining chocolate and cream in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Transfer to a container and cool in fridge.

To assemble biscuits, spread chocolate filling on the base of one biscuit and top with another biscuit. Yum.

Notes:

  • The biscuit mixture spreads quite a bit when cooking to make large biscuits. To make smaller (more Kingston like) biscuits, use just one teaspoonful of mixture.
  • The unfilled biscuits keep well in an air tight container and the chocolate filling in the fridge, so I assemble a few at a time as needed. Then the biscuits dont get soggy.
  • The chocolate filling can also be used to ice cupcakes or larger cakes.
  • This is a gluten-free adaptation of an Anzac biscuit recipe. If you are not a gluten-free home, use rolled oats instead of the rice bubbles.
  • Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.

Serving Suggestions

Note

Double choc chip muffins

Double choc chip muffins

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup oil (125ml)
  • 1 cup milk (240ml)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 3/4 cups plain flour (240g)
  • 1/2 cup sugar (85g)
  • 1/4 cup cocoa (35g)
  • 1 tbs baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (85g)

Method

Preheat oven to 200 C and prepare muffin pan by greasing or fill with paper liners.

A nonstick pan requires no greasing, although I like to just grease the bottoms.

In large bowl mix well the eggs, oil, milk and vanilla.

In smaller bowl mix well the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips.

Combine wet and dry mixtures and fold together gently until just mixed.

Spoon into prepared pan.

Bake at 200C for 20 minutes.

Remove from pan and cool on rack.

Nice sprinkled with extra chocolate chips on top of each muffin before baking.

Serving Suggestions

Note

Bread and butter pudding

Bread and butter pudding

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1 small French bread stick, cut into 8 slices
  • 30 grams butter
  • 1/2 sultanas
  • 3/4 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Method

Spread one side bread slices with butter, place buttered side up in shallow ovenproof dish, sprinkle with sultanas.

Combine remaining ingredients, whisk well.

Pour custard over bread.

Bake in 180C oven 40-45 minutes until set.

If desired, dust with sifted icing sugar before serving.

 

Serving Suggestions

Note

Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups plain flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 tbsp pillar box red liquid food colouring
  • 2 tsp white vinegar

Cream cheese frosting

  • 100g butter, softened
  • 250g cream cheese frosting, room temperature
  • 1 cup pure icing sugar, sifted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C or 160° fan-forced. Line 2 muffin trays with 18 muffin sized patty pans.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate soda and baking powder. Stir in the caster sugar and mix to combine.

In a jug, whisk together buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs and vinegar with the food colouring.

Pour into the flour mix and fold together until all ingredients are combined well.

Place ¼ of a cup of the mixture in each patty pan and bake for 18-22 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack while making the frosting.

Using a mixer, whip the butter until it is pale and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and sift a little of the icing sugar in at a time until all of it is combined.

Add the vanilla extract and mix well. Beat on high for 3-4 minutes until the frosting is fluffy and pale in colour.

Place in a piping bag and swirl onto cooled red velvet cupcakes.

Notes:

  • Make sure you store any of these uneaten cupcakes in the fridge.
  • If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, before you start baking, you can add an additional 2 tsp of white vinegar to regular milk and by the time you need to use it, it will have become buttermilk. Please note that this in addition to the 2 teaspoons already included in the recipe.
  • There is no need to use a mixer for this cake batter. You need to pour these into the patty pans as soon as they are mixed and get them into the oven. There is a chemical reaction that happens between the vinegar and the bicarbonate soda that begins as soon as they are mixed together. This makes the cupcakes light and fluffy.
  • You can substitute the red food colouring for blue if you want to make blue velvet cupcakes.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

Serving Suggestions

Note

Candy cane cupcakes

Candy cane cupcakes

Serves:

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (125g) butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup (175g) caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups (300g) self-raising flour
  • 1 cup (250ml) milk

Cream cheese icing

  • 250g Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup (115g) caster sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 4 tbsp double cream
  • 12 mini candy canes

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line a cupcake tray with patty pan cases and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, vanilla and sugar together. Then add eggs one at a time, beating well.

Add half of the flour and milk and beat until well combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk.

Divide equally among the patty pan cases and bake for 12-15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

To make the icing

In a mixing bowl add the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Mix with an electric mixer until light and fluffy and the sugar has thoroughly dissolved. Add in the cream and mix until just combined.

Place into a piping bag and pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Top the icing with mini candy canes.

Find related sweet Christmas recipes

Serving Suggestions

Note

  • If you want to make this recipe even more special, crush up a few candy canes and add them to the cupcake mixture before baking.
  • If you don’t like cream cheese icing then you can replace it with a buttercream icing mixture.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.

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