Warm quince and hazelnut salad
Ingredients
- 750mlåÊapple juice
- 1 star anise
- 2 cloves
- 1 quince, peeled and quartered
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts
- 1 large handfulåÊkale, roughly torn
- 1/4 red cabbage, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 50g shaved parmesan or pecorino cheese
Method
Pour the apple juice into a small saucepan, add the star anise, cloves and quince and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for about half an hour or until the quince is nice and soft. Remove the quince from the saucepan with a slotted spoon and set aside. åÊReserve the cooking liquid for the dressing.
Meanwhile place the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan and cook until just fragrant. Remove and tip into a clean tea towel. Rub so you remove most of the skins and set the nuts aside too.
Place the kale and cabbage on a serving platter and then make the dressing.
Measure out 1 cup of the apple juice mixture used for poaching the quinces. Bring this to a rolling boil, add the sugar and vinegar and cook until reduced to a syrupy consistency.
Let cool and then whisk in the olive oil. Add the quinces and hazelnuts to the platter and gently toss.
Dress the salad with cooled dressing and then sprinkle with cheese.
Note
- If you canÛªt find (or donÛªt love) quinces, swap for roasted beetroot or thinly sliced fresh pear or figs. If you are a fan of quinces though, jump over toåÊLocal is LovelyåÊfor three more quince recipes (these ones are all sweet).
- This dressing is delicious on pretty much anything and would also be great over a warm salad of roast pumpkin, grilled and thinly sliced venison or lamb or pork tenderloin with a few handfuls of rocket, some goatÛªs cheese and toasted almonds.
- This recipe was created by Sophie Hansen for Kidspot, New Zealand’s beståÊrecipe finder. You can follow Sophie onåÊåÊLocal is Lovely,åÊFacebook,åÊTwitteråÊoråÊPinterest.
Tandoori chicken wraps
Serves:
Ingredients
- ¼ cup tandoori paste
- 1 cup (250mL) natural yoghurt
- 500g chicken breast fillets
- 4 wraps (round flat breads)
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced
- 4 handfuls lettuce
Method
Slice chicken fillets into 2cm widths about 10cm long. Marinate chicken in combined tandoori paste and ½ cup of the yoghurt for an hour. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place chicken pieces on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
On each pieces of bread, place 1-2 pieces of chicken, top with some of the remaining yoghurt, cucumber and lettuce. Roll up as tightly as possible and slice in half to serve.
Notes:
- If you are making these for a party, cook the chicken in advance and keep in the refrigerator until needed. Just before serving, prepare wraps and slice into 5cm lengths.
- For my children, I marinate the chicken in yoghurt only and shave the cucumber (so it is barely recognisable as a vegetable).
Serving Suggestions
Note
Slow cooker chocolate fudge
Serves:
Ingredients
- 2 x blocks (375g) cooking milk chocolate, broken into pieces
- 1 tin (395g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 pkt (160g) M&M's Mini
Method
Step 1. Gather all ingredients together.
Step 2. Place chocolate, condensed milk and butter into slow cooker on high with the lid off. Stir with a metal or silicon spoon every 15 minutes until melted and turn setting down to low and continue to stir every 15 mins for the remaining time (up to 2 hours).
Step 3. Pour into a lined 20cm x 20 cm square cake tin and smooth over the top.
Step 4. Sprinkle with M&M's Mini and place into the fridge to cool for 1 hour. Cut into squares and serve.
Find related fudge recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- This fudge is quite firm and would be softer if you use about a quarter less chocolate.
- Moisture is the enemy of chocolate and will cause it to seize and become lumpy. Make sure you DO NOT use a wooden spoon and DO NOT put the lid on the slow cooker for this recipe.
- You could make this into white chocolate fudge by replacing the milk chocolate with white chocolate.
- If you don't have a slow cooker you could always try Fudge in a bag with the kids for a fun activity.
- Caramel fudge is a deliciously creamy alternative to chocolate fudge.
- Easy chocolate fudge can be wrapped up into tiny bite-sized pieces and given as a gift.
- 2 ingredient chocolate fudge is our most popular fudge and so easy the kids can make it.
- This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand's best recipe finder.
Snickers rocky road
Serves:
Ingredients
- 4 x 60g snickers bars, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup rice bubbles
- 150g chopped marshmallows [or use the small ones whole]
- 1 cup roasted peanuts
- 2tsp oil
- 400g cooking chocolate
Method
Melt chocolate with the oil
Mix other ingredients into melted chocolate
Pour into lamington tray and set in fridge
Cut into fingers and enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
Note
Easy five cup loaf
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1 cup self-raising flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup dessicated coconut
- 1 cup sultanas
- 1 cup milk
Method
Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Line a loaf tin with baking paper and set aside.
Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Pour into lined tin.
Bake for 40-45 mins until cake springs back when lightly touched in the centre.
Find related cake recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- This is a favourite for lunch box treats at my place.
- Make sure you don’t let it stand before it goes into the oven or all the sultanas will sink to the bottom.
- This is a recipe that you can whip up from pantry ingredients. Keep this recipe in your bag of tricks for when the budget is running low.
- This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Kid friendly san choy bow
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1 tbs peanut oil
- 2 garlic clove (crushed)
- 2 cm ginger (grated)
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1/2 red capsicum (chopped)
- 500 g pork mince
- 1 carrot (coarsely grated)
- 2 cup Chinese cabbage (finely sliced)
- 2 tbs light reduced-salt soy sauce
- 2 tbs sesame oil
- 1 cup unsalted peanuts (roasted)
- 1 iceberg lettuce
Method
Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat and add garlic, ginger, onion and capsicum. Cook for 2-3 minutes whilst stirring until softened. Add pork, stirring to break up any clumps, until brown and cooked. Drain off any liquid.
Reduce heat, add carrot and cabbage and cook for 5 minutes. Cover with a lid and leave on low for a further 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, sesame oil and peanuts. Allow mixture to cool a little.
Rinse and trim the base from the lettuce. Discard older outer leaves. Separate whole leaves from the lettuce head and trim with scissors to form cups.
Put pork mixture in middle of table and let everyone help themselves to fill their lettuce leaf cups.
Find more recipes for your kids will love:
Serving Suggestions
Note
- This recipe can be spiced up for adults if need be but kept plain for the kids. I like to grate the onion and carrot or chop it finely so it ‘disappears’ in the final dish. And even though there looks to be a lot of cabbage, you’ll be surprised how it condenses down to nothing.
- You can change the pork mince for chicken mince, if you prefer.
- Stir in 1 cup cooked thin noodles at the end if you prefer a dish with more carbs. This works well if you have enough for leftovers the next day. Or serve the san choy bow with a bowl of steamed basmati rice which has a lower GI.
- This recipe was created by Catherine Saxelby for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Arrowroot faces
Serves:
Ingredients
- packet of Arrowroot biscuits
- icing sugar
- colouring
- lollies of any kind
Method
Make up the icing sugar as per the instructions. Seperate into little dishes and add a different colouring into each dish for different coloured icing.
With either a butter knife or the back of a spoon, spread icing over the flat side of the biscuit and then decorate with whatever lollies the kids desire – you can make great faces with jelly beans!
Once the icing sugar has been made, this is so easy for young kids to make on their own and they love creating as many designs or characters as they can.
Serving Suggestions
Note
White anchovy fennel and pine nut salad
Ingredients
- 3 fennel bulbs, trimmed (feathery tops reserved)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
- juice of one lemon
- 150g white anchovies
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Method
Slice the fennel as thin as possible. Place these in a large bowl and gently toss with the olive oil and lemon juice. Arrange on your serving plate or platter and top with the anchovies and pine nuts. Scatter over the reserved fennel tops and serve.
Note
- White anchovies can be found at most delis or specialist food stores. You can swap them for regular anchovies but they’ll lose their lighter, more delicate flavour if you do – so use less!
- This is just beautiful, tangy, full of crunch and perfect with a sliced, fresh baguette and maybe one or two other little plates.
- I use a mandolin ÛÒ they are so fantastic for cutting thin, delicate vegetables and start at about $16 at kitchen stores.
- This recipe was created by Sophie Hansen for Kidspot, AustraliaÛªs beståÊrecipe finder. åÊYou can follow Sophie onåÊLocal is Lovely,åÊFacebook,åÊTwitteråÊoråÊPinterest.
Chilli chocolate mousse
Serves:
Ingredients
- 500ml low fat custard
- 400g Vanilla Hazelnut yoghurt
- 1/2 teaspoon optional chilli powder
- 1 cup Chocolate drinking Powder
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 3 teaspoons powdered gelatine
- 2 egg whites
- 200g optional mixed fresh berries
- 50g Milk Chocolate, grated
Method
Whisk custard, yogurt, chilli, drinking chocolate and icing sugar in a bowl until combined.
Combine gelatine and 3 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until gelatine dissolves and liquid is clear.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Beat eggwhites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form.
Fold eggwhites and gelatine mixture through chocolate mixture.
Divide between 6 serving glasses and refrigerate until set.
Serve topped with berries, if desired, and chocolate.
Serving Suggestions
Note
Brown sugar porridge
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1 tsp roughly chopped walnuts (about 1-2 walnut halves)
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup low fat milk
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup pie apples
- 1 ½ tsp brown sugar
Method
Place walnuts into a small frypan and cook over a low heat until brown and fragrant. (Keep an eye on them as nuts burn very quickly. If you think you’ll eat this more often, toast a batch of nuts and keep them in an airtight container).
Place oats, milk, ½ cup water and vanilla extract into a small saucepan and cook over a medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes. Add more water if porridge gets too dry. I like my porridge creamy and loose and so I use a little more water.
While porridge is cooking, heat apples and keep warm. Once porridge is cooked, pour into a bowl and top with apples, brown sugar and toasted nuts.
Serving Suggestions
Note
- Make sure you use traditional oats and not quick oats for this recipe.
- You can replace the apples with any tinned fruit of your choice
- This recipe was created by Jay Rogers for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Find more breakfast recipes
Pineapple, Bacon and Spinach salad
Serves:
Serves 4
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 1tsp olive oil
- 4 bacon rashers, cut into large pieces
- 120 g packet baby spinach
- ½ Dole Tropical Gold pineapple, cut into wedges
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 2 tbsp pinenuts, toasted
Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 ttsp honey
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- salt and pepper
Method
To prepare the dressing, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Cook the bacon over high heat until brown and crisp.
Place the baby spinach, pineapple, red onion, bacon, and pinenuts in a salad bowl.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad, toss gently, and serve immediately.
Find more Delicious Dole Tropical Gold Pineapple recipes:
Serving Suggestions
Note
- This recipe was bought to you by Dole.
Roast pork loin with Tropical Gold Pineapple & Pecan stuffing
Serves:
Serves 4
Ingredients
- ¼ Dole Tropical Gold pineapple, finely chopped
- 1 spring onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- ½ cup pecan nuts
- salt and pepper
- 1.5 kg boned pork loin, unrolled
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- extra salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C.
To prepare the stuffing, combine the pineapple, spring onion, parsley, pecan nuts, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Spread the pineapple stuffing down the middle of the loin of pork, cutting a larger pocket if necessary to accommodate all the stuffing.
Roll up the pork and secure by tying firmly with string at 5 cm intervals.
Brush the pork rind with the olive oil and sprinkle with extra salt.
Place on a rack in a roasting pan.
Roast for 15 to 20 minutes then reduce the heat to 180°C and cook for a further 45 to 60 minutes or until the pork is cooked.
Serve with Caramelised Roast Kumara and Tropical Gold Pineapple and steamed green vegetables.
Find more Delicious Dole Tropical Gold Pineapple recipes:
Serving Suggestions
Note
- This recipe was bought to you by Dole.
Maple pecan honeycomb
Serves:
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pecans (chopped)
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 4 tbs golden syrup
- 1 tsp maple extract
- 2 tsp baking soda
Method
Grease and line a 20cm square baking pan (at least 3cm deep). Scatter half the pecans into the bottom of the pan. Place the sugar and golden syrup into a large saucepan (the mixture will expand a lot, so use a bigger pan than you think). Place over a medium heat and cook, without stirring, until the sugar is melted.
Insert a candy thermometer into the mixture, and cook without stirring until the mixture reaches 150°C.
Now, working carefully, remove the pan from the heat, quickly add in the maple extract and baking soda (carefully) and stir well until it is completely incorporated. The mixture will foam up A LOT.
Quickly scrape the mixture into the pan, and spread gently into the corners. Scatter over the remaining pecans and then set aside in a cool place (not the fridge) to set for at least 15-20 minutes. Break apart to serve.
Find related sweet Christmas recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- If desired, omit the maple essence and nuts for plain honeycomb
- A candy thermometer is essential for achieving the right texture with this recipe
- Due to the very high temperatures, this recipe is not suitable for making with children.
Family movie night is a great way to get the whole family together and relax at the end of the working week. Find a great movie, gather your loved ones but wait a minute, where are the snacks? You’re going to need supplies my friend and sometimes a bowl of popcorn just won’t cut it!
Super hungry?
If the family’s really hungry you will need something substantial. Nachos with gooey melted cheese is a popular choice. Toasted sandwiches will be a winner and soup with bread is a great winter warmer. Or why not try to make a stir fry and serve it in noodle boxes with disposable chopsticks and don’t forget the home made pizza. The tummy fillers will leave them happy and satisfied.
Sweet savers
The candy bar at your house can be just like the one at the cinema. Make your own choc tops ahead of time by scooping ice cream into sugar cones and dipping in homemade ice magic. Package some honey popcorn in little paper bags and pop them in a basket ready for interval. Get the fixings ready for hot chocolate and throw in some big marshmallows. You can pack disposable cups with mixed lollies (don’t forget the Jaffas) and buy some cans of drink and a packet of straws so the cleanup is easy on you.
Savoury snacks
Some people just don’t have that sweet tooth and they love a savoury or spicy snack for the movies. Make your own crunchy potato chips at home and give them a generous shake of sea salt and balsamic vinegar. Grab a bag of mixed nuts, sprinkle them with Cajun seasoning and roast them in the oven for 10 minutes. A nice cheese plate will serve the more discerning palate and it’s a great match with a glass of wine for Mum and Dad (hello it is Friday night isn’t it?)
Healthy eats
If the order of the day is healthy snacks, you can make special berry smoothies, have air popped popcorn, fruit kebabs and pack a tasty low-fat chicken salad into noodle boxes too. A cute little plate of vegies and individual dipping cups will have the kids sitting still for a while.
Movie night is a great time for your family to relax. With a little planning you can have them looking forward to this special night every week. Family, food and friends all equals fun!
Tip
Movie snacks are all about relaxing. Shared platters tend to have people bobbing up and down all the way through the movie, so opt for single serves instead. Movie night is a great night to get the disposable plates and cutlery out so Mum can just scoop it all up into a garbage bag and the washing up is done.
Peach pineapple and coconut popsicles
Serves:
6-12 popsicles
Ingredients
- 1 cup peach slices in fruit juice
- 1 cup pineapple pieces in juice
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
You will also need:
- popsicle moulds (we used Zoku Fish pops)
Method
Step 1. Gather all ingredients and popsicle moulds.
Step 2. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
Step 3. Pour mixture into popsicle moulds and place in popsicle sticks.
Step 4. Freeze for 4-6 hours or overnight.
Serving Suggestions
Note
- Of course you could use fresh fruit in this recipe but you may have to add a little extra fruit juice to have a pour-able consistency.
- If you are worried about the coconut cream being too rich you can use coconut milk or even coconut water in its place but the flavours will be less concentrated.
- We used the Breville Boss blender on smoothie setting to whizz these up but you could also use stick blender or food processor.
- You can buy Zoku fish pops at all good kitchen stores or online.
- These Nutella popsicles are our most popular popsicle. They taste a little like a Paddle Pop with a hint of hazelnuts.
- These Tropical fruit popsicles are a taste of the tropics too. Make them up and hand them out on a hot day.
- You can make these Yoghurt popsicles to get an extra serve of dairy into your little one's diet.
- These Creamy orange popsicles are great for an after-school snack.
- This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot, New Zealand's best recipe finder.
Waldorf salad
Serves:
4
Ingredients
- 2 red skin apples, cored and diced
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 orange, peeled and segmented
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts
- 4 iceberg lettuce cups (optional)
Method
Combine the apples, celery, orange segments, mayonnaise and walnuts in a large bowl. Stir to coat all the ingredients in the mayonnaise. Squeeze in some orange juice if you need more dressing.
Spoon into the lettuce cups to serve.
Notes:
- This salad is easy and quick to prepare (just don’t ask Basil Fawlty for one) and you will usually have most of the ingredients lurking about in the cupboard or fridge. A very tasty healthy addition to a BBQ chicken night.
- I often use plain low fat yoghurt instead of mayonnaise.
- Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.
Tomato, risoni and pesto soup
Serves:
Ingredients
- 20g butter
- 2 leeks, finely chopped
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup risoni pasta
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
Method
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the leeks and gently cook for about 5 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes and thin out with about 1/2 cup boiling water. Cook for about 10 minutes over low heat.
Meanwhile cook the pasta according to packet instructions and then drain.
Puree the soup until smooth. Pour into bowls, top with a couple of tablespoons of the pasta per bowl and pesto to taste.
Find related soup recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
- You can puree the soup in a blender, food processor or with a stick blender (my preference is the latter as there’s less washing up).
- If the pesto isn’t enough of a flavour boost then you can add some stock to this soup in place of the boiling water.
- This recipe was created by Sophie Hansen for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
Grilled chicken with pesto
Serves:
Ingredients
- 2 free-range chicken breast fillets
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 teaspoons good quality pesto
Method
Trim fillets and slice through lengthways. Brush the top of each with some olive oil.
Preheat chargrill pan (or grill) to high heat. Cook chicken oiled sided down in a single layer for 5 minutes or until the chicken lifts easily away from the pan. My chargrill pan is smallish, so I cook in two batches. Turn chicken and cook for a further 3-4 minutes or until cooked through.
Let chicken rest for a few minutes.
Serve each chicken breast topped with a teaspoon of pesto and a serve of greens or a salad.
Notes:
- I served this deliciously simple dish with rice pilaf (my daughter fancied some rice!); substitute the parsley with basil to tie in with the pesto.
- Good quality chicken and pesto are paramount in this dish, clearly, because there is nothing else to disguise bad ingredients!
- Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.
Serving Suggestions
Note
Baby lamb balti pies
Serves:
Ingredients
- 6 medium starchy potatoes
- 400g diced pumpkin
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tblsp oil
- 800g diced lamb
- 3 tblsp balti curry paste
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 420g tin diced tomatoes
- 420g tin chickpeas, drained
- 300ml water
Method
Peel and dice potatoes and pumpkin. Steam or boil until soft.
Drain the soft potato and pumpkin, add milk and make a stiff mash using a potato masher or fork. Then set the mash aside.
Preheat oven to 190 C
Heat oil in deep frypan or large saucepan. Add curry paste and let simmer for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Add your lamb to the pan, stir through to cover all with curry paste. Put a lid on your pan for approximately 3-4 minutes to allow the spices to develop and penetrate the lamb.
When lamb is browned, add onion and stir until onions soften – this should take only a few minutes.
Next add to the pan the diced tomato, water and chickpeas. Cover with lid again and allow to simmer on a low heat for another 20 minutes.
Spoon the lamb mixture into your ramekins leaving about 2cm space at the top. Spoon the potato and pumpkin mash over the top of the lamb mixture and smooth out to make an even surface with either the back of your spoon or a knife.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until crispy on top.
Notes:
- If you don’t have ramekin dishes, you could put the whole mix into one large casserole dish, you will need to increase the cooking time by 5 minutes.
- Add peas and carrot to the lamb as an option if you like, or would like the kids to eat more vegetables!
- You can pre-make in advance and freeze if you like. If you are heating from cold, increase heating times by 10-15 minutes depending how large a dish you are using.
- You can make your own balti paste from scratch if you wish.
- Serve with samosas as an accompaniment if you wish.
- This recipe was created by Melissa Klemke for Kidspot, New Zealand
Serving Suggestions
Note
Massaman curry
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 750g chuck steak or gravy beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3-4 tablespoons Massaman curry paste
- 500g sweet potato
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- ½ teaspoon coconut essence
- Dry roasted peanuts and coriander
Method
Trim fat and sinew from beef (it is always at this point that I consider a vegetarian diet) and cut into 2cm cubes.
In a large frypan, heat oil and then add half the beef and brown well on all sides.
Transfer browned beef to a plate and brown the remaining meat.
Return all meat to frypan and add the onion and curry paste, stir to coat meat and onions in paste.
Cook for two minutes.
Peel the sweet potato and chop into 2cm cubes, add to the frypan and stir well.
Add half a cup of water, bring to the boil, cover and turn the heat to low.
The sauce should be just simmering.
Cook for at least 1 hour until meat is falling-apart tender and the potato is soft.
Just before serving, combine the milk and coconut essence in a jug and pour into the curry. Stir well.
Serve curry with steamed rice, garnished with peanuts and coriander.
Notes:
- The evaporated milk and coconut essence is a great low-fat alternative to coconut milk or cream.
- If the sauce is runnier than you prefer, combine one tablespoon of cornflour (gluten-free) with two tablespoons of cold water and stir into sauce over heat until it thickens.
- Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.
Serving Suggestions
Note
Lamb and noodle salad
Serves:
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup CARNATION Light & Creamy Evaporated Milk
- 1 teaspoon coconut essence
- 2 tablespoons reduced-fat peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
- olive or canola oil spray
- 300g lamb fillets, trimmed
- 900g fresh thin hokkien noodles
- 150g green beans, cut diagonally
- 1 small red onion, cut into wedges
- 3 stalks celery, cut diagonally
- 400g canned baby corn, drained, spears halved lengthways
Method
Place all the dressing ingredients in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until combined. Set aside.
Spray a non-stick frying pan with oil and heat.
Add lamb and cook for 5 minutes on each side.
Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil, set aside for 5 minutes, then cut into thin slices.
Meanwhile, place noodles in a large heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water.
Gently separate the strands using a fork and stand for 5 minutes.
Drain well.
Place beans in a small heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water, stand for 3 minutes.
Drain, rinse under cold water and drain well.
Arrange noodles, vegetables and lamb on serving plates, and drizzle with dressing.
Garnish with flat parsley leaves, if desired.
Serving Suggestions
Note
Easy profiteroles
Serves:
Ingredients
- 12 bought profiteroles
- 1 carton double cream
- 1 bottle chocolate sauce
Method
Slice the profiteroles in half, fill the base with about a teaspoon of cream and then put the top on. Spread some cold chocolate sauce over the top. Amazing dessert in less than 5 minutes!
Profiterole dough recipe
Notes:
- If you store the sauce in the fridge and spread straight on the profiteroles it wont run everywhere. Alternatively, use some Nutella or melt some dark chocolate.
- Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot. .
Serving Suggestions
Note
Chicken san choy bau
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 500g chicken mince
- 4 spring onions, finely sliced
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- ½ cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 iceberg lettuce
Method
Prepare the lettuce by cutting out the stem and pulling off leaves. The outer ones are too big and soft, keep for a salad; use the lettuce cups closer to the heart of the lettuce. Wash gently and use a lettuce spinner to dry. You will need 2-3 cups per person.
Heat peanut oil in a hot frying pan and brown the chicken mince. Add fish sauce, soy sauce and lemon juice, cook for one minute.
Remove from heat and stir through bean sprouts and coriander leaves.
Spoon chicken mixture into lettuce cups and serve immediately.
Alternatively, if you don’t mind spillage, serve the chicken mixture in a large bowl on the centre of the table and let everyone fill their own lettuce cups.
Notes:
- Finely chopped water chestnuts also add a nice crunch to this dish.
- Fish sauce is, well, smelly like fish, but adds the lovely flavour to san choy bau and other Thai dressings. Wrinkle your nose and persist!
Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.
Find more:
Serving Suggestions
Note
Mango coconut cake
Serves:
Serves 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups (335g) caster sugar
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 mangoes, flesh finely chopped, plus extra to serve
- 2 cups (170g) desiccated coconut
- 2 1/2 cups (375g) self-raising flour
For icing:
- 1 cup (150g) icing sugar, sifted
- 20g butter, melted
- 1/4 cup mango puree
Method
Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan-forced). Grease and line a 24cm springform cake tin.
Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add mango flesh, coconut and flour and beat until just combined.
Pour into lined cake tin and smooth down surface. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool on a cake rack.
Meanwhile, to make icing, combine ingredients until smooth. Spread over cooled cake and top with mango slices.
Find more delicious cake recipes:
Serving Suggestions
Note
- For an even sweeter treat, cut cake in half and fill with whipped vanilla-spiked cream.
- Use an equivalent amount of tinned mango (800g) or mango puree if fresh mangoes aren't available.
- This recipe was created for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder by Greer Worsley, who blogs at Typically Red.
Gluten-free apple and blueberry crumble
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1 x 800g tin pie apples
- 500g frozen blueberries
- zest of 1 orange
- 3/4 cup buckwheat flour
- 60g cold butter, chopped
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
- 1/2 cup ground almonds
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C or 180°C fan-forced.
In a large bowl, combine apples, frozen blueberries (they’re easier to handle if still frozen) and orange zest. Mix to combine then pour into a suitably sized pie dish (approximately 25cm x 35cm).
In a food processor mix the flour, butter and brown sugar until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in the coconut and almonds then pour over the top of the fruit.
Place in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top is golden.
Notes:
- Frozen berries tend to be cheaper than fresh especially outside of their growing season. I watch for the frozen berries to come on special at the supermarket and then buy to stock up my freezer.
- If you don’t have a food processor you can just rub the cold butter through the flour and sugar until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- This recipe was created by Charlie Louie for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
More crumble recipes
Serving Suggestions
Note
Bouncing balls birthday cake
Serves:
30
Ingredients
- 4 chocolate cake packet mixes (or equivalent cake recipe of choice to fill two 28cm x 23cm rectangular cake tin)
- 2 cups desiccated coconut
- green food colouring
- black licorice strips
- 3 bags of chocolate sports balls (availableåÊat the London Lolly Shop)
- craft wire
- 28cm x 23cm rectangular cake tin
Icing
- Meadow Lea or 200g unsalted butter, softened
- å_ cup full cream milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 8 cups sifted icing sugar
Chocolate Butter
- 300g dark chocolate, chopped
- 250g unsalted butter
Method
Preheat oven according to packet mix instructions. This cake needs to be baked in two batches. Prepare two of the packet cakes according to instructions and pour into lined tin. Bake according to instructions. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Repeat with remaining two packet cakes.
Level each cake with a knife. Place one cake on cake board and spread liberally with chocolate butter. Flip the second cake upside down and place on top of the first cake so that the cakeåÕs bottom is now the nice smooth top and place on top of the first cake.
Chocolate butter
Place chocolate and butter in a microwave proof bowl. Heat at medium power for 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval. Repeat until melted.
Cool to room temperature and then it is ready to use.
Buttercream Icing
Cream butter for 1-2 minutes. Add the milk, vanilla and half of the icing sugar. Beat for approximately 3 minutes. Add the remaining icing sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. The icing is ready to use straight away.
Ice the entire cake with butter cream.
It is difficult to make the edges clean on a rectangular cake but this can be hidden with the licorice.
Decorations
Measure the height of your cake and cut the licorice to the same length as the height of your cake. The easiest way to do this is to lay your ruler on a cutting board and unroll the licorice next to it. Use a sharp knife to cut. Place the licorice on the sides of the cake leaving a space of approximately 2cm between each piece. Start at a corner.
To colour the coconut green, put the coconut into a bowl together with 4-5 drops of green food colouring. Wet your hands and shake until almost dry. Mix the coconut with your hands until the colour is evenly distributed.
Sprinkle the coconut over the top of the cake. Lightly press the coconut into the cake so that it sticks.
Cut the craft wire to various sizes and poke into the chocolate balls. The wire should be sharp enough to pierce through the chocolate. Poke each wired ball into the cake starting in the middle and working towards the outside. Bend the wire where desired.
Notes:
- If you decide not to use packet mix, ensure you use a dense cake recipe like a mud cake as this will support the weight of the chocolate without tearing the top of the cake.
- Ensure your craft wire is strong enough to hold the chocolate. I used guage 20 wire (but you could use slightly less).
- This recipe was created by Katherine Petric for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.
