Mini Enchiladas

These little morsels are a game changer: fast, delicious, versatile and a total hit with adults and kids alike! Even better - they're easy enough to get the kids into the kitchen. 

If you've been thinking about encouraging your children's life skills and growing their confidence in the kitchen then this dish is a great place to start. Equally, if you have a hoard of kids over after training or for a kids party, you can whip these up no trouble. 

It's all food you can keep in stock in the pantry too, even the chicken - either use leftovers or pick up one of these Tegel Shredded Roast Chicken packets which lasts in the fridge for a few weeks.


Ingredients: (serves 4-6 people - or 12 as a snack)

• 12 small to medium sized tortillas (20-25cm diameter is a good size) 
• 2 cups (approx 300g) cooked shredded chicken
• Or 1 can kidney beans for vegetarian
• 1 can corn kernels, rinsed and drained
• ½ onion, finely diced
• 1 400g can Wattie's Mexican Tomatoes 
• 1 x 35g packet Farrah's Taco Spice Mix
• 2 cups grated cheese

To Serve: 

• 125 ml tub sour cream
• Sweet chilli sauce 
• Green Salad

Method:

Heat the oven to 180°C. Spray a regular-sized muffin tray (not texas muffins) with cooking oil.

Heat tortillas as directed on package (usually 30 seconds in the microwave does the trick). Press 1 tortilla into each muffin cup. Bake for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together chicken (or beans), onion, corn and half of the cheese. Stir in tomato and taco seasoning. Divide the mixture into the cooked tortilla shells. Top with the remaining grated cheese.

Bake 14 - 17 minutes or until enchiladas are toasted and mixture is heated through. Top each with a spoonful of sour cream, dollop of sweet chilli sauce, and serve warm with salad on the side. 

Chocolate & Peanut Rice Bubble Crunch

There's something insanely delicious about nostalgic foods like this. We would always have these at birthday parties growing up, except mum would make the honey version (she was a health nut), which although tasty, is mighty boring compared to these!

I searched the internet high and low for a recipe for ones which were peanut butter and chocolate - only my favourite flavour combination - but surprisingly the internet failed me. All the recipes I found were either a peanut butter crunch with a chocolate topping, or made using cocoa, not actual chocolate, so instead I made my own up, and (thank goodness) it's a flavour hit! Kind of reminds me of M&M's, a cross between the crispy ones, and the peanut butter ones, good luck finding them in NZ, seems to be more of an American thing.

Best of all this recipe is so so easy. I whipped it up in 15 minutes, plus it's easy for little helpers (just be careful on the melting part). Oh, and be sure to lick the bowl!

Ingredients (Makes 1 large 30 x 20cm tray, about 25 pieces): 

• 6 cups of rice bubbles 
• 250 grams of milk chocolate 
• 250 grams of smooth peanut butter 
• 60 grams of butter
• 60 grams of icing sugar
• extra 30 grams chocolate and 1 tbsp butter for topping - optional

Line a large baking tray with cling film, so that the sides over hang. 

In a large bowl, measure out 6 cups of rice bubbles. 

Create a double boiler, in a small saucepan put a little bit of water, place a metallic bowl on top so that it seals the edge. Make sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Place this onto a low heat. In the bowl, put the chocolate, butter and peanut butter, stirring frequently until melted and smooth. 

Sift in the icing sugar and mix well to combine. 

Use a spatula to pour all of the peanuty, chocolatey goodness into the bowl with the rice bubbles. Mix well until all the rice bubbles are coated. Then pour it all into the lined baking tray. Use the back of a spoon to press it down into the tin. If you hear some of the rice bubbles crunching, that's fine. Once pressed and smoothed, fold the sides of the cling film over to cover it, and pop it in the fridge for an hour (at least) to set. 

Once set, remove from the fridge. You can add some chocolate drizzle as a topping if you like. Simply use the double boiler method to melt the extra chocolate and butter. Once melted use a spoon to drizzle this over the top of the slice. Give that about 20-30 minutes to set, before using a large knife to cut the slice into pieces. 

This is best stored in the fridge (particularly in hot weather) until required. 

Mum's "Meat Dish" Banana Cake

I call this "meat dish" banana cake because traditionally the recipe actually makes enough to bake it in a meat-dish, and usually we do. It's the perfect cake to whip up to feed a crowd and is always a pleaser with even the fussiest of eaters. I found the recipe in my mother-in-laws hand written recipe journal and this cake, along with the others in the journal have been feeding my husband and his brothers and cousins for decades. So rest assured, it has been rigorously quality assurance tested. 

If you don't fancy making one large tray cake, you could (as I did this time), bake two 22cm round cakes and either ice both, or layer them. I also had enough batter to make a dozen cupcakes, which I've popped in the freezer for another day. 

The chocolate chips were an optional extra that I tried this time, though my MIL wasn't too sure about me changing the recipe, it turned out just as luscious as always. 

You can ice it with cream cheese frosting, a chocolate buttercream, or as I did a simple lemon and/or chocolate icing sugar mixture. Mix 2 cups of sifted icing sugar with 2 tbsp melted butter, and enough liquid to form an icing of your desired consistency. For lemon icing, add lemon juice as the liquid, and for chocolate icing, sift 3-4 tbsp of cocoa powder in with the icing sugar, then add enough water or milk to form the paste. Spread onto the cooled cakes. 

Ingredients (to make one "meat dish" slab cake, or two 22cm round cakes and 12 cupcakes): 

• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 2 cups white sugar
• 7 overripe (practically black) bananas, lightly mashed
• 1 cup or 175 grams of chocolate chips (optional) 
• 3 cups of plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda 
• 225 grams melted butter

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and grease or line your cake tins. I always grease the sides and line the bottom with greaseproof paper, this means you'll never have any trouble removing the cake from the pan. 

Using an electric mixer (I used a kenwood cake mixer, but a hand mixer would work), beat the eggs and sugar until light light and fluffy, almost foamy - this is the most important bit for a good cake. Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking soda and baking powder into another bowl. 

Add the bananas to the egg mix and beat well to combine, then add the chocolate chips, beat again. 

Pour the sifted dry ingredients on top and either on a low speed with your cake mixer, or with a wooden spoon fold the dry and wet ingredients until just combined (about 6 turns of your cake mixer), some flour may still be visible. Finally add the melted butter and mix again till everything is combined. 

Pour the batter into your prepared cake tins and put into a hot oven. 

Bake times vary depending on the size of your tin: for a large slab cake bake about 45 minutes, round cakes approximately 35 minutes, and cupcakes approximately 20 - 25 minutes. Just keep an eye on them and test with a skewer. When the skewer comes out clean the cakes are done, also, your nose will let you know when they are nearly done as the smell coming from the oven will be amazing. 

My assortment of cakes and mini-cakes...  

... which never last very long

Book Review: Superfoods for Kids by Rena Patten

Kids eating quinoa, chia seeds and refined sugar free treats, yeah right, you might be thinking... and was my initial reaction, but on flipping through this beautifully photographed cookbook I was (salivating) and thinking, yes, kids would eat this. 
The author, Rena Patten, defines superfoods as any food that is naturally grown and fresh - food that has not had preservatives or artificial enhancers added. Kind of makes sense doesn't it? To feed our kids 'superfood', a.k.a. real food. Rena has done just that over the years, these recipes have been tried and tested by both her children and grandchildren, meaning this collection of recipes is "Child approved". 

At Miss 5's birthday party over the weekend, there were several friends who were dairy, gluten or who had refined sugar free requirements. If your child doesn't have dietary requirements, but the thought of preparing food for others who do terrifies you, this book makes it easy... and delicious. Plus most of the recipes are simple and entertaining enough to encourage kids in the kitchen. Personally I started cooking at the age of eight. It was mainly to get out of the household chores that my siblings were enduring, instead I was making them all lunch. What my chore escapism did, was provide me with essential skills and a passion for making delicious and nutritious food, which if you ask me, is one of the best skills you can give a child. 

Chapters in this book include all the usuals: Breakfast, School Lunches, Dinners, Special Treats and even Superfood for Babies. As for the recipes there is a variety of what you'd call 'normal' family friendly meals, which have all been jazzed up in some way or another to make them healthier or gluten free. 

The Spaghetti Bolognaise (recipe below) for example, is similar to my own recipe, loaded with heaps of veggies snuck into the sauce: kale, zucchini and carrot, in addition to the usual onion, garlic and tomato. Meanwhile the Baked Chicken Nuggets (let's be honest, who doesn't enjoy a cheeky chicken nugget from time to time) are instead coated with quinoa flakes, sesame seeds and paprika seasoning. It recommends serving them with homemade tomato dipping sauce, sweetened with maple syrup, instead of sugar. 

The School Lunches and Sweet Treats chapters were however my favourites. Imagine lunch boxes filled with Turkey and Quinoa "Lollipops" a.k.a. meatballs on iceblock sticks; Savoury Kale and Feta Muffins, Rice Paper Rolls and Apricot Cashew and Coconut Power Balls. While the Sweet Treats range from Creamy Coconut and Mango Pudding, Sticky Date Pudding, Maple Syrup, Coconut, Quinoa Cookies and Blueberry Almond Friands. 

Spaghetti Bolognaise (serves 6): 

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 750 (24 oz) lean minced beef 
• 4 - 6 large stalks Cavolo Nero kale (or silverbeet would work well) 
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano 
• 1 large courgette (zucchini), coarsely grated
• 1 large carrot peeled and coarsely grated
• 750 ml (24 fl oz) tomato passata sauce (tomato puree is a good alternative) 
• 625 ml (20 fl oz) hot water
• pinch of salt 
• 180 g (6 oz) spaghetti 
• Parmesan cheese, grated (optional) 

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute onion on medium-high heat until golden. 
2. Add the minced beef and continue cooking on medium-high heat until browned all over. Break up any lumps as you go. 
3. In the meantime, thoroughly wash the kale. Remove the thick stalk, chop the leaves very finely and set aside. 
4. Once the meat has browned, stir in the garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and oregano and cook 1 - 2 minutes. 
5. Stir in the courgette, carrot and kale, mix well then pour in the passata and the water and season with a little salt if you wish. 
6. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat. Simmer on a low heat covered for about 45 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened. 
7. In the meantime, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the spaghetti and stir occasionally to stop the strands sticking together. Cook the pasta following packet directions until al dente. 
8. Divide spaghetti into bowls and spoon over bolognaise sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan if using. 

Rena says: This is a family favourite. I usually make double or triple the quantity and freeze it in small amounts ready for the unexpected visit of my little people who never seem to tire of eating spaghetti with this sauce. My daughters used to give this to their babies from about 10 months old. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for about 4 - 5 days. 

Blueberry and Chia Sorbet Icy Poles (makes 10 - 12):

• 500 grams (16 oz) fresh or frozen blueberries
• 75 grams coconut sugar
• 500 ml coconut water
• juice of 1 lemon 
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds

Method 

1. Place blueberries, sugar and water into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for about 5 - 7 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Cool completely. 
2. Place the blueberries and their syrup into a blender or food processor with the lemon juice and puree until smooth. If you like your sorbet to have some texture, pulse or blend for a short time only. 
3. Stir in the chia seeds and leave to stand for about 10 minutes stirring the mixture with a fork 2 - 3 times during that time. 
4. Pour into individual icy pole moulds with wooden sticks and freeze until set, or if you would like a sorbet, transfer the mixture to an ice-cream maker and prepare as per the manufacturer's instructions. 

Rena says: Depending on how tart the blueberries are, you may need to adjust the amount of sweetener used. Blueberries contain a very high amount of antioxidants. They can be substituted for cherries or mixed berries if you prefer.