children’s favourites
WITH AWARENESS at an all-time high, more and more children are being diagnosed with coeliac disease. It can be difficult at the best of times to get kids to eat well, and if they’re fussy eaters, it can be a downright nightmare. It’s easy to fall into set food options for convenience and ease, but with children, especially if they have a food intolerance, it’s important that they are introduced to a varied diet, good eating habits and food that is tasty and delicious. The following recipes are children’s favourites. The children themselves can get involved in the preparation, which in turn will interest them more in eating well.
cheese croquettes
When it comes to children’s parties, these croquettes are a safe and popular choice, plus the children themselves love to get their hands messy making them. Mozzarella works best in the centre as it has a better melting quality, but Cheddar is good too. If the kids’ taste buds are up to it, you could also add some chilli flakes to the breadcrumb coating.
SERVES 4
500g potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
75g mozzarella or Cheddar cheese, cut into 4cm x 1cm pieces
50g gluten-free plain white flour blend
3 eggs, beaten
100g gluten-free breadcrumbs
2 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
2 litres sunflower oil, for deep-frying
homemade tomato ketchup (here), to serve
Put the potatoes into a pan of lightly salted water and bring to the boil. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender, then drain and return to the pan. Place the pan back over the heat for a few minutes to dry off any excess moisture from the potatoes, then remove from the heat and mash the potatoes until smooth. Beat in the olive oil, then season with salt and pepper and allow to cool. Once the potatoes are cool, break off a portion and mould it around the pieces of cheese into an oblong cylinder.
Place the flour in a shallow dish and the beaten eggs in a second shallow dish. Place the breadcrumbs and chilli flakes, if using, in a third shallow dish and mix them together.
Lightly flour each of the croquettes, then dip into the beaten eggs, shaking off any excess, followed by the breadcrumbs, making sure you evenly coat each of the croquettes. You may need to shape them further using a palette knife. Cover and refrigerate the croquettes for at least 20 minutes before cooking.
Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer until it reaches 170°C (or you can shallow fry the croquettes in a frying pan). Fry the croquettes until they are crisp and golden. Once cooked, remove with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper. These are great served with homemade tomato ketchup.
bangers and mash with onion gravy
This is comfort food at its best. There is more variety now in supermarkets and at your local butcher for gluten-free sausages. I advise trying many of them until you find the one that you like best. The ones with the most meat content are the tastiest and have less seasoning. In this recipe, the garlic, sage and rosemary enhance the flavour.
SERVES 4
2kg potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
100g butter
150ml cream
100ml milk salt and freshly ground black pepper
4–8 gluten-free sausages (depending on size) 2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 bunch of fresh sage, leaves picked
1 bunch of fresh rosemary
1 tbsp olive oil
onion gravy (here)
Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Place the potatoes in a pot of lightly salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 18–20 minutes, until tender and cooked through. Drain well and place the pot back on to the heat to dry out any excess water. Add the butter, cream, milk and seasoning and mash well. Cover with a piece of parchment paper to keep warm and set aside.
Meanwhile, place the sausages in a roasting tin with the garlic, sage and rosemary and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake for 7 minutes, then reduce the heat to 170°C, turn the sausages over in the tray and cook for a further 7 minutes, until the sausages are cooked all the way through with a golden, crisp finish.
Put a large spoonful of the creamy mashed potatoes on a warmed plate. Place one or two sausages on top and serve with plenty of onion gravy.
chicken and butter bean sliders
When you’re trying to steer away from processed foods, especially for children, these burgers are a real winner. They’re simple to make, with only a few basic ingredients.
SERVES 4
350g boneless, skinless chicken breasts
200g canned butter beans (no salt or sugar), drained, or home-cooked dried beans
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled
50g gluten-free plain white flour blend, for shaping
4 gluten-free burger buns (here)
salad leaves, to serve
tomatoes, to serve
FOR THE PICKLED RED ONION:
1 red onion, thinly sliced
50g caster sugar
100ml white wine vinegar
To prepare the pickled red onion, place the onion, sugar and vinegar in a bowl, cover with cling film and pickle overnight in the refrigerator. Drain the excess liquid before serving with the burgers.
Place the chicken, butter beans, onion and garlic in a food processor and pulse until blended. Shape into small rounds with wet or floured hands.
Preheat the grill to high. Cook the burgers for 8 minutes, turning once or twice, until they are browned and cooked through. Alternatively, heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, cook the burgers for about 4 minutes on each side and finish cooking in a 175°C oven for about 10 minutes. Once cooked, the burgers should have a golden brown finish and the juices must run clear.
Serve in a gluten-free burger bun with some lettuce, tomato and pickled red onions.
GET AHEAD
Wrap each uncooked burger with cling film after shaping into rounds if you want to freeze them.
sticky chicken wings
This is simply messy food that children love. Sorry!
SERVES 4
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp homemade tomato ketchup (here)
2 tbsp gluten-free soya sauce
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
4–6 drops of Tabasco (optional)
700g chicken wings, winglets removed
1 dessertspoon sesame seeds
seasonal salad, to serve
coleslaw, to serve
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Mix the garlic, tomato ketchup, soya sauce, brown sugar and Tabasco, if using, together in a large bowl. Add the chicken wings and mix well, coating all of the wings in the sauce. It can be left covered in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes, otherwise pour out the chicken wings onto a large baking tray and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, give the wings a stir and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. The chicken wings should be cooked all the way through and have a sticky finish. Serve with a seasonal salad and coleslaw.
chicken goujons with homemade tomato ketchup
This recipe is quite handy for children’s parties, as the chicken can be prepared in advance. As the goujons are baked in the oven, it also cuts out a lot of mess during the party.
SERVES 4–6
2 tbsp vegetable, sunflower or rapeseed oil
50g gluten-free plain white flour blend
3 medium eggs, beaten
150g gluten-free breadcrumbs, without the crusts
½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into even-sized strips
homemade tomato ketchup (here), to serve
fries, to serve
salad, to serve
Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over two large baking trays and place them in the oven.
Place the flour in a shallow dish. Place the beaten eggs in a second shallow dish. Mix the breadcrumbs, cayenne pepper (if using) and some salt and pepper in a third shallow dish.
Dip the chicken pieces first in the plain flour, then into the beaten egg and finally coat in the breadcrumbs, shaking off the excess at each stage. Remove the trays from the oven and lay the goujons on the hot trays. Drizzle the goujons all over with the remaining tablespoon of oil.
Bake for 20 minutes, turning once. Remove from the oven when completely cooked through – cut one in the centre to make sure there is no pink. The coating should be golden brown all over.
Serve the chicken goujons with homemade ketchup and fries or salad.
GET AHEAD
To prepare the chicken in advance, place the uncooked breaded chicken on a cold tray, cover with cling film and refrigerate until required.
lemon sole goujons
Children just love finger food and putting a light crumb on the fish keeps it moist during cooking. When preparing the breadcrumbs, try not to use the crust, as you will get a lighter, finer crumb finish. Any white fish can be used for this recipe, but I really like lemon sole as it’s so delicate.
SERVES 4
2 litres sunflower oil, for deep-frying
4 lemon sole fillets, skinned (ask your fishmonger to do this for you)
200g gluten-free plain white flour blend
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs, beaten
300g gluten-free breadcrumbs, without the crust
zest of 1 lemon
tartare sauce (here) or homemade ketchup (here), to serve
Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180°C.
Cut each lemon sole fillet into five or six even-sized strips, depending on the size of the fillets.
Place the flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Place the beaten eggs in a second shallow dish. Mix the breadcrumbs and lemon zest together in a third shallow dish.
Dip the fish pieces first in the seasoned flour, then into the beaten egg and finally coat in the breadcrumbs, shaking off the excess at each stage. Place on a plate once the pieces are coated.
Carefully place in the deep-fat fryer and cook for 2–3 minutes. Serve with homemade tartare sauce or tomato ketchup.
mozzarella meatballs
This is a twist on meatballs for children, who love the gooey centre.
SERVES 4
250g lean minced beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
freshly ground black pepper
½ ball of buffalo mozzarella, cut into 2cm cubes
gluten-free flour, for coating
3 tbsp olive oil
FOR THE SAUCE:
1 tsp olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
5 tomatoes, cut into quarters, seeds removed and chopped
1 tsp tomato purée
1 tsp light brown sugar
freshly ground black pepper
gluten-free pasta, to serve
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
To make the meatballs, put the beef, onion, beaten egg and parsley in a bowl and mix well, adding pepper to taste. Mould the meat mixture around each cube of mozzarella, then roll the meatballs in the flour to coat. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the meatballs for 10 minutes, until cooked through and browned.
To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic and cook gently for 6 minutes, until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, brown sugar and pepper to taste and cook for 6 minutes more.
Blitz the sauce with a hand-held blender, then pour it over the meatballs. Serve with gluten-free pasta and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
GET AHEAD
Both the sauce and the meatballs can be made in advance.
spaghetti bolognese
An old reliable that never disappoints. This particular recipe is quite straightforward, and very little bits = very little giving out.
SERVES 4
2 tbsp olive oil
80g onions, finely chopped
400g lean minced beef
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
300ml beef stock
10g mixed fresh herbs, chopped, such as basil and flat-leaf parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
800g gluten-free spaghetti
80g butter
80g Parmesan cheese, grated
20g fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Sweat the onions until tender, but do not colour them. Add the minced beef and garlic to the onions. Cook until the beef has browned and has broken into pieces, then add the tomatoes, stock and herbs. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, season lightly with salt and pepper and simmer for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to the boil with a pinch of salt. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, until al dente. Drain in a colander and lightly refresh by running some cold water through the cooked spaghetti.
Melt the butter in a shallow saucepan. Add the cooked spaghetti, season well and stir until thoroughly reheated.
Place the spaghetti in individual serving dishes with the hot Bolognese sauce spooned on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garnish with the chopped parsley.