Pancake Lasagne

Makes enough for 3 adult portions and 2 baby ones

Ingredients:
For the pancake batter: 110g Plain (All Purpose) Flour, 200ml Whole (Full Fat) Milk, 80ml Water, 2 Free Range Eggs,

Cheese Sauce: 25g Unsalted Butter, 25g Plain Flour, 200ml Whole Milk, 50g Grated Cheese.

1 Carrot (75g), 75g Chard, 100g Cabbage, 100g Cauliflower, 100g Passata, Grated Cheese to top, Bunch of Fresh Basil, Vegetable oil for frying.

First mix together ingredients for pancake batter and leave to cool in fridge.
Chop carrot into thin sticks and cauliflower into trees and stir fry for a few minutes.  Shred cabbage and chard and add to pan cooking for a few more minutes until just cooked.
Grease a non stick frying pan with vegetable oil and once it is very hot add some batter.  You'll need to experiment a bit to work out the best quantity of pancake mix for the thickness of the batter, the size of the pan and the thickness of the pancake you like. Immediately tip the pan from side to side to get the pancake mix to evenly coat the base of the pan.  Keep the pan on medium heat. If the pan is hot enough, the pancake should take just 30-40 seconds to cook.  Flip the pancake (I do this with a spatula, safer and less chance of problems!) and cook the other side for around 20 seconds or so. Repeat process until you have used all the batter up.  Set pancakes aside whilst you make cheese sauce.
Place butter in a saucepan over a high heat, add flour and mix together to form a paste.  Slowly add milk stirring continuously and then add cheese.  Keep stirring until a thick sauce is formed and remove from heat. 
Add stir fried vegetables to cheese sauce. 
Put two pancakes (depending how many you have got from your batter) in bottom of lasagne or casserole dish, add a layer of cheesy vegetables, then a layer of pancakes, then some passata and torn basil leaves.  Repeat the process finishing with a sprinkling of basil and cheese on the top layer of passata.  

  

Cheese & Carrot Pretzels

Ingredients: 250g/9oz plain flour, 25g grated cheese, 1 grated carrot, 25g/1oz butter, diced, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 100ml/3 fluid oz whole milk.

Preheat oven to 200'C/400'F/ Gas Mark 6 .

Mix flour, cheese, carrot, butter and baking powder in a bowl with your fingers until well combined.  Add milk gradually mixing with a metal spoon until a dough forms.

Turn out onto a floured surface. Knead for a few minutes.

Roll dough out to form a rough rectangle about 25cm x 18cm (10" x 7").  Cut dough into 12 - 14 strips about half an inch wide and roll between your palms.  Tie into a pretzel shape.  Place on a baking sheet and cook for 10 - 12 minutes until a crusty layer forms on outside.

These keep well in an airtight container but are very moreish so probably won't last that long!  Ethan loves them and the funny shapes fascinate him.  You could substitute grated carrot for grated parsnip, courgette, apple or bung in some poppy or sesame seeds.  Enjoy! 

Macaroni Cheese

I love macaroni cheese but felt it was missing something...so I bunged a load of vegetables in there too.  Ethan loves the creamy cheese sauce and picking different coloured vegetables out.  The whole milk is a great source of calcium, Vitamin D, B12, riboflavin or B2 (which is responsible for red cell growth and promotes a healthy immune system)  and phosphorus (which helps with bone formation, digestion, energy extraction and protein formation) .  Babies need full fat milk as they need more calories for all the energy they burn off and the fat helps their brain development but it should only be used in cooking after 6 months and can be given as a drink after a year.  

Makes 3 Adult portions and a baby one.

Ingredients: 300ml of Whole (Full Fat) Milk, 100g Mature Cheddar Cheese grated, 25g butter, 25g Plain (All Purpose) Flour, 300g Macaroni (or failing that any pasta shapes you have in the house), 2 Carrots (100g), 100g Frozen Peas and 100g Cauliflower.

Method: Make pasta as per instructions on pack put peas in towards end, drain and set aside.  Steam vegetables (you can do this using a metal colinder overing a saucepan of boiling water with a lid on top or in the microwave in a container with the lid slightly open and a few drops of water).   Heat butter in a saucepan, gradually add flour, mixing together to form a paste.  Gradually add milk and keep stirring and turn up heat to high.  Add cheese and keep on stirring until a thick sauce forms.  Take off heat, stir in pasta and steamed vegetables.  If you like a crispy top you can take a portion out now for baby and cool and then put macaroni cheese in a casserole dish and place under the grill until cheese bubbles. 

Vegetable Pasta Bake

Makes about 3 adult portions with enough for baby too

Ingredients: 500g Passata or a tin of tomatoes, 200g Pasta (I used penne but any will do), 100g Broccoli, 3 carrots (125g), 125g Cabbage, 1 small onion diced (100g), Olive Oil, Oregano and Basil for seasoning, 50g Mature Cheddar (would also work with mozarella, feta etc).

Chop vegetables up according to your baby's development. If they have mastered the pincer grip you can chop into smaller pieces otherwise just chop it into sticks and broccoli trees.  Ethan loves broccoli trees the best out of all veg, I think I do too!

Method: Preheat oven to 200'C/400'F/Gas Mark 6. Put some olive oil in a wok and stir fry until clear, add carrots followed by broccoli and shredded cabbage.  Meanwhile make up pasta according to instructions on packet.  When vegetables are done (Ethan likes his with a bit of crunch in them as do we!) pour into a casserole dish and add passata.  Then add pasta and herbs and stir until well combined.  Sprinkle cheese on top and place in oven til cheese melts.  This comes out of oven fairly cool still as passata is added cold so I was able to serve Ethan straight away but do check is cool enough before giving to baby.

Ethan loved this meal.  It's very simple but he wolfed a huge portion down.  I think he liked the al dente pasta and vegetables as he has 2 more teeth coming through at the moment so it's comforting to bite on.

Cauliflower Cheese

The cauliflower is the best source of vitamin C after citrus fruits and contains potassium and folic acid.  And the whole milk contains vitamin D, vitamin B12 and calcium  and cheese provides protein and calcium.  A very simple dish but very healthy for little tummies!

Makes Four baby portions.

Ingredients:
25 grams plain flour
25 grams butter
1/2  Pint (240ml) of Whole (full fat) Milk
50 grams of grated cheese
200 grams of cauliflower florets broken into tree like pieces.

Method:
Steam the cauliflower. You can do this by using a metal colander over a saucepan of boiling water or putting a drop of water in with half the cauliflower at a time in a microwavable pot and cooking on full power for a couple of minutes.  Then put a pan (suitable for putting under grill) on a high heat and add the butter,  Stir in the flour gradually making a paste.  You may have some flour left over.  Slowly start adding the milk and mixing in to continue paste like consistency.  Add more flour and more milk until it is all mixed in.  Reduce the heat.  Next add most of the cheese (reserving enough to top the dish later) and stir in.  Once the cheese has melted and you have a thick cheese sauce take off the heat.  Pour your steamed cauliflower into the cheese sauce and mix until cauliflower is coved in sauce before topping with remaining cheese.  Place pan under a grill to cause the cheese on top to bubble and brown.  Divide into four portions and cool before serving.  Freeze any you don't use.

Courgette (Zucchini) Torte

Makes 3 Adult Portions and 2 Baby ones (although if baby keeps dropping it you can just give baby both portions!)

Ingredients: 6 courgettes (525 grams approx), olive oil, 1 small onion, 1 fresh chilli (I used a mild one and left seeds in but you can add more or less and put seeds in according to taste), 4 medium free range eggs, 50 grams self-raising flour, 100g cheddar cheese ( I used mature - again depends on your taste), 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, butter to grease.

Method: Preheat oven to 200'C (350F).  Trim courgette and slice thinly.  Fry with oil in a pan for a few minutes, turning until they are soft and browning.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a bowl.  Slice the onion thinly and add to remaining oil in pan with the chilli.  Saute until onion soft and beginning to brown.  Using slotted spoon add onion and chilli to courgettes.  Beat the eggs in a large bowl.  Add flour and cheese and cayenne mixing in well.  Then add courgette mixture.  Grease a 9" shallow ovenproof dish with butter and bake for 30 minutes until risen, firm to touch and golden.  Allow to cool  but do not refrigerate.  Serve with tomato and cucumber salad or veg of your choice.  

Ethan LOVES moussaka!

Moussaka (Makes 4 Adult portions & 2 Baby ones)

Ingredients:

Three aubergines, One small onion diced, 450 grams of beef or lamb mince, 2 garlic cloves crushed, Olive oil, 2 tablespoons of tomato puree, 75 ml of water, teaspoon of ground cinnamon, tablespoon of parsley, black pepper.

For the topping: 75 grams of butter, 75 grams of plain flour, 570ml of milk, 50 grams of grated cheese, nutmeg, 2 eggs.

Method:

Preheat oven to gas mark 4, 350'F or 180'C.

Fry onion in olive oil in a large pan for 5 minutes and add garlic.  Add meat to pan to brown, stir to break up any lumps.  Put tomato puree, water, cinnamon and parsley in a bowl together and mix.  When meat has browned pour tomato mix over it and the onions.  Stir in and leave on a low heat, stirring occassionally.  Put some olive oil in a frying pan or wok and fry aubergine on both sides in batches.  When all are browned remove from pan and soak up excess oil from them with kitchen paper.  To make the topping, take a saucepan and put on a medium heat.  Add butter and melt before adding flour. Gradually add milk and keep stirring.  Next add cheese and keep stirring until it has become a smooth cheese sauce.  Take off the heat and add some black pepper.  Allow the sauce to cool and then whisk both eggs into it.  To assemble: get a casserole dish and put a layer of aubergine across the bottom, then a layer of meat sauce and repeat until finishing with a layer of aubergine.  Pour the topping over it all and then sprinkle with nutmeg.  Bake uncovered for an hour.  Warning: is very hot when first comes out the oven so allow to cool before giving to baby.  Make sure you check the aubergine especially is cold enough before serving to baby!