RECIPE: #InstaWeanTeam Challenge - Date & Butternut Squash Tagine

Last week I made my Healthy Lunchbox Snack (Date & Walnut Cereal Bars) using dates so for this week's challenge I wanted to do something completely different. My sister bought me a tagine a couple of years ago and I hadn't used it for a while so I decided to dust it off to make a Moroccan-inspired dish this week. I originally planned to use lamb but the supermarket only had full lamb shoulders which intimidated me a bit so I went with a vegetarian version instead. Fear not, carnivores, it's still a hearty, satisfying dish :)

YOU'LL NEED:
4 chopped Medjool dates
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 tin cherry tomatoes
4-5 chopped walnuts
250g frozen butternut squash (cutting this stuff is my pet hate so I bought a lazy version!)
100g sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cinnamon
A squeeze of runny honey

METHOD:
1. Defrost the frozen mushrooms and butternut squash (I poured boiled water over mine and left for 5 minutes or so until it was soft).
2. Slice the onion and dates, lay in the bottom of the tagine
3. Add the butternut squash, mushrooms, tomatoes, spices, sesame seeds, garlic and honey. Stir well.
4. Add a splash of water to loosen the mixture slightly
5. Bake in the oven as Gas 4 for 1 hour.
6. Eat chocolate while it cooks - optional but highly recommended! :)

I served ours with wholemeal giant cous cous and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and chopped walnuts on top. Delish!
 
Note - The NHS guidance is that honey should only be given over the age of one. I'm not sure if this changes if the honey is cooked but personally I always err on the side of caution and would skip it for younger babies.

Don't forget to check out what the rest of the team have made for Date Week by visiting our Facebook Page 

RECIPE - #InstaWeanTeam Challenge - Casserole-Pot Moussaka

Outside of Greece, the best moussaka I've ever had definitely has to be the one my mother-in-law makes. Aubergine is another ingredient I don't cook with very often (read: ever) so when the girls decided it was going to be this week's #InstaWeanTeam challenge, I knew there was only one dish I wanted to try. When I told my own Mama that I was going to tackle a moussaka she suggested adding courgette - followers will know I'm very partial to this particular veg so throwing it in seemed like a great idea. So basically, my version is an amalgamation from the two Mamas in my life, plus my own random invention. Fortunately, I wrote the recipe down as I went because this one really is good - hearty, warming and really, REALLY tasty.

YOU'LL NEED:

2 aubergines
1 medium courgette
1 medum onion
3 large white potatoes
500g lamb mince
2 tomatoes
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 garlic clove
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground cinnamon 


Béchamel  Sauce:
300ml whole milk
30g butter
30g plain flour
1 beaten egg Grated cheddar

METHOD:
1. Slice the potatoes into discs and par-boil (6-8 minutes). Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Slice the courgette and aubergine into discs. Lay on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at Gas 5 for 25-30 minutes then set aside to cool.
3. In a pan, heat the butter and flour gently, stirring all the time until they are well mixed
4. Pour in the milk, whisk gently until just boiling and the sauce has thickened. Set aside to cool.
5. Meanwhile, add the finely sliced onion, lamb, oregano, garlic and cinnamon in the casserole dish and fry in the little oil (I used organic rapeseed) until cooked.
6. Add the tinned tomatoes and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
7. Spoon the lamb mixture into a separate bowl so the casserole dish is empty.
8. In the bottom of the casserole dish, arrange a thin layer of potato slices. 
9. Spoon a layer of lamb mixture on top, followed by another layer of potato.
10. On top of the potato, lay the aubergine then courgette, then fresh sliced tomatoes.
11. Add another layer of the lamb mixture, another of courgette and aubergine, and a final layer of potato (obviously feel free to freestyle here and arrange the layers however you fancy!)
12. Stir a beaten egg into the cooled white sauce. Pour on top of the moussaka.
13. Sprinkle on some grated cheese then bake at Gas 3 for 2 hours. 
14. Turn up the heat for the last 10-15 minutes to brown the top.

Don't forget to check out the other dishes the #InstaWeanTeam made this week by visiting our Facebook page.

RECIPE - #InstaWeanTeam Challenge - Watermelon Kebabs

I chose a simple summer dish for my watermelon #InstaWeanTeam Challenge – fruit kebabs with natural yoghurt and chia seeds. This took 5 minutes to prepare and about 5 seconds to devour! The sweet watermelon works really well with the creamy yoghurt and I used a flower shaped vegetable cutter to make it a little more appealing – still not enough to convince L to eat fruit unfortunately but it worked for the grown ups!

YOU’LL NEED:

¼ Watermelon

½ Mango

10-15 White and Red Grapes

Kebab Sticks

Natural Yoghurt

Chia Seeds (optional)

METHOD: 

1. Slide a knife along the rind of the watermelon to remove the tough skin. Slice the melon into strips. Using a cookie or vegetable cutter, cut out some pretty shapes :)

2. Same deal with the mango - remove the skin and slice into cubes

3. Slice the grapes in half lengthways (this reduces the choking hazard)

4. Thread each piece of fruit onto a kebab stick until it's full.

5. Service dipped in yoghurt with chia seeds (you might want to remove the stick for younger children)

RECIPE - #InstaWeanTeam Prawn Spring Roll Challenge!

Ok, so my #InstaWeanTeam Chinese Food challenge isn't the most photogenic this week but it definitely tastes good. Next time I make these spring rolls I'll brush them with melted butter instead of egg, I was just curious to see how egg would turn out this time! (I've put butter in the recipe below instead because I think this will give them a more even colour). Mr BLWMamaUK and I had these for dinner with a stir fry. Little Dude had his the next day as an afternoon snack. Nom :)

YOU'LL NEED:
1/2 Tsp Chinese Five Spice
1 Small Garlic Clove (crushed)
1 Tsp Sesame Seeds
1/2 Tsp Low Salt Soy
1/2 Tsp Mirin Rice Wine
1/2 Cup Cooked Prawns
2 Cups Mixed Stir Fry Veg - I used pepper, beansprouts, carrot and onion
Unsalted Butter (melted) 
2 Filo Pastry Sheets
Organic Coconut oil for frying (or your usual oil)

METHOD:
1. Put the oil, spice, seeds, soy and rice wine in a pan with the prawns and veg. Fry for 3-5 minutes until softened. Set aside to cool.
2. Lay a filo sheet out length ways on a floured surface, cut vertically into 3 strips.
3. Cut across the strips horizontally so you have 6 rectangles of pastry.
4. Lay a blob of filling across the bottom of a pastry strip. Gentle roll it up and into a sausage shape. Seal the end with a little melted butter.
5. Flip the pastry roll over and paint the ends with a little more butter, fold them over to seal them.
6. Lay the spring roll on a greased baking tray and brush lightly with melted butter.
7. Repeat until all your mixture is used up - mine made 8 spring rolls.
8. Bake at Gas Mark 5 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

** Note - rice wine does contain alcohol. I was happy that I heated it enough to cook it out but if you're not comfortable, skip this ingredient**

Don't forgot to check the InstaWeanTeam Facebook page to see what the other ladies made this week!

RECIPE - Curried Yoghurt Chicken

Last night I had one of those 'What the hell do I cook for dinner?' moments. I'm not doing my weekly food shop until tomorrow so I had to make do with the contents of our (alarmingly empty) cupboards. The one thing I can always rely on is having a packed spice rack so I cobbled this mildly curried chicken dish together. And you know what? It was GOOD!

YOU'LL NEED:
400g Diced Chicken
1 Tsp Garam Masala 
1/2 Tsp Ground Coriander
1/2 Tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 Tsp Ground Turmeric
1/2 Tsp Almond Butter
4 Big Spoonfuls of Natural Yoghurt (sorry, I didn't measure!)
Pinch of Paprika
Pinch Black Pepper

METHOD:
1. Mix the spices, yoghurt and almond butter in oven proof dish
2. Add the chicken and toss in the sauce until it is completely coated
3. Cover the dish and bake in the oven at Gas 5 for 25-30 minutes
4. Once the chicken was cooked I transferred it to a wok and blasted it for a couple of minutes to dry the outside (I wanted to keep some for L's lunchbox). I don't think this is necessary though as long as your chicken is cooked through.

I served mine with some cous cous and veggies - it didn't photograph particularly well but it tasted good, honest!

RECIPE - Baked Chicken Bites

I can't believe it's taken me so long to make these because they were SO yummy. Crunchy, chickeny (surprise, surprise) and pretty healthy because they were baked, unlike the pre-prepared breaded chicken you can buy. I've been meaning to try something like this for a while so when the I spotted a pack of Panko Breadcrumbs in the supermarket this week I decided it was time to take the plunge. My only worry now is that I'm going to start breadcrumbing everything in sight now I've realised how easy it is. These took about 12 minutes to prepare and another 25 to cook. And the verdict from my most important taste taster? 'Nom. NOM!'

YOU'LL NEED:
300g Diced Chicken
Approx 5 Tbs Plain White Flour
1-2 Beaten Eggs
Packet of Panko Breadcrumbs
1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 Tsp Cumin
1/2 Tasp Black Pepper

METHOD:
1. Get three bowls and put the egg in one, the flour in another, and some breadcrumbs in another - start with one egg and about 1/3 packet of breadcrumbs, you can always put more in if you run out.
2. Add the spices to the breadcrumbs and stir well.
3. Using tongs (or your fingers if you're brave, I hate touching raw meat!), roll a piece of chicken in flour until it is lightly coated.
4. Drop the chicken into the egg and coat on both sides.
5. Roll the chicken in the breadcrumbs, making sure it is completely covered
6. Transfer the chicken to a baking tray greased with a little unsalted butter
7. Repeat. Lots.
8. Bake the chicken at Gas 5 for around 20-25 minutes until it is cooked through.

Enjoy - don't forget to take me on Facebook or Instagram if you try this one out :)

RECIPE - #InstaWeanTeam Mexican Challenge

Mmmm, Mexican food! I was pretty spoiled for choice this week because I love this kind of grub. Old El Pasa fajitas tend to make an appearance in our house when I'm having a lazy chef moment but still fancy something tasty with plenty of veggies. Although I was tempted to make a baby-friendly version of this old fave it's something I've done before so I chose to mix it up with a new dish - pulled pork burritos. 

I roasted the pulled pork at the weekend so kept some aside knowing I had burritos on the menu later in the week. This is a great one for using up whatever leftovers you have; chicken, beef or pork would work just as well. Same deal for the veg, you can't really go wrong once it's wrapped in a tortilla. Go nuts!

 

YOU'LL NEED:

Leftover Pulled Pork

1 Red Pepper 

1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes

1 Tin Kidney Beans

1/2 Tsp Oregano

1/2 Tsp Cumin (x 2)

1 Tsp Smoked Paprika

1/8 Tsp Low Salt Soy Sauce

1/2 Cup Wild & Basmati Rice

Handful Grated Cheddar Cheese

4 Kos Lettuce Leaves

3 Tortilla Wraps

Chilli Flakes (optional)

METHOD:
1. Put the rice in a pan, cover with boiled water, add the 1/2 tsp of cumin and simmer until cooked (mine took 25 mins), then drain and set aside.
2. Empty the tomatoes, rinsed kidney beans, spices (including the other 1/2 tsp cumin), soy and oregano into a pan.
3. Bring to the boil and simmer for around 10 minutes until the mixture has reduced slightly. 
4. Take off the heat, mash slightly with a fork and leave to cool
5. Slice the pepper into thin 'sticks' and set aside
6. Warm the tortilla wraps in the microwave for 30 seconds (it helps them bend)
7. Take a deep breath - you are ready to roll your burritos! :)
8. Lay out a sheet of foil, slap a tortilla on top, then a lettuce leaf.
9. Add a couple of spoonfuls of rice, bean mixture, some pork, and 4-5 peppers
10. Sprinkle a little cheese and some chilli flakes on top then carefully wrap the whole burrito into a sausage shape using the foil the seal it together at both ends.
11. If the filling has cooled too much, pop the burritos in the oven for 5 mins to warm through.
12. Serve (roll the foil down as you eat to stop it falling apart).If you have extra filling, just stick it on the plate as well.

Note - young children will need the foil removing for them. I served Little Dude a de-constructed version of the burrito with all the separate parts laid out on his tray for him to explore but it coulsd just as easily be cut into slices for a baby or toddler. The photo on the right shows the version for myself and Mr BLWMamaUK. It looks a bit like an explosion in a burrito factory but boy, was it good!

Don't forget to check out what the rest of the #InstaWeanTeam made for Mexico Week by visiting our Facebook Page.