RECIPE - #InstaWeanTeam Challenge - Mango and Coconut 'Nicecream'

Little Dude has never been a huge fan of mango (or any fruit that is obviously fruit, for that matter) so for me, this challenge was about finding a clever way to sneak it into him! I'm still a bit obsessed with the banana and berry ice cream my buddy Meg made a few weeks ago so I decided to try making my own variation. This recipe is so easy it barely qualifies as cooking :)

YOU'LL NEED
1 ripe banana
1/2 ripe mango
Handful dessicated coconut
1 tablespoon natural yoghurt

METHOD:
1. Chop the banana up into slices and put into a freezer bag
2. Slice the mango in half, chop into chunks and add to the bag with the banana.
3. Put the bag into the freezer for a minimum of 3 hours. Remove from the freezer and set aside for 15 minutes before you want to make the 'nicecream' (smirk)
4. Put the (now slightly softened) fruit and the yoghurt into the blender. Blast it until the mixture is smooth and creamy. I do this in bursts because my blender objects to frozen things.
5. Add the coconut and blend again briefly to mix.
6. Serve. I sprinkled a few chia seeds and some more coconut onto ours but some finely chopped nuts, chocolate shavings or slivers of fresh mango would also be ideal.

This week's challenge comes to you sponsored by the fabulous Ezpz, makers of the Happy Mat and Happy Bowl. See my review of these products if you're interested in buying them.

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 - Banana Choc-o-Nut Pancakes

Yes, I'm still on my one-woman mission to make every possible type of pancake! Today I adapted the standard two ingrediant banana pancake recipe to make a Saturday treat to take to my sister's house. These are handy for lunchboxes because they make minimal mess.

YOU'LL NEED:
1 large banana, mashed
1 medium egg, beaten
1 tsp cocoa powder (I used Green & Black's Organic powder)
2 tsp almond butter
Handful porridge oats
Few sprinkles of dessicated coconut
Coconut oil (or unsalted butter) for frying

METHOD:
1. Mash the banana in a medium sized bowl.
2. Add the beaten egg and stir well.
3. Add the oats, almond butter and cocoa and stir well (again).
4. Melt a little coconut oil in a heavy frying pan. Keep the heat very low if you have a lighter pan as it helps stop the bottom and edges of the pancakes from burning.
5.  Dollop the mixture into the pan, each one should be a little smaller than the palm of your hand.
6. Sprinkle a little dessicated coconut on top of each pancake so it sinks into the mixture slightly.
7. Once the bottom has started to cook but whilst they're still too soft to flip (after about 3 minutes), pop them under the grill for 2 minutes or so.
8. Once the top has started to cook, flip the pancakes over for another 2 minutes or so until they're cooked through.
9. Leave to cool for a few minutes then serve. 

This makes about 5 small pancakes, just double the quantities if you want enough for the whole family!

RECIPE - Banana, Coconut and Raisin Bread

The banana and berry muffins I made last week were such a big hit that I decided to try a variation on the recipe. Instead of using muffin cases I made this one in a loaf tin so I could slice it into fingers - perfect for Little Dude's lunchbox! The basic banana bread recipe is from the Baby Led Weaning Cookbook. I halved the ingredients, substituted half of the butter for coconut oil, and added some bits and bobs :)

YOU'LL NEED:
75g self raising flour
15g unsalted butter
15g raw, organic coconut oil
1 small handful of raisins
1 handful of dessicated coconut
2 large ripe bananas
1 egg

METHOD:
1. Lightly grease the loaf tin with coconut oil
2. Sift the flour into the bowl
3. Melt the butter and coconut oil (I did mine in the microwave)
4. Mash the bananas in a separate bowl, add the melted butter and egg
5. Add the banana mixture to the flour, mix well then stir the raisins and coconut
6. Spoon into the loaf tin
7. Bake at Gas 5 for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.

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 :)

10 Easy Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast is one of those meals we don't tend to give a lot of love to. It can be particularly difficult to muster much enthusiasm when you're half asleep, bleary eyed and have been up most of the night with a teething/ill/partying baby (delete as appropriate).

Before I had Little Dude breakfast for me was either a five minute rush job as I dashed out the house (handful of nuts or quick bowl of cornflakes) or some soggy toast from the work canteen. Being on maternity leave rekindled my love with what my own Mama still tells me is 'the most important meal of the day'. Suddenly I had the time and inclination (what better motivation is there than the need to fill your baby's little tummy?) to try out some new ideas. Here are my top ten favourites to inspire you on those sleepy mornings...

1. Banana Pancakes - Just two ingredients and less than ten minutes to make, these delicious pancakes really couldn't be easier. Mash a banana, mix in a beaten egg and fry in a little unsalted butter. I get best results using a heavy frying pan (so it doesn't get too hot) and grilling the top of them before flipping them over. To add more backbone, throw in a handful of oats and for a naughty twist, a couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder.

2. Fruity Porridge - I often make this with leftover fruit or pre-made puree. A handful of oats, a generous splash of whole milk, microwave for 90 seconds then stir in your fruit. I let mine cool then spoon it onto L's tray in little balls for a quick, BLW-friendly breakfast.

3. Homemade Cereal Bars - Blend a small packet of mixed nuts with 5-6 dried dates then mix with an egg and a few handfuls of oats. Spoon the mixture onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper then bake for 25ish minutes until cooked through. Slice into finger shapes before serving.

4. Rice Pudding Balls - Little Dude loves these. I make a batch of rice pudding the night before using 50g pudding rice, 550ml whole milk and a handful of sultanas. I roll small bowls of cold mixture then dust them with cinnamon. 

5. Fruit Medley - Super simple but colourful, healthy and great for experimenting with textures. Pretty much anything works cut into finger shapes; watermelon, galia melon, apple (softened in the microwave for 30 seconds), peaches, pear, avocado... go crazy!

6. Crepes - Those who follow my Instagram feed will know I'm slightly obsessed with pancakes. My favourite method is to stew some blueberries in a little water until they're breaking down, then mix them into the pancake batter. I use a Good Food recipe for the batter which never fails. 

7. French Toast / Eggy Bread - This makes a great weekend breakfast for the whole family. Beat one egg, add a splash of milk then cut a slice of bread in half and dip it into the mixture for a few seconds to soak it through. Fry in a little unsalted butter and serve with strawberries. Mmmmm...


8. Weetabix - Quite a simple one but L absolutely loves it. I cut them into slices with a sharp knife, put them on his tray they pour milk on top to soften them. He enjoys the theatre of watching the milk pour down while I tell him to 'wait... wait... wait' before he gets stuck in. Beware: the stuff sets like concrete so make sure you clean up properly afterwards!

9. Fruit Teacake - Toasted, cut into finger shapes and slathered in butter. Comfort food at its best!

10. Crumpets and cream cheese - I never give more than 1/2 crumpet because the salt content tends to be high, but they work well alongside something else like fruit or a few cornflakes or cheerios. 

 What is your favourite breakfast? Comment below or tag me on Instagram @blwmamauk