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 - Olive and Roasted Veg Vol-Au-Vents

This week’s #InstaWeanTeam Olive Challenge comes to you 70s style. I’ve never tried vol-au-vents before so fancied giving them a go and they were surprisingly easy to make. These were perfect for both Little Dude and my vegetarian friend who joined us for a BBQ (the carnivores also had homemade paprika burgers, swoon!). 

I used shop bought pastry which has a little salt in it but making my own would've been way too time consuming. This recipe made 4 vol-au-vonts plus a bunch of different size rectangular 'slices' for our guests.

YOU'LL NEED:

1 Sheet Puff Pastry

5 Black Olives, Sliced

3 Vine Tomatoes

1/2 Courgette

1/2 Red Onion

1 Yellow Pepper

1/2 Tsp Mixed Herbs

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Beaten Egg

METHOD:

1. Lay out the pastry and use a cookie cutter to make an even number of pastry circles.

2. Take half of the circles and use a smaller cutter to remove the middle, leaving a pastry ring.

3. Brush the edge of the pastry circles with beaten egg, lay the pastry rings on top. Brush the top again with beaten egg.

4. Put them pastry in the oven on a lightly floured baking tray, cook for 25-30 mins on Gas 7 until golden and risen (check them regularly!). Once cooked, set them aside to cool. If the inside has risen, carefully pull it out leaving a pastry case with a hole in the middle.

5. Chop the vegetables into small chunks then lay out on a baking tray. Sprinkle herbs on top and drizzle with a little olive oil.

6. Cook the veggies (except the olives) at Gas Mark 5 for around 30 mins.

7. Chop the olives and add to the cooked veggies, mix well.

8. Carefully spoon the cooked veg into the pastry cases. 

These can be eaten cold or blasted until the grill to heat them up just before serving. Delish!

Don't forget to check out what the whole team made for olive week by checking our InstaWeanTeam Facebook Page

RECIPE - #InstaWeanTeam Challenge: Giant Cous Cous and Pineapple Salad

I'm pushed for time this week because we had an epic weekend with a 600 mile round trip to the wedding of our good friends - it was an absolutely perfect day but taking time off work means I'm now rushing to catch up with everything. My first thought for our pineapple challenge this week was to make an upside down cake. It's something my Mum used to make us as kids and I haven't had one for about 20 years. Unfortunately, timing and being a bit stumped on the baby-friendly element got in the way. Inspired by a gloriously sunny Scottish weekend, I opted to make a fresh summer salad. Of course it rained all day today but, hey, just put some sunglasses on while you eat this and pretend it's warm.

YOU'LL NEED:
Fresh pineapple - a couple of rings is enough
Feta cheese - approx 3cm off a block
1 sweet potato
Giant wholeweat cous cous
Handful dried cranberries
1 Spring onion
Ground paprika 

Bah, I just realised I didn't measure my cous cous! The pack should give guidance on portion size, I just tipped some into the pan and did it by eye.

METHOD:
1. Add the giant cous cous to a pan of boiling water and simmer for around 20 minutes until soft and the water has disappeared
2. Peel the sweet potato and cut into small cubes. Toss in a little oil and paprika then lay on a baking tray and bake at Gas 5 for 20-25 minutes until starting to crisp.
3. Chop the spring onion
4. Cut the feta and pineapple into small cubes.
5. Put all the ingredients into the pan with the cooked cous cous, stir well and serve.

Minimal cooking, maximum flavour :) The pineapple is so sweet and juicy that the salad doesn't even need any dressing, making it super healthy.

Don't forget to check the InstaWeanTeam Facebook page to see pineapple recipes from the whole team

RECIPE: Sweet Potato and Pea Pancakes

This recipe is great if, like me, you always seem to have a lonely sweet potato lurking in the cupboard and not much inspiration about what to do with it. 

The quantities might need tweaking depending on the size of your potato.  Mine made a batch of 14 cakes; they freeze really well so just wrap a couple together in clingfilm and then defrost them overnight (or in the microwave) for lunch at short notice. They're also not too messy to eat so perfect for minimising the mess when you're eating out :)


YOU'LL NEED:
1 Large Sweet Potato
2 Eggs
Approx. 50-75g Plain White Flour 
Approx. 200ml Whole Milk 
1/2 Cup Peas
Unsalted Butter for frying

METHOD:
1. Chop the sweet potato into cubes and boil for 10 minutes until soft.
2. Mash the potato until smooth.
3. Add the beaten eggs, flour (sieve it to avoid lumps), milk and peas. Mix well.
4. Heat a little butter in a heavy pan and dollop a palm-sized amount of batter into it.
5. Fry each pancake for 8-10 minutes until it has firmed up and changed to a lovely orange colour.

** Important - the batter needs to be the consistency of quite a runny yoghurt, mess with the milk and flour until it looks right!**

I usually serve them warm, cut into strips with a little butter or cream cheese.

RECIPE - Veggie and Lentil Bakes

YOU'LL NEED:
1/2 red onion
4-5 broccoli florets
4-5 cauliflower florets
1 medium carrot
1/3 cup washed red lentils
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp mixed herbs
1 slice bread grated
Handful cheddar cheese
 1 egg

METHOD:
1. Finely chop the veg and cook in pan with a little butter and the spices/herbs until soft. 
2. Meanwhile, boil the lentils according to the instructions on the packet for around 20 minutes until soft and going slightly mushy.
3. Transfer the veg to a mixing bowl and mash slightly.
4. Add the lentils and egg, stirring thoroughly
5. Spoon into silicone cupcake cases (or a lightly buttered dish if you want to make a bigger version)
6. Sprinkle the cheese and breadcrumb mixture on top
7. Bake at Gas 5 for 25 minutes or until the topping is golder brown.

These freeze really well too - I just defrost them with a blast in the microwave for around 40-50 seconds until piping hot.

RECIPE - Smokey Bean Pancake Quesadilla

YOU'LL NEED:
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin kidney beans
1/2 tin chickpeas
1/2 teaspoon Basil
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
Handful Grated Cheddar Cheese

Wraps - I used leftover pancakes which were nice and soft. Tortilla wraps would work very well too, although they do contain salt.

METHOD:
1. Tip the tomatoes, washed kidney beans, chickpeas, herbs and spice into a pan.
2. Boil for 5-8 minutes until the beans are warmed through and soft
3. Take the pan off the heat and mash (roughly - no need to make it smooth) 
4. Spread onto your 'wrap' of choice
5. Sprinkle on the cheese
6. Fold in half and grill for 3/4 minutes on each side until slightly crisp.
7. Slice and enjoy!

Little Dude is 9 (almost 10) months old and absolutely wolfed this down, eating two portions. A definite success!

Tag me on Instagram if you make this, I'd love to see how they turn out! @blwmamauk