Recipe of the Month - April 2006

Hi Everyone,

Post your recipe here to enter into our Huggies Recipe of the Month Competition. If your recipe is selected it will feature in our <a href=" http://huggies.com.au/BeingAParent/FeedingYourBaby/default.asp">Feeding Your Baby</a> section on the Huggies website and you'll receive a fantastic <a href="http://www.tommeetippee.com.au/">Tommee Tippee</a> Stay Put Warming Dish and Easy Flow cup valued at over $30.00 as your prize.

Your entry should be a family favourite, perhaps an original creation, but certainly something you have put your stamp on.

Why not take a look at our past winners recipes in our <a href="http://huggies.com.au/BeingAParent/FeedingYourBaby/YourRecipeOfTheMonth/default.asp">Your Recipe of the Month</a> section of the Huggies site.

Good luck

The Huggies Team

Hi All, I am a long time reader, but replying for the first time.

Firstly I would like to say how much I love reading the parents exchange and how useful I have found it being a first time mum, thanks everyone!

I have a fussy 8 month old, which wouldn't eat meat or anything chunky, I made him a Beef and Red Lentil Hot Pot and he loves it.

You Need:
1 Cup Red Lentils
1 Tblspn Olive Oil
1/2 Chopped Onion
100g Beef Mince
1 Tblspn Tomato Paste

Boil Lentils in a pot until soft, about 20mins, drain and set aside.
Heat Oil in Frying Pan, add onion and cook until it's soft, add mince and break up lumps by stirring, let the mince cook for about 10mins.
Mix through tomato paste, add red lentils and about 1/2 cup of water to make it moist, cover and simmer for about 10mins.

You can serve it on its own, with rice, pasta, cous cous or vegies.
I usually make double and freeze it for an easy meal later or with the left overs I add some tomatoes and chillies for my husband and I to eat.

It is a quick and easy meal, that we all enjoy (saves making two meals!) with ingredients you will more than likely have in the cupboard.

Hi this recipe is one that my 1year old will always eat and she is a very fussy eater.
Very quick and very easy.

Cheesy Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cups chicken stock
1/4C grated cheese

Combine potato, onion and stock in saucepan/microwave container, cover and cook for about 15minutes or untill potato is soft. Mash potato in liquid and then stir in cheese.
Stir

I found this was a great way to get my toddler to eat vegies!

Zucchini & Carrot Fritters

Gratted Zucchini (1 zucchini)
Gratted Carrot (1 carrot)
Gratted Potato (1 potato)
(use about the same amount for each of the above)
2 Tablespoons plain flour
2 Tablespoons lightly beaten egg
salt & pepper to taste

Squeeze excess moisture out of grated vegies. Mix together in a bowl with flour, egg & salt & pepper. Using your hands make round, flat cakes and fry in oil until golden on both sides & cooked through. Drain excess oil on paper towel.

I then give them to my toddler to eat with her fingers or chop them into bite size pieces so she can use a fork.

My daughter still loves my Tuna Mash and it's so easy...

Ingredients:

potatoes
peas & corn
carrot (cubed)
can of tuna in springwater
BBQ sauce (optional)

Method:

Boil and mash potatoes, add cooked peas, corn & carrot. Mix through tuna and add BBQ sauce to taste.

It's that simple!

Tomato soup in a roll

4 dinner rolls
1 cup prepared tomato soup


Use a sharp knife to cut 1/2 inch off the top of the rolls. With your hands, pull out most of the interior of the roll, leaving the crust intact so it will hold the soup. Place each roll in a bowl. Heat the soup, and pour about 1/4 cup of soup into each dinner roll. Serve hot

The kids will love this because its completly edible

Party Shepherd's Pies

Ingredients:-

Base:
400g Lean beef mince
1 Grated Zuccini
1 Grated Carrot
Small Tin Corn
Handful frozen peas
3/4 cup mushrooms (finely chopped)
1/2 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato sauce (optional)
1/4 cuo water or stock

Topping:
3-4 potatoes (mashed with milk)
3/4 cup Grated Cheese
Sultanas and Capsicum Strips for Decorating Faces

Spray large saucepan with oil and cook mince over high heat till brown. Add rest of ingredients and stir frequently over medium heat until veges are cooked and soft - about 10 mins. (Puree this mixture if required for younger bubs).

Spoon mixture to half fill several small ramikins, or one large casserole dish. Put a 2cm thick layer of mashed potato on top & sprinkle with cheese. Decorate small party pies with "smiley faces" using sultana eyes and capsicum mouths for toddlers. Place under griller (or in microwave) to melt cheese.

Serve warm, reheat for parties or freeze (sealed in plastic bags).



These are a favourite for all ages at our playgroup birthday parties... Great for us mum's who need to feed bubs fairly new to solids and older toddlers too! They're a good way to disguise veges so that picky toddlers get a good variety of vitamins and nutrients. For family dinners, customise the pies: Add a few favourite herbs, sauces or spices to Mum and Dad's meat mix once you have removed some standard mixture for the children.

LENTIL PATTIES

Prep time: 20mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Makes: 12


1/4 cup Red Lentils
1 Medium Potato chopped coarsley
1/2 small carrot grated
1/2 small brown onion grated
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 packaged breadcrumbs


1) Cook lintils in saucepan of boiling water, 10mins or until tender, drain

2) meanwhile boil, steam or microwave potato and peas, seperatley until tender, drain, mash potato and peas in medium bowl

3) add lentils with carrot, onion and half of the breadcrumb to potato mixture. using hand mix to combine. shape into 12 patties

4) coat patties with remaining breadcrumbs, cook uncovered in lightly oiled non stick pan about 10 mins or until browned on both sides and heated through.

thanks

Lynsey
xx

My favourite recipe is Chocolate Chip Cookies.

500g Butter
1 1/4 Cups caster sugar
400g Can Nestle sweetened condensed milk
5 Cups self rasing flour
250g Packet Nestle white choc bits
2 x 250g Packet Nestle dark choc bits

Preheat oven to 180c. Grease and line 4 baking trays.

Using an electric mixer and a very large bowl, beat butter, sugar and condensed milk until light and creamy in texture.

Add sifted flour, white choc bits and dark choc bits and mix until well combined. Using 1 tablespoon of mixture, roll into balls. Place onto the prepared trays and flatten lightly with a fork leaving room for spreading.

Bake 14-16 minutes or until light golden. Allow to stand on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Should make around 80 biscuits! ENJOY!!!!

Classic Chicken Soup

A few months ago i was very very sick with the flu, i didnt want to take any medication as i am pregnant, so i came accross this chicken soup recipie that made me feel a whole lot better strait away, better than any cold tablets have.

I have also been making it and freezing it for when i dont have time to cook dinner. it has been a LIFESAVER! and SOOOOO yummy too!! and VERY easy to make.

Ingredients
3LB (1.3kg) chicken peices (or caserol peices)
2 onions quatered
1 parsnip quatered
1 large carrot quatered
2 potatos quatered
1/2 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
2 allspice berries
4 black peppercorns
4 3/4pt (3 litres) water
3oz (85g) very thin egg noodles

Method
1. in a large saucepan, combine the chicken peices, onions, parsnip, carrots, potatos, salt, bayleaf, allspice and peppercorns.

2. Add the water to the pan and bring to the boil, skimming frequently

3. reduce the heat to a low simmer for 1 1/2 hours, skimming occasionally

4. strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Cool and refridgerate over night

5. when the chicken peices are cool enough to handle, remove all meat from the bones. Discard the bones, skin, vegatables and flavourings. Chop the chicken meat into small pecies and refridgeate overnight.

6. Remove the solidified fat from the surface of the chicken broth with a spoon.

7. pour the broth into a sousepan and bring to the boil. Taste the broth; if a more concentrated flavour is wanted, boil 10 mins to reduce the stock slightly. (i added a chciken stock cube to mine for extra flavour)

8. Add the chicken meat and noodles to the broth and cook until noodles are tender, about 8 mins (check noodle packet for exact time)

9. Serve hot.

i found my son loved this recipe at 5 months and it was a good way to introduce chicken

makes 2 1/2 cups
170g potato
180g carrot
120g chicken
50g/1/3cup frozen sweetcorn
300ml formula

1. cut chiken and either dry fry or steem it, while it is cooking, peel potato and carrot, chop into small cubes.

2 add to saucepan with formula and corn and cook, add chicken when it is done, cook until vegies are tender enough to puree.

3. puree until completely smooth than spoon a little into a bowl, test tempreture and cool if needed.sover the remaining and refidgerate. use within 24 hrs or can be frozen into ice cubes.

i found it a real easy meal and it made 4 meals for trey and he thought it was great.
thanks

Here is the recipe for my daughters (and my) favourite lunchtime snack.

~Warm Pasta Salad~

2 cups cooked spiral pasta
5 button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 stick cabanossi, sliced
1/4 red capsicum, chopped
1 stick celery, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
grated cheese

Fry the mushrooms, cabanossi, capsicum and celery in oil for about 3 mins, add the garlic and continue frying till veges are cooked. Stir through the pasta, sprinkle some cheese over the top and enjoy!

The olive oil stops the pasta sticking together, so that is essential, but I usually add whatever is in the fridge. Ham is a great replacement for the cabanossi. We often have this for dinner too - just add some smoked or bbq chicken. Yummy!!