Family-friendly recipes by Annabel Karmel

It’s time to shake-up your food routine and give your family the energy boost they need. These kid-friendly recipes from leading children’s cookery author Annabel Karmel are bursting with colour, filled with flavour and packed-full of nutrients.

Prep: 20 minutes (excluding marinating time)

Cook: 30-40 minutes

Makes: 6 portions

Ingredients

Marinade

250ml buttermilk

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 chicken thighs, skin on

3 chicken breasts, skin on

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp honey

250g peeled butternut squash, diced

1 onion cut into wedges

1 red pepper, deseeded and diced

1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

Method

1. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Add the chicken and coat in the marinade, then cover with cling film. Leave in the fridge for 2 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C Fan.
3. Toss the squash, pepper and onion in 2 tbsp of olive oil and season. Tip into a roasting tin.
4. Scrape the marinade off the chicken and arrange around the vegetables. Drizzle over 1 tbsp of oil and the honey and thyme.
5. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts, then continue to roast for another 10 minutes until the thighs are cooked through.
6. Add the remaining marinade, stock and cream to the tin and heat until boiling. Scrape the bottom of the tin to deglaze. Mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp of water and add to the sauce. Mix until thickened and bubbling and serve alongside the chicken.

Sauce

150ml chicken stock

1tsp cornflour

3 tbsp double cream

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 5 minutes

Makes: 4 spring rolls

Ingredients

1 tbsp sunflower oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into very thin strips

1 medium carrot, peeled & coarsely grated

2 handfuls of beansprouts

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 tsp dark soy sauce (for babies 1 year +)

2 tbsp plum sauce (for babies 1 year +)

4 small wheat tortilla wraps

Method

1. Preheat the grill to high. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan, add the chicken and stir-fry for 2 minutes
2. Add the vegetables and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes, until the chicken has cooked through and the vegetables have softened slight (but aren’t completely soft.) Stir in the soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of the plum sauce, and remove from the heat.
3. Spread the remaining plum sauce over the four wraps. Divide the chicken and vegetable filling between the wraps, spooning in on the lower half of each wrap.
4. Fold the left-and right-hand sides of the wrap over the filling then roll the wraps up from the bottom so that the filling is completely enclosed.
5. Carefully transfer the filled wraps to a grill pan, sitting them seam side down. Place under the grill for 1-1½ minutes, until the tops are crisp and starting to brown then turn them over and grill for a further 1-1½ minutes. Watch carefully as the wrap can scorch easily,
6. Remove from the grill and serve immediately.

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 20-25 minutes

Makes: 4 portions

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp apple juice

2 tbsp double cream

400g butternut squash, peeled

1 large courgette

1 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and apple juice. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the cream and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
2. Spiralise the squash and courgette.
3. Heat the oil in a large work. Fry the squash for 3 minutes, then add the courgette and fry for another 3 minutes. Season to taste.
4. Add the sauce and toss together.

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 15-20 minutes

Makes: 16 mini burgers

Ingredients

50g finely chopped leek

1 onion, finely chopped

175g carrots, peeled and grated

3½ tbsp sunflower oil, for frying

175g courgettes, grated

500g minced chicken (breast and thigh)

1 apple, peeled, cored and grated

1 chicken stock cube, finely crumbled

175g white breadcrumbs

Salt and black pepper

A little flour, for dusting

16 mini bread buns

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/ Gas 4.
2. Heat 1½ tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan and sauté the leek, onion, carrots for 3 minutes. Cool, then mix together with the remaining ingredients and chop in a food processor for a few seconds. Form the mixture into 16 burgers using floured hands.
3. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the frying pan and sauté the burgers for a few minutes each side until golden, then cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 20-25 minutes

Makes: 4-6 portions

Ingredients

75g basmati rice

300g skinless sole fillets

2 tbsp plain flour

25g butter

1 tbsp olive oil

2 spring onions, sliced

1 tsp white wine vinegar

150ml unsalted or weak fish stock

100ml double cream

1 tbsp snipped fresh chives

100g white grapes, chopped

1 tsp lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper (for babies over 1 year)

Method

1. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions, then drain.
2. Cut the sole into 6 goujon shapes. Season lightly with salt and pepper (if using) and toss in the flour. Heat the butter in a small frying pan over a high heat. Fry the floured goujons for 1½ minutes on each side until cooked through, then remove from the heat, set aside and keep warm. You may need to cook them in two batches, in which case use half the butter for each batch.
3. Place the pan back over a low heat and add the oil. Add the spring onions and sauté for 2 minutes, then add the vinegar and cook until it evaporates.
4. Add the stock and let it bubble away until it has reduced by half. Pour in the cream and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and add the chives, grapes and lemon juice.
5. Arrange the sole goujons and rice on plates and spoon over the grape sauce.

For lots more recipe inspiration, Annabel’s handy Baby & Toddler Recipe App is new and updated with over 200 delicious recipes, as well as a host of features. This is the must-have app for delicious mealtimes (and clean plates)! Available via the app store or visit www.annabelkarmel.com for more information.