Start yours and your baby’s day off right with these delicious and super nutritious breakfast muffins. Made using wholesome ingredients like carrots, apples, sunflower seeds, Greek yogurt and wholemeal flour, these muffins are the perfect breakfast finger food for your little one to enjoy in the morning.
To serve to babies – Ensure you are always sitting with your baby when they are eating. Serve a mini muffin with a side of fruit. I like to use sliced pear, mango or strawberries.
For older children serve 2 mini muffins or 1 large muffin in their lunchbox.
These muffins are perfect for school as they contain no sugar whatsoever!
The only sweetness comes from the delicious apple. You can make them even sweeter by adding a mashed banana to the mixture. @babyledfeeding
There are times when you want something tasty and delicious but just don’t feel like cooking a full meal. This is one of those dishes you’ll find yourself cooking again and again. If you want to make it even more substantial, try serving it with crisp, fat chips and watch how quickly the plates are cleared!
3 tbsp olive oil
2 large red onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1 tbsp light muscovado sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 x 175g (6oz) thin-cut rump or sirloin steak
2 small ciabatta loaves
8 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
4 ripe tomatoes, sliced
50g (2oz) wild rocket
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and preheat the grill. Fry the onions for 10 minutes, until softened and golden, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle over the sugar and balsamic vinegar and cook for another 2–3 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and is slightly syrupy, stirring continuously. Keep warm.
Heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Rub the remaining tablespoon of oil into the steaks and then season them generously. Add them to the heated pan and cook over a high heat for 3–4 minutes on each side for well done, or according to taste.
Split the ciabatta loaves in half and arrange on the grill rack cut side up. Place under the grill until lightly toasted. Mix the mayonnaise in a small bowl with the two mustards.
Place a piece of the toasted ciabatta on each warmed serving plate. Add a good smear of the mustard mayonnaise and then arrange a layer of the tomato slices on it. Season to taste and add the rocket. Place the steak on top and add the reserved caramelised onions. Dollop over the rest of the mustard mayonnaise to serve.
Beef Stroganoff with Fluffy rice and dill pickle Shavings
Traditionally this was served with buttered noodles, not unlike tagliatelle, but it is so much nicer with fluffy rice. The soured cream is not strictly necessary and regular cream will work just as well.
Serves 4
1 tbsp plain flour
2 tsp sweet paprika, plus extra to garnish
450g (1lb) sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
25g (1oz) butter
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
150g (5oz) button mushrooms, halved
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
150ml (¼ pint) chicken stock
4 tbsp white wine
2 tsp tomato purée
1 tsp dijon mustard
150ml (¼ pint) soured cream
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
fluffy rice, to serve
dill pickle shavings, to serve
Toss the flour and paprika together in a shallow dish with seasoning and then use to coat the steak. Heat half the butter and oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Add the steak and stir-fry for 4–5 minutes, until sealed and lightly browned. Tip onto a plate and set aside.
Reheat the pan over a medium heat. Add the rest of the butter and oil and then add the shallot. Sauté for 2–3 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Increase the heat to high and add the mushrooms to the pan with the garlic. Season to taste and continue to sauté for another 2–3 minutes, until tender.
Add the white wine vinegar and allow to bubble right down, then add the stock, wine, tomato purée and mustard, stirring to combine. Tip the sautéed beef with any juices back into the pan, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by half, stirring occasionally.
Stir the soured cream into the pan and return to the boil, then reduce the heat again and simmer gently for a couple of minutes and cook until the sauce has thickened and slightly reduced. Divide the fluffy rice between warmed plates and spoon over the beef stroganoff. Add dill pickle shavings and serve at once.
Here are three delicious options, the first is the classic Mincemeat recipe passed down in Myrtle Allen’s family for several generations. Of course, it contains suet so it’s moist and juicy and best eaten hot. The second, Emer Fitzgerald’s Mincemeat is vegetarian, it doesn’t include suet or butter and is also gluten free. The third, Brandy Mincemeat, does not include suet either, but does have butter.
Core and bake the whole apples in a moderate oven, 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4, for 30 minutes approx. Allow to cool. When they are soft, remove the skin and pips and mash the flesh into pulp.
Grate the rind from the lemons on the finest part of a stainless steel grater and squeeze out the juice and stir into the pulp. Add the other ingredients one by one, and as they are added, mix everything thoroughly.
Put into sterilized jars, cover and leave to mature for 2 weeks before using. This mincemeat will keep for a year in a cool, airy place.
odlums_ireland They say when it rains, look for rainbows…. Here’s one to brighten up your day! 🌈 Adrian made The Jack and Jill Rainbow Cake from the cover of the Odlums Big Book of Baking
Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3. Line the base and sides of a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with baking parchment.
Melt the butter, treacle and golden syrup in a small saucepan on a low heat, then set aside.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder into a bowl and stir in the spices, sugar and salt. In another bowl, whisk the egg, then add the milk and the melted butter mixture and pour into the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth – it will have a wet sloppy consistency.
Pour into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the oven for 50–55 minutes until risen and firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. (Wait for at least 45 minutes before opening the oven to check whether the gingerbread has cooked, otherwise it can collapse in the centre.)
While the gingerbread is cooking, make the syrup. Place the sugar and ginger in a small saucepan with 75ml (3fl oz) water, bring to the boil over a medium heat and boil, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened and syrupy.
Once the gingerbread is cooked, take it out of the oven and, leaving it in the tin, pierce it all over the top with a fine skewer, then pour the syrup over and leave to cool completely.
When the gingerbread is cold, take it out of the tin and serve.
MINI BANOFEE BITES 🍌🍫 This might be the best dessert I have ever made. They are packed full of fibre and made with just a handful of amazing ingredients all from your local @dunnesstores.