You don’t need to feed your kids junk food to help them put on weight. You probably wouldn’t want to either. But a good, wholesome treat now and then can really help. Use fresh, natural ingredients to keep your meals healthy and nutritious, but rather than using low-fat alternatives, stick to the full-strength options – full cream milk amd whole eggs. Your children will love the taste and the natural fats will help them to attain a good body weight, while keeping their eating habits in check.
Crumble
6 Granny Smith apples
1 cup flour
125g butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup rice crispies
Preheat oven to 180°C. Peel and cut the apples into eighths. Place and layer the apple wedges in an ovenproof dish. In a separate bowl, rub the flour, butter, sugar and cinnamon together till it resembles breadcrumbs. Add rice crispies to the mixture. Loosely sprinkle mixture over the apple, making sure there is an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes till the top is bubbling and golden. Serve hot or warm with hot or cold custard.
Custard
1L whole milk
1 vanilla pod, cut lengthways
5 free-range egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
In a heavy saucepan, bring the milk and vanilla pod to a simmer over medium heat. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar till pale. Pour the hot milk over the eggs making sure to whisk quickly so the eggs do not curdle. Return the mix to the saucepan and cook over low heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir till the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
Believe it or not, tempting fussy eaters can actually be a lot of fun. By smuggling veggies and healthy ingredients into your children’s meals, they will never know that their favourite foods are actually good for them as well. Take our meatballs and tomato sauce for example (always a favourite with kids), they’re jam-packed with celery, carrots, garlic and onions, which will help boost your child’s daily vegetable intake. You can also make the dish more exciting by adding brightly-coloured pasta made from spinach, pumpkin or beetroot. So put on your ‘sneaky’ cap and let your mischievous side run wild!
Napoli sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium or ½ cup chopped onion
½ cup cubed carrots
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup sliced leek
½ cup cauliflower florets
2 cans chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper
dried oregano (optional)
Meatballs
½ cup broccoli florets
500g lean mince beef
¼ cup finely grated carrots
¼ cup cubed cheddar
salt and pepper
For the Napoli sauce, in a medium saucepan heat the olive oil on medium and gently sauté all the vegetables till soft. Turn off the heat and puree with a hand blender. Return to a low heat and add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar and seasoning. Cook for 20 minutes.
For the meatballs, steam the broccoli and when soft, blend into a smooth puree. Allow to cool. In a bowl mix together the beef mince, grated carrots, cheddar and broccoli puree. Season before forming and make small bite size balls. Heat some olive oil in a pan on medium and fry the meatballs till golden brown on each side. You might have to cook them in batches. Add them to the Napoli sauce and heat them up for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with pasta and grated cheese. Makes 46 small meatballs
Tip: Be creative and sneak in other veggies, like sweet potato. Simply cook, puree and add to your Napoli sauce base.
Tip: Meatball options are endless – you can add chopped water chestnuts for crunch or finely chopped herbs and spinach for colour. Just be sure to add breadcrumbs to help bind the mixture if you add any water-laden vegetables.
There’s nothing kids love more than eating raw cookie dough (not to mention a couple of us adults too!). Raw egg, however, can be unsafe for young children and discretion should be used when letting your kids lick the leftovers in the baking bowl.
For a tasty batch of biscuits, try these delicious oatmeal bikkies. Similar to Anzac biscuits, they contain no egg, making them yummy and safe, eaten before or after their time in the oven.
But, if you can manage to make your children wait until they’re cooked, cooled and wonderfully chewy, they’re perfect to dunk in a glass of cold milk… about the only thing kids love more than eating raw dough!
Oatmeal Bikkies
1 cup plain flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup or honey
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 tablespoons boiling water
Heat the oven to180°C. Grease or line a large baking tray with baking paper. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, oats, coconut and brown sugar. Stir. In a small saucepan, melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup. Bring to the boil and continue cooking for a 2-3 minutes until thick. Mix the bicarbonate of soda with water. Carefully pour the bicarb mix into the hot syrup (it will get very frothy) and stir to combine. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix well. Spoon dollops of the dough onto prepared tray and bake for 15-20 minutes depending on the size of your biscuits. Cool and store. Will keep for a week in an airtight container. Makes 10 large biscuits
Tip: Make sure to leave a couple of centimetres distance between each biscuit as they will spread in the oven.
Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen
When it comes to sweet treats, kids do love their chocolate. But you needn’t go overboard to keep them happy – a little chocolate can actually go a long way. Simply throw in some colourful sprinkles and a medley of fun-shaped fruits and you’ve got a carnival-esque collection of treats no child will be able to turn down. Bursting with sweet fruit flavour (and just a drizzle of chocolate), they’re a healthy alternative, but with all the fun!
There are no hard and fast rules here. In fact, for true carnival flair the more carefree the better. Here’s a couple of ingredients we used…
Banana
Mango
Grapes
Pineapple
Rockmelon
Watermelon
Marshmallows
Chocolate – milk, dark and white
Crushed peanuts
Toasted coconut
Selection of sprinkles
Cut fruits into desired shapes. Melt chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir. If required, melt for an additional 30 seconds. Drizzle melted chocolate over fruits and decorate as desired.
Tip: You can use any fruit under the sun. For older children, you can also use caramel instead of chocolate, but be careful as it is very hot.
Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen
With a chop, stir and a pour, turn last night’s leftovers into a gourmet schoolyard lunch.
With the end of the holidays here, send your kiddies back to school with something a little more interesting than your standard sandwich. But you needn’t go over the top, in fact, far from it. Last night’s leftovers provide a treasure trove of tasty options, not to mention being a great way to clear out your fridge. Use leftover spaghetti Bolognese in a crusty bread roll with crisp lettuce for a gourmet snack, or make a delicious frittata out of Sunday night’s roast. Your children will be the envy of the playground, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised when their lunch box actually comes back empty…
Roast Chicken and Corn Fritatta
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ brown onion, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, cut into small cubes and cooked
1 cup cooked chicken meat, shredded or cut into small pieces
½ cup corn kernels or peas
4 eggs
pinch of dried oregano
salt and pepper
¼ cup grated cheese
Preheat oven to 170°C. Spray a medium ovenproof dish with vegetable oil spray.
Heat the olive oil in a frypan on medium. Cook onions till translucent and soft. In a bowl combine the onions, potatoes, chicken and corn/peas. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the dried herbs and seasoning. Place the chicken mix in the prepared dish and top with the egg mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes till golden and firm. Serves 4-6
Tip: You can use any meat or vegetable you have left over from the night before. Roasts work wonderfully. The fritatta will keep, covered in the fridge for 2 days.
Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen
Brightly coloured, mushy and squishy, it’s little wonder that play dough is a perennial favourite with kids the world over.
The ultimate in creative pastimes, look on in awe as your kids wile away the afternoon turning blobs of goo into works of art. And although store-bought versions are good, why not make your own – it’s all part of the fun. What’s more, it’s completely edible, so there’s no need to worry if your kids take an accidental nibble…
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 cups water
4 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons food colouring
Mix the flour, salt and cream of tartar in a large saucepan then gradually add the remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat until a ball forms. Remove from the heat and knead till smooth. Store in a zip-lock bag.
Tip: Make sure to remove all excess air and store in an airtight bag. The dough will keep for months. If it dries out, simply add a few drops of water and re-knead.
Holiday Decorations
Take play dough a step further and use it to make decorations for the Christmas tree, or a multi-coloured mobile for the bedroom. It’s a great way to get the kids involved and to get their creative juices flowing. Be as inventive and imaginative as you can. Use seeds, old bottle tops, wine corks or anything you have lying around in the house to decorate the play dough shapes. The kids will love going on a treasure hunt!
Bake play dough shapes in the oven at 150°C for 40 minutes or till hard. Once cool, decorate the shapes by using glue.
Tip: Remember to make a hole in each shape before baking so you can thread some string threw it later for hanging. You can use a skewer, straw or pointed knife to make the holes.
Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen
With vivid colours and a sweet tang, these iceblocks look and taste just like store-bought treats.
Using nothing but fresh fruit, these frozen afternoon treats burst with natural flavour. They’re like a delicious smoothie, but on a stick. You can use any combination of fruits and vegetables you have in your fridge. Experiment – it’s a great way of getting your kids involved. All you need to do is invest in a couple of iceblock moulds, dust off your blender and away you go.
Funky Flavour Ideas
* Carrot, kiwifruit and pear with a squeeze of orange
* Banana and avocado with a touch of lime
* Fresh strawberries and raspberries with a squeeze of lemon
How to …
Loosely chop all the ingredients and pop into a blender. Add some sugar and blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add some water while blending. Pour into moulds and freeze till set.
Tip: Once frozen, the mixture will loose some of its flavour and sweetness, so make sure to add enough sugar. Make a couple of different flavours at the same time. If you run out of moulds, put the remainder of the mix in ziplock bags and use old-fashion wooden sticks.
Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen
Turn boring cereal into a fun-filled treat for your children with these delicious, healthy muffins.
1 cup muesli 
¾ cup self-raising flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 heaped tablespoons hazelnut spread
1 whole egg
½ cup full-cream milk
Heat the oven to 180°C. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin well with vegetable oil spray, or line with paper cases. In a large bowl, combine the muesli, self-raising flour, baking powder and brown sugar. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the hazelnut spread, egg and milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir till just combined. Spoon the mix into the prepared muffin tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes till firm and springy. Allow to cool before serving. Makes 12
Tip: Replace the muesli with any cereal you have in the cupboard. Ice the muffins with some extra hazelnut spread softened in the microwave for 10 seconds on high.
Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen
Need to feed the kids fast? Not much in the fridge? Try these ideas for quick kid-friendly pizza.
Bases
* Small store-bought pizza bases
* Lebanese bread
* Corn/wheat tortillas
Toppings
- Pre-made tomato pasta sauces
- Pesto mixed with chopped tomato
- Ricotta cheese and herbs
- Use different coloured vegetables to make funny shapes and faces. Try grated zucchini, sliced mushrooms and grated carrot for hair, and corn, peas and cherry tomatoes for eyes.
- Incorporate tuna, or salmon, as a topping to increase your children’s intake of Omega 3.
Dessert Pizza
- Use chocolate spread as the base, and top with fruit such as strawberries and bananas, or (for an even sweeter treat) marshmallows.
- Use jam, or cream cheese, as the base instead of chocolate spread.
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
½ cup butter
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Bring sugar and molasses to the boil. Allow to cool and then add the butter and beaten eggs. Mix all the dry ingredients together and then add the wet ingredients. Mix well and allow to rest in the fridge till cool. Roll the dough to ½ cm and cut out. Place on baking paper and bake for about 15 mins at 180°C. Cool and decorate with icing and cake decorations.
Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen
