Get the kids involved in the kitchen this week! Food writer Libby Kimber brings you some healthier, family-friendly recipes to try out these school holidays.
Triple berry hotcakes
Serves: 2 (4 portions per serving) | Prep: 5 mins | Cook: 8 mins
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 200g self-raising white flour
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- Pinch of salt
- 300g strawberries (fresh or frozen and defrosted)
- Butter, for frying
- 150g blueberries (fresh or frozen and defrosted)
To serve
- 150g fresh mixed berries
- 4 Tbsp Greek yogurt
- 1/2 tsp icing sugar
- Freeze-dried raspberries, for sprinkling
Method
- Blend all the ingredients except the blueberries together in a food processor to form a batter.
- Heat a little butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the batter per pancake, well-spaced apart and swirling the pan around so each pancake spreads out to the size of a CD. Scatter 1 tablespoon of the blueberries over the still-liquid surface of the pancake.
- Cook for 1 minute on each side, then remove from the pan and keep warm until you have used up all the batter to make 12 pancakes.
- Divide the mixed berries and yogurt among the pancakes, dust each serving with icing sugar and sprinkle with freeze-dried raspberries.
Sweet potato pasta bake
Ingredients
- 350g penne or other pasta
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 500g lean beef mince
- 400g sweet potato, peeled and coarsely grated
- 1 small zucchini, coarsely grated
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 400g can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup salt-reduced beef stock
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 50g baby spinach leaves
- 100g ricotta
- 1/2 cup (40g) grated parmesan
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts
Method
- Cook pasta in a large pan of salted, boiling water until al dente. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium pan on medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking up lumps with a spoon. Add sweet potato and zucchini. Cook for 2 minutes until softened slightly.
- Add tomato paste, tomatoes, stock and thyme. Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes until thickened slightly. Stir through spinach leaves until wilted.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 220°C (200°C) fan forced.
- Combine pasta and beef mixture in a 8-cup capacity ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with ricotta, parmesan and pine nuts. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.
Recipe and image courtesy of Australian Sweet Potatoes | australiansweetpotatoes.com.au
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