Time goes so quickly, two are teenagers now and one is a preteen. The days when only spaghetti Bolognese, tuna pasta and sausages hit the spot are gone. Their culinary horizons have broadened to include foods from Asia and South America.
They love to cook so I have chosen one recipe for each of them to try from My Food Bag & Nadia Lim’s Dinnertime Goodness which is full of family friendly healthy recipes.
I’m confident these recipes will work. They have been tested in both the My Food Bag kitchen but also by the home cooks who have My Food Bag delivered to their doorsteps. The recipes in Dinnertime Goodness were their favourites.
Teriyaki Tofu Sushi Bowls:
This dish of pickled ginger, seaweed sheets and teriyaki tofu has all the flavours of sushi without the fuss and ‘Food in a bowl’ is very trendy right now. It will be the perfect recipe for Granddaughter number One who is vegetarian. She’s a very confident cook who loves to plate up her food in a decorative way and dreams of travelling to Japan.
Beef and Pork Pie with Crispy Cheese Potato Top
Granddaughter number Two is passionate about pies, especially meaty ones, so for her I have chosen this simple version of good old Shepherd’s Pie. The recipe follows.
She has my artistic temperament and dislikes slavishly following instructions which could lead to a culinary disaster, especially as she doesn’t like me peeking over her shoulder as she cooks to give helpful advice.
Here’s hoping she’ll be able to bring it off and that the end result will be a tasty meal on our table!
Mexican Fish Soft Tacos with Kumara Wedges
This is the one for Granddaughter number three, our preteen. She is very methodical in the kitchen and will happily follow a recipe step by step. We can make it together as she still enjoys cooking with me. It sounds delicious!
The soft tacos in this dish are shop bought which saves time.The Mexican seasoning recipe is at the back of the book. It will be a good little challenge for her to make this from scratch.
And for dessert? There are no dessert recipes in this book. So we’ll have ice creams in a cone, a healthy bowl of fruit or my signature dark chocolate mousse which is a perennial favourite!
BEEF AND PORK PIE WITH CRISPY CHEESE POTATO TOP
This hearty pie, topped with sliced potatoes and melted cheese, is sure to be popular with the kids.
Break up the mince with a wooden spoon as it cooks — this prevents it clumping together and speeds up the cooking time.
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
300g pork mince
300g beef mince
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped
thyme leaves
1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
2 carrots, grated
1 x 400g can tomatoes
Crispy cheese potato top
800g potatoes, peeled and sliced into very thin (2–3mm) rounds
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon finely chopped
thyme leaves
1½ cups grated cheese (e.g. tasty, Edam, Colby)
Veggies
1 head broccoli
2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
Preheat oven to 220°C. Set aside a medium-sized casserole dish (measuring about 20cm x 30cm).
1. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large fry-pan on medium heat. Cook onion, garlic and mince for about 5 minutes or until browned, breaking meat up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add herbs, paprika and carrot and cook for a further 1 minute.
2. Add tomatoes and simmer for about 4 minutes, until sauce has thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. While mince mixture simmers, prepare topping. In a medium-sized bowl, toss sliced potato, melted butter and herbs together until well combined. Season with salt.
4. Transfer mince mixture to casserole dish. Arrange potato slices on top, overlapping, in rows, then sprinkle with cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Turn oven grill to high and grill pie for about 2 minutes, or until cheese is golden.
5. Bring a medium-sized pot of salted water to the boil. When pie has 10 minutes cook time remaining, cut broccoli into small florets. Lightly boil or steam broccoli and peas until bright green and just tender. Drain, then season with salt and pepper.
To serve, divide beef and pork pie with crispy cheese potato top among plates and serve veggies on the side.
Energy 2804kj / 671kcal
Protein 42.8g
Carbohydrate 34.4g
Fat 39.0g
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Ready In: 65 minutes Serves: 5
Recipe extracted from Dinnertime Goodness by My Food Bag & Nadia Lim, published by Penguin NZ, RRP: $45.00. Photography by Tam West.
Reviews by Lyn Potter. Read more by Lyn here.