I admit that the first line from the ingredients list below might be enough to turn some of you away but this dish is so tasty and packed full of goodness and in my opinion is well worth the effort. The combination of potato, fish and parsley makes it a complete dish and served with a bit of Dippy Dippy (ketchup) on the side it has proven to be incredibly popular with Jude. I found it in ‘Moro, The Cookbook’ and initially made the croquettes as a starter for some friends but have made it several times since and frozen it in portions of four which I have found to be plenty for a two year old.

Ingredients (Makes about 16 Croquettes):

225g salt cod, soaked for 24 hours in cold water in the fridge
600ml milk
2 bay leaves
½ medium onion
350g potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 dessert spoon finely grated onion
1 large bunch fresh flat-leaved parsley, roughly chopped
1 heaped teaspoon plain flour
750ml sunflower oil for deep frying
1 lemon, quartered
Sea salt and black pepper

Method:

While the salt cod is soaking, change the water two or three times.
Drain the fish and place in a saucepan with the milk, bay leaves and onion half and bring to the boil.
Turn down the heat and simmer gently for about 4 minutes until the fish flakes easily.
With a slotted spoon remove the fish and place in a bowl.
Put the potatoes in the same saucepan of simmering milk and cook for about 20 minutes until soft.
While the potatoes are cooking, go through the salt cod, discarding any skin and bones. (I admit I found this a bit horrible to do)
Now mash or shred the fish with your fingers or a potato masher, it should have no hard bits, but just be soft fibre. It’s best to do this when the fish is still warm as it goes gluey when cold.
When the potatoes are cooked remove them from the milk, bay leaves and onion and mash.
Mix the potato with the cod, grated onion, parsley and the teaspoon of flour. Make sure they are mixed thoroughly and check for seasoning.
Now you need to shape the croquettes, this is the nice bit….
Using two dessert spoons, scoop the mixture onto one of the spoons and with the help of the other spoon make a rough oval egg shape. Place on a floured board.
At this point they are ready to fry but will keep well for up to 24 hours in the fridge.
Put the oil in a saucepan and place over a medium heat for 4 minutes.
Test the temperature by adding a small piece of cod mixture, it should turn golden brown in one minute.
Cook the croquettes in two batches, lowering them into the oil with a slotted spoon, until they are amber in colour.
Lift out and place on some kitchen paper.
Serve with some Dippy Dippy (ketchup)!!!

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This dish, which a friend cooked for me once, hardly constitutes a recipe as it’s really just a matter of throwing a couple of ingredients on top of some pasta. However, for Jude who is a big blue cheese fan, it has proved incredibly popular. If your child or children aren’t used to blue cheese it might be a good idea to make the dish with a mild flavoured one, something like Dolcelatte might be good. I haven’t suggested the amounts you should use as it’s really a matter of what works for you but you may have to experiment a little!

Ingredients:

Pasta of your choice
Blue Cheese
Rosemary

Method:

Simply cook the pasta, then stir in some chopped blue cheese, allowing it to melt into the pasta. Then mix in a small handful of chopped rosemary and serve. Mmmm!

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The first thing I have to say before I begin is don’t be put off by the idea of homemade gnocchi – it’s incredibly quick and easy and tastes delicious. I came across the coriander pesto a few years ago in The Cranks Bible and it’s been a staple in our house ever since. I have altered it slightly as the original recipe states 6 cloves of garlic which I found a bit overpowering to say the least.

It’s the kind of recipe you can play around with though and alter to suit your taste. The only tedious part is removing the leaves from the coriander and you have to make sure that no stem gets into the pesto as it makes it really stringy. You can omit the chilli if you prefer and I usually forget to buy limes and so use lemon juice instead which works fine. Jude, my two year old, adores this dish.

Homemade Gnocchi with Coriander Pesto (serves 4)

Ingredients:

For the gnocchi:
500g potatoes
200g flour
Salt and pepper

For the pesto:
1 large much of coriander (about 6 ounces)
2 tbsp almonds
2 garlic cloves
4 tsp light olive oil
Juice of one lime
Dash of Tabasco
½ inch of red chilli chopped very small
Sea salt
Parmesan for serving

Method:

For the pesto simply pound the garlic and almonds with a pestle and mortar then add the chopped coriander leaves and all the other ingredients and pound until you have the desired texture.
For the gnocchi, peel and boil the potatoes until tender then mash well, adding the flour and seasoning.
Knead the mixture for a couple of minutes then roll it out into two long sausages, about ½ and inch thick. Cut the sausages into segments of about 1 inch long and plonk them all into boiling water until they rise to the top (about two minutes).
When draining the gnocchi save a little of the cooking water as this helps the pesto to spread over the gnocchi more easily.
Sprinkle with parmesan and eat.

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Tags: cooking, gnocchi, pesto

If any of you out there have the responsibility of cooking for a toddler on a daily basis you might find my posts of interest. You may also find yourself somewhat demented by domesticity but that’s probably another issue.

I personally enjoy cooking and I certainly like eating good food but having to cook everyday can be incredibly tiresome, especially when it’s for a discerning two year old who has no qualms about feeding his dinner to the cat if it’s not to his liking. The recipes I am going to pass on are not necessarily my own but ones I have come across in various cookbooks which have proven to be popular with adults and children alike. I’m not really keen on preparing two separate meals however coming up with a dish that everyone wants to eat presents challenges. My aim is therefore to pass on some recipe ideas which I have found to be quick and easy to prepare and which can be enjoyed by toddlers and their parents.

Pasta with Kale and Mascarpone

This is a really simple and tasty Jamie Oliver recipe which I modified slightly by substituting spinach with kale (as it’s in season and I have so much of it I don’t know what to do) and double cream with half fat crème fraiche (my concession to adult waistlines and cholesterol, after all there is already mascarpone in it which isn’t exactly low fat). The trick is to chop the kale really finely so that it’s evenly dispersed throughout; if my son sees large lumps of green on his plate he either eats around them or leaves the table.

Serves Two+1

Ingredients:

Pasta (1/2 pound)
Butter (2 teaspoons)
Olive oil
Garlic (2 cloves)
Kale (2 fistfuls)
Crème Fraiche (a good dollop)
Mascarpone (same as above)
Parmesan (to taste)
Salt and Pepper

Method:

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions.
Melt some butter and a little oil in a saucepan and gently sautee some thinly sliced garlic.
When it’s soft add the kale and wilt over a low heat with some seasoning.
Once the kale is nice and soft add a good dollop of crème fraiche and mascarpone.
When the pasta is cooked, drain but leave a little of the cooking water in it before adding the kale mix.
Let this simmer for a few minutes then serve with a sprinkling of parmesan.

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