It’s so easy to reach for the fish fingers and waffles and give little ones a lunch you know they’ll love. But with even a tiny bit of time, you’ll be amazed at what you can whip up in the kitchen.
To prove the point, Annabel Karmel has unveiled her latest batch of recipes, splashed deliciously across 220 pages in her new book. There are quick recipes, ingredients-based ideas, dishes for entertaining – from pasta bakes, to cakes and steaks – there’s pretty much everything you could ever need to feed a family at any age.
But the difference with this latest release – The Busy Mum’s Cookbook – is that you really don’t need hours on end to cook up these delicious storms.
There are 20-minute recipes for people who don’t have the time (or inclination) to cook, and oodles of quick and easy dinner ideas to get kids excited.
Try these easy Annabel Karmel recipes for size…
Chicken goujons wrapped in Parma ham
Makes 14 goujons
2 large skinless chicken breasts
7 slices Parma ham
2tsp runny honey
For the sauce
200g creme fraiche
2tbsp fresh green pesto
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6 and grease a baking tin.
Place the chicken breasts on a board. Cover them with cling film, then bash them with a rolling pin until they are slightly thinner. Remove the cling film and slice each breast into seven goujon-shaped strips.
Cut each slice of Parma ham in half. Wrap each goujon in a piece of Parma ham, then place on the prepared baking tray. Drizzle over the honey, then roast for 10 minutes, until cooked through and crisp.
Mix together the creme fraiche, pesto and lemon juice and season. Serve hot (heated through in a small saucepan) or cold with the crisp goujons.
Tastes great served with baked potato or sweet potato wedges.
Roasted vegetable galette
Serves 8
1 aubergine, cubed
1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
2 red onions, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
3tbsp olive oil
3 small courgettes, halved lengthways then sliced into crescent shapes
375g packet ready-rolled puff pastry
A little plain flour, for dusting
1 egg, beaten, for brushing
3tbsp sundried tomato paste
1tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 x 240g packets mozzarella cheese, sliced
75g Cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6, and put a baking sheet in the oven.
Put the aubergine, red pepper and onions on a baking tray. Toss with the olive oil and season to taste. Roast for about 20 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Add the courgettes, then roast for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to a rectangle roughly 35cm x 28cm. Score a 2cm border around the edge with a knife. Pierce the centre of the pastry several times with a fork and brush with a little of the egg wash.
Place on the preheated baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Remove from the oven, press down the centre within the scored line, spread with the sundried tomato paste and sprinkle with fresh thyme.
Arrange the cooled roasted vegetables on top. Season, arrange the mozzarella slices on top of the vegetables and sprinkle over the Cheddar. Brush the border of the pastry with a little more beaten egg.
Bake for about 10 minutes, or until browned on top and golden and crisp underneath. Remove from the oven, slice into eight rectangles and serve.
Apricot, raisin and chocolate cookies
Makes 20
100g unsalted butter, softened
100g light soft brown sugar
1 large egg
150g porridge oats
75g self-raising flour, sifted
Pinch of salt
1tsp vanilla extract
50g dried apricots, roughly chopped
50g raisins
25g pecans, roughly chopped
100g dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4 and line two large baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.
Cream the butter with the sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy, then add the egg and beat again. Fold in the remaining ingredients until well incorporated.
Shape the cookie dough into 20 balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets, well spaced apart, and press down slightly to flatten.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden but still slightly soft in the middle. Leave to cool on the sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Annabel Karmel’s Busy Mum’s Cookbook is published by Ebury Press, priced £20.
