Annabel Karmel’s Quick & Easy Family Dinners

It’s a Busy Time Of Year! But These Quick & Easy Family Dinners By Annabel Karmel Will Make Mealtimes A Breeze

Busy nights can sometimes leave you lacking inspiration come dinner time, but cooking from scratch doesn’t have to mean producing elaborate meals and spending hours in the kitchen. Leading children’s cookery author Annabel Karmel is here to help with these deliciously simple suppers!

Looking for more food inspiration? Unlock a world of exclusive recipes, insider news and special offers by downloading the Annabel’s handy Baby & Toddler Recipe App. This is the must-have app for delicious mealtimes (and clean plates!) Available via the app store or visit www.annabelkarmel.com for more information.   

Annabel Karmel fans like us? Here are few other recipes, you can try:

Annabel Karmel’s Sunshine Coolers
Pack In Their Five-A-Day With Help From Annabel Karmel
Annabel Karmel’s Bite-Size Favourites
Annabel Karmel’s Super Fuelled After School Snacks For End Of Term

Quick and easy to prepare, Annabel’s quesadillas have instant child (and adult) appeal.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Makes: 6 child portions

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
• 1 teaspoon runny honey or maple syrup (if serving to babies under 12 months old)
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 100g / 4oz fresh cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 50g / 2oz tinned drained sweetcorn
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 50g / 2oz grated Cheddar cheese
• 6 small tortilla wraps
• Yoghurt, for drizzling
• a pinch of paprika

 Method

1. Heat half the oil in a frying pan, add the chicken and honey and fry for 3–4 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
2. Add the remaining oil to the pan. Add the onion and thyme and fry for 5 minutes until soft. Add the tomatoes, sweetcorn, balsamic vinegar and chicken and cook for 2 minutes, then transfer to a bowl.
3. Wipe the frying pan clean. Add one of the wraps to the pan. Spoon a third of the chicken mixture on top, sprinkle with a third of the grated cheese and place another wrap on top.
4. Push down and fry for 2 minutes, then flip over and cook for another 2 minutes. Slice into wedges.
5. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, filling and cheese and serve the wedges, drizzled with yoghurt and sprinkled with the paprika.

The ultimate Cheat’s Cheese Sauce! It’s lighter than a roux-based sauce and it is made with vegetable stock. You can leave out the salmon and add extra veggies for a vegetarian version.

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 25-30 minutes

Makes: 6 child portions

Suitable for freezing

Ingredients

• 200 g/7 oz skinless, boneless salmon fillet
• A knob of butter
• 150 g/5 oz mini shell pasta
• 150 g/5 oz broccoli florets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 200 g/7 oz peeled butternut squash, deseeded and diced
• 250 ml/9 fl oz unsalted or weak vegetable stock
• 200 g/7 oz full-fat crème fraîche
• 150 g/5 oz cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
• 50 g/2 oz grated Parmesan cheese
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• A little salt and pepper (for babies over 12 months old)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
2. Put the salmon in the centre of a piece of foil, top with the butter and season with salt and pepper (if using). Fold the foil over the fish to make parcel, place it on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the oven, unwrap and flake the fish into large pieces.
3. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, adding the broccoli florets 2 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
4. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan, add the onion, garlic and squash and fry for 5 minutes, then add the stock, cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until the squash is tender. Remove the lid and stir in the crème fraiche and salmon. Stir in the pasta and broccoli until heated through, then remove from the heat. Add the tomatoes, Parmesan and lemon juice and serve.

Grated apple is the secret ingredient here. It makes the burgers succulent and tender, giving them a great flavour the whole family will love.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Makes: 20 mini burgers

Suitable for Freezing

Ingredients

• 75g white bread
• 1 small red onion chopped
• 100g grated carrot
• 50g grated apple
• 250g minced beef
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 25g parmesan, grated

Method

1. Put the bread into a processor and whiz until you get fine crumbs. Add the remaining ingredients and whiz again until finely chopped.
2. Remove the blade and using your hands, shape into 20 mini burgers.
3. Preheat the grill. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease.
4. Place the burgers on the baking sheet. Place under the grill for 5 minutes. Turn over and grill for another 3 to 5 minutes until lightly golden and cooked through.
5. Stamp out cheese stars with a cookie cutter and serve alongside sweet potato wedges.