Recipe Book - Pear Tree Childcare

Recipe Book
Cook Our Fantastic Nursery Meals at Home
Healthy, delicious meals with a few treats!
If I had £1 for every time a parent asks for the recipe for one of the meals
served up at our nurseries, I would be able to retire! Of course I can only take
credit for hiring our fantastic cooks, not for creating heathy and delicious food
day in, day out. Our chefs are responsible for inspiring your children to become
little foodies with her nursery favourites and occasional treats.
We love lunchtime at Pear Tree Childcare, our busy kitchens are always
preparing a homemade hot meal for every child; and staff too. I always think
it’s a sign of a great nursery or school cook if the staff are as keen to eat their
meals and the children!
Meals are a social affair at Pear Tree Childcare with everyone siting down to
eat together and food is presented in serving dishes so that children can selfselect. We rarely have any leftovers.
So I am delighted to be able to share with you our first ever recipe book!
Exclusive to friends and family of the Pear Tree Childcare. Now you can
recreate at home your child’s favourite meals and ensure they get a healthy,
balance diet through good old fashioned home cooking. Enjoy!
Neil Dudman
The Recipes
Snacks and Starters
Leek and Potato Soup
Cheese Straws
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p4
Main Meals
Lamb Tagine
Chicken Chasseur
Spaghetti Bolognaise
Chicken and Vegetable Pie
Fish Cakes and Herby Sauce
Hungarian Pork Goulash
Beef Stew and Dumplings
Lamb and Mint Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Sweet Treats
Basic Cookie Mix
Basic Sponge Mix
Flapjacks
Carrot Cake
Chocolate Brownies
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p6
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p10
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p16
p17
p18
Leek and Potato Soup
Ingredients:
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4 Leeks chopped
4 large potatoes peeled and chopped
1 ½ pints vegetable stock
½ pint of milk
Put the leeks, potatoes in a saucepan and add the stock and milk. Cook for
about 20minutes or until potatoes are soft. Cool slightly and then put in a
food processor and blitz. Season and add a little more milk if too thick.
Serve with warm crusty bread.
Cheese Straws
Ingredients:
• 2oz margarine
• 3oz S.R flour
• 3oz grated cheese (strong)
• 1 egg yolk to bind
Rub the margarine and flour together and add the
cheese, mix together with the egg yolk. Roll out ¼ thick and cut into
finger lengths. Put on a greased tray and cook for 1015minutes until
golden brown.
Why not add some ham, bacon or onions to the mix?
Lamb Tagine
Serves 4
Ingredients:
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2pks diced lamb
1 chopped onion
½ dozen dried apricots chopped
2 sliced carrots
½ tsp each of cumin, paprika, Turmeric and
garlic
¼ tsp cayenne
2 tbs coriander
2 pts vegetable stock
Small pot of plain yoghurt
Put the lamb, onion, carrots and apricots in a pan and brown off a little, add
the tomato puree and spices and mix well.
Stir in the stock and bring to the boil and simmer for approx. 1 ½ hours or till
lamb is cooked, adding more stock if required. Season and thicken as
required.
Stir in the yoghurt.
Serve with couscous and roasted vegetables.
Chicken Chasseur
Serves 4
Ingredients:
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500g Diced Chicken
1 sliced onion
250g diced bacon pieces
150g sliced mushrooms
2pts chicken stock
1 tbs mixed herbs
Put the bacon and onions in a hot pan to brown, add the diced chicken and
stir.
Add the mushrooms and herbs and mix well.
Add the stock and simmer for 40minutes and thicken if required.
Serve with rice.
Spaghetti Bolognaise
Serves 4
Ingredients:
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500g beef mince
1 1/2pt beef stock
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
1 chopped onion
2 tbs tomato puree
Put the mince and onions in a pan and cook until all brown. Add the tomato
puree and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes and mix well then add the stock and cook for 40
minutes. Thicken with a few gravy granules if required.
Serve with long spaghetti and parmesan cheese.
Chicken and Vegetable Pie
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
• 3oz margarine
• 6oz plain flour
• Water to bind
For the filling:
• White sauce mix or if you’re feeling brave make your own with butter,
flour and milk.
• 8 oz mixed diced vegetables – peppers/courgettes/onion and
mushrooms
• 8 oz cooked diced chicken
• 1 tsp vegetable bouillon
Put the diced vegetables in a pan and sweat cook on a low heat for 10-15
minutes and add 1tsp of vegetable bouillon.
Add the diced chicken and white sauce.
Make the pastry, roll out and put into a shallow dish, put in the chicken mix.
Roll out the rest of the pastry to cover ensuring you have wet the edges with
egg wash so it sticks. Egg wash all over and cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes
until golden brown.
Fish Cakes and Herby Sauce
Ingredients:
• 1 pk boneless frozen cod fillets
• 1 x 400g tin tuna in brine
• 2 sweet potatoes and 4 large potatoes
cooked and mashed
• Breadcrumbs
• ½ pt white sauce
• 1tbs mixed herbs
Cook the fish in water then drain and flake apart then mix with the tuna.
Mix in the mashed potatoes and mould into small rounds and toss in the
breadcrumbs.
Cook in the oven for 10-15minutes until nice and crispy.
Make your white sauce and add the mixed herbs.
Serve with new potatoes and peas, pouring the sauce all over.
Hungarian Pork Goulash
Serves 4
Ingredients:
• 2pks diced pork
• 2tbs paprika
• 1 ½ pts vegetable stock
• 1 sliced onion
• 1tbs tomato puree
• 1 x tin of chopped tomatoes
Put the onions and pork in a pan and cook off for a few minutes until
browned.
Add the tomato puree and paprika and mix well. Add the tomatoes and stock
and simmer gently for about 1 hour and then thicken if required.
Serve with rice or tagliatelle and a green salad.
Beef Stew and Dumplings
Serves 4
Ingredients:
• 2 pks of diced beef
• 1 sliced onion
• 2 sliced carrots
• 6 sliced mushrooms
• 2 pts of beef stock
Dumplings:
• 2oz Atora suet
• 4oz Self raising flour
• Mixed herbs
Cook the beef, onions and carrots in a pan for a few minutes and then add the
beef stock and cook for a further 1 ½ - 2hrs. Thicken with a few gravy granules
if required.
Make the dumplings – mix flour, suet and a spoonful of herbs with a small
amount of water to make dough.
Roll into 8 balls and put in the pan with the cooked stew. Put lid on and cook
gently for 10minutes.
Serve with mashed potato and vegetables.
Lamb and Mint Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
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500g Minced Lamb
1pk stuffing mix
2tbs dried mint
2tbs tomato ketchup
The Sauce
2 or 3 tins of chopped tomatoes
2tbs dried mint
1tbs sugar
2tsp stock powder
Mix the meatball mix well all together in a large bowl and shape into small
balls. Put in a tray and cover with tin foil and cook in the oven for
4045minutes.
Blitz all the sauce mix together and simmer for 20minutes. Pour your sauce
over the meatballs and serve with spaghetti.
Basic Cookie Mix
Ingredients:
• 12oz S.R flour
• 8oz margarine
• 4 oz caster sugar
Put all the ingredients together in a food processor or mix by hand. Roll in to a
long sausage and cut into small rounds. Place on greased tray and flatten
slightly using your fingers. Cook in the oven for about 10-15 minutes.
Variations:
Why not add some chocolate chips to the mix and orange essence.
You could try adding some dried fruit such as apricots, cherries or raisins.
If you want to make chocolate cookies just add some coco powder to the
dough mix.
Basic Sponge Mix
Ingredients:
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8oz self raising flour
8 oz caster sugar
8oz margarine
4 eggs
Vanilla essence
Cream together the margarine and sugar until white and fluffy. Add the eggs
one at a time and then mix in the flour and add the vanilla essence if required.
Put in greased tins and bake for 15-20mins until golden and spongy.
Variations:
Add some coco powder for a yummy chocolate sponge.
Add some dried fruit.
Add some fresh pineapple rings or apple.
Flapjacks
Ingredients:
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9oz dark brown sugar
7oz golden syrup
Porridge oats
1 oz flour
12g margarine
Put the margarine, golden syrup and sugar in a pan and melt. Whisk in the
flour and then add the oats and mix well. Put in a greased tin and cook for
about 20minutes or longer if you like them crispy. Loose the edges in the tin
and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Cut into small rectangular pieces and remover
form the tin. Enjoy!
Why not add some dried fruit to the mix or chocolate chips?
Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
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8oz self raising flour
8oz margarine
8oz caster sugar
4 eggs
2 grated carrots
1 x tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg and
allspice
• Walnuts and sultanas (optional if just for the grownups!)
Cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy then add the
eggs slowly. Add the flour and spices and mix.
Fold in the grated carrots and then pour into two 2x8 tins or one 8x10 tin, Cook
for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Ice with cream cheese mixed with icing sugar, and decorate with some grated
carrot.
Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients:
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165g light brown sugar
165g unsalted butter
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbs plain flour
1 tbs coco powder
100g cooking chocolate
Whisk the eggs and sugar until very light and fluffy. Melt the butter and
chocolate together and pour into the sugar and egg mix. Add the vanilla and
whisk together.
Sift in the flour and coco and fold into the mix carefully with a metal spoon.
Pour the mix into a greased shallow brownie tin and cook in the oven for
20mintues (Gas5) until cooked. The top should look slightly cracked. Leave to
cool and cut into small pieces.
Why not add dried cherries or cranberries to the mix?
We hope you enjoy these recipes and have many successful meals using them
with your family!
If you are looking for a nursery in Farnborough, Pirbright or North Camp why
not visit our website to see what we offer in your area:
www.peartreechildcare.co.uk
If you would like to make an appointment to visit please do call us on 01252
757110 or call the individual setting direct.
Alternatively email [email protected]