Fun recipes for kids

Gluten-free cooking with your child is a great way to involve and educate them in their new diet.  Here are some useful recipes.

• Pitta Bread Pizza - from Livwell
• Quick Korma and Naan Bread - from Livwell
• Tasty Breakfasts - from Livwell
• Hot Cross Bun and Butter Pudding - from Livwell
• Ice lollies
• Cakes
• Home-made chicken / fish nuggets

Pitta Pizza Bread
Perfect for lunch, dinner or even a mid-morning snack!

Makes : 1 pizza
Preparation Time : 5 minutes
Cooking Time : 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1  Livwell  pitta bread
150g can gluten-free baked beans in tomato sauce
25g cheese of choice that grates or crumbles and melts


METHOD

1. Warm the Livwell pitta bread under a moderate grill and heat the beans through gently in a saucepan.
2. Pile the beans onto the Livwell pitta bread and crumble or grate the cheese over the top.
3. Grill until the cheese melts and starts to bubble
4. Cook's Tips: The variations are endless! Instead of beans use a small tin of chopped tomatoes on the pitta bread. Try other tasty toppings with your cheese like flaked tuna and sweetcorn, mushrooms, and diced lean ham or turkey

Quick Korma and Naan Bread
A classic curry that's quick to make.

Serves: 4
Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time : 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

50g butter
2-3 medium onions, sliced                                                                    
3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
4cm/1 ½ inch fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cardamom or seeds from 6 cardamom pods lightly crushed
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (for mild, increase if like hot)
50g almonds or cashews
2 bay leaves
4 boned chicken breasts
125ml yoghurt
125ml cup double cream
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
Long grain rice
Livwell naan bread

METHOD

1. Melt the butter in a deep, heavy bottomed saucepan, add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook for about 5 minutes until golden over a medium-low heat. It is essential not to burn the butter, add a little oil if it is browning.
2. Add the spices, nuts and bay leaves and cook for 3 minutes stirring frequently.
3. Cut the chicken into large bite-size pieces. Add to the pan, stirring to colour it a little, then pour in 250 ml of boiling water. Season with salt and pepper and leave to simmer for about 15 minutes until the chicken is tender.
4. Mix the yoghurt and cream together then stir it into the chicken and spice mixture. It needs to simmer very gently for 4-5 minutes, without boiling, which will curdle it.
5.  Serve with the chopped coriander scattered over plain boiled rice to soak all the creamy spicy sauce and Livwell nann Bread. To warm the bread, sprinkle with water and wrap in foil and then place in the oven for approx 6 minutes at 180°C.
   

Tasty Breakfasts

Try some of these tasty breakfast ideas using Livwell's muffins and bagels….. the whole family will love them!

Toast a muffin and top it with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon.

Toast a split bagel and fill with a selection of delicious fillings…. try creamed cheese and smoked salmon. Alternatively, use lightly cooked spinach with a poached egg and a slice of ham on top or simply fill with crispy bacon……a real treat!

Hot Cross Bun and Butter Pudding

Serves: 6
Preparation time : 15 minutes 
Cooking time : 35 minutes 
Oven temperature : Preheated at 180°C/170°C Fan/350°F/Gas Mark 4

INGREDIENTS

6  Livwell gluten free Hot Cross Buns
50g Unsalted Butter
3 Medium Egg Yolks
3 Medium Whole Eggs
50g Caster Sugar
1 Lemon, Finely grated zest
½ tsp Mixed Spice
600 ml Whole Milk
Icing Sugar, sifted

Method

1. Preheat the Oven to 180°C. Prepare a bain marie by placing a roasting pan half full of warm water into the oven.
2. Using a 7cm round cutter, stamp out a round from the centre of each bun. Cut each bun horizontally into three and butter one side of each slice. Whisk together the remaining ingredients for the custard.
3. Place the base of each bun in a 200 ml ramekin and pour over some custard. Top each of the six with a middle slice, some more custard and finally with the crosses. Leave to soak for 20 Minutes, topping up with custard.
4. Bake in the bain marie for 35 minutes, until puffed and golden. Dust with icing sugar serve with pouring cream if you like.  
   

Ice lollies

Fruit juice lollies
Pour fruit juice of your choice into lolly moulds (the juice can be diluted with a little water if required) and freeze.

Yogurt lollies
4 x  60g tubs of fromage frais
Milk
Mix fromage frais and milk together pour into moulds and freeze.

Cakes

Victoria sandwich cake
This recipe will make a victoria sandwich or alternatively will make approximately 18 butterfly cakes
Sponge:
150g GF mix or flour
1 tsp GF baking powder
100g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
100g soft margarine

Buttercream:
100g icing sugar, sieved
50g butter
Vanilla essence

Place all cake ingredients into a bowl and beat well until light and fluffy.
Divide mixture into two sandwich tins or cake cases and cook in a pre-heated oven 190C/375F/Gas 5 for 20 –25 minutes (for victoria sandwich) or 10 –15 minutes (for butterfly cakes) until risen and firm to touch. 
Cool on a wire rack. For buttercream beat together icing sugar and butter until it is pale in colour.  Add a few drops of vanilla essence.
When sponge is cool fill with jam and buttercream.

Butterfly cakes
Make cakes using the above recipe.
When cakes are cold, cut a small circular disc 1cm deep from the centre of the cake.  Cut the disc in half. Fill the hole with buttercream and replace the two pieces of the disc on top of the buttercream to look like butterfly wings.

Variations
White chocolate – Replace 25g of flour or mix with 50g melted white chocolate
Chocolate - Replace 25g of flour or mix with 25g cocoa or 50g melted chocolate
Coffee & Walnut - Add 2 tsp coffee granules made into a paste & 50g chopped walnuts

Homemade chicken/fish nuggets

Serves 4  
375g chicken breast, cut into chunks or goujons (for fish fingers replace the chicken with 375g skinned cod fillet.)
1 egg, beaten
100g gluten-free breadcrumbs
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tbsp gluten free mix or flour
Pinch of garlic salt (optional)
Sunflower oil for frying

Combine the gluten-free breadcrumbs, dried mixed herbs and garlic salt.  Put the gluten-free flour into a shallow dish.  Beat the egg into another shallow dish. Dip the chicken in the flour, then in the egg and then into the breadcrumb mix.
Add oil to a large frying pan and cook chicken over a medium heat for 10 - 15 minutes, until cooked and golden, turning frequently.

Variations
Use crushed gluten-free cornflakes in place of the breadcrumbs.
Add 4 tbsp gluten-free desiccated coconut to the breadcrumbs.
Instead of frying put on a baking tray and put in a medium oven for chicken nuggets – 20 minutes and fish fingers – 12 to 15 minutes.