Our brand new kid-friendly recipes will have everyone leaving the dinner table happy, healthy and satisfied without feeling bloated.. Plus, they are quick and easy to make: exactly what we want to hear when racking our brains to find the best option for a busy weeknight dinner!

Beef & Mushroom Stew with Mini Dumplings

Serves 6

 

Ingredients:

Stew:

± 1.2 kg stewing beef

50g flour

2 leeks, washed & sliced

2 medium carrots, peeled & sliced

2 celery stalks, sliced

2 sprigs rosemary

4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1L beef stock

4 shallots, peeled & halved

500g white button mushrooms, quartered 

Dumplings:

100g self raising flour

50g butter, cold and cubed

Pinch sea salt

1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

± 60ml cold water

Olive oil, for cooking

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Method:

For the stew:

Preheat oven to 160˚C.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large heavy-based pot over a medium heat. 

Place the beef in a bowl, toss with the flour and season well with salt and pepper. 

Add the seasoned meat to the hot oil and brown all over.

Remove and set aside. 

Heat another drizzle of oil in the same pot.

Add the leeks, carrots, celery and herbs. Sauté. 

Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute. 

Add the balsamic and stock, making sure to scrape any stuck brown bits off the bottom of the pot. 

Return the browned beef to the pot along with the shallots. 

Bring to a simmer, cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours until the meat is fall apart tender.

When the stew is almost done cooking, make the dumplings:

Place the flour, butter and salt into a bowl. 

Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Add the chopped parsley and mix well. 

Add 2-3 Tbsp water at a time and knead into a soft dough. 

Shape the dough into small balls. 

Remove stew from the oven.

Turn heat up to 180˚C, with the fan on.

Stir the mushrooms into the stew.

Cover the surface of the stew with the little dumplings, spacing them evenly all over.

Cover with the pot lid and return to the oven for 15 minutes. 

Carefully remove the lid and bake for a further 15 minutes until the dumplings are golden. 

Scoop the stew into bowls, dividing up the dumplings and enjoy! 

Beef, Bean & Mushroom Sliders with Homemade Tomato Sauce

 

Makes ± 12-15 sliders, depending on size 

Ingredients:

Patties:

1 x 400g tin black beans, rinsed, drained and lightly mashed 

250g portabellini mushrooms, finely sliced 

1 large white onion, diced 

500g beef mince

50g panko breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped 

Homemade tomato sauce:

1 x 400g tin tomato purée

40g brown sugar

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

½  tsp onion powder

1 tsp celery salt

To serve:

12-15 white slider buns / mini burger buns

(Many bakeries also call these cocktail buns) 

Mayonnaise

Lettuce leaves

Sliced tomato

Sliced red onion

Olive oil, for cooking

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Method:

To make the tomato sauce:

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat.

Stir gently until everything comes to a light simmer.

Cover and reduce heat to low.

Simmer for 15 minutes for the flavours to develop. 

Taste to adjust seasoning. 

Cool.

For the patties:

Preheat a braai to medium high heat. 

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan. 

Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown. 

Add the onion and a pinch of salt. 

Cook until tender, golden and lightly caramelised. 

Place in a large bowl. 

To the bowl add the black beans, beef, breadcrumbs and parsley.

Season well with salt and pepper. 

Mix thoroughly until very well combined. 

Shape mixture into patties. 

It is a good idea to check the size of your slider buns and make your patties are just larger than the buns as they will shrink during cooking. 

Brush patties all over with olive oil and braai until golden brown on both sides. 

You can also bake them in the oven or cook them on the stovetop. 

Allow the patties to rest. 

Build sliders with your favourite burger toppings. 

Add a generous dollop of homemade tomato sauce to each slider and enjoy! 

Cheesy Mushroom Macaroni

 

Serves 8

Ingredients:

500g portabello mushrooms

350g macaroni or similar short pasta 

500g medium fat cream cheese

100g cheddar cheese, grated 

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

Pinch of nutmeg

1 Tbsp fresh chives, minced

100g cheddar cheese, grated 

15g / 3 Tbsp breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Fresh basil leaves, for serving 

28 x 18 cm baking dish

Method:

Preheat oven to 200˚C, fan on.

Place portabellos on a large baking tray, season with salt and pepper. 

Roast in the middle of the oven for ±7 minutes until tender and juicy. 

Allow mushrooms to rest, drain off their liquid and slice into large chunks.

In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook the macaroni until al dente.

Using a jug, scoop out a generous cup of pasta cooking water and set aside.

Drain the macaroni.

While the macaroni is cooking, place cream cheese, cheddar, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder and nutmeg in a large saucepan. 

Switch heat onto very low and allow everything to melt together. 

When the cream cheese is almost melted, pour in a little pasta water, mixing well until you achieve a smooth silky sauce. 

Add the drained macaroni and the fresh chives, stir to combine. 

Keep adding a little extra pasta water to keep things saucy. 

Finally fold in the large chunks of roasted mushrooms.

Taste to adjust seasoning. 

Scoop mixture into a baking dish and top with remaining cheddar and breadcrumbs. 

Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 – 15 min until the top is golden brown and bubbling.

Scoop into bowls, top with some fresh basil and enjoy! 

Veggie Loaded Spaghetti Cake

Serves 8

Ingredients:

320g spaghetti

250g brown mushrooms, sliced 

1 large onion, diced

1 large carrot, peeled & diced

200g baby spinach

200g cherry tomatoes, halved 

250ml cream

150ml milk

4 large free-range eggs, beaten

100g cheddar cheese, grated

Olive oil, for cooking

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Grated parmesan, for serving 

Method:

Preheat oven to 180˚C.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.

Cook the spaghetti until it is just shy of al dente.

Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking.

Set aside.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large frying pan. 

Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown. 

Remove from the pan and set aside. 

Add a fresh glug of oil and cook the onion and carrot until tender. Add the baby spinach and switch off the heat, just letting it wilt.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the cream, milk, eggs and cheese. 

Season well with salt and pepper. 

Add all the veggies and the spaghetti to the cream mixture and toss to combine.

Mix well so the veg is evenly distributed throughout the spaghetti. 

Transfer mixture to a baking dish.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top and the filling has just set. 

Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes. 

Sprinkle the top with grated parmesan. 

Slice into chunky wedges and serve with a green side salad.