Hamburger Patties

This is my standard hamburger patty recipe. Suitable for 7-9mths+. Rich in iron and full of apple and carrot, they taste great and are good for your family too.

If feeding an older audience, I still use a similar basic recipe, but might add a little tomato sauce, salt, or other spices to the mix.

Hamburger Patties

600g lean beef mince

1 clove garlic, finely diced or crushed

1 onion, finely diced

1 carrot, finely grated

1 apple, finely grated (I like Royal Gala for the sweetness)

1 egg

2 tbsp iron fortified infant rice cereal

1/2 cup light mozzarella cheese

1 tsp dried Italian herbs

1. 
   
   Combine all ingredients in a large bowl
2. 
   
   Mix well with clean hands
3. 
   
   Form into patties and cook thoroughly
4. 
   
   Serve with a variety of salads, fresh bread rolls, and sliced cheese

Spiced Beef Patties

These spiced hamburger patties are a great way to expand your child's taste preferences. Serve them up with fresh salads and Greek yoghurt and let your family create their own hamburgers or wraps. 

Tasty even without the addition of salt. Suitable for babies 9mths+.

Spiced Beef Patties

800g extra lean beef mince

2 eggs

1 onion

1 garlic clove

1 carrot

1 apple, cored

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp chilli flakes (optional for older kids/adults)

Cracked pepper and salt to taste (salt optional)

1/2 cup grated cheese

1. In a food processor, blend onion, garlic, carrot, and apple. Add eggs to assist blending.
2. Combine pureed ingredients with meat, spices and cheese in a large bowl.
3. With clean hands, mix well and shape into flat patties.
4. Cook on a hot BBQ and serve immediately.
5. Also suitable for freezing.

Rigatoni and Meatballs

This is a classic comfort food and a firm favourite with kids. Spaghetti and meatballs is another serving option, but in my experience, rigatoni is easier and less frustrating for hungry little mouths to eat.

My version is a good source of iron, omega-3's and it also provides a sneaky serve of vegetables.

The meatballs cooked without the sauce are suitable for babies as finger foods from 7-9mths+.

Sauce

1tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 red onion, finely diced

4 anchovy fillets

400g can peeled whole Italian tomatoes

1 cup pureed steamed carrot

8 button mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp mixed dried herbs

Cracked pepper (and salt to taste)

Fresh basil

Meatballs

500g lean pork mince (you can buy Heart Smart pork mince at Woolworths)

500g lean beef mince

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 red delicious apple, finely grated

2 eggs

1/2 cup grated light mozzarella cheese

1. 
   
   Begin the sauce first. Heat oil in a large pan, then saute onion and garlic.
2. 
   
   Add remaining sauce ingredients, simmering gently while you prepare the meatballs.
3. 
   
   For the meatballs, combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with clean hands.
4. 
   
   Form small meatballs (roughly the size of plums) and place each gently in the simmering sauce. They will shrink slightly when cooked.
5. 
   
   Turn meatballs once and simmer gently until cooked through. If sauce looks too dry at any stage, add a little of the pasta water.
6. 
   
   Stir through fresh basil leaves before serving.
7. 
   
   Serve on top of fresh pasta with a side of green salad.

Steak and Mushroom Pie

Try this healthier homemade alternative to the traditional meat pie. Only a top layer of reduced fat puff pastry is used. The bottom layer consists of oven roasted potato slices. I used a pressure cooker to make the filling and achieve nice tender chunks of beef quickly.

Steak and Mushroom Pie

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

600g diced rump steak or casserole beef

2 potatoes, sliced in 1/2cm thick slices lengthways

8 button mushrooms

1/2 cup carrot puree

2 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup frozen peas

1 sheet reduced fat puff pastry

1. 
   
   Place potato slices on oven tray and roast until golden. Set to the side.
2. 
   
   Heat olive oil in pressure cooker. Saute onion and garlic, then add beef to brown.
3. 
   
   Add in all remaining ingredients except peas, and salt and pepper. Simmer until beef is tender and sauce has reduced.
4. 
   
   Turn off heat, add in peas and season with salt and pepper.
5. 
   
   To assemble pie, first line pie dish with roasted potato slices. Top with meat mix. Finally, lay puff pastry sheet on top.
6. 
   
   Trim pastry, pierce with steam holes.
7. 
   
   Bake pie in moderate oven for about 30min or until puff pastry is golden.

Best Ever Bolognese

Spaghetti bolognese is a family favourite in most homes. Kids love it and so do adults. I probably cook a dozen different versions of this sauce, but I have to admit that this is probably one of my favourites.

Usually, I finely grate or dice most of the vegetables, but in this version I have added them in cooked puree form. This naturally increases the volume of vegetables used and also thickens the sauce up nicely. The puree red capsicum adds real depth to the flavour and in conjunction with the red lentils, it boosts the antioxidant content of the meal. But make sure you add the lentils early on with enough liquid to allow them to simmer long enough to soften and dissociate.

Don't worry about the anchovies giving the dish a fishy flavour. You won't be able to taste them. However, they are a great way of adding salt to the dish as well as a few omega-3's. Italian dishes often list anchovies as a seasoning in recipes.

Best Ever Bolognese Sauce

1 tpsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

1 red onion, finely diced

2 anchovies

600g lean beef mince

1 tbsp mixed dried herbs

2 bay leaves

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp tomato sauce

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup red lentils (plus extra water)

4 ripe tomatoes, diced (or 400g can tinned peeled tomatoes)

1 cup red capsicum puree (equivalent to 2-3 peeled cooked red capsicums)

1/2 cup carrot puree

1 zucchini, finely grated

8 button mushrooms, finely sliced
Fresh chopped basil

Cracked black pepper and salt to season

1. 
   
   Heat olive oil in a large saucepan
2. 
   
   Saute onion and garlic, then add mince to brown
3. 
   
   Add tomatoes, purees, sauces, sugar, herbs, and red lentils. You may also need to add a little extra water at this point to make sure the lentils are covered.
4. 
   
   Bring to simmer then add remaining vegetables
5. 
   
   Simmer gently, stirring occasionally until lentils soften and begin to break up. Continue simmering until sauce thickens to desired consistency.
6. 
   
   Season with cracked black pepper and salt to taste
7. 
   
   Stir through a handful of fresh chopped basil and serve on fresh linguine topped with grated parmesan