Dips, Spreads & Sauces

Cheats White Sauce

I always use this ‘cheats white sauce’ when making a lasagne - mostly because all you have to do is put 3 ingredients in a food processor and blend for 1 minute and you’re done- no grating, no heating, no stirring- but also because I think it actually tastes better than classic white sauce. 

These quantities makes enough for a small lasagne but just double up as necessary. Try it layered up with my vegetable bolognese for the best veggie lasagne that you’ll ever taste. No. Joke.

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250g mascarpone cheese

100ml whole milk

50g Parmesan cheese, roughly chopped

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Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend into a smooth sauce. Remove and layer up your lasagne.

Kale Pesto

Does anyone else buy kale and then forget they have it until a week later when it’s sad and wilted?! This 5-minute pasta sauce is the answer and it has become a complete midweek savour in our house (yes -really- the kids will love it!). I make it as soon as I buy kale and pop it in the fridge ready for an evening when we need a last minute dinner. It’s a great way to get kids to eat leafy greens as the olive oil and almonds give the sauce a creamy flavour and it’s obviously packed with so many amazing vitamins and nutrients. If you are vegan or eating a little more plant based these days then its also an excellent option- although we generally serve it with a big handful of Parmesan! 

Makes 4-6 pasta portions

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300g kale, stalks removed

4 garlic cloves

1/2 cup (120ml) olive oil

1/4 cup ground almonds

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp sea salt

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Fill a pan a little under halfway with water and bring to the boil. Add the kale and garlic. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and then add to the blender with the remaining ingredients (add the olive oil first to give the best consistency). Blend until you have a smooth green sauce. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks.

Red Pepper + Tomato Sauce

This recipe has been a complete staple in our house over the last 5 years. It’s ridiculously easy to make and I generally make a big batch and store in jam jars in the fridge for a few weeks making it perfect for whenever time and/or energy is short! Its also great as a tomato base on pizzas, mixed with beans for homemade boston beans, served with meatballs or stirred through rice for a quick tomato risotto. Easy, nutritious and versatile.

Makes 750 ml

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1 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, finely diced

2 red peppers red peppers, roughly chopped  

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 cups tomato passata or chopped tomatoes

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Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan and add the onion and pepper. cook for 5 minutes and then add the garlic. Cook for 1 minutes and then add 2 cups tomato passata or chopped tomatoes. Cook for 10 minutes on a low simmer and then blitz down to your desired consistency. 

Green Thai Curry

This curry sauce is ridiculously easy to make- you literally chuck all the herbs and spices into a blender and your sauce is done. Then all you need to do is fry some chicken (or prawns or tofu) along with whatever veggies you like and add the sauce. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 5-10 minutes. And that’s it. So much tastier and vibrant than buying a ready made paste from the supermarket shelf plus the girls love popping all the ingredients in the blender and watching it whizz around and magically change into the most glorious green sauce.

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Makes enough for 2 adults and 2 children

3 spring onions, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

15g fresh ginger, prepped weight

1 heaped tsp curry powder

25g fresh coriander, stalks and leaves

25g fresh spinach leaves

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp fish sauce

1 x 400g tin full fat coconut milk 

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Put all the ingredients in a blender and blitz to a purée. Serve as described above with a squeeze of lime.

Hidden Veg Guacamole

Avocados are having a bit of a moment and this guacamole recipe demonstrates why- deliciously creamy, wonderfully nutritious and ready in minutes. Oh and its great for breakfast, lunch or dinner- just serve with pitta bread or toast ready to dunk. Simple, fun for little hands (and maybe a tad messy).

50g courgette, roughly grated

10g peas

1 avocado, de-skinned, de-stoned and roughly chopped

1 spring onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 - 1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice.

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Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz down until a smooth puree. Serve within a few hours otherwise it will discolour. 

[Tip: if there is any left add 1/4 tsp sea salt and a good pinch of chilli flakes and enjoy!]

Basic Hummus

Great for snacks or a quick tea spread on toast- hummus is a wonderful source of complete protein, particularly if you are bringing up your child as a vegetarian.  I've added some flax to this recipe as its full of wonderful nutrients and just makes the recipe even better for your little ones (and yourself) but leave out if you don't have any. 

150g chickpeas

3 tbsp tahini

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

1 tsp flax meal, optional

2 tbsp olive oil

2-4 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tbsp cold water

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Place all the ingredients in a food processor except the water and begin to blitz down. After 30 seconds, add the water a tablespoon at a time and then continue to blitz for 1-2 minutes until you have a smooth puree. Remove and place in a sealable container. It will keep for 3-4 days.

just for adults or older kids? add 1/2 tsp sea salt

Pea & Basil Pesto

A good homemade pesto is worth its weight in gold and the addition of some peas makes this one extra good for you. For a quick snack it's wonderful just spread thinly on toast or tossed through vegetables for an extra hit of flavour.

25g frozen peas, defrosted

25g fresh basil, leaves only

5g pine nuts

10g Parmesan

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

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Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz down for 1 minute. Store in a sealed container in the refridgerator to prevent it from discolouring. [Note: add a little more lemon juice or even some garlic if you want to enhance the flavour]

Red Pepper Pesto

This is probably the easiest recipe yet- 3 ingredients (sweet peppers, salty Parmesan and a handful of pine nuts), 1 food processor and 1 minute of blitzing time. Unlike most pestos you don't need any olive - the jarred peppers usual retain quite a lot of moisture- but if you find your pesto is on the dry side then just add a tablespoon of olive oil to loosen it. We love it simply tossed through pasta or spread over leftover flatbread, topped with mozzarella cheese and toasted under the grill for a cheat's pizza.

Makes one jam jars worth

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250g jarred red peppers, drained weight

60g Parmesan, grated

45g pine nuts- (hazelnuts are also fantastic if you have no nut allergies)

freshly ground black pepper, optional

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Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz until a rough puree. Pour into a sterilised jam jar and keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Almond & Cocoa 'Nutella'

Nutella disappears in the blink of an eye in our household so I now make this mixed nut version that makes us feel a little better about the speed we consume it! Up until this weekend we have denied Maddie of its deliciousness despite innumerable out cries to have some. As expected- she loves it! If you don't want to give your little one(s) cocoa then just leave it out- the spread will still be delicious.

One small jam jars worth

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70g almonds

30g pecans

30g cashew nuts

30g banana, roughly chopped

30g dates, destoned and roughly chopped

1 tsp coconut oil

2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbsp water

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Place the nuts in a food processor and blitz for 5 minutes. Add the banana, dates and oil and continue for a further 10 minutes. Finally, add the cocoa and water and blitz for a finally 5 minutes until you have a smooth spread. Remove and store in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for 3-4 days but ours is always gone by the end of the weekend!

Strawberry Chia Jam

I love strawberry jam. Its one of those flavours that transports me back to childhood days in the sunshine (I'm clearly romanticising here because I was brought up in England!) Anyway, my husband strongly disagrees and is in the raspberry jam camp.  Thankfully Madeleine doesn't give two hoots and this recipe works equally well for both fruits (or even with a 50:50 combo) so its completely up to you which you choose! 

Makes one small jam jars worth

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250g strawberries, destalked weight

2-3 tsp maple syrup- depending on how ripe your fruit is

1 tbsp chia seeds

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Leave half the strawberries whole and cut the rest into quarters before placing in a small saucepan over a high-medium heat along with the maple syrup. Cook down for 10-15minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are almost completely broken down. I like to leave a few pieces still intact but that's completely up to you.

Remove from the heat and stir through the chia seeds. Whilst still hot pour into an airtight container and allow to cool before storing in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.

Homemade Peanut Butter

My daughter is particularly partial to peanut butter- its a regular go to snack at just about anytime of the day. This homemade recipe is utterly delicious and I find myself eating it straight from the jar without even realising. Its really straight forward and worth the noise of the Magimix running for 5 minutes! 

Makes one jam jars worth

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300g peanuts

2 tsp honey

2 tsp olive oil

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Preheat the oven to 200oC and place the peanuts on a large baking tray in one thin layer. Toast for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove and straight away place in a food processor. Blitz for 4 minutes by which time it should be a smooth paste. Add the honey and olive oil and blitz for a final minute. Remove and carefully scoop into a sterilised jam jar. Keep stored in the fridge for 1 week.