Clare Lavin – mum to seven-year-old Oscar and two-year-old old Darcy – has always been passionate about cooking. The Dubai-based mother-of-two made it to the quarter finals of Junior Masterchef and then later appeared on the cookery show, Masterchef Goes Large. Having passed on her love of whipping up fun, innovative meals to Oscar, she now encourages him to help her in the kitchen teaching him new skills and encouraging his creative flair. Her specialities are cooking quick and easy dishes that the whole family can enjoy. For more family-friendly recipes, follow Clare on Instagram @claresfamilykitchen.
Tricolour pasta
Ingredients
200g tricolor fussili pasta
25g diced feta cheese or mozzarella balls
1 small diced cucumber
1 small diced courgetti
5 black olives in quarters
For the dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Pinch dried oregano
Pinch dried parsley
Juice of half a lemon
Method
Step 1: Cook the pasta to the packet instructions and leave to cool.
Step 2: combine all the cheese and vegetable into the pasta.
Step 3: Put all the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl and whisk well until emulsified. Combine with the pasta and serve.
TIP: Add some tinned tuna for added protein.
Satay chicken (without the peanuts)
Ingredients
200g chicken breasts
1 tablespoon wow butter or another peanut free spread
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 garlic clove minced
1 teaspoon brown sugar
6 small bamboo skewers
Method
Step 1: cut the chicken into small bite-sized cubes.
Step 2: put all the ingredients for the satay in a bowl and whisk until combined into a smooth paste. Pour over the chicken and marinade for an hour.
Step 3: put the cubed chicken onto small bamboo sticks and then into the oven on a baking tray for 10 minutes, turn the skewers, then bake for another 10 minutes or until cooked through.
Step 4: leave to cool and serve with rice.
TIP: These are a filling and delicious lunch you can eat at your desk at work.
Quick salmon sushi balls
Ingredients
1 salmon fillet cooked (find on the
deli counter)
1 cup sushi rice (or sticky jasmine rice), cooked and cooled
1 teaspoon of black and white
sesame seeds
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Method
Step 1: Flakes the salmon into very small pieces.
Step 2: Combine all ingredients in a bowl until salmon and sesame seeds are evenly spread in the rice.
Step 3: Roll into small bite sized balls, and put in the fridge, ready to pack into lunchboxes!
TIP: A splash of soy sauce goes perfectly.
Oat granola sticks
Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable/light olive or other preferred oil of choice
1/3 cup honey
Handful chopped cranberries
Handful raisins
Handful chopped dried apricots
Method
Step 1: Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius, and line a small high sided baking tray or pirex dish with baking parchment.
Step 2: Combine the oats, brown sugar and chopped dried fruit in a bowl. Add the honey and oil and combine well.
Step 3: Spread into the baking pan, pressing down very firmly using the back of a spatula.
Step 4: Bake for 30 minutes. Then cool completely in the pan before removing the slab whole and cutting it into sticks/small bars on a chopping board.
TIP: These are great as snacks and also as a breakfast on the go.
