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.
Chicken ramen
Ingredients
1 chicken breast
1 nest of egg or rice noodles
1 small onion
1 carrot
1 stick celery
Handful baby spinach
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 boiled egg
500g chicken stock (homemade, stock pot or granules)
Method
Step 1: fry off the onion carrot and celery (all finely chopped) until soft, add the chicken stock.
Step 2: slice the chicke breast thinly and add to the stock to poach in the broth. Cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Step 3: add the nest of noodles and spinach and allow to cook for just a couple ofminutes.
Step 4: transfer to deep bowls, laying the chicken on top, slice the egg in half and place in the bowl, drizzle the soy sauce over the top.
TIP: This is an easily adaptable recipe – add any veg the children like, substitute chicken for fried tofu. Sweetcorn works particularly well, as do beansprouts.
Homemade chicken pie (with some shortcuts)
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
250g white or brown mushrooms
1 onion
1 tub crème fraiche
1 teaspoon mustard
Pinch thyme
1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry
Method
Step 1: fry off finely chopped onion, add diced chicken breast and sliced mushrooms. Fry until vegetables are soft and chicken cooked through.
Step 2: turn the heat down and add the crème fraiche, mustard and thyme and season well with salt and pepper.
Step 3: once the sauce has reduced slightly and taken on the flavours of the chicken and mushrooms, transfer to a deep oven proof dish.
Step 4: carefully lay off the sheet of puff pastry and cut loosely to the size of the dish leaving 1cm around each edge. The tuck in and pinch the pastry onto the sides of the dish. Cook at 180 for 30 minutes until the pastry is puffed up and golden.
TIP: Serve this up alongside a healthy portion of mash potato and some green beans – it’s the ultimate winter warmer.
Plum cobbler
Ingredients
6 soft ripe plums
50g brown sugar
Pinch cinnamon
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup full fat milk
Method
Step 1: cut and destone the plums. In a saucepan add the plums, a dash of water, half of the brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook
until soft.
Step 2: in a bowl add the flour, baking powder and butter and pinch with your fingers until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the other half of the brown sugar and then gradually add the milk to make a loose (but not overworked) dough. The mixture must not be too sticky.
Step 3: in a small pie dish add the plums and loosly cover with the dough mixture by crumbling on top.
Step 4: put in the oven for 30-45 minutes until golden brown on top. Serve with cream or icecream!
TIP: Serve them in mini ramikins or in a big baking dish. Either way, it will all go.
Quick and easy custard tarts
Ingredients
1 sheet of ready rolled puff pastry
1 tub crème fraiche
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence or vanilla paste
Pinch cinnamon
2 tablespoons white sugar
Method
Step 1: Grease a muffin tray with butter, and use a glass slightly larger than the diameter of the muffin case to cut circles. Press the pastry into the muffin tray (should make 12). Blind bake for 2 minutes in a hot oven (180).
Step 2: In a bowl combine the crème fraiche, eggs, sugar and vanilla.
Step 3: Fill the part-cooked pastry cases with the mixture and pinch on top a little cinnamon.
Step 4: Put in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden.
TIP: A nice cold glass of milk is perfect to wash these down with.
