Quick Spicy Beef Fried Rice #MeatMatters

This is my second #MeatMatters cookery challenge entry to the BritMums and Simply Beef and Lamb competition and is so super quick and simple, but tastes great.

It's a go-to for me when time is short, but I'm craving some Asian flavours and lots and lots of heat.

I use beef mince in this recipe - although traditionally in fried rice, it's usually leftover cooked meats which are quick-fried, and you could just as easily use leftover cooked steak or beef from another recipe. Also you can use practically any vegetables in fried rice - so use whatever you have to hand.

Most people would love some egg in their fried rice - but being the egg-hater that I am, I usually dish mine up then quickly throw in an egg for Glen or the girls as it cooks so quick - just be sure to move it around loads in the dish as you do - it will enrich the rice for sure.

Beef mince, versatile as ever, and a really great carrier of flavour too - absorbs the 'holy trinity' of base flavours in the wok - ginger, garlic and chilli, as well as the Chinese five spice beautifully.

I always use leftover cooked rice or a packet of wholegrain microwave rice for any fried rice recipe and this can literally be from start to finish complete and on the table within ten minutes.

The below serves two for a main dish or 4 as a side dish.

Quick Spicy Beef Fried Rice #MeatMatters

Here's how:

• 250g steak or beef mince
• 250g cooked rice - I use wholegrain
• 3 spring onions
• 1 clove garlic
• Thumbnail piece of ginger
• 1 green chilli
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1/2 yellow pepper
• 2 handfuls peas
• 3 mushrooms
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp sriracha
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp Chinese five spice
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Firstly pop the sesame oil into a wok and place on a medium heat.

Finely slice the spring onion and chilli and add to the pan. Peel and mince the garlic and grate the ginger and add to the pan too to create the base flavours.

Now prepare the vegetables - chop the peppers into small squares, roughly chop the mushrooms and measure out the peas ready.

The peppers can go into the wok now and allow them to gently cook.

Once the base of the pan is sizzling away, add the mince, and season quickly. Add the Chinese five spice at this point and use a spatula to move the meat around and break up a little in the pan, and ensure it all takes on some of the lovely flavours in the pan.

Now add the rice, mushrooms and peas and stir well and at this point add the soy, fish sauce and honey and allow it cook through for a few minutes. For a final blast of flavour and heat add the sriracha - to your taste. We love it really spicy so I'd go in with a tablespoon, then taste and adjust accordingly; remember you can always add more but you can't take it away. Enjoy!

This post is an entry for the #MeatMatters Challenge, sponsored by Simply Beef and Lamb. Learn more about the benefits of cooking and eating beef and lamb along with recipe ideas and inspiration here! https://www.simplybeefandlamb.co.uk/

Soutzoukakia - Greek Meatball Bake #MeatMatters

If you regularly visit my blog you’ll know that I love Greek food so when fellow-blogger and long-time acquaintance and friend, Ruth from Rock N Roller Baby posted on Twitter about the BritMums and Simply Beef and Lamb #MeatMatters cookery challenge incorporating beef or lamb as an ingredient in a 30-minute meal, I knew instantly what I should share.

Soutzoukakia can be found all over Greece; and apparently the lightly spiced meatball bake was brought into Greece with the arrival of refugees from Asia Minor – or Smyrna, what is now known as Izmir. They are tender meatballs in a rich and intensely flavoured tomato sauce and they are delicious.

You can use pork, beef or lamb mince but I chose to use beef as it results in soft and tender, melt-in-the-mouth and really delicious meatballs. What’s more, beef is a rich source of protein and iron, so not only does it taste great, but it’s also good for you.

The soaking of a couple of slices of bread in red wine, seems a strange action, but please persevere, it really does make juicy and tender meatballs.

It’s not necessarily traditional to either bake or add the feta cheese to this dish, but it’s my twist and I think it is a great showcase of how versatile beef can be as an ingredient. Beef mince in particular is a great and adaptable ingredient – some other Greek dishes I make using beef mince include Moussaka, Pastitsio – The Greek Lasagne.

We had this with rice but if you had some fresh crusty bread, flatbreads or pitta these would be well appreciated to mop up the leftover juices which are so tasty. 

This is a great family meal to make with children too - it doesn't matter if the meatballs are oddly shaped, the children will love getting involved and be proud to serve up something they've made together too.

I made everything in the same skillet – first searing the meatballs on all sides and then removing them from the pan, as I think it adds a lovely flavour to the sauce and saves on washing up, but if you wanted to speed things up, prepare your sauce in a separate pan.

The below serves a family of with leftovers for lunch the next day and is ready in thirty minutes – if you don’t dawdle. 

Soutzoukakia - Greek Meatball Bake for BritMums #MeatMatters

Soutzoukakia - Greek Meatball Bake #MeatMatters

Here’s how:
The meatballs:

• 700g beef mince
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 2 slices bread (I use wholegrain) soaked in a couple of tablespoons of red wine
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp salt
• Lots of fresh black pepper
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg, already beaten
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• Salt and black pepper

For the sauce:

• 1 carton passata
• 1 white onion
• 1 garlic clove
• ½ glass red wine
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp honey
• Pinch salt
• Generous seasoning of black pepper
• 100g feta cheese

Begin by removing the crusts from the bread and popping into a shallow bowl with the couple of tablespoons of red wine. Ensure they both become immersed. At this point turn the oven onto the highest setting – about 250.

Now place the olive oil into a skillet or pan on a gentle heat and begin making the meatballs

Mince the garlic and add to a large bowl. Add the mince, the cinnamon, cumin, salt, pepper, oregano and egg. Now break up the winey bread and add to the mixture and bring it all together. Do not be tempted to knead it for too long as it will become overworked and you’ll end up with tough meatballs.

Once the mixture is simply combined, begin by rolling out 12-15 long meatballs – in a kofte shape and setting aside. 

The prepared meatballs ready for searing #MeatMatters

Put the flour into a small bowl or plate and season with salt and pepper. Roll each meatball into the flour and add to the skillet to brown all over. 

Frying the soutzoukakia meatballs #MeatMatters

Turn them after 30 seconds or so and ensure they are sealed on each side of the meatball, but cooked through. Another tip is to not overcook at this stage – they will finish cooking in the sauce, and if you overcook now, again, you’ll end up with tough and chewy meatballs instead of melt-in-the-mouth.

Whilst the meatballs are cooking, finely dice the white onion and mince the garlic for the sauce and get the other ingredients ready – measure out the wine, grab the cinnamon stick and get the honey out ready.

Once the meatballs are browned, remove them and place onto a plate.

Now throw the onions and garlic straight into the skillet – you shouldn’t need any extra olive oil at this stage – but gauge it by what is left in the pan and obviously if you are using a different pan add 1-2 tbsp.

Once the onions are soft turn the heat right up and pour over the wine. Cook for a minute or so and then add the passata, cinnamon stick, tomato puree and honey and season generously.

Allow the sauce to cook at a high temperature for five minutes. Then return the meatballs to the pan and gently turn them over a bit so they are fully immersed in the sauce. Cook for a further few minutes.

Now take the feta cheese and simply break off chunks or crumble over the top – you want a mixture of some bigger bits and some tiny crumbles.

Now place into the now piping-hot oven for a final blast. This will only take a few minutes for the feta to melt down.

Remove from the oven and carefully place onto a safe surface as the skillet will be very hot, and serve over rice, mashed potato or even with pasta. Enjoy! 

Family meal time Soutzoukakia #MeatMatters

This post is an entry for the #MeatMatters Challenge, sponsored by Simply Beef and Lamb. Learn more about the benefits of cooking and eating beef and lamb along with recipe ideas and inspiration here! https://www.simplybeefandlamb.co.uk/ 

One Pot Coconut Fish Curry

This is a lovely, simple and fresh curry that is ideal for those who prefer milder flavours - especially children.

It’s a great introduction to curry flavours and whilst it doesn’t have a high heat, there is warmth and an almost tropical flavour from the coconut milk, dessicated coconut and the fruit.

I made this on Friday night with the girls and they both absolutely loved it; they enjoyed being in charge of what was going in, and we just added the fruit and vegetables we had to hand. But you could include any you have in stock or favourites of the kids for a family meal.

Beatrice is going through a really fussy phase at the moment and isn’t interested in eating vegetables unless they are well hidden or immersed in a sauce so this was a great way of helping her hit that five a day target too.

I used cod and prawns for the curry but it work just as well as a vegetable curry or with some chicken instead.

The below serves two to three children’s portions and I served it over wholegrain rice with some naan for the girls to dip into the sauce. Excuse the photograph - it's messy and has shade, but I was keen to share the recipe so had to work with what I had! You could garnish with a handful of coriander leaves before serving which will complement the flavour - my girls aren't keen on 'leaves' on their dinner so I haven't here, but if I were eating myself I definitely would be. 

One Pot Coconut Fish and Fruit Curry

Here’s how:

• 1 fillet of cod (about 150g)
• Fresh, raw prawns (150g)
• 1 level tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tin tomatoes
• 1 tin coconut milk
• 2 tbsp dessicated coconut
• 1 tbsp ground almonds
• 1 banana
• 1 orange pepper
• 75g mushrooms
• 75g peas
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• Thumbnail piece of ginger
• 1tsp coconut oil

Firstly add the coconut oil to a non-stick saucepan or wok and place on a gentle heat.

Now peel and roughly chop the onion, mince the garlic and peel and thinly dice the ginger and add to the pan.

Once it has begun to soften, add the curry powder, turmeric, paprika and stir into the onion mixture - the base, allow the spices to cook out for a few minutes.

Whilst this is cooking, slice the peppers and roughly chop the mushrooms - I dice up small as the girls eat them this way - also slice the banana into chunks.

Add the peppers to the pan and then add the chopped tomatoes and the coconut milk and cinnamon stick and stir well.

Add the mushrooms, peas, banana and raisins now and stir well.

Add the dessicated coconut which will add a lovely sweetness and the ground almonds for a nutty flavour. Stir again.

Allow to cook for ten minutes or so.

In the meantime you can cut the cod or other white, flaky fish into bite-sized chunks and set aside.

Now add the cod and the prawns and allow to cook for a just a few minutes more until the prawns have turned pink and are cooked, and the cod is cooked through.

Serve with your choice or accompaniments.

Family Days Out in Essex

Things to do with pre-school children and toddlers in Essex.

As the weekend approaches and yet another school holiday (Easter) will soon be upon us I wanted to share my round up of some of the best family days out in Essex. The below are a mixed bag - some will set you back a fair whack and some are completely free, so there should be something for everyone at all times.

Farms, Animals & Play

Lambing season is well underway and here in Essex, you're never far away from an absolute gem of a farm; where you might get to get involved with feeding the baby lambs or if you're incredibly lucky, witness them coming into the world.

Boydells Dairy Farm (£)

This farm out in Braintree is our absolute favourite purely for the interactive access to the animals such as cows, lamb and sheep, goats pigs and many more. As well as being invited to pet various animals and even walk amongst some, such as the goats, they have some incredibly well-informed farm staff on hand who share their knowledge and offer excellent demonstrations. Again these are participatory and the children are invited to feed, and hold some unusual small birds and animals. 

We visited at Easter last year and had a fabulous time. Boydells is very reasonably priced too - £6.00 per adult, and £5.00 per child with under 3's no charge. They have a lovely farm shop on site too so be prepared to buy something tasty to remember your trip.

Bridget feeding the sheep at Boydells Farm

Beatrice feeding the goats at Boydells Farm

Barleylands (££)

We love Barleylands and have visited quite frequently - it's situated in the middle of Billericay and Basildon and whilst it's a bit pricier than somewhere like Boydell's, it does have a lot to offer. They also have an interactive farm, with daily times for petting and watching feeding, which is great but there is quite a more included here. They have a designated reptile house, birds of prey and a walk-through aviary too. They also in summer time do funny activities such as goat-racing which is great fun.

Dotted around Barleylands are a ton of little play houses and park equipment and they have a big undercover soft play area too, as well as a farm museum area. Peak prices are £12.00 for adults and £11.00 for children with no charge for under 2's.They do offer off-peak discounts.

Bridget at Barleylands

Marsh Farm (££)

Situated in South Woodham Ferrers, Marsh Farm, has been on our radar for a while, but we only recently visited for the first time on Beatrice's 2nd birthday on a freezing cold weekend in February.

We visited as they had a character day taking place; Peppa Pig; which was just a meet and greet with a fancy dress Peppa. If you are visiting purely for the character days - be warned it's a queue to meet them and have a photo but there is no other character-fun throughout the day.  However the rest of the farm was an absolute marvel and we'd return, no question. I've included more details here.

They have a wide variety of farm animals - including some newborn lamb and piglets, which was so nice the children (and us) to see. They also have some more unusual animals in alpacas and llamas - which apparently they offer live interactive experiences with in the warmer months. 

Their outdoor adventure playground is impressive and huge - if it hadn't been for bracing cold wind, it would have my girls entertained for hours. We instead indoors to the massive soft plat area, where i enjoyed a welcome and decent hot chocolate and the girls (and Glen) ran around and burnt off tons of energy as well as warming up.

There are loads more little added extras at Marsh Farm - they have a little digger and truck park which the girls love, a tractor ride, and a fun jewel hunting activity in a sandpit. They also have massive bouncy pillows, crazy golf, an aviary and a maze and a couple of children's fairground rides - cups and saucers and a carousel. 

All of these activities are included within entry price which I think offers excellent value for money with tickets priced at £13.75 and under two's going free.

Baby lamb at Marsh Farm

Meet and greet with Peppa Pig at Marsh Farm

Colchester Zoo (£££)

We absolutely love Colchester Zoo - it's one of our favourite treat days out with the children. As well as the fantastic array of animals for the children to view, which never fails to entertain, there are also several shows and animal demonstrations throughout the day.

One of the most exciting activities throughout the day, is the participatory giraffe and elephant feeding which the children are invited to take part in and absolutely love.

There's an impressive set of adventure playgrounds and soft play areas too, which are ideal if you get a spot of rain, or like us, have a bit of a drive home and want to wear the kids out to build up to a well-timed nap in the car journey home. 

Colchester Zoo is priced at £18.99 per adult and £14.99 per child with no charge for under three's, with an online discount if you book in advance. They frequently do special offers too and whilst it's one of the more expensive days out in this round-up it is competitively priced in relation to other zoos.

Essex Seaside Funfairs

Southend (£££)

Surely the undisputed king of the Essex seaside fair, Southend is infamous, far wider than just Essex folk. Adventure Island is one of my childhood favourites and my girls have to come to love it as much as me and my brothers did back in the 80's and 90's. 

It is slightly more expensive than others, granted, with wristbands priced between £15.00-£22.50 depending on height for unlimited rides, if purchased online prior to visiting, and slightly more if bought on the day.

What Adventure Island does well, is appeal to a multiple of ages - from pre-school tots like mine, right up to the more thrill-seeking teenagers, there really is something for everyone. Bridget loves the American Whip ride - which I also loved as a kid.

Southend has a ton of amusement arcades, if that is your thing, a stretch of beach for the children to play on, and boasts the longest pleasure pier in the world if you fancy a stroll. They have some great places to grab fish and chips including Fisherman's Wharf and Cafe Rebecca and if it's seaside donuts you're after, look no further than Pebbles One - which has been there for longer than I can remember.

The American Whip ride at Southend's Adventure Island

Ice cream on Southend seafront

Walton-on-the Naze(£)

Walton Pier was a regular haunt of ours, when I was a child, as we had a caravan for some time in nearby Dovercourt. I vividly remember our trips here and when I returned more recently with my own children, very little had changed, but that is part of the charm. 

The fun fair on the pier seems to have stood still in time - some of the rides there, I recall from 25 years ago, but it still ticks the boxes. Actually if you have pre-schoolers like mine, it offers great value for money at £10.00 for a wristband, with unlimited rides.

The beach at Walton is a sandy one and I can vouch is a great place to host a picnic. They also have a few places for fish and chips and the like, but it is a lot less commercial than the Southend seafront area.

Age old rides at Walton Pier

Canvey Island (£)

I had to include Canvey Island as a great, inexpensive option for a family day out. 

Leisure Island fun fair has tons to offer small children and the wrist bands for unlimited rides are a extremely economical at only £5.00 per child. They have a great selection of suitable fairground rides for pre-schoolers, as well as trampolines all included in that price, and it's ideal for the under 5's. 

Canvey does have a small beach to explore, with a crabbing pool included and there are a couple of amusement arcades on the seafront too.

The girls enjoying Leisure Island, Canvey Island

Bridget at Canvey Island Leisure Island

Nature Trails & Forests

Peter Rabbit Woodland Trail (£)

The Peter Rabbit Woodland Trail in Langdon, close to Basildon, is a stunning nature reserve set over 460 acres of Essex countryside. With meadows, a huge fishing lake packed with fish, birds and various wildlife alongside picturesque and well-kept gardens, it's an appealing prospect for the grown ups. 

The Peter Rabbit Woodland Trail is the star attraction for the little ones though. It features special clues along the woodland route in order to help you find the wooden figures of Beatrix Potter's most famous characters.

You can purchase a map with additional clues and activities for only £1, but you could easily do it without, especially if you only have tiny tots that wouldn't be able to complete the activities.

There is also an enclosed picnic area, so you could pack a few sandwiches and treats and make a day of it. I can also vouch for the decent lemon drizzle cake which is served in their sweet little tea room. 

There's a wooden play area with climbing apparatus too.

The trail and entire reserve is free entry and there is no charge for parking - but they do run on donations, so you are invited to make a donation, should you wish.

Bridget and Beatrice at The Peter Rabbit Woodland Trail finding Benjamin Bunny

The Gruffalo Trail (£)

Thorndon Country Park, in Brentwood is a fabulous and sprawling park set over 500 acres and known for it's wildlife - particularly some unusual birds, such as siskins and bramblings. 

It is also home to The Gruffalo Trail - which is very similar in notion to The Peter Rabbit Woodland Trail in that you are given clues and walk a path with a map (available for 50p) to find the characters from Julia Donaldson's Gruffalo series of books. We are huge Gruffalo fans in our household so the girls really enjoyed it when we visited recently.

It takes around 45 minutes and there is plenty to explore along the way aside from finding Fox, Owl and of course, the Gruffalo himself.

There is a lovely little cafe in Thorndon Country Park too - their homemade parsnip soup is delicious.

Bridget and Beatrice finding the Gruffalo's Child at The Gruffalo Trail

Hainault Forest (£)

Situated close to our home, and one of both mine and Glen's childhood haunts, Hainault Forest, in Redbridge is a great place for family fun.

It's an excellent place for children to explore, climb on logs and trees, run around freely and undertake a nature trail finding various natural treasures - anything from spotting wild mushrooms, finding a feather, pine cone or shiny pebble to various bugs and insects. Within the forest itself, some more dexterous adventurers have even created some dens and wigwam-type creations, which the kids love to explore too.

There are masses of grassland too - for just running around, kicking a ball or throwing a frisbee. You could even set up a family game of rounders or cricket.

The huge fishing lake is home to tons of wildlife, which makes for interesting viewing too, but the big attraction at Hainault, at least for my children is the farm area. It's changed loads over the years, but is currently home to some pigs, alpacas, pony and a load of meerkat as well as a variety of poultry and birds. 

Aside from paying a small charge to park there are no additional costs so this is a cheap option for a family day out.

Farm area at Hainualt Forest Country Park

Other Options

There are some great options for family activities in Essex that won't make a full day out but might inspire a few hours of fun and I've listed these out below. 

Moby Golf - a whale and aquatic themed crazy golf course in the Chadwell Heath/Romford area.

Soft Play - spoilt for choice there are tons dotted all over Essex - our favourites for pre-schoolers are Owl's Play Centre in Fairlop and Partyman World, at Lakeside Shopping Centre.

Trampoline Parks - again there are tons of these now and with pre-schoolers in tow, it's best to check for specific times that won't be hectic with older and likely more boisterous children, but going during school time seems to be a winner. Some of the places we've tried out and enjoyed are Jump Street in Chelmsford and Jump Evolution in Romford which has a designated under 5 area.

Ice Skating - again check for the designated pre-school times, to avoid being on the ice with tons of older children and adults. Saphire Ice and Leisure in Romford offers a few of these times. 

I'm sure I've probably left out a few places - please do comment with any must-do family days out in Essex that you know. 

Chicken a La Milanese with Spaghetti

With two children under five in my household it’s hardly surprising that what is essentially a giant chicken nugget and a tomato pasta dinner is an absolute winner.

Actually it’s a delicious and comforting family meal and Glen and I are quite partial to it too. It’s a great weekend meal for when you have a little extra time.

The preparation of the chicken is also a great way of getting the children involved in cooking as there are a few stages which they will enjoy, from the bashing of the chicken with a rolling pin to the actual breading of it.

I used four chicken breasts here for a family of four, with two under fives but 2-3 breasts should be sufficient - we just love the leftover chicken.

You can use any tomato sauce based recipe for the pasta - I use a really basic one here with tinned tomatoes. Also we have recently converted to just eating brown rice and pasta where possible, and this was one of my first attempts. I have to say if you’re not used to cooking with brown, go heavier on the oil in the pasta sauce or add more water, as it seems to be a little drier in consistency.

Chicken a la Milanese with Spaghetti

Here’s how;

• 3-4 chicken breasts
• 2 slices wholemeal bread
• 10g Grana Padana
• Salt (pinch)
• Black pepper (pinch)
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 egg

The pasta:

• 300g wholemeal spaghetti
• Kettle full of boiled water
• 1 white onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• Handful of basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• Drizzle olive oil

Firstly prepare the tomato sauce. Begin by adding the olive oil to a saucepan and placing on a gentle low heat.

Peel and dice the onion and mince the garlic and add to the pan to gently soften.

Once soft, add the tin of tomatoes and the tomato puree and about 50ml water.

Remove the leaves from the basil, and finely chop up the stalks and add to the sauce - they give a great flavour to the sauce. Add the oregano and season and allow to cook for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the chicken. Begin by placing a sheet of grease proof paper on your kitchen worktop or table.

Place the chicken breasts onto the paper and season on both sides. Now pull the paper over the top so there is plenty of space around it and press down onto the chicken. Now take a rolling pin or meat mallet if you have one (we don’t) and bash the chicken well all over. This is to make it a little thinner and speed up the cooking process, but also to try and get it to the same thickness throughout, so you don't have one side overcooked.

Once you are happy with the chicken grab three bowls. Into one crack the egg and whisk it.

Into the second bowl add the flour and season generously then stir.

Make breadcrumbs with the two slices of bread - I use a Nutribullet but have done this by hand before on occasion. Throw them into the third bowl. Grate in the Grana Padana cheese and mix up a little bit.

At this point place a large frying pan on a low heat and drizzle in some more oil - you can use vegetable, rapeseed or olive oil here.

Also fill a saucepan with the boiling water and cook the spaghetti for about ten minutes (check the packet instructions).

Now with each chicken breast, first coat it into the seasoned flour, making sure all of the surface is well coated.

Now take the breast and lay it into the beaten egg, again ensuring an even coating.

Finally, you guessed it, coat in the breadcrumbs and again, ensure the cheesy breadcrumbs completely coat the chicken. From there, add the chicken breast straight to the pan to begin cooking. And repeat the entire process until all of the breasts are complete.

Each chicken breast should need about 4 minutes on each side, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. It may need a little longer depending on the thickness of the chicken.

Once cooked, check the largest or thickest chicken breast by cutting it in the centre to ensure it is cooked through, then allow to rest for four minutes, before cutting the rest in half, or smaller if you prefer.

For the pasta, before draining the pasta, add about 2-3 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to the sauce to loosen it up and help it to stick to the pasta. Once you’re happy with the consistency, drain the spaghetti and add directly to the pasta sauce pan. Mix well to ensure a good coating of sauce.

Now add the pasta to a large serving bowl and scatter over the remaining basil leaves. I like to grate over a little Grana Padana too at this point. Serve with the chicken on the side. Enjoy!

Pulled Pork in Barbecue Sauce

There aren’t many dishes more moreish than this pulled pork and banging barbecue sauce. It’s a really great family meal and we often have as an alternative to a Sunday roast dinner.

We take out some of the pulled pork to have plain for my eldest daughter who doesn’t like the heat of the barbecue sauce.

There are many variations of side dishes for pulled pork, coriander rice, mash potato, spiced potato wedges and I could go on and on. We had the pulled pork here in a toasted brioche bun with my Healthy Coleslaw and buttered corn on the cob.

The pork does get a little attention with a dry rub and I do like to leave the meat in the rub overnight so the meat is full of flavour. If you are shorter on time or decide in the morning you want that for your evening meal, try to allow for at least an hour in the dry rub. I’ve done this before and it still makes my mouth water. I’ve also been told pulled pork is wonderful in a slow cooker but I’ve yet to try it that way.

The barbecue sauce is hot, sweet and sticky - everything a barbecue sauce should be. I blend it but you can leave it chunky too, it’s fab both ways.

The below was with a 1.5kg shoulder of pork and makes enough for 6-8 portions for a family of four so we have it two days running. 

Pulled Pork and Barbecue Sauce

Here’s how;

The dry rub;

• 1 tbsp mustard powder
• 1.5 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1.5kg shoulder pork

The barbecue sauce:

• Drizzle of olive oil
• 1 white onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 red chilli
• 1 tin tomatoes
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp chipotle paste
• Salt
• Pepper

Firstly in a bowl combine the dry rub ingredients. Add the pork to the bowl and use your hands to get the seasoning all over the edges of the pork and into any crevices where flesh or skin is. Then wash your hands and cover the bowl with clingfilm and place into the fridge overnight - or for as long as you are able.

Once ready to cook the meat, place the oven onto a low heat of 160 and place the pork into a baking tray or tin. Cover loosely all over with tin foil and place onto a middle shelf for 4 hours. Don’t use you best ceramic dish as this will get charred and messy.

For the barbecue sauce simple drizzle the olive oil into a saucepan and place on a low heat.

Peel and roughly chop the onion and garlic and add to the pan.

Slice the chilli (keeping the seeds) and place into the pan too.

Once this mixtuew has softened down a little add the tin of tomatoes, the chipotle paste, balsamic vinegar, honey and soy sauce. Season generously and stir and leave to cook for twenty to thirty minutes.

The barbecue sauce during cooking

Remove from the heat and allow to cool right down. Once cool blitz or blend - I use a Nutribullet so always allow it to cool right down.

When the meat has cooked for the full four hours, it should be super tender and easy to ‘pull’. To test, simply poke at it a bit with a fork and see if it is easy to shred. If not, return to the oven with the foil for a little longer.

Once the pork is out of the oven place onto a plate and allow to rest for twenty to thirty minutes.

Once resting time is up, any liquid that has escaped the pork, carefully place into the barbecue sauce, and pop the sauce back on a low simmer to warm through.

On a large chopping board, pull the pork by using two forks to shred the entire piece. 

Pulled pork

Once shredded, retain any you don’t want in the sauce then place the rest of the pulled pork into the barbecue sauce and stir through to ensure all of the meat is well coated. 

Pulled pork in barbecue sauce

Allow the pork to warm right through before serving with your choice of accompaniments. Enjoy!

Healthy Coleslaw

This is a great side dish for any table and can be served alongside meats, sandwich platters, BBQ and a variety of other salads.

It's pretty guilt-free too - made with Fat Free Greek Yoghurt instead of mayonnaise but pepped up with English mustard and white wine vinegar, so it still has plenty of flavour.

Rather than faffing around with graters too - I prefer a much chunkier texture so cut everything by hand.

The below serves four people and each portion comes in at around 50 calories.

Healthy Slaw

Here's how:

• 2 large carrots
• 1/4 red cabbage
• 4 spring onions
• 3-4 tbsp Fat Free Greek Yoghurt (I use Lidl's Milbonna)
• 1 tsp English mustard (I use Colman's)
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar (I use Aspall)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Firstly peel the carrots and take off the ends, and then cut into two or three lengths. Then with each piece, slice it into lengths, and then finely slice into long rectangular pieces then place into a mixing or salad bowl.

Now remove the outer leaves of the cabbage, and cut off a quarter of it - or a half if it's a particularly small red cabbage. Slice into similarly sized pieces as the carrot.

Prepare the spring into the same sized long slithers and add all to the bowl.

Now add the yoghurt - try 3 tablespoons to start, and then when you've added everything else and mixed well check if you are happy with the consistency - if not add one more.

Add the English mustard and white wine vinegar and then season to your taste. I like to add a pinch of salt and go generous with the black pepper.

Mix really well and serve with your choice of accompaniments. 

Curried Lentil Soup

This warming, comforting soup is the perfect pick-me-up when returning from work on a cold day.

It’s vegetarian and vegan friendly too so good if you are practising Meat Free Monday.

It relies on things you would mostly find in the stock cupboard too - so can be made at the last minute at very little cost, win, win.

The gentle spicing makes this almost a liquid curry soup and it’s great for warming you right through.

Curried Lentil Soup

The below serves four.

Here's how:
200g red split lentils
1 onion
2cm piece of ginger, peeled
1 large garlic clove
2 carrots
1.5 pints vegetable stock
1 drizzle olive oil or a Fry Light Spray
1 tsp medium curry powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala

Firstly drizzle the oil into a saucepan and place on a low heat.

Peel and roughly chop the onion and place in the pan.

Peel and mince or roughly chop the garlic and do the same with the ginger add to the pan.

Now allow these to soften a little before going in with the curry powder, cinnamon, turmeric and garam masala.

While these soften a little, rinse the lentils through with a sieve until the waters run clear.

Now place these into the pan and use a wooden spoon or spatula to move around a little and get a good coating of the spiced garlic, onion and ginger base.

Now pour over the soup and allow to slowly simmer for around 25 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through.

Remove from the heat and once cooled a little, blitz. I use a Nutribullet so I allow the soup to cool right down.

Once blended return to the pan and bring back to the heat and once warmed through dish up. Enjoy with crusty bread or naan.

Here are a few other vegetarian friendly soup recipes you might like:

Restorative Green Soup

Thai Sweet Potato Soup

Roasted Tomato & Basil Soup

Red Pepper Soup

Curried Parsnip and Spinach Soup

Leek, Potato and Cauliflower Soup

The Museum of Childhood - Chinese New Year 2019

Last month marked Chinese New Year – The year of the Pig, and as my Grandad hailed from Hong Kong, we are always keen to encourage the girls to embrace their heritage, so my Mum and I took them to The Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green.

As a celebration the museum had teamed up with Mothers Bridge of Love Charity and the Chinese Association of Tower Hamlets to put on a free celebratory day with lots of fun activities taking place throughout the day on the ground floor of the museum.

With mandatory Lion dancing, martial arts and tai chi performances as well as a number of arts and crafts activities available as well as the usual attractions of the museum, it made for a really great couple of hours out with the girls, on a particularly mild February Saturday.

The girls particularly enjoyed the arts and crafts area which included making their own red envelope for ‘lucky money’ and colouring in masks with lots of other children from the area. 

Chinese masks at The Museum of Childhood

There was a stall at the entrance to the museum selling various nik naks such as dragons on a stick and some slightly more expensive items – these cost £1 each so didn’t break the bank.

Bridget's £1 dragon from The Museum of Childhood

Bridget was enthralled by the various folk dancing shows and both the girls loved the dragon dancing too.

Unfortunately, as there was a massive queue to get in we missed out on the fan dance which was participatory for the children, so that was a shame, but it was lovely to see so many people engaged by the event. We queued for about 20-25 minutes.

If you haven’t visited the Museum of Childhood with your children, it is a must visit place in London for a variety of reasons.

Aside from the fact there are lots of things to do for the children, it will also be a walk down memory lane for you too. I absolutely adore the historical side to the museum and seeing not just toys, games and the like from my era of growing up in the eighties and nineties, but from my Mum and Dad’s in the sixties and even my Nan’s in the forties. It’s fascinating and the children stay engaged as it is all toy related. 

Bridget and Beatrice finding the Chinese toys at The Museum of Childhood

Who else remembers that Teapot House from the 1980's? (The Museum of Childhood)

And it's not just displays of old toys either, there are things like historical prams, highchairs and baby related products too, as well as children’s clothing through the ages, which ticked the box for my Mum and made her incredibly nostalgic. 

The girls loved the doll's houses and dressing up in historical attire although unfortunately the lady who was organising this, was so bombarded we didn't get the chance to find out from which era the outfits came from. 

Fancy dress at The Museum of Childhood

Beatrice has recently become interested in Sylvanian Families and they were a big hit at Christmas and her birthday so imagine her delight at seeing a range of them on display.

Beatrice admiring the Sylvanian Families at The Museum of Childhood

The arts and crafts area is a mainstay for the museum too, which is a good little interactive activity to keep the children occupied – I had to drag mine away, despite it being packed, as they can never get enough of colouring in and the like, even though they do it daily at home!

There is a Lego and Duplo play station for children too and the Pirate play area is just fab. As well as a variety of pirate’s hats and accessories to try out, there is also an excellent pirate ship, treasure chest to explore and a few learning Q&A type areas for slightly older children. Once again, I had to drag my children away. 

Pirate Bridget at The Museum of Childhood

Beatrice steering the pirate ship at The Museum of Childhood

My treasures finding treasure at The Museum of Childhood

Bridget on the pirate ship at The Museum of Childhood

We ended our Chinese New Year day out with dim sum in Gerrard Street, Chinatown and enjoyed some more dragon dancing as well as the fabulous and pretty lanterns that adorn the area every year for Chinese New Year. 

Me with the girls at Gerrard Street, Chinatown for Chinese New Year, 2019

My Mum with the girls at Gerrard Street, Chinatown

Bridget with the Lion dancer at Gerrard St, Chinatown

The Museum of Childhood is a great museum and one I’ve enjoyed since my own childhood. It’s perfect for a family day out on either a dry or a rainy day, and if you visit on a bright day and it doesn’t take up too many hours – you’re not far from wonderful Victoria Park which is, in my opinion one of the best parks in London for small children.

Entrance to the museum is free, but works on a donation basis, and they do a variety of groups for storytelling during the week and even at the weekend which are also free. This was our first visit with both of the girls; and I’ll be sure to return soon.