As a growing family, the tendency is to spend hours labouring in the kitchen trying to make several meals for both adults and children.
And as parents you might worry your picky toddler won't eat your favourite spicy curry so end up spending double the time in the kitchen and double the expense in ingredients.
But why prepare two meals, when you only need to make one?
A House Husbands' Guide Our Meal, Their Meal features simple, economic and speedy recipes with varieties that both the little ones and grown-ups can enjoy together for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The carefully designed meals will allow you to spend more time with your children and less time worrying about what they can eat.
Save time in the kitchen and expand your little one's horizons with these delectable, easy-to-cook meals that will take all the thinking out of your family meal planning.
Author Aaron Harvie says: 'I hope that the recipes in this book make it easier for you to enjoy more meals together, as you create your own family dinner traditions.'
'I have tried to keep the dishes as varied as possible, some packed with flavour, others simple and easy, not only to provide parents with a little diversity but also try and cover the spectrum of our Little Ones' fussy palettes.'
In this book, Aaron also inspires to not only make your life easier, but also create healthier eating choices for your family.
'Kids are like mimics, if you're eating good food chances are your kid will too. If they see their parents eating vegetables at dinnertime, having salads with their meals, drinking water instead of soft drink, then they're more likely to follow suit,' adds Aaron.
The perfect family cookbook, A House Husbands' Guide Our Meal, Their Meal also features tips, tricks and amusing stories that make this House Husbands' Guide series just as fun to read as it is to cook from.
Aaron Harvie is a former MasterChef contestant (Series 2 and All-Stars) and has recently completed hosting season one of the Channel 10 lifestyle program 'Love to Share'. Aaron's recipes have featured in many publications including Women's Health, Women's Fitness, FHM, Filmink, New Idea, Woman's Day, NW, OK. He also has his own monthly column in JB Hi Fi's magazine Stack as well as his own food blog Food That Rocks and is a featured contributor in Africa's largest food blog Food 24. Additionally, more of his recipes can be found in the MasterChef Australia Volume 2 Cookbook and The Diabetes Australia Cookbook.
A House Husbands' Guide Our Meal, Their Meal
New Holland Publishers
Author: Aaron Harvie
RRP: $35
Why on Earth would you include a recipe featuring that most-hated of vegetables? Because, this ingenious dish hides our healthy friend inside a mix of cheese, basil and pine nuts. And it's so delicious that, once they taste it, they'll be shovelling it in their mouths by the fistful.
Serves: 2 Grown-Ups and 2 Little Ones plus leftover pesto to freeze
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
400 g (14 oz) spaghetti
2 teaspoons dried chilli fakes (for Grown-Ups meal, optional)
olive oil, for frying
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)
sea salt and cracked black pepper, to season
Broccoli Pesto:
200 g (7 oz) broccoli, cut into forets
125 g (4 oz) pine nuts
50 g (2 oz) basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, crushed
100 g (3½ oz) Parmesan, plus more to serve
150 ml (5 f oz) olive oil
½ lemon, juiced
Method
Fill a steamer with water and place over medium heat. Fill a pot with water, add some salt and bring to a rolling boil. Add the broccoli to the steamer, cook for 8 minutes then remove and set aside to cool.
Next time you're looking for something to do on a rainy afternoon, why not try making Apple Turnovers? This is a fun dish to make with your Little One because they can help mix the ingredients in the bowl, spoon the cooked apples into the pastry and help fold and crimp the edges. And the best bit is, when it's cooked, everyone can enjoy a hot Apple Turnover straight from the oven.
Makes: 4
Ingredients
30 g (1 oz) unsalted butter
4 granny smith apples, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar, plus additional for topping
50 g (2 oz) almond meal
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
Method
A House Husbands' Guide Our Meal, Their Meal
New Holland Publishers
Author: Aaron Harvie
RRP: $35
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