Watch Dorcas explaining this recipe on Ireland AM :

500g sustainable white fish (ling is perfect and not expensive)
50g panko breadcrumbs
30g cornmeal
30g grated parmesan cheese
zest of 1/2 a lemon
1 level tsp. of paprika
1 egg, beaten

Skin the fish (or ask your fishmonger to do this), and cut into finger sized pieces.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.   Beat the egg into another bowl.  Keeping one hand dry, drop fish pieces into the egg and then into the dry breadcrumb mixture.  Lay the fish fingers out on a baking tray and place in the freezer until completely frozen.  Place into freezer bags to store in the freezer until needed.

To cook from frozen, preheat the oven to 180ºc.  Place the fish fingers on a baking tray, sprinkle with olive oil and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Serve with Mango Baked Beans.

Mango Baked Beans :

1 red onion, chopped
1 tin cherry tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp smoked pimenton
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tin of cannellini beans
1 mango, skinned and finely chopped

Place the cherry tomatoes and the chopped onion into a food processor or liquidiser and blend until smooth.

Heat a little olive oil in a saucepan over a moderate heat and add the beans, garlic and spices.  Cook for a couple of minutes and then add the tomato and onion mixture along with the mango.  Allow to simmer over a low heat, approx 20-30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the beans are very soft.

5 Healthy tips:

• Using Irish sustainable fish helps support our fishing industry.  It also means that the fish is really fresh!
• Making homemade fish fingers allows you to control levels of sugar and salt.
• Tinned baked beans can contain a lot of sugar and salt, this recipe uses mango to provide sweetness and you can control the amount of salt that is added.
• Beans provide fibre, B vitamins, minerals and protein.  B vitamins play an important role in making energy in the body, so essential for busy kids!
• Hiding the onion in the tomatoes, lets children get used to the taste of onion without realizing.

Categories: family feasts, healthy food recipes, Ireland AM; Healthy Family Food, and tv3.

Watch Dorcas showing her dessert recipes on Ireland AM :

Baked Spiced Apples

4 cooking apples
8 fresh dates, stoned and chopped small
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp maple syrup
50g sultanas

Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

Using a apple corer, take the core out of the apples.  Using a sharp knife, cut a line around the middle of the apple to stop the skin from bursting during cooking.

Place the apples on a baking tray.

Mix the dates, cloves, cinnamon, maple syrup and sultanas together.  Spoon the mixture into the apple centers, making sure it is evenly distributed.

Pour 100ml of water into the bottom of the baking tray and place the apples into the oven to bake for approximately 40 minutes.

Serve warm with custard.

Frozen banana pops – makes 8

4 bananas
8 lolly sticks
100g chocolate
chopped nuts

Cut each banana in half and push a lolly stick into each end.  Place the chopped nuts on a plate.

Break the chocolate into pieces and melt in a wide bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.  Make sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water or the chocolate will burn and seize.

Roll each banana half in the melted chocolate and then in the chopped nuts.  Place in the freezer for at least 5-6 hours or until frozen.

Healthy Fruity Snacks

Grapes and blueberries freeze really well and are great for sweet snacks.

5 Healthy Tips:

• Bananas are high in vitamins and minerals, particularly potassium.  They also provide nutrients that help probiotics thrive in the body.
• Use maple syrup or honey as a sweetener where possible.  Introducing children to natural sweeteners is a great way to expand their tastes.  Maple syrup has less calories than sugar and a higher concentration of minerals.
• Nuts provide vitamins, minerals and fibre.  Using nuts such as almonds, brazil nuts, cashews and hazelnuts will also provide Omega 6 oils.
• Fruit is a great snack for in-between meals to boost fibre and vitamin intake.
• Adding dried fruit, dates and sultanas, allows you to use less refined sugar in any recipe.

Categories: Ireland AM; Healthy Family Food and tv3.

Serves 4

3 sweet potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
sprigs of fresh thyme
Sea salt & Pepper
1 packet of halloumi cheese
4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

Peel the sweet potatoes, cut into chunky chip shapes and place in a bowl.  Mix the olive oil, paprika and fresh thyme together and pour over the sweet potato chips.  Using your hands, mix the oil with the sweet potatoes, making sure they are all evenly coated.  Place in a roasting tray and season with sea salt.  Put in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes or until the chips are cooked and slightly crispy outside.

While the chips are cooking, cut the halloumi into slices about 1cm thick and heat a nonstick frying pan.  Fry the halloumi in a little olive oil until browned on both sides and softened.  Fry the eggs (or poach if preferred).

To serve, arrange the the sweet potato chips on a plate, with the halloumi and then the egg on top.  Serve with homemade tomato ketchup.

Homemade Tomato Ketchup

400g tinned plum tomatoes
2-3 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped small
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic, skinned and sliced
1 knob of ginger, peeled and grated
pinch of ground cloves
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp tamari soy sauce

Place all ingredients into a saucepan and bring to the boil on a moderate heat.  Once bubbling, reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for approx. 30-40 minutes.

Place the mixture into a liquidiser or food processor and process until well blended.  Place a sieve over the same saucepan and sieve the ketchup in 2 or 3 batches using a spoon to push the liquid through.  Place the ketchup back on a very low heat to reduce a little further and to thicken and then spoon into a sterilized jar or bottle.  Will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Healthy tips :

• Sweet potatoes are a great food to introduce to kids in place of potatoes as they are much higher in vitamins and antioxidants and lower GI than white potatoes.
• Sweet potatoes are also high in Vitamin C, providing lots of anti- oxidants in this meal.
• This is a quick and useful store cupboard recipe for a meat-free meal.
• Eggs are high protein, cheap and nourishing food.
• Making your own ketchup allows you to control the amounts of salt and sugar,  shop bought ketchup is high in these.

Categories: family feasts, healthy food recipes, Ireland AM; Healthy Family Food, and tv3.

½ cucumber
1/2 pineapple, peeled and cut into chunks
100g blueberries or strawberries
1 banana

Blend everything together until smooth and serve.

Categories: detox delicious, family feasts, Ireland AM; Healthy Family Food, Sweet Treats, and tv3.

Ingredients :

2 red peppers
750g plum tomatoes
1 courgette
1 red onion
4 cloves of garlic
olive oil
fresh basil
3-4 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in water.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

Place all the vegetables into a roasting tray, sprinkle with olive oil and season.  Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and squash the garlic out of the skins with a fork.  Discard the skins.  Drain the liquid from the roasting tray and reserve.  Using a spatula, spoon all of the contents, along with the fresh basil and sun-dried tomatoes,  into a food processor or liquidiser and blend.  Refrigerate or freeze until needed.  Heat gently over a moderate heat to serve with pasta or add 500ml vegetable stock for a wonderful soup.

Categories: all the veg, Autumn, detox delicious, family feasts, healthy food recipes, Ireland AM; Healthy Family Food, and tv3.