SPORTY BREAKFAST -  WHEATY RASPBERRY SMOOTHIE
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Serves 2

150g raspberries
2 whole wheat biscuits (40g)
450ml semi-skimmed milk
50g low fat yogurt
1 tbsp clear honey

Place all the ingredients in a smoothie maker or food processor and blend until smooth.  Pour into 2 tall glasses and serve chilled.

Hint & tip
Any soft fruit combination such as strawberries, blueberries or blackberries can be used to replace the raspberries or use flavoured yogurt

NB: This recipe was developed for Farmhouse Breakfast Week 2008. For more recipe ideas please visit www.farmhousebreakfastweek.com

Apple and Cheese Salad
Serves 2

Perfect in your lunch box as an alternative to sandwiches or even as a starter or dessert at home with Mum and Dad.

1 firm, juicy eating apple
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 stick celery, chopped
25g/1oz seedless raisins
25g/1oz walnuts, roughly chopped
50g/2oz cheese of choice that can be cut into cubes
2 tbsp low fat natural yogurt
lemon juice

Method
1. Wash, but do not peel the apples. Remove the core, quarter and then cut the apples into triangles or cubes. Mix at once with the lemon juice. This stops the apples going brown.
2. Add the celery, raisins, walnuts and cheese and mix together.
3. Flavour the yogurt with a little lemon juice.
4. Mix the salad and yogurt together and serve.

Dips and Sticks
Try one or both of these yummy cheesy dips - it could be the one way you can get your rascals to eat raw vegetables! Don’t worry if they are still not convinced you can always serve the dip with fingers of toast or bread sticks instead. 

Preparation time - 5 minutes and cooking time - 5 minutes

For a tangy cheese dip, you will need:
15g / ½oz butter
1 tbsp plain flour
75ml / 2½floz milk
75ml / 2½floz apple juice
75g / 3oz West Country Cheddar cheese, grated
Freshly ground black pepper
Raw vegetables or bread sticks for dipping

Method
1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat. Sprinkle over the flour and cook stirring for about a minute
2. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually beat in the milk and apple juice
3. Return to the heat and cook stirring constantly until the sauce thickens
4. Season with pepper, spoon into a serving dish. Whilst absolutely delicious served warm the dip can also be served cold. To cool, cover with a disc of dampened greaseproof paper to prevent a skin forming.

For a cheesy yogurt dip, you will need:
150ml / ¼ptGreek style Yogurt
100g / 4oz Wensleydale cheese
1 tbsp snipped chives
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the yogurt in a small bowl and crumble the cheese into small bits.
2. Stir into the yogurt with the chives and season with a little pepper and transfer to a serving bowl.
3. Serve the dips with the vegetables or bread sticks for dipping.

Cook’s Tip: For adults why not try making the yogurt dip with stilton, delicious

Cheese and Ham Risotto
Creamy risotto is so much easier than boiled rice for young children to eat as the grains stick together. The mild creamy flavour will appeal to young taste buds.

Preparation time - 10 minutes and cooking time - 30 –35 minutes

To make a risotto that serves four, you will need¦
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
300g / 10oz risotto rice
900ml / 1½pt vegetable or chicken stock
150g / 5oz mixed frozen vegetables
50g / 2oz ham, cut into strips
100g / 4oz Lancashire cheese
50g / 2oz Double Gloucester cheese, grated

Method
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion over a medium heat until just softened

2. Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute, then add the stock

3. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes until the rice is almost tender, stirring occasionally

4. Stir the vegetables and ham into the pan

5. Cover and continue to cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes until the rice is creamy and tender. Add a little more stock if required

6. Remove from the heat and crumble the Lancashire cheese into small pieces and stir into the rice until the cheese begins to melt

7. Serve the risotto with the grated cheese for sprinkling on top

Cheesy Pasta Salad
The cheesy lunch box extravaganza
Packed lunches needn’t always be dull sandwiches. This tasty pasta salad can be easily transported in an airtight tub and eaten with a small spoon or fork. Toddlers will love this dish too as it can also be eaten easily with fingers.

Preparation time - 15 minutes and cooking time - 10 minutes

To serve four, you will need:
225g / 8oz pasta shapes
75g / 3oz Cheshire cheese
75g / 3oz Red Leicester cheese
50g / 2oz baby corn
50g / 2oz cucumber
50g / 2oz cherry tomatoes
50g / 2oz frozen peas, thawed
100g / 4oz fromage frais
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water for 10 minutes or as directed on the packet. Drain and refresh under running cold water. Drain again

2. Place the pasta in a large bowl and crumble the cheese into the bowl

3. Cut the red cheese into small dice and add to the bowl

4. Slice the baby corn thickly, cut the cucumber into dice (for very young children you may wish to peel the cucumber and remove the seeds as these are less digestible) and halve the cherry tomatoes

5. Add to the bowl with the peas and toss together to combine

6. Mix together the yogurt, ketchup and season with a little pepper if liked, drizzle over the salad and toss to combine

Cook’s Tip: You can vary the vegetable you add to the pasta to suit your child’s likes and dislikes. Try cherry tomatoes or blanched green beans or carrots. You could also add a little chopped ham or chicken to the salad.

Cheesy Filled Bagels

Preparation time - 15 minutes and cooking time - 10 minutes

For four bagels, you will need:
4 bagels
150g/5oz roast chicken
175g/6oz summerset Brie or camembert
4 heaped teaspoons cranberry sauce

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4

2. Cut the bagels in half

3. Divide the chicken between the four bagels

4. Slice the cheese and lay on top of the chicken

5. Top with a spoonful of cranberry sauce

6. Place the lid on the bagel and wrap each in a square of foil

7. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes until the cheese softens and begins to run

Fishy Potato Boats
This is a fun way to serve jacket potatoes and a great way to encourage children to eat fish.
Preparation time - 15 minutes and cooking time - 55 minutes

To make two fishy potato boats, you will need:
2 medium baking potatoes
200g / 7oz can tuna or pink salmon, drained
75g / 3oz Cheddar cheese, grated
Small stick celery or small carrot
Two slices Red Leicester cheese

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6

2. Prick the potatoes with a fork and place on a baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes or until tender, turning once

3. When cooked cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh. Mash with a fork. Add the fish and mix until well combined then pile back into the potato shells

4. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the potatoes and return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese melts

5. Meanwhile cut four sticks of celery or carrot. Cut four tall triangles from the sliced cheese

6. Push the celery or carrots sticks into the potatoes to make a mast. Stand the cheese slices against the mast to form a sail

7. Serve immediately

What’s new pussycat?
You can let your imagination run riot with these easy to make savoury toasts. Don’t stop at cats why not try making other faces, using different vegetables or coloured cheeses to make the features or cut the bread into different shapes such as stars. Children will love helping with these.

Preparation time - 20 minutes and cooking time - 10 minutes

You will need:
4 thick slices bread
2 – 3 tbsp tomato relish
100g / 4oz cheddar cheese

To make the features you will need:
A little red cheese such as Red Leicester or Double Gloucester
And a selection of vegetables such as courgette, carrot, mushroom, peppers, chive, celery and peas

Method
1. Using a large round cutter or a small saucer as a guide, cut out four large circles from the bread

2. Lightly toast under the grill

3. Lightly spread one side of each circle with the relish

4. Cover generously with the grated cheese

5. Use vegetables and the coloured cheese to make the ears, eyes, nose and mouth. Use chives or very thin sticks of carrot or celery for the whiskers.

6. Place under the grill and cook until the cheese melts

7. Allow to cool slightly before serving