Food Intolerance/Allergy Friendly recipes

There are so many ingredients in food that you have to worry about and check for nowadays. That is why Flying Start asked children’s food guru Annabel Karmel MBE to share a few recipes suitable for children with food intolerances or allergies

GLUTEN FREE

Polenta mini-pizzas
Polenta flavoured with parmesan makes a good gluten free base for a pizza. You can freeze these pizzas already assembled and bake from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to the cooking time.
Leftover polenta can be cut into squares and baked as a side dish, or coated in gluten free flour mixed with Parmesan and fried.

Preparation time 25 minutes, plus chilling
Cooking time 15 minutes

Base
190g/6 1/2 oz instant polenta
750ml hot vegetable stock
60g grated Parmesan

Topping
4tbs good quality tomato sauce
60g/2oz/1/2 cup grated cheddar or mozzarella
Toppings of your choice such as strips of ham, pepper, tomato, sautéed mushrooms etc.

Bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a large saucepan and pour in the polenta in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring until the polenta is thick, around 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan plus salt and pepper to taste. Spread the polenta out onto a lightly oiled baking sheet to around £1 coin (1/2cm/1/4") thickness. Leave to cool then chill until set, around 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 200c/400F/180c Fan. Cut out 4 large circles using a 9cm/3 1/2" cutter. Top each pizza with 1tbs sauce and some grated cheese. Add any other toppings that you like. Transfer the pizzas to a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling.

Makes 4 pizzas

EGG FREE

Raisin and sunflower seed cookies
These make a tasty and nutritious snack any time of the day and are very easy and quick to prepare.
Oats help to stabilize blood sugar and give long lasting energy. Sunflower seeds are rich in disease fighting antioxidants and the raisins add natural sweetness.

Suitable for freezing

75g butter
75g brown sugar
1 small egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla essence
75g raisins
40g sunflower seeds
50g plain flour
75g porridge oats
Quarter tsp bicarbonate of soda
Half tsp salt

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in all of the remaining ingredients until completely combined. Shape into walnut-sized balls and flatten them slightly by pressing down with your hand.

Place in an oven pre-heated to 180C for about 15 minutes until golden.

Makes approximately 14 biscuits


ADHD

Mummy’s favourite fish pie
If you want your child to grow up liking fish then you should try this delicious fish pie. It is good to freeze individual portions in ramekin dishes for days when you don't want to cook.

Its true fish is good for the brain, oily fish like salmon, mackerel, fresh tuna and sardines contain omega 3 fatty acids which play an important role in helping the brain grow and brain function.

Research suggests that a diet rich in omega 3s can improve the performance of children with dyspraxia and ADHD.

500g potatoes, peeled and diced
40g butter
4 tbsp milk
A little salt and freshly ground pepper (for babies over one)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and chopped
40g butter
1 ½ tbsp flour
250g cod fillets, skinned and cut into fairly large cubes
250g salmon fillets, skinned and cut into fairly large cubes
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 bay leaf
200 ml milk to cover
50g Cheddar cheese, grated
1 lightly beaten egg

Cook the potatoes in a pan of lightly salted water until tender (about 15 minutes), then drain and mash together with the milk and butter and season to taste (babies over one).

Melt the butter in heavy based saucepan and sauté the onion for 3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute. Add the milk, bring to the boil and cook for one minute. Stir in the cod, salmon, parsley and bay leaf and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove the bay leaf, stir in the grated Cheddar until melted and season to taste.

Preheat an oven to 180C/350F. Divide the fish between the four ramekin dishes about 8 - 10 cm in diameter and top with the mashed potato. Brush the potato with lightly beaten egg and cook in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.  You can brown under a preheated grill for a few minutes at the end if you wish.

Makes 4 individual mini fish pies


NUT FREE

Apricot and white chocolate cereal bars
Here's a delicious nut free cereal bar.
These chewy bars provide a good source of fibre, iron and vitamin A. They are very easy and quick to make and children will enjoy making these with you. 

Preparation Time 10 minutes
Cooking time 2 minutes

150g (5 oz) rolled oats
50g (1 ½ oz) Rice Krispies
100g (3 ½ oz) dried apricots, chopped
100g (3 ½ oz) unsalted butter
100g (3 1/2 oz) golden syrup
75g (3 oz) white chocolate broken into pieces

Combine the oats, Rice Krispies and chopped apricots in a mixing bowl.  Put the butter, golden syrup and chocolate in a large saucepan and heat gently, stirring occasionally until melted together.  Stir the oat and Rice Krispie mixture into the melted chocolate mixture until well coated.

Press the mixture into a shallow 28 X 18 cm (11 X 7") lined tin using a potato masher to level the surface then store in the fridge to set. Cut into bars and keep these in the fridge.

Makes 10 bars

Eat Fussy
Annabel Karmel's Eat Fussy range will ensure fuss-free feeding and help the little ones to love good food. Eat Fussy meals are healthy, nutritious and taste as good as home made. The range is now available in Sainsbury’s stores nationwide, and Ocado. Priced at £2.29 each, there are six varieties to choose from: Cheeky Chicken & Potato Pie; Scrummy Chicken Dumplings with Rice; Yummy Chicken Curry; Beef Cottage Pie; Mummy’s Favourite Salmon and Cod Fish Pie; or Hidden Vegetable Pasta.

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On the Annabel Karmel website, I have devised some quick family recipes &. I hope you enjoy my new feature on 'Weaning your Baby'.  Buy signed books (with no postage fee) from my bookshop, watch my new recipe videos & chat to other parents on the community forum. Watch out for my new series 'Annabel's Kitchen' on GMTV from 3rd March. Best wishes, Annabel.

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