Fairy Tale-Inspired Recipes For Children, Part 2

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Wow, my first post on fairy tale-inspired recipes for children was a real hit!  It’s currently the most popular post on my blog.  Those recipes came from the latest issue of delicious. magazine and I thought the idea was so fabulous that I just had to try them out myself.  In this new post, I will review two more of the recipes from the article.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  It is a fairy tale that I loved as a child and still love.  We have a beautiful book by Lauren Child that recounts this tale with gorgeous photos; we love reading it and looking at the intricate detail in those photos.

One of the first things that one would recall from this story is the porridge that the three bears left to cool as they went for their walk.  This porridge is the inspiration for creamy vanilla porridge with brown sugar apples.

It’s a more luscious version of oatmeal and makes for a wonderful breakfast on a chilly morning (such as we have currently been having here in Sydney).

A combination of milk and cream make this porridge very creamy and speckled throughout are flecks of real vanilla seeds, scraped from a vanilla pod.  On top are slices of (Pink Lady) apples that have been cooked in brown sugar and honey.  The whole bowl is then drizzled with the brown sugar-honey syrup used to cook the apples in.

I’m normally not too keen on oatmeal or porridge, but this was really delicious!  And not too difficult to whip up in the morning (that is, if you’re not in a hurry!).  It’s filling and it’ll warm you up, guaranteed!

Next on my list is a recipe for Peas and Pillows, inspired by The Princess and the Pea.  Lauren Child has also written her own version of this book, with Charlie and Lola-style characters pictured in beautifully detailed miniature sets.  We have this book as well and it is, without a doubt, a favorite one to read.

In the story, a princess is put to the test to find out if she’s actually a real princess.  A single pea is placed under a stack of mattresses that the princess will be sleeping on.  If the princess sleeps soundly, then she is not a real princess; a real princess will not be able to sleep comfortably with even a single tiny lump under her mattress.

Of course, the princess does indeed have a terrible night because of that single pea.  And this is the inspiration for Peas and Pillows.

It is a super easy, creamy pasta dish featuring pillows of spinach and ricotta ravioli and lots and lots of peas with a scattering of fresh chives.  It is very delicious and could possibly inspire your little one to eat her green veggies!  It’s definitely worth a try anyway!

So concludes my second installment of fairy tale-inspired recipes for children.  There are still four recipes left to try in the article, so be sure to come back to check them out if you’re loving these recipes as much as I am!

Creamy Vanilla Porridge With Brown Sugar Apples

 

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Delicious vanilla-laced porridge with brown sugar apples.

Author: delicious. magazine, July 2011

Recipe type: Breakfast

Ingredients

• 2 cups (180g) rolled oats
• 3 cups (750ml) milk
• 300ml pure (thin) cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
• Brown sugar apples:
• 2 red apples, cored, cut into 1cm-thick wedges
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey

Instructions

1. Place oats, milk, cream and vanilla pod and seeds in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until oats are tender and the mixture is thick and creamy. You can add a little more milk if it’s becoming too thick.
2. For the brown sugar apples, place the apples, sugar and honey in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until apple is tender, golden and sticky.
3. Divide the porridge among four bowls, top with apple and drizzle with the brown sugar-honey syrup from the apples and serve.

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Creamy Peas and Pillows

 

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A simple recipe for ricotta and spinach raviloi with peas in a creamy sauce.

Author: delicious. magazine, July 2011

Recipe type: Main

Ingredients

• 20g unsalted butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup (250ml) vegetable stock
• 300ml thickened cream
• ⅔ cup (50g) grated fresh parmesan
• 500g packet ricotta and spinach ravioli
• 2 cups (240g) frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon chives, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat butter in a large frypan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring, until soft. Add vegetable stock and cream, then season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to just below boiling point and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until the mixture has reduced by one-quarter. Remove the pan from the heat, then fold through the parmesan.
2. Meanwhile, cook the ravioli in salted boiling water according to the packet directions until al dente, adding the peas for the final 2 minutes. Drain.
3. Toss the peas and the ravioli through the creamy sauce. Divide among four bowls, scatter with chives and serve.

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