MEALS FOR BUSY MOMS

Healthy family dishes that are as quick and easy as they’re delicious, from Meals by Christine Capendale.

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CHICKEN AND CORN SOUP
Serves 4

On very lazy nights this recipe is a lifesaver! It is super quick to prepare, and one feels good after eating it. It is simple, healthy and filling. We all love recipes with only a few ingredients – it is not often that you get such a great result though.

Ingredients
30ml olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
15ml grated ginger
Pinch of chilli flakes OR 1 small chilli, seeded and chopped
4 chicken breast fillets, cut into small pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
20ml cake flour
400ml chicken stock
1 tin (400ml) coconut milk OR coconut cream
1 tin (400g) cream-style sweetcorn
1 tin (400g) whole kernel corn, drained
100ml chopped spring onions

1. Heat the olive oil on medium heat and fry the onion, garlic, ginger, and chilli for a few minutes. Add the chicken pieces and cook for a few minutes while stirring.
2. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the flour.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the chicken stock and coconut milk slowly while stirring (to prevent lumps from forming). Add the sweetcorn and corn kernels and return the saucepan to the heat. Simmer the soup on low heat for five minutes.
4. Add the spring onions and season with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.

CHICKEN AND LEEK POT PIES
Serves 4

Ingredients
20g butter
120g baby leeks, thinly sliced
Grated zest of 1 small lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
80g frozen petit pois (baby peas), defrosted
1 small rotisserie chicken, deboned and shredded
150g medium-fat cream cheese OR 150g Boursin cream cheese
150ml chicken stock
15ml chopped fresh rosemary
½ roll puff pastry (use the best quality you can find)
1 egg, beaten
4 sprigs fresh rosemary

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
2. Grease four small pie dishes, ramekins or individual small pans.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat and add the leeks. Cook for a few minutes until soft, then add the lemon zest. Season to taste and remove from the heat.
4. Add the frozen peas, chicken, cream cheese, stock, and rosemary to the leeks and mix well. Taste to adjust the seasoning.
5. Roll out the pastry on a floured worktop to about 5mm thick and use the top of one of the pie dishes, ramekins or pans as a guide to cut out four circles. Cut the circles about 1cm bigger than the dish. Divide the chicken mixture between the pie dishes, ramekins or pans, brush the edges of the dishes with some of the beaten egg and top with the pastry circles. Press down lightly and tuck in any excess pastry. Brush the pastry with the rest of the beaten egg and cut a cross in the top of each pie with a sharp knife as a vent. Insert a rosemary sprig.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden brown. Serve with roasted vegetables or a green salad for a balanced meal.

Tip: Try adding some cooked mushrooms to your filling. Top the filling with sheets of crumpled phyllo pastry, brushed with butter, for a crisp and very quick crust.

BEEF MINCE CURRY WITH RED KIDNEY BEANS
Serves 4

This dish will take you less than 30 minutes to prepare and everybody loves it! You can also serve the curry in pita bread or wraps.

Ingredients
30ml oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
500g lean beef mince
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
50ml fruit chutney
50ml tomato paste
300ml tinned chopped tomato
30ml curry paste (I like to use Pakco curry paste)
5ml turmeric
1 tin (400g) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
60ml chopped fresh coriander
20ml melted butter
4 ready-made rotis
100ml thick full-cream yoghurt
Fresh mint for serving

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is soft. Turn up the heat, add the mince and stir, breaking it up as you stir. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the chutney, tomato paste, chopped tomato, curry paste, turmeric, and the beans. Simmer for 10 minutes on low heat with the lid on. Mix in the coriander.
3. Heat a frying pan on medium heat and brush the pan generously with the melted butter. Fry one roti at a time on both sides until they puff up and become golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the melted butter and rotis.
4. Serve the curry with the rotis for a quick and delicious meal. Add a dollop of yoghurt and some mint for extra yumminess.

WARM CHOCOLATE AND PEANUT BUTTER PAN BROWNIE
Serves 4 or more

This recipe takes a few minutes to make and can be served straight from the pan. I suggest you place the pan in the centre of the table and let your lucky guests dish up for themselves. Any leftovers will be totally delicious the following day.

Ingredients
200g butter
200g soft brown sugar
100g dark chocolate (use 55% dark chocolate if possible)
40g good quality cocoa powder
5ml vanilla essence
2 eggs
100g cake flour
Pinch of salt
2ml baking powder
100g milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
100g crunchy peanut butter, softened
Ice cream for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and butter a 22-cm oven-proof pan (an all-metal one will work very well). Place the butter, brown sugar, dark chocolate, cocoa and vanilla extract in a small saucepan on low heat and stir until melted.
2. Remove from the heat, cool for about 10 minutes and then beat in the eggs.
3. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder and mix gently into the melted chocolate mixture. Add the chopped milk chocolate and then pour the batter into the greased pan.
4. Spoon the peanut butter over the brownie mixture and swirl through, using a butter knife. Bake for about 20 minutes until the brownie is set.
5. Cool a little and serve warm with ice cream.

Tip: Bake until set around the edges but still fudgy in the centre – a skewer inserted in the centre should have some wet mixture on it.