Recipes "Kid-friendly"

Pizza in teglia is Italian pan pizza: a wet, airy dough pressed into a well-oiled baking tin, topped with tomato, garlic and oregano, and baked until the bottom is crisp and almost fried. One tin…

Pasta al pomodoro is pasta in a simple tomato sauce with garlic, olive oil and basil. It is the base of Italian home cooking: once you can make this sauce, you can make dozens of others from it…

Porridge is oats simmered in water or milk until creamy. It is one of the cheapest breakfasts there is, keeps you full until lunch, and takes ten minutes. Top it with fruit, nuts, a spoon of honey or…

Pumpkin soup is a smooth, orange, slightly sweet soup that most children like. Make it in autumn and early winter, when pumpkins and squashes are everywhere and cheap. Butternut squash, Hokkaido (red…

A stir-fry is the fastest way to turn a few vegetables into dinner: everything is cut small and cooked very hot for a few minutes, so the vegetables stay crisp and bright. Tofu adds protein and soaks…

A calzone is a pizza folded in half before baking: a round of pizza dough filled with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan and basil, sealed into a half-moon and baked until puffed and brown, with a…

Kartoffelpuffer are German potato pancakes: grated raw potato and onion bound with egg and a little flour, fried flat in oil until crisp and brown. They are a cheap lunch or supper with apple sauce…

Pizza margherita is a thin yeast dough topped with crushed tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil and a thread of olive oil. Make the dough in the morning or at lunchtime and the pizzas take ten minutes…

Apple crumble is soft, sweet apples baked under a crunchy, buttery topping. It is one of the easiest desserts there is, ideal in autumn and winter when apples are cheap. Serve it warm with custard…

Banana bread is a moist, sweet loaf cake made with very ripe bananas. It is the perfect use for brown, spotty bananas nobody wants to eat, it keeps for days wrapped up, and it freezes well in slices…

Crêpes are very thin pancakes made from a runny batter of flour, eggs and milk. Eat them for breakfast, as a dessert or at a crêpe party, rolled around sugar and lemon, jam, chocolate spread or…

Egg fried rice is cold cooked rice stir-fried very hot with egg, spring onions and a little soy sauce. It is the best use for yesterday's rice and takes ten minutes. Add peas, leftover vegetables or…

Macaroni and cheese is short pasta in a creamy cheese sauce, baked until the top is crisp. It is pure comfort food for cold evenings and a reliable dish for children and big tables.

Pesto alla genovese is a raw green sauce of basil, pine nuts, garlic, cheese and olive oil. Tossed with pasta, it is a summer dish that needs no cooking apart from the pasta. In Genoa it is served…

Fish and chips is white fish, usually cod or haddock, dipped in batter and deep-fried, served with thick chips, salt, malt vinegar and often mushy peas. At home it takes a deep pot, a thermometer and…

Fishcakes are patties of flaked white fish and mashed potato, coated in breadcrumbs and fried until crisp. A pack of frozen pollock or coley and a few potatoes make eight of them, enough for four…

Pasta al tonno is spaghetti in a quick tomato sauce with canned tuna, garlic, capers and parsley. Everything in it keeps in the cupboard, it costs very little, and the sauce is ready in the time the…