It’s half term! Get the kids cooking their own lunch!
This half-term Jacquie McBeth, creator of the Stir It Up recipe bag, has given us the ultimate kid-friendly snack.
‘For me the best thing about half term is getting the kids into the kitchen. Not every day, you understand, but maybe once or twice. In my years of teaching kids how to cook, I’ve always been amazed at just how powerful the process can be. One of the obvious outcomes is an increased understanding and awareness of nutrition, but it’s also so much more.
On an educational level, reading recipes, weighing ingredients and watching the alchemy of food when it is mashed, whisked, grated and finally hits the heat, is like the school curriculum brought to life.
But it’s the great boost of self-confidence, sense of pride and independent thought that I find so transformative about cooking. So get those little ones in the kitchen these holidays- you’ll be amazed at what they can do.
These little rolls are indecently delicious, perfect for packed lunches (I keep a stash in the freezer) and I’ll bet there’ll be no leftovers. Refresh them with a blast in a hot oven if any make it to the following day. Your house will smell like Christmas.
Feta & Spinach Rolls (makes about 36 little rolls)
- ½ pack of feta
- 4 nuggets of frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid. Or 150g fresh spinach (now in season at Chiswick House!) blanched and shredded (adults to do the blanching bit!)
- 3 spring onions, sliced
- 1 egg, beaten (half for the mixture, half for brushing)
- 1 tsp herbs
- 250g puff pastry
Method
1. Crumble the feta into a large bowl and add the chopped spinach, spring onions, half of the egg and the herbs. Season well with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Cut your pastry block into 4, it’s so much easier to deal with (also convenient if you have more than one child!)
3. Heat your oven to 180C fan or 200C conventional.
4. Flouring your board and rolling pin, roll each piece into a long rectangle, spoon a little mixture along the length of the pastry and brush along the bottom with the beaten egg. Roll up as tightly as possible towards you so you have a long sausage shape and brush the top with egg. Cut into 12 pieces. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and mixture.
5. Place the little rolls on a non-stick mat or lined baking tray and bake for 15 minutes until puffed up and golden.
6. Try to allow them to cool a little before devouring. It’s not easy though!’
Jacquie McBeth runs Stir It Up, a local recipe bag delivery scheme.
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