Chaopraya Edinburgh

Recently we were lucky enough to be asked to sample the lunch menu at Chaopraya in Edinburgh and we sure picked the right day. The sun was out and we got a table with the most amazing view of Edinburgh Castle.

Recently Chaopraya has introduced a free kids meals with every paying adult Sunday-Thursday 12-5pm so we took our troops along to sample.

My kids aren’t fussy at all luckily and they were happy to sample their first taste of Thai cuisine. The kids menu has a great selection to suit even the fussiest of taste buds. Joy had chicken fried rice and Lewis chose chicken satay, they both loved their meals and had a bit of each others. The staff were smart enough to serve the kids meals with our starters meaning the kids didn’t have to wait while we ate… and we didn’t have to share.

It was out first visit to Chaopraya and it certainly won’t be the last. We had a delectable starter of Thai tapas to share which I’d highly recommend to try a little bit of lots of dishes and I had Singapore noodles for my main, while Steve had black pepper chicken. My main was the best Singapore noodles I’ve had although after trying Steve’s main I was slightly gutted I hadn’t chosen that. So tasty and just the right amount of kick for me.

The menu boasts an impressive range of cocktails and equally exciting mocktails. I had a gorgeous watermelon mocktail which the kids drank most of so of course I ordered a cocktail so I didn’t need to share that one.

Although we were utterly stuffed we decided to go with dessert on the basis it was for review purposes (obviously) and I’m so glad we did. I had the chocolate box which tasted as delicious as it looked and Steve went for the classic sticky toffee pudding which is his favourite dessert ever. Both desserts were fantastic and the kids inhaled their ice cream, leaving us in peace to eat while the lovely staff showed them the massive fish tank inside the restaurant.

All in all it was a lovely meal and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back. The food was awesome and more importantly the staff were super friendly with kids and we were made to feel extremely welcome.

*in the interest of transparency we were kindly given a £60 voucher towards the cost of our meal.

Yvonne x

Veggie haggis hotpot

I’ve had a few requests for this so here you go. It can be adapted with ordinary haggis too or veggie black pudding and is an adaptation of a hairy dieters go veggie recipe.

serves: 6

smartpoints per portion: 7

ingredients:

450g veggie haggis sliced

500g potatoes thinly sliced

2 parsnips thinly sliced

2 carrots thinly sliced

1 tsp dried sage

salt

pepper

750ml vegetable stock (cubes are fine)

1 tbsp plain flour

2 garlic cloves

250g turnip thinly sliced

1 large onion chopped

1 large apple grated

spray oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180. Spray some oil and fry garlic and onion for 3 mins until softened. Add about 50ml water, sage and flour and cook for a further 3 mins until the mixture thickens slightly.

2. Add stock to the pan and allow to reduce for about 5 mins.

3. In your casserole dish make a layer of half the potatoes, then a layer using half the carrots, apple, turnip and parsnip.

4. Continue layering this time with all the haggis and then pour over half the stock/onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Layer the remaining carrots, apple, turnip and parsnip. Finally add a layer using the remaining potatoes.

6. Pour over the last of the stock mixture and season again. Spray with spray oil.

7. cook covered for an hour. Uncover and cook for a further 30-40 mins.

Let me know if you try it!

Yvonne xx

Organic September Roasted plums 

We all want the best for our kids right? In an ideal world they’d eat all the fruit and vegetables we put down to them but we all know this is easier said than done. We cook a lot in my house and I try to use seasonal as much as possible to keep cost down and to get a nice variety of colours and flavours incorporated.

When I saw the Organix recipe of the month I jumped at the chance to try it and I really wasn’t disappointed. Lewis helped make it and it was a huge hit with the whole family. It felt like such a treat but added to our five a day as well as being rich in nutrients  Win win!

The kids loved it so much that I ended up making more of the oat crumble to have as granola with some natural yoghurt as a nice healthy breakfast.

Here is the recipe for you to try:

Suitable for 12+ Months although can be puréed or mashed for babies over 7 months. Don’t forget no honey under a year though but maple syrup works just as well. 

10 – 30 minutes to prepare

10 – 30 minutes to cook

Serves 2 adults and 2 children

Ingredients:
Roasted plums

3 large plums

Coconut oil (or melted butter) to brush

Almond & oat crumble:

3 tbsp porridge oats (or gluten free oat)

1 tbsp ground almonds (or desiccated coconut if nut allergies)

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp melted coconut oil (or butter)

2 tbsp maple syrup (or honey for children over 12 months)

Mascarpone cream:

150g of mascarpone

3 tsp lemon juice

3 tsp maple syrup (or honey for children over 12 months)

¼ tsp vanilla extract

A couple of mint leaves (optional)

How to make

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper

Step 2

Prepare the crumble by mixing the oats, ground almonds and cinnamon powder together in a small bowl. Add melted coconut oil (or butter) and maple syrup. Stir until you get a crumble texture

Step 3

Spread crumble on baking tray. Bake for 10-15 mins until golden and crisp. Remove from oven and set aside to cool down

Step 4

Put the grill on to 275°C

Step 5

Cut plums in half and remove stones carefully

Step 6

Brush each plum all over with some melted coconut oil (or butter)

Step 7

Arrange plums in an oven proof dish, cut side up

Step 8

Place until the grill for around 5 mins or until the plums soften

Step 9

While the plums are in the oven, mix mascarpone with lemon juice, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a small bowl

Step 10

To serve, dollop the mascarpone cream on a plate. Add 2 halves plum per adult or 1 half plum per child on top of mascarpone cream. Sprinkle with crumble.  Add a couple of mint leaves on top.

organix finger foods are a staple in my changing bag. They’re so handy as an on the go snack and there’s no guilt as Organix comes with a no junk promise. Organix finger foods help little ones discover new shapes, textures and taste while remaining fun and tasty and encouraging junk free, nutritious food.

Organic September: top tips from Organix on why to choose organic for your little one

Just when you and your baby are in a confident routine with milk feeds, along comes the new adventure of introducing solid foods – a time when you want to make the best choices for your growing little one as they start learning about food. So why choose organic?

1. Whether you’re baby led weaning with soft cooked pieces or feeding purees, choosing organic fruit and veggies helps reduce your little one’s exposure to pesticides [organic fruit and veg are grown with fewer pesticides].

2. Fruit and veg are most commonly found to contain more than one pesticide residue, so it makes sense to go organic – apple, pear, banana, and green veg like kale and spinach.

3. In the supermarket choose organic finger foods – then you can be sure you’ll get food you can trust, with no controversial artificial food colours and preservatives, GM ingredients, or hydrogenated fats.

4. From 12 months your little one can have whole cow’s milk – choosing organic means you’ll get more omega-3 fatty acids than non-organic milk [linked to improving children’s brain development].

5. Choosing organic dairy food and drinks also means you’ll avoid the use of GM crops fed to non-organic livestock.

For more information and lots of tasty organic recipes for all the family visit http://www.organix.com

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Let me know if you try this one out and dont forget to tag #organix.

Yvonne x