Mama-of-two, bestselling author and award-winning food blogger Ciara Attwell started her blog My Fussy Eater in 2014. Within two and a half years, it had become one of the leading family food blogs in the UK. Catering to the whole family, she has just launched The Fuss Free Family Cookbook. Here’s three recipes to try with your little ones from the book…

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad (header image)

Allergy information: nut free
Makes: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Calories: 485 per portion

All the delicious flavours of a Caesar Salad bulked out with pasta for a filling, family-friendly lunch. 

INGREDIENTS 
For the salad: 
1 small bread roll (70g) | 1/2 tbsp oil | 1/2 tsp garlic powder | salt & pepper | 300g pasta | 1 little gem lettuce, chopped | 240g cooked chicken pieces 

For the sauce: 
100g fat-free Greek yogurt | 50ml semi-skimmed milk | 50g Lighter than Light mayonnaise | 1 tsp Dijon mustard | 1/2 tsp garlic powder | 50g grated parmesan | salt & pepper

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: If your children prefer food to be separated on the plate, portion out some pasta before you mix it with the chicken and sauce. You could leave out the lettuce and replace with some chopped crudités.

STORING: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Store croutons at room temperature (they will go soft if left in the salad).

METHOD 
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C Fan/220°C/Gas Mark 7. 
2. Cut the bread into small pieces to make croutons and place on a baking tray. 
3. Drizzle on the oil, add the garlic powder and a little salt and pepper and mix well. 
4. Bake for 8–10 minutes until the croutons are crispy. 
5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. When cooked, drain and rinse under cold water to cool it down. 
6. Add all the sauce ingredients to a large bowl. Mix in the chicken pieces until they are fully coated in the sauce. 
7. Add the drained pasta and lettuce and mix again. 
8. Divide the mixture between four bowls to serve, with the croutons on top

French Toast Crumpets

Allergy information: nut free, vegetarian. 
Serves: 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Calories: 310 per portion

Upgrade basic crumpets to a more exciting breakfast! These are great to serve up to children who don’t usually eat eggs.

INGREDIENTS 
6 crumpets | 2 medium eggs | 100ml semi-skimmed milk | 1 tbsp honey | 1 tsp vanilla extract | 1 tbsp butter 

To serve: 
500g fat-free Greek yogurt | 150g mixed fresh berries 

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve with Greek yogurt and mixed fresh berries, or spread on some Nutella, jam or peanut butter for little mouths.

STORING: These crumpets are best eaten immediately after cooking.

METHOD 
1. Cut the crumpets in half. 
2. Add the eggs, milk, honey and vanilla extract to a wide bowl and mix well. 
3. Dip six of the crumpet halves into the egg mixture, first bottom side down then turn them over and leave them to soak up the mixture for 30 seconds. 
4. Melt the butter in a frying pan on the hob. 
5. Add the six crumpet halves, top side down and cook for 3 minutes. 
6. Turn them over and cook for another 2 minutes. 
7. In the meantime, repeat the process with the remaining six halves. 
8. When the first batch of crumpets are cooked, remove from the pan and set aside and cook the remaining six.

Affogato & Kiddies’ Affogato

Allergy information: gluten free, egg free, nut free, vegetarian. 
Serves: 4
Prep time: 3 minutes
Cook time: none
Calories: approximately 145 for adult portion (see Note)

This classic Italian dessert is perfect for days when you fancy a sweet treat after dinner, but don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking. The kid-friendly version uses hot chocolate rather than coffee. 

INGREDIENTS 
8 scoops ice cream | 2 small black coffees | 2 small hot chocolates | 5g milk chocolate

NOTES: The calories in this dessert will depend on the type of ice cream that you use. If you use a light ice cream the calories will be about 145 calories per portion. Regular ice cream will obviously be more.

METHOD 
1. Add two scoops of ice cream each to four bowls or glasses. 
2. For the adults’ portion, pour over the black coffee. 
3. For kids, pour over the hot chocolate. 
4. Grate the chocolate on top and serve immediately

Recipes are suitable for little ones age two and up.

The Fuss-Free Family Cookbook by Ciara Attwell (Lagom) is out now. Find out more here.

Read more recipes here.