The Westgate Nursery Cookbook

Westgate Nursery Cookbook

Welcome to the Westgate Cookbook! We’ve put together a collection of recipes that our children love to eat – and cook! Many of the recipes are from Angie’s tried and tested menu, but others are inspired by stories, events, and goings on at nursery.

Physical and emotional wellbeing are the cornerstones of our practice, and one of the best ways to support physical wellness in children is through nutrition. Young children are notoriously picky eaters, but we’ve found that by involving the children in cooking their food, they are much more likely to try and enjoy their meals!

We have designed this cookbook with the children in mind. Each ingredients list has pictorial representations of the food items and quantities, so our non-readers can help to gather and measure out the ingredients. The recipes are written simply, so children who are beginning to read (or older siblings) can try to be independent. Of course, adult supervision and support will always be necessary when cooking with young children to avoid accidents with hot ovens and sharp knives, but you’d be surprised at just how independent our children are!

Happy cooking!Team Westgate

How to Use This Cookbook. Our aim is for our parents to use this cookbook with their child; with that in mind we’ve italicised any ‘adult-jobs’. At nursery we

have child appropriate cookery tools including plastic knives and a rotary grater so the children have a real sense of ownership of their cooking; however if these are not available to you please use your judgement as to whether you feel your child is safe to chop vegetables/grate/stir hot foods. You may notice that the recipes have relatively small ingredients lists; at Westgate our menu focuses predominantly on vegetable-based meals to encourage the children to develop a love of nutritional foods. We are also a nut, honey, and chocolate-free setting due to the risk of allergies, so those ingredients are not included in our recipes. However the recipes are flexible, so if you want to include something that isn’t listed, go ahead!In terms of dietary requirements, we aim to provide all children similar meals so nobody feels isolate. As such, the recipes should be flexible enough to adapt to any dietary requirement – the dairy-free version of our easy cheesy bread is hugely popular, for example!The recipes have been simplified to make them accessible to children. Where a cup is listed, we tend to use one of the children’s drinking cups, but most of the recipes will work fine with whatever you have available. Where more precise measurements are required you will find these listed next to the ingredients

Contents

January – Breakfast Morning Granola and Orchard Fruit Compote

February – Bedtime Stories Biscuits and Milk

March – Paddington’s Marmalade Muffins for World Book Day

April – Couscous and Chickpea Salad

May – Rainbow Ratatouille

June – Vegetable and Lentil Dhansak

July – Sports Day Smoothies

August – Teddy Bear’s Picnic Feast

September – Gruffalo Crumble

October – Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup and Easy Cheesy Bread

November – Bonfire and Beans Veg Chilli and Tortillas

December – Post-Nativity Mince Pies!January – Breakfast Morning Granola

After Christmas we love to welcome in the New Year by inviting our families to join us for breakfast! The children love making the occasion feel really special with some luxurious food, and a firm favourite is our easy-peasy granola.

1. Preheat the oven to 150C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2. Put the oats, coconut, and cinnamon in a large bowl and

mix.

2 cups oats

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons oil (we use coconut oil or sunflower oil)

4 tablespoons golden or maple syrup

1 cup dried fruit (we like raisins, apricots and blueberries)

Orchard Fruit CompoteAngie often makes fresh fruit compote as an alternative dessert for children with dietary requirements. It’s proven so popular that many of our children enjoy it for breakfast when they have the opportunity too! We encourage the children to choose the fruits as they prepare the compote, so the taste changes each time. Try using different fruits to find your child’s favourite flavour combinations!

1. Preheat the oven to 150C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2. Put the oats, coconut, and cinnamon in a large bowl and

mix.

1. Chop the fruit into chunks (we get the children to do this, so it does not have to be neat!).

2. Put the fruit in a saucepan with the water.

4 apples

4 pears

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

February – Bed Time Stories Biscuits and MilkEvery February we host a bedtime story session, where the children to come to nursery in their pyjamas, and we invite families to join us in the evening for a calm, cosy, story time. The children prepare these biscuits to share with their families, which add to the cosy experience. To help with bedtime, these could be made with lavender or malt powder which are known for their soporific benefits.

1 cup (100g) butter

1. Chop the fruit into chunks (we get the children to do this, so it does not have to be neat!).

2. Put the fruit in a saucepan with the water.

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2. Beat the butter and syrup in a bowl until creamy.

3. Add the flour, oats, cinnamon and dried apple.

3 tablespoons maple/golden syrup

1 cup (125g) plain flour

3 tablespoons oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons dried apple pieces March - Paddington’s Marmalade Cake

Paddington is one of our favourite books to read at story time – we wereso excited when Angie unveiled her marmalade cake recipe for World Book Day!

5 tablespoons Butter

3 tablespoons sugar

2 eggs

1 cup (150g) marmalade

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2. Beat the butter and syrup in a bowl until creamy.

3. Add the flour, oats, cinnamon and dried apple.

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a muffin tray with paper cases.

2. Beat the butter and sugar until creamy.

3. Add the eggs and marmalade and mix.

4. Add the flour, baking powder, and orange zest and mix.

5. Stir in the yogurt.

2 cups (200g) self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Zest from 2 oranges

1 cup (125g) YogurtApril - Couscous and Chickpea Salad

In April we transition to our Summer menu, which features lighter, more colourful meals. This couscous salad is tasty, and so simple to prepare that our children are able to make the meal in its entirety – talk about feeling proud! We love to serve this as a picnic tea in the garden (when the April showers allow)!

2 peppers

1 red onion

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a muffin tray with paper cases.

2. Beat the butter and sugar until creamy.

3. Add the eggs and marmalade and mix.

4. Add the flour, baking powder, and orange zest and mix.

5. Stir in the yogurt.

1. Chop the peppers, onions and herbs.

2. Boil the water, then pour over the couscous. Cover with

clingfilm.

3. When ready to serve, mix the vegetables, couscous, cumin, chickpeas and raisins in a bowl, then serve.

Fresh herbs

1 cup (165g) Couscous

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tin of chickpeas

2 tablespoons raisins

1. Chop the peppers, onions and herbs.

2. Boil the water, then pour over the couscous. Cover with

clingfilm.

3. When ready to serve, mix the vegetables, couscous, cumin, chickpeas and raisins in a bowl, then serve.

May – Rainbow RatatouilleAnother popular and versatile dish from our summer menu, this can be served as a side, as a sauce for pasta, or on its own with crusty bread for a light summery tea. We challenge the children to choose a rainbow of vegetables for the ratatouille, which prompts some interesting conversation as we prepare them… and helps to introduce new flavours to the children too!

1 red onion

2 peppers

1 courgette

1 aubergine

1 handful tomatoes

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons tomato puree

1 handful of cheese, grated

June – Vegetable and Lentil Dhansak 1. Chop the onions, garlic, pepper, potato and cauliflower.

1. Preheat the oven to 190C.

2. Chop the vegetables.

3. Cook the aubergine and garlic over a medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the aubergine is soft.

4. Pour the aubergine and garlic into an ovenproof dish. Top with the peppers, courgette, onion, tomatoes, and tomato puree. Mix well.

5. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

6. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top and serve.

Our children love Angie’s curry, so imagine how exciting it is for them to make the meal by themselves! This curry is a fantastic way of encouraging children to eat more vegetables, and to experience spices.

1 red onion

1 clove of garlic

2 peppers

1 potato

1 cauliflower

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 tin tomatoes

3 tablespoons coconut milk

4 tablespoons red lentils

July – Sports Day SmoothiesEvery Summer we host Sports Day and are amazed by the turnout! We are so fortunate to have families that are willing to take part in nursery life – we love celebrating with you all! We use Sports Day to help the children understand how to take care of their physical health, by eating energising, nutritional foods,

being active, and staying hydrated. These delicious smoothies tick all the boxes – they are filled with nutrients, and so quick and easy that our Caterpillars can make them! Here are some tasty combinations – just pop the ingredients into a blender and whizz!

1. Chop the onions, garlic, pepper, potato and cauliflower.

Blueberry Smoothie Ice Lollies1 cup of plain Yogurt

1 cup Blueberries

1 handful of spinach

Lemon juice, to taste

Maple syrup, to taste

Blend the ingredients in the blender, then pour into ice lolly moulds and freeze for 4-6 hours.Tropical Fruit Smoothie

1 handful of spinach

1 apple

1 cup frozen tropical fruit

1 cup of plain yogurt

Banana Berry Milkshake 1 banana

1 cup frozen berries

2 cups milk (or dairy free alternative)

August – Teddy Bear’s Picnic FeastIn August we host a Teddy Bear’s picnic to say goodbye to the children who are transitioning to ‘big school’. It is always a special occasion with the children sharing one last meal together, so we try to make the it memorable! The children from each room contribute one dish which they serve to each other (and their teddy bears!), which brings a wonderful sense of community and celebration to the occasion!

Coleslaw Salad2 carrots

2 apples

1 handful of salad leaves

2 tablespoons natural yogurt

Juice from 1 lemon

1. Grate the carrots and apples and put them in a large bowl. 2. Shred the salad leaves. 3. Add the yogurt and lemon juice to the bowl, season, and

mix all ingredients until combined.

Mini Mediterranean Frittatas 1 cup tomatoes

2 Spring Onions

1 handful grated cheese

1 handful peas

4 Eggs

4 tablespoons Milk

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and grease a muffin tin.2. Chop up the tomatoes and spring onions and add to a

mixing bowl.3. Add the cheese and peas to the bowl.4. Beat the eggs and milk in a separate bowl. Season and

then pour over the vegetables. 5. Spoon the egg mixture into the muffin tins. 6. Bake for 15-20 mins until golden brown. Serve hot or cold.

Fruity FlapjacksThese fruity flapjacks are a firm favourite all year around, and are a great way of packing in fruity goodness! We let the children pick the ingredients, so feel free to add any flavours that you like – dried cherry and coconut is delicious!

2 cups (200g) oats

2 cups (150g) dried fruit (raisins, dates, apricots etc)

1 apple

1 banana

2 tablespoons maple/golden syrup

1 cup (100g) butter

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2. Put all of the dried fruit in a mixing bowl and mash using a potato masher or forks. (The fruit needs to be sticky as it will help bind the flapjack together). Add the banana and

mash that too.

3. Grate the apple and add to the fruit mix. Pour in the oats and stir.

4. Put the butter and syrup into a microwavable bowl and heat until melted.

5. Stir the butter mixture into the oats and fruit until combined.

6. Pour the mixture into the lined baking tray and flatten.

7. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool before serving.

September – Gruffalo CrumbleYou didn’t think we could put together our children’s favourite recipes and not include Gruffalo crumble, did you? Not only does this feature in our all-time favourite storybook, but we are lucky enough to harvest our apple trees in the forest every Autumn. The children experience a true ‘seed to plate moment’, as they collect seeds from their snack time apples and plant them (we’ve never had success, but we live in hope!). They then work together to problem solve how to reach the apples, before coming together to create – and then eat – our crumble. All together now: ‘now my tummy’s beginning to rumble, my favourite food is Gruffalo crumble!’

5 apples

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons (50g) oats

1 cup (100g) flour

4 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 190C.

2. Chop the apples and lay on the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

3. To make the crumble, put the flour, sugar and oats in a large bowl. Add the butter and use your fingers to rub the mixture, until it resembles sand. (This

will take a long time for a child!)

4. Sprinkle the crumble over the apples, then bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

October – Sweet Potato and Lentil SoupWe introduce our Winter menu in October – these hearty, warming meals are just what you need after a busy morning in the cold garden! Of course, October also sees our Halloween celebration, which wouldn’t be complete without ‘spooky’ party food. The sweet potato in this soup can easily be swapped for pumpkin for a frighteningly tasty meal!

1 onion

2 small sweet potatoes (150g)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 cup coconut milk

5 tablespoons dried red lentils

1. Chop the onion and sweet potato into chunks.

2. Fry the onion with the cumin in a teaspoon of oil until it softens.

3. Add the sweet potato and coconut milk and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. In a separate pan, cook the lentils according to the packet instructions.

5. Using a potato masher or stick blender, whizz up the softened sweet potato, oil, and coconut milk until smooth.

6. Stir through the red lentils.

7. Serve hot, with easy cheesy bread.

Easy Cheesy BreadAmy Lou discovered this quick, no yeast bread, and it has been a massive hit with the children! We often use dairy free ingredients so children with dietary requirements are able to enjoy it too. We grow chives in our sensory garden, which the children love to pick, but any fresh or dried Mediterranean herb would be delicious!

2 cups (225g) self-raising flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup cheese, grated

2 tablespoons chives

1 egg

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup (150ml) milk

1. Preheat the oven to 190C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2. Chop the chives using a knife or scissors.

3. Mix the flour, salt, chives and half of the grated cheese together in a mixing bowl.

4. Beat the egg and melt the butter.

5. Add the egg, butter and milk to the flour mixture. Mix well to combine.

6. Pour the mixture onto the baking tray and sprinkle over the remaining grated cheese.

7. Bake for 30 minutes.

8. When cooled, slice and serve with soup. November – Bonfire and Beans Chilli

Our Bonfire and Beans celebration is one of our favourite nights of the year. We love seeing all of our families, and it’s wonderful to provide an experience that all of our children can join in with. While a fire pit and sparklers provide no end of fun, we do try to keep warm with Angie’s famous bean chilli, which is delicious for adults and children alike!

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 red pepper

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

2 teaspoons tomato puree

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 tin mixed beans

1 handful frozen sweetcorn

1. Chop the onion, garlic and pepper.

2. Heat a little oil in a pan and cook the onions and garlic until soft.

3. Add the chilli powder and mix.

4. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour in the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, beans and sweetcorn.

5. Simmer on a low heat until everything is cooked. Serve with rice and homemade tortilla chips.

Homemade Tortilla ChipsThese are a delicious, easy, and healthier alternative to crisps, and are fun (and educational) to make! The children are able to explore the flavours of herbs and spices, and communicate their own preferences. We examine shapes as the children cut up the tortillas, and get to practice scissor or knife control at the same time!

1 packet of tortilla wraps

3 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried herbs

1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line two or three trays with baking paper.

2. Measure the oil into three separate pots. Add the paprika to one, the cumin to another, and the dried herbs to a third.

3. Using a pastry brush, paint the flavoured oils over the tortillas.

4. Cut the tortillas into shapes using scissors or a knife.

5. Place the tortilla shapes on the baking trays. Try to arrange them so they do not overlap. Sprinkle with salt.

6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until crisp.

December – Post-Nativity Mince PiesFinally, a quick little recipe to round off the year. We usually make these with the children to serve to the families after our Butterflies Christmas Concert… and of course, the children have one as well to thank them for their fantastic performances! For ease at this hectic time of year we use ready made mincemeat and pastry, but you could of course make your own!

1 roll of shortcrust pastry

1 jar of mince meat

1 egg

1. Preheat the oven to 160C and grease a muffin tin. 2. Roll out the pastry and use a cookie cutter (or cup) to cut

into circles. 3. Push the pastry circles into the holes in the muffin tin.4. Add 1-2 spoons of mincemeat to the pastry to fill the pies. 5. Roll out the remaining pastry and cut smaller circles or

stars for lids. Place a lid on top of each pie. 6. Beat the egg, then brush over the pies.7. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes (see the pastry

packaging as timing varies) until golden brown.