Toad In the Hole with extra vegies

I like to share tips with parents on encouraging their children to eat the rainbow every day, whatever their age. I offer a checklist to clients, that they can put on their fridge.

My top tip is to choose a family favourite recipe and add a couple of extra vegetables, you can hide them or like this Toad in the Hole, I added broccoli and leeks, they were obvious and made the dish extra yummy. You can also serve extra vegetables on the side too.

Clients often ask me what are the benefits of different coloured vegetables.

The colour pigments we see in plants are beneficial compounds, called phytonutrients. They naturally protect plants from disease and it is now believed when we eat the different colours in plant foods, referred to as the nutrition rainbow, they also protect us from disease.

How can the different colours in plant food help our children?

🍎Red – soak up free radicals that cause oxidative stress that can lead to inflammatory diseases, helps support skin health.

🍌Yellow/orange – eye health and vision, sun protection, immunity

🥦Green – healing, detoxification, immunity, supports digestion, energy

🫐Purple/blue – anti-inflammatory, brain health, positive mood, memory,

🥜Brown/white – detoxification, hormone balance, anti-inflammatory.

The recommendation is to try and build up to seven fist-size portions of plant foods every day at least 30 plant foods a week.

With children, you have good days and bad. So, it is best to look at the whole week.

Remember plant foods include wholegrain, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, herbs and spices.

For this recipe it contains onions, leeks and broccoli, so greens and white. Remember it’s the whole day so if you serve mixed berries at breakfast. For lunch serve a tuna sweetcorn sandwich with seeded brown bread, you are on track to eating the rainbow for that day.

Recipe

140g plain flour

3 large eggs

300ml milk

2 tsp wholegrain mustard (optional)

3 tbsp olive oil

6-8 sausages (pork, chicken or vegie)

100g broccoli

1 leek, cut into thick slices

70g mature cheddar, grated

Gravy

1 large onion, finely sliced

2 tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 thyme sprigs

600ml chicken stock

Method

Add the flour and eggs to a large bowl or food processor, season and whisk to a thick, smooth paste. Stir in the milk until the batter is similar to single cream, then stir in 2 tsp mustard. Rest for 30 mins.

Heat the oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9. Pour 2 tbsp oil into a heavy casserole dish or roasting tin, spread the oil around the base and sides, then put on the middle shelf of the oven for 10 mins.

Add the sausages, spaced apart, and cook for 5-7 mins, add the broccoli and sliced leek, and cook for another 3 mins.

Mix the cheese with the 1 tbsp mustard.

Pour the batter over the sausages, broccoli and leeks, then scatter over most of the mustardy cheese. Cook for 15 mins before turning the oven down to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 (don’t open the oven door during this time).

Sprinkle over the remaining mustardy cheese, then cook for 5-8 mins until melted, and the batter is puffed and golden brown.

For the gravy.

Fry the onion with the remaining oil for 10-15 mins until lightly golden, adding a little water if they catch.

Stir in the flour until it disappears, then add the balsamic vinegar and chopped thyme.

Cook until the vinegar evaporates, then pour in the stock, cook uncovered for 10 mins, or until the gravy is the thickness you prefer.

You can change the vegetable combination, maybe add some mushrooms, peppers or courgettes whatever you have in the fridge. Enjoy!