Funny-face Hamburgers
Your own yummy burgers will be better than any fast food, and you and your children can have lots of fun decorating the burgers with silly faces. Or, serve the burgers more traditionally in buns.
15 minutes
6–10 minutes, plus pasta cooking
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 apple, peeled, cored, and grated
1/2 small garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp fresh thyme or chopped parsley
2 tsp honey
3/4 cup ground round
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp oyster sauce
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
Sunflower or olive oil, for frying
Green peas and a mini-cherry tomato for decoration
Per portion
Heat the oil in a small
frying pan and soften the shallot and apple for 2 minutes. Add the
garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the vinegar and cook, stirring, until
evaporated, then stir in the thyme and honey. Transfer to a bowl and
cool slightly. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix
together. Shape into four burgers. Cover and refrigerate. Or, wrap
individually and freeze for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the
refrigerator.
To cook, heat a little
oil in a large nonstick frying pan and cook the burgers over moderate
heat for 3–4 minutes per side until cooked through. At the same time,
cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and toss with the
tomato sauce.
Arrange some pasta on a
plate to resemble hair (spaghetti for straight, macaroni for curls) and
place the burgers under the hair. Add peas for eyes and a mini-cherry
tomato for a nose (or use carrot or ketchup). For the mouth, use a
curved piece of pasta (or tomato or red bell pepper). Serve any leftover
pasta in a separate dish.
Maple-oat Clusters
It’s easy to make your own delicious breakfast cereal with oats, pecans, and maple syrup, and this will keep in an airtight container for several weeks. It’s also good sprinkled over fresh fruit or plain yogurt, or just nibbled as a snack.
5 minutes
50–55 minutes
2 heaping cups rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 tsp salt
Scant 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
6 tbsp butter, at room temperature
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Put the oats, nuts,
salt, and sugar in a bowl and stir until well combined. Add the syrup
and soft butter and mix with a wooden spoon, then pack together with
your hands to form a ball.
Press the oat mixture out on a nonstick baking sheet, to make a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Press down well to compact the oats.
Bake until lightly
golden, about 20 minutes, then use a metal spoon to gently separate the
oat disk into large clumps (the center will still be very soft). Return
to the oven and bake for 10–15 minutes longer. Gently move the clusters
around, then bake until they are golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from
the oven and let cool on the baking sheet (the clusters will crisp up
more as they cool).
Gently break any larger clusters into bite-sized pieces. Store the clusters in an airtight box.
