Recipes with Maria Socratous

Kids in the kitchen
Help fight off the boredom by letting the kids try their hand at cooking…

Easy Omelette
Serves 2

4 eggs, beaten
½ onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
½ cup sweetcorn kernels
½ cup frozen peas
½ cup mild cheddar, grated

l Heat oil in a 25cm non-stick frying pan. Add the onion and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Tip in the frozen peas and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the corn and stir.
l Pour in the beaten eggs and stir to mix with the vegetables. Sprinkle cheese over and cook undisturbed until set.
l Slide the omelette out of the pan and cut into quarters. Serve with a green leaf salad.

Cheesy Croissant Bake
Serves 4-6

4 croissants, cut in half
20 cherry tomatoes
4 slices smoked ham, roughly chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
3 eggs, beaten
½ litre semi-skimmed milk
2 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
50g cheddar cheese, grated

l Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4. Arrange croissants in a buttered ovenproof dish. Sprinkle over the cherry tomatoes, spring onions and ham.
l Mix together the eggs, milk, mustard and some seasoning. Pour over the croissants and scatter grated cheese over the ham.
l Put the dish in a large roasting tin and pour hot water into the tin until it comes halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until set and golden.

Easy Mix Blackcurrant Muffins
Makes 12

2 mugs self-raising flour, sifted
½ mug icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp vanilla essence
½ mug oil
1 mug orange juice
3-4 tbsp blackcurrant pie filling

l Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF/ gas mark 4.
l Mix sifted flour, sugar, baking powder and vanilla essence in a bowl. Pour in the oil and orange juice and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon. Fold in the blackcurrant pie filling very lightly as you don’t want the mixture to change colour.
l Divide mixture into a buttered, 12-hole muffin tray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.