Now based in Bristol, Claire was born in Zimbabwe and travelled "extensively" with her New Zealander husband, before they settled in the UK to raise their daughters Grace, 10, Ivy, seven and four-year-old Dot. It's really important to get them to help you, otherwise the food lands in front of them and they're expected to eat it," Claire adds. We've got a tiny kitchen but a great big kitchen table, because I think it's important that Grace should be sitting there doing her spellings, or Dot will be colouring in while I'm cooking - it's just day-to-day a real normalcy around food." In the new book, Claire's recipes are categorised by how long they take to cook, with sections for on-the-go breakfasts and lunch box alternative Melt two-thirds of the butter in a large wide pan over a medium heat. Add the bacon if using, the onion and leek and cook for about eight to 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.

National Trust Food - National Trust Family Cookbook

They should set the table or pour the water. There's a community to being in a family; I don't want to be running a restaurant for my children until they're 18 and leave home!" Claire Thomson in the kitchen with one of her daughters Claire Thomson wants to revitalise cooking for the family making it less of a chore, with separate meals for children and adults, and more of an enjoyable way to refresh your culinary imagination and make cooking for the family something to look forward to. To serve, add the fish cakes to the rolls with a leaf or two of lettuce, some mayonnaise, salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Squashed-fly cherry spelt biscuits With chapters divided into manageable time frames so you cook what you want, when you want it, the cookbook features recipes for delicious ideas for lunches and suppers as well as on-the-go breakfasts and lunchbox alternatives. She can't totally escape pasta though: "I've had some children come for play dates and that's all they want to eat, but as a grown-up, you've allowed that to happen if you're serving plain pasta."I’m really pleased that the book has so many vegetarian recipes too as I’m vegetarian and my family eats mainly vegetarian food. There are lots of yummy sounding recipes in here for me to try out. The photography is beautiful too and I love that there’s a mix of food photography and photos of the actual family cooking and kids enjoying the finished result. The only thing I would change is to include photos of all the dishes as that is something that I look for in a cookbook. Other than that, it’s pretty perfect! Bake the biscuits in the oven for about eight minutes until they are just beginning to turn golden.

National Trust Family Cookbook (National Trust Food) Kindle

Now for my personal favourite recipe from the cookbook. The pea and halloumi fritters are so easy to whip up and they taste delicious too. Claire Thomson wants to revitalise cooking for the family – making it less of a chore, with separate meals for children and adults, and more of an enjoyable way to refresh your culinary imagination and make cooking for the family something to look forward to.

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I don't serve plain pasta and my kids would think it was weird," says Claire Thomson, family food ambassador for the National Trust, chef and mum-of-three. It’s fab share with you an easy peasy recipe from the National Trust Family Cookbook by Claire Thomson. The National Trust Family Cookbook is Claire’s new book and it’s full of beautiful and delicious family dishes with easy to follow recipes. They’re all family friendly and there are over 100 ideas for breakfasts, lunches at home, lunchboxes and evening meals plus desserts and bakes. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen towel to soak up excess fat while you fry the remaining fish cakes.