3 easy dinner recipes your kids will love, and so will you

YOU don't have to settle for spag bol and sausages to keep the kids happy at dinner time.

Australian Regional Media's country cook Shannon Newley has compiled three delicious, easy and healthy dinner recipes your kids will love - and they're just what your adult tastebuds ordered.

Easy chorizo pasta

Serves 2

Ingredients

 1 chorizo sausage, chopped roughly

 1 brown onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, diced

4 ripe tomatoes, chopped roughly

1 teaspoon of sugar

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to season

Basil to garnish

Parmesan cheese to serve

1/3 of a packet of spaghetti

Method

Place pasta in a pot of boiling salted water and cook as per packet instructions. Drain and set aside conserving half a cup of the pasta water. Meanwhile, heat a large pan. Put chorizo in the pan, no oil is needed. Cook for a few minutes until the pan becomes oily from the sausage. Add a splash of oil if needed. Add the onion and cook for another seven minutes. Turn the heat to medium-high if onion is starting to brown. Add garlic and tomatoes to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and add sugar and half a cup of the pasta water. Turn heat up to high and cook for 15-20 minutes, until tomato breaks down, stirring occasionally. Add pasta to the pan, stirring to heat through. Serve with basil garnish and parmesan cheese.

Fish tostadas with avocado and corn salsa

Ingredients

2 large white firm fish fillets (ling, for example), cut into bite-size pieces

1 cob of corn, cooked then kernels cut off

1 ripe avocado, cut into small pieces

8 cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 cup of tinned beans (your preferred), drained and washed and seasoned with salt and pepper

1 large green chilli, diced (extra chilli powder to taste)

1 cup grated cheese

½ red onion, diced

4 corn tortillas

Olive oil Spray oil

Salt and pepper to season

100ml sour cream

Juice of one lime

2 tbs coriander leaves, chopped

Method

In a bowl, combine chilli (to taste), fish, a generous splash of olive oil and salt and pepper. Cover and set aside. In another bowl, combine lime juice, sour cream and coriander leaves in a bowl, cover and set aside in fridge. In another bowl, combine corn kernels and avocado. Cover and set aside in fridge. Preheat oven to 220C. Spray both sides of tortillas with oil and lay on baking tray so they are not touching. Cook until lightly browned, remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly. They will crisp up as they cool. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan and cook fish until cooked through. On each tortilla, layer the toppings in this order: cabbage, onion, beans, tomatoes, cheese, corn and avocado salsa, fish and sour cream. Garnish with extra coriander leaves and serve.

Bambino bocconcini chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 ⁄4 cup baby bocconcini, cut in half

700ml tomato passata

1 brown onion

3 cloves of garlic

1 bunch basil

2 cups long-grain rice

4 pieces of prosciutto

8 chicken thighs

2 cups chicken stock

Oil

Salt and pepper to season

Method

Heat oil in a fry pan, brown chicken thighs and set aside. In the same pan add some more oil, fry the onion until soft, add garlic and cook for two more minutes. Add chicken back into the pan, along with tomato passata and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil and add 1 ⁄3 of the basil. Turn down to a simmer, cover and allow to cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, put rice on to cook using your preferred method. Uncover chicken and place halved bocconcini balls throughout the dish, sprinkle another 1 ⁄3 basil over the top and then lay the prosciutto across the top of the dish. Place under grill until prosciutto starts to become crispy. Serve on a bed of rice garnished with basil.

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