Kids and veggies don’t always seem like a natural match —or do they? Often, it comes down to a few simple steps:
– how we present them on a plate
– how we season them to bring out their best flavours
– what we pair them with
These smilies are a nutritional concentrate of antioxidants, minerals, fibre, protein, healthy carbs and healthy fats. Shaped into fun 6cm smilies, they’re perfect for batch cooking and can be frozen ahead, making busy days that little bit easier.
For 20 chunky or 40 lean smilies (6cm diameter) 600g broccoli (head of 1 large broccoli, cleaned and cut into small florets) 1 large potato, cut into small cubes 1 can of Batchelor's Mushy Peas 1 cup toasted mixed seeds (I had a mix of pumpkin, sesame, chia, flax, hemp seeds) 1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts (omit these if you're making the smilies for school lunches) fresh mint leaves, chopped up 1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast For seasoning: Liquid Smoke (you can use Low Salt Soy Sauce instead) Pinch of sweet or smoked ground paprika 1 small sprinkle of chilli flakes (feel free to omit if you avoid these for your children) Salt and pepper to taste For serving (as per your preference): Lemon wedges Avocado slices Spinach salad PS: you can add breadcrumbs to the mixture if it is too moist. Alternatively you can opt to cover the Smilies in breadcrumbs for a crunchier and more golden exterior. 1. Place the potatoes in a pot, add water and salt and bring to a boil. After about 10mins the potatoes should be almost cooked through - at this point add in the broccoli florets, just to blanche them. Once potatoes are done, drain all ingredients in a colander and place under cold water to stop the broccoli from cooking further and to retain their green colour. 2. Transfer the ingredients into a large bowl, mashing them with a fork. If you prefer avoiding chunky pieces for your kids, use a blender to smoothen the broccoli, then add them to the smashed potatoes in a bowl. The potatoes should be mashed with a fork, otherwise they will become too creamy. 3. Add 1 whole can of Batchelor's Mushy Peas, nutritional yeast and mint leaves, mixing them in with the other ingredients. 4. Add the seasonings of your choice and blend well until you like the taste. 5. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge to allow the mixture to rest for 30mins. 6. Using an ice-cream scoop, take a portion from the cold mixture and form it into a patty with your hands. Place the patty on a baking tray lined with oven paper and pressed into a round cutter or disc for a more uniform shape. I also created "eyes" with the help of a chopstick, and the edge of a spoon to form the "smile". 7. Bake in a 180 degrees oven until both sides are golden. Alternatively you can shallow fry them in a frying pan, or bake them in an air fryer. 8. serve with lemon wedges and let the kids enjoy them, grown ups too!
Ingredients
Instructions
