A trio of healthy red meat meals

Britmums have challenged bloggers to take the #HealthyRedMeat Challenge to create a delicious family meal with beef, pork or lamb. And as one of the first 100 to sign upto the challenge, I received a free £10 Tesco voucher to purchase red meat.

Now son2 is very fussy about what he will eat and son1 doesn’t like beef, so I decided to play it safe and spent the voucher on 2 packs of pork mince and a pack of sausages, as I knew those should go down well. Plenty of good quality #HealthyRedMeat at a very affordable price.

Experts recommend including lean red meat in children’s diet from weaning onwards. Red meat provides a range of important nutrients that are often low in toddlers and children – including iron, zinc, and B vitamins, selenium and potassium.
Red meat has been in the spotlight recently, and experts fear that the nutritional benefits have been overshadowed by misleading negative views. To cut through the confusion, the Meat Advisory Panel, an independent group of health and nutrition experts, is partnering with BritMums to promote red meat in the diets of children.
Dr Emma Derbyshire, a public health nutritionist and mother, says: “Including a small portion of red meat in the diet a few times a week after weaning can help to bridge nutrient gaps and so help to maintain good health through childhood and beyond.”

So the first pack of mince was used to make Breaded Pork Meatballs which I served along with my homemade Cheesy Chips. Or plain chips for son2 who has recently taken a dislike to cheese. Luckily it is simple to remove a portion of chips before adding the cheese.

Breaded Pork Meatballs

Ingredients (serves 4)

500g pork mince
2 slices of stale bread
1 egg
2 tbsp plain flour
salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

Method

Tear bread into small pieces and put in blender.
Whizz into breadcrumbs.
Beat the egg in a flat dish.
Form the mince into about 16 balls.
Sprinkle the flour on a chopping board.
Roll the meatballs in flour.
Dip the meatballs in the egg.
Tip breadcrumbs into a dish and season with salt and pepper.
Roll the meatballs in breadcrumbs to fully coat them.
Gently heat the oil in a wok on hob.
Cook the meatballs for about 15 minutes, until they are thoroughly cooked, turning at intervals.
Serve with cheesy chips and your choice of vegetables.
Enjoy.

A really tasty meal. The next day it was mince up again. This time I made Pork Burgers which I served in ciabatta bread along with a repeat of the Cheesy Chips. But rolls would be fine too.

Pork Burgers

Ingredients (serves 4)

500g pork mince
1/2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp olive oil

Method

Form the mince into 4 burgers.
Sprinkle the flour on a chopping board.
Coat the burgers in flour.
Gently heat the oil in a frying pan on hob.
Cook the burgers for about 15-20 minutes, until they are thoroughly cooked, turning at intervals.
Serve in your choice of ciabatta bread or bread rolls with cheesy chips and salad or vegetables.
Enjoy.

Again another delicious meal. And finally a meal we have frequently in our household as it is one of both boys’ favourites, namely Toad in the Hole. I served this with mini roast potatoes and a wide range of vegetables so that everyone could choose which ones they wanted alongside.

Toad in the Hole

Ingredients (serves 4)

375g pork sausages
150g plain flour
1 egg
450ml milk
pinch of salt
spray oil

Method

Preheat fan oven to 200 deg C.
Put flour and salt in mixing bowl.
Make a well in centre of flour.
Crack egg into well.
Add sufficient milk to beat to a paste.
Gradually whisk in remainder of milk.
Meanwhile spray oil onto baking tray.
Prick sausages and place in baking tray.
Cook sausages for 5 minutes on middle oven shelf.
Pour batter over sausages.
Return to oven and cook for about 30 – 40 minutes.
Serve with roast potatoes, gravy and your choice of vegetables.
Enjoy.

Of course this went down very well. And here is the Cheesy Chips recipe, mentioned earlier.

Cheesy Chips

Ingredients (serves 4)

600g potatoes
50g grated cheddar cheese
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Method

Preheat fan oven to 200 degree C.
Peel the potatoes.
Chop potatoes into thin chips.
Heat the oil in a baking tray in oven for 3 minutes, ensuring the base is fully covered.
Add the chips and turn a few times to ensure coated in the oil.
Cook for about 15 minutes, turning halfway through.
Meanwhile grate the cheese.
Once the chips are cooked, sprinkle the grated cheese over the chips.
Return to oven for about 3 minutes, to allow cheese to melt.
Serve and enjoy.

So a thumbs up from the boys for the meal choices this week using #HealthyRedMeat.

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Disclosure. This post mentions products I purchased using a voucher I was sent for free. All opinions are my own. This post is an entry for the BritMums #HealthyRedMeat Challenge, sponsored by the Meat Advisory Panel.

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