Perfect picnic

Delicious picnic food

A summer day in the park wouldn't be complete without a picnic lunch.

Here are some of my favourite tasty and healthy picnic recipes.

Sunshine salad with monkey nuts

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 carrots

• 1/2 red cabbage

• 2 small red onions

• handful of fresh mint and coriander leaves

• handful of unsalted peanuts, chopped

For the dressing:

• 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon sesame or other vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Equipment:

• chopping board

• knife

• bowls

• whisk

• a fork and spoon or salad servers

What to do:

Ask an adult to help you cut the carrots into sticks, shred the cabbage and finely slice the onions.

Put them in a bowl and keep to one side.

In a separate bowl make the dressing by whisking together the vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce and garlic.

Pour the dressing over the salad and mix it well using a fork and a spoon.

Sprinkle the mint, coriander and peanuts on top.

Enjoy your sunshine salad with monkey nuts.

Be careful: Only use peanuts in this recipe if you know you are not allergic to nuts.

Summer cous cous salad

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 100g cous cous

• 1 reduced-salt vegetable stock cube

• 150g canned broad beans, canned in water, rinsed and drained

• 100g rocket leaves

• 4 black olives, sliced

• 20g feta cheese, cubed

• a small bunch of coriander, chopped

For the dressing:

• a few sprigs of fresh mint

• juice of a lemon

• 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar

Equipment:

• saucepan

• bowls

• whisk

• a fork and spoon or salad servers

What to do:
Ask an adult to help you prepare the cous cous using the vegetable stock by following the instructions on the packet.

In a large bowl gently mix together the cous cous, broad beans, rocket leaves, olives, feta cheese and coriander using a fork and a spoon.

In a separate bowl make the dressing by whisking together the mint, lemon juice and vinegar.

Add the dressing to the salad and mix again.

Enjoy your summer cous cous salad.

Easy-peasy pasta salad

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 400g wholemeal pasta

• 150g sugar snap peas

• 213g canned salmon, canned in water

• 100g rocket leaves

• zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

• 4 tablespoons reduced-fat crème fraîche

Equipment:

• saucepan

• colander

• bowls

• forks

• whisk

What to do:

Ask an adult to help you cook the pasta by following the instructions on the packet.

Add the sugar snap peas to the water 2 minutes before the pasta is cooked.

When the pasta is ready, drain it using a colander, place it under cold running water to cool it down, then drain it again.

Put the pasta, sugar snap peas, salmon and rocket leaves in a large mixing bowl and mix together with two forks.

In a separate bowl make the dressing by mixing the zest and juice of a lemon with the crème fraîche.

Tip the dressing onto the pasta salad and gently mix the ingredients with the forks.

Enjoy your easy-peasy pasta salad.

There's more to cook in Cook it!

Crunchy munchy bars

Ingredients (makes 16):

• 100ml sunflower oil

• 15g light soft brown sugar

• 150ml golden syrup

• 250g rolled oats

• 100g unsalted mixed seeds

• 60g mixed dried fruits

Equipment:

• saucepan

• wooden spoon

• oven-proof paper

• 20cm square baking tin

• knife

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4

What to do:

Put the oil, sugar and syrup into a pan and ask an adult to help you to heat it gently until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the oats, seeds and dried fruits and mix well using a wooden spoon.

Line the baking tin with the oven-proof paper and ask an adult to tip in the mixture.

Press down with the spoon to flatten it.

Put it in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until it is golden brown. Leave it to cool down for about 2 hours, then cut the mixture into 16 bars.

Enjoy your crunchy munchy bars.

Crunchy munchy bars are a great treat, but you shouldn't eat them every day. After all, a treat is something to have occasionally.