IF YOU have kids then you know the summer holidays are hectic, from trying to keep them entertained to spending hours in the kitchen.
Many of us struggle to think of new meal ideas that mean we aren't shackled to the oven all day.
And with the cost of food increasing, many of us want to keep food costs to a minimum.
Grace Mortimer, 29, from Glouster, England, shares with Fabulous her top five-minute meals for busy mums using only five ingredients that the kids will love.
The mum-of-one, reveals she has always loved cooking but decided to make easy recipes when her son, Harry, went through his fussy food phase.
She explains: "I was sort of tearing my hair out crying on the stairs thinking I love food, I love cooking and I just can't get him to eat anything.
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"So I thought I just had to cut it all back and go back to basics and choose really simple food that takes five minutes so that if he doesn't eat it then I'm not devastated."
Grace first shared her recipes on social media for other mums to follow, now she has her first cook book – My First Meals.
"Most of the recipes can be frozen or kept in the fridge for 48 hours," she adds.
"Children are always doing something lethal or messy out of eyeshot, and you're trying to put a meal together so if it's complicated with lots of steps, god knows what's going on in your living room," Grace explains, a good reason to keep recipes as simple as possible.
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Grace shares five recipes you can use for dinner or lunch from her new book – all using just five ingredients.
Mini Quichies
Ingredients
One sheet of ready-made shortcrust pastry.
Two cubes of frozen spinach or two handfuls of fresh spinach.
Two tbsp double cream.
Two eggs.
One handful of grated cheese (any type).
"I genuinely believe that this book will save mums' money, the price of kids' food in the supermarket is extortionately expensive.
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
Cut the sheet of pastry into 6 equal squares and line each hole in a 6 hole muffin tin with a square of pastry. Prick the bottom of each one with a fork.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Defrost the frozen spinach or cook the fresh spinach in a little boiling water until wilted, then drain and cool.
Place the cooled spinach in a bowl, add the double cream and eggs, then mix thoroughly. Stir in the grated cheese.
Remove the pastry shells from the oven and pour in the cheesy spinach mixture.
Bake for a further 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before serving.
Tuna leek pasta
Ingredients
One handful of pasta.
One handful of chopped leeks.
One 145g tin of tuna, drained.
Two tbsp of cream cheese.
Method
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
Halfway through the pasta cooking, all the leek to the boiling pasta pan.
When the pasta is cooked, drain and return the pasta and leek to the pan. Add the tuna and cream cheese and mix thoroughly.
Spiced Fish cakes
Ingredients
½ x 145g tin of tuna, drained.
One ripe avocado, peeled and de-stoned.
Two spring onions, chopped.
One tsp garam masala or mild curry powder.
One egg.
Drizzle of sunflower oil for cooking.
Method
Mix together all the ingredients, except the oil, in a bowl or jug until well combined, mashing the avocado well.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.
When hot, add tablespoon-sized amounts of the mixture to the pan and fry on both sides until crispy.
Remove each fishcake to a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.
Cheesy veg patties
Ingredients
One handful of grated courgette.
One handful of grated carrots.
One handful of grated cheese (any type).
One ripe avocado, peeled and de-stoned.
One cup (125g) of plain flour.
Sunflower oil for cooking.
Method
Mix together all the ingredients, except the oil, in a bowl until well combined, and roll into five patties.
Heat a good glug of oil in a frying pan over medium heat, when hot, add the patties and fry for five minutes on each side.
Pat with kitchen towel to remove any excess oil.
Bobble Pie
Ingredients
One white potato, peeled and chopped.
½ x 400g tin of baked beans.
One tbsp frozen peas.
One tbsp frozen sweetcorn.
One handful of grated cheese (any type).
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C tan).
Cook the potato in a pan of boiling water until soft, then drain and mash.
In a small ovenproof dish, combine the baked beans, peas and sweetcorn. Mix together, then spoon over the mashed potato and sprinkle over the cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve.
Grace adds: "I genuinely believe that this book will actually save people money.
"The price of kids' food in the supermarkets is extortionately expensive.
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"I used to buy that stuff and it was the most so soul-destroying if Harry didn't eat it because it was like £2 or something," she adds.
My First Meals: Fast and fun recipes for children with just five ingredients is available now for £14.89.
Grace’s top ten kitchen ingredients to have in
Baked beans – cheap and versatile
Pasta – a staple for anyone
Chopped tomatoes – a great base for sauces
Any kind of cheese – for adding flavour
Tin of tuna – cheap protein
Frozen vegetables – nutrient dense and cheap
Berries – easy one of your fivea day
Coconut milk – high in fats
Cucumber – to combat mum guilt, great to add on a plate of beige food
Weetabix – to use for breadcrumbs and add extra fibre
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