The easy recipes that are getting me through back-to-school week

Peach muffins, chicken fried rice and pork meatballs

My girls were back at school today. Here are some of the recipes that I’m leaning on this week while I try to get back into the routine of Monday-Friday work and school life.

We’ve had the loveliest summer and I’m really resisting sinking into what I call my ‘robot’ mode like I was in at the end of last year. In which I become so focussed on getting through all the daily tasks, getting kids everywhere they need to be and remembering where every tiny thing that belongs to my family (bag charms, favourite socks, PE gear, library books) currently resides, that I forget to have some fun and enjoy my wonderful family, rather than just managing them.

The incredible summer evenings are making it easy to end the day on a nice note. We take our dog, Emma for a late walk after dinner, just as the sky is turning pink and orange over the Waitakere ranges. It’s one of my favourite things about summer.

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Simple peach muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Prep and cook time: 45 minutes

The stone fruit available this year has been spectacular. These muffins are a great way to enjoy it and perfect for lunchboxes (for kids and adults). Pop them in the freezer after the first day. I put them into lunchboxes froze and they are thawed by morning tea time. You can use tinned peaches when fresh peaches are out of season.

I wrote this recipe for one of my favourite clients, Otaika Valley free range eggs.

Dry ingredients

1 ¾ cups plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Wet ingredients

2 Otaika Valley free range eggs

¾ cup plain yoghurt

½ cup oil ( I use a mild olive oil)

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup sugar

2 cups fresh peaches, cut into small chunks (you can also use 1 ½ cups chopped tinned peaches)

Additional chopped peaches to garnish the top

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin. Alternatively, you can use paper cases.

Sift all the dry ingredients into a bowl.

Break the eggs into a separate bowl. Add the yoghurt and whisk together well.

Add all the other wet ingredients, including the peaches.

Create a well in the dry ingredients and add all the wet ingredients. Fold together gently. Spoon into the muffin tin, smoothing out the top of the mixture. Sprinkle with additional pieces of peach.

Bake for 18-22 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when inserted.

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Pork, ginger and spring onion meatballs

A favourite in our house. It’s been requested by my 7 year old for dinner tonight. Designed to hit those same flavour notes as the dumplings that they love. I make a double batch often so meatballs can be popped into lunchboxes or be in the fridge as a protein snack option for my hungry tween who loves to graze. This was the debut recipe for my weekly RNZ segment that started last year. Recipe HERE

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Chicken fried rice

This crowd-pleasing and economical meal is a fantastic one to cook with kids. The rice needs to have been previously cooked and cooled to get that perfect fried-rice texture. If you don’t have leftover rice, you can cook it fresh and cool completely in the fridge or freezer an hour or 2 before before starting the recipe.

I wrote this recipe for chickendinner.co.nz. It’s a website with a ton of economical, delicious family recipes that use NZ chicken.

400g chicken breast

2 eggs, lightly whisked

2 garlic cloves, finely diced

2 ½ cups leftover white rice

1 ½ cups frozen mixed vegetables (or equivalent in fresh veggies)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

½ cup roasted cashew nuts

1 spring onion, sliced

oil for sautéing

Salt and pepper

Cut the chicken into thin slices. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil. Cook the chicken until no longer pink in the middle. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Wipe out the pan, whisk together the eggs and pour into the hot pan. Fold in half when mostly cooked through and remove from the pan. Roughly cut into strips and set aside.

Add another drizzle of oil to the pan, along with the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds before adding the rice. Cook for a few minutes, tossing frequently. Add the mixed vegetables and cook for another minute. In a small bowl mix together the soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil. Pour this into the pan and toss well to coat all the rice evenly.

Add the chicken and the egg back into the pan along with the cashew nuts and spring onion. Cook for another minute or so until everything is piping hot.