Credits: PA;

"I’m not baking every week, I’m doing this every three weeks and I’ll do a couple of things together at the same time,” she says, “and they have to be snacks that my children will eat because there’s no point in making them if they don’t like them.”

“It’s that feeling of being in control, a little bit of power that you have, because we’re all trying to feed our kids better food, less processed and more homemade”.

Sweet potato and goat’s cheese hand pies

Credits: PA;

Ingredients

(Makes 6)

1½tbsp oil

1 medium onion, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp paprika

A small pinch of salt and pepper

100g sweet potato cubes, cooked

100g goat’s cheese

1 x 375g pack of ready-rolled puff pastry

1 egg, beaten with a dash of milk to make egg wash

Method

1. Warm a frying pan on a medium heat, then add the oil and onion and cook for 5–10 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika and salt and pepper, and cook for a further few minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 180ºC fan. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Put the cooked sweet potatoes into a mixing bowl with the goat’s cheese and cooked onions and mix, but leave small lumps of cheese and sweet potato – it’s better if it’s not a smooth paste.

3. Unroll the pastry and cut it into 6 equal squares. Brush the edge of each square with the egg wash. Add a generous tablespoon of the filling to each square, then fold the pastry over to make a triangle, sealing the edge with a fork. Brush the pies with the egg wash.

4. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until golden and cooked through.

Storage: The pies can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To freeze: Freeze in labelled ziplock bags for up to 3 months.

To defrost: Defrost in the fridge overnight.

Tip: You can make these with puff or shortcrust pastry. I like to peel, dice, steam and freeze sweet potatoes so as to have them on hand for this recipe.

Cowboy supper’ sausage and bean casserole

Credits: PA;

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

1–2tbsp cooking oil

6 sausages, cut into quarters (450g)

2 onions, finely chopped

4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes

2tsp smoked paprika

1 bay leaf

1 × 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

1tbsp tomato purée

600ml hot beef stock

1 × 400g tin of cannellini beans, drained

Chopped fresh parsley, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the sausages all over, then put them into the slow cooker. This step is important because the sausages won’t brown in the slow cooker.

If you have time, brown the onions in the frying pan too, as this will give a better flavour to the finished dish.

2. Add all the rest of the ingredients except the cannellini beans and parsley to the slow cooker, and cook either on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours.

3. Add the drained beans 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

4. Serve with crusty bread and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Storage: Once cooked and cooled, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To freeze: To save space in your freezer, portion the cooked and cooled bean casserole and freeze in labelled ziplock bags for up to 3 months.

To defrost: Defrost overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a pot or in the microwave until piping hot.

Chocolate and banana baked oats

Credits: PA;

Prep time, 3 mins. Cook time, 20 mins. Cooling time, 10 mins

Ingredients

200g rolled oats

40g pumpkin/sunflower seeds (optional)

25g chocolate chips or raisins

3tbsp cocoa powder

1 flat tsp ground cinnamon

1½tsp baking powder

300ml milk of your choice

2 eggs

1tbsp runny honey

1 ripe banana, mashed, or 1 apple, peeled and grated

Yoghurt and fresh berries, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan, and line a 20cm square baking tin with baking parchment. Measure the oats, seeds, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, ground cinnamon and baking powder into a mixing bowl.

2. Put the milk, eggs, honey and banana into a jug. Whisk well, then pour into the mixing bowl. Stir to combine.

3. Pour into the lined tin and cook for 20 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then cut into slices and serve.

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To freeze: Cool the slices completely before freezing. Place them in a labelled ziplock bag and freeze flat. They will keep for up to 3 months.

To defrost: Take the slices out of the freezer and defrost in an airtight container on the worktop, ready to grab for breakfast

Make & Freeze by Lou Robbie is published in hardback by Penguin Michael Joseph