Five simple and easy-to-follow recipes children can make for mum on Mother's Day

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, mums everywhere are wondering what treats will be in store. But a cosy breakfast in bed could be a distant dream for many, as research reveals that nearly half of (46%) mums have experienced their children cooking them meals that looked largely unappetising.

While many grin and bear it because the dish was ‘made with love’, the excuses are second to none, with 47% of mums admitting they tell their children they’ll “save it for later”, 57% asking their child to give the dish to their partner to eat instead, and 26% revealing they’d fed the meal to their family pet. To combat soggy cereal and burnt toast this Mother’s Day, Ocado has worked with Claudine Boulstridge, mum of three, chef and cookery teacher behind @healthyfamilyfoodideas, to create five simple and delicious breakfast recipes for children, so that they can serve up a fantastic feast on the day.

With Ocado’s new study showing that beige foods had over indexed as the most common foods children have cooked for Mums, this year, it’s time to add some colour by using a broader variety of fresh and colourful ingredients. The five recipes are either entirely no-cook, or use simple appliances like a microwave and toaster, meaning there’s no reliance on ovens or hobs. With both sweet and savoury covered, kids can choose from:

The Mum-lette

Mum-lette (Ocado)

Ingredients:

1 medium egg

1 tsp whole milk or any of your choice

1 pinch salt

1 tsp unsalted butter

Method:

• To make the omelette, whisk the egg in a bowl with the milk and salt.
• Add the butter to a heatproof small, flat plate (around 18cm in diameter) with a lip.
• Microwave the plate with butter on high (800W - 1000W) for 20 secs or until melted.
• Pour the egg mixture onto the buttered plate and cover it with a heatproof bowl or plate.
• Return to the microwave and cook on high for 1 min 30 secs more.
• Use a spatula and oven gloves to carefully lift the omelette off the plate onto a larger plate.
• Decorate with the toppings of your choice to create a colourful, edible portrait of your favourite person and serve.

Topping ideas: rocket leaves, pepper, cucumber, grated cheddar or crumbled feta, ham, smoked salmon, cherry tomatoes, olives, sauerkraut or pickled red cabbage

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3-Minute Microwave Mug Toast

Mug toast (Ocado)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp coconut flour

1 medium egg, beaten

¼ tsp baking powder

1 tbsp whole milk or any of your choice

1 tbsp Nutella or nut butter of your choice

1 handful of raspberries

Method:

• Place the butter in a large heatproof mug with straight sides or a small heatproof bowl and microwave on high (800W - 1000W) for 40 secs or until melted.
• Add the coconut flour, a pinch of salt, the egg, baking powder and milk and stir well.
• Return to the microwave and cook for another 2 mins on high.
• Leave to cool completely before turning out of the mug onto a chopping board.
• Cut the bread into 2-3 slices and toast.
• Spread over the Nutella or nut butter and finish with raspberries or any fruit of your choice.

No-Bake Microwave Cookies

No bake cookies (Ocado)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla paste

1 medium egg yolk

1 tbsp oats

2 tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp dark chocolate chips

Method:

• In a heatproof bowl add the butter and microwave on high (800W - 1000W) for 30 secs, until melted.
• Stir in the caster sugar, vanilla paste, egg yolk and oats and stir well. Add the flour and gently stir again.
• Line two small plates with non-stick baking paper.
• Shape your combined mixture into two heart or circle shapes and place one on each piece of baking paper.
• Decorate with chocolate chips.
• Microwave each plate, separately, on high for 1 min.
• Leave to cool completely before removing with a spatula. Then dunk into milk, if you like, and enjoy.

Over the Rainbow Yoghurt Lollipops

Yoghurt Lollies (Ocado)

Ingredients:

8 tbsp thick kefir yoghurt or Greek yoghurt

1 handful purple grapes, halved

1 handful blueberries

1 handful kiwi, cut into small pieces

1 handful pineapple, mango or satsuma, cut into small pieces

1 handful strawberries or raspberries, cut into small pieces

1 handful pomegranate seeds

Method:

• Spread the yoghurt into four circles, about 5mm thick (2 tbsp for each circle) on a large baking tray lined with baking paper. You can use two smaller trays if necessary, just make sure they fit your freezer.
• Arrange the fruit in rainbow lines, sticking to the colour order of purple, blue, green, yellow, orange then red.
• Place the top of a cake pop stick (see Tip) into the yoghurt and freeze overnight (or for at least 4 hours).
• Remove from the freezer and allow to sit for 5-10 mins before carefully lifting off the baking paper and enjoy nibbling the cold, colourful rainbow.

Tips or serving suggestions - Freezing time: 4 hrs Use cake pop sticks or wooden lolly sticks

Slow-Cooker Full English

Full English (Ocado)

Ingredients:

4 sausages

6 rashers of bacon (or turkey bacon), rolled up into tubes

3 medium eggs

3 tbsp whole milk or any of your choice

2 tbsp double cream

1 tsp unsalted butter, softened

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tsp olive oil

½ tsp dried oregano

1 (400g) tin baked beans

1 large handful spinach

8 button mushrooms, quartered

Method:

• Place the sausages and bacon, both standing upright, in two separate mugs.
• Crack the eggs into another mug, add the milk, 1 tbsp of the cream, butter, season to taste and mix well.
• In another mug add the tomatoes along with 1 tsp olive oil, oregano and a pinch of salt.
• Tip ¾ of the baked beans into another mug.
• Add the spinach to another mug along with remaining cream.
• Add the mushrooms in another mug along with the remaining olive oil. If you’re short on space, you can put the spinach and mushrooms together in a mug.
• Place all the mugs in the slow cooker. Pop it on first thing in the morning for a lazy brunch or brinner.