Celebrating National Picnic Week with Organix

At Easter, I teamed up with Organix to share some fab spring recipes and today we’re back again – this time to celebrate National Picnic Week (11-19 June).

There’s something so wonderfully British about a picnic and with so many beautiful spots around the UK it’s a great way to get outdoors and spend some time together as a family. As a bonus picnicking can be a great opportunity to encourage fussy children to try something new as you’re making the meal a fun event in itself.

I’ll confess I’m usually pretty happy with a sausage roll and a scotch egg but these two perfect picnic recipes from the Organix recipe team demonstrate how creative and healthy picnic food can be.

---

Organix Rainbow Sandwiches

With this recipe your little one can actually eat a rainbow! Super easy and fun for kids to make too.  An easy way to encourage toddlers to eat vegetables.

Perfect for kids parties, lunchboxes and picnics. Removing the crusts shows off the rainbow coloured spreads all the way through the sandwich looking fun and attractive.

1 sandwich (and leftover spread)
Takes 30-40mins

Ingredients

• 4 carrots
• 2 large handfuls of spinach
• 100g frozen peas
• 2 cooked beetroots
• 150g cream cheese or soft goat cheese
• 4 slices wholemeal bread (pick a good quality bread with minimal added ingredients, or if you have time make the Organix homemade bread recipe)

Method

1. Peel the carrot and slice into discs. Steam for approx. 20 minutes until tender. Add the spinach leaves and peas to the steamer for another 2 minutes (you can boil the vegetables instead if you prefer).
2. Drain the veg and allow to cool.
3. Create 3 different coloured spreads. Blend one third of the soft cheese with the carrots for an orange spread, then place into a storage pot. Blend a third with the spinach and peas for a green spread, then finally a third with the cooked beetroot. Place them straight into the fridge to firm up. Use either a high speed blender or stick blender, whichever you prefer.
4. Once firm, spread 3 slices of bread, one with each colour spread. Place the slices on top of each other with the spread face up, creating a sandwich, adding the plain slice on top. Carefully cut the sandwich into little squares, triangles or any shape you like, great for your little one to grab hold of.

Serving suggestions

These spreads can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for a couple of days, or frozen for a month. You can also remove the crusts to see the colours all the way around the edge. Great for parties, lunchboxes and picnics.

You can also add fresh herbs to the green spread, such as basil to add an interesting flavour, and some grated parmesan for a more cheesy flavour. Why not experiment with other vegetables, using roasted carrots rather than steamed gives a different flavour to the orange spread.

---

Organix Secret Strawberry Heart Muffins

These wholesome muffins are filled with a hidden strawberry heart centre. “The beauty is finding a surprise strawberry heart in the centre of these lovely muffins – they are filled with love! Try serving with dollop of yoghurt.” Organix recipe team.

Organix tip “These muffins are a great wholesome snack. For a sweeter treat, you could use lighter-weight white flour and replace the oats with more flour.”

Makes 12 muffins
Suitable for freezing

Dry Ingredients

• 100g oats
• 300g sprouted whole grain spelt flour (or standard whole wheat or plain white flour if you prefer)
• 3 tsps baking powder (or use self raising flour instead)
• 50g desiccated coconut

Wet Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 20 small strawberries, hulled
• 1 ripe banana
• Juice and zest of 1 orange
• 60mls melted coconut oil, melted butter or vegetable oil (whichever you prefer)
• 60mls maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Secret heart centre

• 12 small whole strawberries, hulled
• An extra sprinkle of desiccated coconut for each muffin

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas Mark 4 and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cases.
2. Combine all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Blitz together all the wet ingredients in a blender until smooth.
4. Create a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredient mixture. Mix together lightly with a fork to keep in as much air as possible. Chop the additional 20 strawberries and then lightly stir through the mixture.
5. Place a spoonful of mixture into the bottom of each case, then place one of the 12 whole strawberries, point end up, into each case, then cover with more mixture so that the strawberry is covered. Finally sprinkle with a little desiccated coconut.
6. Bake for approx. 30 minutes until golden and the base of the muffin sounds hollow when tapped.

---

In keeping with Organix, ‘No Junk’ promise these recipes are really nutritious treats for kids (and a lot healthier than the sausage rolls for us too!).

Are you planning a picnic in the coming weeks?  What are your favourite nibbles?  And if you don’t have time to make all the snacks yourselves, check out my recent Organix review post for some on-the-go snacks.

Click here to find more delicious and healthy recipes created by the cooks at Organix.