The BIG Freeze

I am Lou, I’m a professional chef, and a proud wife to Mike, my tall Scottish rock of support, and mum to Meabh, aged ten, who is sharp, witty and so kind, and Hamish, aged seven, who is strong-willed, constantly curious and so funny. They are my whole world.

When my Meabh was one, I remember cooking for her and thinking how fortunate I was to have trained as a chef and to have learned the skills needed to feed her real, wholesome homemade food.

I made all her purées, finger foods, sauces and weaning dinners from scratch right from the start. I clearly remember feeling the urge to help other parents find the confidence to do the same. When we cook food from scratch for our families, we are in control of the ingredients. In a world of convenience and processed foods that’s a powerful thing.

When the pandemic happened, I found myself at home, cooking for my family, and I adapted all the skills I’d learned in the professional kitchen to my home kitchen. Wanting to share these skills with others, I started giving online cooking classes to adults and kids, and set up my business, Little Lou Cooks, in 2021. I also began sharing recipes and meal-prepping tips on my social media pages and the momentum grew, as more and more parents were interested in swapping shop-bought meals for healthier homemade food that could be made in advance. In November 2023 I shared a video of me doing what I do – batch-making homemade snacks suitable for freezing for my kids’ school lunches – and it went viral! That snowballed and now I have over 1 million followers across my social media platforms.

I love that I have a global community of followers who are so supportive and encouraging. Most are parents, who send me the loveliest comments, photos and messages daily. I get to work from home and really feel I am helping parents to add more homemade food to their weekly menus. I always encourage everyone to make use of their freezer, to cook extra and save some for another day, for when you’re under pressure but still want your family to eat good homemade food.

Nut-free energy balls

PREP TIME: 20 mins MAKES: 12

• 115g pitted dates
• 40g rolled oats
• 60g mixed seeds
• 20g desiccated coconut, plus 20g extra to finish
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

STORAGE: Keep these in the fridge for up to 7 days.
TO FREEZE: Freeze in a labelled ziplock bag for up to 3 months.
TO DEFROST: Defrost in an airtight container on the worktop overnight.
TIP: To change up the flavour, add ½ teaspoon of orange zest to the blended mix.

There are some of my recipes that were stepping-stones to get to where I am today! In November 2023 I shared a montage reel of me making snacks for the lunchbox. That reel was a viral hit and brought me a huge number of new followers. These energy balls played a starring role, and they have been made for thousands of kids’ lunchboxes across the world! So cool to see.

1 Put the dates into a bowl, cover with boiling water, leave to soften for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, blend the oats, seeds, coconut and cocoa powder in a processor – the texture should be coarse and not too fine.

2 Drain the dates and add them to the blender, then blend until it looks like a thick paste. If it looks dry and won’t clump, add a dash of boiled water and blend again.

3 Roll the mixture into balls, big or small – whichever you prefer.

4 To finish, pour the extra desiccated coconut into a wide bowl. Lightly wet your hands to help the coconut stick, then roll the balls again and toss them in the coconut. Put the balls into a container and pop them into the fridge to firm up.

Pesto & cheese pastry scrolls

MAKES: 12 PREP TIME: 15 mins COOK TIME: 25–30 mins

• 1 x 375g pack of ready-rolled puff pastry
• 60g cream cheese
• 60g green pesto
• 60g carrots, grated
• 60g Cheddar cheese, grated

STORAGE: Once cooled, these will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
TO FREEZE: Freeze flat on a tray, then transfer to labelled ziplock bags, freeze for up to 3 months.
TO DEFROST: Defrost in the fridge overnight and pop into lunchboxes in the morning.
TIP: Leave the pastry out of the fridge for 20 minutes to warm up before using, so it’s easier to work with.

There are certain foods that kids seem to enjoy without fuss, and pesto is one of them. It’s a great way to add flavour and green goodness. You can absolutely make your own, but there are some great fresh pestos in the shops too. I love to bake these scrolls on Sunday evenings, as they only take 10 minutes or so to make. They make great finger food for parties too - just remember to put your spare hand under your chin to catch the flaky crumbs!

1 Preheat the oven to 180ºC fan and line a large baking tray with baking parchment.

2 Unroll the puff pastry. Using a butter knife, spread an even layer of the cream cheese all over the pastry. Top with an even layer of pesto, followed by the grated carrot and Cheddar cheese.

3 Starting at the long edge, roll the pastry carefully into a log. Using a fork, gently press down and seal the pastry along the seam.

4 Cut the log into 12 equal pieces. Place them flat on the baking tray and bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden and cooked through.

5 These can be eaten warm or cold.

Black bean and chocolate chip cookies

MAKES: 12 PREP TIME: 15 mins COOK TIME: 15 mins

• 250g oats
• 1 x 400g tin of black beans, drained well
• 125ml maple syrup or honey
• 2 heaped tablespoons cocoa powder
• 40g butter, soft, at room temperature
• 80g chocolate chips

STORAGE: These cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
TO FREEZE: Freeze in labelled ziplock bags for up to 3 months.
TO DEFROST: Defrost in an airtight container overnight.

It’s safe to say that cookies are always welcome in our house. These are soft and fudgy and delicious as a snack. Last summer we headed out on a beach adventure for the day. We packed a big picnic with sandwiches, fruit, a flask for tea and these cookies. Eating them on a picnic blanket with your family is highly recommended.

1 Preheat the oven to 180ºC fan, and line two baking trays with baking parchment.

2 Put half the oats into a blender. Add the drained black beans, maple syrup, cocoa powder and butter in a blender and process until fairly smooth.

3 Scoop the mix into a mixing bowl, and stir through the other half of the oats and the chocolate chips.

4 Divide the mix into 12 balls. Place on the baking trays and push down to flatten. If you have a cookie cutter, use it to mould them into nice round shapes, if not, do your best to shape them with your hands. Bake for 15 minutes. Let them cool on the trays for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Sweet potato & goat’s cheese hand pies

MAKES: 6 PREP TIME: 20 mins COOK TIME: 30 mins

• 1½ tablespoons oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon 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

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 over-night.
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.

Hand pies are just filled pastries you can hold in your hand. They are flaky and just delicious. I’m a huge fan of salty-and-sweet savoury food. Salty goat’s cheese and sweet potato are a fabulous combination with the addition of the mildly spiced onions.

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.