The 5 O'Clock Apron: Proper Food for Modern Families by Claire Thomson

  • White sauce (Béchamel sauce) (page 16)

    from The 5 O'Clock Apron: Proper Food for Modern Families The 5 O'Clock Apron by Claire Thomson

    • Categories: Sauces, general; French; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: milk; bay leaves; black peppercorns; store-cupboard ingredients
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Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Cabbage, bulgur & allspice pilaf

    • VineTomato on October 06, 2022

      When it came to preparing dinner I really didn't feel like making this, but so glad I did. Loved it. This is not a dish for Mr VT who is funny about cabbage and cinnamon, so I made it on a night he is out of town for work. The sunflower seeds are wonderful, the yoghurt pairs beautifully and the spices are warming and fragrant but not overwhelming.

  • Banana and coconut flapjacks

    • laura_665o9t on May 19, 2026

      These are a little dry. You can taste the health - I don’t think its fair to describe these as flapjacks because of the lack of butter and syrup. However if you are looking to improve your plant points this makes a nice treat

  • Syrian lentil soup

    • VineTomato on December 18, 2025

      Finally December holidays and time to cook and experiment with some new recipes. Claire posted this on her Instagram with a few tweaks ground coriander, ground cumin, aleppo pepper and suman sprinkled on top. Its lovely, I cooked it down so it was more a stew than a soup and used three different types of cooked lentils. Served with the best rice pilaf from small victories (I added in some dried apricots which were amazing!) A lovely dinner with plenty of leftovers for lunch.

  • Arancini

    • anniecc on September 05, 2024

      I never enjoy reheated risotto and this recipe is a really good way to use it up. I found I needed to make the balls a bit larger than ping pong ball size to comfortably encase the filling. I chose to shallow fry the arancini as I don’t like deep frying, and they came out great, you just need to keep turning them in the oil.

  • Spiced tomato sauce with cinnamon and allspice

    • VineTomato on October 06, 2022

      I've been eyeing this recipe for a while, it didn't disappoint! I made it for the bulgur wheat and cabbage pilaf. Looking forward to making it again and trying it with some other variations.

  • Turlu turlu

    • anniecc on January 14, 2024

      Really enjoyed this, although it takes a fair bit of prep, especially if you also make the tomato sauce. Also, it made way more than 4 servings, more like 6-8. The spicing made an interesting change from similar Western Mediterranean dishes.

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  • ISBN 10 0091958490
  • ISBN 13 9780091958497
  • Linked ISBNs
  • Published Feb 05 2015
  • Format Hardcover
  • Page Count 256
  • Language English
  • Countries United Kingdom
  • Publisher Ebury
  • Imprint Ebury Press

Publishers Text

Faced with the daily challenge of what to cook for her three young children, chef and mum Claire Thomson made it her mission to inspire parents stuck in a teatime rut. Every day she makes a 'proper' tea, tweeting it at 5pm - from that her blog '5 O'clock Apron' was born and a popular Guardian column on cooking for children followed. Claire wants to inspire other parents and invigorate the concept of family cookery. Cooking shouldn't be a chore, one meal for the grown-ups and another for the children. Claire's fresh, exciting meals are versatile and flavourful enough to please everyone around the table, encouraging parents to view food differently, to refresh their culinary imaginations and find real joy in cooking for their children. Featuring sections on milk, bread, grains, pulses, rice, vegetables, fruit, fish and cheese, 5 O'clock Apron will engage and empower parents. Not just a recipe book, but a way of thinking about how to shop, cook, eat and celebrate as a family, Claire provides a unique insight, as both a mother and a chef, into what really makes food appealing for children.

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