A Little Bit of Everything is a warm, family-focused cookbook inspired by Lukas Baker’s German English roots. Filled with simple meals, comforting favourites and personal stories, it brings together recipes for all ages and skill levels. A celebration of home cooking, family traditions and the joy of sharing food.
Here he’s sharing two delicious recipes to try.
Snack Bars
These are perfect for lunchboxes or as a weekend snack for the whole family. I personally make a batch every week to include with my own lunches. They’re a healthier alternative to shop-bought versions, as you know exactly what goes into them, and they’re simple enough for children of all ages to help prepare.
INGREDIENTS • 320g oats • 130g peanut butter • 115g honey • 25g chocolate chips
1 Mix all the ingredients, except the optional chocolate together in a large flat tray and press down to make sure it is flat and level.
2 If you are adding the decorative chocolate, put a layer of milk chocolate over the whole thing and then drizzle the white chocolate in lines across. To feather the chocolate, use a toothpick to draw a line across the white chocolate lines.
3 Place in the fridge ideally overnight, but if you don’t have that much time, just until it is solid.
4 Cut into the size of bars and enjoy.
Dirty Fries
This is a great homemade alternative to a takeaway. Like the snack bars, you have full control over the ingredients. I use a slow cooker for the pulled pork, so it can be prepared before leaving for work and is ready by the time you get home. It requires minimal effort but feels like a real treat, and it’s fun to share. The toppings can easily be adapted to suit different tastes, making it ideal for families.
INGREDIENTS • 4 pork shoulder steaks or 700g pork shoulder • 3tbsp tomato ketchup • 250ml apple juice • 250ml vegetable stock • 3tbsp barbecue sauce • 3tbsp dark sugar • 700g frozen chips (skinny skinon fries are our favourite) • Grated cheddar (amount depends on how much you like cheese and the size of the dish being used) • 1 spring onion (optional) • 1 diced jalapeno (optional)
1 Put the pork shoulder, tomato ketchup, apple juice, vegetable stock, and dark sugar into the slow cooker and put on low for 6-10 hours. The meat will be finished at 6 hours, but I always put it on before I go to work, so it’s normally on for around 8-9 hours.
2 Once the pork is cooked, take it out. Place it in a bowl and shred it.
3 Pour the juices into a saucepan and put on a low heat to start reducing them.
4 Start cooking the chips in the air fryer or oven until they start to go crispy, which usually takes around 30-40 minutes.
5 Once the chips are cooked, place them in a baking dish and top with the pulled pork and grated cheese. The cheese should go over the top of the pork.
6 Bake for 10-20 minutes until the cheese has melted.
7 Top with the sliced spring onion and jalapeno.
8 The juice from the slow cooker should have reduced into a thick gravy-like sauce. Pour this over the top of the completed dish and serve.
