With three daughters, a wife who ‘refuses to cook’ and a hectic work schedule, you could forgive Australian chef Bill Granger for ordering a takeaway occasionally.

But the self-taught cook, who opened his first cafe in Sydney at the age of 22, takes his domestic duties very seriously.

His latest book Feed Me Now! includes ideas for healthy breakfasts, fast lunches, nursery teas, after-work suppers, and treats for when the kids have gone to bed.

“Because I do all the cooking for my family, the recipes have to be realistic,” Bill says. “They’ve got to be good for us, easy and taste great”.

From spiced chicken dumpling soup to apple fruit cake, Bill loves to vary his family’s diet.

“Every night is different. We go from Italian to Chinese, and then Thai.”

But eight-year-old Edie, six-year-old Imes and five-year-old Bunny aren’t always easy customers. Bill says that half the battle is keeping them open to new ideas.

“Children all go through stages of being difficult eaters and it’s hard on parents.

“Rejecting food is a child’s way of asserting themselves and their independence. You have to get through that. The way I deal with it, is to serve up the food and if they don’t like it, then they’ll go hungry.”

Bill admits he wrote the book for his own benefit.

“It offers answers to my own challenges. How do I balance everything in my life and stop food preparation becoming drudgery? These recipes trick you into thinking that you’re having fun!”

* Feed Me Now! is published in hardback by Quadrille, priced £20.

Lamb Chops With Sweet Potato And Lemon

 Freshen up this slow-cooked dish with a crunchy radish and minted cucumber salad. Serves 4.

1tbsp extra virgin olive oil; Sea salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 6 lamb chump chops, trimmed of fat; 2 red onions, finely sliced; 2cm piece fresh root ginger, grated; 4 garlic cloves, sliced; 1 red chilli, finely chopped; 1tbsp ras al hanout (a Moroccan spice); 5 tomatoes, diced (or 400g tin chopped tomatoes); 800g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks; 2tbsp lemon juice, or to taste; 1tbsp soy sauce; 1tbsp honey; 1 cinnamon stick.

To serve: Steamed couscous or rice; Handful coriander leaves.

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Heat the olive oil in a flameproof casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Season the lamb chops liberally with salt and pepper, and brown on both sides. Remove the chops and set aside. Drain off all but one tablespoon oil from the dish and reduce the heat to medium. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened, for five minutes. Now add the ginger, garlic, chilli and ras al hanout, and stir for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and stir over the heat for another five minutes. Add the browned lamb chops, sweet potatoes, lemon juice, soy sauce, honey and cinnamon. Pour in about 400ml water, or just enough to cover your chops. Put the lid on and cook in the oven for two hours. Uncover and skim off any excess fat from the surface. If the sauce is too thin, reduce over a medium-high heat for a few minutes. Adjust the seasoning – you may need an extra squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with steamed couscous or rice, scattering over some coriander leaves.