Please please help me with meal ideas

[MrsR]

Ok as a child we had fresh, home cooked food every day and I love cooking but I just find myself doing the same spag bol/chilli/stew/shepard pie etc week in week out! I really need some healthy, cheap meal ideas! Please help!

 

[LilyMac]

I was having this convo with Lee last night, I love cookin but wr always seem to just have something out the freezer!
The philidelphia website has loads of yummy recipes (using philidelphia) I love it, their chicken and leek pasta is lush and last night we had chicken and bacon bake which I didn't want to stop eating!! You don't even need to buy philidelphia, you can just use the cheap soft cheeses from any supermarket and tastes the same! Our bake last night cost about £3.75 and could've fed 4 but we were greedy and had it all lol

Oh and there's an app for it on te iPhone too if you've got an iPhone! Give you all the recipes and a shopping list for each one x

 

[pinkymum]

I'm the same helen, tend to make the same thing every week. Good suggestion four lily. What about risotto? I made amazing mac and cheese last night.

 

[MrsR]

Ooooh I love rissotto! We're currently sorting out a veg patch in the garden so that'll cut down on some expenses. I think we need a recipes sticky or recipes part of the forum cos we could include weaning recipes in it too and that way it'll be easier to find.

*pops off to download Philly app* thanks lilly

 

[lucylu87]

i dont no about healthy bt im really getting into cooking. i made a chicken pie last week and it was really scrummy. i used chicken thighs so it was cheaper and tastier too. I just fried some chicken and onions in a little oil then when that was practically cooked thru, i added some spring onions let them cook a little, and then add a couple of tablespoons of plain flour, cook for a couple of mins then melt some butter in the pan. Once its melted add 2 chicken stock cubes that have been dissolved in boiling water ( about 400ml ) add that to pan and cook for a few mins. Then transfer it all into a oven proof dish and lay a piece of ready rolled puff pastry that you have egg washed on the top. seal round the sides and cut a couple of holes in the top and put inro oven on 180 until the pastry is golden. YUmmy !! x

 

[Miss]

Chicken potato and tomato thingy......I have no special name for it sorry lol

Pack of chicken thighs - debone and cut into 3 pieces each
Small potatos
little tomatoes
Oregano
Olive oil
Red wine Vinigar
Salt and Pepper


Put Potatos on to boil
Rub chicken thighs with a little oil salt and Pepper and put in a very hot dry pan skin side down.
Pierce tomatos and put in a pan cover with boiling water - leave for 5 mins and the skin should be falling off - take skin totally off

In a glass place 2 table spoons of oregano cover with oil (maybe 4 tablespoons?) and a splash of red wine vinigar - mix

Drain potatos when soft and place in a large roasting dish add chicken when skin is crispy and poor oil dressing over the top - make sure all is nicely coated lay out flat and push tomatoes in gaps.

Crush the potatoes - this will make sure they soak up the extra dressing - season with Salt and pepper

Bung in the ovan at 180 for about 30 mins - until browning on top.

You may have to adjust quanties - i don't measure things when I cook

I think this costs about £5 to make for me and serves 4 - can be a winter or summer dish

 

[MrsR]

Mmmmmh some great ideas there! They both sound gorgeous! Will be definately trying them in the next couple of weeks!

 

[MrsR]

Thank you thank you thank you so much ladies x

 

[pinkymum]

Mmmmm Lucylu and miss those recipes sound soooo yummy!!!!!

 

[ZMD]

I done a sausage pasta bake last week which was a nice change, i'll be keeping my eye on this thread as i always get stuck on meal ideas xx

 

[Miss]

I will post some more up later - I really need to get some work done lol

I tend to cook simple dishes that my nan used to cook when it's not traditional English food - it's very much peasent food tho - cheap and tasty

 

[MrsR]

Ooooh that sounds good zmd!

Just remembered I made fish cakes on Friday-made 12 and DD absolutely loved them! We ate 2 each and I froze the rest!

 

[MrsR]

I will post some more up later - I really need to get some work done lol

I tend to cook simple dishes that my nan used to cook when it's not traditional English food - it's very much peasent food tho - cheap and tasty

That's exactly the sort of food i'm looking for!!!!

 

[Yodabo]

Great thread! I'd like to keep this up the top for ideas, I'm so uninventuve in the kitchen and I want to change!

Anyone got any good BBQ sauce recipes? I quite fancy making a chicken and bacon stack with melted cheese and BBQ sauce like they do in the Harvester!

 

[Miss]

BBQ Sauce - I used to do this for ribs and I am sure it was a James Martin Reciepe - let me find it because as above - I just squirt, pour and tip rather than measure lol

Helen let me get the boys off to kickboxing and I will start typing some stuff up - you may have to adjust quanties and the like tho....

 

[Miss]

Try this Yodabo http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/bbqsauce_4973 - I love the kick of the chilli but I do make anoher batch without it for my son

 

[Miss]

Oops sorry....manic night and I never got back on here.

Stuffed peppers - if I have quite a few little tomatoes to use I will use them with chillis olive oil and put some bacon in there salt and pepper

Half the peppers and take out seeds (I leave the stalks in cos they look nice!) put some plain water on to boil - pop the pepper halfs in for 2/3 mins each turn out and drain. Put a little salt in the bottom and fill with what you have -season and cover with foil. Put in the oven for about 20 mins on 200 then take off the foil for the last 10 mins or so to crisp up.

Can also put in some mince (turkey, Pork, Lamb or Beef!) and brown rice with spring oinons, sweetcorn, peas (whatever you have) - this is also nice with a little cheese

Home made burgers

I tend to use Asdas cheap mince for burgers - I have used lean mince but they seem to preffer the cheap mince!

Mince
Parsley
Olive oil / chilli oil
salt and pepper

Mix and squeeze mixture together make into patties and pop in the fridge for 15 mins before cooking to firm up. These are great done on a griddle but if you don't have one use a dry frying pan and keep tipping the exsses fat out.

Can be frozen - just pop a couple in a freezer bag - spearate with grease proof paper.

Serve in buns or pitta bread

Can also put some cheese in the middle of the burger for an oozey filling - Cut the cheese into little blocks and pop in the freezer - then when making the patties push them into the middle - we use normal cheese or the cheese with chillis in it

I like chilli can you tell?? Helen your daughter might enjoy making the burgers with you - Mitchell loves doing it with me!

 

[leanne1b]

I don't know if r dieting or not, but this is safe either way.
Chicken Breast, wrapped in one slice of bacon, with low fat Philadelphia chives inside, with new potato and veg, ie swede. Was 5 or 6 points on old ww.
Or chicken kebabs. Diced chicken, peppers, courgettes. In a bowl , little oil, and the BBQ flavoured herbs, can't remember who makes them but they would be next to the spices in a purple bottle instead if green.
Put a fair bit on, skewer, grill for about 20, with rice and salad. That's my favourite x

 

[MrsR]

Brilliant ideas guys! I'm gonna do chicken kebabs next week x

 

[leanne1b]

They are so lovely!!!
Lol. Ooh, I think Schwartz makes them?!
If u have an iPhone, try have an app with loads of random recipes. Most with their spices, but then some randoms.
Ie... Under British cuisine...
A bacon sandwich!!! Not exactly what I was looking for at the time lol x