It was during lockdown when I started to make my own burger buns. We were having a bbq almost every night, and one evening we were scratching around for something to have with homemade burgers. I decided to experiment with making some basic buns. Et voila! I discovered that a novice can crack out a … Read More
Archives
TEST – Monday Night Lentil Pie
So-called because you top it with leftover roast potatoes from the weekend. I made this alongside a beef cottage pie and it was already so tasty. I’m hoping you testers can suggest a few changes to get the lentils banging. Then I’ll think of something witty to say in the forenote. Alex Thurman – Feed … Read More
TEST – Monday Night Cottage Pie
“Shall I peel the whole bag of spuds?” is a question that never needs answering in our house anymore. Yes, of course, because I LOVE leftover roasties! Last weekend the children weren’t feeling the roasties for some reason and we ended up with a gargantuan box of roasties and parsnips to attempt to hide in … Read More
TEST – Oven-baked pork and veg meatballs
Don’t be put off by the effort of homemade meatballs, these are baked in the oven so that the cooking is handsfree. And if you don’t have time to make the meatballs, you can make the mixture into a quick meatloaf or burger patties instead, just be sure that they are cooked through. They’re brilliantly … Read More
Beef Rendang
I must admit, I was planning to make a beef Massaman when I went to the shop to grab the usual Bart’s paste I use, but it was out of stock. So, scratching around for a curry paste that would work well with the beef I’d already bought, I found The Spice Tailor’s Beef Rendang … Read More
Carnitas and flatbreads – Pork Fajitas
Slow cooking inexpensive cuts of meats is the budget way to eat like a king. Here the method of slow cooking the meat in a rub rather than submerged in liquid creates a far tougher end result in comparison to most other slow-cooked meats, but it carries a whole lot of flavour that will make … Read More
Vegan Quinoa Chilli
Inspired by something I saw online, I’ve been meaning to create a vegan chilli for a while now. It seems that quinoa not only behaves well when slow-cooked, but is the perfect texture to bulk out a spicy bean dish such as a chilli. We often have friends and family over for birthday parties that … Read More
Fish pie with squash topping
Perfect fodder on a rainy day! Smoked basa, salmon, tiny prawns, white sauce with onions, garlic & a tiny pinch of smoked paprika topped with roasted squash mash and cheddar cheese. Tell me that’s not a delicious delivery of goodness right there! My workload has just cranked up a notch as my husband and I … Read More
Ragu
Everyone has their way of doing a spag bol recipe, don’t they? And it all depends on the time you have available to you. If you’ve planned something low and slow, you can include some braising steak or chuck and make a chunky ragu. But if you’ve only got time for something speedy, you stick … Read More
Aubergine and Chickpea Curry
Cor blimey I love a curry and this did not disappoint. It was super mild, so if you’re looking for heat, inject some chilli to your own taste for you spice lovers. I added homemade naan, cheeky little poppadoms to help the kids get enthusiastic, paneer for my cheese-loving husband and roasted chicken thighs for … Read More
Slow-cooked pulled pork
Pulled pork is cheap, easy and so tasty. Last year, my sister-in-law turned 50, and although we wanted to throw her a big shindig, we didn’t really have any budget. But serving up pulled pork in my slow cooker with briche buns, coleslaw and tasty crackling on the side was such an easy win, we … Read More
SAUSAGE AND WHITE BEAN STEW
MASTERPLAN WEEK 8 Serves 10359SAUSAGE AND WHITE BEAN STEWHave you noticed how amazing the texture of a slow-cooked sausage is? Well, you’re about to find out. I think the subtle combination of honey and thyme make brilliant friends on the plate to give this traditional dish a new, family-friendly twist. This is a slow cooker … Read More
LAMB KOFTAS
MASTERPLAN WEEK 7 Serves 10293LAMB KOFTASThis is a lamb version of fajitas – so put the time and effort into making the koftas and the only job left to do is get tubs out of the fridge and onto the table. I use ordinary wraps for my koftas instead of flatbreads, as they don’t crumble … Read More
CHICKEN TRAYBAKE
MASTERPLAN WEEK 7 Serves 10284CHICKEN TRAYBAKEChicken traybake is the totem meal for Feed the Brood. It’s the perfect family meal! You can add anything you fancy into a chicken traybake and it will always turn out lush. I’ve added chorizo to this one, so it has a tasty spice to it. I get the mild … Read More
PRAWN AND PEA RISOTTO
MASTERPLAN WEEK 6 Serves 10124PRAWN AND PEA RISOTTOOK, so this one really IS a labour of love unless you want to use the microwave. Risotto requires constant stirring, so you’ve got to put the love in. But, the love you put in, you will get back in droves. It’s my eldest son’s favourite dish and … Read More
SIMPLE SAUSAGE PASTA
MASTERPLAN WEEK 6 Serves 10365SIMPLE SAUSAGE PASTAGet ready to see the potential of sausages in a brand new way. Cutting them open and frying off the meat in a big flat pan will get them cooked in next to no time! You may need to batch cook the sausages depending on the size of your … Read More
SLOW COOKED LAMB ROGAN JOSH
MASTERPLAN WEEK 5 Serves 10398SLOW COOKED LAMB ROGAN JOSHThis feels like such an authentic curry from the take away and that’s why I love it so much. Adding lemon at the end is the trick that makes me feel like a proper foodie who knows her shizz. Once again, this is done in the slow … Read More
LAZY CHICKEN FAJITAS
MASTERPLAN WEEK 5 Serves 10403LAZY CHICKEN FAJITASMost families I know do fajitas regularly, but this is my lazy version -it’s all done in the oven. All the hard work you have to do is the fridge Tetris getting all the tubs and jars in and out! Oh, and there’s a tiny bit of chopping too, … Read More
SLOW COOKED VEGGIE TAGINE
MASTERPLAN WEEK 4 Serves 10464SLOW COOKED VEGGIE TAGINEThis starts out a bit plain, but when you layer feta and pine nuts on top, you’ve got a delicious stew that will stun even the most sceptical of veggie haters. Again, if you fancy cooking the quinoa yourself, please do, but remember to allow the cooking time … Read More
MEATLOAF
MASTERPLAN WEEK 4 Serves 10330MEATLOAFLike a bat outta hell, I’ll be gone when the morning comes! No, but seriously, this is such an amazing dish that is bound to make it in your top five! It’s definitely a labour of love, but I have one key piece of advice for you: keep the portion for … Read More
HONEY AND MUSTARD CHICKEN TRAYBAKE
MASTERPLAN WEEK 3 Serves 10231HONEY AND MUSTARD CHICKEN TRAYBAKESweet and sticky chicken served with a hot baguette on the side feels like a French treat of epic proportions. And here we are on a weekday snaffling away as if we’re on holiday. You might even want to crack out the wine if you’re feeling the … Read More
PORK AND CIDER STEW
MASTERPLAN WEEK 3 Serves 10126PORK AND CIDER STEWThis is another slow-cooker recipe, so again, get your head in gear at breakfast and you’ll have a brilliant dinner on your return. Slow cooking the carrots and potatoes in cider gives you amazingly sweet and mushy textures like a soup, so think about serving with some crunchy … Read More
HARISSA BEEF TAGINE
MASTERPLAN WEEK 2 Serves 10243HARISSA BEEF TAGINEThis dish is slow cooked, so make sure you’re on it in the morning to get it all on before you head out. What I love about this dish is the depth of flavour considering how little time you have to put the preparation! Be mindful of the spice … Read More
LAMB KEEMA
MASTERPLAN WEEK 2 Serves 10373LAMB KEEMATo my surprise, this has been one of my most popular meals online. I think it might be because it’s shares qualities from the beloved spag bol and the UK’s favourite dish, the curry. And the best thing about this dish is that you can cook up a double batch … Read More
SAUSAGE & SWEET POTATO TRAYBAKE
MASTERPLAN WEEK 1 Serves Serves 10605SAUSAGE & SWEET POTATO TRAYBAKEAdding poached eggs to this traybake is the magic touch that creates a sauce and much needed lubrication! You may find that younger children aren’t keen on the eggs, and that’s fine, as it’s an added extra. When this dish freezes, the vegetables will break down … Read More
HANDSFREE CHICKEN CURRY
MASTERPLAN WEEK 1 Serves Serves 10333Handsfree Chicken CurryI call this my ‘handsfree’ curry because unlike most curries, it’s made as a traybake in the oven, so that I can get busy with jobs whilst it cooks! Baking it in the oven also makes it insanely easy to double up and add a batch to the … Read More