Egg Curry - A Winter Warmer

With plenty of rain and snow expected over the upcoming weeks, you may be seeking some comforting family meal suggestions and this curry is ideal. Similarly to my other Eggcentric recipes it is quick and easy to make, it can be prepared and cooked in less than 30 minutes, and it's a great source of protein provided by the British Lion eggs. It is incredibly aromatic and has a mild heat to it which is wonderful to enjoy on colder days in particular - like the weather we are expecting.

Pop it on your meal planner for next week and see what your little ones think.

Ingredients

Slow Cooked Beef with Gnocchi #LivePeasant

As a busy working mum I definitely opt for quick and easy dinners when I can, without compromising on taste of course, so I get more time to put my feet up and catch up with the Mini Mes after school. Red Tractor have a new #LivePeasant initiative which encourages home cooks, like myself, to embrace simple and rustic meals for the family. It's a great way to boost your lamb and beef intake with minimal effort so I was eager to be involved and put a recipe or two to the test.

Stews and casseroles are a favourite of ours and universally one of the most traditional methods of cooking, so I decided to give the Slow Cooked Beef with Gnocchi a go first. It's something that is ideal for a pro or a novice in the kitchen to try and as it is cooked over a few hours it allows the flavours to really develop for a truly delicious meal. One-pot cooking is just so convenient!

Meal Planning Monday

I'm back on my meal replacement plan for a couple of weeks to lose a few more pounds (you can read about how well I've done so far here) but I shall still be cooking family meals for the rest of the household. That's willpower for you!

I've therefore let the Mr and the Mini Mes chose the menu...

Meal Planning Monday

This past week I've booked a few holidays, been to Ikea for some decorating inspiration (while filling my face with 60p hot dogs) and played taxi to the Mini Mes on several occasions. I swear they have better social lives than I do with three parties to attend! The week ahead is equally as busy with the return of swimming lessons for Jamster, a trip to Liverpool and hopefully a romantic getaway for Valentine's, so there are quite a few quick and slow cooked meals on the planner for convenience.

Here is the menu for the week ahead:

• I do love a good pie and this chicken and gammon recipe is one that I always return to as everyone enjoys it. I've started making the filling on the hob while cooking the pastry by itself on a tray in the oven to save time.
  

Cauliflower Cheese Recipe

With the family visiting regularly over the Christmas period I've had to cater for all tastes. I've cooked quite a few dishes that I wouldn't usually make for myself including this creamy cauliflower cheese which was a huge success - to the extent I made a second two days later for everyone upon request and a third shortly after!

Ingredients

Creamy Pesto Chicken

Chicken is so versatile and something we enjoy as a family whether roasted on a Sunday, stuffed or served in a delicious dish with rice or pasta. I'm always trying to find new ways to cook it and as pesto is a craving of mine at the moment I decided to add that into a recipe and try something new.

I was so eager to tuck in I only snapped a quick pic with my mobile...

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

4 chicken breasts

150g cherry tomatoes

2tbsp pesto

4 tbsp creme fraiche

Meal Planning Monday

We are not long back from an amazing all-inclusive holiday, in Madeira, where we may have stuffed our little faces with beautiful foreign cuisine to our heart's content. Now that we back to normality however it's time to sort out the food shopping (after stepping on the scales and crying) and thinking about what we will be eating as a family this week...

 

• Monday is a quick carbonara teamed with garlic ciabatta before visiting family for the evening.

• It's Hunters chicken tuesday, which is chicken wrapped in bacon and cheddar with a BBQ sauce, teamed with chips and peas. I will probably serve up some crispy onion rings to go with it too.
  

Tagliatelle with Lemon and Thyme Chicken

On childfree evenings I like to whip up quick and easy dinners for the Mr and I so we can go out or have a relaxing evening together at home. This was a bit of a successful experiment which combines some of my favourite flavours (lemon and thyme) and it was all completed within 25 minutes, including the homemade pasta, which I was fairly impressed by.

 

 

Ingredients (serves 2)

 

To make the pasta

250g plain flour

2 medium eggs

60ml water

Meal Planning Monday

After a week of indulging, eating out and general grazing throughout the days (despite losing 5lb!)I've decided to start sharing our meal planner again. I always schedule dinners in when I do the shopping, to prevent food waste, and I like to know what other families are enjoying too so hopefully I can find some inspiration while possibly inspiring others in the process.

• I have some BBQ food left over from the weekend as I went a bit meat mad as usual so that is on the menu tonight. This consists of cheddar steak burgers, chicken wings, lamb kebabs along with some salad and coleslaw.
  

Around The World With Bernard Matthews

I quite regularly pick up a few packets of precooked meat when doing the weekly food shop as they are ideal for sandwiches, mixed with salads or served with jacket potatoes. I'd never really thought about using them as the protein in our family dinners however, but I was challenged to do so by Bernard Matthews in their Around The World in Five Days challenge so I thought I'd give it a go!

The idea was to serve a different themed meal each evening for 5 consecutive days using different types of turkey pieces (you can try using your leftover turkey at Christmas too if you wanted). The recipes and food was provided, along with some props, and we actually discovered just how versatile the turkey is, with one meal in particular making its way onto our meal planner quite frequently since.

Marley Spoon Review

When it comes to meal planning each week I can often feel a little bit lost. The same handful of dinners seem to be stuck on replay and I'm concerned exciting new dishes might not impress the family! When I was approached to try Marley Spoon, a service where chefs design the menu then deliver the recipes and ingredients directly to your door, I was eager to give it a go. The food looked far too tempting to resist and it took the hassle away from a trip to the supermarket.

 

 

 

Ordering is so simple. You select the size package you require from 1, 2 or 3 meals and the number of people you need meals for from 2, 4, 6 or 8. You enter your postcode and email, your address and preferred delivery date followed by your payment information then your package will arrive between 9am and 5pm on your chosen day. You can even choose which specific recipes you would like to receive and easily eliminate those that don't appeal to your taste.