Easy meatballs

My kids love meatballs and I tend to base them on Jamie Oliver's meatball recipe with a few added extras!

My daughter can often turn up her nose at veggies so this time I've added in a whole courgette grated. Once cooked, the kids don't notice yet it all adds up towards their 5-a-day.

Sizzling in the pan - yum!

Spicy bean stew

Like lots of people, we're trying to have a cheap January....so out come the beans!!

Beans are a great way of cooking up tasty, yet cheap, meals.

Today for dinner we're having spicy bean stew - I simply looked through my cupboards and used what tins I had....in this case green lentils & black beans.

• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tin green lentils
• 1 tin black beans
• 1 tin tomatoes
• handful fresh parsley

I put a glug of oil in a pan on a low heat then whizzed up the onions, garlic & ginger in my mini chopper. I added them to the pan and let them cook for a couple of minutes. I then added the cumin seeds and turmeric and allowed to simmer for a while longer.

I then added the lentils, beans and tomatoes and a bit of water and allowed it all to cook for about an hour. To serve, sprinkle of some fresh parsley.

Serve with rice or bread.

Homemade chicken nuggets

Made some delicious lemon and black pepper chicken nuggets...def not
just for the kids!!

Spicy pork stir fry

Easy dinner - chicken pasta bake

Chicken pasta bake

Interesting lunches

A Hugh inspired lunch!

I've enjoyed watching the River Cottage series and always feel very inspired afterwards. I thought the lunchtime one was great - in a way, nothing new but it reminded me that even simple lunches could be made much more interesting very easily.

So I've become addicted to throw everything in salads - this one contains lettuce, spinach, mint, cherry tomatoes, leftover pesto pasta with sweetcorn & peas, brie, some sunflower seeds, and a bit of balsamic dressing - mmm delicious!

Leftovers soup

Yesterday was one of those days when I really needed to go to the
supermarket but didn't!!

So I made this soup for dinner out of Sunday roast leftovers and a few
cupboard basics.

Onion
Garlic
Turmeric
Homemade chicken stock
Leftover chicken (small amount)
Leftover roast parsnips & swede
Tin of tomatoes
Tin of green lentils

In one pan, I had the leftover chicken carcass which I'd saved to make stock. So I add some water, chopped carrots, a bay leaf & some black pepper and put it on the hob on a low heat.

In another pan, I add finely chopped onion, garlic & turmeric and sauteed for a few mins. Then I add the leftovers, tomatoes & green lentils plus a bit of water. I left in on the hob on a low heat for around 30 mins. I then add the stock from the other pan & continued cooking for another 30 mins.

And hey presto....delicious chickeny tasting soup using very little chicken! Bargain!