I need inspiration for family meals please.

[Narketta]

I love cooking and no one here is complaining about what gets put infront of them but i'm a bit bored with doing the same things all the time and would like some idea's for family meals for myself, DH, DS 3.5yrs and DD 18mths.

Here is a list of some of the things we already have.

Lasagne.
cottage pie.
Chilli with jacket potato or rice and chips.
Bolognese.
Beef stew.
Chicken casserole.
Homemade curries.
Homemade soups.
Homemade pizza.
Roast dinners.

We have a slow cooker that I like to use but mostly use it for the stews and soups so any other idea's would be great.

Also we like pasta but I never know what to do with it apart from boil it for spag bol.

And I love fish and would like to get the DC to eat more of it so please let me know your favourite fish meal.

Thanks.

[ComeOveneer]

stir fries (beef/chicken/pork/prawns with noodles or rice
fish pie (I do smoked haddock, king prawns and a white fish, with shallots in a creamy sauce topped with mash and grated cheese, serve with green veg)
fish cakes (can do cheap ones with tinned fish or more "posh" with fresh fish/prawns/crab meat etc

pasta bake with chicken mushrooms, bacon and asparagus

lamb shanks with canellini beans , carrots, onions, in a tomatoey sauce in the slow cooker with horseradish mash

teryaki tuna (or salmon) with stir fried chinese leaf (or spinach) and noodles (or rice)

macaroni cheese with diced hard boiled eggs and fried pancetta cubes, with salad and fresh baked bread

tacos, or fajitas, with all the trimmings.

[janeite]

Pasta -
Make homemade pesto to have with it. It's dead easy and you can always add spinach leaves, baby toms etc to turn it into more of a 'meal' if wished.

Roast some vege then stir into pasta with red pesto and some philly.

[IWantAChickAndADuck]

Check out the BBC Good Food website - it's brill, my most recent discoveries have been -Sloppy Joes, Chicken Cacciatore and Honey Roasted duck. I also have one of their 101 mini recipe books, the 'One Pot' one and it's got loads of really easy stuff!

[Narketta]

Mmmm these sound lovely, I'm especially liking the sound of your fish pie ComeOveneer.

For pasta bake do you make your own sauce? if so how? I tried making one but it went lumpy.

IWantAChickAndADuck I will be having a look at the BBC Good Food website later. Thanks

[BiancaJackson]

Fish - some of our staples are:

Salmon teriyaki
Herb crusted cod
Paella (cheat's version!)
Seafood spaghetti
Prawn stirfry
Tuna steaks with salsa verde

All simple to make.

[ThisBoyDerekDrew]

I do a pasta arribata which is dead easy and really yummy. This serves about 4 adult portions.

Chop lots of veg - I usually do 1-2 onion, 2 peppers, 2 sticks celery, loads of mushrooms. You could do courgettes and stuff like that but I don't like. You can do it as coarse or fine as you like,

Fry in olive oil. Add a clove of crushed garlic. I normally add a veg oxo too for flavour.

Add a carton of passata, and a tin of chopped toms. simmer gently.

Meanwhile throw some pasta shapes on to boil (I like Penne). Drain when cooked.

If necessary thicken sauce a little with cornflour paste.

Add pasta to sauce and mix. I also add ham and/or pepperoni at this point.

From this point it is also so versatile. You can add herbs for a mediteranean flavour. I serve the kids and add crushed chilli's for spice.

Or you could bung it in a ovenproof dish top with cheese and bake (which you can do with leftovers).

Or you can add tuna (and serve fresh or bake)

Or I am sure there are a million other things you can do with it.

[bigTillyMint]

Macaroni cheese

Smoked mackerel fishcakes

Quiche Lorraine

[janeite]

Do you mean a white sauce? Tis dead easy - I do mine in the microwave. Bit of flour, bit of butter - melt. Stir in milk gradually and whisk. Cook a bit. Whisk. Cook a bit. Whisk. etc until done. Then add grated cheese and salt and pepper and a bit of grainy mustard.

[Narketta]

Thanks ThisBoyDerekDrew I will definately be trying your pasta recipe

[Narketta]

Hi janeite yes I mean white sauce. Mine was a disaster, I cooked it on the hob and stirred it continuosly as the recipe stated but it still eneded up a lumpy mess..

[ThisBoyDerekDrew]

Don't think of it as a receipe....more like throwing things in a pan and seeing what happens.

Just treat it as a base. Use the veg and meat that you want. Use herbs or spice. Serve fresh or bake. Top with cheese or not.