Let’s Cook!!

[Jemimafuckingpuddleduck]

I used to really love cooking but having 3 kids quite close together a husband who is often away and general family chaos my passion for making something nice was replaced by the burden of...

“What I need to feed you again are you fucking kidding me!!”

DC are getting older now and (marginally) less work and would love to get back to cooking and baking for fun both family and posher meals for me and DH

What I still don’t have time for is trawling the internet and trying to find inspiration from the numerous websites, social media pages and blogs, I just end up a bit flustered and not really knowing where to look, so I thought I would ask MN!!

Tell me your most loved, cherished, tastiest, complimented recipes that you have found and made from family meals to more romantic (I have 3 kids I’m clearly fucking deluded) courses for the weekend.

Particularly interested in recipes by chefs and/or in cook books and most of all family handed down ones...

Also wondered if anyone like me, would like to get a bit more enthusiastic and creative in the kitchen might like to join me and make this a bit of an inspiration thread (tries really hard not to sound too wanky!!) Ideas for the day, pictures, sourcing ingredients and how recipes tasted etc...

I have just re-read and it’s quite likely I sound deranged and need to get out the house more!!!

DEFINITELY not the healthiest but my dcs love macaroni cheese with chicken

We love macaroni too, DH isn’t to keen but my main problem with it is I end up eating all the leftovers and so have no filter when it comes to pasta and cheese!!

haha, i am in the same boat. made it tonight but looking forward to leftovers tomorrow for lunch!

I have no suggestions but am placemarking in the hope other mners will post lots of delicious recipes because I am in exactly the same position as you op.

Stuffed aubergine with lamb mince. Served with rice. And lentil soup to start.

Chicken with basil and lemon

Place chicken thighs in roasting dish. Squeeze lemon over the chicken and throw skins in to roast too. Add garlic cloves and seasoning and be generous with oil.
Roast for 30 minutes.
Add a generous amount of ripped basil and roast for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and add a glass white wine. Heat over a flame until warmed through.
Serve with vegetables.

Watching with interest OP. I've recently subscribed to Simply Cook so hoping for some inspiration when my boxes arrive

Chicken and chorizo traybake

Place chicken breasts in roasting tray. Add raw baby potatoes, red onions, seasoning and oil.

Roast for 30 minutes.

Add diced chorizo and roast for another 10 minutes.

Family favourite 💕

Presser send too early

My lentil soup:
Fry lentils in olive oil and add dry chicken stock. Add water bring to the boil. Add salt black pepper cumin and some chilli flakes. Cook until soft and can blend. Add water throughout if the level lowers but not too much to keep it thick. In a separate pan fry onions so they caramalised. Add a little tomato puree and mix in well. Add LOADS of dry mint and some more chilli flakes.Poor this on top of the soup saucepan or poor on top of the soup of individual bowls. Just before you eat squirt loads of lemon in......hmmmm my dh eats this for breakfast the following day he loves it so much. And great when you have a cold!

My stuffed aubergine. Pierce aubergine and cook in the oven until soft. Once cooked take out and slit down the middle long ways but not all the way through the other side so it's like a jacket potato. In a saucepan fry mince onion garlic salt pepper tomatoes tomato puree and a bit of cumin and chilli flakes. Cook until it boils. Add chopped parslay.You might want to add a little boiling water so it bubbles nicely . Once cooked top and fill the aubergine. Slice one long green pepper and place on top and a slice of tomato. The saucirr your neat filling the better. Put back in the oven until the pepper and tomato on top are cooked and then aubergine is super soft. Serve with rice. Sometimes I add grated cheddar on top before I put in the oven

It's like heaven in earth especially if you cook the aubergine properly mmm

I make a nice mousakka. And another aubergine dish. I have a photo of before it was cooked in the oven. And I make nice starters and salads when we have guests. Will try to add pictures.

My simple starters and salad

My mousakka

my passion for making something nice was replaced by the burden of...
*
“What I need to feed you again are you fucking kidding me!!”* *

Oh so true!

But train 'em up, and in a few years you'll be saying

"Dc1 - make dinner please.
"Dc3 - unload the dishwasher.
"Dc2 - you'll do the washing-up after dinner.
"Thanks, my lovelies."

(Sometimes.)

My other aubergine dish before it was cooked

There seems to be a bit if a battle going on at the moment for the meal boxes- you know where they deliver everything you need with a recipe card. Think they're 50-60% off - did the Hello Fresh & Gusto ones in the last month (cancelled after box 1) and it was great to have a few more ideas. The Hello Fresh one was particularly good. Simply Cook is another to try.

Definitely not the healthiest, but since you like cream and cheese

Pasta (I like bows)
Packet of smoked salmon
Frozen peas
Block of Aldi garlic cheese (pic of similar)
Couple of spoons of creme fraiche

Cook your pasta for about ten mins and for the last four mins throw in the frozen peas. Drain and mix in the cheese, creme fraiche and salmon torn into strips.

Yum yum

Home made rice pudding too mm

We had and mad Delias wild mushroom and creme fraiche penne pasta last night and it was absolutely delicious!

It was definitely a dinner for just DH and I though seeing as though DC think Mushrooms are the devils work...

It was also called for opening a really nice Malbec and although we ate late due to various kids clubs homework etc felt quite special for a Wednesday night!

Here’s a pic and ingredients

Oops...

Let me know if anyone would like the recipe....

That looks nice. My kids wouldn't eat it either though... I would. Dh wouldn't. He would gasp in horror at the lack of meat on his plate

Haha my husband is much the same but I’m trying to get him to eat free at least twice a week...

The porchini mushrooms give it quite meaty flavour though!

Shall remember that! We love aubergine so eat a lot of those