Inspiration Needed - Evening Meals

[FickleFairy]

Hi All,

I'll keep it brief. I am bored of cooking the same things. DS and DH not fussy at all except fish is a no no for DH.

I usually cook lasagne, veg pasta bake, chilli, roasts, chicken/beef casserole.

Could do with another couple if recipes to add to my "repertoire" preferably including veggies and 1 pot type things.

I just could really do with a bit of inspiration. I cook pretty much from scratch (and before all the hardened foodies get going, no I don't mill my own flour or make my own stock ) every night so am quite capable of doing something a bit more tricky.

Help!

I know the feeling - just doing a Sainsbo's order now and keep coming on here instead because I'm so bored and out of inspiration!

So far I'm thinking of -

potato dosas, with curry sauce and coconut chutney (never made these before, so could well be a disaster);

veggie chilli with homemade guacamole, homemade salsa, tortillas (might try and make these after the thread on here);

soup followed by a hot pudding;

chickpea curry and rice with minty yoghurt.

Not very exciting!

I don't do much 'one pot' in this weather. Much prefer quicker meals that don't heat up the kitchen too much!!

Kebabs.... Marinade chunky cut meat, plenty of vegetables, onions and thread onto skewers before grilling for 20 mins or so.

Fried Rice.... Cook plenty of brown rice and then stir-fry together with evenly diced veggies, meat, peas, sweetcorn and chopped spring onions. Season with soy sauce

Frittata... Whisk up 2 eggs per person, season and add to a pan with sliced, cooked potatoes, various vegetables, chopped tomato, chopped spring onions. Sprinkle with cheese and, when the base has set, put under a hot grill to finish off and bubble up. Serve in wedges with salad

This week we are having

tues- chili con carne and rice
wed- salmon teriyaki and stir fry veg and noodles
thurs- quiche and salads
fri- one of those ready roast chickens and salad/roast veg
sat- duck legs in port sauce with mash and greens (PIls visiting)
sun- some kind of pie- maybe shepherds/cottage
mon- chickpea and spinach curry and rice
tues- smoked haddock courgette and tomato risotto
wed- chicken stuffed with some kind of cheese and sun dried tomatoes with couscous

kebabs and pita
loin of pork with minted new pots

What about home-made minced lamb or turkey kebabs with home-made flatbreads? Very easy, and you can spice up the kebabs as much as you like. Serve with salady stuff.

Home-made chinese sticky pork ribs with noodles or rice?

Crispy duck? I buy the pancakes and sauce.

Mars - how do you make your flatbreads, please?

I mage a nice courgette/chilli/lemon pasta thing last night which was lovely, quick and cheap!

I would buy GoodFood's 101 One Pot Dishes and 101 More One Pot Dishes. They cost about £3 each on amazon and have really good recipes, very easy, inspiring, really good quality.

I always turn to them when need something easy, and the books are small enough to fit into your handbag.

Also the River Cafe Cookbook Easy has some very very good pasta dishes - their zucchini and capers spaghetti is amazing

BelligerentGhoul

Flatbreads: HFW recipe

Start 30 mins before you want to eat:

300g plain flour
tsp salt
tbsp oil
about 150ml lukewarm water.

Mix flour, salt, oil and sufficient water to make dough, turn out, knead 5 mins till it is smooth.(add more flour if too sticky)

Leave to rest in a ball on your floured worksurface, with the bowl over the top of it, for 30 mins. (now prepare the burgers/kebabs, coleslaw, etc)

Heat large DRY frying pan on med-hot. NO OIL!

Cut dough into large walnut-sized pieces (makes about 8 or 10). Roll one very thinly, then shake off all excess flour (too much flour makes them chewy), pop onto frying pan and cook a minute or two until it bubbles, turn over, cook the other side for even less time, till nicely browned on the bubbles, then throw onto first person's plate without burning your fingers.

Start rolling the second while the first is cooking, but the thing is to get a production line without the flatbreads lying around getting cold and dry and stiff. I think if you have to make ahead, then wrap in a tea-towel and put in a warm oven.

Enjoy!

You are a star - thank you so much.

You are welcome! Its from his Family cookbook.