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Original poster

Healthy family meals in need of inspiration please

5 replies

BulstrodeTheApatosaurus · 04/11/2011 22:04

Hi Folks,
Basically i was once interested in food but an indifferent dh, DS1 who only eats the world of bland & DS2 who often doesn't eat at all (he is nearly 3 and prefers to graze all day it seems) means I have just about given up. At the moment too I am at work until 6:45 so it either has to be quick, easy to assemble for DH (who cooks only pasta) or made the day before.
I have a slowcooker but haven't got the balance right yet (2 undercooked pink chickens bleurgh) but I also fear it setting fire to the house.
Please please help me! Something with hidden vegetables that is healthy and tasty? Oh and can't involve obvious tomatoes as DS1 won't eat 'sauce'.
Sigh

OP posts:
CogitoErgoSometimes · 05/11/2011 09:07

Last night I made our old stand-by, 'Sausage and Bean Casserole'. Would probably work quite well in a slow-cooker but don't have one to say for sure.

Serves 4
6 good quality sausages e.g. Lincolnshire
1 can Cannellini Beans, drained
1 red pepper, diced
3 carrots, peeled & diced
1 onion, diced
1 x 400-500g box passata
Mixed herbs
Pinch of sugar
Black pepper and a little salt

Brown the sausages, cut into pieces and place in the casserole dish. Brown the vegetables in the same pan until they take on a little colour and also add to the casserole dish. Finally, add the drained beans, passata, herbs, sugar and seasoning. Stir briefly to combine, cover and bake in a pre-heated oven at about 180C for an hour and a half, or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is thickened. No idea about slow-cooker timings, sorry.

Yes, there is a tomatoey sauce but passata isn't lumpy. You could finely dice the other vegetables if you wished to make them less visible.

dreamingofsun · 05/11/2011 09:32

yes coito's recipe should work in slow cooker. I do a similar one with baked beans and omitt the canellini and passata but add some tom sauce or paste. you can also use different veg (eg mushrooms, corgettes etc). chop carrots fairly small or they won't cook. can also add a dash of mustard, or white wine, or use pork or chicken instead

you won't set the house on fire. i use mine regularly but have never got on with doing whole chickens as outside goes dry and centre doesn't cook.

curry's also work well. tin of chopped toms and madam jaffreys paste and then any meat and veg and maybe an onion or chutney.

stews also work well...bit of stock or wine or beer and whatever meat and veg (if root veg chop very small or boil bit first so cooks). thicken with cornflour or gravy granules.

your son will only ever eat sauce if you give it to him regularly and you work so should be taking easy options. he can't be totally against the taste as sauce varies. so i'd do it anyway and leave it on the table if he's not hungry, to eat later.

bolognese is another option. i don't brown anything, just bash the mince a bit and when it says add stock, i just add cube instead. again you can add all sorts of veg. i use this for chilli and lasagne too. guess shepherds pie.

Original poster
BulstrodeTheApatosaurus · 07/11/2011 22:42

Thanks folks! This looks like a good start!

OP posts:
Daisy1986 · 07/11/2011 23:19

You could try the Potato Council website tons of recipes. Some are for 30minute meals I have done several of these and they are very nice.

If your DCs are picky could you serve things up on the table, give them a little of everything to try and if they like it they can choose what they have more of. Give them some power over what they eat.

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