Recipe and nutrition suggestions for first-time parents, please, one of whom...

[PurplePidjin]

...is in training to run London to Brighton next year

I do the bulk of the cooking (unemployed and due early December), dp does weekends/if I'm knackered. I'm planning to breast feed, so meals will need to be big, healthy, and full of whatever nutrients i need as well as plenty of protein for dp - his last big run was 2011 (50k across the Giant's Causeway) and we supplemented his diet with build-up soups and shakes rather than cook two separate meals. This time, we both need more, but are our dietary needs compatible?

We have, and make full use of, a slow cooker so i do lots of stews and curries, plus the occasional roast. Dp then takes leftovers for lunch. We eat meat but don't rely on it for every meal. I'm not a huge fan of very hot food, and can't stand pineapple; dp doesn't eat pork or shellfish. I am fairly inept with dried lentils but willing to persevere and I'm slowly improving...

Anybody got any genius recipes? I will probably spend most of November cooking our favourites for the freezer, but that'll only do the first week or two :o

Here are two curry recipes I use a lot:

orangette.blogspot.co.uk/2006/02/public-display-of-chickpeas.html

www.doshermanos.co.uk/2010/04/life-saving-dahl-that-recipe-one-more.html

Using red lentils is not scary at all, they break down beautifully into a very comforting sort of sludge (that sounds so unappetising, but isn't :) )

Both of those could be frozen.

For things to cook fresh - for me the life savers timewise are pasta and then all the coucous/quinoa/bulgur type grains. I'm sure you know plenty of sauces for the former and then for the latter I typically make them into salads with a variety of raw/roasted/sauteed/steamed veggies, dressing and then either cheese or poached eggs for the protein.

I don't think your dietary needs are incompatible at all, you both need basically the same stuff but more protein for your DP, though that's easy to achieve.

My DH doesn't train as hard as yours but he does worry about protein on our largely veggie diet, so I usually give him extra eggs or extra dairy products (e.g. he has a couple of yogurts with supper, with nuts chopped on top if you want yet more protein) and I always have a couple of jars of homemade hummus in the fridge (takes about a minute to make in the morning) which he can have if feeling protein deprived. Another great, cheap source (for both of you) of protein and omegas are those smoked mackerel fillets you can get in the supermarket.

Good luck!

Thank you! I love smoked mackerel and often have it with jacket potato and leafy salad for lunch. I might try doing a kedgeree but with poached egg (i hate hard yolks) and salmon fillet, what do you think?

It's the soaking bit i usually balls up re lentils, i need to get over myself and just keep trying, i think!

Dp just served up tomato pasta with chicken, mushrooms and cabbage. Yum, but he does enormous plate fulls! Do i need to train him out of this or will i be glad of it shortly?

Your kedgeree idea sounds brill - I sometimes make a smoked haddock and leek risotto with poached egg which is lovely and the kedgeree would be similar I think, in that the egg yolk will coat the rice in a really delicious way.

Red lentils don't need to be pre soaked so that's easy!

I think with the serving sizes, your DP is probably always going to need more calories than you (you need 500 extra cals a day when you're bf, but he needs that many more a day anyway just by virtue of being a man, so if he's also training for an ultra then he probably needs 1000+ extra a day) so don't feel like you need to finish everything on your plate - maybe keep a tupperware handy and, as soon as you're full, pop the leftovers in there?

I think you've got it spot on - i have to clear my plate if someone is kind enough to cook me a delicious meal! However after the discomfort of the last 2 days (friends did the most amazing roast lamb yesterday, there was no way i was saying no to thirds ) with baby kicking a full stomach, i need to spread things out more. I'm fine when i dish up because i regulate the portion sizes better.

Smoked haddock and leek risotto sounds amazing! Recipe, please? Dp might like that, he's not a smoked anything fan but we do like risotto :)

As a good into to lentils and lots of protein BBC food offers a red lentil and chickpea soup which is lovely esp in slow cooker.

I think your dietary needs match but portions differ (although while bfing I wasa carb fiend) he needs good energy supplying food as do you.

Also a winter veg stew in slow cooker with bacon dumplings is another favourite of mine.

Lasagne is failsafe freezer friendly comfort food. Chilli too.

Sausage casserole of any kind is a one pot dish that is nutritionally balanced and easy with tiny baby.

Good luck.

Well for the risotto, it's basically just a normal risotto but use leeks for the base instead of onions and then follow the usual procedure of stirring in the stock (I usually use veg but I spose if you were going all out you could use fish!)
When it's about 1 minute off being ready I stir in the mackerel (flaked up), just to heat it through... then I turn off the heat under the risotto and poach the eggs, but if you are better at multitasking than me you could poach the eggs while you're finishing the risotto!
Then serve each bowl topped with a poached egg or two. I don't add cheese because I think cheese plus smoked fish is a bit wrong, but each to their own and I know in Scandinavia that's a really common combination!

This risotto was actually what got DH eating smoked mackerel, so it might work with your DP too!

PregnantPause, can you use beef/lamb sausages in casserole? I find them quite strongly flavoured (especially the minty lamb ones the local butcher does!) so normally go for stewing cuts. Or possibly cheap veggie ones?

Today is a housework day so i shall get the soup going shortly and make the risotto later :o i assume tinned chick peas as i haven't soaked?

I use welsh beef sausages in mine because my dh prefers them. Particularly in Mexican type casseroles, with beans and spices. Lovely.

I'm too lazy to use dried chickpeas when they're the same price tinned anyway! Lentils and beans however I buy dried as its cheapest where I am and I'm on a tight budget. ( if you're not on a budget then venison is an incredibly nutritious meat and very lean, and it makes a welcome change and is delicious in everything, particularly a venison pie with red wine and cranberry sauce, topped with puff pastry and served with roast carrots and parsnipsmmmm autumnal)

I have red split lentils (dried). I have a tin of chick peas. I have t'interweb.

I have no energy after lugging the bump round town this morning so will either do it after cdwm, or leave it going tomorrow while I'm at the midwife...

I can't find a red lentil soup recipe on bbc food

Will try normal google :)

Lentil & tomato soup

chop one onion and two rashers of smoked bacon, place in a pan with one tablespoon of olive oil, then soften over a medium heat until onion is golden.

Add 600ml chicken stock, 8oz split red lentils (rinsed) and one 400g can of chopped tomatoes.

Bring to the boil then simmer for 15 mins, then whizz in a liquidiser.

This looks good

Might try yours, igivein, if i can summon the energy to to the shop fir a tin of toms it's all the way downstairs

Purple haven't got any suggestions for the menu sorry, but just wanted to say, don't worry too much about your diet and bfing. Yes, in an ideal world you would eat healthily but it won't be the end of the world if your diet isn't perfect.

Have a look at How does a Mother's diet affect milk? and What affects the amount of fat or calories in Mom's Milk?

Thanks, Jilted, i need advice on manageable cooking while bfing as much as the nutrition, i think - neither of us will get very far on pie/kiev/fish fingers and jacket spud which is my usual quickie stand by!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm stuffed full of smoked haddock risotto :o

Ah yay you made it!! Hope you enjoyed it! :)

Very much, hoping dp has left me some for lunch tomorrow! Last mid-week Forest run of the season on top of his cycle to/from work (12 miles round trip)...

Lentil/chickpea dahl thing tomorrow. What should i put with it? Fire up the bread maker for naan? Rice?

Oh I always do naan with curries because we love them so much in this house! Mmm fresh naan from the oven.... sounds like your DP might need rice AND naan after the day he's got!

The run was last night. I've frozen two good sized portions of risotto, though, for dinner another day :)

I now need to find out how to make naan...