Frugal I'd do things like frittata, roast chicken, popcorn, cheese, raw veg, olives, fruit, smoked salmon and cream cheese if the kids like that? Some lovely home made cake?
Re ideas for meals.....Tonight DH and I had smoked salmon with avocado, small slice of oaty bread and butter, then steak with stuffed mushrooms (ratatouille and cheese on top), broccoli and roast tomatoes.
Tomorrow I may do smoked haddock gratin, steam a bag of spinach and pop it in a roasting dish, add fish fillet and some cherry tomatoes. Mix up a few tbsps of creme fraiche with chopped spring onion, squeeze of lemon, black pepper, some grated cheese and blob it all over the fish and tomatoes, top with a slice of bread broken into breadcrumbs and pop in the oven for 20-25 mins. Nice with lentils (I use the ready made sachets for convenience) and green veg.
Roast chicken with baked sweet potato and veg is a big favourite here.
Seared tuna steak with stir fried veg is great. Noodles/rice if you want.
I make thai hot and sour soup quite often, chicken stock with chopped garlic, chilli, ginger, bit of sugar and lime juice, also fish sauce, soy sauce and rice vinegar. Then throw in veg like green beans, red pepper, carrot, spinach, pak choi, spring onions, little broccoli florets (a bag of stir fry veg is handy for this). Thicken at the last minute with a couple of whisked eggs and include baked salmon, or prawns, or chicken. Noodles also optional.
Slow roast shoulder of lamb baked with cannellini beans and veg is good, more green veg on the side.
Any of those sound useful frugal?