Need quick, easy and healthy meal ideas please

[Birdiegirl]

I'm expecting DC2 in June and I need all your tricks and tips for quick, healthy meals please.

I have a slow cooker but don't fancy stews, casseroles in summer, but maybe I can use it for more 'summery' foods? Also I find if I batch cook and freeze food (like bolognaise sauce etc) it doesn't taste the same when defrosted - watery and lacking flavour. So if you have any suggestions to help there that would be great too.

My plan at the moment is a few weeks before the birth to make and freeze the following:-

Chop up onions and peppers so ready to chuck in with mince, tinned toms etc.

Pre-bake large potatoes to have with beans and sausages.

Bake some muffins and buns for snacks.

Make up a few pizza bases and tomato sauce.

I normally don't use jars and cook from scratch but I found when DD1 was born that this just ended up with us getting takeaways as we were so knackered and couldn't be arsed to cook . I don't want that this time around so would like any suggestions for stuff to have in the cupboards and freezer that can be turned into a meal really fast.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated. TIA

How about

*Cook short grain rice in chicken stock and a bit of passata/tinned tomatoes to be made into a quick paella by adding some of your peppers and onions and some chicken, chorizo or seafood.

*Sweet potato wedges freeze well, go great with chilli etc.

Thanks moustache they both sound lovely.

Not sure if it's summery enough but I made a great chicken curry in the slow cooker recently. Just chucked it all in & the chicken came out so tender.

Also I do a chicken & chorizo dish - on the hob. Bite size chunks of onion & pepper with lots of garlic & paprika, chicken pieces (thigh or breast), tinned toms or passata, chorizo, chuck in some wine, butter beans or chick peas if you like & if you like it spicy some chilli or creamier some cream or creme fraiche. It's pretty quick as not chopping up too finely & freezes well to reheat on hob or in oven.

Lovely with sweet potato wedges.
You can do a variation of this with Sausages & kidney beans & top with potato wedges & cheese & bake.

Also chicken with bacon & leeks in a cheese sauce freezes well & can be topped with a variety of things.

I was in your position with dc2 in the summer - it's great to have meals in the freezer. Lasagne is a good bet too.

i'd buy a student cook book, they have lots of simple quick recipes. i'd also buy frozen packets of chopped onions and peppers.

I'm a little reluctant as the bar for a meal to be described as "healthy" on MN is way higher than with anyone I've ever met in RL, but my very bad day standby is Pasta shapes cooked with frozen peas and sweetcorn, mixed with a can of tuna and a dollop of mayo. Pasta can be wholemeal if you like...

Thanks all for the suggestions, I'm making notes and going try all these recipes in the next couple of months.

Chertsey my standards for heathy aren't that high either honest . I'm trying to keep it healthyish for dd1's sake but basically really quick and easy is the key. I remember being so dog tired when dd1 was born, I couldn't even think straight never mind face into pulling a meal together. I just wasn't prepared I think.

This time I'm on it like a car bonnet

Eyespy, the chicken and chorizo recipe sounds lovely Will give that a try tomorrow as I've got chicken out of the freezer to defrost.

How about on a day that you have half an hour to spare, throw a whole chicken into oven to roast, then about 45 mins before it's done you could put in some whole potatoes to bake (or chop them up in to pieces if you want and scatter with olive oil + add some chopped up onions/ peppers/ courgettes to roast)? I usually do enough to last 2 days and just make bisto gravy to go alongside with a few pan juices from the chicken and veg.
You could always use the leftover chicken and roast veg in a salad the next day with some reheated potatoes if you don't want another hot dinner.

Another easy and not too unhealthy one is frozen, breaded fish baked in oven with some of those little baby potatoes in the microwave and frozen peas.

I have recently discovered frozen mash in Aldi, it's really cheap and not bad at all.. That with some grilled sausages and a tin of beans would make a nice dinner!

Also if you were making a dish using rice, make extra rice and then you could do a fried rice the next day with an egg, some frozen peas, garlic, soy and frozen prawns or even chopped ham/ chicken.

I'd start with frozen chopped onions that are already prepared. I get them from Tesco and they are not expensive.

Other easy meals I do:

Pasta with cream sauce, fry garlic and onion if you want, bacon and then add Philadelphia (tesco own) and a bit of milk,
Or use smoked salmon at the end

Baked chicken thighs on bone with baked potatoes or wedges. Takes two mins to prepare. You can add lemon, thyme and garlic if you are feeling flash.
Jamie puttanesca pasta recipe with half the stuff left out, tomatoes, tuna, garlic, anchovy and cinamon. Freezes well.
Jamie chicken cacciatore, tomato in oven thing.
Chicken breasts with paprika and oregano sprinkled on top. Add a bacon rasher on top and bake for 20 mins.

Freeze cut up coked chicken to add to egg fried rice or pesto pasta.

Soup freezes very well. Especially Veg soup and tomato soup

Shepherds pie freezes well too. Make sure plenty of gravy added. You can freeze it after assembling it, and then oven cook it when it's defrosted.

I freeze made from scratch spag Bol sauce, and add some jar sauce when reheating.

Tomatoe based chicken curry also freezes well.