What are you all-time best dinner recipes please?

[MummRaaa]

DH is massively into cooking and does most of it in our house. Which is great ... but the only thing is now I'm part-time, I do dinner three nights a week and all my recipes taste a bit pants compared to his. (He would never say this but I can read him like a book and can also tell with my own tastebuds!)

Whenever I look online I'm bewildered by the thousands and thousands of recipes and random variations. Are there some real classic amazing recipes that people cook once a week, for example? Would love to hear your favourites (ideally that are online with easy instructions!) Thx

What kind of thing do you like to eat? Are you in a budget? Are you health conscious?

Mexican is so easy and tastes lovely. Fajitas, enchiladas, tacos? All come with kits from the supermarket, so super easy.

Hi PirateSmile, Favourites are Mexican, French, Indian, Japanese, tagines. Also things like Cottage pies, soups and things with sauces. But happy eat most things. Re health conscious... like to eat lots of fish, pulses, fresh veg - but not on diet if that makes sense. Not on strict budget.

Thanks Mrstumbletap. I do love Mexican - at the moment the only thing that comes out right every time is chilli con carne. I need to revisit fajitas again I think.

I think the best thing you could do is to invest in a decent cookbook. He gets lots of stick on here but I rate Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals. Bearing in mind the kind f things you like to eat, there are loads of recipes you'd love in there although they take longer than 15 minutes to make

I'd also learn how to cook a decent steak and experiment with salad to see which you like best as steak and salad is a pretty unbeatable combination.

I use Gousto which is an online food delivery company - like hello fresh but more choice of recipe. I use most of the recipes over and over so I might stop the deliveries soon. It's a bit costly though - £34.99 for 3 meals for 2 people (although I find it feeds one adult and two kids for the most part). Ive found this easier than cookbooks as you get the exact right amounts so you don't buy loads of random ingredients that you then never use again because you hated the recipe! I have enjoyed everything I have eaten though - so full of flavour and pretty quick and easy to prepare.

No I'm not advertising for them! It's just how I learned to cook good food so thought I would share.

Thanks, like these suggestions especially steak!

Titsywoo, thanks, I did a free trial of Hello Fresh and use its recipe archive a lot. I will check out Gousto too.

two of thfavourite meals I do for family (DH, x2DD's , their partners and DGS) that everyone loves

Risotto - this one is the easiest and tastes amazing
www.antonio-carluccio.com/Risotto_di_Zucca

and this chicken dish. I make it with chicken breasts or thighs (not supremes)
You just need to scroll down the page to Chicken with Cardoman and Yoghurt
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2002/feb/10/foodanddrink.recipes

I am not a fancy schmancy cook but what I often do is

Cajun salmon. New potatoes and greens. I just sprinkle Cajun spice onto salmon fillets and wrap in tin foil. It's a quick and tasty meal.

Another is cottage pie made with oxtail soup to add richness.

Duck is lovely. We often have duck breasts with veg and mash and some red cabbage.

Steak is great. I might add Cajun into mayonaise to add flavour.

Would love some more ideas.

The other thing I do , though no real recipe
Cherry tomatoes, chopped red and green peppers, halved shallots, finely sliced garlic, all tossed in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper , dried basil and roast in the oven for about 30-40 minutes until all soft. I tend to roast a lot at ime as it freezes.
I use it as a pasta sauce by itself,you can add tuna, or cubes of feta, or fried pancetta

I think Jamie Oliver's ministry of food is really great for the basics.

In terms of my own family standard meals (easy ones) they tend to be:

--roast chicken & potatoes made with lots of lemon (we do this once at week)
--chicken or pork schnitzel maybe with potato salad and/or vegetables?
--lots of roast veggies in oven sometimes cooked with tomato passata, other times cooked with lemon & herbs, eg aubergines, peppers, courgettes, red onion, mushrooms & then at the end I put some halloumi slices on top which makes for a lovely light meal
--lentil soup is another standard for me
--and finally all sorts of pasta & risotto options

Deliah smith does a great tasting cottage pie, she adds cinnamon - which gives a great dimension to the flavour. So if you're looking for something that will rival your dh cooking that might be a winner.
family.daltons.info/cooking/recipes/delias_special_cottage_pie.html
I would use Jamie Oliver for his curry paste recipe in ministry of food - great homemade curry, that taste really good and worth while of the effort. You can find the curry paste recipe online www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/recipe/easy-homemade-curry-pastes/

this is good an easy tasty fish based dish, light for an even meal.

Don't forget simple food for example mussels, mussels in white wine or a garlic sauce ( mussels have more iron than liver, so a really healthy dish) with French bread or artisan bread for dunking in the juice. Serve with sweet potato wedges and follow with a pudding of fruit chopped with Greek yogurt

chicken preserved lemon and olive tagine plus hm flat breads and grated carrot salad.

White fish cooked baked in tomato sauce with olives and capers and brown rice and sautéed green beans. SO quick and easy. Fifteen mins max. Literally as it sounds.

Arancini is easy and great for leftover risotto. (Felicity cloaks - perfect Arancini. Love most of her recipes) Along with a spicy tomato sauce and salad.

Pasta with diced toms, packs of garlic, basil and a bit of feta and black olives.

I support the suggestions of Jamie but I think he's better for inspiration rather than recipe IYSWIM

What kind of stuff does your DH make?

I make a roast chicken on a Sunday (and slow cooker stock) and make:

Quesadillas (heat up some shredded leftover chicken and add bbq sauce. dry fry a tortilla in a pan, add hot chicken and grated cheese to one side and fold over the other side, carry on frying/flipping till gold brown)
Chicken and pea risotto (basic Jamie Oliver version)
Chicken curry (using a cheat curry sauce. don't care)
Chicken, smoky bacon and tomato pasta (again, a sauce jar, but you can cook diced bacon and onions in a pan, open a tin of tomatoes with chilli and garlic, mix, cook pasta, heat chicken, and stir it altogether)

I also do a mean balsamic roasted tomato pasta: halve cherry tomatoes, drizzle on olive oil, balsamic vinegar and add chopped garlic in a roasting dish. Roast for abotu 20mins, add to hot pasta. Lovely.

I must add that I squeak out that chicken between 2 of us and add veggies and sides.

it's not miraculous!