Inspire me....

[MissClarke86]

I'm pregnant and seem to get bored of everything after I've eaten it once. This is not good as were very unimainative with weekly meals as it was and not massive fans of (or very skilled at) cooking...

So, I need to do the food shop and am hoping for some inspiration.

We often buy Tesco finest meal pre-made things - hunters chicken etc. We're not on a tight budget.

We could do with meal ideas (or suggestions of pre-made things that are that are yummy)

Quick and easy (long working hours and honestly if it takes a lot of time and energy to cook, it just won't happen in the week. I am happy to admit we are lazy with cooking.)

Not pasta (OH doesn't like it) or stir fry/Chinese based (I don't like it)

Available from Tesco.

Generally we enjoy anything meat and veg based.

Thank you!

Boil pasta. Have ready good quality canned tuna and some grated mozarella.
You need to adjust quantity to your taste but it takes under 15 min to preapare.
You just need to add tuna and mozarella to your hot pasta and stir.

Antimatter I'd eat pasta all the time but it's the one thing OH doesn't eat.

I think I'm resorting to jar sauces and beef/chicken combinations...

Mexican lasagne - soften garlic, onions and peppers in a tablespoon of oil, add boneless skinless chicken thighs chopped into strips and brown. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes and chilli powder, then when bubbling take from the heat. Layer up in a round casserole dish with a layer of meat, layer of grated cheese, then a flour tortilla. Repeat until the dish is full, cover the last tortilla in grated cheese then whack in the oven for 25 minutes.

Or coconut rundown - soften onions, yellow peppers, garlic, a thumb size piece of fresh ginger, grated, then add chicken to brown. Add a tablespoon of smoked paprika, a tablespoon of all purpose seasoning, a tin of cherry tomatoes, a tin of coconut milk, and simmer down until the sauce is thickened. I serve with coconut rice - add enough basmati rice to a saucepan for two people, add a tin of coconut milk, then two tins worth of cold water and 2 teaspoons of sugar and one of salt. Bring to the boil then turn down to low and allow the rice to absorb the liquid.

Chilli?
Jacket potatoes with sour cream and chives or bacon and cheese?
I like pies. Pie with mash and veg, pie and chips or just a pie on its own. I think I need more inspiration too
Sunday roast....but any day of the week

Oh I forgot to say, Mexican and anything involving any element of it is my pregnancy food aversion

The second one sounds good, thank you.

Pie!
Jacket potatoes!

Thank you.

Make a Shepherds Pie - use lamb mince, Colemans or Schwartz Shepherds Pie Mix, frozen veg of your taste and mash.

I batch cook the mince, onions, veg and mix and freeze as portions - then it just needs thawing, add the potato and bake for 30 minutes

A slow cooker if you like casseroles, pies and roasts. Bit of meat, bag of prepared veg, bung it in before work. Dumplings, mash or bought pastry top. Job done.

Once there's more than two of you ready meals become pricey, plus by the time you've done the veg and accompaniments, there's not much time saving.

Delis Smith did a book using shortcuts (tinned fried onion sales went up dramatically), or Jamie's Ministry of Food cookbook is a good one. Once kids come along the whole food thing changes. If you can be arsed getting into the habit of cooking a couple of times a week could be beneficial in the long run.

Saying that I've been ill all week so have pricked and pinged most of the dinners here.

Take a look at Iceland too if you have freezer space. They deliver and I've been impressed by what we've had.

Are prawns OK in pregnancy?

King prawns fried in olive oil with some garlic and paprika - eat with crusty bread - takes about 5 minutes if that - Gambas a Pil Pil if you familiar with it from tapas restaurants.

Stick some cherry tomatoes in or have a bit of bagged salad if you feel obliged to have some of your five a day.

Is Tesco your only option? No M&S Simply Food or Cook available?

Iceland has gone all posh now, as well as still doing a nice line in cheap and breadcrumbed.

We have an Iceland Food Warehouse near us - is massive and sell pretty much everything frozen you could imagine from all ends of the food spectrum and everything in between.

OhForFoxSake Good point well made!

We do have a M&S nearby but I have a habit of spending looaaaddss in there.

Regarding slow cookers, when I've tried in the past things always come out watery and still with chewy meat. Not sure what I'm doing wrong.

If I'm going to cook stews and casseroles etc I generally just chuck it in the oven after work and wait a few hours, I don't mind eating late and I think the prep is just the same. Never been a slow cooker convert!

Is Iceland that much better? I once had a terrible experience with a chicken Kiev.

The prawns in garlic sounds delish.

Remember it doesn't result in a slow cooker so what you put in is what comes out. There are loads of packet mixes for slow cookers now. With a newborn, it's a way of getting a hot meal whenever you can with really minimal preparation. Although if using frozen veg I think it might get a bit watery.

I was a fab if ready meals. Then when weaning the eldest (at 3 months, as was the advice 15 years ago) I went all PFB. Everything had to be from the organic grocers. And it couldn't be puréed with a stick blender, oh no, I had to use a device called a mouli so the little prince didn't have any pith. I would eat beans on toast, congealed and cold.

It's also quite satisfying when they eat a good meal you've prepared (and ready meals have salt, sugar and fat).

If your partner gets involved too you will be set up. Sometimes I subscribe to a box, like Hello Fresh. Poncy, loads of chopping, but easy and things I wouldn't normally cook.

How do you make it so that things don't come out watery? Is it just a case of less water?

You don't need hardly any water in a slow cooker

Result? I meant REDUCE obvs

What about toad in the hole? Takes a while in the oven but you pretty much chuck it in and leave, it takes 2 mins to mx together a quick batter or just do it the night before. I often do this one with mustard and thyme, proper winter fodder.
My other quick options are fritatta with any a bag of frozen ready prepared roasted veg chucked in along with some chorizo and puff pastry tart (ready rolled puff) with red onions, garlic mushrooms and Brie.
Also a butterflied chicken breast served like a burger in toasted ciabatta with Avacado and salad or cod fillets topped with a coupled of tables spoons of curry paste mixed with yoghurt and mango chutney baked in the oven and served with green veg and new potatoes.
Some of the Tesco finest fishcakes are also pretty good.
For super speedy the new Heinz Creationz range is great. A can of their chickpea tagine served with cous cous literally takes 3 mins!