Calling all you food planners - advice needed please!

[Sonnet]

I am not a foodplanning novice, first started 6 years ago - BUT recently events have conspired against me and what with getting in later on the days I work and having multiple meal times due to everyone getting in a different times it has become a nightmare and I'm doing supper "on the hoof" most nights....

So - what is your advice:

I need 4 meals I can pre-cook and simply heat up - as well as 2 sittings

1 quick meal - on table in 30 mins

2 longer and no problem as at the weekend.

I would also like to eat more fish and idealy would like a split like this:

2 fish
1 veggi
2 chicken
2 meat

I would also like to include puddings...

any help out there - it is going round and round in my head

Tuna pasta bake? You can buy packet mixes that you mix with milk or tomato puree. Then you just need to cook pasta and add tuna from a tin. This can also be reheated easily.

Well any pasta dish really - spag bol, chilli pasta bake....

Your 4 meals to pre-cook and heat up I would suggest

Curry and rice (pour boiling water through rice to heat up)
Pasta and tomato/veg sauce (ditto with the pasta)
Moroccan chickpea and vegeatable stew and couscous
Stew with bread/garlic bread

I am vegetarian so all mine would be vegetable and pulse/tofu based, but you could use chicken/meat.

Puddings during the week would be fruit and yoghurt for us, or maybe a fruit crumble and cream/custard if I was feeling fancy.

Thanks sweetheart - that is the problem I suppose we are living on PASTA and also bol sauce I cook in huge quatities and freeze....sometimes I ring the changes and make it in to lasagne - but that dosn't do 2 sittings without going crispy!!

ooh - thanks NineUnlovelyTinselDecorations... never thought of heating pasta and rice up with hot water....

The moroccan chickpea thing soubnds good - do you have a recipe please

meatloaf heats up well but then you need to do potatoes and veg.

lasagne reheats well - could serve with salad and garlic bread which are pretty quick to throw together.

quiche
meat and potato pie - then you only need to do the veg because the potato is in the pie
stew and dumplings tastes better next day IMO

Mousakka
pasta with pesto and pancetta
cottage pie with potato and carrot mash on top
chiili bake with red cabbage topping
vegetable lasange
cheese and potato pie
sweet n sour chicken and rice
risottos
ratatouille mixed with pasta and topped with grated cheese and breadcrumbs
fish pie
salmon with breadcrumbs,orange juice,orange zest topping and grilled
vegetable curry,rice,naan bread
beef casserile
sausage casserole
meringue nests,diced fruit and creme fraiche
crumbles
angel delight with chopped banana etc
baked apples with cinnammon

might be something there

Er I probably do have a recipe somewhere but what I usually do I just make up on the spot It probably goes something like this..

(Serves 4ish generously)

• Fry 1 onion and some garlic in a generous amount of olive oil
• Add 2 diced carrots, 2 diced potatoes, a diced sweet potato or butternut squash, 2 large sliced courgettes, some green beans, a red pepper and a green pepper, sliced (stir fry for 5 minutes or so)
• Add a stick of cinnamon, a teaspoon of powdered ginger, a teaspoon of turmeric, a teaspoon of paprika, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, a dried chilli and a teaspoon of cumin (stir for a couple of minutes)
• Add a tin of chickpeas and a tin of chopped tomatoes, and a splodge of tomato puree
• Add some stock to cover the vegetables and cook until they are tender
• Take out the cinnamon stick and add a tablespoon of chooped coriander or mint if you have it
• Serve with couscous and plain yoghurt

You can change the vegetables to suit but I find you do need something like the sweet potato or squash.

Thanjs Bozza and sunflowervalley for yiur suggestions - didn't get back online yesterday.
Great recipie NUTD - will add to list

I am now planning away - there are a few in sunflowervalley's list I havn't done - like the chilli bake with red cabbage topping.
If you see this again SFV - at what point do I add red cabbage and do I need to pre-cook the cabbage???

Thanks

HI Sonnet-

You make a chill as you would normally and place the cooked chilli in a casserole dish.

You cook some shredded red cabbage and then place on top of the chilli.

Then mix some breadcrumbs,grated cheese and about a tbsp of wholegrain mustard and sprinkle on top of the cabbage.

Bake in the oven at 180 for about 30-40 mins until the topping is browned.

It is a real winter warmer.

Thank-you Sunflowervalley - that sounds fab!!

Let me know when your've tried it Sonnet