okay, i am beinng DRIVEN to meal-planning and am looking for un-faffy , quick recipes using cheap cuts that are DELICIOUS. because if someone tells me that tuna casserole or sausage stew is nice then i'll barf.

[ExterminAitch]

i'm fairly good on prepped stuff already, good recipes for chicken thigh curry, stews etc, it's more the instant-ish stuff i have difficulty with (apart from the ubiquitous pasta and pesto). although am always happy to hear any good tagine recipes and get better stews, curries etc.

however, what foods can we think of that are virtuous, delicious and quick to throw together, ladies? i'd rather the original recipe said 'takes 15 mins' iykwim, as opposed to 'fry onions in two mins etc' when you CAN'T.

oh, have thought of one.

carbonara. (although can we add veg apart from peas which we are sick of?)

roast toms in high oven (bit of thyme too if you have any) 20 mins
boil pasta
steam/boil green beans
lots of garlic and chilli, warm through in olive oil.
add prawns to oil warm through
throw pasta and beans and toms into pan

parmesan

delicious and nutritious

chicken wings w barbeque sauce

tom ketchup
worcester s
brown sugar/golden syrup
mustard
garlic

oven

i know, iknwo, but very good for kids and quite delicious in a retro fashion for grown ups

fabio (are you carm btw?) another quick mash is to bake the pots in the microwave and then put them through the ricer.

good one on the quesadillas, i may even copy these onto a spreadsheet. [geek] links are great, thanks.

i LOVE that chicken, i do a delia version of that already (although it's a bit faffier). you feel totally retro eating it. this has actually been a useful exercise in reminding me what i can cook, actually. i seem to have got into a bit of a rut.

tonight, jacket pots and tuna bean salad, with a green salad as well.

now, what will we eat for lunch?

forgot to say that a tiny bit of mint in the tom/bean/prawn pasta is super.

I can also eat a plate of griddled courgettes with good bread, olive oil, a bit of mint and chilli sprinkled over..

do you do that fish in tin foil roasted in teh oven thing? I always forget about that, but it is v easy - herbs, lemon squueze, olive oil, er that's it. Serve with new pots and green beans with garlic, lemon and tiny bit of mint if you have it.

Mint has been a bit of a revelation recently - always loathed it bcs of mint sauce assocs, but in tiny quantities it seems to make summery things sing.

I'm doing the thai pot meal too tonight looks yummy

(am not carmenere)
I have never managed the potatoes in microwave deal. They invariably end up raw in the middle, rock hard at one end and too fluffy somewhere else, no matter how I set the microwave or position the pots.

I do a microwavey tortilla thing - bit like Bink's quesidillas. Brown mince/cook chicken strips on hob, lob on tortilla on a big plate, add cheese/veg/salsa/spices, another tortilla on top, more cheese, and heat till the right bits are all melty but nothing has caught fire. Cut like a pizza. You can do more layers if you are a piggy very hungry or have lots of mouths to silence feed.

Has anyone said omelettes?

it does, doesn't it? i've beeen getting into pilaffs recently, they're so easy. this is goiing to be a good menu plan, methinks.

really, fab? i use smallish pots and turn them over halfway.

omelette is a lunch-time food in this house. in fact... i think we're having it today as i note dh has bought a truckload of eggs.

Tikka massala.
Marinade the chicken either the night before or in the morning, by mixing

1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp garam massala
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp chilli powder
About 15 mls lemon juice
and either 8 cloves garlic(crushed) and one inch grated ginger (or, if you're lazy like me two heaped tsp of ready chopped garlic and one of ginger.
Mix it all together, add red food colouring, throw in some meat (I use chicken breast).
Leave to marinade anywhere between two &24 hours.

Then turn your oven on as hot as it will go and put marinaded chicken in.
Put pack of passata in a saucepan, with one onion,
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp chilli
1 clove of garlic (or equiv) and 3 inches of ginger.
Plus the marinade that is left.
Leave to simmer and bung the rice on.
If meat is already diced it takes about 15 minutes, more like 20-25 in fillets.
Mix it in with the curry sauce.
Voila tikka massala.

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Yesterday we had chicken marinaded in yoghurt, with a touch of paprika and some lemon juice, thrown in the oven with carrots, onion and garlic cloves, roasted for half an hour.
Teamed with mash & roast spuds.
I'd have preferred half cut charlotte pots also thrown in and roasted together but dp doesn't like them.

Chicken Livers with bacon and onions. Serve with salad and fresh bread.
You could throw some beansprouts in too for extra crunch.

Fish cakes a'la JO on Sainsburys advert.

Herby spinach and puy lentils (usually get tinned) - warm lentils, add lemon juice and olive oil and add fresh herbs (basil, coriander, parsley, mint all good) and spinach and wilt. Serve with a bit of yoghurt of creme fraiche. Takes 10 mins tops. Lovely with Salmon (wrapped in Parma ham if you like) or chops

ope, cod. i have a lovely italian sausage, sage and squash recipe but I Don't Actually Like it. i think god made sausages that shape and they should stay that shape.

nor do i like fishcakes, sadly, particularly not ones made with salmon... [scottish and therefore overfed salmon icon]
smoked haddie at a pinch, and i'd always rather have kedgeree. thanks, though.

mmmm, i do love puy lentils. never bought tinned, though. do they taste just the same?

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lol. i mean do they have that funny sugary slick on them like tinned chickpeas do. (should point out that i like the slick and always buy tinned cps. although it might be ickier on a smaller pulse... [po-faced])

seasoned pioneers are great for inspiration. Cheapish ingredients that go a long way and give you lots of interesting curry options quick and cheap. I love their zanzibar curry mix - 1 tsp. into a basic curry base and you have a whole new meal. I keep lots of base ingreds on hand and use their different mixes like the malay mix, and experiment away. We eat various currys 3 or 4 times a week. Keep plenty of coconut milk on hand, fresh ginger, lemon and lime, onions, mush, peppers etc and whatever meat/veggies you like. Great with loads of stuff from chicken to fish, to mushroom to quorn.

seasoned pioneers are great for inspiration. Cheapish ingredients that go a long way and give you lots of interesting curry options quick and cheap. I love their zanzibar curry mix - 1 tsp. into a basic curry base and you have a whole new meal. I keep lots of base ingreds on hand and use their different mixes like the malay mix, and experiment away. We eat various currys 3 or 4 times a week. Keep plenty of coconut milk on hand, fresh ginger, lemon and lime, onions, mush, peppers etc and whatever meat/veggies you like. Great with loads of stuff from chicken to fish, to mushroom to quorn.

oops

I like tinned puy lentils - possibly not quite as nice - but I can't be arsed with soaking/boiling for ages ad by the time the herbs and lemon is in, you can't tell any difference

Turkey burgers?

Mix turkey mince with chopped onions/garlic , cranberry sauce and breadcrumbs. Lovely!

Salads ?

Chicken Caesar

Current fave in our house (although not especially virtuous), chorizo, stilton and new potato with creme fraiche and coriander dressing.

my current favourite summer pasta dish....

chop a couple of larg-ish tomatoes. cook on medium heat with butter, salt and a pinch of sugar. Peel a couple of cloves of garlic and add to tomato sauce once nearly cooked (through garlic press).

Cook pasta. Add tomato/garlic sauce. Grate halloumi cheese in. Add lots of chopped basil (we have basil plant, has lasted all summer so far...).

Can also add roasted pine nuts. Can also dice courgette and lightly cook in butter/olive oil for additional veg factor.

Drizzle w olive oil and season with pepper to taste.

Totally delicious. Takes about 10 minutes.