I need some after work dinner inspirations please - in a food rut

[Ozziegirly]

I wonder if you can help.

DH and I both work, I normally cook (I like it). I normally get home before him so I need suggestions of things I can bung in the oven while I get on with other things and also possibly eat at different times (so if he's late and I'm starving I can eat first).

At the moment I do:

1. Beef stew
2. Sauasage hot pot
3. Chilli
4. Chicken pie
5. Curry

And I'm bored of them.

We both like most stuff, all meat, all veggies and have a reasonable budget - not too tight but not crazy.

Thank you in anticipation!

Here's a (long) list

Spaghetti Bolognese
Shepherds Pie
Burgers
Lasagna
Chili (with rice)
Frito Pie
Meatloaf
Meatballs

Sausage
Sausage Casserole/ Spicy sausage casserole
Toad in the hole
Bangers & Mash

Moussaka
Lamb steaks w/ redcurrant glaze

Beef in Beer Casserole
Goulash
Steak Sarnies

Carbonara

Chicken Curry
Roast Chicken
Chicken Casserole
Chicken Pie
Fajitas
Kebabs
Chicken and dumplings
Thai Chicken Skewers
Peas & bacon with Pan-fried Chicken
Chicken. Bacon & Leek Pasta bake
Chicken wraps w/ yoghurt & salad in sticks
Spiced Chicken
Chicken goujons/ nuggets
Chicken Parmesan
chicken parcels wrapped in parma ham

Fish
Tuna Pasta Bake
Tuna Polpettine
Fish Pie
Creamy Salmon pasta with veg
Coley/ white fish with cherry tom, capers and black olives.
Kedgeree
Salmon with Leek & Courgettes
Salmon fillets baked in the oven with sweet potato chips
Seared Tuna
Grilled White Fish
Fishcakes
Fishfingers
Haddock w/ fennel butter

Prawn Curry
Thai Pasta with Shrimp (Spaghetti, ½ can coconut milk, curry powder)
linguine with prawns and garlic
Scampi

Omelet
Frittata
Egg & chips/ Fried Egg Sarnies
Quiche

Veggie Bake
Grilled Portobellos w/ roast toms & ricotta on sourdough
Onion & Olive Pissaladiere (puff pastry)
Onion & Goat?s cheese tarts (puff)
Tomato & Tapenade Tarts
Sweet potato & chick pea curry
Baked spuds
Potato & Onion Tortilla
Spicy Roasted Veg
Veggie/ Allotment Pie
Chunky Veg Chili
Leek and Potato Gratin
Paneer, peas and potato curry
Cauli Cheese
Baked Figs with Stilton
Stuffed Peppers
Stewed Okra w/ tomatoes
Baba Ganoush
Aubergine Parmegiana
Aubergine & tomato gratin
Aubergine in cheese sauce
Roasted Eggplant, Zucchini, and Chickpea Wraps
Perciatelli with Roasted Tomatoes and Eggplant
Cheesey leeky bakey thingy

Black Bean Burgers
Mushroom veggie
Carrot Lentil

Pumpkin, Walnut & Blue Cheese Gnocchi
Spinach & Ricotta Lasagna
Roast pumpkin and mushroom lasagna
Goats Cheese and Pesto Cannelloni
Lentil Lasagna
Tortellini
Ravioli
Pesto
tagliatelle w/ Veg ribbons
Macaroni Cheese
Cannelloni
Whole-wheat spaghetti w/ fontina & Kale
Conciglie con broccoli

Risotto
Rainbow Rice
Mushroom Stroganoff
Dahl & rice

Red Beans and Rice
Chermoula Chickpea burgers
Chick Pea Burgers
Tuscan beans w/ tomatoes and sage
Adzuki Bean Stew
Parsley & butterbean stew
Black-eyed peas (w. rice)
Homemade baked beans
2 bean salad
3 bean salad

Crunchy Lentil Loaf
Cheese & Lentil Loaf
Lentil Stew
Lentil Shepherds Pie
Spiced Lentils
Lentil Chili

Quinoa tabbouleh
Quinoa w/ avocado and mango
Jeweled Quinoa
Lemon-scented quinoa (w/ tahini dressing)
Quinoa in coconut milk
Veg fried quinoa
Couscous with spicy chickpeas & veg

Spinach, Goats Cheese & Pepper Quesadilla
Pizza
Cheese & onion pie
Leek & onion tart
Spanakopita
Vegetable Tart
Toasties

Burritos
Quesadillas
Mexican Lasagna (black beans, salsa, pasta)
Mexican Lasagna with tortillas (refried beans, sour cream, spicy veg)
Fajitas

Stir Fry

Soup
Veg Soup
Barley & Veg sop
Tomato & Lentil
Onion
Winter squash (Roast pumpkin/ Butternut & onion)
Cream of watercress & stilton
Mushroom
Spicy Carrot
Pea and bacon soup
Borscht
Carrot and sweet potato
Pumpkin & Red Pepper
Tortellini Soup (w/ escarole/ spinach)
Tomato Veg soup
Split pea and ham

Salads
Pasta w/ green beans & mushrooms
Potato
Greens w/ warm bacon & eggs
Nicoise
Beetroot & mint
Fried Halloumi & grape
Tomato, Bean & fried Basil
Watermelon & Feta
Anchovy & roasted pepper

Mmmm! Well that's me told!

That's fantastic - thank you so much, loads of them sound delicious.

makes shopping list

I lists

I did however start a thread today asking for inspiration because I am bored with what we eat.

That should have said, I like lists...

not quite the same as underrated's list but i made this www.deliaonline.com/recipes/chicken-salad-with-tarragon-and-grapes,727,RC.html with this www.deliaonline.com/recipes/green-herb-and-rice-salad,1626,RC.html tonight. both were easy and relatively quick to prepare and very tasty

Mm, looks yum too.

Hungry now.

Do you like cooking? If so, you could maybe do what DH and I do - cook big vats of food at the weekend and then freeze so we have really quick no-faff microwave dinners during the week. It means we don't have to start dinner until both of us are in and ready to eat, and then can have it on the table quickly. We have a few favourites but often just flick through cookery books to try something new.

My two favourite freezer things at the moment are:

1. ratatouille - very healthy, great on its own with rice, baked pot, pasta or couscous, great as a veg side dish with e.g. lamb chops or sausages (or roast chicken at weekends when you have more time) and delicious as a filling for an omelette with lots of cheddar cheese - we're having this for dinner tonight!

2. homemade pizzas - these are brilliant and can be really healthy as you control all the toppings. Delia does a very easy pizza dough - I make enough for 6-8 pizzas and freeze it in freezer bags in portions for 2 people. Simply take out of the freezer in the morning. When you get in, heat oven to highest temperature, roll out the dough, top with defrosted tomato pasta sauce (we also make in bulk and freeze this) and whatever leftovers you have in fridge and cupboards, then put in oven for about 10 minutes. Really delicious!

The pizza dough recipe is here I never bother warming the flour - just go straight to mixing. Be warned that as your dough defrosts it will start rising again, so you should defrost it in a mixing bowl that is quite a bit bigger than the dough, and cover bowl with cling film to stop it drying out.

I have actualy tried doing the cooking at the weekend and then freezing it actually and often do for things like chilli. Te pizza idea is great though as we both like pizza VERY much (too much)....

I'm going to try gnocci tonight - never made it before but it looks fun.