being a proper wife!

[MathsMadMummy]

decided I really need to pull my weight a bit more in the kitchen. my lovely DH normally gets home and cooks for us as I'm exhausted after a day with the kids. I have PND so find all this stuff difficult but I'd like to cook dinner for when he gets home; this also means we can get the kids to bed earlier!

I'm a fairly decent cook and can do the usual spag bol, fishcakes, stew etc, but tend to get flustered if there's too much going on. I'd like more ideas please, as I'd get bored with meat/spuds/steamed veg.

The whole batch-cooking/freezing thing doesn't really work for us though.

TIA

If you do decide to get a slow cooker, get a fab cook book called "Ultimate slow cooker". Loads of brilliant recipes, all tasting different, and they all work!

I love the Ministry of Food book too (and am quite a good cook), and the other lifesaver is Nigel Slater's Real Fast Food. It's great if you have taken something out of the freezer and need some inspiration as all of the recipes involve only a few ingredients and can be cooked quickly.

My only other suggestion would be to think about what goes with what. For example serving a curry with nan or serving a curry with rice can make it seem like a completely different meal. Similarly, a casserole with crusty bread make s nice change to the same casserole with mash.

Sounds like you're pretty competent though!

Yep, I have Real Fast Food too and it's another favourite.
I also swear by Delia's Complete Cookery Course for all the basics, and I love her Summer and Winter Collections.

One I use when I want a treat is Ruth Watson's Fat Girl Slim. I didn't buy it because I was looking to diet, I picked in up a Charity Shop and though some of the ingredients are harder (for me) to track down, there's some lovely dishes in there that are light, fresh and interesting too.

slow cookers are great

i use mine for curries or casseroles

mine was a tenner in sainsburys, special offer at the time

wow lots of responses thanks! right, looks like I'll be getting a slow cooker and the ministry of food book then!

I'm probably going to order the food every tuesday so I guess every monday night we'll sit down and plan. thankfully DH (who is actually a qualified chef! but never really wanted to be one... long story) doesn't think it's too obsessive, he understands I'll just be a bit more comfortable if I know what's going on

Btw, you 'know' me from another forum.
I'm the one who's named after a foodstuff you either love or hate with a bit of Paul Daniels mixed in ;)

ohhhh so I'm not the only traitor

I was on the other one a couple of years ago until we stopped having the internet, as SmidgesMummy, but when we reconnected last month I found MN too and became addicted

Ah, SmidgesMummy, I do vaguely remember the name.

I do post there, but I'm mainly to be found here. I get in trouble for being gobby honest over there