Go to meals, I tend to do cheap and easy. I love my slow cooker. I love cooking but with a toddler most days I don't have the energyfor anything complex.
Ham hough/ hocks great value(£4 for a big meaty one from the butcher, I can get at least 3 meals for me and DD plus a big pan of stock from one) :- I cook in the slow cooker (over night, ham hough covered in two kettles full of hot water and a tbsp of apple cider vinegar).
The stock is a lovely drink with a pat of melted butter and a pinch of star anise salt.
Courgettie with some of the meat, ham stock and cream is lovely.
Some of the shredded meat fried until crisp, served with some greens cooked in a little ham stock and couple of fried eggs.
Omelet with the meat, tomato and cheese.
Cauliflower fried 'rice' with the stock, meat, a little 5 spice, tamari, a switched egg and stirfry veg.
Chicken thighs are great. The fillet is good for curry etc, it's higher in fat than the breast, much cheaper and more tender. I like to roast thighs with skin on/bone in in olive oil. A good one pan meal if you roast veggies with them. I like to toss cauliflower florets in lemon juice/zest and chilli powder and roast with the thighs.
Make a poaching liquor with a low carb pesto (lidl baressa is good) with cream, water and pesto. Poach chicken thigh fillet until cooked. Remove and let sauce reduce. Stir through courgettie and oven roasted cherry toms.
Bolognaise with courgettie
cauliflower rice (can buy from Tesco for quickness) can be made into a good risotto sub too. I fry shallot in olive oil with bacon lardons and a few chopped cherry toms then add in some chicken stock and cream (or cream cheese) stir in your riced cauli and basil and cook for a couple of minutes until the cauli is cooked.
Home made burgers: 500g 20% fat beef mince, 50g jarred mayo. Season. Mix. Form into 4 burgers. Yum. Serve with fried shallot, mushroom and green pepper in smoked paprika, chilli and garlic.
Pork belly or duck legs. Roasted in the oven over cubes of celeriac or swede.
Celeriac is a good for dauphinoise, mashed cauliflower, mashed swede.