Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Hope this isn't too off-topic!

17 replies

marchpoppy · 03/06/2012 12:48

I want to batch freeze some meals for when baby arrives in 4 weeks or so and wondered if anyone knows of any really nourishing soup recipes for after birth. I am a single mum and though will have some help, I know I won't want to cook big meals for a while after the section so soup could be good instead of fast food! I have never made soup before but sure I can have a go - anyone have any tasty ideas/ recipes up their sleeve?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Lozza70 · 03/06/2012 13:14

For a really filling minestrone...

Chop the following veg -
Onion
2 carrots
2 sticks of celery
Stalks of a bunch of basil
2 cloves of garlic

Heat a good slug of olive oil
Add chopped veg and a packet of cubed pancetta (can get in supermarkets beside the salami etc.)
Put the lid on the pan and sweat the veg over a low heat for 20 mins

Chop 2 courgettes
Add to the pan and cook for 10 mins

Add 1 small glass of red wine and 2 cartons of chopped tomatoes and 2 bay leaves and a pint of veg or chicken stock

Simmer for 20 mins, taste and season

Add chopped basil leaves, a bag of spinach and and tin of cannolini beans, simmer for a few mins than add some pasta. I just break up some spaghetti into small pieces. Simmer until the pasta is cooked.

This will make enough for 6 portions I think. Freezes really well in those
Liquid freezer bags.

missingmymarbles · 03/06/2012 13:18

Hi
Soups are really easy Smile And you can put virtually anything into them, and in quantities to suit volume needed or adjusted depending on personal taste balance, so I deliberately haven't put quantities. Here's a few to start you off, but you can get cheap books of amazon and second hand. My best advice would be to have fun and experiment with flavours you know you quite like together Smile and try the recipes section on here.

One of our favourites is lentil and bacon:
Fry an onion and some bacon (smoked or non-smoked), in a heavy based saucepan, with either butter or oil; add potato (peeled and chopped into chunks. Throw in a handful of red lentils. Pour in water to cover, I usually use a stock cube at this point too, for ease, and bring to a fast boil for 10 minutes or so (see lentil packet) then reduce to simmer for another 25-30, until everything soft. Either serve as is, or blitz (I use a hand blender) to desired consistency. You may need to add more water, either throughout cooking, in which case use boiling water so you don't lose temperature, or at the end after blending. Milk is a good addition after cooking to make it a bit creamy Smile

Potato and leek, also good:
Peel and chop your spuds into chunks, and clean and slice your leeks. Saute in oil/butter. Pour over your water and add your stock cube. Cook till spuds soft, then blitz, or not, or blitz half and remix. Again, milk or cream a good addition, and also bacon at the frying stage is tasty, or ham at the end.

Chicken noodle:
Peel and dice some carrot. Chop some celery, slice an onion and crush a little bit of garlic (optional). Dice some chicken fillets. Throw it all in a heavy based saucepan. Cover with chicken or veg stock (again, I usually just use water and throw the cube in, then stir it to dissolve). Bring to a boil for about 20-25 minutes til chicken thoroughly cooked and add your noodles for the requisite noodle time, then serve. You could use left overs from cooked chicken if you had some in the fridge, and just add it 10 minutes or so before you put the noodles in so that the whole thing is piping hot on serving.

HTH

ellangirl · 03/06/2012 13:55

Sweet potato and coconut

Can't tell you exact quantities, but approx 1 onion, 1 sweet potato and half a cup of red lentils with enough stock to cover. Add flaked chillis or a bit of curry powder if you like a bit of spice. Multiply up as necessary for bigger quantity. Add coconut milk towards end of cooking. Can also add fresh coriander if you like.

Good luck with freezer filling/ impending arrival!

missingmymarbles · 03/06/2012 13:57

Oooh that sounds nice Ellangirl Smile

HenriettaChicken · 03/06/2012 15:53

I make one similar to ellengirl, but instead of lentils, I use butternut squash and a bit of chicken stock.

After it's blended add fresh coriander.

Just as a tip, I find that a little chilli goes a LONG way in soups, so don't add too much!

marchpoppy · 03/06/2012 16:37

Ooh thanks - great ideas! When my DS was born, i lived off Ready Brek for the first two weeks and I am determined to do better this time Wink

OP posts:
melliebobs · 03/06/2012 17:33

Hubby does a fantastic chickenie broth soup.

Fry onion carrot and celery
Add Left over roast chicken/grey meat stir in flour then add chicken stock and left over roast potatoes or just potatoes u have in the cupboard. Bubble away till potatoes are soft. You could add sweet corn broccoli whatever's lying around. It's really tasty & u could even use it for a pie n just put puff pastry on the top

marchpoppy · 04/06/2012 18:30

Lozza70 I made the minnestrone today and its delicious! Froze up 4-5 portions for post-baby - thanks! Smile

OP posts:
Maiziemonkey · 04/06/2012 19:23

Soups really can have almost anything in that you like but since you want to pack in as much nutrition as possible try to include things that pack a protein punch as well as vegs eg-
Tomato, mixed beans and ground beef;

Tomato, cumin and red lentil;

Make ratatouille (google) but thin down with veg stock/tomato juice and add cooked rice or pasta;

Cook down whatever veg you have with ginger and garlic say onion, peppers, mushrooms and sweetcorn and add half and half chicken stock and chinese-y ready-made sauce like teriyaki/ hoisin for and easy oriental style soup- finish with some noodles cooked into it in the last 5 mins and cubed cooked chicken and you have a very satisfying soup indeed;

my personal fav soup of all-
diced swede, onion , celery, leek, carrot and minced garlic sweated down: add diced chicken, cook out and top up with chicken stock and sweetcorn, cook out and eat with crusty bread.

Butternut and bacon finished with a bit of cream and spoon of green pesto

Indian spiced vegetable with chickpeas
-diced mixed veg of your choice but include some fresh red chilli, ginger, medium spice mix,once fried all together add spoonful of mango chutney , veg stock and cook out finish with greek yoghurt, mint and coriander leaf

Thai red chicken:
diced onion, red pepper, cauliflower, carrot, celery, leek (plus any small amounts veggie leftovers in fridge) diced chicken ,sweat with red thai curry paste, salt and pepper, add spoonful brown or white sugar and cook out 5 mins, add coconut milk, chix stock and milk and cook until veg tender and chix cooked through, blitz semi smooth and serve with fresh coriander, prawn crackers, and sweet chilli sauce.

HTH

Angelico · 05/06/2012 13:58

Great thread - I plan on filling our freezer in August when I'm on holiday, 6 weeks before planned section. Going to paste this thread into word and call it 'Lifesaver soups'! :)

Sorry to hijack OP but does anyone else have any great main course recipes which freeze well? I'm thinking of making the usual spag bol / mincesteak in gravy / chicken curry / casserole etc but you can only eat so many of those before you are sick of them! :) DH claims not to like lasagne or other cheesy dishes as he allegedly doesn't like cheese (in spite of eating pizza... Hmm)

RockChick1984 · 05/06/2012 15:00

Make fishcakes and freeze them, just serve with a pre-prepared bag of salad? We lived on a LOT of filled pasta with sauce after having DS, I didn't make anywhere near enough in advance!!

Angelico · 05/06/2012 16:08

Hmmm, unfortunately I hate fishcakes BUT DH likes them - so maybe he can scoff them while I eat lasagne... :o

missingmymarbles · 05/06/2012 17:11

Ooohhh fishcakes is a great idea! We love them in this house Grin Unfortunately I have already filled my freezer to the hilt, to the point that I am struggling to fit the frozen peas in Grin I will manage to squeeze them in somewhere if I make them though!!

I have the usual bolognese, chilli, stew etc. Also some pies (DH loves pies and I don't usually bother coz they're faffy, so he's happy Smile). Made some basic curry sauce that will could have some variant additions at the cooking, so less samey. Roasted some chicken too and picked off the meat so have a couple of bags of ready cooked chicken as well. Some quantities of chicken stock. Used mainly disposable baking trays and freezer bags so don't have to think about that either, plus bags, particularly mold into the space you have then freeze Wink

missingmymarbles · 05/06/2012 17:16

Oh, I froze some cakes as well Grin Will definitely need the extra energy, for breastfeeding and to make up for lack of sleep. Plus I will look like a domestic goddess when people come visiting Wink Actually, it was someone on Mumsnet that suggested a fruitcake, can make in advance, doesn't take up freezer space, gets better over time and keeps for ages, and you can keep pulling it out and cutting a slice. I thought that was a great idea and so coined it and it was also my inspiration for a few cakes in the freezer too. I do like baking though, and spent the first bit of mat leave thoroughly enjoying my time off and in my kitchen Smile

RockChick1984 · 05/06/2012 18:44

Oooh, make banana bread as can slice it then freeze in individual pieces Grin

missingmymarbles · 05/06/2012 18:59

Pizza dough too! I froze some pizza dough as well, because my DD quite likes to make pizza but the dough bit is such a hassle by the time you've kneaded it and let it rise etc. Would definitely recommend that if you have older DC's. Actually, I would recommend doing that even if you're not pregnant, so that you make the dough when you're chilled but have it when you're rushed Smile

Angelico · 05/06/2012 21:23

Anybody ever make pizza dough in the breadmaker? And if so what is it like?

And otherwise anyone got a killer pizza dough recipe?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page