Meal Planning Monday

It's back to reality and routine this week with the return of school.  I've mixed feelings about this really...one part of me does a little happy dance but the other part is sad to have our time together come to an end.  

I find that each holiday follows the same pattern - before the break-up I make a plan for activities each day so we are organised...I also try to pre-plan the meals but that doesn't always work :/   By day 3/4 I'm tearing my hair out and gagging for them to return but a few days later we've found our groove and I start enjoying our time together.  It's all about readjusting your expectations isn't it?  No, my house is not particularly tidy (or spotlessly clean) during school holidays but does that matter?  Once I let go of the stress of not being in my usual routine, we start to have fun.  And that is what's important, right?! 

Nevertheless, I'm easing myself in gently this week with some tried & tested easy recipes that will make the transition back to our school routine a little easier.

Monday - Mild chicken curry with apple

We always have this when I've made a roast chicken the day before :)

Tuesday - Pasta with homemade pesto & garlic bread

Need something quick & easy after school!

Wednesday - Turkey meatballs

Another favourite in our house - I make these with pepper sauce and serve with spaghetti.

Thursday - Homemade Pizzas

The kids love helping me make these and as they put their own toppings on, it helps cater to their different tastes.

Friday - Kashmiri Butter Chicken 

I made this a few weeks ago and it was *so* good!

This post is part of Mrs M's Meal Planning Monday - you will no doubt find some delicious edible inspiration from all the other link-ups if you're struggling with your menu this week!

Slow Cooked Kashmiri Butter Chicken

I stumbled across this recipe in a book called Ultimate Slow Cooker by Sara Lewis.  I've not used many of the recipes but the ones I have always turn out fabulously, and this is a book I pick up when looking for a dinner party recipe.  Last night however it was just DH & I but I kind of wish there had been somebody else to share it with, as it was so delicious!  The amounts below could easily have served 4, alongside rice and naan bread.

Ingredients
2 onions, peeled & quartered
3 garlic cloves
4cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled
1 large red chilli
4 chicken breasts
25g butter
1 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
4 cardamom pods, crushed
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
300ml chicken stock
1 tsp light muscovado sugar
2 tbsp tomato puree
3-4 tbsp double cream
2 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted

Method
Turn the slow cooker onto Low.

Blend / chop the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli in a processor until they form a paste then set aside.

Heat some oil in a frying pan and brown the chicken breasts on each side.  Place in the slow cooker.

Melt the butter in the frying pan and add the onion paste.  Cook for a minute until it just starts to colour then stir in the seeds and spices.  Cook for another minute then add the stock, sugar and tomato puree.  Bring to the boil and pour over the chicken.  Push the breasts underneath the liquid mixture and replace the lid.  Cook for 5-7 hours.

Before serving, stir in the cream and top with toasted almonds.

Slow Cooked Beef Adobo

I was flicking through my slow-cooker recipe books for some inspiration last week when I came across this.  Its a bit like a rich beef Asian stew...it is apparently eaten in the Philippines but also popular in Spain.  It was a nice change, and one I'd make again.

Ingredients
750g braising steak, cubed
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp plain flour
450ml beef stock (I used vegetable stock as I'd run out)
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 bay leaves
Juice of half a lime

Method
Brown the beef in a frying pan, remove & set aside.  

Add the onion to the pan and fry for around 5 mins (you don't want it to brown).  Add the garlic and cook for 2 mins more.  Stir in the flour then gradually add the stock.  Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and bay leaves and bring to the boil.

Transfer the beef to the slow cooker and pour over the onion & stock mixture.  Cover and cook for 8-10 hours.

Before serving, stir in the juice from half a lime.  

I served the beef with rice, and a garnish of spring onion, sliced carrot and coriander leaves.

Curried Coconut & Cauliflower Soup

I've been eating this all week for lunch, and its delicious.  Don't be put off by what looks like a huge list of spices...most of these will already be in your cupboard!  

Ingredients
3 onions, peeled & diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed
50g butter
1 red chilli
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground ginger
225g potatoes, peeled & diced
100g desiccated coconut
850ml vegetable stock
1 cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 tin coconut milk

Method
Soak the desiccated coconut in 300ml warm water and set aside for 15 mins. 

Heat the butter in a frying pan, and cook the onions and garlic for around 5 mins.  Add the chilli, coriander, mustard and cumin seeds, tumeric, paprika and ginger and cook for 1 minute, stirring well to combine.  

Transfer to the slow cooker adding in the potatoes, coconut plus its soaking water, vegetable stock, cauliflower florets and the coconut milk.  Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours.

If you have a stick blender, use that to whizz round the soup whilst still in the slow cooker - if not, you can transfer the soup to a liquidiser and do it that way.

Slow-cooked Goulash

High praise indeed from DH last night when I served this...it will definitely be going on my "Keep" list!  I know traditional goulash is usually made with pork but I have always used beef in mine so it was a nice change to use pork this time (plus the steaks were on offer in Tesco this week!)

Ingredients
6 pork chops / 1.5lb diced pork
1 red pepper, diced into large pieces
1 large onion, peeled & chopped
5/6 large mushrooms, diced into large pieces
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 can chopped tomatoes
450ml vegetable stock, hot
2 tbsp soured cream

Method
If using pork chops, trim off any rind / fat and chop into pieces.  

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onion & pork, until browned.  Add the spices, red pepper and mushrooms and cook for just a minute.  Mix in the tinned tomatoes and bring to the boil.

Transfer everything to the slow cooker (which should be on Low) and add the stock, stirring well.  

Pop on the lid and cook for around 10 hours (I did mine for over 12 hours and it was fine).

Stir in the soured cream and serve.  I'm a bit sick of rice at the moment so we ate it with new potatoes and broccoli...delicious!

Spicy Slow Cooked Chicken

I saw a recipe post this week for something similar but when I came to make it, I realised I didn't have half the ingredients I needed so I made this up a bit as I went along but boy, was it tasty!  I served it with tagliatelle last night, and made the left-overs into wraps for lunch today.   Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients - you'll already have most of them in your cupboards.

Ingredients
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cumin seeds (crushed)
1/2 tsp mild chilli powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp mixed pepper blend*
2 large chicken breasts
Olive oil
1 onion, peeled & chopped
1 green chilli, deseeded & chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded & chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled & crushed
1 can tomatoes
1 cup orange juice
Juice 1/2 lime
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Tabasco

Method
Turn your slow cooker on to Low.

Mix the first 7 ingredients together in a bowl, and rub half of it onto the chicken breasts.  Brown them in a hot frying pan, remove and set aside.

Add the onion, garlic and chillies to the frying pan and cook for 5 mins.

Put the chicken in the slow cooker, and add the onion, garlic and chillies on top.

Mix together the tomatoes, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar and Tabasco  and add in the remaining spice mix.  Pour the sauce on top of the chicken in the slow cooker.  

Cook on Low for around 6 hours.  At this point, I still had too much sauce so I removed the lid and cooked on High for a further 1.5 hours by which point it was perfect.

If you're serving this in a wrap, sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top of the chicken before rolling it up - yum!

*Thanks to my lovely Danish friend who keeps me in regular supply of Peber Blandig, I use this all the time in my cooking but it is just a blend of 4 types of pepper - black, white, green & red - similar to this or you could use a pinch of spice mix.

Slow-cooked Coq au Vin

I love Coq au Vin but have never attempted to make it myself.  Not sure why though as this was so easy!  Note that you can buy bouquet garni "tea-bags" in the supermarket (amongst the herb aisle) so don't worry about using the real deal.  Don't forget of course that you have to open red wine to make this dish & although that did make me a little queasy at 9.15am when I was putting this in the slow cooker, it was a bonus that evening that I already had an open bottle!

Ingredients (serves 2)

2 chicken breasts

50g butter

3 rashers of bacon, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 onion, chopped

225g button mushrooms, halved

1/3 bottle of red wine

1 tbsp plain flour

300ml chicken stock

1 bouquet garni

Method

Melt the butter in a large frying pan and brown the chicken on both sides.  Add the bacon for the last 2 mins then remove both and set aside.

Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook for 5 mins until soft.  Stir in the flour and add the red wine, then bring to a boil.

Put the mushrooms in the bottom of the slow cooker then add the chicken & bacon.  Pour over the hot wine mixture.

Add the chicken stock - there should be enough to cover the chicken completely.  Add the bouquet garni and ensure this also is underneath the liquid.

Cook on low for 8-9 hours.  Discard the bouquet garni before serving with rice.

Slow-cooked Chicken Cacciatore

Perversely, I plan on using my slow cooker a lot more during this heat wave as it saves me standing at the cooker getting hot!  This is super simple and quite tasty.

Ingredients (serves 2)

2 chicken breasts

Plain flour to coat

125g mushrooms, sliced

1 green pepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 tin chopped tomatoes

125ml white wine

Generous pinch of oregano & thyme

Handful of fresh Basil

Method

Coat the chicken breasts in a little flour and brown them on both sides in a pan for a few minutes.  Put the chicken into the slow cooker.

Next, fry the mushrooms for 5 mins then put them on top of the chicken, adding the pepper & onion to the slow cooker.  Mix the tinned tomatoes, white wine and seasoning in a jug and pour over.  Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours (or HIGH for 3.5 hours if you are in a hurry).

Stir in the fresh basil and serve with tagliatelle or rice.

Slow-cooked Chilli-con-Carne

This is a firm family favourite in our house, and I love to put this on before we head out for the day and come back to delicious smells filling the kitchen in the late afternoon.  It also freezes well so is a great make-ahead dish.

Ingredients
1 onion. chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
450g minced beef
1 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp hot chilli powder
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can kidney beans (drained)
1 tbsp tomato puree
6 tbsp water
1 tsp caster sugar

Method
Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add the onion, garlic and mince.  Fry until the meat is no longer pink and starts to separate.

Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil.  Transfer to a the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve with rice and grated cheddar on top.

NB: I prefer to blend my can of tomatoes before adding them as it makes the sauce a bit nicer but its not essential.  If the kids are going to be eating this, I use mild chilli powder and add some hot chilli for us grown-ups afterwards.