5 Simple Family Meals To Make This Week
and a kitchen refresh!
We are well and truly back to routines in our house after all the fun over Christmas. I like the fresh start the new year brings. It tends to be a quieter time work wise for me and after all the promotion of the book last year, it’s a time I really enjoy. Before the boys went back to school, we had a lovely time just “being”, no where to go and time to potter and tackle all the little jobs in the cottage we’ve been putting off since we moved in last summer. I’ve also had plenty of time in the kitchen to finally get it in order for the year of cooking ahead. The spice drawer has been rearranged, I can see into the back of the pantry and I’ve hung a magnetic knife holder and utensil rail and all those other niggling jobs are done meaning I can focus on enjoying cooking. With that in mind I wanted to share five of my most popular recipes from the last two years, they all just so happen to also be perfect family friendly winners that should take the pressure off coming up with what’s next for dinner!
A mid-week winner that takes less than 20 minutes. This is one of my most popular recipe and you can swap out gnocchi for fresh pasta. It’s at its very best during the summer months but I often cheat during winter months with a tin of cherry tomatoes.
This is a real bowl of comfort, particularly if you choose to add the seriously good rosemary croutons – they keep well in an airtight container and are also lovely added to a salad for flavour and crunch. This soup is perfect for freezing: Allow to cool completely before transferring to a sturdy freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 6 months.
A creamy comfort dish – it’s delicious served with rice but far more indulgent devoured with fresh pasta. You can make this with any cut of beef you like – even mince – make sure you adjust the cooking times accordingly.
Family friendly, freezer friendly, budget friendly & meal prep friendly, sure what more could you want!? This recipe makes an aromatic chicken curry that’s worth making again and again. Remove the chilli powder and add more cream if needed for smallies who don’t like spice!
This pasta dish is one I come back to time and time again. I’ve been making versions of it since I first left home and the one main reason is because of its simplicity. You simply roast Mediterranean vegetables until caramelised, add warm pasta to the roasting tin, toss to get everything acquainted and serve straight to the table!
Wonderful meal ideas - thanks Donal x