A simple green salad is one of the most useful side dishes you can have in your repertoire. Sometimes a bag of mixed leaves is all you need to serve alongside a roast chicken, grilled fish, steak or a barbecue feast. But when you want something a little more substantial — or you’re looking for a good way to use up the contents of the vegetable drawer — this upgraded green salad is a great option.

I believe that flexibility is the name of the game when it comes to recipes. Almost any green vegetable can be chopped, quickly blanched and then plunged into iced water to lock in its vibrant colour and prevent overcooking. Don’t overlook the freezer either; peas and edamame beans are brilliant additions.

At this time of year, courgettes and asparagus are in abundance, but do adapt the salad to whatever is in season. I love adding plenty of spring onions and a generous handful of fresh herbs for extra flavour and freshness. Toss everything together and finish with a simple dressing. A classic French vinaigrette works beautifully, but an Asian-style dressing is my favourite!

I’ve included both options below.

Serves: 6 as a side

INGREDIENTS

500g your choice green veg
(Slice courgettes into disks. Cut beans, sugar snaps, asparagus & tenderstem stalks into 2cm pieces)
100g frozen peas or edamame beans
1-2 avocados chopped
1/2 cucumber chopped
100g spinach shredded
A good handful of fresh herbs chopped
Optional bag of leaves
Bunch spring onions sliced

Asian Dressing
Juice of 2 limes
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp groundnut oil
2 tsp honey
1 crushed garlic clove
1/2 tsp grated ginger

French Dressing
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 crushed garlic clove
1/2 tsp salt & pepper

METHOD:

Shake all the dressing ingredients in a jam jar.

Get a pan of water boiling & a large bowl filled with iced water ready.

Blanch the green veg then using a slotted spoon, lift out straight into the iced water. This will stop the greens overcooking, becoming limp & they will keep their vivid green colour.

Start with the chopped broccoli stalks, asparagus, courgettes, sugar snaps, beans & broad beans – they will only take 3 minutes. Add any tenderstem or asparagus tips for 2 minutes. Peas will take 4 minutes.

Once the veggies have gone cooled in the iced water, drain in a colander.

Pod any green beans.

Toss all the cooked veg together with the spinach, avocado, spring onions, cucumber & herbs & finish with the dressing.

If you’re looking something a little different to cook on the barbecue later today, how about these skewers? If you don’t have a barbecue or want to save the recipe for next week when it’s going to be cooler, they cook just as well in the oven too. Serve the chicken on a bed of rice or with a green salad, Indian style bread and lemon wedges. Finish with a good dollop of the Raita and enjoy!

You can marinade the chicken for up to 48 hours if you want to get ahead but it’s not necessary. I typically just combine the chicken with the spices and yogurt, skewer, then cook. You don’t actually have to skewer the meat (it can be laid on a lined baking tray and then blasted in a hot oven or under the grill for 25-35 minutes depending on whether you want to use thighs or breast meat) but if cooking on the barbecue it makes the chicken easier to turn.

INGREDIENTS FOR 4-6:-
1kg chicken thighs or breasts cut into strips (thighs can be cut in half lengthways, breasts cut lengthways into 1cm wide strips)
75g Greek yogurt
4 garlic cloves crushed
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp mild chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt

METHOD:-
For the skewers:-

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and marinade if you wish.

Skewer the chicken. Either cook on the barbecue for 20 minutes on a medium heat turning every 5 minutes or lay on a lined baking tray.

If using breasts, cook in a hot oven (200 fan) or under the grill for 25 minutes turning the chicken halfway through. If using thighs cook for 35 minutes.

For the Cucumber Raita:-

Half a cucumber chopped into 1cm cubes
2 tbsp green or natural yogurt
1/4 tsp salt
Juice of half a lemon

Simply combine!

I’m going to join the rest of the British population in stating the obvious… goodness, it’s hot! As much as I love warm weather, even I don’t fancy spending hours in the kitchen cooking something complicated when the sun is shining. Normally I’d say “stick it on the barbecue” — but ours currently isn’t in working order!

So instead, I made this Chicken Caesar Salad yesterday and it went down incredibly well, even with the teenagers. Any salad that manages to properly satisfy permanently hungry teen boys deserves recognition!

Below is my from-scratch version with seared chicken breasts, homemade Caesar dressing and crunchy croutons. But yesterday I took a few shortcuts and I have absolutely no regrets. I used a supermarket Caesar salad kit (complete with dressing, Parmesan shavings and never-enough croutons) and simply roasted a whole chicken instead of pan-frying chicken breasts.

And that’s the beauty of a salad like this — there are so many ways to make it easier. Shop-bought cooked chicken, bagged salad kits, ready-made dressing… this is definitely the week for convenience where needed.

If following the recipe below, Romaine lettuce is the classic leaf used for this salad but cos or iceberg are good alternatives. Use a good quality mayonnaise for the best dressing - I like Hunter and Gather . And my boys would claim not to like anchovies but they go unnoticed in the dressing.

INGREDIENTS for 4:-

2 tbsp olive oil
600g chicken breasts
2 Romaine Lettuce
1 ciabatta loaf
Salt & Pepper
1/2 tsp mixed herbs

For the dressing:-
4 anchovy fillets finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Juice of half a lemon
5 tbsp mayonnaise
3 tbsp grated parmesan

METHOD:-

For the croutons, halve the ciabatta loaf, drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt & the mixed herbs. Cut the two halves into bite size pieces. Transfer to a baking tray & bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Ideally toss the croutons at least once during the cooking time. Alternatively cook them in the air fryer for 8-10 minutes at 190.

Flatten the chicken between two sheets of parchment paper using a rolling pin so that each breast is equal thickness, ideally just under 2cm. Season each breast with salt & pepper.

Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan & cook the chicken for 6 minutes each side.

Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl.

Slice the lettuce.

Add 3/4 of the dressing to the lettuce & toss through so the lettuce is coated.

Slice the chicken breasts.

Top the lettuce with the chicken slices & the croutons. Drizzle over the remaining dressing & serve.

If you’re looking for a delicious yet undemanding meal for later today or during the week, give this a go. Sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic, garlic and basil are whizzed together to make a paste which then coats chicken portions. I added a chopped aubergine to the tray but you could throw in a chopped pepper and/or courgette. Into the oven for 45 minutes and it can be served just like that with a side salad and potatoes (my garlic and lemon potatoes would work well). Or if your family are open to capers, a sprinkle of those on top cut through the sweetness of the balsamic and tomatoes (I sprinkle them on half as one teen will run a mile at the sign of a caper!) A handful of pine nuts for the final 5 minutes of the cooking time adds some crunch.

INGREDIENTS:-

For the paste:-
75ml (5tbsp) good Balsamic Vinegar
280g sun-dried tomatoes drained
3 tbsp olive oil
20g bunch basil, leaves picked (keep some sprigs back to finish)
3 garlic cloves

12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (reduce cooking time for breasts)
1 aubergine cut into chunks
2 tbsp capers
2 tbsp pine nuts
Basil leaves to finish

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When my children were small they used to love what we called “Picky Bits Tea”. Having lots of simple choices on the table meant I could feed everyone with minimal effort. These days, I’m told we’re not supposed to describe children as fussy, but my youngest absolutely was until a couple of years ago! Thankfully he now eats pretty much everything, which I hope gives some reassurance to parents currently finding selective eating a challenge.

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This has to be one of my most popular curry recipes. I first had it in local Indian restaurant but Pathia originates from Persia. It’s very different to most homemade curries you may have made. It’s slightly smoky, ever so slightly sweet & it has a lovely balance of fragrant family friendly medium spice. Oven baking and using thighs means the meat is meltingly tender and the sauce is rich and thick. As always with a curry, there are a fair few ingredients but most go into the paste which is whizzed in a blender. Once that’s done all you need to do is cook off some sliced onions, add the paste, chicken, tomatoes and stock and pop it in the oven. Or you can use your slow cooker. I served this Pathia with homemade Naan bread & pilau rice.

INGREDIENTS for 4-6:
12 chicken thighs
Groundnut oil
2 onions, sliced
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
200ml stock

For the paste
2 onions
2 red chillies
5 cloves of garlic
10cm fresh ginger
3 jarred red peppers
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp ground coriander
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp salt

Blitz all the paste ingredients together in a processor.

Heat an ovenproof pan with a little oil and add the sliced onions. Colour for 5 minutes.

Add the curry paste, chicken, chopped tomatoes and stock. (Omit the stock if using a slow cooker).

Stir, bring to a simmer then bake in oven at 170 fan for 1 hour 15 minutes. Alternatively, leave the curry in a slow cooker for 7-8 hours on the low setting, removing the lid for the final hour so that the sauce reduces.

My children are all devoted fans of that well-known Portuguese high street favourite (you know the one that rhymes with bandos…?!)

So it’s no surprise that piri piri chicken and halloumi make a very regular appearance on my dinner menu. All the ingredients for the Piri Piri marinade are thrown together in a blender. You can use it on a whole chicken, a spatchcocked chicken (great for barbecuing), you can make a simple tray bake (combining it with bone in, skin on chicken portions and sweet potatoes) or do as I have here and coming it with strips of chicken and make skewers. Whether you use thighs or breasts, cut each piece into 3cm wide long strips. It makes the chicken easier to skewer and cut any smaller, the meat will dry out, particularly if cooked on the barbecue. The skewers are great served with mini roasties or rice and veg. I made a little garlic mayo on the side. As a midweek meal they’re great loaded into warmed pittas or flatbreads with salad.

For a vegetarian option, combine some of the marinade with halloumi, peppers and courgette slices and skewer.

Enjoy!

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One tray cooking at its best, this pesto cod, wrapped in Parma Ham is one of my all time favourite traybakes. It’s perfect for a sunny Saturday or Sunday but equally it’s easy enough to save for a week night.

The fish is combined with new potatoes, asparagus, courgettes veg and cherry tomatoes (which are all coming into season right now) but sliced peppers or cubed aubergine are good alternatives. You could also switch the cod for hake or pollack too and swap the basil pesto for red pesto.

The recipe is below. You can also find it on page 164 of my book Spinning Plates.

INGREDIENTS:-

4 cod loins (approx 180g each in weight)
4 slices Parma ham
4 tbsp pesto
750g Jersey Royals halved
350g asparagus, woody ends removed
200g cherry tomatoes
2 sliced courgettes or 4 baby courgettes halved
Juice of a lemon
Olive oil
Greek basil or basil to serve

Add the potatoes to a roasting tray with plenty of seasoning and olive oil. Roast for 25 minutes at 190 fan.

Top each slice of Parma ham with a cod loin. Season and spread over a 1 tbsp pesto over each. Wrap the Parma ham around the fish.

Take the part roasted potatoes out of the oven and add the asparagus, courgettes, cod loins and cherry tomatoes. Squeeze over the lemon and drizzle with olive oil.

Roast for 18 minutes and finish with fresh Greek Basil or Basil.

Enjoy!

Potato Salad

When I was growing up, a potato salad consisted of boiled potatoes mixed with mayonnaise, and often some chopped egg and raw onion! Here I’ve kept the potato and egg but the rest is all change! I’ve also provided some suggestions for embellishments, depending on tastes.

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Even if you’re not feeding a crowd, this recipe is a great one to do so there are leftovers to make an easy meal later in the week. The beef can also be frozen for another day. This recipe features in the Weekends and Gatherings chapter of my book Spinning Plates and has become my go-to whenever I have a house full of teens—it’s always a hit.

You can cook the budget-friendly (and often underrated) brisket in a slow cooker, or simply use a large lidded pan in the oven. A whole pork shoulder works just as well if you’d prefer to swap out the beef. Serve the pulled meat with salad & potatoes, or pile it into buns with the coleslaw & a drizzle of the sauce.

Enjoy and have a lovely weekend! The full recipe is below.

INGREDIENTS for 8:

2 onions, each cut into 3 discs

2kg piece of beef brisket

FOR THE RUB:

1 tbsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp salt

2 tsp garlic granules

½ tsp pepper

1 tsp English mustard

FOR THE SAUCE

2 garlic cloves, crushed

5 tbsp tomato ketchup

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

juice of 1 clementine

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

FOR THE COLESLAW

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 red onion, finely sliced

100g Greek yogurt

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp salt

1 sweetheart cabbage, cored & shredded

2 large carrots, grated

METHOD:

Combine all the rub ingredients in a bowl. Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a jug.

Put the onion discs in the bottom of the slow cooker or large lidded flameproof casserole dish. If the brisket is rolled, remove the string and unroll. Spread the rub all over, then lay the brisket on the onions.

Pour over the sauce, making sure the meat is coated, pop the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 12 hours or overnight. Alternatively, if cooking in a conventional oven, preheat the oven to 180°C Fan.

Put a lid on and cook in the oven for 30 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 130°C Fan and cook for a further 4–5 hours, until the meat is very tender.

Lift out the brisket on to a plate and keep hot. Either pour the juices into a small pan (if using a slow cooker) or transfer the casserole to the hob and reduce the juices by half on a high heat. Ideally pour the juices into a Separator Jug. This is the best I’ve found. I’m still on the lookout for a glass version. Alternatively, pour them into a jug, leave to stand for 10 minutes and let the juices separate from the fat, then discard the fat from the top.

Pull the brisket apart then mix with the reduced pan juices.

To make the coleslaw, combine 2 tbsp of the vinegar with the onion.

Leave to sit for 15 minutes, then discard the vinegar.

Whisk the yogurt together with the Dijon mustard, salt & the remaining vinegar in a bowl. Combine the cabbage, onion & carrots with the yogurt mixture.

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I thought I’d share two of my favourite easy fish dinners this week. Both are quick and straightforward enough for a midweek meal, but once plated up, they feel weekend-worthy too.

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This is the simplest and tastiest of roasts. It requires just a small amount of prep time then the lamb can be left in the oven or slow cooker. You’ll have amazing juices in the pan to make the easy but most delicious gravy. Lamb shoulder is slightly kinder on the purse than leg but a leg will also be delicious using this method. Just adjust the cooking time and temperature.

INGREDIENTS for 4-6:
2kg shoulder of lamb
1 onion
2 lemons
I garlic bulb
Rosemary sprigs
1 tsp oregano
250ml white wine
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 3 tbsp water
500ml lamb stock
1 tbsp mint sauce

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Most of the recipes I create tend to be savoury, family-friendly meals, but with Easter just around the corner, I thought I’d share my top three chocolate treats.

I don’t claim to be the best baker. For one, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, so sweet treats don’t really feel like my area of expertise. And secondly, I’m a little bit rubbish at weighing out ingredients which is a pretty fundamental skill when it comes to baking.

I am a mum though, not a member of the Sugar Police, and my children all love chocolate desserts. And if there’s ever a time to indulge them (and you), it’s over Easter.

So here are the recipes for my no-cook Chocolate Tart, Mini Egg Brownies and Rocky Road. There’s no baking required for the tart or Rocky Road, just a little time in the fridge. The brownies require a bit more effort, but they’re still simple enough for a novice baker or younger members of the family to knock up.

Mini Egg Chocolate Brownies

The recipe for my original chocolate brownies was the only sweet treat to make it into my first cook book. It just felt wrong for them not to be featured as they have been practised, perfected and devoured many times over the years. Here I’ve embellished the recipe for Easter. What that involves is basically throwing a load of mini eggs into the mix! Unapologetically indulgent – I hope you enjoy them.

INGREDIENTS for 16-20 squares

185g butter
185g 70% cocoa dark chocolate
85g plain flour
85g cocoa powder
50g white chocolate chopped
80g mini eggs roughly chopped
80g mini chocolate eggs (such as Galaxy or Lindor) OR sub with another 80g mini eggs
3 eggs
250g golden caster sugar

METHOD:

Heat your oven to 170 fan, 190 conventional.

Put the butter and dark chocolate in a bowl.

Fill a saucepan with boiling water and place the bowl on top making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Put over a low heat until the chocolate and butter have melted.

Line a shallow 20cm tin with parchment paper.

Whisk together your eggs and sugar for 5 minutes until the mixture looks thick and creamy.

Add the melted chocolate/butter mixture to the egg/sugar mixture and gently fold in.

Add the flour and cocoa to a sieve. Hold the sieve over the brownie mixture and gently shake until all the flour and chocolate cover the mixture.

Again gently folding in the flour/cocoa using figure of eight movements. Add the chopped white chocolate and chopped eggs and pour into the prepared tin.

Put in the oven for 25 minutes. If the Brownie wobbles in the middle put it back in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Leave to cool before sieving over the icing sugar and cutting into portions.

Chocolate Easter Tart

This no cook tart is the third in my series of Chocolate Easter Desserts. A complete doddle to make, it will keep in the fridge for 4 days so you can make it ahead, as long as you can protect it from little hands! It consists of a biscuit base topped with an easy ganache. To make it Easter worthy I finished it with crushed Mini Eggs and mini milk chocolate eggs but you can decorate it with whatever you fancy - grated chocolate or chocolate chunks, chopped nuts or even raspberries are a great addition. For the ganache I used a mix of milk and dark chocolate as I think it’s more family friendly but if you’d like a richer ganache, just use dark chocolate. And if you really want to go for it, double up on the ganache ingredients for a deeper top.

INGREDIENTS for 6-8:

200g digestive biscuits
150g butter (100g for the base, 50g for the ganache)
200ml double cream
100g milk chocolate
100g dark chocolate
80g bag Mini Eggs
2 x 80g bags Galaxy Golden or Enchanted Eggs

METHOD:

Crush the digestive biscuits in a bag using a rolling pin or whizz them in a food processor.

Melt 100g butter (either in the microwave or over a Bain Marie) and stir in the crushed biscuits.

Tip the biscuit mix into a loose bottomed 23cm (9inch) flan tin. Press down evenly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Add the remaining 50g butter and the cream to a pan and heat. Don’t let it boil. Stir until the butter has melted then take off the heat.

Break the milk and dark chocolate into the cream/butter mix and stir until it has melted and the chocolate sauce (ganache) is thick. Pour over the biscuit base.

Cut a corner off the mini eggs bag and bash with a rolling pin so the mini eggs break. It’s fine if there are crumbs and larger chunks. Sprinkle over the ganache.

Finish by decorating with the Golden Eggs and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Easter Rocky Road

Who doesn’t love Rocky Road? While I had all my children home together last week, I decided to have a play with this Easter themed Rocky Road. I think the balance of dark and milk chocolate is perfect and you’ve got crunch from the digestives and Mini Eggs, along with that all-important chewiness from the marshmallows.

INGREDIENTS for 12-16 pieces

180g digestive biscuits
130g butter
180g dark chocolate
180g milk chocolate
1 tbsp golden syrup
100g mini marshmallows (or chop large marshmallows with scissors)
120g mini eggs (save the rest from two small bags for topping)

METHOD:

Line a 20cm square baking tin with parchment paper.

Add the chocolate, butter and golden syrup to a large bowl. Heat a few centimetres of water in a saucepan and sit the bowl on top. Make sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the water. Leave on a low simmer, stirring the chocolate and butter occasionally until melted completely.

Add the digestives to a bag and bash with a rolling pin to crush. Don’t go crazy! You want so large pieces along with some crumbs.

Crush the Mini Eggs in a bag. You can do this with a knife if you prefer.

Add the crushed biscuits, mini eggs and marshmallows to the chocolate mix. Fold everything together so the marshmallows and biscuits are coated with the chocolate.

Transfer to the prepared tin. Sprinkle with more mini eggs or your choice of decoration.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting into chunks.

This is my go to for a quick healthy and wholesome midweek lunch. It’s high in fibre and protein plus and it has those all important non saturated good fats thanks to the eggs, avocado and seeds. I’m a massive Kimchi fan. This is the new Hot and Chunky one from Vadasz.

This is how I made it:

Toast two slices of sourdough. I always like proper butter on my toast.

Whisk two eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Heat a non-stick pan. I love my OurPlace pans but for eggs, I use a cheap supermarket non-stick one. For some reason even the premium pan brands never seem to be non-stick for eggs after a few uses.

Add a splash of water (about a tablespoon) and a good handful of fresh spinach. Let the spinach wilt then set aside.

Heat a little oil or butter in the same pan and add two sliced spring onions. Cook for a minute of two before pouring in the eggs.

Scramble the eggs by gently folding using a wooden spoon over a medium heat for a minute of so. When they start to set, take the eggs off the heat and continue to fold. The residual heat will cook the eggs without them drying out. I hate dry scrambled egg!

Top the toasted sourdough with the eggs, followed by the spinach, then the wild smoked salmon. I try to buy wild salmon as not only do I love its intense flavour but it’s lower in contaminants than farmed salmon. I like to add a couple of teaspoons of mixed seeds. They’re another good source of protein, fibre and fat.

Slice half an avocado and serve on the side with the kimchi.

Enjoy!

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This curry is always such a treat. The Goan inspired sauce takes around 10 minutes and can be made ahead and refrigerated. Just before you want to eat, cook your rice, warm through the sauce & add the fish. I use the same sauce recipe to make a vegetarian curry too. Just add any combination of paneer, chickpeas, sweet potato or squash. And obligatory spinach!

INGREDIENTS for 4:
400g monkfish fillets, cheeks or monkfish cut into slices (make sure you remove the grey membrane as this will make the fish tough)
20 raw king prawns
1 tbsp coconut or ground nut oil
1 onion quartered
1 red chilli chopped
10cm fresh ginger roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped
20g fresh coriander, stalks reserved
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 lemongrass blade
300g Passata or chopped tomatoes
400g coconut milk
Juice of a lemon
200g spinach

METHOD:
Blitz together the oil, onion, garlic, ginger & coriander stalks to make a paste.

Add the paste to a hot pan & add the mustard seeds to one side. As soon as they start popping combine the paste & the seeds & colour for a couple of mins.

Add the remaining dry spices.

After 2 mins turn up the heat & add the Passata or tomatoes. Season generously, add the lemongrass & simmer for 10 mins. Add the coconut milk & stir through. The sauce could be cooled at this point & set aside or refrigerated for 2 days.

When you’re ready to serve the curry, warm the sauce through & when simmering add the monkfish. Simmer for 3 minutes before adding the raw prawns. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the prawns have turned pink.

Squeeze in the lemon, stir in the spinach & serve!

Since I first started Anna’s Family Kitchen in 2016, my ethos has always been to simplify every part of family mealtimes - from the meal planning and shopping, through to the preparation and cooking of lunches and dinners. Of course that’s not always possible, but I love a meal that can be cooked in a single pan or tray. For the busy family cook, there’s a lot to be said for recipes that either require a few simple steps, a handful of ingredients or those that minimise the need for countless utensils, saucepans and gadgets. Most of the recipes I’ve shared over the years stay true to those principles.

Another subject close to my heart is reducing food waste – although that doesn’t mean I don’t left leftovers. I’m not talking about leftovers that get decanted from the pan into a container and then sit in the fridge for a few days only to end up in the food waste. Or leftover meals that go into the deepest archives of the freezer, only to be found again 2 years later as a mystery package with no label to identify what’s inside.

Leftovers work best when planned. Batch cooking has been around for decades, but in recent years it’s made something of a comeback. Slow cooker sales have risen steadily over the past few years, driven not only by the desire for energy efficient cooking but also by increasingly busy lives. For those juggling work and family life, batch cooking has become a time saving game changer. While we should all give ourselves a bit of a break, feeding the family nutritious, homecooked and wholesome meals is not something many of us wish to compromise on. Planning meals from meals and batch cooking saves time, effort and money.

If you can plan a dinner that becomes another meal later in the week, batch cook an extra portion for the freezer, or simply make enough to cover working-from-home lunches, why wouldn’t you? Here are a few ideas for meals that let you cook once and eat at least twice.

Harissa Salmon with Chickpea and Veg Couscous

Harissa Salmon Recipe

Cajun Chicken and Rice (also known as Dirty Rice)

Cajun “Dirty Rice” Recipe

Sticky Salmon Rice Bowls

Salmon Bowls Recipe

Roasted Veg, Halloumi and Chickpea Salad

Roasted Veg, Halloumi, Chickpea Salad Recipe

Two Bean Chilli

Two Bean Chilli Recipe

Winter Chicken Caesar Salad

Winter Caesar Salad Recipe

Tortilla Quiche

Tortilla Quiche Recipe

Bolognese Sauce

A simple Bolognese sauce made in a large batch is so useful. You’ll find the recipe I developed many years ago and have been using ever since below. I caveat that it’s not a traditional Italian Ragu (I’ll caveat that before someone jumps on to rant!) I used just beef mince, I don’t add milk, I controversially grate the carrot in and I add mushrooms either whole or halved so they can be picked out by the resident mushroom hater!

Bolognese Recipe

The obvious thing to do with a Bolognese sauce is to double the recipe so there’s another family meal for the freezer. Or divide leftovers into individual portions for children so you always have a quick tea ready for when you’re lacking a dinner plan.

Lasagne from scratch can be a laborious task so lighten the load by batch cooking the Bolognese, freeze half and then use it to make a Lasagne another day. You’ll find my Lasagne recipe on here too.

The same goes for Cannelloni. Fill cannelloni tubes with the meat sauce, top with cheese sauce, sprinkle over grated cheese or mozzarella and bake for 40 minutes

You can also use Bolognese to make quesadillas. Spoon some of the meat onto one half a tortilla wrap, sprinkle over grated cheese, fold over and either cook in a dry hot pan for a few minutes each side or air fry for 5 minutes at 180 degrees C.

One of my favourite baked potato toppings is Bolognese with grated cheese.

You can convert it into a version of a Chilli Con Carne. Add a fresh chopped chilli, 1 tsp mild chilli powder, 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp dried cumin, a can of kidney beans and a chopped red pepper and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with rice and salsa, or load into Tacos or on tortilla wraps with grated cheese.

I’ve probably already offended the Italians with my take on Bolognese, the those in South America with my abomination of Chilli Con Carne so I may as well go all out and  finish off by offending my fellow Brits… 

Similar to Cottage Pie (but let’s not call it Cottage Pie) spoon your Bolognese into an oven proof dish and top with mashed potato and cook in an oven for 30 minutes until crisp on top

Roast Dinners

I still cook a Sunday Roast through the winter months even though during term times, I only have my youngest son at home. He absolutely loves a midweek roast and so will have any leftovers the following day.

When going to the effort of making a roast dinner, I always make extra Yorkshire Puddings and roast potatoes (and then hide them so they don’t get picked at!) They can be frozen and then reheated from frozen in the air fryer or oven. Yorkshire’s will take 5 minutes at 170 degrees C. Roast potatoes will take 6 minutes in the air fryer, 12 in the oven (both at 170 degrees C).

Leftover vegetables can go into soups, stifries, fritters, quiches or Bubble and Squeak.

Cauliflower Cheese pairs so well with baked or poached white fish or sausages.

Never throw gravy away if you’ve made it from scratch. Either freeze it for another day or use it in soups, curries or stews. When I was a child, one of my favourite treats was a bowl of roast potatoes swimming in gravy. My youngest has inherited this guilty pleasure from me!

Roast Lamb or Beef leftovers

Leftover beef is great in a Thai Beef Salad. Simply combine with leaves, sugar snaps or beans, noodles or rice and an Asian dressing. Mix soy sauce, lime juice, chopped chilli, a crushed garlic clove and some sesame oil in a jar and shake.

Leftover lamb can be diced and made into a Shepherd’s Pie or made into a Ragu to serve with pasta or on jacket potatoes. Soften a chopped onion with a clove or two of garlic. Add the diced lamb (you could add a grate carrot too), a can of chopped tomatoes, any leftover gravy, some mixed herbs and simmer. 

Roast lamb also works brilliantly with Moroccan spices so make a dressing using lemon, olive oil, a crushed garlic clove and ½ a teaspoon of Ras El Hanout and combine the lamb with couscous, pomegranate seeds and top with the dressing and fresh coriander.

Or use it in a tagine with some stock, a tbsp of Ras el Hanout, root veg, chickpeas and chopped tomatoes.

Cooked Chicken

If you have either left over roast chicken in your fridge, the meal opportunities are endless. Here are a few suggestions:-

Risotto – Sauté an onion & garlic, stir in risotto rice & a glass of wine, add your chicken & ladle in chicken stock stirring all the time until the rice is al dente. Add peas, chorizo or mushrooms.

Chicken pie – Soften an onion or leek and some garlic in a little butter. Stir in 2 tbsp flour, add a splash of wine if you like, then add stock, any leftover chicken and some mushrooms, cooked bacon or ham. Cool slightly then top with shop bought pastry and bake for 30 minutes.

Toasties/Quesadillas/Wraps – For a chicken quesadilla, Combine leftover chicken with spring onions, grated cheddar and a little cream cheese or Greek yogurt, spoon onto one half of a tortilla wrap, fold over and dry fry in a pan on both sides or cook in the air fryer for  5 minutes. Combine the cooked chicken, cucumber, tomatoes and Guacamole in a wrap. Mix with spring onions and grated cheddar and/or cream cheese. Load onto toast and grill or air fry.

Noodle soup – Just add noodles, soy sauce, spring onions, a green veg or two (edamame beans, sugar snaps, green beans, tender stem all work well) and stock. If you like Asian inspired flavours, add some fresh ginger and chilli too.

Caesar Salad – Use my cheats Caesar dressing and combine lettuce, anchovies if you like them, the chicken and the dressing. Add croutons if you can be bothered!

Pasta – Add to a simple tomato sauce (1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp balsamic, saltm pepper and chopped tomatoes) or spice it up with the addition of a chilli. I love chicken and chorizo together. The chorizo will add so much flavour to the pasta dish so colour that off first and combine it with the chicken, tomato sauce and pasta.

Stock - never throw away chicken bones. Pop them in a bag and keep them in the freezer. Once you have at least two carcasses, when you have time put all the bones in a big stock pot (they can go in from frozen) with an onion, a leek, 2 carrots, a few bay leaves, 1 tbsp peppercorns and any other herbs you might have lying around and top with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for a good few hours then strain. Once the stock is cooled it can be frozen in stock bags or containers or ice cube trays. Or you can use it straight away for soup, gravy or don’t think I’m mad but I drink it straight from a mug -it’ll be better than any shop bought collogen shot you can buy! The stock will keep in the fridge for a good few days.

I could go on forever on this subject but I’m going to leave it there for now. I look forward to sharing lots more tips on minimising food waste soon. 

Anna xxx

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