Thursday night is veggie night!

I hope that by now you get the gist of what I'm trying to do – save you time, effort, stress and oh yes – money too. You should find that you shop less and because you know, in advance, what's for supper you don't deviate because you don't need to!

Tonight's meal may not go down a storm, mainly because “meat-free” isn't very popular – anyway lets see where it takes us – as always rules are made to be broken.

Orzotto with leftover

roasted vegetables topped

with balsamic mushrooms

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped finely

260g orzo pasta

500ml chicken stock (or vegetable)

juice of 1 lemon

200g frozen petit pois

2 tbsp fresh pesto

bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped

extra pesto and slices of lemon to serve

salt and black pepper

Leftover veggies small diced and of a similar size

Heat the oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat and fry the onion for 2/3 minutes. Stir in orzo and cook for 1-2 minutes and then add the stock all at once. Simmer and stir occasionally for 7/8 minutes until nearly cooked. Stir in the lemon juice and the frozen peas. Add the leftover veggies. Simmer for 2/3 minutes until the peas are cooked then add the pesto and the parsley. Season to taste and serve with extra pesto and a squeeze of lemon.

“As always, rules are meant to be broken” :

Add cubes of diced chorizo with the onion at the beginning of the recipe.

Sprinkle with bacon bits and parmesan – if you serve the bacon bits in a separate bowl then everyone can help themselves so you can serve vegetarians and meat eaters too.

For your bacon bits place rashers of back bacon (I'd use smoked) on foil on a large baking tray. Bake for 15 minutes on 200c/180fan/Gas 6. Turn and repeat – the bacon will be crispy and will break up into pieces – box it and use it as a garnish.

For the additional vegetarian topping :

Mushrooms in Balsamic

4 tbsp rapeseed oil or similar

500g chestnut mushrooms, quartered

4 cloves garlic, crushed

pinch of salt

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

60g parmesan shavings

Heat the oil, add the mushrooms and garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook on high for 5 minutes until browned and the liquid produced by the mushrooms has been absorbed. Mix the vinegar with the sugar and pour over the mushrooms.

Stir until syrupy – 1-2 minutes and serve as a topping on the Orzotto - garnish with shavings of parmesan – would not recommend using grated parmesan.

If you are a lover of risotto, we all know it's a labour of love – emphasis on the word “labour” - I don't care how organised you are, no-one has that sort of time during the week – orzotto is nearly as good and certainly better time-wise.

You could substitute 250ml of the stock with dry white wine. If you do then add the wine when you've fried the onions, then add the orzo and the remaining 250ml of stock.

Hopefully the inclusion of chorizo or bacon will keep the meat eaters happy!

Wonderful Wednesday

… or is it mid week misery!

I mentioned in “Your Autumn Arsenal” that we are all creatures of habit and consequently food becomes boring – we tend to stick with what we know and the rest, as they say, is history and we've reached for the takeaway menus.

On the menu for Wednesday is Smoked chicken with potato cakes using your chicken fillets smoked on Sunday together with your leftover mashed potato. It couldn't get more boring if it tried so here's my plan.

You have choices depending on how much time and energy you have but none of what I'm about to suggest takes a large chunk out of your evening.

If you like food without a sauce, then you can re-heat your smoked chicken – wrapped tightly in foil and placed on a baking tray - in a pre-heated oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6 for 15 minutes. Whilst your chicken is in the oven tip your leftover mashed potato into a mixing bowl. Add some finely sliced spring onions and a couple of handfuls from your grated cheese stash, season with salt and black pepper and mix well. Divide into equal portions, mould into balls, flour lightly and then flatten into a potato cake and dry fry in a non stick frying pan, turning until golden brown on both sides. The potato cakes will be ready when the chicken is.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record you could delve into your raw slaw stash and add a couple of handfuls of grated cheese too – serve as is without any dressing – season to taste – add a glug of sweet chilli sauce just before serving – you'll still retain the crunch from the raw slaw and a nice hit from the sweet chill sauce.

Two other alternatives using leftover mashed potatoes are the Colcannon or Pea and Spring Onion Champ (The humble spud and The humble spud – take 2).

If you prefer a sauce with your meal then the fastest and tastiest has to be Alfredo (the recipe is on the blog) - submerge your already poached chicken fillets in the sauce to warm through.

If you find you have more time and can be bothered mid-week you can use one of the chicken recipes in Your Autumn Arsenal – nothing is set in stone – all of this is meant to trigger ideas of your own, tailored to your families' likes and dislikes.

P.s. I should apologise in that I didn't make it clear in “Sunday multitasking continued” - “Whilst you're at it” “Smoke” 4 chicken fillets - that the chicken fillets should be fridged when they have cooled.

May be not so boring!

Trauma free Tuesday!

Fancy a pizza with a difference - using the extra lamb shank you cooked?

I know we've made the Stromboli previously but this recipe uses the lamb shank and also gives you variations if you feel like being adventurous.

Stromboli

400g prepared pizza dough or ready-made base

4 tbsp tomato paste

1 lamb shank stripped and shredded

120g baby spinach

100g thinly sliced mozzarella cheese

1 tbsp olive oil

Generous sprinkle of dried thyme

Pre-heat your oven 220fan/200c/Gas 8. Place a large baking tray in the oven.

Place a dampened J cloth on your work surface. Place a piece of baking parchment on top of the cloth – it will stop it sliding – make sure you leave enough to get hold of – you're going to lift it onto the hot baking tray that's in the oven at the moment. Unroll the pizza dough gently on the parchment.

Spread the tomato paste onto the base. Add the shredded lamb, followed by the spinach and then the mozzarella and sprinkle with the dried thyme. Roll up the base from the shortest side and brush with the olive oil - make sure it's seam-side down when placed on the tray.

WITH CARE remove the tray from the oven and then carefully lift the parchment and the rolled up pizza onto it. Place back in the oven for 20/25 minutes until golden brown – check at 20 minutes.

When removed from the oven slice into portions to suit and serve.

Variations on a theme :

Use goat's cheese instead of mozzarella

Use ground cumin to sprinkle over the lamb instead of or in addition to dried thyme

Sprinkle capers over the top of the shredded lamb – salty capers and sweet lamb - yum

Sprinkle sumac over the top of the lamb – a sharp lemony flavour – double yum

Any or all of the above will work well and – surprise surprise – you could dip into your raw slaw stash and serve a coleslaw as a side.

Happy Tuesday!

Marvellous Monday!

Had a hard day at work? Can't be bothered to think about supper – that's fine – all that hard work on Sunday will now come good.

Remember the potatoes you almost roasted yesterday – here's why.

Pre-heat your oven 200c/180fan/Gas 6. Cut the potatoes in half, lengthways, in their foil tray and place in the oven for 15 minutes to warm through.

Warm smoked mackerel salad

Serves 2

(double the recipe to serve 4)

350g new potatoes

1 tsp horseradish cream

juice of 1 lemon

2 smoked mackerel fillets, skinned and

flaked (200g approx)

black pepper

100g sour cream

bunch of spring onions – approx

85g when trimmed and finely sliced

handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

OR use baby spinach

Whilst the potatoes are warming, mix the sour cream, horseradish cream and lemon juice in a large bowl. Season with black pepper.

Tip the sour cream mixture over the potatoes – the mixture will loosen. Add the flaked smoked mackerel and the spring onions and combine gently. Sprinkle with finely chopped flat leaf parsley and serve whilst warm.

Serve with a winter coleslaw – buy it if you must, but if you have prepared the raw slaw mix then it takes but a minute to add a combination of mayonnaise, sour cream and a touch of Dijon mustard and mix!

Ps. If there is any left, box it, fridge it and lunch it next day. If you like cold leftovers so be it – if you don't then just pop into the microwave (at home or the office) for a minute to warm through and instant lunch.

I just love it when a plan comes together!

Multitasking – raw slaw

How many different brands of coleslaw have you tried and hated – personally I loathe the thick slices of woody cabbage that inevitably form part of the mix because it's mass produced and “shredded” on an industrial scale.

This is not the first time I've mentioned my solution but worthy I think of a reprise – try the “raw slaw” concept.

Finely slice whatever you fancy and bag it – red cabbage (or sweetheart, or white), carrots and onions. Bag each ingredient separately – red cabbage and carrots can bleed and onions will taint your other ingredients.

If you like fruit in your slaw throw a couple of handfuls of sultanas into a box (with a lid) and cover them with apple juice – leave for 2/3 hours and then drain off the apple juice – lovely plump bursts!

You can then make up your slaw as and when you need it – fresh to go with whatever you've chosen that day.

The method is easy – grab 2 handfuls of cabbage to 1 of carrots and 1 of onions as a rough guide.

Now for the dressing – you can if you wish do the low fat mayo and ditto crème fraiche – a dessertspoon of each, mixed and a slug of lemon juice. You could even add a tsp of Dijon mustard. Season with salt and black pepper a good pinch of sweet smoked paprika or chilli powder if you prefer.

The final addition is the drained sultanas and add an eating apple of your choice – the sharper flavour the better – ¼ed, cored and chopped. For another variation in texture add a handful of chopped walnuts.

If you'd like another low fat dressing choice, try this :

Pomegranate Dressing

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

juice of two limes

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Generous pinch of nigella seeds

1-2 tsps sumac

Mix all the ingredients together and keep in a screw top jar

and fridge

The raw slaw ingredients are relatively inexpensive and have a longer fridge life in addition to which because you are bagging and “fridging” individually in their raw state they don't deteriorate as quickly.

I can only repeat what a student said “completely different - the onion gives a subtle “bite” and the dressing is very light – not at all creamy mayonnaise type sickly shop bought stuff – loved it!”

I'd like to bet you'll never buy ready-made coleslaw again!

Sunday multitasking continued

Pre-heat your oven 200c/180fan/Gas 6.

Tip your veggies into an appropriately sized foil tray ensuring that you've placed the tray onto a baking sheet. The veggies will take an hour to roast. If you've cooked your shanks today or yesterday they'll still need browning. As mentioned previously they'll take 30 minutes, so 30 minutes into the roasting time for your veggies, add the shanks to brown. If they won't stand up of their own accord then turn them after 15 minutes. Bag and fridge your leftover veggies.

Mashed potatoes

Peel a large pan of potatoes, cut to a similar size and boil until cooked through. Make sure you cook extra – you'll need them. This task can be done as you go – the potatoes can be re-heated in a microwave minutes before serving. Place leftovers in a sealed container and fridge.

If you're a mashed potato purist then you can put your potatoes through a ricer so that they will be lump free – others prefer the ordinary masher method – it's a matter of personal taste.

Whilst you're at it :

Make use of your oven and bake 350g (to serve two for a main course – double the quantity to serve 4) of new potatoes in their skins in a foil tray. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and a glug of rapeseed oil – shake to cover in the tray. Bake for 20 minutes. They should be firm – leave them in their foil tray, cool, cover and fridge.

“Smoke” 4 chicken fillets in a frying pan on the hob. Remember how – poach them in chicken stock for 10 minutes and allow them to cool in the stock. Make sure your fillets are of a similar size so that they cook at the same time. You can slice the fillet if you prefer – it's entirely a matter of choice.

Skin and flake 2 smoked mackerel fillets or one per person. Box and fridge.

Grate a bag/box of mature cheddar cheese.

Make a “raw slaw” base, bag, clip and fridge – check out the following post.

Weigh 260g of orzo and bag it, in readiness for Thursday's supper – it might sound ridiculous but I promise you when you arrive home on Thursday evening you'll be glad you did – it's quite simply one job less.

Your Sunday MTM

“Roast lamb”

You'll need a family size slow cooker.

The “roast” lamb is in fact slow cooked lamb shanks. How many shanks depends on how many you're feeding and the size of the shanks themselves, which vary. You need to consider too how you are going to serve the “roast” a shank for each person or are you going to strip the shanks and serve the delicious “nuts” of sweet meat on a serving plate. The choice is yours it's a matter of how you like to eat.

Cook an extra shank – all will be revealed later.

Using a large frying pan (or cook in batches) brown the shanks in a drop of rapeseed oil and transfer to the slow cooker. Use 2/3 lamb stock cubes and make up 500ml of stock in the frying pan and add to the shanks. Add another litre of boiling water from the kettle so that the shanks are ¾ covered. Slow cook for 4 hours in an automatic cooker – six hours on low setting if it's not automatic.

If you want your Sunday “lunch” at a specific time then you may want to consider slow cooking them on Saturday. It's not a huge task! They can be finished and browned by placing them in a foil tray for 30 minutes – turn after 15. Every household is different and likes “lunch” at a time to suit – whether 1 o'clock or 5 o'clock! Set aside your extra shank, it will not need browning – when cool, bag it and “fridge”.

Onion sauce

Remember I mentioned in the veggie prep on Saturday to peel and chop 3 medium white onions. Here's why.

Quick Onion Sauce

3 medium onions, peeled and roughly chopped

Good glug of rapeseed oil and generous knob of butter

30g plain flour

500ml milk

salt and white pepper

freshly grated nutmeg

Soften the onion in the oil and butter, sprinkle over the flour and mix.

Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously. Use and spatula to stir, you'll cover the base of the saucepan and stop the sauce from going lumpy.

Let the sauce boil when you've added all the milk, then remove from heat and season with the salt and pepper and nutmeg if you wish.

This sauce is the perfect accompaniment to roast lamb and it can be made immediately, ready to warm through to serve later. It also means you don't need a traditional gravy. If you have any leftover sauce, box it and fridge it.