The baked potato … and whilst I'm at it

Now I can show you how taking 5 minutes out of your day can produce a meal!

To recall …

If you have turned on the oven, fill it

Bake half a dozen jacket potatoes – they don't take up too much space if, for example, you're cooking a roast. Prick them and wrap in foil – bake for an hour – check – depending on the size they make take a little longer. Set them aside to cool and then bag and fridge.

This has got to be the quickest meal … you've prepped the coleslaw and all you have to do is add a dressing of choice. The jacket potatoes are cooked and so all that remains is for them to be zapped in the microwave and whilst that's happening you can unwrap the ham hock – hey presto!

It doesn't have to be ham hock, it can be anything you like salmon, tuna or chicken. There are loads of veggie options too.

You could scoop out the potato – be careful of your fingers – add cheese and pop back.

Here's another idea if you don't like ham hock :

Asian Spiced Salmon

Marinade

2 x 4oz Salmon fillets

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp powdered star anise or one star anise

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Mix together the marinade, pour over the salmon fillets, turning to coat thoroughly, cover and leave in fridge for an hour or so.

When you are ready to cook, pre-heat your oven 160fan/180c/Gas 4 and cook for 15 minutes.

It's equally good hot or cold!

Then there's a salad ...

The basic raw slaw

Time is our greatest enemy – or rather lack of it - whether its a commute, long hours, collecting and ferrying children there's very little left to think about food and meals - here's my antidote which does require some prep but it's well worth the effort.

The basic raw slaw

It's much better to prep the slaw in separate food bags – it lasts longer.

How much you prep is up to you – as a guide :

110g white or red cabbage, finely sliced – approximately

one third of a medium size cabbage – a “cheek”

use a paring knife – see hints and tips to follow

1 carrot – peeled and sliced with a

julienne peeler – see hints and tips to follow

1 spring onion – 15g finely sliced

salt and black pepper

Slice your cheek of cabbage as finely as you can using a sharp paring knife – bag, clip and fridge.

Julienne your carrot – bag, clip and fridge.

Spring onions are mild, you could use a Spanish onion if you prefer or a red version. You can get a sweet, mild variety too. Slice, bag, clip and fridge.

The ingredients are deliberately bagged separately – they keep fresh longer and carrots “bleed” into other veggies so unless you love orange cabbage I'd definitely recommend!

If you'd like to see a photo of “a cheek of cabbage” check out the Veggie label Saturday 15^th April 2017 – The Coleslaw Conundrum – the raw slaw principle – Coronation Slaw gives the photo.

There is an added advantage – if you like to eat sensibly say, during your working week, then making up a batch of raw slaw will be your best friend – so often we set out with the best of intentions - it's not as easy as it sounds when you're hungry and your resistance is low. The answer is to have your ingredients ready and waiting to assemble quickly.

You don't have to use mayo - you can use any dressing that takes your fancy with the cabbage, carrot and onion – last minute additions of a handful of sultanas or raisins, nuts, or cubes of apple would work well too.

If you want a dressing that is different and healthy too then have a look at this :

Pomegranate Dressing

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

juice of two limes

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

pinch of nigella seeds

1-2 tsps sumac

Mix all the ingredients together, preferably in a jug then

pour into a clean jar (with a lid!) and shake well

Now for the rest of the meal!

How about choosing roast pork for your Sunday roast?

It would be perfect for my next idea - choose a roast that's big enough to give you 500g of leftover pork – if the budget permits – if not you can use mince.

A stir fry makes the best and quickest use of your leftover roast so you'll need a wok!

San Choy Bow is Chinese and here's my useless bit of information - “sang choi” means lettuce in Cantonese.

Here goes :

San Choy Bow

Little Gem lettuce cups

(if Little Gem not available use Iceberg -

smaller inner leaves) – I would say 3 per person

depending on size of appetites

500g/1lb2oz leftover roast pork, shredded

1 garlic clove or garlic paste

1 red chilli, finely chopped

150g/5oz chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped

6 spring onions, finely chopped

225g/8oz water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped

200g/7oz bean sprouts, chopped

Glug of rapeseed oil

3 tbsp hoisin sauce*

1 tbsp soy sauce*

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce*

1 tbsp dry sherry or Shaoxing (Chinese rice wine)*

Wash your lettuce, pat dry ready to serve.

Combine the four ingredients marked * to make a sauce – this can be made ahead.

Over a high heat add the oil to your wok and cook the garlic and chilli for a minute. Add the mushrooms, onions, water chestnuts and bean sprouts until mixed through and sizzling followed by the shredded pork – 2/3 minutes.

Add the sauce mixture, stirring and sizzling until completely combined for a final 2/3 minutes.

Serve!

Slaw and jackets next …

Or there's an alternative

If tomato sauce isn't your thing – try this on for size!

Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo is traditionally served with pasta – however it's so good and tasty it lends itself to other dishes and particularly leftovers.

1 tbsp unsalted butter

200ml double cream

50g freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for sprinkling

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Gently heat the butter and the cream together, stirring, until the butter has melted, then stir in the Parmesan.

Slowly bring to a gentle boil, turn down the heat and simmer, stir continuously for a minute or so until you have a smooth, creamy sauce.

This sauce can be made ahead.

The above recipe would be sufficient for two servings – enough to coat 225g uncooked pasta. Traditionally there are no additions to Alfredo although I've had it served with petit pois. If you've never tried it I'd highly recommend this sauce. It's the only bowl of pasta I've ever finished.

This would be a treat – and so I didn't include it as part of the dish – however rules are made to be broken!

If you were going to cook a roast on Sunday how about roast pork?

Then there's the tomato sauce …

Here's a simple, tasty recipe for a home-made tomato sauce – I prefer to use sieved tomatoes but it's whatever floats your boat!

Tomato Sauce

500g sieved tomatoes or the equivalent in cans of chopped tomatoes

1 medium/large onion, chopped finely

garlic clove or tsp of minced garlic

1tbsp olive oil

knob of butter

vegetable stock pot and 250ml of boiling water

oregano or garlic Italian seasoning

black pepper

1 tsp caster sugar

Melt the olive oil and butter in a saucepan, add the onion and fry gently until soft then add the garlic. Add the oregano or garlic Italian seasoning and black pepper. Then add your stock pot and boiling water so that it melts, add the tomatoes and sprinkle on the tsp of sugar. The sugar is meant to balance out the acidity that one sometimes gets with tomatoes. Simmer the sauce for about 20 minutes.

If you want to add extra depth you can add a tbsp of tomato paste. I would suggest that you taste your sauce before you simmer for 20 minutes. If you add paste then the simmering process will cook it out and its important that you do this - it tastes horrid if you don't. A lot depends on personal taste and how good your tomatoes are.

When you are ready for supper later in the day place the dish or tray containing the meatballs in a pre-heated oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6 and complete the cooking for 20/30 minutes – this time will vary depending on the sizes of the meatball – ensure that they are properly cooked. Whilst the meatballs are in the oven cook your spaghetti and warm up the tomato sauce.

Or there's an alternative ...

Sample menu recipes

The recipe that follows is easy and makes really tasty meatballs, together with a tomato sauce. All you'll have to do later on is cook the spaghetti. As a rough guide 450g of minced meat will give you sixteen meatballs.

Meatballs

450g minced beef, pork or turkey

*salt and black pepper

*garlic – either 2 tsps of paste or 2 cloves, crushed

*mixed herbs or garlic Italian seasoning – a generous sprinkle

*half a tsp of chilli

*heaped tbsp of tomato paste

*1 egg

sprinkle of plain flour

Rapeseed or vegetable oil for shallow frying

Place the mince in a large mixing bowl then add the remaining ingredients marked *, mix well. At this point your mixture may be too wet. If it is, sprinkle a little plain flour over the mixture and fold in gently.

Use a teaspoon as a measure and heaped with mixture, roll it between your hands and set aside on a board. When the meatballs are ready, heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry on a low heat, gently and carefully shaking the pan to ensure they are evenly coloured – use tongs if you are accident prone! Seal the meatballs in batches - 8 at a time and then transfer to an oven-proof dish or foil tray ready for later – cool, cover and fridge.

Then there's the tomato sauce … or an alternative

A sample menu …

… plan, shop, cook and eat.

“Sample” is the word, these are suggestions which may trigger meal ideas of your own!

The idea is to give you food for thought in planning what you're going to cook next week. If you have a plan then you can make your shopping list.

If you make the best use of your time when you're in the kitchen by part prepping in readiness from that plan then your evening meals will flow and be easy to pull together.

A sample menu

You've got the pie idea already but you don't have

to use the chicken in a pie – there's always a curry

Meatballs with spaghetti and tomato sauce

or there's an alternative

San Choy Bow

Baked jacket potatoes with ham hock and winter coleslaw

Smoked mackerel, beetroot and apple salad

Soup & dumplings

Croque Monsieur with slaw or

Balsamic Onion Jam and wedges

It's no good having a menu if you're not sure what's required so what follows are the recipes for each of the above and the beginnings of your shopping list.

Like I've said, non of this is set in stone, it's an illustration of how to plan!