Tag: #freezermeals

My easy, tasty and good Baked Chicken Meatballs
Alliyah Dawud
June 14, 2019

Baked Chicken Meatballs…like are they a thing?

Quick, easy, healthier than a lot out there…ladies and the odd gent I present to you Chicken ‘Meatballs’.

Give me a Kofta Curry and I’m happy. Give me some Kefta Kebabs and Naans and I’m also happy. Give me a meatball sub with some extra hot sauce and I’m happy….I love a good meatball.

As you know we are constantly being encouraged to focus on healthier recipes. Focus on reducing fats, salts and sugars in our diets. We are also encouraged (and quite rightly so) to get our children eating healthier from a young age so it’s a habit and lifestyle rather than a chore.

Recently I got playing in the kitchen and with Chicken mince being around £2.69 per KG at my local Butchers I decided I would make some ‘meatballs’.

Cheaper meat, leaner too. And if I play my cards right I can bake them off in the oven and reduce the fat too.

And believe it or not I’ve created a meatball the girls actually adore. And I’m happy because a simple bit of prep work means I can create, bake and freeze a few meals in next to no time…

To make these awesome meatballs (enough for 3-4 or more depending on the age of those you are feeding) servings you will need:

  • 500 grams chicken mince
  • About 16 olives chopped
  • Zest of 1 lemon finely chopped
  • 1 tsp salt (or to your taste)
  • 1/2 TSP dried thyme (leveled spoon not heaped)
  • 1/2 TSP dried oregano (leveled spoon not heaped)
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 2 heaped TBSP breadcrumbs
  • OPTIONAL flavourings:
  • 2 sun dried tomatoes finely chopped
  • 1 heaped tablespoon of crumbled feta (if you do decide to add feta reduce the salt intake).
  • Chili Flakes-if you want some need.
  • To bake:
  • Spray oil ( 1 Cal spray works, as do other varieties)
  • Baking trays (1 large pan will be enough or two smaller ones)
  • Kitchen Tongues
  • Greaseproof paper

1) Line the baking trays to keep cleaning to a minimum. Preheat to oven to 170 (160 on a fan assisted oven).
2) Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and with your hands mulch it all together. Yes it’s a messy job but dammit it will create awesomeness in the form of springy healthy meatballs!
3) Once you’ve mixed all the ingredients together take a tablespoon amount of meat mixture and form into a meatball using wet hands. Place on the greaseproof sheet. Leave a gap between the meatballs.
4) Repeat the process until you’ve used all the mixture.
5) Spray each meatball once with the oil.
6) Now bake for 10 minutes.
7) Remove from the oven and carefully turn the meatballs over using the tongues. Spray the other side of the meatballs with oil. Place back in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven off.
8) Allow to meatballs to ‘rest’ for 2/4 minutes and then serve. I add my meatballs to a simple sauce which I have featured before here:

To make this recipe extra healthy you can serve the meatballs with wholemeal spaghetti.

NOTES: If your meatballs release any liquids do not panic. This is a normal part of the cooking process. The amount you find really does depend on many factors so don’t worry yourself too much on the science. Think of the flavour.

Mini meatballs make great canapes.

Making meatballs can be fun and messy for younger children.

Meatballs can be cooked, cooled and frozen successfully for up to 3 months without losing texture etc.

My awesome Tacos
Alliyah Dawud
April 19, 2019

Green Lentil Tacos!

For those that know me will know I love green lentils. They are bloody awesome.

Here is my version of a ‘vegetarian taco meat’ which I believe is the bloody best!

It’s an awesome ‘Meat Free Monday’ recipe. It’s also great for a big crowd as everyone can build their own tacos to their own tastes. If you do serve this for a big group add some tortilla chips as a side.

Its cooked in the Slow Cooker however it’s started off on the stove. It’s awesome because you can freeze it. It’s also awesome because about 15 minutes work results in Tacos that are soooooo good you will be singing me praises.

For this recipe (which makes enough for 8 large tacos) you will need:

(Ingredients):

  • 2 medium onions-sliced
  • 8 cloves of garlic-crushed
  • 2 TBSP rapeseed oil
  • 1 TBSP oregano
  • 1 TBSP cumin
  • 1 TBSP coriander powder
  • 1 TSP smoked paprika
  • 1 TBSP salt (adjust to your own needs)
  • 1 TBSP onion powder
  • 250 grams green lentils (my go to super food).
  • 800 ml of water (or stock)

1) Wash and soak the lentils in boiling water for at least an hour. I cover the bowl with cling film and this works great. You can also place the lentils in a thermos.
2) Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onions until soft. You don’t need them to be browned. Add the garlic and stir and fry for 30 seconds.
3) Drain and add the lentils and fry. Add a bit of stock (or water) if the lentils start to stick.
4) Add the herbs and spices. Mix well.
5) Bring to the boil. Transfer to the Slow Cooker and cook on high for 4 hours. Check after 1.5 hours. Stir well. Check again at 2.5 hours. If you notice that the liquid (Stock) has evaporated add more water as you need the lentils to cook.
6) Once the lentils are tender turn off the Slow Cooker. If there’s stock left transfer to a pan on the stove and heat the mixture on a high heat without a lid.
7) Remove from the heat and mash the lentils lightly.
8) BOOM! Lentils are done.

To assemble: You will need:

  • Tortilla wraps (I used the mini ones I get in Aldi)
  • Salsa
  • Cheese
  • Sour cream
  • Jalepenos
  • Shredded Lettuce
  • Chopped tomatoes
  • Sliced red onion
  • Wedges of lime

To put together this awesome delight of a taco:
1) Warm your wrap.
2) Spread on the lentil mix.
3) Add the lettuce, tomatoes, onions, salsa and a dollop of sour cream. Squeeze on the lime.
4) Sprinkle on some cheese and add some jalapeno’s.
5) Stuff face. Enjoy. Repeat.

Notes:

  • This recipe is also used in my Crunch wraps.
  • You can freeze the lentil mixture.
  • It’s also great for stuffing Burritos and filling Enciladas.

Awesome Meatloaf and Pasta
Alliyah Dawud
March 15, 2019

Sometimes you don’t want a mince based pasta sauce and you certainly don’t have the patience to make meatballs. That’s when this winning meal comes in.

Meatloaf are a popular staple of many families Stateside. To explain what a Meatloaf is it’s literally what is says on the tin. It’s that simple.

I love meatloaf; its a simple humble meal you can tweak to your own desires. I serve mine with spaghetti and a simple sauce.

Why not get the children to mix the Meatloaf mixture?

Enjoy.

To serve 4/6) people….

Ingredients:
500 grams mince (I use lamb/mutton etc)
2 onions fried until soft
2 TBSP italian seasoning (herb mix) OR
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp crushed black pepper
Salt-to your taste
Optional: 1 tsp chili flakes (if you like it hot)
I egg
4 TBSP breadcrumbs
1 ball of mozerella cheese

For the sauce:
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 carton passata
2 TBSP rapeseed oil
1 large onion diced (or two smaller onions; diced)
6 cloves of garlic; crushed
2 TBSP Italian seasoning (herb mix) or
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp crushed black pepper
Salt-to your taste
Juice of one lemon (I feel it brings out the flavours of all the ingredients so if you don’t fancy it leave it out).

1) To make the Meatloaf:
Mix together all of the Meatloaf ingredients (apart from the cheese). Shape into a loaf and place in an ovenproof dish.

2) To make the sauce:
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onions. Fry until the onions are soft. Add the garlic, black pepper and herbs. Try for 2 minutes on a low heat (FYI: burnt garlic tastes horrendous).
3) Turn the heat back up to a medium flame. Add the tomatoes, passata and salt. Stir. Bring up to the boil and simmer on a low heat for 25 minutes. Turn the heat off. Add the lemon juice.
4) To complete the Meatloaf: Cover the Meatloaf with 1/4 of the pasta sauce and add the cheese. Cover loosely with foil and bake in the oven at 150 for 50 minutes.
5) To serve: Stir the sauce (the 75% you have left) through the pasta and serve with the Meatloaf. Squirt over the lemon. Enjoy!

Notes:

Meatloaf freezes well. Cut into slices, wrap up well and freeze.

To change things up: add chopped up olives, chopped up sun dried tomatoes and zest of a lemon.

You could also add a layer of cheese in the ‘middle’ of the meatloaf. Oh the possibilities!

My Kitchen Mince Hack (to save you time)
Stylemesisteradmin
February 15, 2019

I admit that I actually include store bought Pizza on my meal plans and if I’m totally honest those nights are pretty hassle free when it comes to time in the kitchen.

Over the last few years I have picked up some hacks I use daily and some that I don’t event get how they made it to pinterest (but that’s a different story).

One hack that I recommend to everyone is bulk cooking; but in various formats.

If like me you use your Slow Cooker (aka Crockpot) at least once or twice a week this hack is going to be your bestie…just trust me on this.

When I talk to friends about using a Slow Cooker for making curries or sauces I often get met with the looks and comments that ‘it won’t taste right because the meat wasn’t browned!” which is quickly followed by “my family will never eat it as it tastes bland/different”.

One of the reasons I started using my slow cooker was to reduce the amount of time I spent in the kitchen. I felt I was tied to the cooker and wasn’t enjoying my food and developing poor editing habits. I started to dislike cooking and that was a problem for me. I never want my children to think cooking is a chore; I’m a believer that everyone should have the skill to cook healthy food. I don’t know where my girls may end up at University level so I honestly want them to have cookery skills and also enjoy the time they spend cooking (after all if you’ve got to do it why not enjoy it?).

We enjoy curries, mince based pasta dishes, casseroles….various meals as a family. A lot of these dishes call for braising of the the meat before adding liquids and the other ingredients. Now on some slow cookers you have this function which is bloody awesome! But not all models have this. Which is a shame.

Considering how simple I like to keep things when I cook things in the slow cooker I decided to do the following:

Brown off mince in bulk (so 2-3 KG at once) with garlic and onions.

I then drain and cool the mince before portioning the mince up and freezing it.

The result?

I have mince ready to go in:
Pasta sauces
Curries
Chili con carne
Shepards Pie
Cottage pie

Etc etc etc….

Because I don’t add salt or spices I’ve got more options. I never cook mince without garlic and onions however if you wished to you could omit them.

To create 6 family meals (servings produced: 6/7 giving me leftovers for School lunches and for myself the next day) you will need:

3 KG mince (I use mutton but you can use whatever you wish to)
6 medium onions diced
A full bulb of garlic crushed/minced (yes I love garlic)
3/4 Tablespoons rapeseed oil

Extras:
kitchen paper to drain off excess fat
Storage bags/boxes to store mince in freezer (don’t forget to label the mince)

1) Heat a large pan on a medium heat (if you don’t have a large pan you may need to do the browning in smaller batches. Add the oil.
2) Add the onions and fry for a few minutes until the onions are soft. You are not going to brown them.
3) Add the garlic and fry for a minute (you don’t want to burn the garlic. And believe me that’s a really easy thing to do).
4) Add the mince and break down the mince and fry.
5) Fry for 5-10 minutes. The mince won’t look very appetizing. That’s fine! What you want is to ‘seal’ the mince by frying it. The process won’t cook the mince completely and that’s fine too.
6) Turn the heat off and drain the excess fat off. I do this by tilting my pan when its slightly cool and scoop out the mince mixture and place it on kitchen paper. I let the paper absorb the fat.
7) Bag/box up the mince and label them.

How to use the mince:
I take the mince out the night before and place it in the fridge to defrost. I then add it to the slow cooker with the other ingredients and forget about it. Job done.

You can do the same with meat and treat it the same.

I’ll be over for Dinner later guys; so get cooking!