The first thing that some of you may notice is that the photo of breakfast today is the same photo I used for last night's dessert. What can I tell you, I was in a hurry this morning and forgot to take a picture. As my breakfast was identical to last night's dessert apart from the amount of muesli I added, it didn't make much difference, but I will try not to do it again!
You will see that for dinner I had my "The Gift that Keeps on Giving" bolognese sauce. I call it that because although it needs long, slow cooking, it gives me really quick meals for the next 3 or 4 days, that taste like I spent hours in the kitchen.
You will see that for dinner I had my "The Gift that Keeps on Giving" bolognese sauce. I call it that because although it needs long, slow cooking, it gives me really quick meals for the next 3 or 4 days, that taste like I spent hours in the kitchen.
After having my pasta bolognese, I divide what's left in the proportions shown in my picture and put it into plastic boxes and put them in the fridge. Let's say that I made my bolognese on a Wednesday, like I did this week, and have some of it with pasta on Wednesday night. After that, this is how the next few days go...
Thursday
Take out the container with the smallest amount, the 1/5 of your leftover sauce. Stir fry some sliced peppers in a little Fry Light (I use frozen sliced peppers for convenience but you can also miss out this step if you want, you already put a pepper in the sauce when you made it).
When they start to soften add the pasta sauce, 1/2 tin of drained kidney beans (keep the rest for tomorrow's salad) 1 large tin of baked beans in tomato sauce and some chilli powder. (I use mild chilli powder, you can add a lot to get a great flavour without it getting too spicy).
If you have some coriander, chop some and add it. (As a single guy, fresh herbs are a bit of a waste of money for me. I love them, but I only use a small bit and the next day they've wilted in the fridge and need to be chucked out. I use frozen chopped coriander instead, it works out way cheaper and I have it at hand any time I want to add a bit more interest to something I'm cooking.)
Let it simmer for 15 minutes or so and you've got a tasty chilli in hardly no time at all! Great with boiled rice or SW chips.
Friday
Spray some Fry Light into a pan on medium heat and add a couple of heaped tablespoons of your favourite curry powder (it seems like a lot, but it all works out ok. Unless your favourite curry powder is a really spicy one. Like the chilli powder, I prefer to use a milder curry powder so I can add a lot of flavour without overdoing it on the heat). Stir it around in the pan for a minute or so while the heat brings out the flavour of the spices but don't let it burn.
Add in your next container of leftover sauce and a couple of cups of frozen peas (if it seems too dry, add some water until it's a bit more "saucy", I usually add a half cup or so. It really depends on how much liquid was in the pasta sauce you made!) Let it simmer for 15 minutes or so.
A couple of minutes before the end add a bit of chopped coriander if you have it and 4 or 5 cherry tomatoes cut in half. Once it's ready, take it off the heat and stir in a couple of tablespoons of fat free yogurt. There you go, a tasty Keema Peas curry, without any of the hard work. I serve this with boiled rice and a cucumber raita.
Saturday
For the last day, often I take the lazy way out and just have pasta and bolognese again, but changing the type of pasta for a bit of variety. If you can't face that, why not try my cheats minestrone?
Chop whatever vegetables you like in soup and soften them in some Fry Light in a large saucepan. Add your container of pasta sauce and a pint of beef or chicken stock (from a cube is fine, and you may need to add more near the end, depending on how thick you like your soup). Add some chopped parsley (I use frozen but fresh or dried are both fine) and ground black pepper.
Let it simmer for 15 mins or so, then sprinkle in a handful or two of tiny pasta shapes, the kind they make for soup. If you don't have those, break up some spaghetti into shorter lengths and add that. Simmer for as long as it takes for the pasta to cook. Your minestrone is now ready!
I have to say, I rarely serve it at that point though. I like to take a slotted spoon and remove about 1/2 of the meat and vegetables from it and then blitz what's left in the pan with a hand blender before adding the veg back in again. It makes for a thicker, richer soup. If you can spare the syns, stir in some grated parmesan.
There you go, 4 evening meals from just 1 cooking session, apart from a bit of reheating. If you tried it, let me know how you got on, I'd love to hear!
If you're wondering why I've reposted all these recipes separately, it's so I can link to them from my recipes page!
Take out the container with the smallest amount, the 1/5 of your leftover sauce. Stir fry some sliced peppers in a little Fry Light (I use frozen sliced peppers for convenience but you can also miss out this step if you want, you already put a pepper in the sauce when you made it).
When they start to soften add the pasta sauce, 1/2 tin of drained kidney beans (keep the rest for tomorrow's salad) 1 large tin of baked beans in tomato sauce and some chilli powder. (I use mild chilli powder, you can add a lot to get a great flavour without it getting too spicy).
If you have some coriander, chop some and add it. (As a single guy, fresh herbs are a bit of a waste of money for me. I love them, but I only use a small bit and the next day they've wilted in the fridge and need to be chucked out. I use frozen chopped coriander instead, it works out way cheaper and I have it at hand any time I want to add a bit more interest to something I'm cooking.)
Let it simmer for 15 minutes or so and you've got a tasty chilli in hardly no time at all! Great with boiled rice or SW chips.
Friday
Spray some Fry Light into a pan on medium heat and add a couple of heaped tablespoons of your favourite curry powder (it seems like a lot, but it all works out ok. Unless your favourite curry powder is a really spicy one. Like the chilli powder, I prefer to use a milder curry powder so I can add a lot of flavour without overdoing it on the heat). Stir it around in the pan for a minute or so while the heat brings out the flavour of the spices but don't let it burn.
Add in your next container of leftover sauce and a couple of cups of frozen peas (if it seems too dry, add some water until it's a bit more "saucy", I usually add a half cup or so. It really depends on how much liquid was in the pasta sauce you made!) Let it simmer for 15 minutes or so.
A couple of minutes before the end add a bit of chopped coriander if you have it and 4 or 5 cherry tomatoes cut in half. Once it's ready, take it off the heat and stir in a couple of tablespoons of fat free yogurt. There you go, a tasty Keema Peas curry, without any of the hard work. I serve this with boiled rice and a cucumber raita.
Saturday
For the last day, often I take the lazy way out and just have pasta and bolognese again, but changing the type of pasta for a bit of variety. If you can't face that, why not try my cheats minestrone?
Chop whatever vegetables you like in soup and soften them in some Fry Light in a large saucepan. Add your container of pasta sauce and a pint of beef or chicken stock (from a cube is fine, and you may need to add more near the end, depending on how thick you like your soup). Add some chopped parsley (I use frozen but fresh or dried are both fine) and ground black pepper.
Let it simmer for 15 mins or so, then sprinkle in a handful or two of tiny pasta shapes, the kind they make for soup. If you don't have those, break up some spaghetti into shorter lengths and add that. Simmer for as long as it takes for the pasta to cook. Your minestrone is now ready!
I have to say, I rarely serve it at that point though. I like to take a slotted spoon and remove about 1/2 of the meat and vegetables from it and then blitz what's left in the pan with a hand blender before adding the veg back in again. It makes for a thicker, richer soup. If you can spare the syns, stir in some grated parmesan.
There you go, 4 evening meals from just 1 cooking session, apart from a bit of reheating. If you tried it, let me know how you got on, I'd love to hear!
If you're wondering why I've reposted all these recipes separately, it's so I can link to them from my recipes page!
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