What's Cooking This Week?

This week I've tried a couple of new dishes

Beef in ale with horseradish dumplings Yummy Sunday alternative to roast. Dumplings need a little longer in the oven next time. I liked another user's tip about adding parsnips and may expand on that.

French Onion Soup We had this on pancake day to leave plenty of room for dessert! Unfortunately didn't have any beef stock so I used lamb. I think it probably does need beef.

Honey, mustard & creme fraiche baked chicken I think this is going to become a family favourite because it's so easy, you just shove it in the oven for 40 mins. Next time I think I'll add more veggies. Tinned potatoes were a fine, cheaper, quicker alternative to 'the real thing'.

I'm obviously turning into a sad 'housewife' because I am very excited about the new freezer we have bought (all part of the return to work plan). I can now plan ahead much more and batch freeze stuff for us and for bambino to save time. This week I'm planning to make Chilli Con Carne, Spaghetti Bolognase and some mini Cottage Pies for Bambino.

This week's new recipes

Easy oven frittata Monday nights PJ plays football so I have to have a meal which I can shove in the oven and forget about for 45mins while I bath bambino and give her her bottle. If it's a one pot including veggies so much the better.

Braised butter beans with tomato I love the butter beans you sometimes find alongside marinated olives so I thought I'd give this a go and team it with some chicken breasts, stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon. I may even freeze some.

Spaghetti Puttanesca I know this is a very easy dish but I've never cooked it. I want to add lots of quick cook recipes to my repertoire for when I'm back a work. I hope to have at least one night a week where I'm cooking for less than half an hour.

Yummy scrummy. Quite hungry now. May have to start lunch (soup & sandwiches)