What's Cooking This Week?!

Ooh, I haven't done this for a long time!

Firstly, a friend bought me A LOT of plums, so many in fact that I was able to make plum jam and plum tarts!

I love cooking but I don't have time to faff these days so I was delighted to find a recipe for jam that proclaimed to be "no peel, no pectin". In fact it really was easy peasy, I highly recommend it, here's the link. However, I did make less than half the amount I was expecting. I don't know why. The recipe calls for 12lb plums! I only had 3lb for this. Then I made 2 Plum and Ginger Tarts from good old BBC Good Food . I love that site! I cut one tart into six and froze in pairs for Sunday evening treats. We ate the first ones in front of the new series of Downton Abbey with some creme fraiche. It is quite tart, I am not sure the girls would like it. The other one I popped in the freezer whole ready for some guests in a couple of weeks time. It got me thinking about making something similar with pears. Oh, and reminded me that I need to get started with making my annual batch(es?!) of Chilli Jam.

On the evening menu for me and PJ?

Burgers, Chips and Onion Rings

Since getting pregnant with the twins it has become tradition to eat 'junk' on a Saturday night in the non-BBQ season. And PJ cooks it, which is lovely. I sit and sip my G&T. Soon this will be in front of Strictly Come Dancing! This is not to say that PJ can't cook proper food. He's a great cook, see below!

Beef Carbonade 

My Dad made this a lot when I lived at home. It's a beef casserole cooked in beer, then in the last 10-15 mins you place pieces of bread with french mustard spread on them on top. It's scrumptious. 

Spaghetti Carbonara

My version uses creme fraiche so I don't feel so guilty!

Fish Bake

A new one for us which an online friend told me about. It involves frozen white fish pieces with creme fraiche spread on top. You can add veg, breadcrumbs, parmesan, depending on what you have in. It's cheap and should leave enough to give the girls a portion at their lunch the following day.

Rosemary chicken with tomato sauce

A new to me BBC Good Food recipe. Hope to report back next week.

Fish & Chips

Oven baked versions from Tesco, cheap and cheerful to end the week!

One evening missing, right? That's because PJ cooked for me tonight, beef and noodle stir fry. Yum!