What to cook this week

Get ready for a great food week!

Hiya!

Thank you for subscribing to my weekly newsletter. I am delighted to be able to help you be a little more creative with with your food shop and inspire you to cook some tasty meals that are perfect for busy lifestyles and mindful of every budget. I have done all the thinking for you, so whether you like to cruise the aisles or do a quick dash to the supermarket, the end result will be a week of tasty meals with no food going to waste.

All feedback is most welcome, good bad and indifferent. As this is my first ever newsletter, I have made it accessible to free subscribers. If you would like to give feedback please comment below. I won't be making further newsletters available to free subscribers because it take quite a lot of time to put together.

Here is what to cook this week:

• Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

• Harissa Chicken with Sweetcorn Crust (freezer friendly!)

• Meatball Stroganoff

• Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes and Garlic Butter

• Avocas White Onion Soup (freezer friendly!)

Here is your shopping list:

• 1 butternut squash
• 6 red onions
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 1 bag baby spinach
• 1 head of garlic
• Parsley
• 550g cherry tomatoes
• Mushrooms (300g or one container)
• Fresh basil
• Fresh coriander
• 2 medium white onions
• 4 large potatoes
• A lemon
• 1 pack of smoked bacon or 6 rashers (I used medallions)
• 730g mince beef (usually one big pack)
• 850g chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
• 1 tin of lentils
• Good balsamic vinegar
• Parmesan 
• Breadcrumbs (I store them in the freezer)
• Eggs
• A small bit of white wine or brandy
• Gherkins
• A tub of light sour cream
• Sweet paprika
• Caraway seeds
• Rice
• Harissa paste
• 400ml passata
• 200g jarred roasted red peppers
• Dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
• Butter
• 500g sweetcorn (1 use 2 big tins)
• Milk
• Black or kalamata olives
• Spaghetti
• Vegetable stock
• 350ml cream
• Truffle oil

***

There is a definite nip in the air. I don't know about you, but cold salads just don't cut it when I'm physically cold. However… I still feel the need for something healthy. So for this weeks lunch recipe, I have a deliciously seasonal and filling salad of roasted butternut squash with balsamic, rosemary and crispy bacon on a bed of lentils and spinach.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Ingredients for 4 days worth of lunches:

• 1 butternut squash

• 2 red onions

• 2 sprigs of rosemary

• 1 pack of smoked bacon or 6 rashers (I used medallions)

• 1 tin of lentils

• 1 bag baby spinach

• Good balsamic vinegar

• Parmesan

• Salt and Pepper

• Spray oil

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180 Celsius. Slice the butternut squash in half and remove the seeds. Now cut into chunks without peeling. Yes really! Don't bother peeling it, it's actually delicious and full of goodness. Place it on a roasting tray.

Now peel and chop your onions into wedges. Leave the onion in a wedge on your roasting tray so they don't frizzle up by the time the butternut squash is cooked.

Toss the onion with the squash along with salt, pepper, a little oil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Put it into the oven for 10 minutes.

Chop up the rosemary and bacon. Roast the onion and squash for 10 minutes in the oven, add in the bacon and rosemary. Put it back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. Allow it to cool .

Drain the lentils and rinse.

Once the veg is cooled, mix it with the lentils and put it into a tupperware and pop in the fridge for during the week.

To make up the salad place, a quarter of the roasted mix in a bowl and warm it in the microwave for a minute. Add a big handful of spinach to the warm veg, drizzle some balsamic over it and Parmesan shavings.

Enjoy! And let me know what you think if you make it. I'd love to hear of your recipe tweaks too.

***

Now what to make for dinner!

Harisa Chicken with Crispy Sweetcorn Topping

Photo from @ottolenghi

I love how autumn throws us the brightest blooms and sweetest veggies. IMO, there are few nicer veggies than sweetcorn. Ottolenghi has to be one of the best cooks at taking veggies and turning them into something really special. For your first batch cook this week I have picked his Harisa Chicken with Crispy Sweetcorn Topping. It is a total crowd pleaser and easily feeds 6 people! My only comment on the original recipe is that the crust isn't crispy. It's delicious but not crispy. You can always scatter some breadcrumbs and Parmesan over the top before putting it in the oven to make it crispy. I have made and tweaked this recipe so much over the last year and here are some great variations:

• Use mashed sweet potato as the topping instead of the sweetcorn.

• Swap the chicken for lamb and some chorizo. Then throw in some baby potatoes for the last 20 minutes of cooking time. Don't use the sweetcorn topping. Just lots of bread to mop up the sauce.

Meatball Stroganoff with quick pickled red onion, gherkins and parsley

For the second batch cook I am suggesting a Meatball Stroganoff with quick pickled red onion, gherkins and parsley. This recipe came about because I felt that steak was too good for a Stroganoff but pork wasn't meaty enough. I also really needed a new mince recipe! Who doesn't need a new mince recipe?!!! It turned out so nice that it has been on regular rotation since. Feel free to buy pre-made meatballs but cut them in half. You want small morsels here so you can gobble it up speedily and greedily sitting on the couch eating with a fork in one hand. My recipe is a take on this original recipe by Jamie Oliver and serves 4-6 people. He uses yogurt which is obviously healthier but won't too well. Also, I know some people hate mushrooms so you can use thin slices of red pepper instead if you like.

Ingredients:

• 730g mince beef

• Handful of breadcrumbs

• 1 clove of garlic crushed

• Parsley

• 1 large egg

• 300g mushrooms

• A splash of white wine or brandy

• 1 red onion

• 6-8 gherkins

• A tub of light sour cream

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 heaped tsp sweet paprika

• 1 tsp caraway seeds

Method:

Mix the mince with the breadcrumbs, 1 clove of crushed garlic, one egg and season with salt and pepper. Mix it with your hands and form into small meatballs. Pop them in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up.

Thinly slice the red onion, gherkins and roughly chop the parsley. Pop it all in a bowl and pour over some pickle juice from jar of gherkins. Leave to one side.

Slice your mushrooms and garlic cloves.

Add a tablespoon of oil to a hot frying pan and cook your meatballs. Set them aside when cooked. Now fry up your mushrooms and garlic. Add the paprika and caraway seeds and cook out for another minute. Add back in the meatballs. Now add a splash of white wine or just some water and scrape all the tasty bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. If using the wine or brandy, you'll need to cook it out until you can't smell the alcohol anymore.

Now stir in the sour cream and season well with salt and pepper.

Serve with rice and the pickled onion. I used pre-cooked microwave wholegrain rice.

To reheat it the next day, add a little milk before microwaving so it gets nice and saucey again.

Tomato and Garlic Butter Spaghetti

Photo from @rosiefoodie

Last but certainly not least, is this simple and STUNNING little number from the totally stunning Rosie Birkett. I am obsessed with everything she makes. I am equally obsessed with anything slathered in garlic butter... especially when the main character of the dish is carbs. Here is how I make her recipe for tomato and garlic butter spaghetti. It takes about 15 minutes to make. Less if you use frozen garlic or puree and skip the black olive crumb. Hell you can even add a tub of garlic butter to your shopping list and gain yourself another 3 minutes to... I don't know… drink wine?

Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil

• A handful of black or kalamata olives, finely chopped

• A big handful of breadcrumbs

• 550g cherry tomatoes

• A small bunch of basil, leaves torn

• 60g salted butter

• 4 fat cloves of garlic

• A pinch of chilli flakes

• 400g spaghetti

Method:

Fill your biggest saucepan with water and lots of salt. When the water starts to bubble, add the spaghetti and give it a stir every now and again. No need for oil. Just lots of boiling water and a decent pinch of salt.

Chop up or blitz the olives. Add oil to a frying pan and add the breadcrumbs and olives. Cook until toasty and set aside.

Crush the garlic and mix with the butter.

Put a big frying on the heat and add the tomatoes. Let them cook, blister and begin to soften. When you feel like they need a bit of help, add a spoon of the pasta water and let it bubble on the pan.

Add the garlic butter and chilli flakes. Let the butter melt and and get a bit saucey with the tomatoes. Add the torn basil. Season with salt and pepper.

When the pasta is cooked as per the instructions on the pack (al dente, always), drain it the but keep some of the water back. Toss the spaghetti in the sauce and toss it around the pan until the sauce coats each strand. If it needs more liquid, add a bit of pasta water. The starch from the cooking water will make the sauce thicker and almost creamy when you let it bubble for a minute.

Plate up the spaghetti and scatter the olives and crispy breadcrumbs on top.

Something for the weekend

White Onion Soup with truffle oil and Parmesan

Our house is a bit manic at the weekend. Every Friday, I pour a cocktail and lie to myself that it will be so chill and relaxing. Nawt!!! It is hard to distinguish one meal from the next so soup and a sandwich suits almost every hour and everybody. This White Onion Soup with truffle oil and Parmesan from my favourite weekend spot, Avoca, is like a big hug from your fanciest aunty! I like to get a rotisserie chicken and a fresh baguette and dip the crusty buttery chicken roll into the soup. HEAVEN!

Now… one last thing. You'll probably have some herbs left over. I suggest blitzing them up with capers/gherkins, a clove of garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. This will leave you with a gorgey little salsa verde. A nice dip for some bread, put a dollop on some meat or add it to a toasted sambo.

That's it folks! I hope there was something there to make your week easier and more delicious. Looking forward to reading your comments on what you made and how you made it your own!

All the very best,

Mx