As you will have guessed by now I’m a huge fan of cheating when it comes to cooking and i make no apologies for doing so.
When the weekend comes there are times i have just had enough of cooking and the thought of cooking a full Sunday Dinner can fill me with dread, so adding a few ingredients that just need microwaving really helps.
In this video i have used Asda beef in gravy which was lovely i have also used the Tesco beef in Gravy and its equally as good.
There is no written recipe for this as its more of an idea than a hard and fast recipe.
When you run out of time and energy to cook the real things here is a fantastic hack.
Remember tinned potatoes are already cooked they just need reheating and in this case browning.
You can add any flavourings you like salt & pepper works well as a basic flavour. What you get it a crispy outer with a soft inner potato now these aren’t ever going to replace the real thing but they are a brilliant midweek alternative
Now as a child my mum traumatise me with her cooking of these little suckers they were boiled to death mush, even the dog wouldn’t eat them 😂
So now we take a different approach and slice or shred them and basically stir fry them to ensure they still have some crunch.
I added bacon Lardons to these but you could add pancetta. Use smoked or unsmoked whichever you like, to be honest I’m not keen on smoke bacon but the smoke Lardons worked really well with the Sprouts in this recipe.
Pine Nuts can be expensive so I will leave it to you if you want to add them or not.
I’m not a lover of cranberry sauce so I added a couple of spoonfuls of beetroot and orange chutney and it was delicious any sweet chutney will work.
Love a beef curry but making one can but a bit of a ballache at times. In this recipe I have cheated to the max 🙈 but don’t let that put you off because this recipe is still super tasty but super easy.
I used Pataks curry paste to create the base of the curry let’s face it grinding up spices during the week isn’t going to happen, this cheat works really well.
In the video I have done all the added bits that create the layers of flavour, softening down the onions and browning off the beef. However I’ve also made this curry without doing any of these things and ok there is a taste difference but it’s not a deal breaker.
If you are on a tight time schedule and don’t have time to faff around just leave these extra steps out, remember this is your meal for you and your family so do whatever is best for you to get food on the table. I’m pretty sure no one died because these steps were missed out.
A fantastic easy midweek meal that is pure comfort food. In this recipe I have used cooked chicken, because at the beginning of the week I cooked a whole chicken in the slow cooker and this is one of the meals I used it in.
This recipe is another one where you can add in any vegetables you like and any vegetables that need using up its a really versitile meal.
For the cream cheese use any make or brand you like i used Primula as its really easy to work with and handles heat well.
TOP TIP ‼️ When making the sauce ensure there is enough to coat all the contents of the pan and extra sauce, as this dish needs to be put under the grill – this will “cook off” some of the liquid (sauce)
I love doing these “money saving” meal ideas as they can really help when you need to pull in those purse strings.
Cooking a whole chicken in the slow cooker and then stripping it from the carcass is probably the ultimate money spinner the chicken I’m using was 1.4kg costing £2.95.
This a a perfect size chicken for 2 with lots leftover or a family of 4 for 1 meal.
TOP TIP‼️ As soon as the chicken is cool enough to touch remove as much meat as possible, unfortunately I had to pop mine in the fridge overnight which makes it slightly more difficult to get all the meat from the carcass.
SLOW COOKER CHICKEN HOW TO COOK
You can find all information herehttps://julesthelazycook.co.uk/2017/09/13/slow-cooker-chicken/ but I’ve also done a really short quick video to help
MEAL 1 – CREAMY CHICKEN & CHORIZO PASTA BAKE
A fantastic easy midweek meal that is pure comfort food. In this recipe I have used cooked chicken, because at the beginning of the week I cooked a whole chicken in the slow cooker and this is one of the meals I used it in.
This recipe is another one where you can add in any vegetables you like and any vegetables that need using up its a really versitile meal.
For the cream cheese use any make or brand you like i used Primula as its really easy to work with and handles heat well.
TOP TIP ‼️ When making the sauce ensure there is enough to coat all the contents of the pan and extra sauce, as this dish needs to be put under the grill – this will “cook off” some of the liquid (sauce)
A perfect soup for this time of the year and is a fantastic way of using up leftover chicken from Sunday dinner. This soup is from my “Fuller For Longer” recipes as it has extra ingredients to help fill you up on colder days.
There are so many different methods for doing this and I’m pretty sure we all have our favourite. Today I’m giving you one method which out of most of them is probably the quickest.
For me making gravy from the meat juices is the tastiest but not always the most healthy.
When I’m cooking a really fatty joint such as pork I use a completely different method (ice cubes) but I will come back to that on a different day – the sieve method works on fatty joints but you may need to sieve it twice just to be sure the fat is removed.
During the cooler months i use a lot of kale either with “fakeaways” or with Sunday Dinner and i always get asked how i cook mine, so as we are heading back into the cooler months here is my “how to” video.
I buy my kale from whichever supermarket i shop at usually Tesco – always wash in cold water and pat dry make sure you get all the water out as you don’t want to steam the kale in the pan it needs to fry.
My top top is always remove all stalks especially the thick “woody” ones this will really help with cooking and taste. You will see in the video i add a sprinkle of chilli flakes this is optional but if you haven’t tried this please give it a whirl it really does add a fantastic flavour.
When you are trying to add more vegetables into your diet Courgetti is a fantastic way of doing it.
Personally I can just eat it as Courgetti and feel satisfied but if I’m on a “hungry day” then I always add a small amount of spaghetti. The half Courgetti half spaghetti works really well and if you are watching calories it is a fantastic way of reducing calories.
In the video you will see i added a small sprinkle of chilli flakes, this works well but if you’re not a fan then leave them out.
Top tip don’t add salt to Courgetti as it will draw the water out and courgette is practically all water so you can run the risk of water logging it.
Another brilliant Meat Free Monday recipe we both loved this, plus it’s another recipe that is very adaptable so anything that needs using up can be added.
As with all vegetarian recipes you can if course make this a meat version by using any mince or sausages you have.
I used meat free sausages basically because it was all I had but you could use quorm mince. The sausages I used were Tesco Plant Chef which taste exactly the same as the Linda McCartney Red Onion sausages so if you have those they will work perfectly.
Let’s talk gnocchi, the key with gnocchi is not to over cook it as soon as it floats to the top its cooked drain it immediately. If you leave it to cook it will take on a very soft “mushy” texture. Or if you aren’t a fan of gnocchi you can use pasta as an alternative.
The recipe states serves 3 but you could stretch this to 4 if you add lots of vegetables as side dishes.
I sometimes add cheese to the top and grill it and boy that works so well.
The Gourmet Burger Rub is from Spicentice use discount code JULES10 FOR 10% off any order press here https://bit.ly/2VYUZLG
As you know kebabs are my favourite food i love them not only because they are tasty but they are so easy and quick to make. The flavour combinations are endless, however when i make them i usually reach for the Spicentice rubs they take all the hassle of our trying to get the right flavour and when you are busy who wants to be trying to blend a spice mix? definitely no me!
Spices i use are found here https://bit.ly/2VYUZLG use discount code JULES20 For 20% of any order (AFFILIATE)
I always mix my spices with yogurt before coating the chicken this protects the chicken to stop it drying out during the cooking process, so what you get is a baked outer coating but the chicken is still moist.
Born out of pure laziness 🙈 but these sometimes are the best creations and i can promise this was so good and im definitely making it again real soon.
I used a Spicentice spice kit which is designed to make Char Sui Spare Ribs, but i didn’t have any so decided to use a pork joint i used leg with all fat removed, this recipe really shows how versatile these kits are. Buy your kits from Spicentice press here https://bit.ly/2VYUZLG use discount code JULES20 for 20% off any order (AFFILIATE)
The recipe below is for 2 portions as this was basically a test batch for 4 portions i wouldn’t double up the quantities just add 1 more portion of the liquids – so where it says 2 tablespoons add 3 etc.
Who doesn’t love lasagne?? i know we do, but when you are busy with work, kids or it’s just the hottest day ever who wants to be stood over and hob or oven making lasagne – i know i dont!
So i devised this quick easy method of cutting down cooking time and prep time to get an individual lasagne on the table in 10 mins – yes it really can be done, you can also use this method for bigger portions too.
You will see for the white sauce i used a cream cheese yes its a cheat but its one worth trying it really does save all the messing around creating a sauce, but as always use whichever sauce you like.
For the base part (Ragu) of my lasagne i use my slow cooker spaghetti bolognese recipe it works well and again another easy prep meal – the recipe makes 4 portions and freezes well. Press here for the recipe https://julesthelazycook.co.uk/2016/09/19/spaghetti-bolognese/
Another recipe ticked off my to do list 😂 and i have to say it did not disappoint! I decided in this recipe not to use an apple grated which you can do if you wish i opted for using apple sauce from a jar as i think its much sweeter and works better with the pork, but use whichever you have and like.
Very few ingredients in the one as i didn’t want to overpower the apple taste, i used a spring onion instead of traditional onions as they are not as powerful in taste and just added a lovely background flavour. My top tip is to add a pinch of salt and pepper as it really does bring all the flavours out within the burger – this is my worst trait not seasoning food drives Graeme mad 🤣🤣🙈
This mix makes 4 burgers but i decided to make 3 what i would say were quarter pounder size burgers, but you can make them as big or as small as you wish.
Another fantastic Meat Free Monday recipe and this one is not only super quick but super tasty too. I have made this vegetarian by using Quorn Chicken nuggets but you can use any chicken nuggets you like to suit what your family likes.
I served mine with a huge stir fry and noodles but this will work equally as well with rice. This really is the simplest recipe ever the only tip i have is when creating the sauce do not take your eyes off pan as the sauce reduces very quickly and you need to make sure you have enough left to coat the chicken.
Over the years i have made lots of chicken recipes covered in crisps and to be honest they all work and add bags of flavour without the need to create spices that give a desired taste.
This is a really simple recipe however i made a mistake when making this batch and it goes along this line, because the crisps when crushed are basically “dust” they absorb liquid very easily, so when you dip them in the egg they will quickly start absorbing that liquid and become soggy.
So my top tips – when crushing the Wotsits DON’T crush them into a fine crumb leave some bigger chunkier bits this will help with the sogginess also don’t spray them with oil before putting them into the oven again they crisps will just absorb the liquid.
I cooked mine in the air fryer but you can easily cook them in the oven if you wish. My air fryer is on my Amazon Shop press here and look under kitchen gadgets https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook
What an absolute winner this was i really could not believe how good this vegetarian duck is. The biggest question is does it taste like duck – the short answer is yes! the texture was fantastic and it really does “mimick” duck well.
I decided to make a stir fry out of mine but you could use this as a basis for a Chinese Fakeaway, from frozed the duck i used takes 7 mins to cook perfect for a mid week meal too.
You can make this recipe using duck breast or leg cooked in a pan, grill pan, or an electric grill or in the oven – once cooked shred it with 2 forks and follow the below recipe.
Below is the duck i used which i purchased from Tesco but im sure Asda or other supermarkets will have it in stock.
This wasn’t supposed to be on my meal plan this week but when you wake up feeling not too good my advice is go for the easiest option if you have to cook- so meatball subs it is!
As you will see i have used sausages to make the meatballs with, this is purely down to the fact i did the food shopping on Wednesday the week before and meatball subs weren’t even on my radar. However, i have to admit they worked beautifully and when i make this again i will probably use the Richmond sausages you see in the video.
This recipe makes 4 portions and because there is just 2 of us i still have 2 portions left in the fridge patiently waiting for my second meal which will be spaghetti and meatballs – now don’t you just love the fact you have taken 10 minutes out to create meals for 2 days in the week! i know i do – this will also freeze well.
As you know I’m huge fan of making these because they are minimal effort but always look fab and are a great way of cooking in the hotter months.
This is basically my Slow cooker chicken to roast chicken served with bread buns stuffing amd roast potatoes… so a kind of deconstructed Sunday Dinner. Serve woth anything you and your family like it all works with these kind of meals.
Ohhhh the months I have spent thinking about this recipe and trying to make it “diet friendly” has actually hurt my head 🤣🤣 However, it’s all being worthwhile.
We absolutely loved this recipe and for us it ticked all the boxes and it will be making another appearance on my meal plan very soon.
When creating this recipe I wanted to show you that you can take time to create a meal say for the weekend that is amazing but also one midweek which will also be equally as good. Here is my thinking…. in this recipe you will see i have coated and baked the chicken and I have to admit it was really tasty. You could actually make this recipe without coating or baking the chicken which will speed up the cooking and reduce calories.
How would you do this…. dice the chicken and in a large frying pan sprayed with oil cook the chicken towards the end of cooking turn the pan to a high heat just to add a little bit of colour to the chicken removed from pan and set aside. Then make the sauce as decribed below.
As you know I follow Slimming World but I’m not going to give syn values on any of my recipes as it breaks copyright rules. So below is the information you need to work this out for yourself:-
Tomato Sauce – depends on brand you use, and if you decide to use reduced sugar versions
Sugar / Sweetener – depends how you calculate it
Cornflakes – you could use breadcrumbs, or you may opted to not coat and bake the chicken
These variables can only be decided by you and what diet you follow and how you calculate your diet plan / calories.
This recipe appears in my cookbook MY FAKEAWAY AND EVENING MEALS which is available on Amazon in Paperback & Kindle press here https://amzn.eu/d/8iJRPY1
The air fryer i use in the video is on my Amazon Shop you can now watch a short video review explaining the benefits of my air fryer – press the link it will take you there then look under kitchen gadgets https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook
Jules The Lazy Cook 