Category: Evening Meal

Cheesy Taco Gnocchi Bake

Another fantastic vegetarian meal we really enjoyed this one and it is super easy to make perfect for those days when you don’t have time to stand and cook for hours, this literally takes 15mins to get onto the table. My top tip for cooking gnocchi is don’t over cook it as soon as it floats to the top of a pan of boiling water remove it and drain it immediately.

The taco beans i used were in a spicy tomato sauce but to be honest i didn’t feel the sauce was spicy at all and once i added the vegetables to them i decided to add a teaspoon of paprika this is optional, as always taste and adjust to your liking.

Although this meal is part of my “meat free Monday ” series on instagram and facebook you can add meat to it if you wish Chicken, Minced Beef, Sausages or ham would work well.

You will notice in the video that i transferred the meal from the frying pan into an oven proof dish – this was for the end photograph only and when i make it again i will add the gnocchi to the frying pan top it with cheese and pop it under the grill. Making more washing up is not for me at all 😂😂😂😂🙈

by julessmithie

Peri Peri Pork Kebabs (Spicentice)

I have wanted to make this recipe for weeks now and i have finally got around to it and it did not disappoint! Im using Spicentice Peri Peri Chicken spice kit which serves 4 i used half the sachet and will use the other half another day. Spicentice also have a Portuguese Peri Peri spice which i love this would also work well in this recipe.

Spices are from https://bit.ly/2VYUZLG use discount code JULES20 for 20% off any order (AFFILIATE)

Pork is a relatively cheap cut of meat and is very lean which means it can have a tendency to dry out and be tough. My top top is don’t overcook the pork if you are unsure start on a low heat and keep checking until the pork is fully cooked.

by julessmithie

Portuguese Peri Peri Pork Chops (Spicentice)

I have made these many times and if you like Nando’s these really have that vibe / taste to them. Pork is such a cheap cut of meat and for us has always been a firm family favourite.

However everytime I cook these chops I get asked how I cook them how do I get such a lovely colour and how do I stop the drying out. So here it is my “HOW TO” .

I like my meat well cooked and that in itself can dry meat out but I use the Jamie Oliver technique which I think he designed for novice cooks like me, at the time I was terrified of cooking meat 🙈🙈. This method just works it slows down the process you’ve got time to adjust heat settings etc and for me it definitely helps with not over cooking meat.

This spice is part of the Licence to Grill kit from Spicentice https://www.spicentice.com/ use discount code JULES 20 FOR 20% OFF ANY ORDER (AFFILIATE)
by julessmithie

Pizza Bagels

A brilliant way of getting a quick lunch and perfect for the little ones, add any toppings use any cheese, add any flavours you like.

You will see from the images below i have also use a wholemeal pitta bread to make these, they work just as well – just use the method in the video.

To top mine i add mushrooms, pepper, tomatoes, and usually a mini peperami stick.

PITTA PIZZA Same method just using a pitta bread instead of a bagel
by julessmithie

Cheats Egg Fried Rice

As you know im all about mid week cheats and hacks and to me standing cooking rice is one of my pet hates and it either turns out brilliantly or a soggy mess 😂😂🙈

So here is a fool proof way of getting perfect egg fried rice everything time………cheat! You will see i used a pouch of microwave rice but heated it in the pan instead of the microwave i love these pouches and they are becoming more budget friendly especially the supermarket own brands. If you have cooked rice that needs using up that will also work

Add whatever flavours you like some people like to add a splash of soy sauce, but in this one i left it out because the meal i served it with already had soy sauce in it.

by julessmithie

Soulvaki (Spicentice)

As you know i love Spicentice kits they just work, they save time cooking in the kitchen, help mix up meals and keep them interesting.

My all time favourite food is anything chicken, kebabs and flatbread lol i could live on this food and this kit from Spicentice did not disappoint, plus its so easy to prep and cook as they have done all the hard work with regards to flavour for you.

The kits serve 4 but as you know there are only 2 of us so i either make up the whole kit or half it and use it another time, each kit comes with the ingredients you need and a full set of cooking instructions for this one i just followed the instruction card as you will see in the video below.

Kits can be found at https://www.spicentice.com/

The kit i used in this recipe is https://www.spicentice.com/products/greek-souvlaki-seasoning-spices you can use my code JULES 20 FOR 20% off any order (AFFILIATE)

Flatbread Recipe press here https://julesthelazycook.co.uk/2019/07/11/flatbreads/


by julessmithie

Pimp Up Your Packet Rice

Lately i have been using more and more microwave pouch rices mainly because they are just so quick to use. However, they can lack bulk and taste at times so i have put together a little video of how i bulk mine out and add more taste and texture to a boring rice.

You can also do this with any leftover rice you have, add any spices, any vegetables that need using up or any herbs you have its a fantastic way of dealing with anything that is destined for the bin.

by julessmithie

Leftover Beef

I always buy a bigger beef joint than we actually need for a Sunday Dinner so that we have leftovers, which means i can either use it or freeze.

This will be a “rolling” blog of how i use up beef and will keep adding to it as time goes by.

How i cook my beef can be found here https://julesthelazycook.co.uk/2016/10/10/slow-cooker-beef-brisket/

Beef Sharing Board with homemade flatbread
Spice i have used is from https://www.spicentice.com/ use discount code JULES20 for 20% off any order (AFFILIATE)
by julessmithie

Chilli Enchiladas (using leftover Chilli)

As you know im a huge fan of slow cooker chilli i make it all of the time and always have a batch in my freezer, because it can be made into so many different meals.

I made a batch of enchiladas a month or so ago and we both loved them so decided to use chilli to see how that would work and guess what????? they were amazing.

Here is my recipe for slow cooker chilli https://julesthelazycook.co.uk/2016/10/05/slow-cooker-chilli/

by julessmithie

Pizza

This is basically my flatbread recipe for the base but decided to write up a separate recipe and do the how to video as I’m pretty sure this will answer all the questions I get asked lol.

You can make these as big or as small as you like it really depends how many you are feeding and what you are serving it with. The one i made served 2 of us with a huge salad a new potatoes.

by julessmithie

Slow Cooker Sausage & Bean Hot Pot (Storecupboard Version)

As you know i absolutely love store cupboard recipes and for me there is nothing wrong with using tins or packets as long as they fit in with your diet plans. Also most store cupboard recipes also come with a winning price tag and make them a fantastic budget friendly family meal.

This one is perfect for using up vegetables from the fridge tins in the cupboards as it really adapts well to suit what you have, i used chickpeas but you could easily use butter beans, borlotti beans, taco beans anything you have will work!

My top tip is once the hot pot is cooked cut the sausages into 3 so they distribute even throughout the dish, this way the kids wont pull all the sausages out and leave you with a bean and tomato meal!!

Same recipe but instead if adding potatoes I stirred through cooked pasta and added cheese
by julessmithie

Sticky Hoisin Chicken

When a new recipe is born out of a mistake – when you are in a rush not feeling too well and you pick up the wrong bottle of sauce and dont realise until its poured into the frying pan ha!ha!ha! However turns out that this little mess up created a cracking recipe.

Another simple meal for the family and again can be on the table within 10 minutes it will also make a fantastic weekend fakeaway.

In the video you will see how i used a bag of stir fry to serve the chicken with you can serve it with rice if you wish, i only used one pack of noodles between the two of us but if you want to use 2 packets please do so.

Hoisin and Soy Sauce are salty so don’t be tempted to season the chicken as you are frying it, it doesn’t need it.

This recipe apprears in my Cookbook MY FAKEAWAY & EVENING MEALS which is available in Paperback & Kindle press here https://amzn.eu/d/8iJRPY1

by julessmithie

Sausage & Beans (Spicentice)

Another fantastic kit from Spicentice this is the perfect “one pot” meal and is designed to be cooked on the hob but as always with me i popped it in the slow cooker and it worked perfectly!

These kits are so adaptable and i always adapt the recipe to suit, in this recipe i swapped butter beans to pinto beans as i didn’t have butter beans, i swapped English mustard to wholegrain mustard as im not a huge fan of English mustard. So did these swaps work??? absolutely.

Each kit comes with the ingredients list and cooking instructions so you can just follow that and cook the meal as its intended – but i also think its really important to show you just how adaptable these kits are.

Purchase your kits from https://www.spicentice.com/ use discount code JULES 20 for 20% off any order this is my affiliate code with Spicentice.

by julessmithie

Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

This really isn’t a recipe as such but it is a great way of using up all those vegetables that could be heading for the bin plus this would make a perfect lunch idea. You can use either leftover chicken or fresh chicken either will work in this recipe.

Lets talk Pesto – this is expensive so no way do we want to be wasting it once you open the jar and take our what you need freeze the rest of the jar into 2 tablespoons use an ice cube tray to freeze the pesto. Once its frozen transfer to a zip lock bag and use it to cook with from frozen.

Use whatever vegetables you like or add any frozen vegetables either will work well, once you have cooked this meal it will be ok to sit in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container.

by julessmithie

Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers

Im forever trying to find new ways to use up slow cooker chilli and spag bol, this has got to be one of the meals i batch cook the most. This week i decided to try stuffed peppers, however the ones i bought were still really firm when i came to using them so i thought it best to pre cook them for approx 4 mins in the air fryer before adding your filling. The key is to get the pepper to soften but not too soft that it will collapse when you add the filling and cook for the 2nd time to melt the cheese – this is approx another 8 mins

If your peppers are not super firm like mine you could put the chilli directly into the peppers and cook them altogether i would guesstimate this to take approx 10-15 minutes depending on your air fryer

My Air Fryer is on my Amazon Shop press the link it will take you there then look under kitchen gadgets https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/julesthelazycook

by julessmithie

Singapore Curry (AMOY)

If you want a quick easy meal go no further not only is this super quick but it is super tasty! You can use any meat you like i decided to use pork and it was delicious.

I served mine with stir fry and noodles but you could easily serve with rice. This would also make a fantastic weekend fakeaway and is a brilliant Storecupboard recipe i will definitely be keeping a sachet of this in our cupboards.

https://videopress.com/v/mJfbGtn2?preloadContent=metadata
by julessmithie

Spaghetti Carbonara

I have wanted to make this for years but when your other half is not a great cheese lover -then we have a problem and im definitely not making two meals for tea!! (thats evening meal if you are not from Up North lol)

My issue with most recipes is they either contain Parmesan or quark and there is just no way will i get that past Graeme so i opted for Primula and hoped for the best. Guess what???? it worked a treat we both ate it and enjoyed it i added Parmesan to mine just to make it even more cheesy.

The “how to” video is below together with all my top tips to stop the dreaded scrambled eggs!

by julessmithie

Sticky Gammon / Ham

A fantasic way to use up leftover Gammon or Ham as you will see mine was sliced and it still worked and made a lovely tasty meal.

Simple store cupboard ingredients used and this can be ready in 5 minutes, as the ham is already cooked you start reducing the sauce first then add the ham later as it really just needs warming through.

Depending on how much Gammon / Ham you are using you may only need 2 Tablespoons of each ingredients it really depends how much sauce you want and like.

QUICK “HOW TO” VIDEO

by julessmithie

Tigg’s Bold Beetroot & Chickpea Falafel

My second recipe using these fantastic sauces by Tigg’s i loved the first recipe i created but this time i wanted to make one that could either be a Lunch or Dinner and falafel is easy to transport if you are taking lunches to work. However it also makes a brilliant evening meal , i served ours in flatbreads with salad and a small side of wedges. This also a perfect vegetarian meal for meat free Monday.

The Tigg’s sauce can be found in Tesco in the salad chiller isle but dont let that put you off its not for just dressing salads or burgers it makes a brilliant ingredient to add to recipes to get a fab depth of flavour.

Available in Tesco Salad Chiller Isle
by julessmithie