Basic Food Fillers - Chilli and Spag Bol

For many I may be teaching you to suck eggs, but for some Separation and Divorce is such a shock to the system that making food (or even having an appetite) does not happen.

I''ve been there, looked at the time - thought ''I really should have something to eat, but I''m not hungry'' opened the fridge, then closed it again. Just can''t be bothered.

I''m out the other side, but still do the bulk cooking and stock up the freezer because it makes life so much easier.

When you''re going through the emotional and financial turmoil that separation and divorce bring, usually the last thing on your mind is preparing and eating food. With this article it means you have one session of preparing and cooking and many portions that only need re-heating.

I''ve added my Chilli and Spag Bol recipes which I make at the same time and divide up into portions and shove in the freezer.

If anyone else has any healthy soup, one pot, slow cooker (basically easy and cheap) recipes they''d like to add here, please do.

Poundland do reasonable containers for filling the freezer or get a roll of freezer bags from the supermarket - they take up less room too.

The idea is that if you can''t face making anything - all you need to do is take out of the freezer in the morning or even defrost in the microwave.

My recipe is not cordon bleu or fine dining, it''s basic, it''s filling, it''s cheap and it''s healthier than a bought frozen meal.

www.wikivorce.com/divorce/Wikizine-Lifes...p-healthy-foods.html

I used to think that the lime in my G&T counted as one of my 5-a-day but for more info on What counts towards 5 a Day:

The following count towards your 5 A DAY:

Fresh fruit and vegetables.
Frozen fruit and vegetables.
Tinned or canned fruit and vegetables. Buy the ones tinned in natural juice or water, with no added sugar or salt.
Dried fruit, such as currants, dates, sultanas and figs.
Fruit and vegetables cooked in dishes such as soups, stews or pasta dishes.
A glass (150ml) of unsweetened 100% fruit or vegetable juice. Juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day, however much you drink. That''s mainly because juice contains less fibre than whole fruits and vegetables.
Smoothies. A smoothie containing all of the edible pulped fruit and/or vegetable may count as more than one portion but this depends on how it''s made. Smoothies count as up to a maximum of two portions per day. For more details, see 5 A DAY FAQs.
Beans and pulses. These only count as one portion a day, no matter how many you eat. That''s because they contain fewer nutrients than other fruits and vegetables.
Fruit and veg in convenience foods, such as ready meals and shop-bought pasta sauces, soups and puddings. Some ready-made foods are high in salt, sugar and fat, so only have them occasionally or in small amounts. You can find the salt, sugar and fat content of ready-made foods on the label. For more information, see Food labels.

WR

Hi White Rose

I do loads of the Hairy Bikers Diet recepies and stock them up in the freezer so when the eldest comes home starving at least their is always something she can bung in the oven

Shame that the stbx couldn''t do that

driven40 wrote:

Hi White Rose

I do loads of the Hairy Bikers Diet recepies and stock them up in the freezer so when the eldest comes home starving at least their is always something she can bung in the oven

Shame that the stbx couldn''t do that

I too love the hairy bikers stuff - I''ve done a honey and marmalade glazed ham and chocolate chilli in the slow cooker - good call!

I use my slow-cooker all the time - I even make stock in it from the left-over chicken carcass, which I then use to make soup.

Slow-cookers are now cheap - about £15 from various shops, they are economical to use and if you bung everything in in the morning before you go to work, when you get home there will be a delicious aroma to greet you (and no cooking to do that night!) And if you have too much, you can freeze the remainder. (And you can pout in a frozen portion straight into your slow-cooker in the morning, with a little extra water, and it will be ready for you when you get home in the evening.

Soups are a good way to use up left-over veg, and you can pack them with pluses and pearl barley, so it''s cheap, healthy and tasty. I don''t use recipes - I just bung in what ever needs using up. There''s nothing better on a cold day than home-made soup and cheese scones

I also use my slow cooker for making tomato pasta sause with hidden veg in just blitz it once it is all cooked and nobody knows whats in it and i usually get about 20 servings of it made at once and freeze them

Pasta e fagioli - pasta and veg soup

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/pastaefagioli_92269

The recipe is not fussy. For instance:

I use:-

cannellini beans
dried macaroni
two medium potatoes, 2 carrots, 3 sticks of celery, 3 large tomatoes (not necessarily ripe)
2 garlic cloves
a chicken or veg stock cube/pot
loads of salt and pepper

And leave out:-

the onion
chilli
herbs
parmesan

Dice all of the veg, fry off the garlic for 30 seconds in olive oil, add all of the veg and coat with the oil, pour in enough stock to cover and cook until the potato is just done, add the beans (crush/squidge every other handful in your hand as this thickens the soup, add the pasta, add S & P and herbs/chilli if using then cook until the pasta is done.

When serving, any left in the pan will continue to absorb the liquid and benefits from adding a bit more stock.

Charles

Italian stew is easy.

Stir fry beef strips
Tin tomatoes
Yellow pepper
Onion.
Mixed herbs

Chop pepper and onion, cook slightly in large pan add the meat, tomatoes and herbs.

Cook for 20 mins.

Great with mashed potatoes.

and it freezes