im 19 yrs old and have just become a mummy for the first time. getting used to being in the house and adjusting my sleep pattern (as all mums will know) has left me in the pit with cooking. my husband works till 5 and i want to have tea ready for him coming home. any recipe ideas for me. i have 5/6 yrs cooking experience and love a challenge but have limited time and cannot spend hours in the kitchen (for obvious reasons)
help

Hi Leelee,

What type of food do you and your husband like to eat?

There are loads of recipes for one pot cooking, slow cooking, dishes that can be made in advance then frozen etc. Let me know if you'd like these types of recipes and I'll post some for you, also have a look at some of the good food bite recipes by show. The whole aim of the good food bites is to show quick simple recipe that taste fab.

Reshma :-)

hi reshma.
we both like eating a huge range of foods. i dont like fish, or 'none basic' meats such as veal or game, but give me good old fashion, chicken, beef and pork. we eat all veggies and rices, noodles, pasta and we love creamy sauces...... not really fussy eaters but need a bit of variaty. sick and tired if oven chips and kievs.
one pot cooking i can see as being an advantage but like being in the kitchen and love to cook. at the moment baby goes in his wee moses basket in my living room next to the kitchen, and sleeps. so i do have a little bit of time if something needs preparation. but im all open to suggestions
thanx

Hi leelee,

Firstly, congratulations - from experience its only the first 18 years or so that are difficult!! Only kidding, they are a joy!
My most recent success in the kitchen was a dish shown a while ago by Mary Cattigan ( I think!) called tartiflette. Potatoes, cheese, bacon, cream and onion ( I think that was all). Quick, simple to prepare, just as quick to cook, and filling. There was enough for a lunch the next day too! Just a minute or so in the microwave. I must point out that I didn't use the same cheese - supermarkets in the far north don't stretch to fish sauce let alone the french cheese mentioned in the recipe, so I used Lancashire - so I can't comment on what would happen with the correct cheese in the micro. No prize for guessing what we're having for tea tonight!
Happy cooking!

If you look under my name leelee you will find a very quick pasta dish using cheese and cream. Wait untill you have three youngsters. You would-not believe what I do or should I say what I don't do. LOL.

Oh thanks Karen G - Why didn't anyone tell me that 4 years and 9 months ago - GREAT !!!

I suppose you could do Chilli's, Spag sauce and lasagne sauce (Or use the spag sauce again) and freeze them

to blondie 02 the pasta dish sounds lovely and i have tried to search under your name to find the recipe but with no luck .
please help

hi a god send when my kids where small and also now im out working all day is the slow cooker, I put the main course in early in the morning e.g mince beef, curry, and in the even ing it takes 10 15 mins to do the rice or pasta or spuds.The best thing about it is you can leave it for hours even after it has cooked . Lisa

Hi leelee, Put a quanity of pasta into boiling salted water,cook untill tender approx between 7 -10 min's. In the meantime fry sliced mushrooms in butter untill brown, drain on kitchen paper. Drain cooked pasta. Put back into pan add grated cheese, any cheese you like it can be 1 cheese or 2 or 3 different cheese's mixed together. Now add your mushrooms followedby the cream, heat through and season with salt and pepper. You can vary the ingredients to put into the pasta but try this dish first. All the best.

leelee, That's any amount of single cream between 5 and 10 fluid oz's.

Nick, No one told me 18 years ago so who am I to spoil anyone else's fun!!
Actually now she's left home, she's trying to cook, something she never bothered about before. I suppose she's just realised that there isn't always someone else to do it for her! Yesterday's success was spag bol!

Hi there, welcome to mummy club, ive two under 2 never laughed so much or been so exhausted together at one time. What about investing in a slow cooker. theyre great. peel veg while baby sleeping stick it in the pot add the meat, or fish, add stock and turn it on and leave it. wake baby up play and then wait patiently for hubby to come home from his "real job" eat then fall asleep, while he does the pots!! I also recommend chicken or fish done in foil or paper bags. recipes on htis site. just add a salad and crusty bread. lovely grub. congrats and hope you are well. take care of you too, its important isnt it girls?

Hi Leelee,
Flash fry pork chops ,transfer into ovenproof dish and add chopped onions sliced mushrooms+tin of chopped tomatoes and put in the oven for 2Hrs gas mark 3 you are then free to see to the little one if she needs you

Hi Leelee
Ive just noticed that ive put the little one down as being a little girl and not a boy hope you accept my appologies

Hi Leelee

Congratulations on the birth of baby.
Here is a family fav which so easy to do take a packet of grated parasan, one tu b of double cream, some mustard and a pack of fresh pasta.

Put the water on to boil, cook pasta for 3 miuntes or so . In another pot add the cream parasan and mustard and bring together. Season to taste. Mix all together with the cooked pasta.

Hey presto easy carbonara!!

Ace meal in no longer than 10 minutes


Will Callan

Leelee - congratulations.

Firstly, I'll say it's actually a great time to teach your man to cook - and I'm serious about that. I was quite ill during my pregnancy and I don't think my man ever learnt so much!

But I understand what you mean about wanting to put a meal on the table. Keep it simple. Interstingly marinaded meat, or good sausages, veg and new taties (or even oven chips - they can be miraculous if everything else is tasty) are a godsend when you're short of time, or may need to delegate the actual cooking bit of the meal (these babies are so unpredictable, you know!)

Or as others have said, casseroles are brilliant. Unless there's something going off, like my kithcen being remodelled, I hand my man the baby on a sunday afternoon and make a pot roast or a casserole or stew sufficient for that day, even more delicious the next day, and one in the freezer, or alternatively, I'll cook in the evening and make a tomato sauce, bolognese or chilli or anything that serves for more than one night.

New babies are really tiring, so don't try to be wonder woman every night. Also, encourage your man to spend a bit of time with baby when he gets home. It's less stressful for you and shouldn't be seen as work outside of his realm for him. My man and boy love that bit of time together. They probably construct outrageous plots against me for all i know. Whichever way, I'll either spend that hour when he gets home lovingly in my kitchen, or stick a sainsburys ready meal in the oven and do something for myself!