3 meals for the price of one

I thought I’d share another of my little meal hacks with you, to hopefully make your life a little bit easier.

Finding time to cook a healthy, nutritious dinner, when you work, have kids that all like different things, and a husband that could put the fussiest of eaters to shame, is never easy. That’s why most of the time I don’t bother 😂😂

Here’s the secret though, I always aim for 2 out of 3. As long as 2 of them eat it then I’m ok with that. The other one can have a bloody cheese toasty or a bowl of cereal. I have always point blank refused to cook more than one meal. It’s a dangerous trap to get into and you’ll end up doing it for the rest of your life. Don’t like it? Don’t eat it. I don’t care. No one will starve if they miss a meal.

God, when I see it written down like that, I’m a bit of an arsehole aren’t I? 😂 I just refuse to pander to fussy eating.

If 1 out of 3 people is going to refuse to eat the food I make, I also refuse to spend too long making anything that isn’t a tried and tested favourite. This is where recipes like the ones I’m going to share come in. I do one trip to the shops, and the ingredients can be used to make 3 different dishes throughout the week. Simply, quickly, and with very little thought or effort.

Firstly, the shopping list

Aubergine

2 x courgettes

2 x red onions

Red and yellow pepper

A jar of passata (or a tin of tomatoes probably works just as well)

Tinned chopped tomatoes

Basil

Big tomatoes

Pesto

Ready rolled puff pastry

Potatoes

Jar of roasted peppers

Garlic (I use a jar of lazy garlic)

Rocket

Crusty bread

Feta

Olive oil

Oregano

Fresh Parsley

If you’re anything like me, then some of those things will be lurking in your cupboard already.

I should also point out quickly, that as confirmed carnivores, the word vegetarian is a swear word in our house 😂 these recipes however are all suitable for those of you who choose not to feast on the flesh of other mammals 😂 2 of the 3 recipes are even vegan 😱. Don’t worry, my next recipe will have a whole pig in it or something just to balance it out.

So here’s the first recipe…

Ratatouille

Super simple, pour the passata (or chopped tomatoes) into the bottom of an oven proof dish. Add in 2 cloves of garlic and a diced red onion. Season with salt and pepper and a little bit of sugar.

Thinly slice one courgette, an aubergine, the red and yellow peppers and a couple of big tomatoes. Layer them up on top of the tomato mix so it looks pretty. Poke some basil leaves in between the layers.

Drizzle (that’s a shit word isn’t it? I can’t think of another one right now though) some olive oil on the top, cover with foil, and stick it in the oven on about 180 for around 20 mins. Take the foil off and put it back in for another 10 minutes, or until the veggies look a bit roasted (not burnt)

We have this in the summer with roast potatoes and chicken instead of a traditional roast dinner.

Recipe 2….

Leftover tart

I was explaining on Instagram (No such thing UK) the other day that I am incapable of believing quantities in recipes. I’m convinced there will never be enough, so I double everything 😂 then I have loads left over. This tart was born of that obsession.

Just lay out the sheet of puff pastry on an oven tray. Spread the pesto over the top, and then top with whatever you’ve got left over. Courgette, red onion, roasted peppers, aubergine, tomatoes. For the last one I did, I found some Brie and prosciutto in the fridge (I’m aware of how middle class that sounds before anyone points it out) and added that.

Again, shove it in the oven on 180 for around 20 mins. This is great with a lovely rocket salad.

Finally, to use up any odds and sods you’ve got left over…

Briam

This is essentially Greek ratatouille but with potatoes added.

Similar to the ratatouille, put the chopped tomatoes and garlic in the oven dish. This time though, thinly slice potatoes, courgette and red onion, toss them in oil, parsley and a sprinkle of oregano. Then layer up on top.

Cook it the same, covered for 20 mins, then uncover for the last bit.

This is actually tonight’s dinner for us, and we’re having it with feta and some crusty bread. Yum.

So there you have it, 3 recipes, all using similar ingredients to minimise waste. Give them a go