Mid Week Meals

/ emma@cookfasteatslow.com Leave a comment

Baked French Toast

I have always loved to wake before anyone else in the family is up. There is something about getting up in a quiet house and having even just a few minutes to stand at the bench or sit in my favourite chair, often just staring out the window while I wake up enough to make my coffee. No questions, complaints or arguments.

Just me, my thoughts and my warm coffee cup.

I have started doing it again lately, as we have all been 1000% together 1000% of the time. Oh the joys – and the constant-ness of constant company.

Sound familiar? I think what started as a feeling of ‘Yay, everything’s cancelled, let’s bunker down and have lots of QUALITY TIME TOGETHER’ has turned into a daily battle of choosing to keep ‘bearing with one another in love’ as the days together turn into weeks and months, with little connection from others or change in scenery.

So it was in the stillness and quiet of last Sunday morning, coffee in hand, that I popped this beauty in the oven. I love any recipe that can be prepared in advance, and this one is all the better for a night in the fridge – bread soaking and flavours developing as I sleep.

I love this recipe as it has no added sugar other than the small amount for sprinkling across the top and the maple syrup on the base of the dish. There are many versions of this recipe out there, and most contain unnecessary cups of added sugar!

You will be pleased to know I had a whole hour to myself reading and drinking coffee in the quiet while the family was sleeping and this deliciousness was baking away in the oven. I think it was the smell of it baking that got most of them out of bed in the end.

Baked French Toast

Serves 4-6

Recipe adapted from Bills Basics, by Bill Granger

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup cream (use milk if you don’t have cream)
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 8-10 slices of day old bread – I used a loaf of fruit sourdough, but you can literally use anything, even old bits and bobs of bread from the freezer.
  • a handful of fresh or frozen raspberries, optional (or any berries you have on hand)
  • butter for greasing
  • Demarara Sugar (or raw) for sprinkling

Method

  • Grease a medium size rectangle baking dish with butter
  • Pour maple syrup on base of dish
  • Lay slices of bread in dish, over lapping the slices slightly to fit it all in. Keeping the crusts on and having some pieces not submerged makes for a crunchy topping and yummy texture.
  • Whisk together eggs, cream, milk and vanilla and pour evenly into the dish.
  • Scatter with berries if using.
  • Cover and place in the fridge overnight.
  • When ready to bake, remove cover and sprinkle with sugar. Demarara gives it a crunchy caramel finish, raw sugar is a perfectly fine substitute.
  • Bake at 180 degrees celsius for 50-60 minutes, or until golden on top and custard is set.
  • You can either eat it warm or at room temperature, on it’s own, or with your yoghurt of choice, creme fraiche or thickened cream.

/ emma@cookfasteatslow.com Leave a comment

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

The warmer weather has us all looking for fresh and light dinner ideas that don’t take too long to prepare. Even passionate cooks don’t want to be standing at a hot stove for too long this time of year.

So, grab a BBQ chicken, chop up some salad ingredients and put a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc in the fridge. That’s dinner sorted my friends.

Ingredients

  • 1 BBQ chicken, meat shredded
  • 1 250 gram packet of fresh bean sprouts
  • 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and shredded into ribbons, or grated
  • 2 lebanese cucumbers, cut into bite sized chunks
  • 3 srping onions, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup of roasted cashews
  • 1/2 bunch of coriander (substitute Thai Basil if you like)
  • 1/2 a bunch of fresh mint

Dressing

  • juice of 2 large limes
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed

Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl and toss lightly.

Combine all dressing ingredients in a small glass jar and shake well. Drizzle over salad, toss again and serve.

Serves 4-6

/ emma@cookfasteatslow.com 1 Comment

Italian Lentil and Bacon Soup

I feel like I owe you all a huge apology……..for not sharing this recipe with you sooner! This has been in my ‘top 5 favourite soups’ list for as many years as I can remember. I am not sure why it has taken me so long to get it on the blog.

When the boys were little they wouldn’t eat it and so Andrew and I would enjoy huge bowls of it ourselves and then have leftovers for a few days. Well, those days are gone. This is now a family favourite and there is never a spoonful left.

Sometimes after a long hard week, when my body and spirit are both feeling a little worn out, all I need to refill my tank is some time on the lounge, a good movie to escape into and a steaming bowl of this soup.

Recipe by Belinda Jeffery

Comfort food at it’s best – this soup makes staying home on a winters night even more perfect. It’s rich, hearty and satisfying and only made better by enjoying near a roaring fire with a glass of red.

/ emma@cookfasteatslow.com Leave a comment

Roasted Veg Salad (vegetarian)

We all have our list of ‘lazy meals’ that we go to when we can’t really bare to think anymore about what to feed the family. 

Although this salad looks a little fancy, it has become one of my ‘what to eat when I haven’t thought about what to eat’ meals. 

The beauty of this recipe, if you can indeed call it one, is that you roast whatever you have on hand or needs using up. The day I took these photos, it was tomatoes, capsicums, potatoes and sweet potatoes, and I threw some asparagus in for the last 5 minutes of roasting time.

But the options are endless – beetroot, pumpkin, leeks, onions, carrot, zucchini – if it’s in your fridge or cupboard, wash it, chop it into even chunky sized pieces and throw it on the tray. 

Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and scatter with  some fresh or dried herbs – rosemary, thyme or oregano are often my choice for veggies like these. 

If you cut them into small-ish chunks they should only take about 30 minutes in a 200 degree oven. 

I like to let them cool for a moment, before tumbling onto a platter of mixed salad leaves. You could leave it at this and it would be fabulous, or to snaz it up a bit, add some goats cheese or fetta. 

It is such a versatile dish – eat it on it’s own or alongside some protein like chicken, red meat or fish. 

I often try to do a little extra, because a container of these veggies, cold the next day makes for a quick and yummy lunch. 

Here’s to finding new inspiration to keep feeding our families without going mad!

E x

 

 

 

/ emma@cookfasteatslow.com Leave a comment

One-Pan Chicken Margherita

It was a Monday night. 

The boys had just recently started back at school, with our youngest boy, home from his first day of Kindergarten! He was a mixture of hot, tired, bothered and slightly bewildered at what this whole school thing was really all about. “Do I have to go back tomorrow?” he asked.

It was 44 degrees celsius and I looked out from my kitchen window to my green sludgy pool, as the pump had recently decided to give up and we were still waiting for it to be repaired. 

No-one could swim, it was still too hot at 6pm for anyone to go outside and so naturally, the only option for our eldest 2 was to engage in a Nerf gun war, in our small living space directly off our kitchen (insert eye rolling here).

With bullets flying overhead, I could barely hear the whimpers of our youngest boy, who was more than ready for dinner and bed. 

Rushing to get this pan of Chicken Margherita out of the oven, I didn’t quite check that my oven mitt covered the entire handle, so it was a miracle that when the handle touched my bare forearm and I heard it sizzle, that I didn’t a) swear or b) drop the pan and all of our dinner on the floor. 

You know those moments when you wonder if you just quietly slipped out the back door, maybe no-one would notice and your occasional dreams of running away from home would finally come true?

That was one of those moments.

But it was the kindness of my eldest son who, once he realised how badly I had burnt my arm, tried to help me in the kitchen and calm the others down, that saved me that day. 

One minute I am dreaming of the escape, the next, I realise that despite the drama and chaos of family life, every now and then our kids surprise us with kindness and empathy and a little voice in my head says ‘Don’t give up, think of the adult you want them to become. Hang in there, it won’t be chaos for ever.’

Reflecting back as I write this, I realise that the incidents of that Monday night were small, incidental and ever so normal, but it’s sometimes those very moments, that tip us over the edge as mums.

I am eternally grateful that our evenings are not video recorded for anyone to witness.

So why do I often write about the mess and mayhem? 

Increasingly our world is worshipping at the altar of stylised perfection and the mess and mayhem rarely gets any air time.

Celebrating the wins, the good, the beautiful, the fun and the joys are so important.

But it’s when I look into the weary eyes of fellow mums, who dare to whisper ‘am I the only who is struggling here?’ that I realise we need to be brave to share ALL of it, the great and not-so-great moments of raising kids and family life. 

On a side note, everyone ate this dinner without complaints, which is a WIN to celebrate! 

Think thin slices of chicken breast baked in a rich tomato sauce, with garlic and basil doing all the talking. A smattering of grated mozzarella for those who love cheese and then finished off with fresh basil or spinach leaves. 

Hang in there friend x

One-Pan Chicken Margherita
Serves 5
Thin slices of chicken breast cooked in a garlic and tomato sauce, with basil and spinach.
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
15 min
Total Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 large chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally, to form 4-5 thin pieces.
  2. 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
  3. 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  4. 1/2 a 700ml jar of Tomato Passata (tomato cooking sauce)
  5. 1/2 bunch of fresh basil leaves (or a tablespoon of dried basil), some reserved for serving
  6. a handful of grated mozzarella (more or less depending on your family tastes)
  7. a handful of baby spinach leaves (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius.
  2. Heat olive oil in a medium oven proof frying pan, over a medium heat.
  3. Add garlic and stir for a minute, till a little golden.
  4. Pour in tomato passata, add most of the basil leaves and bring to the boil.
  5. Place chicken in the pan, making sure they are sitting snug, but in a single layer so they cook evenly.
  6. Throw a few more basil leaves on top of each piece of chicken and sprinkle grated mozzarella over each piece.
  7. Place pan in a preheated oven and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
  8. Remove from oven, garnish with extra basil leaves and spinach.
  9. Serve with vegetables or a salad.
Notes
  1. Cutting chicken breasts as evenly as possible will mean they will cook at the same time.
  2. Place the rest of the tomato passata into a container and freeze for later use, as it only lasts a few days in the fridge once it's been opened.
cook fast eat slow https://www.cookfasteatslow.com/