What am I going to do with all these potatoes???

We are a potato loving family, but I am now beginning to doubt whether I have enough potato recipes up my sleeve to last us out the summer!  I planted 25 earlies (Rocket variety) which are now ready to eat in 2 week staggered stages and I have also planted about 16 Pink Fur Apple salad potatoes, which will probably be ready in about 3-4 weeks.  That’s a lot of potatoes for a family of 3 and so I need to think about how I can vary how I cook them.

Food Revolution currently have a theme going on, on Twitter, which is to find a great way to cook potatoes…… to steer chip lovers away from their fat laden snack!

So excited about our new pots!

So…. I did something really fantastic yesterday which I have to share with you and it was dead easy.  Boil some water and pop in your new pots with a few cloves of garlic to parboil for about 5 mins – as you do preheat your oven to 200C. When the pots and garlic have had 5 mins, drain them, toss in oil (I use cold pressed rapeseed – high smoke point!), a little Maldon salt and ground pepper, chuck them in a pan with some rosemary over the top (pref fresh) and roast for 20 mins.  A much better alternative to chips to accompany the fantastic ribeye steaks that Jon got from our local butcher!

How’s that for fast, easy food!

Rib-eye steak, garlic roasted new potatoes and salad from the garden

Can I feed my family for 50 pounds?? I’ll have a go!

I always pick up recipes from supermarkets and I have to admit that rather like those that I cut out of magazines….they remain unused as I once again return to my favourite books.  However,  I have now picked up a couple of mini-mags from Sainsbury’s that I really wanted to give a go…. one of them is the ‘Feed your family for 50 pounds’. It is a seven day programme of family-friendly meals which comes with a shopping list which will do you the week.

Find the plan for this week here: http://www.sainsburys-feed-your-family.co.uk/MealPlan/  This will be current until the new plan launches on 15th June.

We have delayed doing the whole shebang until the summer hols as Jon, Abbie and I all get fed at lunchtime when at school… but I had to try one recipe in the hope that I could get Abbie to eat courgette…. and IT WORKED!  Jon and I referred to the aformentioned vegetable as ‘zucchini’ and it is grated in this recipe.  This coupled with the usual technique of mixing the new with the familiar and we were onto a winner!

We made ‘Spaghetti Carbonara’ – have to admit that I ommitted the mushrooms as this could have been one step too far – maybe later in the summer!

So the link to this recipe is @: http://www.sainsburys-feed-your-family.co.uk/MealPlan/Detail/2/1

BUT just in case it disappears…

You will need:

• 1 onion, peeled & finely chopped
• 200g mushrooms, sliced
• 250g courgettes, coarsely grated
• 500g Basics spaghetti
• 2 free range eggs, yolks only
• 150ml 1% fat milk
• 150ml single cream
• 60g British mild Cheddar, finely grated
• 60g British cooked ham, torn
• Make it veggie…
  Try swapping the ham for fresh young spinach leaves, stirred in with the sauce and spaghetti.

From your store cupboard:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, peeled & finely chopped

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and cook the onion for 5-10 minutes, until soft. Add the mushrooms and courgettes and cook for a further 5 minutes, until golden, adding the garlic for the last minute. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti following pack instructions.
2. In a separate bowl lightly whisk the egg yolks, milk and cream. Stir in half the grated cheese.
3. Drain the spaghetti and return to the pan. Stir through the mushroom and onion mixture, the ham and the creamy sauce. Toss together well.
4. Return to the heat for 1-2 minutes and toss until cooked through.
5. Season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle over the remaining cheese.
   

   An absolutely delicious, nutritionally balanced supper!

We are definitely going to try some more of these great recipes and saving ourselves a few pennies along the way!  If you try any of the other meals, let me know…..