Food

One simple shopping list and five easy dinner ideas

An injection of a fresh idea is sometimes all you need to give an old favourite a lift

Creamy chicken pie

Jolene Cox
Tue Nov 17 2020 - 06:01

This year, many families across the country have had the time to put more thought into their weekly meal plans.

We are relying more than ever on a trusted shopping list to have us armed and ready for a quick supermarket sweep.

Store cupboard meals really don’t have to be bland; an injection of a fresh idea or two is sometimes all that’s needed to give an old favourite a lift.

Shopping List

  • 1 2kg chicken
  • 500g lean beef pieces
  • 1 pepperoni sausage
  • 1 pack each chicken & beef stock cubes
  • 1 jar each smoked paprika, oregano & curry powder
  • 1 tube tomato puree
  • Fresh parsley & thyme
  • 1 pack of mushrooms
  • 3 beef tomatoes
  • 1 green pepper
  • 1 finger ginger
  • 2 red peppers
  • 1 head garlic
  • 1 butternut squash
  • 1 pack onions
  • 1 pack spinach
  • 1 small tin sweetcorn
  • 2 litres milk
  • 1 pack grated cheddar & mozzarella mix
  • 1 tub creme fraiche
  • 1 tin coconut milk
  • 1 pack ready-made puff pastry
  • 1 bag plain flour
  • 1 bottle rapeseed oil
  • 1 pack fast action yeast

1) Classic Roast Chicken

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and boil a kettle of water.
– Place your chicken in the centre of a roasting tin and rub a crumbled chicken stock cube into the skin. Add a sprinkle of fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper.
– Put a slit into each leg between the breast and leg, and pour 300ml of boiling water into the tin. Cover with tin foil to trap in all the steam.
– Place in the oven to cook for 1½ hours without touching.
– After the allotted time take the chicken out, drain off the liquid stock into a saucepan for a gravy, and ladle a little chicken juice over the bird.
– Put back in the oven for 20 minutes without the tin foil to crisp up the skin.
– Serve with all the trimmings.

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2) Beef Goulash

Heat a teaspoon of rapeseed oil in a heavy-based saucepan with a lid.
– Sprinkle 500g of lean beef pieces with a tablespoon of flour. Brown the meat over a medium heat.
– Mince 1 garlic clove, chop 3 beef tomatoes, 1 onion and 1 red pepper then add them to the pan along with the beef. Fry until softened.
– Add 2 tablespoons of tomato puree and sprinkle in 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika.
– Finally, pour in 300ml of beef stock. Let it simmer on the hob for 3½ hours.
– Finish with a dollop of creme fraiche before serving with fluffy rice.

3) Leftover Chicken Pie

Place an oiled pan over a medium heat and add in your leftover chicken.
– Slice a handful of mushrooms, crush 1 garlic clove and add these to the pan with 2 tablespoons of sweetcorn. Cook for 5 minutes then add a tablespoon of flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
– In a jug mix a half pint of hot chicken stock with a half pint of milk.
– Slowly add the liquid quarter by quarter to the pan stirring well till it thickens nicely.
– Transfer the mix to an ovenproof dish.
– Top with a sheet of ready-made puff pastry, egg wash, then finish off in the oven at 180 degrees for about 40 minutes.

4) Coconut Veggie Curry

Crush a clove of garlic, dice 1 onion and 1 butternut squash, chop a finger of ginger and 1 green pepper, and slice a handful of mushrooms.
– Add all the veggies to your saucepan over a medium heat with a little oil.
– Squeeze in a tablespoon of tomato puree and mix.
– Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of curry powder, season with a little salt then add a tin of coconut milk. Stir well.
– Put a lid on the pan and simmer for 25 minutes.
– Finally, chuck in a handful of spinach and let it wilt.
– Serve with fluffy rice.

5) Press Pizza

Preheat the oven to 240 degrees.
– In a large mixing bowl, add 200g of plain flour and 1 teaspoon of salt.
– Make a well in the middle and pour in 120ml of water, 2 tablespoons of oil and a tablespoon of fast action yeast.
– Mix together with a spoon to make your dough.
– Tip out onto a floured work surface and give it a good knead, stretching the dough to let the yeast do its magic.
– Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper then roll out your dough to the same size.
– Place it on the greaseproof paper and top with tomato puree, a sprinkle of oregano and a pinch of sugar.
– Scatter with the cheddar and mozzarella cheese mix then top with sliced pepperoni.
– Drop the oven temperature to 180 degrees and bake for 30 minutes, checking after 20.

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- 1 shopping list, 5 breakfast ideas
- 1 shopping list, 5 lunch ideas
- 1 shopping list, 5 dinner ideas

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