Microwave Cheese Sauce

For my first contribution I give you Microwave Cheese Sauce. My children would eat "cheesy pasta" every night if I let them so I needed a way to make it quick and fool proof. Having tried out a few versions I found via Google this is the one that works for me!

1. In a big jug put 1/2 pint milk (semi or skimmed depending on who I'm making it for)
2. For a coating sauce I add 1 oz of plain flour (use 1/2 oz for pouring sauce) and whisk out any lumps
3. Put in microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes
4. Whisk
5. Return to microwave and keep whisking every 30 seconds (or if rises too high) and cook for total 3 1/2-4 minutes
6. Once thickened to required consistency add grated cheese to taste:

Stir into pre-cooked, drained pasta and serve to the starving masses!

Smoked Salmon Risotto

this is really easy and tasty, the smoked salmon 'cooks' and goes pale pink in the hot rice, you don't need a strong stock as the salmon is v salty and flavours the risotto. you can buy smoked salmon 'trimmings' in packets or just chop up pieces of smoked salmon into little bits.
you can get gnocchi in packets they last for ages and keep in the fridge for when you need then - they are like little potato dumplings and turn into mini crispy roasted potatoes when you fry them, yum.

you will need:

pack of risotto rice
onion
olive oil
smoked salmon
stock (ready made or chicken or veg stock cube or veg bouillon powder)
a big pan
optional: add some white wine after the rice and onion, cook till it sizzles then start adding the stock; do it without the salmon and add cheese and butter at the end instead
serve with: steamed veg, roasted potato gnocchi or whatever!

1. heat some olive oil in a big pan with a lid
2. add finely chopped onion and let it cook really slowly till soft
3. make the stock while the onion is cooking
4. add the risotto rice to the pan and let it cook for a minute or so with the onion
5. add a bit of stock at a time and stir until it absorbs into the rice
6. keep going with a glug of stock at a time and stirring till it absorbs into the rice (I use about a litre of stock it depends how much rice you are making! just make up some more if the rice still needs it) it takes about 20 minutes to cook the rice completely - just taste it till it's ready cooked through but still got bit of 'bite'!
7, while I'm doing this I steam some veg to go with it and cook some gnocchi  - heat bit of oil in a frying pan with a lid and put the gnocchi in, turn every now and then till they are brown and crispy.
8. turn off the heat and stir through the chopped up smoked salmon, put a lid on till you're ready to serve, the salmon will go pale pink. i don't think it needs cheese as it is already salty, but add what you like!

Spaghetti Bolognaise

you will need:
pack of beef mince
onion
carton of passata or two tins tomatoes
a stock cube
some wine

optional: carrot/ courgette/ mushroom/ any other veg

1. dry fry the beef mince in your pan keep turning till it goes brown
2. you probably now should put it on another plate and add it back to the pan once the veggies are soft, but I just add the chopped onion to this and fry that down with the meat. if you want to add other veg add it once the onion is soft - grated carrot, grated courgette or parsnip, sliced mushrooms, whatever you want to use up and 'hide' in the sauce!
3. I add some wine now and let it cook down and sizzle
4. add the tinned tomatoes or passata
5. boil some water and melt down the stock cube - add to the pan- couple of mugs full
6. let it bubble away for as long as you've got - 20-30 mins minimum - till the sauce is thick, meat is tender and it's all tasty
in meantime boil up the spaghetti - usually about 8 mins- and steam some veg above it - broccoli carrots beans peas sweetcorn whatever

Fish Pie

biggest daughter really whinged when she heard I was making this for tea ... and then when she tried it said 'actually this is quite delicious' !!

I buy those fish pie packs when they are on special offer at you-know-where

you will need:
fish pie packs
potatoes
milk
flour
butter
optional: mustard, cheese, frozen peas, frozen prawns

1. preheat oven to 200
2. open the fish pie packs and place the fish in a flat ceramic baking dish
3. make a white sauce - melt some butter in a saucepan, add some flour and stir till it makes a yellowy paste, cook for a couple of minutes, then add some milk and stir stir stir till its smooth, keep cooking and stirring till the sauce thickens (or google delia to get more specific instructions!!!)   I then add some mustard and pepper to make it more tasty
4. boil up some potatoes till soft, drain the water, then mash with some milk and butter and pepper
5. put some frozen peas and prawns into the dish with the fish if you like 
6. pour over the sauce onto the fish
7. put the mash ontop of the fish - spread it out and cover with grated cheese 
8. bake in oven for 30- 40 mins - check fish is cooked through, sauce in bubbling hot and top is crispy

Chorizo and Butter Bean Stew

I keep these tins in my cupboard and then it's a quick dinner when there's nothing else in the house! it's quite spicy and tasty.

- you need:
- a chorizo sausage (keeps for ages in the fridge)
- tins of tomatoes, butter beans or chick peas
- some passata (buy it in cartons)
- an onion
- some wine
optional: fresh parsley, plain yogurt
serve with: crusty bread or rice, green veg


- slice chorizo
- fry in a dry pan - all the oil will leak out
- add a teaspoon of paprika and stir
- add a chopped onion and stir and slowly fry till it's soft- may need to add a bit of olive oil so nothing burns
- add some red wine and let it sizzle
- add a carton of passata (crushed up tomatoes) or two tins of tomatoes
- let it all bubble away for a while - 20-30 mins? till the sauce is thicker and it all tastes yummy
- add a tin of butter beans or chick peas for the last 5 mins

- can serve with a dollop of plain yogurt, chopped up parsley, crusty bread, some green veg, or white rice

Chicken Nuggets and Chips

you need:
some fresh chicken breasts 
some potatoes
olive oil
bag of crisps
2 eggs
breadcrumbs
optional: sesame seeds
serve with: green veg

pre-heat oven to 190

chips 
peel potatoes and cut into slices/ chip shapes. add to a large metal baking tray with a glug of olive oil and mix it all around so all coated in the oil. bake in the oven for about 40 mins mins. (you can boil them for a few mins first if you want them to cook quicker). put chips in the oven while you make the nuggets. 

chicken nuggets
prepare a metal tray - I put foil on it and then a bit of oil so there is less sticking

in one bowl/ plate, mix together: 
1/2 packet of crisps or tortilla chips, crushed up into small bits
add some sesame seeds
add some breadcrumbs (double the amount of crisps)

in one bowl:
beat 2 eggs with some pepper

cut up chicken breasts into bite size pieces. dip each chicken piece into the egg bowl, then the crispy mixture.  put each bit onto the tray with a bit of space around each one. 
put tray in the oven and cook for 15-20. give them a turn half way through. check chicken is cooked through and the coating is all crispy. 

veg
steam some veg - frozen peas or sweetcorn? broccoli? green beans? while it is cooking.


you can also do this with fish to make fish fingers/ goujons- use pieces of fresh raw white fish instead of chicken

Hi welcome to the Space Mums Recipe Blog!

The criteria = easy and delicious!

 

please blog a recipe for what you cook when you’ve not got much:

- time

- energy

-money

-equipment

-provisions in the house

 

and you have got:

- hungry kids/ partner/ friends saying ‘when’s tea?’

- a desire to give them healthy yummy food that they actually eat!

Welcome

This blog is written by mums from St Thomas' Kendal Space group. We meet at church on a Wednesday morning. Now we want to share some of the time and money saving recipes we have used as busy mums. Watch this space for our tips and recipes!