I’m getting tired now of posting our dinners, especially when they are like this week’s (nothing to boast about) so this might be the end of this short series. You’ll notice that dinners here at the start of the week are very homemade and healthy and that as the week goes on they get quicker and more processed. As my energy decreases, so does my imagination, but that’s what life is like. Ironically, when I’m in work (as opposed to on maternity leave) we tend to eat better at the weekend as I batchcook on a Saturday morning so there’s lots of fresh homemade goodness.
This week we ate:
Monday
Baked Salmon served with herby couscous/waffles chicken nuggets beans
I made the couscous in the Jamie recipe I posted a few weeks ago, except with parsley instead of dill and served a baked salmon fillet and sweet chili sauce with it. The boys had chicken goujons (not homemade) with waffles and beans, I, eh, bunged them in the oven and microwave and served without flourish or garnish. DISCLOSURE: I gave my sister P’s portion as she was visiting and had held the baby nearly all day. P had toast.
Tuesday
Spaghetti Carbonara
This is a family favourite and shows up on the menu here in some guise every week. I don’t use cream, just eggs and parmesan so it’s not as heavy as you’d think. I also made a big salad with grated carrot and peppers (see pic) as whiled tasty I crave salad after the vegetable free main. Ciarán devoured the grated carrot and peppers from the salad. Clean plates.
Carbonara with salad on the side
Wednesday
Meatballs in tomato sauce with pasta
The meatballs were pre-made from Aldi, I baked them and made a batch of quick tomato sauce which I blended and poured over the meatballs and served with fusili pasta. Another big hit. Cathal declared the sauce to be “weally bwilliant”.
Meatballs and a very tasty homemade tomato sauce with a big shadow on the photo
Thursday
Chicken fajitas
I took out the ingredients to make a nice curry in the morning but the day ran away from me so a scan of the cupboard revealed tortilla wraps and a pot of salsa I’d bought to use as a dip, I seasoned the chicken and peppers with cumin and chili powder and in an unorthodox move to please the kids I lobbed some salsa into the pan too, they like it saucey 🙂 Sides of lettuce, grated cheese and tomatoes were piled in and the boys (aged 3 and 5) made their own fajitas at the table.
Friday
Pizza and salad
Friday night was declared pizza night. I’ve shared my love of the Aldi pizzas before, the boys had their favourite Hawaiian one with salad and P and I had ours, a “Specially Selected” one with goat’s cheese and spinach (I hestitated a lot before typing goat’s cheese but this post made me confident with my choice of punctation. Or not, I still think that it looks wrong but the Guardian says it’s correct) later, served with, eh wine. I really recommend this pizza, it’s the closest to restaurant pizza I’ve ever bought readymade, you’ll find it in the chiller (not freezer) in a black box.
Saturday
Burgers with salad and oven chips
Yeah, it was a gourmet week, what can I say? The burgers weren’t homemade, they were fresh fancy ones from the supermarket, the buns had sesame seeds and we had gherkins, cheese and lettuce on them, except Cathal who just had cheese. Salad on the table again.
Sunday
Afternoon tea/sausages, mashed potatoes and beans
I skived off to a baby shower/afternoon tea with the girls where I stuffed myself so left Dad in charge. Sausages, beans, and mashed potato were enjoyed by all. I enjoyed not making them and not washing up after. And the afternoon tea at Monart for €20 is a winner!
Afternoon tea at Monart
Other:
We also ate LOTS of apples from Ballycross, and baked Apple Crumble and Banana Oatmeal Muffins.
If you like reading about what people eat for dinner here’s what we ate the week before last and the week before that.
