Month of Meals Week #1

Hey guys! Welcome to this new series 'Month of Meals' where I'm going to show you every meal I have for dinner throughout the month.

I'm a relatively new pescetarian and LOVE cooking vegetarian and vegan food (but chocolate and cheese are my weakness... so I could never go fully vegan..). Despite being an awkward dinner guest, I love cooking meatless meals and they seem to go down a treat with the meat-eating boyfriend and little Archer (who both still have meat in their diets before you all panic).

Monday: Actifry Vegetables and Couscous

I'm still getting to grips with what I can actually cook in the actifryer - and this was a grand discovery on Monday. I chopped 1 onion, 1 corguette, 1 red pepper, 1/2 pack mushrooms and cooked these in the actifry for about 20 mins in a little oil, then added chopped tomatoes and passata (the thing eats moisture...) and some sweet corn for 5 mins. Served over couscous because it's the easiest thing in the world!

Tuesday: Rocket Pesto Wholewheat Pasta with Asparagus and Broccoli

I've been loving making pesto recently in my mini magimix. It's SO easy and so much better then shop bought pesto. I usually just guess the amounts I put in... but for this I cracked in 1 garlic clove, a small handful of pine nuts, a handful of basil and a couple handfuls of rocket with olive oil. I steamed the broccoli and asparagus seperately, cooked the pasta and then just mixed everything together. Again, super easy but really tasty (although I think basil pesto still has my heart...)

Wednesday: Mini Jacket Potatoes with Sweet Chilli Salmon and Spinach and Mini Green Salad

Wednesday was a use-up-weird-items-left-in-fridge kinda day. And it so happened that I was left with potatoes, sweet chilli salmon (the pre-cooked stuff), spinach, avocado, spring onions and cucumer. I don't think this meal needs must explanation, it's pretty self explanatory... but I will just say that I always wilt my spinach in the microwave in a little olive spread and then season - still creamy but dairy free! 

Thursday: Kale Lasagne with Vegetables

Along with chocolate, cheese is my weakness. I just can't say no. I used a recipe from Martha Stewarts 'Meatless' book (here) which used ricotta and egg to make the cheese sauce. It actually makes Kale taste kinda good (Kale does NOT taste good really, why we are all kidding ourselves I do not know...) but I wasn't too fussed on the cheese sauce... for me lasagne should be made with classic white sauce + cheddar cheese sauce combo, so I think I'll substitute my own in when I make it again. I also added cooked chopped onion and celery to the tomato sauce to veggie-it-up a bit!

Friday: Rubbish Rosti and Roasted Vegetables

Friday was a bit of a fail. I attemped to make rosti, but couldnt get the potato to bind! They semi worked, and still tastest good they just weren't as crispy as I would have hoped! I roasted leeks, onion, mushrooms, red pepper and beetroot in a little olive oil and popped this alongside. They get really juicy and red from the beets which I love! I do find beetroots a huge faff, so I don't use them often because they require cooking, then peeling, then roasting (after which you look like you've been butchering some roadkill). It stains your hands too. Bloody beets... 

Saturday: Egg Baked Portobellos with Kale and Cabbage Slaw 

The Kale and Cabbage Slaw was another find in the Martha Stewarts 'Meatless' book - but the recipe is online here . Mine looks nothing like their photo... cabbage stained everything! Also didn't include the hemp seeds in mine (where do you even find these...?) It looked pretty bad, but tastes pretty good! I chopped the stems out of the mushrooms, cracked an egg in and popped them in the oven, checking every 5 mins until all the white had cooked through. Then added a little bit of cheese on and let it melt before seasoning!

Sunday: Brie, Wild Mushroom and Spinach Tart with Veggies

The recipe I used for the tart is here  - again.. pretty easy. I don't have time to waste in the kitchen! 

I hope you enjoyed the first week of this new series! Let me know your thoughts, and if you have any dinner inspiration for me! 

xxx