RECIPE: Spiced Quorn and Potato Traybake

This was one of those meals I didn't think much of prior to making it, yet it ended up being one of my new favourite meals. It's so simple to prepare, easy to make a meat and vegetarian version (my husband eats meat and I'm a vegetarian), seriously flavoursome and the leftovers are even better. Roasting tin meals are perfect for mid-week dinners because there's minimal washing up, anything that reduces washing up is a winner with me.

MEAL PLANNING: A week on a toddlers plate #2

A while ago now I put together a meal planning post featuring lots of Isabella's meals, which you can see here. It went down really well, so I thought I'd put together another one to help meal planning and ideas. It can be tricky thinking of new, interesting meals, so I hope this inspires you to try something new with your little one. All of these recipes are easy to put together and I will often make a batch of something and then give it to Isabella in different forms throughout the week, in an attempt to keep her discovering new foods, flavours and tastes. 

RECIPE: Sweet Potato and Mushroom Enchiladas

Mexican food is one of my all time favourites - the endless avocado, beans and interesting flavours make it exciting. We don't have any good Mexican restaurants (that I know of) near where we live, so I'll often cook Mexican dishes at home instead. Enchiladas, burritos and fajitas are all easy meals to cook a vegetarian and meat version; I'll fill mine with beans/vegetables, while my husband has chicken strips and peppers. These sweet potato and mushroom enchiladas are seriously tasty, easy to make and full of flavour.

ONE JAR OF DOLMIO: 15 Meal Ideas

Meal planning has been such a positive change in our family life. Don't get me wrong it can be a bit of a hassle thinking up new healthy meals, but with companies like Dolmio making it easier it is certainly the way forward. We have got into a routine of cooking up a large batch meal on a Sunday evening and then having it throughout the first part of the week. My husband and I both work for the first half of the week, so there is minimal time to be cooking from scratch every night. However, cooking a large batch of something means we can have different home cooked meals every night.

MEAL PLANNING: A week on a toddlers plate #1

Cooking healthy, nutritious meals for children doesn't haven't to be overly time consuming or expensive. Some of my mummy friends don't understand how I have the time to cook fresh meals for Isabella every single day and the answer is I don't. She has homemade meals every meal time, but it doesn't mean I've made it fresh that day. Cooking in bulk and freezing is key, it means you can make the most of reduced items in the supermarkets and you'll always have an array of delicious, nutritious meals ready to heat up.

RECIPE: Mixed Tomato, Mozzarella and Ricotta Tart

If you're after a family friendly meal that takes minimum effort and time, but is full of flavour then this is the one for you. Ready rolled puff pastry is such a versatile base and is easy to make vegetarian/meat options for my husband and I. This recipe is inspired by the home grown tomatoes my mother-in-law kindly gave to us. We had a bag full of delicious, fresh mixed tomatoes, so I wanted to create a delicious meal with minimum effort. The combination of mozzarella, tomato, ricotta and basil is classic Italian - any leftovers also make for a tasty lunch.