What’s For Dinner?: 30-minute quick and easy family meals. The Sunday Times bestseller from the Taming Twins fuss-free family food blog

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Food & Drink What’s For Dinner? Meet foodie influencer and family cook, Sarah Rossi, aka Taming Twins If you want to get scientific, the reason we brown meat before slow cooking is because it causes a Maillard reaction. The process of frying, heating it to a hot temperature until it browns, changes the flavour compounds in the meat, basically adding a depth of flavour. Mix the slow cook ingredients (apart from the garlic bulb) together in a bowl with clean hands. You need to knead it with your hands until everything is fully combined and the meat is smooth. In the UK a Beef Stew (or any type of stew in fact) is usually cooked on the stove top in a lidded saucepan. First you add cornflour to a small bowl, mug or jug, then use a little liquid from the dish (a spoonful or two) to mix the cornflour into a paste consistency.

Taming Twins Sweet and Sour Chicken {Slow Cooker Fakeaways} - Taming Twins

Take the unpeeled garlic bulb (yes a whole bulb!) and wrap up in tin foil. Place alongside the meat parcel in the slow cooker. I cooked this in my Ninja foodi slow cooker for 6 hours on low and an hour on high. I added peas . Was delicious and no complaints from the meat eaters ! Garlic– I use this from the freezer, pre prepared (always after a shortcut). You can obviously prepare fresh if you’d prefer Add the oil and sausages to an oven proof dish and stir to coat everything with the oil. Place the dish in the oven and cook for 10 minutes.

More Meal Plans: Lots of family meal ideas!

In the freezer This freezes fairly well, Just wait until it’s totally cold and then put into a freezer-proof container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before reheating in the microwave or on the hob. This is best eaten immediately if you want the best results (allowing a few minutes for it to be easier to remove from the tin as mentioned below) but you can get ahead by making the batter earlier and refrigerating. You can also brown the sausages first to save time. Add about a third of the milk, whisk until smooth, add the rest, along with the water and again whisk until totally smooth. Meanwhile, make up the sauce by putting the cornflour in a jug or bowl and gradually mixing in the soy sauce (do this gradually so it doesn’t go lumpy).

Taming Twins Weekly Meal Plan 8 - Taming Twins

This recipe is so simple, I used a pressure cooker, but I have also included instructions for slow cooker and oven cooking this Beef Bourguignon recipetoo!)When the meat has cooled slightly, unwrap it and use a very sharp knife to slice very thin strips. Drizzle over the meat juices from the bottom of the slow cooker to serve (this is important as it will be quite dry without this). This is my simple, homemade version with inspiration taken from the one we know and hold dear. I’ve kept it as family friendly as possible with budget, nutrition and convenience in mind. For my 16th meal plan I really wanted to create another weekly signpost to some of my super speedy recipes that can be on the plate in 30 minutes or less. What’s more, they’re cosy and comforting to see us through another cold January week. Whereas a casserole (in the UK at least) tends to be a similar dish, but cooked in the oven in a lidded saucepan. Don’t try and be a hero or a super parent. Travelling with children is very different. Set your own expectations, they need downtime and they won’t always be impressed by the culture that we think they should be impressed by!

Taming Twins Sticky Beef Mince Stir Fry {15 Minute Meal} - Taming Twins

The shopping list includes the cheapest version of each ingredient. Obviously if you want to buy lower fat mince or free range etc, that’s personal choice.

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If you want side dishes for this meal, my Easy Greek Salad would go really well, and you could even make your own Easy Flatbreads with Garlic Butter. You could always make some homemade potato wedges for a bigger meal too. In the shopping list I’ve put a cheaper mince option (10% fat). I prefer to use a lower fat mince like 5% but it is up to you and what your budget will allow. In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat fully in the microwave or hob before serving.