black beans & bacon

i always end up making this meal for friends after they have had a baby. i'm not sure why - i think because it is easy so i know if i promise a meal and then my day goes horribly wrong, i will still (probably) be able to make this meal (just!). i also know that post-baby people can be brought a lot of lasagne's, shepherd's pies and beef stew type meals and can end up craving some beans and veg. so this one is on the lighter side and very tasty. black beans are one of my favourites.

1. chop and saute a big onion, 4 strips of British bacon, a red pepper, a green pepper, a stick of celery.

2. add a box of ready-cooked black beans, a tin of chopped tomatoes, a tsp chilli powder, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and simmer for 20mins

serve with rice and a big dollop of soured cream on top

polenta & mozzarella

this is one of the easiest meals ever. the ratio of effort to tastiness is brilliant! it has 4 ingredients! and it is easy & fun for kids to make which is a bonus... whether they eat it or not is another question. polenta does have an unusual texture!

slice a packet of hard polenta in to 1cm thick slices

lay the polenta out in a roasting dish

pour a tin of chopped tomatoes over the polenta [or use this tomato sauce for more flavour: 1 tin chopped tomatoes, tbsp oil, tsp salt, tsp sugar, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, pinch of pepper - all simmered for 30mins]

rip apart 2 balls of mozzarella and spread over the top

bake for 20mins

sprinkle with fresh basil leaves and a grind of salt & pepper

served here with corn and our new pig corn holders

rhubarb & apricot compote

this is so delicious and can be served as a pudding with yoghurt on top... or for breakfast with yoghurt underneath.. or on top of porridge. make a big batch and have a little at each meal..

you can experiment with different fruits or just do plain rhubarb.

chop the fruit and place in a saucepan with 1/2 tsp water. add 3 tbsp sugar. simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. test and add more sugar to suit your taste. 

breakfast - on porridge

pudding - with yoghurt & chopped toasted almonds on top