Dinner ideas
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
Forum Description: For mums, dads, parents-to-be, grandparents, friends -- you name it! And you name the topic you want to chat about!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=31829
Printed Date: 02 August 2025 at 7:47pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Dinner ideas
Posted By: Hunnybunny
Subject: Dinner ideas
Date Posted: 22 February 2010 at 7:26pm
|
Just a random question, but what are your general week by week dinners?
We have a lot of sausages/patties veges and potatoes, lasange, shepherds pie, when its nice BBQs.. We enjoy wraps, also like to have chicken stirfry on rice (butter chicken, sweet and sour etc etc) What do you find yourself making often? I'm trying to get ideas of something different to make.. I don't really enjoy cooking, but I do try. |
Replies:
Posted By: Peanut
Date Posted: 22 February 2010 at 7:43pm
|
Great Idea. I like the quick and easy ones that people remember off the top of their heads.
My usuals are wraps, laksa, BBQ, pasta etc. |
Posted By: LouD
Date Posted: 22 February 2010 at 7:49pm
|
my main easy meals are pieces of thigh or chops etc and salad and rolls or steamed veg with potatoes or pasta.....
Spag and meatballs are a good one too |
Posted By: FreeSpirit
Date Posted: 22 February 2010 at 8:03pm
|
Spaghetti Bol, Beef stir fry (Man friendly version - beef, hokkien noodles, lots of veges and honey soy sauce). grilled chops with potatoes and veg, crockpot mince, macaroni cheese (put hardboiled eggs in for protien, sweetcorn for vege). ------------- http://www.babysfirstsite.com"> 
|
Posted By: sally belly
Date Posted: 22 February 2010 at 8:10pm
|
Chicken & mushrooms - cook chicken & mushrooms & add tin of mushroom soup & sour cream. Serve with rice or pasta.
Mince stroganoff - brown mince, onion & garlic, add beef stock & tomato paste. Cook & add sour cream before serving. -------------    
|
Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 22 February 2010 at 8:18pm
|
Beef Stroganoff - I just use the Maggi Sachet! I do a big batch in the crockpot and freeze it in family mal size portins for reheating later
Mince and a Tomato pasta sauce - again I usually do a big batch and freeze Crumbed Schnitzel Scalloped potatoes in the microwave I am trying to do a few different meals at the moment so last week I made pizza dough in the breadmaker and I made pizzas. ------------- Lindsey 
|
Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 22 February 2010 at 9:29pm
|
Mince and a pasta sauce with pasta is a staple in our house. ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 22 February 2010 at 10:03pm
|
We are having a lot of stirfries at the moment. McKayla and Andrew as well as Grant just love it and it is quick, cheap easy and very healthy.
McKayla's favourite is spaghetti bolognaise. (you can freeze the meat sauce as well.) Roast chicken with veggies (lazy meal as you just put everything together) Tonight we had lemon chicken for the kids, chicken korma for us with mash and loaded up with a salad and lots of veggies in the korma as well. Make your own subs or favourite take away meal (specially on Friday which is turning out to be family night for us and everyone helps to cook) BBQ with loads of veggies on the BBQ. We tend to leave the caseroles and stews and lasagne and shepherds pie for weather that is colder. Lots of fish and salad at the moment too. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 7:40am
|
Quiche is a once a week thing here, everyone loves it and it only takes me 15 mins to prep.
Mac n cheese with side vege n meat. Risotto We do a breakfast tea with sausage, eggs, hash browns etc Home made pizzas, very yum And on a very lazy can't be bothered day toasties with spag and cheese. |
Posted By: MummyFreckle
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 8:03am
|
I do quite a few meals based around roast veges, its really easy as you just peel them and throw them in the oven - roast vege and cous cous salad (served warm or cold), roast veges with pasta, roast veges with grilled chicken in pita breads, roast vege pasta bake.... We also have curry / stir fry meals, as they are really easy. Salads - morrocan spiced pumpkin with feta / haloumi salad, grilled greek chicken salad, We dont eat meat everynight of the week, we prob only have it 4 times. we have lots of vege meals. |
Posted By: SMoody
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 8:23am
|
Aaah SimSam your meals sound just very very delicious. Going to use some of those ideas. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: heaf3
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 10:22am
|
i try not to cook the same meals all the time as DF gets sick of them...
but quite often i make: grilled lamb or pork chops with veges honey mustard chicken (chicken tonight) either nibbles or cut up breast with rice stirfrys tacos steak & salad in winter i make a bacon and vege soup beef casserole (from edmonds book - really easy) macaroni & cheese tuna mornay - super super easy and DF loves it mince chow mein - continental packet and throw in what the recipe says but you can just add whatever veges you like, makes heaps and is good for leftovers too fish pie american hotdogs / toasted sandwiches on a lazy night self crusting quiche - super easy and super yum bacon & eggs / omelet / scrambled eggs with bacon roast chicken / lamb & veges (only just started making roasts in the last couple of months, they are sooo easy and so yum i dont know why i never made them before!! PM me if you want any of these recipes and ill send them to ya. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
|
Posted By: GuestGuest
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 10:56am
|
We don't buy any packets/jars so make everything from scratch as I don't trust processed stuff. This is my menu for this week as an example:
Pad Thai Beef Skewers http://www.mindfood.com/at-recipe-chilli-kaffir-lime-beef-skewers-donna-hay.seo - Easy Recipe Prawn rissotto Chicken Saag (Spinach Chicken curry) Tuna and capers pasta Spinach pie Grilled red cod with homemade wedges Chicken salad |
Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 11:30am
I would love the recipe, I have been trying to find some couscous recipes since I have boxes of it in the pantry and want to use it up ------------- Lindsey
|
SimSam wrote:Posted By: Lulu
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 12:55pm
|
We try and have a few meat free meals during the week, but that are relatively easy. Some of my favourites are:
*Home made sushi, with side salad & miso *Home made falafel with minted yoghurt sauce, salad & pita bread *Spicy bean enchiladas Our 2.5 year old enjoys all of these meals. ------------- Lou http://www.babysfirstsite.com"> 
|
Posted By: xLUCKYx
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 12:56pm
|
SimSam your meals sound yummo! Wish I could convince my DF we don't need meat with every meal.
Our 'staple' meals are; Green chicken curry with carrots and brocolli Spag Bol (kids fave) Roast chicken with salad Pita pockets with salad and mince or chicken or beef (whatever is on special) Thai beef salad (Rump steak sliced thinly over salad with red chillies mmmmm) There is a bit of a theme here in that none of these meals take much effort to make ;-) |
Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 1:02pm
|
As we are on a budget, the main meats in our house are mince and sausages. Spag bol, hamburgers from either mince paties or split the sausage casings and mold the meat into patties, mexican tortillas with beans and tomatoes, curries we've got a fantastic indian spice shop the box of curry paste I've got will last ages. I make lots of pies and quiches, frittatas, sweetcorn and zuchinni fritters, home made pizzas with left overs from the weeks lunches ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">   [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 1:11pm
Little Sal what's your chicken saag recipe?? Yummy. This week we're having - lemon fish and stir fry veges on rice - vege and tofu noodle stirfry (ginger, garlic, chilli and soy for the sauce) - turkish chicken casserole with quinoa - teriyaki salmon, rice and steamed veges (i make my own teriyaki sauce, so easy and WAY nicer than bottled stuff) - ginger beef and noodle stirfry - prawn and mango salad Other favourites here are sweet n sour pork (homemade sauce), chicken and cashew stirfry with lots of veges, homemade burgers, spag bol, mac and cheese (I add chopped spinach and peas sometimes), homemade pizzas and we have lots of big salads as well. ------------- SJ Callum - Dec 2008 Daniel - Oct 2010 |
Posted By: MummyFreckle
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 1:17pm
|
I have a couple of versions of cous cous salad that I make - its really easy! Make the cous cous as per instructions on box, I generally stir in about a teaspoon of olive oil to help stop it clumping. Roast vege salad - I roast off cubed kumura, pumpkin, capsicum, red onion (basically anything that you like) - I toss the veges into the cous cous, add some cubed feta and fresh parsley. I usually dress with balsamic dressing. Cous Cous salad v2 - cous cous, chopped pistachios / pine nuts, red onion diced, sundried tomatoes diced, fresh parsley, lemon rind, feta We have a lot of this type of salad, its quick to make, filling and tasty! You can adapt it to whatever you like.... |
Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 1:28pm
|
I hate cooking lol HATE it.
We have marinated pork sirloin once a week, with steamed veges We love fishcakes and hashbrowns a few times a week, and thats cadens fav meal! Chicken chasseur, mmmm Roast Lamb, with steamed veges etc\ My DH isnt a huge fan of potatos, but loves them mashed with curry sausages. umm, roast chicken drumsticks with garlic salt on them, so yum ------------- |
Posted By: LadyBee
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 1:34pm
|
Kiwisj - can you please tell me how you make your teriyaki sauce?
Thanks ------------- TTC for 4 1/2 years IVF #1 - April 2012 short BFP, no frosties IVF #2 - August 2012, BFP!! 3 frosties! http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
|
Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 1:37pm
|
kiwij turkish chicken casserole with qunioa sounds divine can you post the recipe thanks ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: heaf3
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 2:17pm
|
another thing thats really easy and yum is honey soy chicken (no not the pre marinated chicken - this is homemade) - just get drumsticks and put in casserole dish, mix up 1/2 cup soy sauce (i use the low salt one) and 1/3 cup honey pour over chicken and cook at i think 180C for about 40 minutes. i dont think this recipe has garlic in it but i have seen others that do. really really yummy
and if you didnt want to use that much sauce then just adapt it down to suit (i havent got around to doing so yet). ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
|
Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 2:22pm
Teriyaki Sauce - makes enough for 4 portions of grilled salmon. If you want it as a stirfry sauce you probably only need about half this 
1 cup mirin* 1/2 cup soy sauce (I use low salt japanese soy sauce) 1 tbsp caster sugar In a small pan, heat mirin over a low heat for 1-2 mins then add soy sauce and sugar. Stir till sugar dissolves and simmer for another 1-2 mins. *I think you can buy mirin in a regular supermarket now, otherwise Asian grocer OR google mirin subsitute, the first link has lots of options lol ------------- SJ Callum - Dec 2008 Daniel - Oct 2010 |
Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 2:29pm
|
Turkish Chicken Casserole (from an NZ cookbook called Food From Friends, it's an Allyson Gofton recipe)
8 boneless chicken thighs 1/4 cup dried currants 1 cup orange juice (fresh is best) 2 large onions, peeled and thickly sliced 8 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 1 tbsp toasted coriander seeds 1 bay leaf 50g butter 2 green peppers, cored and sliced 1 orange, peeled and cut into small wedges 1/4 cup honey 1/2 cup toasted walnuts Put chicken thighs in a large container and cover with currants, OJ, onions, garlic, coriander seeds and bay leaf. Toss to coat in juice. Marinate in fridge for 4 hours or overnight (I never marinate it that long!! A couple of hours AT MOST lol) Turn a couple of times, or more if you marinate it longer. Strain off juice and set aside. Heat butter in large casserole or frying pan and brown chicken on all sides. Set aside. Add marinated onions, garlic, coriander and bay leaf to the pan and cook over a moderate heat. stirring regularly till onions are well browned. Return chicken and orange juice, peppers, orange, honey and walnuts and bring to a simmer. Cover and continue to simmer on top of the stove or in a 180deg oven for 45 mins until chicken is tender. Serve with quinoa (I usually cook 1 cup quinoa to packet instructions, that's enough for 3 for dinner plus leftovers for lunch). ------------- SJ Callum - Dec 2008 Daniel - Oct 2010 |
Posted By: Hunnybunny
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 4:20pm
It makes me feel so much better when someone else says this too 
Great ideas guys, definately will have to try some! |
Posted By: Bexee
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 4:55pm
| Oh can you please post the self crusting quiche recipe... |
Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 5:00pm
|
The self crusting quiche recipe is in the Food & Recipes sub forum..... ------------- SJ Callum - Dec 2008 Daniel - Oct 2010 |
Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 5:02pm
|
Here's the link
http://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=21276&KW=quiche - Self crusting quiche ------------- SJ Callum - Dec 2008 Daniel - Oct 2010 |
Posted By: Flutterby
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 6:54pm
|
I'm vegeterain and DP isn't so I dinners are always a mix of stuff. I like to use a combination of different grains and white and brown rice.
Pasta (though DP is getting sick of it, but he can always cook tea for a change). Bangers and mash (I have vege sausages) Stir fried veges in a tomato based sauce with rice or quinoa.(last night I used watties indian tomatoes) Vege lasanga, Roasted vege cannalloni (yum) Bits and pieces dinner (whatever we can find in the fridge) Chickpea cassarole, very easy and yummy if you like chickpeas. Oh and homemade pizza every few weeks. Tonight we are having pumpkin and leek barley bake, It smells really nice. MInce for DP and DS. We also often get the bags of chicken pieces which you can just chuck into a roasting dish frozen and shove in the oven. I also like to keep frozen chips and fish fingers in the freezer to give DS when I can't think of what to cook. But I am also getting sick of cooking dinner every night and then having to clean up the kitchen the next day after work as DP didn't do it the night before. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: GuestGuest
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 10:06pm
Chicken Saag 225g spinach 2.5 cm fresh ginger 2 garlic cloves crushed 1 green chilli chopped 200ml water 1 T oil 2 bay leaves 1/4 t peppercorns 1 onion finely chopped 4 tomatoes peeled and chopped 2 t curry powder 1 t salt 1 t chilli powder 2 T natural yoghurt 8 chicken thighs yoghurt and chilli powder to garnish Cook spinach for 5 mintues. Put the spinach, ginger, garlic and chilli with 50ml of the water into a blender and process to a thick puree. Set aside. Heat the oil in a pan and add the bay leaves and peppercorns for 2 mins. Stir in onion and fry for 8 mins. Add tomatoes and simmer for 5 mins. Stir in the curry powder, salt and chilli powder. Cook for 2 mins over a medium heat, stirring once or twice. Stir in the spinach puree and remaining water and simmer for 5 mins. Add the yoghurt 1T at a time and simmer for another 5 mins. Add the chicken and coat in the sauce. Cover and cook for 30 mins. Drizzle over yoghurt and chilli powder to serve. It is a bit of mucking around but so worth it!! It's pretty spicey so I added a lot of yoghurt on top of mine.
|
Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 23 February 2010 at 10:16pm
|
Awesome thanks! Mmmm can't wait to try this. ------------- SJ Callum - Dec 2008 Daniel - Oct 2010 |
Posted By: heaf3
Date Posted: 24 February 2010 at 8:58am
|
heres the self crusting quiche recpie i use
Self-Crusting Quiche 1pkt Ham 5 Eggs 3Tbsp Melted Butter 1 1/2cups Milk 1/2 cup Flour salt and pepper 1cup Grated Cheese. Beat eggs, add melted butter, milk, ham and cheese. Stir in sifted flour, salt and pepper. Mix well. Pour into greased quiche dish and bake 30mins at 190'c. For a more grown up version try adding onion, spinich and tomato (or capsicum etc etc). ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">
|
Posted By: WRXnKids
Date Posted: 24 February 2010 at 10:49am
|
Have just been through and stolen all the recipes might make a list of all the ideas as well - i dont mind cooking but i never know what to cook and im not overly confident
in winter we have Packet Devilled/curried or tomato onion sausages with mashed potato Packet Chicken Chassuer/apricot or caccitore with mashed spud and vege Roast meat and roast vege or Silverside or pickled pork with vege Mince or casserole with mashed spud and vege Those are the regulars but some weeks ill get chops or schnitzel or do nachos, spag bol, mac and cheese in Summer i dont really do the same things all the time im a bit more adventurous and try thing more like i cooked fish parcels last night with salad cooking fish normally scares me Will do a roast once a week still Bacon and egg pie Self Crusting Quiche Stirfry meat and vege on rice some of the winter things but mostly meat of some sort with vege or a garden salad seems to be most common. If i see a recipe in a mag i like i will give it a go had a real nice chicken one somewhere tasted a lot like dixie chicken from lonestar man it was good but ive only made it the once as it took a bit more effort than i normally put in. -------------   
|