I’m a massive foodie… well I like to think I am. I know a ballotine from a sausage and a sous vide machine from an Ice cream maker… (thanks MasterChef!) But that said, I am by no means an awesome cook, I’m just a normal person who has to put a meal on the table 7 nights a week and since becoming a mammy let’s just say any confidence I used to have in my cooking has taken a battering, all thanks to my baby boy either demolishing or hurling the food at me depending on his mood.
When I started the Mammy Blog almost a year ago, my intention was to have a whole host of AMAZING weaning recipes up here… yeah, I think I did 6 in total before I realised that weaning was not the laugh-a-minute quinoa, avocado and kale chip odyssey I thought it was going to be. No, it ended up being a nightmare with most things getting chucked in my general direction… let’s just say Ella’s Kitchen did very well out of me.
But I soldiered on as most mammies do. The little dude is 15 months now and meal times are still totally chaotic. I used to get VERY stressed over it, but now I’m just thankful if I can get 1 proper meal into him a day. He will not starve!
The good part of him being that little bit older though, is that I can now cook just 1 meal and save him a few mini portions of it for the freezer –I just use less salt or low stock cubes for him. It’s so much easier than having to make him a separate meal. So in that vein I’m going to try and post some of my go-to recipes that can suit the whole family.
First up it's stuffed red peppers. It’s a dish I’ve always fancied having a go at and hey presto here it is.
Stuffed Red Peppers with Cous Cous
For the peppers
500g Mince
2/3 Large red peppers cut in half, deseeded
1 Red onion diced
1 Pack brown mushrooms diced
½ Tin kidney beans
½ Beef oxo cube
½ Jar Red pesto (I used sacla)
Sun dried tomatoes (about 4), diced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1 Garlic clove crushed
2 Tsp paprika
2 Tbsp sour cream
Seasoning
Cheese to top
For the cous cous
Dry cous cous
Mixed herbs ( I use Schwartz Garlic Italian)
Glug olive oil
Mixed cherry tomatoes/sun dried tomatoes
Red onion diced
Handful fresh basil, chopped
Lemon juice
Boiling water
Fry off the onion and garlic until soft.
Add in the mince until browned and crumble in the Oxo cube.
Add in the tomato paste, red pesto and paprika.
Let it simmer on low, I add a tiny bit of water to bring it together.
Stir in the kidney beans, a dash of Worcestershire and last thing add the sour cream.
Stuff in the halved uncooked peppers on a baking tray, top with cheese (I used mozzarella and cheddar mixed) and bake at 180 C for 30 mins with foil and then a further 10 mins without foil.
While they are in the oven get on with the cous cous. I make this by eye, which is why I haven’t added any amounts.
I generally put cous cous in a medium Pyrex bowl with a shake of seasoning and cover it so that there is an inch of boiling water above the cous cous. Cover it with cling film and leave it to cook while you chop the other ingredients.
After about 5 mins, take off the cling film and fluff up with a fork.
Add in the olive oil and a dash of lemon juice.
Then stir in the tomatoes and red onion and top with the basil.
Serve on the side of the baked peppers.
