Family Time at Prezzo

During the half term last week the children and I met up with my sister and her daughters for a lunch treat at Prezzo. The school holidays gave us the perfect opportunity to get together with the children to enjoy some food. 

Prezzo have made family dining even easier and family orientated with their new La Famiglia Feast sharing dish. We, as a family love to sit and eat together and regardless what others have everybody wants to dig in and try other meals which when you are out can be a bit difficult. But Prezzo have created the perfect feast for a family. One large bowl of pasta, side dishes, drinks and even ice cream. One bowl for everyone to share. This is ideal for families and a fantastic way to come together over some delicious food.

One Pot Spring Vegetables and Pesto Pasta

Green vegetables are not only super good for you but they are also deliciously versatile. They can be added to a wide variety of dishes and can be paired with so many different flavours.

This recipe actually started off as a soup but as I added the all of the ingredients together I realised that they would make a delicious one pot pasta dish. So I added some vermicelli and hey presto we had a new meal! But what really does complete this dish is the pesto. Before you serve it simply add a spoon of pesto and then stir it in to the pasta and vegetables to add some extra flavours.

This meal is quick, easy and keeps the amount of washing up down to a minimum, perfect for a busy mid week meal.

This is what I did...

All in One Spaghetti Bolognese

Don't you just love it when you can cook a complete meal in just one pot! Since I started using the Pressure King Pro that I received to review it has become an invaluable piece of cooking equipment. It makes cooking one pot meals so quick and easy and we all know that in a busy household this can be a lifesaver!

One of our favourite meals that is made in the Pressure King Pro has to be pasta dishes. When the pasta has been cooked with the other ingredients it is so full of flavour and gives you a really rich dish. This recipe is perfect for the Pressure King Pro or any Instapot but can also be easily made in a pan.

This is what I did...

#ThankGoodness for Dolmio

When feeding a family it is essential that the meal is both delicious and full of goodness. As much as we would all love to be able to cook meals from scratch when you live in a busy family household it really is not always feasible. Thankfully on days when you need a helping hand you can rely on Dolmio to not only provide you with an authentic Italian sauce but one that is also full of goodness. The Dolmio bolognese sauce that I have used in this recipe is 100% natural. Check out the video below that shows you exactly what goes into each jar of Domlio Bolognese sauce.

Each jar contains at least 10 juicy tomatoes, tomato puree, half an onion, a tablespoon of sunflower oil, garlic, basil, herbs, a teaspoon of cornflour, a teaspoon of salt, a pinch of pepper, two teaspoons of beet sugar to taste, a squeeze of lemon juice and water. There are no artificial colours, flavours, preservatives or sweeteners so you know that when you feed your family a meal that uses the Dolmio sauce they are getting natural goodness. The sauce is so good it provides you with one of your daily recommended five a day!

Bolognese sauce is often purely associated with spaghetti or pasta. But I am going to show you that it is so much more. Bolognese sauce is such a versatile sauce that can be used to create a vast array of delicious, family friendly meals. It can be used in so many different ways there really is no fixed way to enjoy the sauce. Let your imagination and culinary creativity run free and use the Dolmio bolognese sauce as the base of so many amazing dishes.

In this post I am going to tell you how to prepare a full of vegetables bolognese base with the Dolmio original sauce. But I am also going to show you how you can transform the sauce into three different meals. All three are wholesome meals with three distinct flavours. I am going to show you that bolognese is anything but boring!

This is what I did…

Smoked Salmon and Kale Pasta - An Aldi Recipe

Recently kale has become my favourite green vegetable to add to meals. When I serve it on it's own, as a side serving, the children are not keen but as soon as I add it to a sauce or mix it with other ingredients they all eat it with no questions asked. So any recipe that contains kale is an instant hit with me.

When I was looking at Aldi's Feed the Family for £5 recipes their Smoked Salmon Pasta immediately caught my eye. Smoked salmon is a fantastically versatile ingredient and thanks to Aldi it is a more affordable ingredient to use. The recipe is part of Aldi's latest campaign that is showing families that you can prepare healthy, tasty meals for under £5. Over the coming weeks I am going to be trying out some of their recipes and taking some inspiration from them to show you that it can be done. Sticking to a budget does not mean that you should compromise on healthy choices.

Today I am going to be telling you how I have taken inspiration from Aldi's Smoked Salmon Pasta recipe which is served with a spinach and walnut salad. I have not made the salad but have added kale and broccoli to the pasta and have even made it Slimming World friendly by making a few simple swaps.

This is what I did...

Italinary - Italian Culinary Experience Review

If there is one cuisine that the whole family enjoys it has to be Italian food. I love everything about it from the fresh ingredients to the whole Italian way of eating, I am a big believer in their ethos of eating together, making it a social event and not just something that we do to survive.

When Italinary contacted me and asked me if I would like to try one of their Italian culinary experience boxes to try I was intrigued to find out more. As soon as I saw what Italinary was all about to say that I was excited to receive the box was an understatement and it did not disappoint.

Full of Veg Pasta Bake

Since starting Slimming World seven weeks ago how I cook our meals has really changed. Now when I cook I am striving to cram in even more vegetables. This includes already healthy recipes. Bulking out dishes with more vegetables simply means bulking out with even more goodness!

When I was looking through one of my Slimming World cookbooks, Family Feasts on a Budget I found a lovely recipe for Sweet Potato Pasta Bake. I had planned to follow the recipe but, in true Hijacked By Twins style, I could not stick to the recipe and added a lot more vegetable goodness.

This meal was a huge success and I wanted to share it with you today.

This is what I did...

Degustabox October Contents and Tomato Pasta Soup Recipe

It is that time of the month again, it is time for me to tell you all about what came in this months Degustabox. October's Degustabox was loved by the kids and the hubby. There were so many treats that they could not wait to enjoy. 

For this months post I am going to be telling you about the products, but I am also going to share with you a simple recipe for a tomato pasta soup, or as the kids called it, Minion soup

Before I tell you about my soup let me show and tell you about what other products we received. This is what came in our last Degustabox...

Chicken and Chorizo with Artisan Tagliatelle

For this weeks Aldi recipe post I am featuring some delicious artisan pasta that I found when I was shopping last week. We all love pasta dishes so as soon as I saw Aldi's special buy of artisan pastas I knew I had to feature them in a recipe.

Cucina have created for Aldi some pastas that are not your regular pastas, they all have added twists of flavour to make them unique and to add even more flavour to your dish. Today's recipe features the tagliatelle with spring onion but I also came home with some tagliatelle with wild garlic and some Specially Selected taschle pasta. I have got a meal planned using the wild garlic tagliatelle this week. If it is a success I will definitely be telling you all about it!

Today's recipe combines some of our favourite flavours together to create a new family favourite.

This is what I did...

Pizza Express with Iceland and the Power of Frozen

It is nearly the weekend and time to think about some time to relax with the family and enjoy some good food. We all love pizza but we cannot always afford to be able to go out so when I saw that Iceland had launched a new range in collaboration with Pizza Express I was curious to see what they had done!

The new Pizza Express Artisana range is exclusive to Iceland and has been freshly frozen to retain the quality that you expect when eating at a Pizza Express restaurant.

What is different about the Artisana range is that it goes so much further than just pizza. Along with the pizzas they have also brought out a selection of Italian dishes as well as Italian gelato. Thanks to this range you can enjoy the full Pizza Express dining experience for a fraction of the price, without travelling, in the comfort of your home. So whether you decide to have a family feast or want to wait until the kids are in bed to enjoy a romantic meal together as a couple, with Pizza Express Artisana from Iceland you can.

 

Pasta Primavera and August Degustabox Contents

It is that time of the month when I share with you the goodies that came in my last Degustabox. I love the surprise and anticipation of opening the monthly box and seeing what goodies have arrived and what I can do with them. I still get excited about trying and discovering new products and being able to share the foodie finds with you. This month was no exception, there are so many ways that the contents can be used. Today I am going to share with you just one recipe using one of the products. But first let me show and tell you about what I found in the August Degustabox...

Creamy Smoked Bacon Pasta

During the week life can be busy. Between school runs, doing my blogging, and looking after the house, as much as I love cooking, I want a quick and easy meal. But when I cook a quick and easy meal I do not want to compromise on flavour or quality.

Today's recipe is so simple and easy but so full of flavour. This is my new "go to" meal. Using just five ingredients this meal will leave everyone wanting seconds!

For this dish I chose to add Aldi's Specially Selected smoked streaky bacon. These flavoursome rashers are from outdoor bred, British pigs that have been both RSPCA assured and carry the trusty red tractor logo. The streaky bacon has been traditionally hand cured and gently smoked over oak and beechwood to give it a deliciously smoky, meaty flavour. These rashers do all the hard work of balancing the flavours for you.

Last week I attended Aldi's Christmas in July event and had the privilege of being able to personally speak to some of their head buyers. One that I was particularly keen to talk to was the meat and fish buyer. It was fantastic to hear that all of Aldi's meat, apart from New Zealand lamb, is British sourced and all carry the red tractor logo which tells you that the meat has been assured by the British food standards. I am planning to tell you more about what Aldi have got coming for Christmas, but I will do that nearer the time!

Back to this weeks recipe. This is what I did...

Degustabox - Green Pesto Pasta Recipe Plus June Contents

It is that time of the month when I share a delicious recipe that I have made using some ingredients from the most recent Degustabox. As always the contents of the box did not disappoint. In fact as soon as I opened the box I immediately knew how I was going to use the ingredient in today's recipe and made it that very night.

Before I tell you all about this months Degustabox recipe let me tell you about the other products that arrived...

Leftover Pulled Pork Pasta Bake with Aldi

Two weeks ago I shared my easy Pulled Pork recipe. Today I am going to share with you my delicious leftover pulled pork pasta bake.

Pulled pork is such a great, budget meal. The pork shoulder joint cost just £3.83 for 1.562kg! and provided us with 12 meals!

Today's recipe is made using leftover pulled pork, but if you do not have any leftovers Aldi have got some British Pulled Pork on offer until Wednesday! The beauty of this meal is that you can bulk out your leftovers with delicious vegetables and pasta to create this pasta bake. Aldi's Everyday Essentials pasta is priced at just 29p for 500g, that makes this a super cheap meal! At the moment mushrooms and peppers are in the Super 6 offer, making them only 69p!

This is what I did...

Chicken Pesto Pasta

A couple of weeks I shared my Pesto, Mushroom and Pancetta Chicken that I made using ingredients from Aldi.

After I made the pesto, mushroom and pancetta I had some ingredients left so I thought that I would share with you what I did with them. Pesto is perfect for pasta so what better way to use leftover pesto and chicken breasts!

The chicken breasts from Aldi are fantastic value for money. I always by the large pack of chicken breasts that weigh 1kg and cost £5.59. This pack of chicken provides enough for two meals for my family. Unlike other cheap chicken breasts these do not shrink down during cooking, this is what makes them true value!

This recipe make enough for a family of four, or in our case a family of five.

This is what I did...

Foodieseeker Friday - Meatballs Carnival Style

This week we have enjoyed our first Foodieseeker meal. You may remember in previous Foodieseeker posts I have said that I am going to be recreating some of the dishes from the Carnival Vista dining menus. I started this feature by looking at the menu from Cucina del Capitano. We love Italian food and this is one of the restaurants (one of many!) that I am looking forward to visiting.

This is how Carnival describe Cucina del Capitano...

"Say arrivederci to ordinary and ciao to an exciting dining experience at the restaurant that pays homage to our unique heritage. Italian-American dishes inspired by the recipes from our Italian captains’ and officers’ childhoods are served up family-style in a comfy, eclectic environment decorated like an Italian country home. Vintage images of our captains and ships adorn the walls, and there’s even a Captain’s table where you just might see the man himself dine."

Doesn't it sounds fantastic!

After examining the menu and changing my mind on what to cook quite a few times I eventually decided to make my own interpretation of Nonna's Linguine and Meatballs. We all love meatballs, especially the children so I thought that this would be the ideal recipe to introduce them to some of the types of meals that we will be able to enjoy whilst on Carnival's newest vessel, Vista. Vista will be embarking on her maiden voyage in just over a week which I am so excited about and will no doubt have an exciting post to write about the event!

Anyway, back to today's recipe. This is how Nonna's Linguine and Meatballs is described on the menu...

"Handmade with olive oil sauteed garlic and onion, baked with fresh mozzarella, served over linguine al dente with the Captains tomato sauce."

Now that I had the idea of what to expect it was time to get cooking. This is what I did..

Oregano Prawn Spaghetti

When it comes to herbs and spices I like to keep it simple. I like to use the best quality and not over power foods. It is all about finding the natural balance and combining herbs and food. Using herbs and spices can transform a meal if a second.

This recipe is a simple recipe, there are not a large number of ingredients but the go perfectly together and make a deliciously light meal that is not just tasty but is also a healthy meal.

This is what I did...

Healthy Spinach and Ricotta Style Cannelloni - Slimmerseekers Thursday Week 7

For this weeks Slimmerseeker Thursday I thought that I would share with you a super healthy recipe. I don't know about you but I love ricotta cheese, especially with spinach. But with Slimming World ricotta equals syns. So I thought that I would have a go at making my own syn free version of this much loved, cheesy dish.

In the past I have used cottage cheese as a lasagne topping so I thought that I could substitute the ricotta for fat free cottage cheese and it worked perfectly!

This is what I did...

Chicken, Lemon and Thyme Pasta - Nudo Adopt

You may remember, before Christmas I wrote a post about Nudo Adopt's Panettone. Since then I have been trying some of their flavour infused oils in my cooking.

In the past I have used infused oils before but I will admit that I have not tried any like Nudo Adopt oils. So far I have only tried one of the oils but I am so impressed with it I simply cannot wait to tell you about the others! I am planning to create other recipes using the other oils which I will be sure to share with you. But I had to tell you about the oil that I have tried.

The first oil that I tried was Nudo Olio D'Oliva Extra Vergine Al Limone, Extra Virgin Olive Oil Stone Ground with Lemons. In the past, other infused oils that I have tried had an aroma of the infused flavour but the taste simply did not linger throughout cooking. As soon as I started to heat up Nudo Adopt's oil the aromas of lemon filled the air. As I began cooking the chicken in the oil the aromas of chicken and lemon combined together perfectly. As soon as the chicken was cooked, I could not wait to try a piece and I was amazed that the flavour had soaked into the chicken. I have never used an infused oil that has added so much flavour to a dish.

Kale and Vegetable Linguine - The Weekend Cook Review

I love a good cook book hence why I love being a Parragon Book Buddy. Every month Parragon send me one of their delicious Love Food books to read and review. Last month I was sent a copy of The Weekend Cook.

This book is full of mouth watering recipes that will make you want to entertain all weekend simply so that you have a good excuse to cook some meals that you normally would not have. However there are also plenty of recipes that can be made with less fuss and in less time which leaves you with plenty of time to enjoy the weekend.

This book has seven chapters which cover everything from take away style meals which are perfect for a Friday night to breakfast, brunch and lunch, from breads to Monday morning boosting smoothies.

There really is something for everyone. What I love about this book is the added extras which it contains. It is not simply a recipe book. Within the chapters are pages of information to help you not only cook an outstanding meal but it also tells you how to create the perfect menu, top ten garnishing tips, top ten styling tips and winning wine tips. I know that this will be a book that will be used often, if not for the recipes then definitely for the added information that is included.

To give you a taste of this book I decided to cook the Kale, Lemon and Chive Linguine. Except I decided to make it a little more child friendly and bulk it out with added vegetables. This really is a great mid week meal as well as a weekend treat. It is such a quick and easy dish to make and it is sure to go down well with the whole family. I was delighted to see that there were clean plates all round after I gave this to my family!