Appeal from a jaded cook

[rachag]

Anyone got any menu ideas please for weekday evening meals that can be one the table with an hour or half hour of walking in the door that do not involved getting fancy ingredients (this is why many cook books unhelpful)?
My repetoire very limited and I am so bored of it.
OH and DD's been asked to write a list of suggestions many times but not materialized
Friends no help with this - divorced and eat alone, eat separately from DC, do not work so can flit around to shops easily, children with chip based diets etc.

I do chops, steak sandwiches, stroganoff and poached salmon as well as home made stuff from freezer (shep and cott pies, chilli, bolognese).

I am soooo bored of it!

I am sure this could be a very useful thread for many of us!

[T.i.p.s.y]

Pretty useless here too but could you and OH make three meals at the weekend that can get frozen and then on Tues and Thurs you could have a fresher meal?

[Chelmsford mum]

I am soooo bored of it!

I am sure this could be a very useful thread for many of us!

Absolutely.I basically rotate the same 10 meals and am very bored so will watch this thread with interest.

[rachag]

It is particularly fresh quick stuff I'm short of ideas for.
Pot roast brisket, lamb shanks and roasts all fine for when at home but its that sinking feeling on the way home with no clue and no inspiration. Can get to butchers easily and Tesco Express.
Must say I presumed that you were a whizz in the kitchen Tipsy.

[hermanmunster]

CM give us your 10 meals ... one persons old list may be another's inspiration,

[rachag]

CM For 2 years my family got same meals on weekdays rotated over 2 week cycle (odd days off in restaurants) and no one noticed. Apparently Eleanor Roosevelt had this prob too and did a 2 week cycle too.

[Snowdrops]

I think we're all more or less the same aren't we? Wasn't there a survey done a year or so back which said everyone eats basically the same menu continuously ? I suppose it's only the imaginative who are lucky enough to have such a variety in their meals.

I'd love to be able to eat different things, but I also have to say we do love our tried and tested meals, with just a few different things now and then. I am wanting to start a Saturday (or Sunday) special where we have a rota of who picks what we want to eat, only proviso being it has to be something we've never eaten before. I also want to use it as an opportunity for dd to advance her cooking skills (although she does exceedingly well in the cake department so far )

[Chelmsford mum]

CM give us your 10 meals ... one persons old list may be another's inspiration,

I would be ashamed They are really basic e.g chicken stir fry with noodles, chicken supreme, chilli, spag bol, sausage casserole, pasta with meatballs, fajitas etc.I am sure everyone else can do better.

[T.i.p.s.y]

1)I buy the mozarella sundried tomato ravioli you get in the fridge section and mix it with Lloyd Grossman tomato and chilli sauce. Serve ith salad and french bread. Literally takes under 4 minutes!

2)Tuna Nicoise Salad:

Rocket,
Boiled Egg
Anchovies
Green Beans
Cherry Toms
Tuna Steak rubbed in lime juice - takes under 10 mins to cook
French dressing
Ciabatta bread

3)Macaroni cheese with broccoli and onions mixed through - yummy! If you multi task this can be out in 20 minutes.

4)Buy a cooked chicken and mix a curry sauce through it with rice or make a ceasar sald. Sorry, I do love my salads.

5)Healthy burgers - quality finest with a bun loaded with salad.

[rachag]

Got 4 new definites already plus an old one that I'd forgotten about.
Chicken supreme comes up as easy and has a few variations on bbc Good Food page.