Feeding Lilith

I LOVE this budget friendly dinner which literally consists of potatoes, veg and chicken. But boy is it absolutely delicious and filling! Basically a tray bake, it is so easy to do and quick! Just pop in the oven and relax.  I opted for skin on bone in chicken thighs, at my local Morrisons I can get 1kg of these for around £3.40, which really helps spread more protein on a cheaper budget. You normally get around 7 pieces of chicken in these packs, I only used 5 in this recipe so I have some for later in the week to shread into a curry!  With the veg, I opted for vegetables I can use again for meals later in the week. So I don't have any sad veg leftover and minimal wastage.  I'm planning on this week of really focusing on budget friendly easy meals!  Ingredients  Marinade -  2 tsp pureed garlic/ 2-3 garlic cloves, minced 1tsp oregano  1tsp thyme (dried is fine!)  1tsp smoked paprika  Drizzle of oil (veg or olive is absolutely fine...

An irresistible family favourite which I made for mother's day—these sticky pork ribs are slow-cooked until fall-off-the-bone tender, then glazed with a rich, sweet, and savoury sauce. Served with stir-fried sesame greens and a fresh dill coleslaw for balance and crunch, it’s the perfect dinner for impressing guests or treating your family. I opted to serve with some chips also, however this can be skipped! Ingredients For the Sticky Pork Ribs: 1 rack of pork ribs (approx. 700g–1kg) 2 tbsp soy sauce (or low-sodium if serving baby) 2 tbsp maple syrup (or honey, if not baby-friendly) 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp grated fresh ginger 1 tbsp tomato purée 1 tsp sesame oil (optional) Black pepper to taste 200ml water or low-sodium stock For the Sesame Greens: A mix of sliced greens, kale, and/or spinach 1 tsp sesame oil (or olive oil) 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 tsp sesame seeds A splash of soy sauce or tamari For the Dill Coles...

I made these at 5am this morning after being very abrupt woken up by my darling daughter. And boy did they hit the spot!  These soft, fluffy doughnuts are a perfect small batch treat—crispy on the outside, light and pillowy inside. Ideal for when you want something fresh and homemade, without a big fuss or loads of leftovers! I used a top of a slim glass to make mini rounds. Ingredients: 125ml warm milk (around 38°C) 1 tsp active dry yeast 1 tbsp caster sugar 1 tbsp melted butter 1 egg yolk 150g plain flour, plus extra for dusting Neutral oil, for frying (e.g., sunflower or vegetable) Optional toppings: Cinnamon sugar (2 tbsp sugar + ½ tsp ground cinnamon) Simple glaze (icing sugar + water or milk) How to do  1. Activate the yeast: In a small bowl, combine the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Stir gently and let sit for 5–10 minutes, or until the surface becomes foamy. 2. Make the dough: Add the melted butter and egg yolk to the yeast mixture. Stir in the flour gradual...

In this blog post, I will detail how to make vegan pitta pizzas, vegetable fritters and "sausage" rolls. It was my daughter's first birthday recently and we threw a little shindig of sorts.  Due to various dietary requirements, it was best to go vegan! And we did just that. The food was delicious and so more-ish, if I do say so myself.  I have detailed below smaller yields for these recipes, if making a large amount, just double or triple as required!  Mini Vegan Sausage Rolls Golden, flaky, and packed with savoury lentils and mushrooms, these plant-based sausage rolls are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Makes: ~16 mini rolls Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 25 mins Ingredients: 1 sheet vegan puff pastry 1 x 400g tin lentils, drained 125g mushrooms, finely chopped 1 small onion, finely diced 1 clove garlic, minced (optional) 100g breadcrumbs 1 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tbsp soy sauce (optional) Plant-based milk, for brushing Olive oil, for fr...

Fajita Rice Bowl with Salad This one’s a proper crowd-pleaser and perfect for when you fancy something filling but fresh. We’re using juicy chicken thighs with fajita spices, a zingy tahini salad, and rice boosted with beans to keep you full. Bonus: it's all pretty budget-friendly, especially if you're using bone-in chicken thighs! This comfortably fed two adults and one little with about a portion leftover!  Ingredients Fajita Chicken 1kg chicken thighs, skin on, bone in 2 peppers 1 onion 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp garlic granules A good grinding of black pepper A drizzle of oil Salad & Dressing Iceberg or little gem lettuce 3 tomatoes 1 avocado For the dressing: 3 tbsp tahini Dash of olive oil Squeeze of honey 1 tbsp bottled lime juice (or 2 tbsp fresh – zest it too if you like) Water to loosen Black pepper Rice Bowl Base Basmati rice (white or brown – your choice) 1 tin kidney beans, drained How to do Preheat your oven to 180°C. Pop ...

These pancakes are fluffy and delicious! An absolute win in our house!  I like whipping up a couple of batches then popping them in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don't actually currently own a freezer so these are super convenient to make in advance for a sneaky snack or breakfast!  Ingredients  2 tablespoons of butter 130 ml milk 1 large egg 2 tablespoons of sugar 1 teaspoon of baking powder 135g plain flour  How to do Melt the butter on a low to medium heat in your chosen pan.  Measure out all the ingredients in a jug and whisk together. Lumps are desirable and you don't want to over mix, so if it looks a little lumpy, you're golden!  Once the butter is melted, pour into the pancake mix and fold until combined.  Pop your heat to a medium and wipe the excess butter out of the pan.  Cook the pancakes until you start to see bubbles and flip, they will then puff up slightly once flipped, this is a good sign, don't squish them!  You...

This pasta Alfredo is absolutely delicious and sooo easy to make. I like to make this when I'm in a pinch as it has minimal ingredients. I normally just need to buy cream and I'm good to go!  This works amazing with some veg chucked in, which I cook in the water with the pasta, or a serving of crispy bacon on top. I normally opt of broccoli and green beans when using veg.  Also worth noting, I have used both hard Italian style cheese and cheddar in my makes, both have worked very well! Just use what you have to hand!  Ingredients  Handful of spaghetti pasta Tablespoon of butter 4 cloves of garlic 150ml Double cream  Handful of grated cheese Grinding of black pepper How to do Cook the pasta to packet instructions and pop the tablespoon of butter in a pan on a low heat. Once melted, mince and add the garlic, stir every so often and just let it cook and mingle in the butter!  Stir in the cream until fully combined and pop up to a low/ medium heat u...

Stumped on what to make for lunch today and limited ingredients, I whipped up these cheese and chive muffins!  I opted for dried chives as that's what I had to hand, but mixed herbs or any dried herbs would work just as well!  Ingredients  (Makes about 6–8 small muffins)  120g plain flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp garlic granules  1 egg 100ml milk 30g of olive oil (or melted butter) 50g grated cheese 1-2 tsp dried herbs  How to do  Preheat the oven to 180⁰c (160⁰c fan) and prep your muffin cases I just measured out all the ingredients in the same bowl and gently folded until combined Spoon into your cupcake cases and pop in the oven for about 17-20 minutes. Until golden on top and firm to the touch I served ripped up into bite size chunks and with some hummus! 

Enjoy this progress shot of our dinner tonight! I wanted to spruce up this pork loin using what I had in the fridge and boy, did I!  Super easy marmalade glaze is as follows -  4-5 tbsp marmalade  1-2 tbsp wholegrain mustard  2 tsp brown sugar Dash of water Give a good mix and re apply the glaze every 20-30 mins of cooking.  For this particular joint, it was 1.5kg and I cooked for around 2-2½ hours at 180⁰c(160⁰c fan). Basically until the centre was proving around 75⁰c or above!  I chucked some baby potatoes to cook along side the pork to really enhance their flavour. I will be serving with green beans tonight! 

Bit of a fancier dinner this evening, but with nice and cheap ingredients. The flavour really comes through on this one and we thoroughly enjoyed it!  I opted for olive oil in these recipes; however, normal oil like veg or sunflower will work just as well! I just had this to hand!  I've separated this recipe individually, so you can pick and choose what you'd like to make!  Spiced Chicken Drumsticks Ingredients   Pack of chicken drumsticks 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp cumin ½ tsp mixed herbs ½ tsp garlic granules  Grinding of black pepper Juice of ½ a lemon or lime (I use the bottles from supermarkets)  Optional: ½ tsp honey for a touch of sweetness (only if littles are over 1) How to do  Preheat oven to 200°C Mix olive oil, paprika, cumin, mixed herbs, garlic granules, pepper and lemon/ lime juice in a bowl. Coat the chicken drumsticks in the spice mix and marinate for 15-30 minutes (or longer if possible, I did it for a cou...

I realised I had burgers the other day, but nothing to eat them in. With limited ingredients, I whipped up these vegan burger buns.  I used warm water in mine instead of warmed plant based milk, as that's all I had! I just opted to add an additional 5ml of olive oil to the mix!  This recipe yields 4 burger buns, perfect for smaller families without having to grab a cook book and do pesky maths!  Ingredients 200g strong white bread flour 10g sugar 4g instant yeast 120ml warm plant-based milk (e.g., soy, oat, or almond) or warm water 15g olive oil 5g apple cider vinegar For the topping (optional): 10ml plant-based milk (for brushing) Sesame seeds or poppy seeds How to do  In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and yeast. Make a well in the center and pour in the warm plant milk/ water, olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Mix until a sticky dough forms. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for about 8–10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elast...