I absolutely hate that sinking feeling that comes around 4pm when you don't have a clue what to cook for dinner. I hate mad dashes to the supermarket. My life is chaotic enough without this added daily dilemma hanging over my head at the end of a busy day. So I came up with the idea of a weekly menu board. This way I can make sure I have the ingredients in and it makes my shopping trips cheaper and easier if I know exactly what I'm cooking day to day.
This menu is from last week actually, and is pretty typical of a week at the Attic24 table :: not a lot of meat, everything homemade.
The risotto was roasted butternut squash.
The frittata is pasta/eggs with bacon and feta.
The fishcakes were sweet potato and smoked mackerel.
The pasta was simple penne with a sundried tomato pesto/cream cheese sauce.
And the antipasti is our regular Friday no-cook meal, a selection of cold meats, olives, dips, salad and fresh bread.
We
all eat together round the table at five thirty when J arrives home from
work, and it's one of the nicest parts of my day. I enjoy feeding my family very
much, love cooking, love setting the table with cutlery, napkins, glasses, a chunky
glass water jug and a small vase of flowers, love us all sitting down together.
The Little People are what
us Mummies call Good Eaters. They always have been, and I am thankful for it. Yes they have their off days, but mostly they are happy to eat my cooking, sometimes positively thrilled with it even. Frittata generally falls into the thrilled category, so we eat a version of it most weeks, especially since we found such good eggs to use.
Last week (Tuesday) when I was preparing the frittata, I was suddenly struck by the glorious colours in the bowl. So I thought I would get my camera and photograph it, not to boast about what great cooking I do, or particularly to share the recipe (unless you want it that is) but from a purely aesthetic point of view, I love the freshness of these pictures, and the colours :: to me they really do capture the essence of easy homecooking. Fresh ingredients, simple recipes. Nothing too fancy or complicated.
In the bowl is cooked penne pasta, 5 eggs, chopped cherry tomatoes, cubes of feta cheese, some lambs lettuce (I usually use wilted baby spinach, but forgot to buy) and some fried bacon bits. Whisk altogether, then sloop the mixture into a hot frying pan for 8 minutes.
Sprinkle some grated cheese on top, then finish off under a hot grill to set the top and brown the cheese.
Serve cut into wedges with a green salad, tomato ketchup optional.
Wholesome, simple, honest, tasty food, made with love. And devoured in minutes by the locust-children (and their parents) chomp, chomp, mmmmmmm.
I am making this right now! Had no feta so i'm using cheddar. Had no bacon bits so i'm using ham. Added mushrooms because I love them! Mmmmmm
Posted by: Donna | January 25, 2014 at 04:23 PM
Yummy!
Posted by: Ruthie | January 23, 2014 at 11:32 AM
Those are super cute. I like you on Facebook.
Posted by: Belstaff On Sale | March 10, 2012 at 03:08 AM
That looks sooooo delicious! Just stopped by from a link on Aqeela's House. You are right - the colors are fabulous and make a wonderful photo.
Posted by: Sara | March 06, 2009 at 04:58 AM
Wow, la frittata di pasta, an old and traditional recipe here in Italy, revisited by you in a very creative way.
Brava!
I like your blog. :D
ciao
a.o.
Posted by: a.o. | June 19, 2008 at 12:05 PM
What a fab photo - i bet you already know that i love that blackboard! x
Posted by: carole | June 18, 2008 at 02:44 PM
That looks yummy!
Posted by: Liz | June 18, 2008 at 02:33 PM
Gorgeous photos. Thanks so much for the recipe; I am going to give it a go. Please do blog the rest of the weeks recipes with photos. Yummy. Kathy
Posted by: kathy | June 18, 2008 at 11:52 AM
That's my menus planned for the next week! Can we have more weekly menus up on the board please?!!! I love the analogy with the locust family!
Posted by: simone | June 18, 2008 at 10:17 AM
Mmmmm guess what we're having for dinner tonight?! lol. Am going to try this recipe of yours. My two love pasta, cheese & cherry tomatoes, so they should love this.
Posted by: Alice | June 18, 2008 at 09:35 AM
Forgot to say: PLEASE post the butternut squash risotto! Sounds fab!
Posted by: Jen | June 18, 2008 at 03:42 AM
Beautiful! And I love frittatas but have never ever added pasta before. Genius!
Posted by: Jen | June 18, 2008 at 03:41 AM
I love frittata! Your photos look wonderful, the food looks so yummy! I do try to plan our meals but can never quite manage a whole week!
Kimx
Posted by: kim | June 17, 2008 at 08:44 PM
Never made fritata! Gonna have a go now though!
Posted by: Fi | June 17, 2008 at 08:02 PM
I'm trying this one out asap, looks divine!
Thanks for the tips.
Julia x
Posted by: julia | June 17, 2008 at 06:59 PM
am on my way now to tesco to purchase feta..have been inspired Lucy, thanks! We always have the same 'what shall we eat tonight' crisis in this household too. You have saved us!!
Posted by: Anna | June 17, 2008 at 02:39 PM