Quick healthy recipes for midweek meals | @Britmums #Dolmio #ThankGoodness Challenge

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I was very interested in the BritMums #Thankgoodness challenge, curious to find out what the real advantage of bottled sauces are. I usually make my own sauces so I was shocked to discover there are no artificial colours, flavours, preservatives or sweeteners in Dolmio’s bolognese sauce. I just assumed that being a shop bought sauce in a bottle means it contains those nasties.

I also didn’t realise one 500g jar of their bolognese sauce contains

• at least 10 sun-ripened tomatoes,
• a dollop of sun-ripened tomato puree,
• a splash of water
• half an onion,
• a tablespoon of sunflower oil,
• a couple of cloves of garlic and a handful of herbs including basil,
• a teaspoon of cornflour, one of salt, two teaspoons of added beet sugar,
• a pinch of pepper,
• a squeeze of lemon juice

… and nothing more!

 

Not only that, for a family of four having one jar of sauce that’s equivalent to one of your five a day!

Fast forward a week or so and I was very excited to receive this wonderful delivery from Tesco for the Dolmio #Thankgoodness campaign with BritMums.

 https://www.instagram.com/p/BRyyGI_A5sM/ 

   

As part of the challenge set by Britmums we’ve been asked to show how Dolmio can be used in making quick and easy midweek meals. Now, this is something that appeals to me no-end, it’s so difficult trying to cook when Toddler H is in meltdown mode, demanding snacks, demanding cuddles, demanding I cook faster!

So, this was the ideal challenge for me, as it’s something I strive to do every single night. I’ve adapted some recipes I usually make, my fail-safes. Actually, we often have them at weekends when we’ve been busy or out and about. So here goes: 

 

Quick and healthy recipes for midweek meals…

Spaghetti Bolognese with hidden veg

Ingredients

• Mushrooms (around 150g)
• Kidney beans (1 can)
• Pepper (1-2 (my toddler ate some as I cooked!)
• Onions (2 small)
• Garlic
• Mince (or free-from soya mince)
• Spaghetti (I used organic wholewheat spaghetti and we’re not looking back!)

 

Method

Cook the spaghetti

At the same time, chop and dice everything up

Pop it in the hot wok (or saucepan) with a bit of oil

After 5-10 minutes, once it’s all browned and soft, add the Dolmio sauce

5 minutes later, serve!

 

Bonus meal… Chicken Fajitas (lunch)

This served the three of us, and we had a bit left over for the next night… though toddler H and I ate it for lunch in fajitas.

 

Chicken and veg pasta

Ingredients

• Dolmio Bolognese Sauce (1 jar)
• Peppers x 2
• Courgette x 1
• Carrots x 2/3
• Onion (1 small)
• Chicken breasts x 2 (ours were very large!)

 

Method

Cook your pasta/spaghetti

Chop all the ingredients

Heat the oil in a wok and throw in the chicken, then once it’s browned add the veg

Once the veg softens, add the Domio sauce

After 5 minutes, serve

 

 

Bonus meal… Chicken Fajitas

The next night we used the leftovers to make chicken fajitas… I just added 1/2 a can on kidney beans, some grated cheese and a side of rice.  Easy!!

 

 

 

See? Four quick and easy dinners… and when you use these in the order I mention, two nights in a row, it’s even easier as you get bonus meals that just need a tiny tweak or added fajita. The first night has a bit of quick cooking (less than half an hour), followed by a second night, where you reheat the Bolognese, add kidney beans, and grab a few fajitas/tacos and you get a second very quick and easy meal!

 

Lynne

Disclaimer: I was sent the hamper of ingredients shown and this post is an entry for the #Dolmio #ThankGoodness Challenge, sponsored by Dolmio. www.dolmio.co.uk/thankgoodness.