Barnett - Eat the week: every meal, every day

EATING THE WEEK

I was a fat child. One of my parents favourite memories is of our first family holiday abroad. We were in a restaurant in Rimini, on Italys east coast. Not yet a year old, I was full to the brim with spaghetti bolognese, my hands and face smothered with thick red sauce. I hadnt quite mastered cutlery and apparently decided to use the restaurants floor-to-ceiling curtains, which were made of white lace, to wipe up the bits that hadnt made it into my mouth. Luckily for my parents, the waiters had taken a shine to me and found it amusing. Using soft furnishings instead of napkins is not a habit Ive retained in adulthood although eating spaghetti bolognese definitely is. I suspect my experience all those years ago on the Adriatic Riviera may have set the tone for a lifetime of foodie indulgence and mess.

Another formative influence was my family. I grew up with five siblings: four other girls and one boy. Mealtimes were always around the table, and the TV had to be turned off. If I helped with the cooking, it meant I didnt have to sign up for other chores and this gave me more eating time. Sundays were all about roast dinners, and Dad would always pile up our plates. While some people are into sweet things, and others are more into savoury, Ive always really liked both. Grandmas fluoro lettuce soup, Dads meatloaf and Nans upside down cake and mince pies are the things that make me excited. Not just satisfied or happy: excited. As Ive got older, Ive slightly improved my sense of moderation. But the thrill and excitement remain. And I can still (proudly) put away a decent amount of food if I put my mind to it.

I grew up having to cook in bulk, and carried on doing so when I moved away from home, cooking for housemates, friends, boyfriends, various waifs and strays pretty much whoever was around. Recently Ive been running pop-up restaurants in the converted pub we call home, packing in as many people as possible, up to sixty a night. I rope in friends, family and neighbours to help they provide furniture, cutlery, serving skills, even entertainment. Every pop-up has a different theme, because I love such a variety of food that I cant choose just one cuisine and stick to it. Pop-ups are the perfect way to indulge your culinary curiosity while challenging your imagination.

This book is drawn from all my enthusiasms and experiences: its food from and for the lives many of us lead. Its aim is to serve as inspiration for fun, delicious dishes that you can dip in and out of, and that reflect real lives and real lifestyles. Weve all had big weekends that have left us gawping in horror at our bank balance come Monday morning. For days like those, you need thrifty but tasty recipes to ease the pressure on your pocket: hence my plans for Budget Mondays. All you need to do is choose whether you fancy Carbs for Comfort or something Wholesome & Healthy. The same goes for the rest of the week: you choose where your heads at (and your stomach), and Ill do my best to provide the answer. Lazy Tuesdays, Cooking for Company Thursdays all building up to Saturday, which is when I like to do Something Special whether Im On a Budget, or blowing the budget entirely by Splashing the Cash.

Hopefully, this book will help guide you and your larder through the week: the healthy, the not-so-healthy, meals cooked post-run or post-pub, prep times from 10 minutes to 10 hours there are even dishes that will turn your leftovers into brand new meals.

Get stuck in!

BUDGET
MONDAYS

These dishes are perfect for when youre feeling slightly guilty after an over-indulgent weekend. Youve spent a good wedge of your pay packet, and youre going one of two ways: Wholesome & Healthy or Carbs for Comfort. The former is for those who like to start the week with good intentions, while the latter is for anyone still feeling the repercussions of a hectic or boozy weekend. Equally time- and budget-conscious, theyll help steady you for the week ahead.

WHOLESOME & HEALTHY

Youve woken up with good intentions. The road to healthiness starts here.

Still on the right track. Keen to keep off the carbs and get the Sunday leftovers used up.

Keeping the metabolism going up for a light snack.

Youve managed to make it through Monday some exercise has happened, so youre in need of something hearty.

No need to skip dessert.

If youve not scoffed the lot for dinner, use up the leftovers.

(v) = vegetarian option

WHOLESOME & HEALTHY | BREAKFAST

SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH AVOCADO, CHILLI OIL & GHERKINS

Preparation time: 5 minutes | Cooking time: 10 minutes | Feeds: 4

This is super-simple, but makes a rounded meal to kick-start the day. I like the contrast between the sweet gherkins and hot chilli oil (Im in love with the pots of it you get from the Vietnamese supermarket). Youll be well awake once youve scoffed this.

6 organic or free-range eggs

2 tablespoons low-fat crme frache (sour cream)

4 slices of pumpernickel bread

2 avocados, sliced

4 large gherkins (pickles), sliced lengthways

1 spring onion (scallion), thinly sliced

squeeze of lime juice

1 tablespoon chilli oil, or more to taste

Whisk the eggs and crme frache in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a non-stick frying pan. Cook over mediumlow heat, using a spatula (not a whisk) to gently stir the eggs, so you end up with generous soft lumps of egg.

Toast the bread, then plate up, starting with the toast. Place the eggs and avocado on top, followed by the gherkins. Finish with a few slices of spring onion , a squeeze of lime juice and a drizzle of chilli oil, or more if youre up for a bit of heat.

WHOLESOME & HEALTHY | LUNCH

SPICED UP SHREDDED MEAT & STICKY PICKLED BEETROOT SALAD

Preparation time: 3 minutes | Cooking time: 5 minutes | Feeds: 46

Salads can be pretty dull, but theres no chance of that with this one, which transforms left-over meat into a whole new meal. Its worth trying to save a bowl of pork, lamb or beef from your Sunday roast or barbecue they all work well. For a bit of extra heat, add more chilli flakes and Tabasco sauce.

350 g (12 oz) cooked pork, lamb or beef

dash of olive oil

teaspoon chilli flakes