November can be a busy month, so this year I am putting some plans into place that will hopefully mean arriving at Christmas in one piece!
By Helen Jackson
November can be a seriously busy month to navigate your way through. In our house there seems to be endless taxi-driving as kids prepare for end-of-year school and dance productions, but it can't always be just about them and there is also the juggle of trying to fit in our own socialising and pre-Christmas parties.
This year I am trying to put some plans into place that will hopefully mean arriving at Christmas still in one piece! Meal times are always important but even more so at this time of year when everyone is feeling a bit jaded and stressed. Finding the time to cook is not always as easy, so planning a repertoire of fabulous quick recipes - such as Jamie’s Cheats homemade pappardelle with tomato sauce - and also doing some multi-cooking is pretty much essential.
The new Generation 2 oven from Fisher and Paykel is ideal for multi-cooking. While it is a compact 60cm in width it has a whopping 30% more internal space than its counterparts, meaning there is plenty of room to multi-cook with even heat distribution throughout the oven. A couple of meals and a baked pudding are no big deal for this roomy oven!
Jamie’s roasted chicken breast with asparagus and cherry tomatoes is a favourite of ours and in a foil container it can easily fit in alongside other dishes as well. A roasted piece of meat left to cool is great for filling sandwiches or served alongside salad for an easy dinner. Of course, wrapping it all up with a baked pudding such as Jamie’s sticky toffee pudding is always going to restore calm and order, even after the most chaotic of days!