🌎 Latin America Week

Method (25 min)

1. Steak out: 30 min before cooking, unwrap the 2nd fridge bavette, rest on plate.
2. Chimichurri (if not done Thu night — 5 min): finely chop 30g fridge flat leaf parsley leaves + 20g fridge coriander leaves + 3 garlic cloves + 1 tsp crushed fermented black peppercorns. In a bowl, mix with 6 tbsp olive oil + 2 tbsp red wine vinegar + ½ tsp dried oregano + 1 tsp flaky salt. Rest 15 min minimum.
3. Grill the veg: slice 1 fridge courgette into 1cm rounds + 1 fridge aubergine into 1cm rounds. Toss with 2 tbsp olive oil + pinch salt. Griddle pan or BBQ on high, 3-4 min per side until char marks + soft. Set aside.
4. Cook steak: hot pan (smoking), 1 tbsp olive oil. Season steak with salt + more crushed peppercorns. Sear 2 min per side for medium-rare. Add 15g butter in the last minute, baste. Rest 5 min. Slice thin against the grain.
5. Plate Argentine-style: pile grilled veg on a warm plate. Layer sliced steak over the top. Big spoonful of chimichurri over the steak. Squeeze of ½ lime. Serve with any leftover slaw or a fresh green salad.

Method (20 min)

1. Chorizo + beans: heat wide pan on medium. Tip in 1 × 130g M&S Diced Chorizo pack — no oil needed, chorizo releases its own. Cook 3 min until orange oil runs. Add 4 tbsp Ocado frozen diced onions (from Santiago week stock, or dice ¼ red onion) + 2 garlic cloves sliced. Cook 3 min. Stir in 1 tin drained black beans (400g), 1 tsp smoked paprika (pantry), 1 tsp chipotle paste, 100ml water. Simmer 5 min until saucy. Squeeze of ½ lime off heat.
2. Slaw: shred remaining half fridge white cabbage (~250g). Toss with 1 tbsp lime juice + 1 tbsp olive oil + pinch salt + 10g chopped coriander.
3. Warm tacos: heat 1 pack epic little tacos in a dry pan, stack under tea towel.
4. Build: warm taco → chorizo-bean mix → slaw → ½ avocado sliced per person → soured cream → 1 tsp sliced pickled jalapeños → coriander → wedge of lime.

Method (30 min active, 2.5 hr braise)

1. Oven on: preheat to 150°C fan. Get out a heavy Dutch oven / casserole.
2. Sear the beef (from Sat evening's prep, patted dry): pot on high, 2 tbsp olive oil. Sear half the 1kg beef in a single layer, 3 min a side until deep brown. Set aside. Repeat with the other half. Don't overcrowd or it steams.
3. Sofrito: reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion + sliced garlic (from Sat prep). Cook 6 min until soft and just gilding. Add 1 tsp smoked paprika (pantry) + 1 tsp ground cumin (pantry) + 1 tsp dried oregano (pantry). Stir 30 sec.
4. Estofado powder: stir in the estofado powder (per packet — usually 2-3 tbsp). Cook 1 min to bloom.
5. Liquid: pour in the strained tomato mixture (from Sat prep) + 500ml beef stock (pantry — 1 stock cube in 500ml boiling water) + 1 tsp flaky salt. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a spoon to lift the browned bits.
6. Return beef: tip beef + any resting juices back into the pot. Stir once. Bring to a bubble.
7. Braise: lid on, into the oven. 2.5 hours at 150°C fan. Meat should shred with a fork. If saucy, remove lid for last 20 min.
8. Rice + refried beans (last 20 min): cook 300g long grain rice (pantry) per pack. Heat 1 tin refried beans (435g) in a small pan with 1 tsp chipotle paste.
9. Finish + serve: off oven, stir a big handful (~15g) chopped coriander + squeeze of ½ lime into the estofado. Taste for salt. Serve on rice, refried beans on the side, warm tortillas if any left, soured cream, avocado, more coriander.

Method (12 min)

1. Reheat estofado: tip ~half the leftover estofado (~500g) into a small pan with 3 tbsp water to loosen. Warm gently 8 min on low, stirring occasionally.
2. Rice: cook 200g long grain rice (pantry) per pack.
3. Beans: reheat any leftover refried beans OR open a fresh tin (if you kept 2 back). Warm with ½ tsp chipotle paste.
4. Plate: rice base, estofado ladled over, refried beans on the side. Top with chopped coriander, ½ avocado sliced, wedge of lime, dollop soured cream.

Method (35 min, mostly oven)

1. Oven on: preheat to 200°C fan.
2. Bake: in a baking dish, tip 1 × 680g Ocado passata jar + 4 garlic cloves sliced + 2 tbsp olive oil + ½ tsp chilli flakes + 1 tsp flaky salt. Nest 1 × 200g Ocado feta block in the middle. Bake 30 min until feta is soft and edges of passata dark.
3. Pasta: in the last 10 min, cook 400g Garofalo conchiglie in salted water per pack. Reserve a mug of pasta water before draining.
4. Wilt spinach: when feta comes out, immediately stir 1 bag fridge spinach (~150g) through the hot passata mixture — residual heat wilts it in 90 sec.
5. Combine: mash feta into passata with a fork. Tip drained pasta in, toss to coat, splash of pasta water if tight. Torn 10g fridge basil or coriander leaves over. Serve with grated cheese if wanted.

Method (15 min)

1. Rice: cook 200g long grain rice (pantry) per pack. Or reheat cold rice from Tue prep.
2. Marinade for the cod: mix in a small bowl — juice of 1 lime + 1 tsp chipotle paste + 1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp smoked paprika + pinch salt. Brush over 2 × M&S cod loins (285g total).
3. Pan-fry cod: hot pan, 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook cod 3 min a side until just opaque, flesh flakes with a fork.
4. Bowls: rice base → flaked cod → 1 avocado sliced (½ per bowl) → 6 halved cherry tomatoes per bowl → ¼ red onion sliced thin per bowl → 10g coriander leaves torn → squeeze of ½ lime per bowl → drizzle olive oil + pinch salt.

Method (15 min)

1. Sauce: heat wide pan on medium. 2 tbsp olive oil. Add 3 tbsp Ocado frozen diced onions + 3 garlic cloves sliced. Cook 3 min. Add 1 tsp smoked paprika + 1 tsp ground cumin + 1 tsp chipotle paste. Cook 30 sec. Tip in 1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes + 1 drained tin black beans (if any left, else skip) + pinch salt. Simmer 5 min until thick.
2. Wells for eggs: make 4 wells in the sauce with a spoon. Crack 1 egg into each well (4 eggs total, from Joe's chickens). Season eggs with salt + pepper.
3. Cover + cook: lid on (or foil), reduce heat to low, 5-7 min until whites are set but yolks still runny.
4. Serve: straight from the pan on the table. Warm tortillas alongside if any left, or bread. Top with sliced avocado, chopped coriander, soured cream, sliced pickled jalapeños, wedge of lime.

💜 Flo Sunday Batch Bake — 3 breastfeeding snacks

All 3 fit in the oven while the estofado braises Sun afternoon. Total active time ~40 min, oven does the rest. All freezer-friendly for later weeks.

1. 🌱 Spinach + Feta + Red Pepper Frittata (savoury, ×8 slabs)

1. Oven + tin: 180°C fan. Line a 30cm × 20cm baking tin with baking paper.
2. Filling: in a big bowl, whisk 8 eggs (from Joe's chickens) + 100ml milk (pantry) + ½ tsp salt + good grind black pepper. Stir in 150g fridge spinach (torn small — half a bag), 150g Ocado feta crumbled (¾ of a block, save the rest for Flo lunch snacks), 4 tbsp Peppadew peppers (from Santiago week jar) chopped, 15g chopped fridge parsley.
3. Bake: pour into tin. Bake 25 min until set and just golden. Cool 15 min, cut into 8 slabs.
4. Store: fridge in a container, up to 5 days. Or freeze individual slabs in cling film for later.

2. 🍌 Oat + Banana + Dark Choc Muffins (sweet, ×12)

1. Same oven, same time: 180°C fan (both muffin batches + frittata can share the oven — arrange trays with space around them).
2. Prep: line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
3. Wet: in a big bowl, mash 3 ripe bananas (~360g peeled). Whisk in 2 eggs, 80ml olive oil (or melted butter), 3 tbsp honey (pantry), 1 tsp vanilla (pantry, optional).
4. Dry: in another bowl, mix 250g M&S porridge oats (pantry — from this week's shop) + 1 tsp baking powder (pantry) + ½ tsp cinnamon (pantry, optional) + pinch salt.
5. Combine: tip dry into wet, fold gently. Fold in 80g M&S dark chocolate chunks (chopped smaller if big).
6. Bake: divide evenly into muffin cases. Bake 22-25 min until firm on top + skewer comes out clean.
7. Store: cool completely, then airtight tin at room temp 4 days, or freeze in bags of 3.

3. 🌽 Corn + Feta + Jalapeño Muffins (savoury, ×12) — LatAm-on-theme

1. Same oven: 180°C fan. Line another 12-hole muffin tin with cases.
2. Wet: in a big bowl, whisk 2 eggs, 200ml milk, 80ml olive oil, 1 tsp Dijon mustard (pantry, optional).
3. Dry: in another bowl, mix 200g plain flour (pantry) + 80g M&S porridge oats (blitzed briefly to break them up, or leave whole for texture) + 2 tsp baking powder + ½ tsp salt + ½ tsp smoked paprika.
4. Combine + add ins: fold dry into wet till just combined (lumpy is fine). Fold in 1 × 340g tin sweetcorn drained (Green Giant), 50g remaining Ocado feta crumbled (the last quarter block), 3 tbsp sliced jalapeños from the jar chopped smaller (~15g), 10g chopped fridge coriander.
5. Bake: divide into muffin cases. Bake 22-25 min until golden + skewer clean.
6. Store: cool completely, airtight tin at room temp 3 days, or freeze in bags of 3 (reheat 15 sec microwave when needed).

💜 Flo grab-and-go summary

Sunday afternoon = 3 bakes in ~90 min oven time. Frittata cools 15 min then slice + fridge. Muffins cool then tin. All 3 = 32 snacks for the week (8 frittata + 12 sweet muffins + 12 savoury muffins). Freeze what won't get eaten by Wed. Perfect for one-handed grazing at 3am feeds — savoury and sweet options for any craving.

Ocado basket — Thu 30 Jul 5:30-6:30pm delivery

Total basket £80.68 (Santiago-week additions ~£58 on top of Joe's regulars in trolley). Deal savings £1.56.