🎪 Carnival Bank Holiday Week

Joe, Flo, Hamish & the baby · Thu 27 Aug – Wed 2 Sep 2026

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🎪
Inspiration — it's August Bank Holiday weekend, and this year that lines up with Notting Hill Carnival: the Panorama steel band warm-up is Saturday 29th, the parade itself runs Sunday 30th and Bank Holiday Monday 31st. So the weekend leans into it — Sunday's dinner is a Jamaican brown stew chicken with coconut rice & peas, and Monday's the fun, low-key finish: homemade pizza night to close out the long weekend. Steak Night Friday goes Thai this time (crying tiger, not a repeat of last week's tagliata), and Saturday's genuinely a night off for the grown-ups — a fakeaway from the freezer.
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Mushroom Ragu Pappardelle, Crunchy Parmesan Crumb 🕐 30 min 🌱 VEG 🧊 FREEZER

Thursday 27 August · delivery lands 7:30-8:30am · easy landing night

Method (30 min)

  1. Ragu: tip the 1 tub frozen mushroom ragu into a pan with a splash of water, cover, and heat gently over low-medium heat 15-20 min, breaking it up and stirring occasionally, until piping hot and bubbling.
  2. Pasta: cook 450g pappardelle (pantry) in well-salted boiling water per pack timing (usually 10-12 min). Scoop out a mugful of the starchy water before draining.
  3. Crunchy crumb: melt a knob of butter (fridge) in a small pan, add 50g seeded breadcrumb mix (freezer) + 1 garlic clove (pantry paste, crushed), toast 3-4 min until deep golden and properly crisp. Off the heat, stir in 2 tbsp grated parmesan.
  4. Combine: toss the drained pappardelle through the hot ragu, loosening with a splash of the reserved pasta water until it coats everything glossy, not gluey.
  5. Serve: pasta into bowls, the crunchy crumb scattered generously over the top (not stirred in), a scattering of chopped frozen parsley (freezer) to finish.
⚡ Scatter the crumb at the very last second: it must go on top of the plated pasta, not into the pan — mix it into the sauce and it turns soggy in seconds, and the whole point of tonight is contrast between silky ragu and a crunchy top.
👅 Taste before serving: a frozen-and-reheated ragu often tastes flatter than the night it was made — a good crack of black pepper and an extra grating of parmesan stirred through brings it back up to strength.
💸 Free upgrade: extra parmesan (bought for the week) grated generously at the table — the cheapest way to make a freezer meal taste properly finished.
🍽️ Serves 4½ — 450g dry pappardelle is at the top of the pasta guide, so even if the ragu itself runs a bit light after being frozen, the plate is properly filling. Bulk with extra crumb + parmesan if it still looks thin on the night.
1 tub mushroom ragu (freezer) 450g pappardelle 50g seeded breadcrumb mix (freezer) parmesan frozen parsley
👶 One-hand-friendly: pasta cut small, ragu mashed through — easy fork food.
Hamish daytime (Thu): Lunch — plain pasta + a spoon of ragu, mashed, no crumb. Snack — hummus + breadsticks + cucumber sticks.
🥪 Fri adult lunch: leftover pappardelle + ragu reheated with a splash of water.
📆 Prep for tomorrow (Fri steak night): tonight, pat the 4 bavette steaks dry and leave uncovered on a plate in the fridge overnight — a dry surface sears far better tomorrow.

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🇹🇭

Thai Crying Tiger Steak, Nam Jim Jaew 🕐 35 min ★ STEAK NIGHT

Friday 28 August · Steak Night Friday · new format — not a tagliata repeat

Method (35 min)

  1. Toasted rice powder: dry-fry 2 tbsp jasmine rice (pantry) in a small pan over medium heat, 4-5 min, stirring often, until deep golden and smelling toasty. Cool slightly, then crush to a coarse powder (pestle and mortar, or a spice grinder).
  2. Nam jim jaew: mix 3 tbsp fish sauce (pantry) + 2 tbsp lime juice + 1 tbsp soft brown sugar + 1 tsp chilli flakes (pantry) + 2 tbsp finely sliced red onion + the toasted rice powder. Set aside to let it meld while you do everything else.
  3. Slaw: shred ¼ red cabbage fine, grate over 2 carrots (from the bag), toss with a squeeze of lime + pinch salt, leave 10 min to soften slightly.
  4. Steak: pat the 4 bavette steaks (800g) dry — they've been drying uncovered since last night. Get a heavy pan or the BBQ screaming hot, season with salt only, sear 2-3 min per side for medium-rare. Bavette is thin and lean — don't push past medium-rare or it turns tough. Rest 5 min under foil.
  5. Rice: cook 350g jasmine rice (pantry) per pack timing.
  6. Serve: slice the rested steak thin, against the grain. Fan over the rice, spoon the nam jim jaew generously over the top, slaw alongside, scatter with coriander + mint.
⚡ Slice thin, against the grain, only after resting: bavette is a hard-working muscle — cut with the grain, or straight off the heat with no rest, and it turns chewy no matter how well you cooked it.
👅 Taste before serving: the sauce should taste aggressively sour-salty-sweet on its own, almost too intense — it mellows once it's spooned over the rice and steak. Add more sugar if it's too sharp, more lime if it's flat.
💸 Free upgrade: crush a few of the fermented black peppercorns from the fridge door into the nam jim jaew — proper Thai back-heat, and they're already open from the chimichurri bowl.
🍽️ Serves 4½ — 800g bavette matches the exact quantity that worked for last week's flat iron night, right at the top of the steak guide.
800g bavette steak 350g jasmine rice ¼ red cabbage 2 carrots red onion coriander + mint lime
👶 One-hand-friendly: steak finely chopped, plain rice, no sauce for Hamish.
Hamish daytime (Fri): Lunch — leftover pasta + ragu from Thursday. Snack — hummus + breadsticks + cucumber + carrot.
🥪 Sat lunch: tonight's leftover steak + rice, sliced cold or warmed through — no dinner tomorrow night, so this covers the day.

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🥥

Chicken Satay + Rice, Fakeaway Night 🕐 20 min 🧊 FREEZER

Saturday 29 August · Carnival Panorama warm-up · easy freezer night, kicking off the long weekend

Method (20 min)

  1. Defrost: take the chicken satay (freezer) out first thing this morning, or defrost per pack instructions if you're short on time.
  2. Rice: cook 300g jasmine rice (pantry) per pack timing.
  3. Cucumber salad: slice ½ cucumber thin, toss with a squeeze of lime + a pinch of soft brown sugar + pinch salt — the classic cooling side for satay.
  4. Heat through: warm the chicken satay gently per pack instructions, low heat, splash of water if the sauce looks like it's drying out — make sure it's piping hot throughout before serving.
  5. Serve: satay chicken over rice, cucumber salad alongside — nothing else to cook tonight.
⚡ Reheat low and slow: satay sauce splits if it hits high heat too fast — gentle heat, stirring often, with a splash of water if it thickens up too much.
👅 Taste before serving: if the sauce tastes flat after freezing, a squeeze of lime and a pinch more sugar brings it back — freezing dulls both sweetness and acidity.
💸 Free upgrade: a good scattering of coriander and an extra squeeze of lime right at the end — brightens up a defrosted sauce no end, for nothing.
chicken satay (freezer) 300g jasmine rice ½ cucumber lime coriander

🧊 Hamish's tea — Chilli Hamish (freezer, 15 min)

  1. Heat: warm the Chilli Hamish portion (freezer) through per pack instructions, stirring, until piping hot.
  2. Serve: with plain rice (from the batch above, before the satay sauce goes on) and cucumber + carrot sticks.
Hamish daytime (Sat): Lunch — leftover Friday steak + rice, chopped small. Snack — hummus + carrot + breadsticks.
🥪 Sun lunch: leftover chicken satay + rice from tonight, reheated.

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🇯🇲

Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken, Coconut Rice & Peas 🕐 20 min active · 45 min braise ★ CARNIVAL SUNDAY

Sunday 30 August · Notting Hill Carnival parade day · the week's banging make-ahead dish

Method (~1 hr, mostly hands-off)

  1. Marinate: pat dry 700g chicken thighs. Rub all over with 2 tsp ground allspice, a thumb-sized piece of ginger (grated), 2 garlic cloves (pantry paste), 1 tbsp soy sauce (pantry) and 1-2 tsp Spur Tree scotch bonnet sauce (pantry, to taste). Leave to marinate at least 20 min while you prep everything else.
  2. Brown: heat oil in a large pot, brown the chicken skin-side down first, 4-5 min per side, until deep golden all over — this builds the colour and flavour of the whole dish. Set aside.
  3. Base: in the same pot, soften the white parts of 3 spring onions (sliced) with a splash more soy, 3-4 min.
  4. Braise: return the chicken to the pot. Add 1 tin chopped tomatoes (pantry) + 2 sprigs frozen thyme (freezer) + enough water to come halfway up the chicken. Cover, simmer low 35-40 min until falling-tender.
  5. Rice & peas: cook 300g rice (pantry) with 1 tin coconut milk + 1 tin drained kidney beans + a splash of water, per rice pack timing, until tender and the liquid's absorbed.
  6. Pickled slaw: shred the remaining ¼ red cabbage fine, toss with a squeeze of lime + pinch salt + pinch sugar, leave 10 min to soften and turn pink.
  7. Serve: chicken stew spooned over the coconut rice & peas, pickled slaw alongside, spring onion greens + lime wedges scattered over.
⚡ Brown the chicken skin-side down properly before any liquid goes in: that's where all the colour and depth in a brown stew comes from — skip it and the dish tastes pale and thin no matter how long it simmers.
👅 Taste before serving: the braising liquid should taste rounded and a little sweet from the allspice, with real warmth underneath — more scotch bonnet sauce if it's too mild, a squeeze of lime if it tastes flat.
💸 Free upgrade: crush a few of the fermented black peppercorns from the fridge door into the pot for the last 10 minutes — earthy heat that plays beautifully against the allspice.
🍽️ Serves 4½ — 700g chicken thighs sits at the low end of the raw-quantity guide, but the rice & peas and beans bulk it out well. If it looks light on the day, stretch with an extra tin of beans.
700g chicken thighs 1 tin coconut milk 1 tin kidney beans 300g rice allspice ginger spring onions ¼ red cabbage lime
💜 Flo Sunday batch bake: while the stew braises, Flo's bake happens (see Flo tab) — repeat of the oat-banana-choc muffins + new cheddar & sweetcorn muffins. Oven's free either side of the braise.
👶 One-hand-friendly: the stew is soft and shreddable, mashed with rice for Hamish.
Hamish daytime (Sun): Lunch — leftover chicken satay from Saturday. Snack — carrot + hummus + breadsticks. Evening: a small bowl of the stew (mild, no extra scotch bonnet) + rice, no slaw.
🥪 Mon lunch: leftover stew + rice reheated — plenty from a whole braise.

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🍕

Pizza Night 🕐 40 min ★ BANK HOLIDAY

Monday 31 August · Bank Holiday Monday, Carnival day two · fun, low-key finish to the long weekend

Method (40 min)

  1. Heat the oven: as hot as it will go (240°C fan or higher, use a pizza stone/steel if you have one), for a full 20 min before the first pizza goes in — a properly hot oven is what makes the base crisp instead of doughy.
  2. Dough: stretch Joe's prepared dough into rounds on a floured surface, thin in the middle.
  3. Sauce: spread a thin layer of 2-3 tbsp passata (pantry) per pizza — thin is key, too much makes the base soggy.
  4. Top: tear over 300g mozzarella (2 balls) between the pizzas. Split toppings — 130g sliced pepperoni + olives (pantry) on one, sliced mixed peppers + thin red onion on the veggie one.
  5. Bake: slide onto the hottest part of the oven or stone, bake 7-10 min until the crust is blistered and the cheese bubbling — watch closely, it goes from perfect to burnt fast at this heat.
  6. Finish: scatter fresh basil over as soon as they come out (never before baking, it burns). Top a small side salad of rocket + shaved parmesan + olive oil.
⚡ The oven has to be genuinely, fully hot: a full 20 minutes of preheating at the highest setting — a lukewarm oven is the single biggest reason homemade pizza comes out doughy instead of crisp.
👅 Taste before spreading: taste the passata on its own first — a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil stirred through lifts a plain tin of tomatoes into a proper pizza sauce.
💸 Free upgrade: extra parmesan and a good crack of black pepper scattered on as soon as it comes out of the oven — the residual heat melts it straight into the cheese.
dough (Joe's own) passata 300g mozzarella 130g pepperoni mixed peppers red onion olives rocket + parmesan basil
👶 One-hand-friendly: Hamish's own small plain margherita (mozzarella + passata only), cut into strips.
Hamish daytime (Mon): Lunch — leftover Jamaican stew (mild) + rice from Sunday. Snack — hummus + breadsticks + apple slices.
🥪 Tue lunch: cold pizza slices — a genuine bank-holiday classic, zero cooking required.

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🫘

Loaded Black Bean, Sweetcorn & Cheddar Quesadillas 🕐 30 min 🌱 VEG ✋ ONE-HAND

Tuesday 1 September · back to the week proper · freezer sweetcorn used up

Method (30 min)

  1. Bean filling: drain and rinse 1 tin black beans, mash roughly in a bowl with 1 tin refried beans. Stir through 3 tbsp frozen sweetcorn (straight from frozen — it cooks through in the pan) + 1 tbsp chipotle in adobo (pantry) for smoky heat.
  2. Pico de gallo: dice a handful of baby plum tomatoes + 2 tbsp red onion finely diced, squeeze over lime, scatter coriander, season with salt.
  3. Chipotle mayo: mix 3 tbsp mayonnaise (pantry) with 1 tsp chipotle in adobo (pantry) + a squeeze of lime.
  4. Build: spread the bean mix over half of each of 6 tortillas, scatter over a generous handful of grated cheddar, fold in half.
  5. Cook: dry-fry each quesadilla in a hot pan, 2-3 min per side, pressing down firmly with a spatula, until deep golden and shatteringly crisp and the cheese has fully melted through.
  6. Fry eggs: once the quesadillas are done, fry 4 eggs (own) sunny-side up in the same pan.
  7. Serve: quesadillas cut into wedges, a fried egg on top of each portion, pico de gallo + chipotle mayo + sliced avocado alongside.
⚡ Press down hard and don't flip too early: you want the tortilla properly crisp and deep golden, not just warmed through, or it falls apart the moment you cut it.
👅 Taste before it goes in the tortilla: the bean filling should taste well-seasoned enough to eat on its own — add more chipotle or a pinch of salt if it's bland, the cheese and mayo won't rescue an underseasoned filling.
💸 Free upgrade: a good squeeze of lime and extra coriander scattered right at the end — cuts through the richness of the cheese, egg and mayo.
6 tortillas 1 tin black beans 1 tin refried beans frozen sweetcorn grated cheddar 4 eggs avocado baby plum tomatoes
👶 One-hand-friendly: a small plain quesadilla for Hamish (cheese only), cut into strips, avocado on the side.
Hamish daytime (Tue): Lunch — cold pizza from Monday. Snack — hummus + apple + breadsticks.
🥪 Wed lunch: leftover bean mix + any spare tortillas, or a fried egg wrap.

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🍗

Curried BBQ Chicken Thighs, Herby Couscous 🕐 35 min ⭐ GREATEST HIT

Wednesday 2 September · week closer · repeat hit, back on the BBQ

Method (35 min)

  1. Marinate: mix 900g chicken thighs with 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt (pantry) + 2 tbsp mild curry powder + 1 tbsp mango chutney (pantry) + a squeeze of lemon. Toss to coat, leave at least 20 min.
  2. BBQ: cook the chicken thighs on a hot BBQ (or a griddle pan if the weather's against you), 6-7 min per side, until charred at the edges and cooked through.
  3. Couscous: put 300g couscous (pantry) in a bowl, cover with 350ml boiling water + pinch salt, cover, leave 8 min, fluff with a fork.
  4. Toast: toast 2 tbsp flaked almonds (from last week's pack) in a dry pan, 2-3 min, until golden — watch closely, they burn fast.
  5. Herby couscous: stir through chopped parsley + mint + a squeeze of lemon + a drizzle of olive oil + the toasted almonds + garden chives.
  6. Serve: chicken thighs sliced over the herby couscous, extra lemon wedges on the side.
⚡ Don't rush the char on the BBQ: the curry-yoghurt marinade needs proper contact time with the heat to caramelise into a sticky, charred crust — move it too soon and it just steams instead.
👅 Taste before serving: the couscous should taste bright with lemon and herby, not just a plain base — add more lemon or chopped herbs if it tastes flat next to the spiced chicken.
💸 Free upgrade: a dollop of the leftover mango chutney (pantry) on the side for dipping — ties the whole plate together for almost no effort.
🍽️ Serves 4½ — 900g chicken thighs (2 packs) comfortably clears the 700-800g guide.
900g chicken thighs 300g couscous mild curry powder mango chutney flaked almonds parsley + mint lemon
👶 One-hand-friendly: a plain thigh (marinade set aside before cooking his portion), shredded over couscous.
Hamish daytime (Wed): Lunch — leftover quesadilla filling, wrapped simply. Snack — hummus + cucumber + breadsticks.
🥪 Thu lunch: next week's plan picks up from here — flag any leftovers to Joe before the next shop.

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💜 Flo Sunday Batch Bake — oat-banana-choc muffins (repeat) + cheddar & sweetcorn muffins (new)

Both bake Sunday around the Jamaican stew braise — the oven's free either side of it. ~35 min active. One repeat sweet favourite, one new savoury one using up the leftover cheddar and freezer sweetcorn. Both freezer-friendly, one-hand grab-and-go for feeds.

1. 🍌🍫 Oat-Banana-Choc Muffins (sweet, ×12, repeat)

  1. Oven + tin: 180°C fan. Line a 12-hole muffin tin.
  2. Wet: mash 3 ripe bananas (from the fresh batch), whisk in 2 eggs (Joe's chickens) + 60ml oil + 3 tbsp honey (pantry).
  3. Dry: mix 150g plain flour + 100g porridge oats (pantry) + 1.5 tsp baking powder + pinch salt.
  4. Combine: fold dry into wet until just mixed, then fold in 100g dark chocolate chunks — don't overmix.
  5. Bake: divide between the 12 holes. Bake 20-22 min until risen and a skewer comes out clean.

2. 🧀🌽 Cheddar & Sweetcorn Muffins (savoury, ×12, new)

  1. Oven + tin: 190°C fan. Line a second 12-hole muffin tin (bake after the sweet batch, or alongside if you have two tins).
  2. Whisk: 2 eggs (Joe's chickens) + 150ml milk (fridge) + 60ml oil.
  3. Dry mix: 250g self-raising flour (or 250g plain + 2.5 tsp baking powder) + pinch salt + pepper.
  4. Fold: combine wet and dry gently, then fold in the remaining ~110g grated cheddar (the leftover fridge piece from last week) + 100g frozen sweetcorn (thawed and patted dry) — don't overmix.
  5. Bake: divide between the 12 holes, top with a little extra cheddar if there's any spare. Bake 20-22 min until risen and golden, skewer comes out clean. Cool 10 min in the tin before turning out.
🍽️ Uses up the leftover cheddar: this is exactly the "good chunk left, use before it dries out" cheddar flagged from last week — solved in one bake.

💜 Flo grab-and-go summary

Sunday = 2 bakes, ~35 min active, sharing oven time with the stew braise. Oat-banana-choc muffins (proven sweet favourite, repeated) + cheddar & sweetcorn muffins (new, uses up last week's leftover cheddar + freezer sweetcorn). ~24 snacks total. Both freeze well — bag up what won't get eaten by midweek.

Ocado basket — Thu 27 Aug 7:30-8:30am delivery

Basket total £84.48 (before Joe's own hummus add-on), 41 items. Well under the usual £100-125 — no showstopper spend this week, and a lot leaned on pantry (passata, beans, spices) and freezer (ragu, satay, sweetcorn, breadcrumb mix, Chilli Hamish) rather than fresh buys. Two substitutions made at shop time: chicken thighs (1kg bone-in was OOS → Ocado 4 Free Range Chicken Thighs 700g) and tomatoes (plain cherry line unavailable → Ocado Baby Plum Tomatoes 300g).

Pantry / cupboard — assumed present Jasmine rice · passata · chopped tomatoes · fish sauce · soy sauce · chilli flakes · Spur Tree scotch bonnet sauce · garlic paste · Greek yoghurt · mango chutney · couscous · olives · mayonnaise · chipotle in adobo · honey · porridge oats · plain flour · baking powder · olive oil · salt + pepper · eggs (Joe's chickens)
Freezer chip-away this week 1 tub mushroom ragu — Thu · 50g seeded breadcrumb mix — Thu crumb · chicken satay — Sat · Chilli Hamish portion — Sat, Hamish's tea · 2 sprigs frozen thyme — Sun stew · 100g frozen sweetcorn — split between Tue quesadillas + Flo's muffins. Six items chipped away this week.
Garden herbs used (not bought) Chives — Wed couscous
🍖 Meat
  • Canvin & Gunner Beef Bavette 200g ×4 £27.80
  • Ocado 4 Free Range Chicken Thighs 700g £4.24
  • Ocado British Chicken Thigh Fillets Boneless 450g ×2 £7.58
  • Ocado Sliced Spicy Pepperoni 130g £2.35
🥬 Fresh veg
  • Ocado Red Onions (3-pack) £0.95
  • M&S Red Cabbage £1.00
  • Ocado Mixed Peppers £2.10
  • Ocado Baby Plum Tomatoes 300g £0.95
  • Ocado Washed Wild Rocket 60g £0.85
  • Ocado Root Ginger £1.56
  • Ocado Medium Ripe Avocados ×3 £2.40
  • Ocado Rainforest Alliance Bananas ×2 packs £1.90
  • Ocado Cucumber £0.99
  • Ocado Seasonal Apples ×6 £1.85
🌿 Fresh herbs + citrus
  • Cook With M&S Large Coriander 100g £1.70
  • Ocado Basil £0.50
  • M&S Spring Onions ×2 £1.30
  • Ocado Unwaxed Lemons £1.45
  • Ocado Limes ×2 packs £2.40
🧀 Dairy + dips
  • Ocado Mozzarella 150g ×2 £3.20
  • Ocado Grated Parmigiano Reggiano 100g £2.80
  • M&S British Soured Cream 300ml £1.20
  • Grated cheddar (for quesadillas) —
  • Houmous (added by Joe) —
🍞 Bread
  • Mission Original Tortilla Wraps ×6 £1.80
  • Ocado Original Breadsticks 125g £0.49
🫙 Cupboard
  • Schwartz Ground Allspice Jar 37g £2.15
  • Tate & Lyle Soft Brown Sugar 500g £1.85
  • M&S Dark Chocolate Chunks 100g £2.10
  • Schwartz Mild Curry Drum 85g £2.30
🥫 Tins
  • Ocado Red Kidney Beans 400g £0.39
  • Laila Coconut Milk 400ml £1.30
  • Ocado Black Beans in Water 400g £0.47
  • Old El Paso Refried Beans £1.50
💜 Flo's bake
  • Bananas (shared with Fresh veg) —
  • Dark chocolate (shared with Cupboard) —
  • Cheddar + sweetcorn (shared) —