Eat the Week with Iceland is one of Channel 4's latest cooking show and features Sunday Brunch presenter Simon Rimmer, who will be helping busy families have a healthier diet.
Made in partnership with budget supermarket Iceland, the 10-episode show will focus on how families can still cook nutritious and tasty meals using frozen food products.
Simon Rimmer and celebrity cook and mum Michela Chiappa will be promoting the benefits of frozen food, especially when it comes to busy families who might not have the time or flexibility to cook homemade meals from scratch everyday.
Eat the Week with Iceland will demonstrate how frozen food can help save time, but also avoid wasting food.
The Sunday Brunch presenter will be showing how busy families can have a healthier diet
In each episode of the TV show, Simon Rimmer will be helping families tackle the challenges that stand between them and a healthy and varied diet, giving them hints, tips and hacks to make the most of their time and their food.
Eat the Week with Iceland's recipes will show how you can make mealtimes as a family fun again. The show will feature Iceland's range of fresh and frozen ingredients, which will be used within the recipes.
What will they be making on Eat the Week with Iceland?
Eat the Week with Iceland's recipes will surely become a firm favourite amongst busy families who are short on time but still want to enjoy homemade meals together.
Simon Rimmer will be helping families to find out exactly what types of meals works for them, while Michela Chiappa will also be on hand to explain how to make the most of certain foods.
Falafel is one of Simon's recommendations for busy families
Amongst the challenges Simon will help families tackle on the show are a family that have to cater to both pescatarians and meat eaters, and another family who wants to have a more varied diet.
Eat the Week with Iceland's recipes will include spicy duck legs, falafel, a roast-with-a-difference, plus a frittata with leftover sausages.
Eat the Week with Iceland recipes: Episode 1
In the first episode of Eat the Week with Iceland Simon whipped up a whole host of tasty dinner ideas, as well as an indulgent pudding.
Family favourites included potato bravas and pork chops with rarebit, a rich cheese and potato pie, indulgent smoked haddock rarebit, spicy chorizo and smoked haddock hash and a creamy smoked haddock mornay. And for pud? Well, Simon whipped up a delicious-looking chocolate Mississippi mud pie. Yum!
Eat the Week with Iceland recipes: Episode 2
Episode two of Eat The Week With Iceland saw the celebrity chef go international, using flavours from all over the world while letting us in on some clever shortcuts. Making use of mainly frozen ingredients he put together an indulgent Indian rogan josh beef brisket, a crisp and succulent spiced slow roast duck and a Middle Eastern sweet potato and chickpea falafel.
The savoury treats didn't stop there though, he also showed viewers how to make a cheap Greek spanakopita, which he made from layers of cheese and frozen spinach encased in crisp ready-made pastry, a classically crunchy pork Schnitzel, a speedy sausage and spinach frittata, and a meal perfect for Sunday supper - rack of lamb with creamy potato gratin.
Simon didn't let those of us with a sweet tooth down either. Putting a twist on a classic, Simon demonstrated his favourite way to make a Victoria sponge - with a goat's cheese and strawberry filling! The sharp, and salty cheese compliments the sweet strawberries for a surprisingly moreish flavour. Going back to basics he also showed us how to make a simple rocky road, which he added frozen blueberries and chocolate covered cranberries too for a fruity tang.
Eat the Week with Iceland recipes: Episode 3
In episode 3 of Eat The Week with Iceland, Simon explored the use of more exotic meats, like ostrich in his family meal planner. There were classics too, though, with the chef whipping up quick and easy pasta dishes made with frozen ingredients. These included spaghetti with meatballs and macaroni cheese with meatballs.
For pudding (or breakfast, depending on how you're feeling!) Simon rustled up some buckwheat pancakes with blueberries as well as a butternut squash cake.
Eat the Week with Iceland recipes: Episode 4
In this week's episode, Simon Rimmer offered advice on using spices to improve your meals, using recipes like duck with caramelised potatoes, baba ganoush, and scallop ceviche.
For all the sweet-tooths, Simon also gave us the perfect recipe for a healthy chocolate cake (with courgette!), as well as recipe for tiramisu and chocolate and raspberry mouse - yum!
Eat the Week with Iceland recipes: Episode 5
This week was all about one-pot wonders - the fabulous easy and convenient meals that can make cooking for a big family a lot easier.
Some of Simon's choices included a German sour stew, Moroccan-baked rice with chicken, as well as pork belly, bacon and butterbean stew.
For dessert, the chef whipped up a salted chocolate and caramel tray bake, super easy chocolate pots and a one pot apple and banana crumble.
Eat the Week with Iceland recipes: Episode 6
In the sixth episode of Eat the Week with Iceland, Simon Rimmer helped a Swansea mother of three making meals for the entire family.
These including Korean chicken bites and chickpea stew, as well as crispy fish tacos which are always a great way to get the kids eating more fish. More savoury treats came in the shape of a mouthwatering ham hock risotto, a toasted chicken tortilla wrap with rainbow slaw and spaghetti with pork fillet and clams.
Desserts did not disappoint as well, with this choices including pumpkin pie and a hazelnut meringue that's topped with Nutella!
Eat the Week with Iceland recipes: Episode 7
In another episode of Eat the Week with Iceland, Simon Rimmer helped a super-busy family from Huntingdon who struggled to make time for healthy and nutritious family meals.
His answer to their food dilemmas included lamb with a super-herby salmoriglio sauce, a quick and easy chicken and celeriac dish, as well as a quick Caesar salad, and sea bream with chorizo potatoes.
Simon also showed them how to whip healthy snacks for the week in the form of almond granola bars. In the dessert department, Simon made a super easy ice cream sundae and a honey lemon polenta cake.
Eat the Week with Iceland recipes: Episode 8
In the eight episode of the series, Simon had his hand full helping the Morphew family, who have seven hungry mouths to feed.
To cope with the family's needs, Simon focused on easy but filling meals that can be made in big portions for little prices.
Some of the dishes he whipped up included the super easy and convenient fish cakes, as well as a tray bake with sausage and squash. Simon also made an unusual Wellington - instead of the usual beef, he used smoked haddock.
For dessert, the TV chef showed the Morphew how to make basic butterfly cakes, with a delicious raspberry frosting, as well as chocolate trifle.
Frozen food: The best freezer meals to make from scratch
People often associate freezer meals and frozen food with ready meals - dinners that are usually high in salt, sugar and fat. Frozen food can, however, be a really quick and easy way of rustling up healthy family meals that don't cost a fortune. Frozen veggies, carbs and meat come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and make delicious meals in minutes, as well as minimising waste.
Here are some of our favourite frozen food ingredients and how to rustle them up into something a little bit special.
Frozen rice, couscous and quinoa
The freezer aisle might not be the first place you head to for carbs, but rice, couscous and quinoa can all be found there along with some of your other more common suspects (like chips and mash!). Frozen rice means you can whip up a stir fry, fried rice or even rice pudding in next to no time. Couscous can often be found ready cooked with veggies or other flavourings which make it perfect for making into a really speedy couscous salad for a simple fuss-free packed lunch, by just adding a few fresh veggies or some aromatic herbs. Quinoa can be rustled up similarly, or used in place of rice in many recipes such as our squash and feta salad.
Frozen fruit
You can get all sorts of frozen fruits now in your local supermarkets, including smoothie packs of mixed fruits and one-variety options. Smoothie packs are perfect for making into breakfast drinks to help you and the kids reach your 5-1-day and last for weeks, if not months, tucked away in one of your freezer drawers. Other tasty treats that are perfect for making with frozen fruit are crumbles, fruit pies, milkshakes and even instant sorbets. For a super speedy sorbet simple add frozen fruit to a food processor and blend until a smooth, ice cream-like texture is achieved (we love mango!)
Frozen sweetcorn
Sweetcorn comes in lovely big bags and makes a cheap and quick way to serve up a portion of veg to the kids. If you're stuck short with nothing in the fridge then frozen sweetcorn is perfect for making a whole meal out of, all by itself. Think sweetcorn fritters, quick sweetcorn chowder, creamed corn or even chicken and sweetcorn soup.
Frozen prawns
Often prawns are quite expensive, but you can pick them up in bulk down the freezer sections of shops. This lovely shellfish tastes just as good from frozen and takes minutes to defrost (although you can also cook straight from frozen). Make them into flavoursome instant prawn curry, Thai prawn fish cakes, tapas dishes like gambas pil pil or a simple pad Thai.
Frozen steak
Another great-value purchase from the frozen aisle is steak. Much cheaper than the fresh alternative, you can pick up all sorts of juicy cuts from freezer chests in the shops. Once defrosted this will make a delicious steak dinner or can become the star of the show in dishes like Teriyaki beef or steak and ale pie.
Ice cream
Okay, ice cream isn't a new idea to pick up from the freezer section. But this gorgeous sweet stuff makes an instant pudding for unexpected guests. Not only does it make a delicious treat it can also be incorporated in new recipes. Why not give something a bit different a go, like our ice cream bread? We think you'll be pleasantly surprised...
Frozen smoked haddock
Frozen haddock packs a real punch of flavour and can be cooked straight from frozen if poached gently to defrost. The chunks of flaky fish work perfecty in kedgeree, smoked haddock fish cakes, fish pie, chowder and more.
Frozen pastry
If you think pies and pastries have to be time-consuming affairs, think again. Frozen pastry sheets defrost in minutes and make all sorts of sweet and savoury dishes quick and practical to pull together in a hurry. Puff pastry is the perfect topper for British comfort food recipes like chicken and mushroom pie, while frozen shortcrust pastry makes a great apple tart base, as for filo – well use it to whip up a vegetarian pie or even a traditional Greek baklava.
Frozen mashed potatoes
Even though mashed potatoes are quick, cheap and easy to make – there’s nothing like a shortcut. Frozen mash is the perfect thing to make into a cheesy mashed potato hash for the kids or to use to top a tasty cottage pie.
Frozen peas
If there was ever a winner for favourie freezer food, we’re sure it would go to the humble pea. This gorgeously green veg is ideal for making into quick soups, pea and potato cakes, mixing into samosa mixes, serving up on the side of sausage and mash, or even popping into salads. We love this trick for summer - simply add frozen peas to your lunchbox and by the time you’re ready to eat they’ll be defrosted and delicious.
Frozen banana
Frozen banana, a bit like mango, can be made into an instant banana ice cream. If you’re looking for something a bit more substantial then you can blend the frozen chunks of fruit in to a puree, like you would to make the ice cream, and stir it through some beaten egg to make thee clever banana pancakes or whizz the mash into a delicious banana bread.
When is Eat the Week with Iceland on?
Channel 4's cooking show with Simon Rimmer originally premiered in May 2017 but is now being broadcast again before Sunday Brunch every Sunday for ten weeks, until 17th June.
