We talk easy mid-week meals with Chef Gabriella Margiotta

So much has changed for you since you did our Italian love story feature you have opened a new restaurant Vivi and had a baby, so we wanted to catch up with you to see how your approach to cooking has changed now you have even less time on your hands?

Truthfully, Do chefs ever eat convenience food? The odd M&S Lasagna or jar of pasta sauce? 

Any chef that says no is lying, My guilty pleasure is Kraft macaroni cheese with Hp brown sauce ! Absolute trash but I love it. 

Let's talk lunch, Because when kids came along that is the meal I used to skip,  I couldn't face one more poached egg on toast! As a new mum are you making time for lunch? And do you have any quick easy nutritious lunch ideas?

As a breast feeding mama I need to make sure I'm fuelling my body, because if I don't eat well it affects everything. So I love to make prep-able fillings that I can throw on a sandwich or in some lettuce cups or a jacket potato. I love a Chicken Caesar mix but with some Greek yoghurt to make it lighter and higher in protein . I love a tuna mix too, again high protein and I pack that with lots of finely diced  onion and pickles and celery for extra crunch. A pot of soup in the fridge is always handy as I can drink that on the go in a mug and can fill it with vegetables.   

Some families have a food rota, same food on a specific night each week, Is this something you could get on board with? If not, What are your tips for cooking for a family with a busy schedule? 

I would love to say I've got my life together enough to plan meals but every day is different. I take my hat off to those parents! I prefer to have the freedom to cook what I feel like or what needs to be used in the fridge. I would say though it's definitely more cost effective to plan your meals and making a plan at the start of the week is always a good idea.

Top 5 quick and easy mid week meal ideas.

So let's talk Chicken! My biggest hack is roasting an extra chicken on a Sunday when you're doing a roast, one for our dinner then a second one to help with meals through the week. You can keep the carcass for stock , Make a risotto with the stock or a soup, Use the breast for sandwiches, or make a curry, Plus leg meat is great for a delicious pie. 

I love a quick pasta and I always have my sugo in the fridge. If chicken and pasta aren't your thing a tray bake is always a good choice, everything goes on a tray and in the oven. 

Simple rule to follow ... protein, veg and carb ! 

Meatballs, roasted gnocchi and cherry tomatoes finished with pesto and rocket.

Lamb kofta, sweet potato and some microwave rice at, a little garlic yoghurt sauce. 

Honey soy sticky pork belly, roast broccoli, and some gyozas.

@Gabriellas_kitchen