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Gingham's vegetarian menu planner SPRING

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Gingham_Ribbon
Gingham_Ribbon Posts: 31,520 Forumite
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in Old style MoneySaving
I have set up a weekly order of organic standard veg and standard fruit bags from Farmaround North. I have decided to post a weekly menu plan and shopping list. The idea is that I can give people some ideas of how to use seasonal veg, budget and eat a variety of healthy vegetarian meals. I also hope that it will generate some ideas on how I can reduce my costs without compromising on quality, taste or health.

Here is my shopping list for this week:

Veg bag:

Desiree Potatoes
Carrots
Onions
Cherry Tomatoes
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Celery
Tundra Cabbage
Green Peppers

Total: £10.55

6 eggs (Farmaround) £1.25

Shopping list:

Bettabuy teabags £0.29
Mushrooms £0.65
Porridge oats £0.67
Tofu £0.99
Cheddar £1.69
Milk £1.46
Nut roast £1.39
Mozzarella £0.85
Passata £0.59
Chickpeas £0.40
Bettabuy butter £0.53
Bettabuy flour SR £0.32
Bettabuy baked beans £0.17
Chocolate chips £0.49

Total: £10.49

Plums
Bananas
Tarocco Oranges
Conference Pears
Fuji Apples
Ruby Grapefruit

Total: £7.50

Total £29.79
May all your dots fall silently to the ground.
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Comments

  • Gingham_Ribbon
    Gingham_Ribbon Posts: 31,520 Forumite
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    Here are my lunch and dinner plans for the week. For breakfast ideas see my original menu planner. link

    Lunches:
    Pasta with olive oil, garlic, cherry tomatoes, capers and olives.
    Lentil shepherd’s pie with sprouts
    Pasta in tomato sauce sprinkled with toasted pine nuts and broccoli
    Cheese and tomato sandwiches
    Stir fry w peppers, mushrooms, tofu, broccoli
    Beans on toast
    Cheese on toast with fried mushrooms

    Or lunch on the go here.

    Dinners:
    Lentil shepherd’s pie with broccoli
    Spicy egg fried rice with broccoli, peppers and mushrooms
    Carrot, chickpea and celery curry
    Gallette au chou with roast tomatoes
    Broccoli and potato gratin with cabbage
    Nut roast with quick braised celery and potatoes
    Pizza with garlic, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes

    Snacks:
    h/m Choc chip and cherry muffins
    May all your dots fall silently to the ground.
  • Gingham_Ribbon
    Gingham_Ribbon Posts: 31,520 Forumite
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    I'll post recipes as I go along. And I'll note what I have used in my store cupboard too.

    Here's how I make the basic, quick tomato sauce:

    3 large tbsps olive oil
    3rd jar passata
    2 garlic cloves
    sprinkle of Italian herbs (I usually just use basil and oregano. Fresh or dried.)

    Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
    Add crushed garlic
    Before it browns, add passata and herbs (if dried)
    Allow to simmer gently until reduced
    Add herbs at end if using fresh.
    May all your dots fall silently to the ground.
  • pavlovs_dog
    pavlovs_dog Posts: 10,200 Forumite
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    GR - firstly thanks for what is going to grow into another fab thread :j

    but i just wanted to ask.. your lucnhes are much more 'sit down meals' rather than portable lunches. are both you and Mr Gr home for dinner all the time?

    do you have any cheap n cheerful veggie ideas that would be more portable for those of us who eat out of a lunchbox 5 days a week?
    know thyself
    Nid wy'n gofyn bywyd moethus...
  • poppy_the_saving_cat
    poppy_the_saving_cat Posts: 964 Forumite
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    Hi GR x im a veggie, the lentil shepherd's pie sounds yum! could you post that as your next recipe please, as i would like it for my tea x thanks x
  • Gingham_Ribbon
    Gingham_Ribbon Posts: 31,520 Forumite
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    Yes, we're at home a lot at the moment. I'll have a think and post some portable ones too. I'm having a think about how to incorporate some meat in a couple of the dishes too for those veggies with a meat eater at home too. (Like us!)

    Edit lunch on the go here.
    May all your dots fall silently to the ground.
  • Gingham_Ribbon
    Gingham_Ribbon Posts: 31,520 Forumite
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    Lentil Shepherd's Pie:

    3 small onions
    Butter to fry
    8oz green or brown lentils - cooked
    1 clove garlic
    3rd jar of passata or 1 tin chopped tomatoes
    Chopped mushrooms, carrots or celery (optional)
    Flavourings

    Enough mash to cover - approx 1 and a half lbs of potatoes.

    Fry onions in butter till soft and add garlic for a further minute. Add flavourings of choice with passata and drained lentils. (Save the stock from the lentils to use in soup if you like.)

    If you want it to be warming, you could use spices, but for spring, I like dried herbs, a bay leaf, maybe some brown sauce or Henderson's relish.

    Let it simmer down until thick. Place in an ovenproof dish. (I'll measure ours and let you know the size.) Top with the mash and bake at gas mark 6/200 degrees for 40 minutes.

    You can add chopped mushrooms with the onions, or celery chopped finely. I haven't tried it with carrots in the mix but I think that would be nice too.

    Our dish is a pyrex one, 11" by 7" by 2". It's exactly the right size.
    May all your dots fall silently to the ground.
  • pennineman
    pennineman Posts: 1,973 Forumite
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    Nice thread, Gingham.
    Where now?
  • brazilianwax
    brazilianwax Posts: 9,438 Forumite
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    Thanks Gingham.

    I wonder if you (or anyone else) have any recipes which don't involve tomatoes though - I must be the only veggie in the world that's allergic to them!!!
    :A MSE's turbo-charged CurlyWurlyGirly:A
    ;)Thinks Naughty Things Too Much Clique Member No 3, 4 & 5 ;)
  • Gingham_Ribbon
    Gingham_Ribbon Posts: 31,520 Forumite
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    BW, try using vegetable stock in the lentil shepherd's pie and either some gravy granules or brown sauce for flavour.
    May all your dots fall silently to the ground.
  • whatatwit
    whatatwit Posts: 5,424 Forumite
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    Thanks Gingham, this thread is going to be a fantastic source of ideas.

    How much is in your jar of passata, I always find I use too much, when I open one of those tetra pack ones.
    Official DFW Nerd Club - Member no: 203.
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