Reverse Meal Planning

Liverpool_Anne

Hi, I have been lurking for a while, collecting ideas etc and I have to say I am amazed at the amount of cooking every one does. 3 cooked meals a day for many of you. I generally have fruit and/or porridge for breakfast depending on how hungry I am, some sort of sandwich or LO for lunch and a hot meal in the evening. There are just 2 of us, I am mainly veggie with some fish occasionally, I don't like some fish, OH is a meat eater who doesn't like most veg so meals can be tricky. If I can disguise the veg in some sort of sauce it's usually ok. We do compromise a bit by using meat substitutes quite a bit but we keep trying lol. OH also loves curry but I am allergic to chilli so all curries are made from scratch using spices rather than curry pastes and I just leave out the chilli lol. If OH is cooking, we take turns, it's often something like a med veg lasagne made in giant quantities and several portions are frozen for use the following week, whereas I tend to cook for 1 meal with smaller amounts of LO probably being used either for lunch the next day, frozen or donated to an older neighbour who is on her own but likes to try different things. This is reciprocated by occasional meat pies for OH who tells me they are lovely and fruit scones for me, so happy days. I have a reasonably well stocked freezer and cupboard from which I can usually rustle up a meal. I hardly ever forward plan meals working on the basis of what I fancy today, what have I got in that needs using. Shopping is done about fortnightly with the exception of fruit and milk. We both love fruit so there's rarely any wasted, just the odd grape that doesn't last. Any odd bits of veg I haven't been able to sneak into something or eaten myself goes into a soup which OH will try but often doesn't like so I freeze and have when OH is having the meat pies lol. Looking for more tips really.

ajmoney

I am making a fish pie for dinner tonight, can you freeze cooked ones to reheat later as I am not sure how big it is going to be?

Suffolk_lass

Welcome @Liverpool_Anne - lots of knowledge and improvisation here. Hopefully some tips for and from you.

I'm like you @greenbee with my milk (and eggs) delivered - DH has been going to the outdoor market about once every three weeks for F&V and I have a running click and collect order for the local SM that gets submitted about once a month, to maintain my stores and things like butter and yogurt.

Yesterday we walked the neighbours' dogs and delivered some eggs to another household and she pressed a bag of veg on me. A turnip, half a fennel, a kohl rabi, and a red cabbage this week. Last week she gave me a lemon, about 2" of ginger, another red cabbage, more kohl rabi, and more fennel. I have two jars of pickled red cabbage and another 1.5 as I had bought one too (before the gifted bags started) - so I added the slightly past-its-best aubergine and chopped all except the red cabbage and bunged it in the chilli. What an easy way to use up veg! - I might make cabbage (instead of pasta) bake tonight or tomorrow, but we have two pots of two portions of chilli too, so just for variety. I have bread-sacks of homegrown squash to work through too so roasting some and then adding other veg and a cheese sauce is a good use-up

joedenise

@ajmoney fish pie will freeze OK.  I usually just reheat in the microwave.

I'm going to use up a bag of mixed veg from the freezer to make a veg soup with the addition of a veg stock cube to make the stock; so a nice easy and warming lunch.

rtandon27

We've had lazy suppers for the past two nights - ready made broccoli & stilton quiche on Monday - frozen box fish & chips with steamed carrots on the side last night.

I'm contemplating a W4ldorf salad of sorts for lunch to use up a fennel, a couple of apples, celery and red cabbage - will get the OH to use slice everything on the mandolin then mix the shreds with a dollop of mayo - might add some cooked chicken, walnuts & dried cherries into the mix as well.

Primrose

I had a "bit of everything" salad last night.  Shredded red cabbage, chopped apple, celery carrot, red chicory, lettuce, radishes, a few sultanas, peanuts and small cubes of cheese with a blob of mayonnaise. (All bits and bobs to use up various things). 
The plate was a mix of colours, textures and tastes and just seeing and eating it (with a small glass of wine!!) felt  like the most cheerful part of the day.   I could almost hear my inner system crying out "Thank you!) 

Primrose

Yes yiu can definitely freeze fish pie.  We often make a big one and freeze half for next time.  

ruby_eskimo

Afternoon all!  I love salads like that @Primrose they definitely taste better than a boring leaves and a topping!  

Dinner tonight is going to be a chickpea curry - actually managed to get some dried chickpeas and did the responsible thing setting a reminder to put them in the slow cooker last night for a few hours.  They were done before I went to bed and chucked a bunch in the freezer to use for other meals.  

joedenise

ruby do you boil the chickpeas hard before cooking in the SC?  I usually pressure cook mine.

Last lot of beans I cooked were cannellini beans - used half and froze half, which I've taken out of the freezer today to make a chicken and bean casserole tomorrow for dinner - a new to me recipe which I'm looking forward to.

ruby_eskimo

joedenise said:

ruby do you boil the chickpeas hard before cooking in the SC?  I usually pressure cook mine.

Last lot of beans I cooked were cannellini beans - used half and froze half, which I've taken out of the freezer today to make a chicken and bean casserole tomorrow for dinner - a new to me recipe which I'm looking forward to.

Nope, just put in about 250g's of dried chickpeas with 7 cups of water and leave on high for 3.5 to 4 hours.  Always turn out just like the ones from the can and have had no problems with this method.