Reverse Meal Planning

EssexHebridean

Hope you’re soon back to fighting fitness Suffolk_Lass x

joedenise

Hope you are feeling better @Suffolk_lass and normal service resumes today! x

Primrose

Lentils  have officially arrived on the National scene!     I was interested to see a half page advert for them in one of today'sbroadsheet newspapers saying "Lentils may never be cool but they,ve always been extraordinary.  Not only are they a source of fibre and protein but they help nourish the soil they are grown in.  So make your next shepherd's pie half lentil, half lamb for a dish that,s better for you and the planet".

well, I personally wouldn't make the proportion anywhere near as great as 50 : 50 but I suppose if they start suffering from the "Delia effect" with her early culinary days of promoting cranberry sauce I guess we can expect their price to double and they will end up becoming as expensive as minced lamb.  

EssexHebridean

I heard a similar ad on the radio this morning promoting beans as a "half and half" ingredient in Bolognese too! There's obviously a big drive on it suddenly due to the environmental thing - not though I'm convinced THAT is as good as people say, but there you go! 

So we were immensely good last night and threw together a cauliflower and pasta cheese bake ready for tonight. Just needs some additional grated cheese and some breadcrumbs scattered over the top and can then have a blast in the microwave to heat through followed by 15 minutes in a hot oven - job done for an easy dinner and didn't take more than about 20 minutes tops.  Also did my meal plan for next week - which is almost entirely from stuff we already have in so I'm pleased with that.  Last night's sauteed veggies used up a few odds and ends as well. 

joedenise

I'm planning on using as much as possible from the freezer over the next 3 weeks until we go on holiday.  There's loads in there but unfortunately my inventory has gone AWOL!  Need to do another list and then I can at least menu plan.

I know I'm going to need a visit to the butchers as there definitely isn't enough sausages for our weekend breakfasts so will need some of those but hoping there is enough other meat in there for most of that period.  There's certainly plenty of veg and probably fruit as well.

SM shopping should come in reasonably low as should just mean bread, milk, cheese, fresh fruit & some fresh veg.  Have already topped up things like toiletries, loo roll & kitchen roll.

Store cupboard also needs topping up as down to the last couple of tins of most things and I like to keep a decent stock over the winter because if the weather is really bad we can sometimes get stuck indoors!

CCW007

Completely failed to do any batch cooking and tonight is not looking good either so tomorrow is likely to be fridge tetris when the veg box arrives!  OH is out for the morning on Saturday so I'm planning a cooking sesh then. 

Dinner tonight is lentil bolognaise (me - first time of making it) and regular bolognaise for OH.

CCW007

Well the lentil bolognaise was a hit and used some rather ancient green lentils so definitely one for the menu plan. 

Herbyme

CCW007 said:

Well the lentil bolognaise was a hit and used some rather ancient green lentils so definitely one for the menu plan. 

Could you link to the recipe?

CCW007

@carolinerunner it was from a closed FB group I'm in so there's no link but recipe is below:

Small red onion
1 stick celery
2 carrots
3 cloves garlic
1 cup lentils (I used green)
700g passata (next time I may use tinned tomatoes for more texture)
1.5 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups veg stock
3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce
1 heaped teaspoon italian herbs

Simmered for about half an hour until it thickened and reduced.

Oh yes and I added half a red pepper and some mushrooms as they needed using up.

Suffolk_lass

I did a funny old mix for supper last night. Prized four chipolatas from a bag of eight semi-frozen ones I got out at 5pm and twisted them into 8 small things, baked in an open dish with a couple of prepared pickling onions left over from the two jars I made, some carrot chunks, chopped tromboncino squash and half a jar of Dolmio that may have been in the fridge for over a fortnight (but no mould... begs the question about preservatives but that is a whole other thread). This went in with four small homegrown potatoes for mini-baked potatoes and served with savoy cabbage. It was so simple and tasty and there was a bit left over.

DH is off away for two nights with his bike group so guess who will be having leftovers!