Reverse Meal Planning

DawnW

I generally marinate salmon before cooking it. A favourite of ours is (for 4-6 salmon fillets) 6 tablespoons soy sauce, about 2 cm grated ginger, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 chopped red chilli and 3 chopped spring onions. place all in a shallow dish, lay the salmon fillets in it, skin side down first, then turn so that the flesh side is down. Cover tightly as it smells quite strong, and place in the fridge for at least an hour. When you want to cook it, shake the marinade from the fillets (keeping the marinade) and fry in a small amount of butter and oil (if you add a little bit of oil it stops butter from burning) till cooked through. For the last minute or so, tip over the marinade and heat through. Don't let it bubble for ages though as the soy is salty, and if it reduces too much will make the dish too salty. Serve with either rice or new potatoes and a green vegetable or salad.

MissRikkiC

Chicken risotto tonight which used up the last of the chicken I slow cooked the other day. Half a small breast and darker meats. Served with some sliced runner beans from olio. 

It made 4 potions easily plus 5 portions of chicken noodle soup, half a breast on a wrap for me, some dark meat in a wrap for my daughter and 4 portions plus a little one of chicken fried rice. Thank you £7 bird (YS free range corn fed). Delicious. 

There is 6 portions of red cabbage gone into the freezer tonight too! Enjoying being better 🤓

EssexHebridean

Evening all. I did an on-the-fly shopping trip yesterday with no list and no plan - I know, bad MSE’er! However this means a lot of reverse planning is needed for this week. It started today with some of the Christmas ham, jacket tatties, Mum’s red cabbage and apple (she always makes extra so we get a double portion to bring home!) and some mixed veg. I’ll freezer dive for tomorrow but I’m thinking possibly a turkey and mushroom risotto at the moment. 

zafiro1984

Today was definitely a no effort bits and bobs meal from the fridge/freezer.

A few bits of chicken from the freezer and the last of the gammon from NY with a white sauce, chilli, the last of the mushrooms and a bit of alcohol made into parcels with some LO puff pastry, DH had chips and I had the remainder of a tin of baked beans from the fridge. 

Pudding was sliced apples from the fruit bowl with a crumble/oat topping. I didn't bother to peal them or put any sugar in with them as they were dessert apples. The last of the cream instead of custard.

Still got some apples and 4 oranges left. I've a red cabbage in the bottom of the fridge so may combine it with the apples and an onion and freeze it in portions. Oranges - I need to have a think.....

ruby_eskimo

Used up one of the butternut squashes that were in the cupboard to make a curry last night and there are 3 portions of it now sitting in the freezer.  Going to use the second squash to probably make soup next week for lunches.

Tonight I'm using some chicken from our roast at the weekend and some peppers to make a kind of chicken in black bean sauce.  

EssexHebridean

A good squeeze of orange juice into red cabbage and apple as its cooking is lovely Zafiro. I also chuck spices into mine too - always allspice and then sometimes star anise, sometimes nutmeg - depends on how I feel! 

Last night's turkey stir fry made good inroads into the savoy cabbage - needless to say there is still some left. It also used up a small jar of homemade gooseberry ketchup, a small amount of excess cooked mixed veg, a leek, half a head of broccoli and the last of a bottle of soy sauce and sesame "drizzle and dip" sauce. I'll shop from home for a replacement of that to go into the cupboard - probably a different flavour this time.
Tonight is a tuesday staple of couscous salad with assorted veg and halloumi. I've freezer dived for a tub of cooked chickpeas and some frozen pomegranate seeds to throw into that as well. I will likely use the remaining broccoli tonight - although that might yet get reserved to go into a risotto either tomorrow or Thursday. 

zafiro1984

Thanks Essexhebridean I'll do that when I make it.

I've got the remainder of the leg of lamb from last weekend in the slow cooker, slowly bubbling away with veggies etc to make soup for tomorrow. Lamb is a treat at the moment considering its price, I got this one half price just before Christmas. I now wish I had bought two...

Tonight is a chicken thigh wrapped in bacon for DH. I'm going to have a stir fry. Pudding will be a  steamed jam sponge with the remainder of the cream (well actually, I cheat and do the jam sponge in the microwave. It only takes a few minutes and you would never know the difference)

MissRikkiC

Half a leek, 2 carrots, half a pepper, 2 cans of beans, 1 can of chopped toms, tomato purée and spice added to leftover meatball sauce (frozen on Saturday) for a veggie chilli tonight with rice. 

The oven will go on tomorrow for gammon steaks (tray bake style free from olio) however does anyone know if they could be cooked in a frying pan instead? I’m a bit reluctant to put it on is all as trying to use it once a week and no doubt my daughter will want ti bake this weekend so trying to reserve until then. 

DawnW

MissRikkiC said:

Half a leek, 2 carrots, half a pepper, 2 cans of beans, 1 can of chopped toms, tomato purée and spice added to leftover meatball sauce (frozen on Saturday) for a veggie chilli tonight with rice. 

The oven will go on tomorrow for gammon steaks (tray bake style free from olio) however does anyone know if they could be cooked in a frying pan instead? I’m a bit reluctant to put it on is all as trying to use it once a week and no doubt my daughter will want ti bake this weekend so trying to reserve until then. 

Yes they can be cooked in a frying pan, or under the grill. I don't think I have ever done them in the oven.

JIL

I think the gammon steaks are the ones in a tin tray, so a shove in the oven? Nothing to stop you just frying them, the trays then come in very handy for later use.