Reverse Meal Planning

rtandon27

Welcome back SL - it has been quiet! This doesn't mean we've al fallen off the wagon - just forgotten to check in!

Last night we had ambient gnocchi with leeks and mushrooms.  I must confess we had to pick up some mushrooms and creme fresh as neither was gracing our kitchen.  We did however use up two giant leeks that left to do their own thing in a vase of water had doubled in length! Gnocchi from the stores and grated cheese from the freezer.

Tonight we will abandon the meal plan of fish and veg stir fry in favour of chicken & veg noodle soup to use up some olioed bone broth from h&b - who knew they were now giving away a selection of their new fridge products! I'm not surprised though as 5pounds for 1/3 of a litre is steep! Imagine spending 15pounds to make a litre of soup? I'll continue to make my own every so often thank you very much!

EssexHebridean

That's a ludicrous price for what is basically stock with a "wellness label" applied! 

I need a thoroughly belt-tightening October as thanks to the move, needing to re-stock etc September was horribly spendy! I plan to do one big shop with tins etc, ensure that when I need beans or chickpeas I soak and cook dried (and indeed - I currently have dried chickpeas in the freezer!)  batch cook some more goodies (I want to try lentil & bacon soup as a starting point looking at the way the prices of tinned soup are increasing!) and generally remember that actually my far-larger-than-the-previous-one freezer is already fairly packed, and so I need to use some of its contents! 

This week has been a reasonable start - stir fry last night - prawns bought fresh for that but it used up some veg we had in, and the kale that I got on the Lils Pick of the week will also get added to a few other meals too. Tonight will be couscous with halloumi and sauteed veggies. Tomorrow is the curry that I batch cooked on Sunday and I think thursday will be sausage and mushroom pasta with pesto. 

Suffolk_lass

My friend brought me a tray of 12 tins of chick peas. Just after I bought 10k sack of dried ones. This might sort us out for the rest of our lives actually!

Katieowl

I've found even just keeping a list on the fridge of what veg we have already
has helped me cut down on shopping trips TBH.

rtandon27

SL - can you ever have too many chickpeas? - LOL - what a lovely friend to gift you with a whole flat of them!

Last night's impromptu chicken noodle soup was such a hit - the posh broth was flavoured with ginger and some lovely green bits that might have been tarragon.

Tonight's dinner is also a bit off-piste as we have created a romanesco/cauliflower gratin to use up our veg box veg.  A freezer dive also provided us with two small portions of sausage & rosemary stew.  Together these will make a lovely meal.

Tomorrow I've called 'fend for yourself night' as OH will need to make himself a wrap or an omelette & I'll need to pick up something at the train station on the way home.  We have a small-group churchy thing we've promised to attend, and it starts at 7:30, the same time as I get off the train!  Food will need to be consumed before as I'll never last until 9:30!

joedenise

Found a couple of single portions of beef stew, one with pearl barley in, so reheated both for dinner tonight and served with mash.  Very nice it was too.

EssexHebridean

Tasty sounding food as always in here! SL what a lovely supply of chick peas! 

Last night's butternut squash & chickpea curry went down a treat. I have extracted leftover cooked sausages, the last of the wild garlic pesto and some cooked onion from the freezer ready for sausage & mushroom pasta for this evening. I may yet do it with wholewheat pasta though as I've had white carbs every day so far this week and frankly my digestion will thank me for something a little different!  MrEH will complain, but he's going to have to learn to compromise on this one from time to time! 

joedenise

Got some salmon fillets out for tonight and then looked for a recipe to use them as wanted something different.  Found a BBC Good Food recipe for a Basque style salmon stew (https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/basque-style-salmon-stew).  It will also use up some of the tomatoes in the fridge which are now going a bit soft!

Only making half quantity as there's only 2 of us and don't think it would freeze very well.

Think I'm going to make some more tomato and chilli jam probably over the weekend to use up some more of the tomatoes as haven't really got enough freezer space for more tomato sauce!

Suffolk_lass

I got what I thought was two fish fillets out of the freezer and there was a bone-in monks fish tail and a cod loin (both reduced YS) so I added onion, carrots, peas in a white source and DH made some mash to top it. A very tasty "meaty" fish pie.

I am providing lunch for 20 today, using the frozen leftovers from March's lunch for 60. It has made more room for courgettes in the chest freezer! I have two shallow chicken pies (made on baking sheets) and a large deep cottage pie with the beef I chopped and froze in a 2 litre ice cream box, and I have 2 heads of broccoli in small florets, plus small chopped fresh carrots I will mix with frozen peas. That will be plenty. I have made a pudding too, with a few jars of plums and bottled apples, topped with sponge. I used the batter mix that I use for the Nigella Courgette and lime (I use lemon) cake as the sponge topping and I have custard and cream to go with it. I just hope there aren't too many leftovers!!

rtandon27

SL - that is quite the menu!  How many virtual portions are you make for all of us virtual friends YUM!