Reverse Meal Planning

Suffolk_lass

We're having a pasta bake tonight as got study group at 7pm. I really fancy lasagne but I will have to settle for layers with penne as I know I don't have the sheets. I will stir the leftover ragu through the cooked quills and then pour over a small cheese sauce and top with a little grated cheese. Back when I did mixed hockey teas for 24-30, this was a staple (along with sausages, beans and jacket potato). We called it Pasticcio back then. The chicken (down to four in the freezer now after accidentally buying 3 for £10 twice!) we had last night roasted with jacket potato, carrots and cabbage, will make a small pie for tomorrow and maybe a sandwich (I have a loaf baking now). No room for stock in the freezer, but I might make and use it as soup or thicken it for the pie!

EssexHebridean

RT I can't see why the new gadget wouldn't do a decent job of cooking things like turkey thighs and chicken drumsticks - although I've not tried the "roast" function yet. I was impressed with how swiftly and well it dealt with cooking the mixed veg (butternut squash, red pepper chunks, quartered mushrooms) to go with the couscous the other night, certainly.  You've made me definitely want to try the turkey leg from M's  next time I go in, I reckon that could provide a few decent meals for us for a reasonable outlay so I will report back if I get one and cook it that way! 

Suffolk_lass

Chicken pie tonight. I did offer either shop bought F&C or Freezer evacuee but DH said "Let's use up what we have got out" (who is he, and what has he done with my husband!?  )

rtandon27

Steak & chips & pan fried greens for us tonight!  Last meal of our Thanksgiving staycation & in keeping with the theme of eating like we are on holiday, OH will make us a pubstyle dinner   We have some gorgeous potatoes from this week's veg box for oven chips and I've been eyeing up the baby greens, so he will happily oblige!

Suffolk_lass

That sounds lovely @rtandon27! We both had a poorly day yesterday, DH especially, with reaction to the vaccinations on Thursday. We deliberately kept Friday clear as this is normal for me. I just felt a bit nauseous and tired, whereas he had full blown shakes and fluctuation temperature. So no pie for us, just stewed apple and custard for him and bottled pears for me. Pastry made for tonight though.

rtandon27

Oh SL - so sorry to hear you both felt unwell from the vaccination.  OH felt a bit manky from his for a couple of days, but thankfully I had no reaction.

We finally had our thanksgiving pumpkin pie, which was really lovely given that I mistakenly put 10% less sugar in than was called for!  I'd been postponing making this since Monday, so popped it in just before dinner last night.  I completely forgot that it needs to come to room temp before it can be cut, so we ended up having middle of the night elevenses 😂😂😂  Had another slice for breakfast & this was a much better texture as it had cooled completely given that it was so cold last night that there was still a frost outside at 8:45 this morning despite the sun shining brightly.  We've not yet given in to putting on the heat, but I have taken to warming my wheat bag in the microwave & taking it to bed with me.

Lunch today was a bottom of the fridge omelette with bits and pieces of veg from our bi-weekly box & the last of the turkey.  OH is very thankful that it will be another year before that particular variety of poultry graces our table again - he is not a fan, but is very loving & accommodates my annual need for a traditional dinner from home. We do however still have a third of the green bean casserole to finish & many roasted veg.  If I can get myself in gear, a trip to Waitflower is needed to pick up some pul biber for that vegetable tart I've been meaning to make all week 🙃🙃🙃

joedenise

Need some butternut squash for a recipe I'm making tomorrow but not the whole lot so I've chopped it up and some has been frozen, some is in the fridge to go into a midweek curry with chickpeas (will need to soak the chickpeas and pressure cook as no tins in the cupboard).  It was only a small squash but still going towards 4 meals over the course of the next few days plus a small amount for another recipe.

Suffolk_lass

I have meal planned for the week (as always, things might change) but tonight we are definitely sharing a large piece of rib-eye steak. It is as much about the size of the tray and the awkwardness of its shape in the freezer but I think there is plenty for us both. I will cook it as one then slice it, I think, and I have two cabbages and a huge bag of wonky carrots so veg will accompany it, possibly with a few chips but it's a lot of electricity for one thing so a few new boiled ones, I think.

@joedenise I have taken to picking butternuts when they are really small and then ripening them indoors as I am always finding mystery bags of orange in the freezer and there is only so much soup we can eat!

rtandon27

Suffolk_lass said:

...possibly with a few chips but it's a lot of electricity for one thing so a few new boiled ones, I think...

SL - My OH's Mom was a fan of pan-fried potato coins.  In her day they were made with a ton of oil/lard/dripping & shallow fried.  In the interest of clearer arteries, OH replicates them by cooking on a well-seasoned cast iron pan (instead of non-stick) on a medium heat with minimal coconut oil for flavour.  They crisp up well and take less time & energy than whacking on the oven.  Another version of pan-fried potatoes that I'm a fan of is to pre-cook baby potatoes & let them cool to room temp, then squash them with the bottom of a glass, giving them more surface area before giving them a similar treatment in the pan, the exposed fluffy bits & broken skin produce the loveliest crispy bits.

I'm eyeing up a baked cheesy crusted squash recipe for the butternut that is living on the hearth of our fireplace surround.  We don't actually use the fireplace as the former owners closed off the flue and installed an electric one, so the surround doubles as a shelf for various seasonal decorations.  At the moment it is home to 3 beautiful large cucurbitaceae.  I'm after some tiny ornamental ones as well, but at 2GBP a pop, there is no way they will make it to my MSE home!

Last nights dinner was an impromptu bits & pieces as we ended up at a friend's place to watch the rugby & then popped to the local mini-Waitflower for a 2g2g magic bag.  We were the last to pick-up and somehow ended up with 2 giant bags of bits! Today the meal plan will need to be rejigged to incorporate the leftovers from the bag despite having eaten our fill last night, and split the remainders with our lovely host! 

MarcusTheHelp

I've always done it like this, especially when baking.