Reverse Meal Planning

EssexHebridean

Allowing that all savoury foods can be improved by the addition of bacon RT, I definitely think it's fair to say that it doesn't count as "blowing" a meatless Monday! 

Sorry for the bad influencing as well - honestly though, the ham we had at christmas (and the second one we had a few weeks ago) was SO delicious - we both really enjoyed it and it was definitely VFM! 

We are both also heartily in agreement that the pasta salad idea will be making a reappearance through the summer months as well - so tasty and so simple as well. 

MrEH had a tooth extracted yesterday so I will not be doing the usual Tuesday couscous this evening. I think we've settled on him being content with pasta again - although this time will be hot and with the same toppings (veggies plus lamb pieces) as were being planned anyway. I'll almost certainly do a sachet of mixed grains with mine as otherwise that would be 4 meals in 3 days I would have eaten pasta and much as I love it that is a bit too much for me! (And I haven't got a gappy mouth to consider!) I must remember to use up the last of last week's broccoli though as otherwise it will be past its best. There is also courgette and mushrooms to go with it.

Need to get my head around what we fancy for the rest of the week...preferably NOT involving any more pasta!  

Suffolk_lass

We had a light night last night - soup with crisps and a little indulgence of ice cream with ginger biscuits. We have two ginger biscuits in lieu of wafers - a long-ago substitution identified that we prefer the ginger nuts to wafers! Last night they were from a packet as they were enjoyed with a cup of tea the previous afternoon but I also found I liked the Tosco recipe that is readily available on-line as they are a little spicier.

Tonight will be the other half of the ragu in a pasta bake (it might make two as I have reduced the thickness rather than the dish size, to keep control of the carb intake). I have two shop-bought bramley apples and I might bake them with a date or some sultanas as stuffing, and use up some milk to make custard.

The addition of red lentils to the ragu means I still have half the 500g pack of mince left in the fridge and I think I might make a small chilli with that. I got a pack of beef shin out and we do like that in chilli but as it is just the two of us I think I will pre-cook it in the aga and split it half to chilli and then make a curry or a pie with the rest. I forgot to add a cauliflower to my shop online and have used all the leeks and broccoli so mac and cheese with some lardons sounds good for use-up week next week, before we go to my Mum's in Scotland.

The courgette stash is down to one shelf in the catering freezer now so that is going well. We had an added parsnip and a potato with the regular onion and carrot base in the soup I made. It works well with a little extra starchiness and sweetness. Especially when the chillies are hotter than I thought!

EssexHebridean

Morning all! You will be pleased to hear that the chosen meals for tuesday evening did include remembering the broccoli! Also some of the mushrooms (really nice ones this week - lovely and firm) and a pepper. Combined with lunchtime fruit, 5-a-day is never a problem on tuesdays!

Last night's tea ended up being lamb sausages with 3-root mash (both from the freezer) plus peas and sweetcorn - that was the last of the peas so more will need to go onto my list. I've got mince out for this evening - I think it will be turned into a speedy chilli which may well make sufficient for an additional portion for the freezer.

The weekend should see us use a fair bit of the bread from the freezer - although MrEH did spot Y/S'd "Very Caramelly Hot Cross Buns" this morning so I gather a couple of packs will be making their way home with him and one will need freezing for sure. I might also make a fruit loaf to add some variation into the weekend toast options as well.  Other planned weekend cooking is a lamb curry I think - probably a big pot in the slow cooker to feed us a few times in the future as well! 

Suffolk_lass

I've just used half a 500g pack of mince to make a chilli. I cooked a pack of shin yesterday so will make a small pie for us and add the rest of that to give the chilli a more meaty texture. Home grown bottled tomatoes will make it taste of summer. We don't use kidney beans so I added three tins; baked beans, borlotti beans and chick peas. It stretches it, adds lots of fibre and makes my spot the mince chilli more filling too. No need for anything with it unless the homegrown chillies are hotter than expected, when a dollop of yogurt gets added for a gentle down and certain creaminess which I like, and I always have yogurt but rarely buy soured cream.

Left over custard (unusual here) has been blitzed with some cream lurking in the fridge and a small jar of stewed apple from last summer's preserved bounty to make four portions of apple fool. I'll let you know.

Chicken tomorrow. Only us, so a small one to bounce through the week for at least two more meals before we go away.

DH will have the rest of the pasta bake leftovers for lunch today, and I will empty one of the two canisters of HM courgette soup.

Happy Easter everyone!

rtandon27

Where has this week gone?

Tuesday was not fish - we had leftovers instead!
Wednesday was not chicken - we had perogies & cabbage...
Thursday we made avail of a free pizza & wings, using points that had accumulated from a pizza lunch I'd organized back in Feburary!  We had to pick it up, as they don't deliver free orders - what an adventure trying to find the location in the dark, during a biblical rain-storm!
Last night was a bit of a fake-away - frozen gyoza & a prawn/rice stir-fry - delicious!

We've also indulged in some hot-cross buns now that Good Friday has arrived (Waitflower brand).  I have fond memories of my Aunt's home-made buns, once a year after the Friday afternoon service.  My family observed lent in a serious way, and it was such a treat to have a sweet bun after weeks of deprivation!  These days, there is no deprivation but I still refuse to eat them until after 3pm on Good Friday - lol

So today, our loose plan is roast something - I think pork shoulder steaks may be had...
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, but due to a medical test, I'll be fasting until mid-afternoon...  I'm hankering for some lamb, so may have to prep something that will be ready for when we return from the appt!

Loose plan for this weekend is to do an inventory of what is in stock in the house, and then actually write a meal plan and find some new recipes to try.

joedenise

Bought a lump of sirloin which DH has cut into 4 steaks which have been frozen and there is a lump left which we'll have tomorrow with some roast potatoes and veg.

Suffolk_lass

joedenise said:

Bought a lump of sirloin which DH has cut into 4 steaks which have been frozen and there is a lump left which we'll have tomorrow with some roast potatoes and veg.

I do that with pork loin sometimes. Not at the moment though as the price is the same per kg

We had all the pre-cooked meat (shin) in our pie last night. The chilli was cooked and transferred into pots for two meals for 2. Today, as planned (in itself, this is unusual) we have the roasted chicken with roast potatoes and veg.. Then the baked apples I threatened.

I did a quick audit of the produce freezer and there are a few beans and two giant ziplock bags of chillies, plus a shelf of courgettes and four shelves of fruit. I think I will need to just cook some. Plum cake might be an option too. I can see at least three four bags of plums. The rhubarb stock pile is down to three bags now, in time for the new season's when we return from our hols this month, I think. I might be ding pudding for the May community lunch. If so, it may be plum and apple crumble with custard

joedenise

DH smokes pork loin and slices it for bacon.  I have a drawer full of bacon in the 2nd freezer.  We managed to get a whole pork loin for £30 and it has made the most amazing bacon - he makes dry cured so don't get all that horrible water coming out when cooking that you get with commercial bacon!

I used to have a crown of rhubarb in a bit of the garden at the front which actually belonged to our neighbour but it was actually along the edge of our lawn so they couldn't actually get to it without using our garden to get on it!  Weird situation!  Anyway one year when we were on holiday they decided to just concrete over it and cover it with some white stones so lost my rhubarb.  Thinking of getting another crown to put in a bit of garden at the back but not sure when the best to buy it and plant is.  Any idea?

Suffolk_lass

joedenise said:

DH smokes pork loin and slices it for bacon.  I have a drawer full of bacon in the 2nd freezer.  We managed to get a whole pork loin for £30 and it has made the most amazing bacon - he makes dry cured so don't get all that horrible water coming out when cooking that you get with commercial bacon!

I used to have a crown of rhubarb in a bit of the garden at the front which actually belonged to our neighbour but it was actually along the edge of our lawn so they couldn't actually get to it without using our garden to get on it!  Weird situation!  Anyway one year when we were on holiday they decided to just concrete over it and cover it with some white stones so lost my rhubarb.  Thinking of getting another crown to put in a bit of garden at the back but not sure when the best to buy it and plant is.  Any idea?

Personally, I have always dug up a crown on my way back from my Mum's at Easter and (she is in Scotland) planted at the pink lumps on the surface, with the start of shoots stage. In Spring if you buy a potted crown, in Autumn, if you buy a bare rooted (dormant) one. Don't pick any the year you plant or the following year but then you can take normally, with my Grandad's advice to always leave two stalks on each crown and pull the strongest. We put fresh compost around the crown in January/February, but you must not cover it, or it could rot. If you want it before it's in the shops, "Timperley Early" was bred for forcing, but I find it tends to be weaker so we have several "Victoria", which is a really old variety that grows anywhere and is really easy. I think "Raspberry Red" is meant to be a really sweet one, but with too much here, I have not tried it

joedenise

Thank you @Suffolk_lass that's very helpful.  I think I'll leave it until the autumn.  I'll see what I can get from one of the garden centres.  I don't want the very early forced stuff though!  I always think it's like real rhubarb.  I certainly don't buy the really thin pink stems which the SMs seem to stock in the early part of the year!