Reverse Meal Planning

JingsMyBucket

EssexHebridean can you tell me more about the broccoli orzo bake please? I have some elderly broccoli taking up space in my fridge. 

Watty1

ohh elderly broccoli here always goes into our favourite broccoli and cheese soup.  Who knew broccoli could be so fabulous.

Suffolk_lass

Broccoli here goes into penne pasta. Usually with a spoonful of pesto, to make it interesting. I just chuck it in with the pasta for the last three minutes.

Over here I have done zero planning and I just decide on the morning whether I need to remove any meat for that evening, from the freezer. It is half a dozen chipolata sausages that we will have with salad and Jersey Royals this evening. Last night we shared a chicken breast and the night before, baked salmon. I need to use a bag of spinach and I think it will go well with baby new potatoes and poached eggs for a light supper. I also made a spicy gazpacho, which we had for lunch yesterday, with a meze of hummus, black olives, veg sticks, hm guacamole, chilli corn chips and Rosemary and salt crackers

rtandon27

Despite my meal planning and consistant use it up of fresh & store cupboard items, OH has stated that I am not allowed to buy anything frozen until at least one drawer is completely empty!  I think we have our July challenge set for this house!  I am however going to be quite cross if the extra room we will gain does not allow for at least a tub of ice cream!

So I guess step one of this summer challenge will be a freezer audit!

EssexHebridean

@JingsMyBucket 'tis this one https://www.tamingtwins.com/broccoli-orzo-bake/ - it's lush, and so easy that it's a recipe even I don't mind following! the extra veg component is also very flexible - I've used peas, a mix of peas and sweetcorn, I think first time I did it was with green beans, and I reckon it would be lovely with broad beans too. The fact that it makes enough for two meals for our 2 person household is a bonus, and they are decent generous portions as well. 

SL your food sounds amazing - particularly that meze! 

Honestly RT what are we all like with our freezers - I seem to have been on a constant mission to get through the stocks in ours for months now. well, I say "seem to" - I HAVE, I know this! 

This evening I am unusually on my own for tea, so I intend using bits up. There is the small piece of feta and the last few sundried toms I mentioned previously, the last in a small pack of parsley and some homegrown leaves. I've got tomatoes and cucumber and I can either do wholewheat pasta and turn the lot into a salad or i can delve in the freezer for pitta breads and load everything into a couple of those - which is probably going to be the favourite I think. 

As for tomorrow, goodness knows - it's MrEH's birthday though so I'd like to do something that's a bit more of a favourite of his rather than just a staple. 

rtandon27

In an effort to declutter the fridge, I've decided to have a c0rnett0 - mint chocolate - yum - what can I say it's been a mare of a day - sometimes having a stash is a great thing!

weenancyinAmerica

@Watty1 - what is your fabulous soup recipe for broccoli and cheese soup? I think I need one.

@EssexHebridean - sending a Happy Birthday to Mr.EH

Suffolk_lass

Speaking of freezer space, I have to get in my chest freezer and reorganise it today because I have half a lamb coming tomorrow afternoon! I do not really need it but the farmer owes me for some (beekeeping) kit and asked if he could include this as part of the payment. That is fine. Lots of moussaka (potatoes preferred to aubergines by Mr Sl so I only use a bit of aubergine) - plus chops, half legs and half shoulders, one kidney, and so on. It's just the bones and scrag bags I struggle with as I am not a fan of lamb stock in all honesty.

I plan to cook some mince today so that is defrosting. Probably a vegetable-rich pasta bake with ragu

EssexHebridean

Thank you Nancy - I will pass that on! 

SL - if I have scraps from a whole lamb like that I make an essentially veggie curry with the bones thrown in - any residual bits of meat add slightly more substance to the curry and the whole add plenty of flavour anyway. It's definitely the best way to use up bits of lamb that don't lend themselves to a dish where they are the main act, IMO!

Well my tea last night was glorious - I added all the ingredients I mentioned in my last post to a bowl, with everything chopped into small pieces. Added a slug of caesar salad dressing, some well chopped mint leaves and some S&P and mixed it all together well and loaded it into lightly toasted pittas - and it was just ludicrously tasty, plus having the advantage that the only "cooking" was a few minutes of the toaster in use.  That sort of thing may well be slotted into the meal plan regularly now I think. I'd need to tweak ingredients for MrEH as he can't stand olives and isn't much of a fan of feta either, but that's simple enough. 

This evening is going to be the last bits of salad from the fridge, with some of our brought-back-from-holiday smoked salmon, and a sachet of some form of rice/grains to add the carb element I think. Tomorrow will be a takeaway of some sort in honour of himself's birthday, and beyond that I have no idea, yet! 

rtandon27

OMG EH - I read that as you added a slug dressing!