Reverse Meal Planning

ailz95

Bluegreen143 said:

Still working through veg mountain 😅 but doing well.

Made beetroot falafel today - we will have half for dinner later this week with hummus, pittas and salad bits and I’ll freeze half for next time. made sourdough pittas to go with too which I’ll freeze til needed to keep them fresh.

Plan to make a veg & lentil lasagne sauce to freeze to use up tons of the veg (spinach, butternut squash, aubergine, courgette, carrot, celery) and might make that a double batch too. And think I’ll make a butternut, coconut and carrot soup later and a carrot cake if I can be bothered. 

Going to have a fry up tonight for dinner as husband has requested as his Father’s Day treat 😂 then tomorrow make chicken risotto with leftover roast chicken from Friday - can throw in onion, celery, carrot, courgette, spinach etc.

I think with this lot I will have used most of the veg except 2/3 swede (and staples like celery/onion) which will keep well enough to make a stew or soup next week anyway.

I'd love the recipe for the beetroot falafels if possible

Bluegreen143

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/beetroot-falafel%3famp

It’s this, it’s lovely but maybe a little bland if you follow the recipe exactly - season very well with salt and I also add a couple of tablespoons of ground paprika and garlic granules as well as the cumin.  

This amount makes enough for two meals for us (two adults + two very little kids). I serve with lots of hummus, wraps/pittas and salad.

Made a batch of veg in a tomato sauce tonight then split in two - one half I added spices and kidney beans to for veg chilli and the other half I added puy lentils and herbs to to make lasagne sauce.

Baileys_Babe

Thanks for sharing @Bluegreen143

Suffolk_lass

I seem to have lots of onions, eggs and potatoes so might have to make cheese and potato pie but I also have so much in the salad bed trying to go to seed so stirfry first I think. Might have to try Pac Choi flower tempura too!

rtandon27

Oh SL - two things I've never heard of in one post - I'm intrigued.
Do you have a recipe for cheese & potato pie?  Sounds like something OH would love & inhale in one sitting
...and Pakchoi flower tempura - any relation to courgette flower tempura?  I must confess I've no clue what the flowers look like!

Bluegreen - thanks for the beetroot falafel recipe - will keep that in mind for the next time we find some in the veg box - must admit it is the one veg we struggle to finish up!

Last night's dinner was shredded duck with hoisin sauce in pancakes - used up the last of the mini-cucumbers & spring onions from one of our previous veg boxes.  Followed by heathyish blueberry muffins which I labeled as cakes when pushing them on the OH - got some fruit into him which was the goal - he had two - lol

ailz95

rtandon27 said:

Oh SL - two things I've never heard of in one post - I'm intrigued.
Do you have a recipe for cheese & potato pie?  Sounds like something OH would love & inhale in one sitting
...and Pakchoi flower tempura - any relation to courgette flower tempura?  I must confess I've no clue what the flowers look like!

Bluegreen - thanks for the beetroot falafel recipe - will keep that in mind for the next time we find some in the veg box - must admit it is the one veg we struggle to finish up!

Last night's dinner was shredded duck with hoisin sauce in pancakes - used up the last of the mini-cucumbers & spring onions from one of our previous veg boxes.  Followed by heathyish blueberry muffins which I labeled as cakes when pushing them on the OH - got some fruit into him which was the goal - he had two - lol

I have a nice recipe for cheese, potato and onion pie.  Quantities are dependant on how many you're cooking for.
Chop potatoes into small cubes and boil/steam until firm but cooked.
Slice onions, fry, in butter, until translucent,  Add flour (my ratio is 2 tbsp flour to 1 tbsp butter) and stir to coat onion, add 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you want it hotter - or omit).
Cook the flour a little, add double cream a little at a time, cooking the flour/cream until smooth each time before adding more cream - the secret to a smooth sauce is to heat the cream/milk with the flour before mixing too much.  You can use milk instead of cream, of course - add boiled potatoes 1 tsp mustard - I use grainny mustard - and at least 200 grams grated cheddar cheese.  If the sauce is too thick add a little potato water - this is starchy so it won't thin it a great deal.  Taste for seasoning and cheesiness.
I use frozen puff pastry for a top, but any pastry will do.

Pyxis

I had cooked barley from making barley water, some celery, some mange tout, fresh herbs, some new potatoes and some plantain. Also some rainbow chard.

So...... I roasted the plantain and then cut it into chunks, cooked the celery, herbs, rainbow chard stalks and mangetout in some veg broth with onion and garlic, boiled the new pots, and mixed the whole lot together with the barley.

Had one lot last night, one lot today with soured cream, and will have the rest with grated cheese. 

ajmoney

I kind of try reverse meal planning but looking at my food inventory I need to do a lot better as I have quite a few things I need to use up in my cupboards!  Doing ok on the fridge and freezer front though.

joedenise

I think I should be posting on this thread!  I always read it but rarely post on it.  I do most of my menu plan from stuff in the freezer but I still seem to be buying stuff as well.

Today I'm doing a pork stirfry with noodles - I had some strips of pork in the freezer (no idea what cut they are as my neighbour gave it to me when her husband died as she doesn't eat pork so really needs using up); also have a bag of stirfry veg in the freezer.  Will add some home grown courgettes plus some carrot ribbons to use up a carrot or 2 from the fridge.  Plenty of noodles in the cupboard.

Sauce will be made with dark soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce, tomato puree & 5 spice.  This should make a nice sticky sauce.  Will also add a little light soy sauce when it's nearly cooked and a splash of water if needed.

joedenise

Tonight's dinner was all from stores - potatoes, onions, corned beef and beans made into a corned beef hash!