Meal Plan Monday

MONDAY

Kid Free Night! Out for dinner

TUESDAY

Curried Sausages, mashed potato & steamed vegetables

WEDNESDAY

Teriyaki Salmon, steamed rice and green beans

THURSDAY

Junior Masterchef Chicken Enchiladas

Just a little tip here: White Corn Tortillas are exceptionally difficult to work with in the recipe. They crack and fall apart when rolling up the enchiladas. I would stick to yellow corn, or flour tortillas for this dish.

FRIDAY

Pizza Night with Nana & Grandad

SATURDAY

French Food Safari French Onion Soup

 and Great British Bake Off Sticky Toffee Puddings

SUNDAY

Steak Bearnaise, mashed potato & vegetables

BAKING

Pear & Ginger Upside Down Cake

Australian Good Taste Magazine May 2013 p52

Meal Plan Monday

It's been quite a social week this week. We have been out with friends and family, been visiting friends with "cheer-you-up" cupcakes for afternoon tea and camping on the family farm. It has been fabulous!

MONDAY

Dinner out with Nana & Grandad

TUESDAY

Junior Masterchef Macaroni Cheese

WEDNESDAY

Tuscan Style Salad

Bring & share with friends

THURSDAY

Junior Masterchef Bacon & Egg Pie

FRIDAY

Dinner with friends

SATURDAY

CAMPING!

I say camping, but we have a cottage with hot running water, a fridge, comfortable beds. We like to build a fire and cook on it. This time I went a step up from toasting marshmallows, but not as far as purchasing any special cooking kit . . . yet! We cooked all the food totally in foil. The menu included:

• Damper on Sticks
• Stuffed Baked Potatoes
• Banana Canoes
• Toasted Marshmallows

No recipes or photos today, as I haven't quite got the timings right yet. Need to have another practice :)

SUNDAY

 Curried Sausages, creamy mash and steamed vegetables

FUN

It was the first week of School Holidays here in WA, so baking is just for fun (and for whole family eating!) Firstly it seemed appropriate to make ANZAC biscuits on Thursday for ANZAC Day (which is also a National holiday, so a great time to get into the kitchen).

Anzac Biscuits

Australian Good Taste Magazine are running their first "Cutest Cupcake Competition" so I am getting into the spirit and baking up a storm whenever I have a few moments. Here are my first offerings.

Cupcakes - White Choc Mud with White Chocolate Buttercream

Cupcakes - Choc Mud with Mocha Buttercream

Banoffee Cupcakes with Vanilla Rum Buttercream

Meal Plan Monday

This week we were on a bit of a budget, having had a little shopping spree in the city last Friday. So I had a scratch around in the pantry, fridge & freezer and this is what I came up with.

Monday

{recipe & image credit}

Nigella Salmon Fish Cakes & Simple Salad
Great way to use up the leftover mashed potato from last Thursday night's steak & mash.

Tuesday

Quick Pasta Bake

A snatch & grab because I forgot to take the pasta dough & chicken out of the freezer for chicken fettuccine *gasps in horror!* So this was a mix of spring onion, bacon, mushroom, char-grilled peppers, tomato paste, pizza cheese and some dried pasta from the pantry. Not particularly glamorous, but it filled the tummies :)

Wednesday

Spice Journey

I know, I know, I said we were on a budget, but for around $35 this feeds our family of four for dinner and provides one adult with lunch the next day. This fabulous local Indian takeaway is mobile. They are located quite conveniently for us after piano lessons on a Wednesday night. I am trying really hard to not visit EVERY week, but it is just so dang authentic and delicious!

Thursday

Bangers Pepporanata

Friday

Night out with friends

Saturday

SBS Food Safari Jambalaya

Take my advice here and HALVE the quantities of this recipe (unless, of course, you intend to feed 12 people). I would also halve the cayenne pepper again to 1/4 of a teaspoon as this was a little hot for our kids. This is what I chose to do with the chicken I forgot to take out of the freezer on Tuesday. I just topped up with a couple of fresh ingredients from the supermarket.

 Sunday

Slow cooked Beef Stroganoff with Creamy Mashed Potato

Slow cooking is a great way to save money, as cheaper cuts of meat require a longer cooking time, but produce so much flavour.

Lunchbox

{recipe & image credit} 
Donna Hay Raspberry & White Chocolate Muffins

This is a great standby recipe as all the ingredients are generally on hand in a keen baker's pantry. Frozen berries are great to keep in the freezer too for just such an emergency bake. I just used regular muffin cases and white choc chips rather than chopped white chocolate, as this is what I already had in the pantry.

Meal Plan Monday

Monday

Curry Night

One of my favourite ways to share food with friends. Everyone brings a dish to share. On the menu tonight:

• Lamb Samosas
• Yoghurt & Mint Raita
• Cashew Butter Chicken
• Paul's Lamb Kofta in Spicy Tomato Sauce
• Simple Pilau Rice
• Gulab Jamon

Tuesday

 

 Perfect Pasta

Wednesday

Breadmaker Pizza

Thursday

Junior Masterchef Chicken Enchiladas

Friday

{image & recipe credit}

Coconut Curry Fish with Steamed Jasmine Rice

Saturday

Casual (store bought!) Hamburgers on the BBQ

Sunday

Garlic Roast Lamb with mixed roast vegetables
This recipe is from the Donna Hay Autumn 2013 Magazine

Lunchbox

Mini Easter Egg Blondies

Get Ahead Sunday

1.  Lunchbox baking. Allow to cool, cut into individual servings and freeze in a large airtight container.
2. Make the tomato sauce for the Chicken enchiladas on Sunday. When cooled, store in an artight plastic container (or even a large zip-lock bag!). Store for 2-3 days in the fridge or, if you need longer, freeze. Just don't forget to take it out of the freezer the morning you want to have it for dinner!
3. If you want to make your own pasta, do this on Sunday too. Pasta dough does not keep very well though (the fresh eggs start to turn green! Eeewww!). So allow your noodles to dry a little then freeze in a zip-lock bag or airtight container.

Meal Plan Monday

Monday

{image & recipe credit}

Creamy Coconut Fish Curry with Steamed Rice

Tuesday

Nachos Supreme

Wednesday

Tuna Mornay with Creamy Mash

Thursday

Steak Bearnaise with steamed greans

Friday

Chicken Ceasar Salad

Saturday

Lamb Korma with Steamed Basmati Rice

Sunday

Chicken Parmegana, chips & Salad

Lunchbox

 {image & recipe credit}

Chocolate Coconut Slice

Meal Plan Monday

MONDAY

{image credit & recicpe}

Roast Chicken with Honey Glazed Carrots, Potatoes & Silverbeet

I've got to be honest, we found the flavours of the ground cumin and coriander a bit overpowering in the vege dish. Far be it from me to think I know better than the great Curtis Stone, but if I were to make this again I would substitute the ginger for some crushed garlic, omit the ground spices and add a little fresh thyme. The chicken however was DELISH!

TUESDAY

Curried Sausages, Creamy Mash & Steamed Seasonal Vegetables

WEDNESDAY

Nachos Supreme - YES, AGAIN!

THURSDAY

Chicken Skewers with Satay Sauce and Stir Fried Vegetables

FRIDAY

{image credit & recipe}

Beef Schnitzels, home made chips & salad

SATURDAY

{image credit & recipe}

Homemade Cherry Tomato & Prosciutto Pizza with Garlic Bread

 TIP: There is nearly 2 hours to wait for the dough to prove (rise), and about 20 minutes cooking time. I use this time to do other things like, put on a load of washing, vacuum, dust (or do nothing at all!) There is only about 30 minutes, if that, of active prep.

SUNDAY

{image credit & Recipe}

Thai Red Curry Prawns & Jasmine Rice

This is a Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals recipe. I am totally in love with this book and tend to include at least one or two of these recipes in each fortnight's meal plan. They don't take me 30 minutes, closer to 45 I think, but that is usually for a main, one or two side dishes and a dessert! I have omitted the cucumber side salad and the dessert tonight though.

LUNCHBOX

{image credit & recipe}

Chocolate Slice

TIP: When cooled completely, wrap individual servings in cling wrap, place in a large zip lock bag in the freezer. Take out as required each day to add to lunchboxes.

Meal Plan Monday

MONDAY

{image credit}

Cumin Salt CrustedPork with Braised Buk Choy & Baby Carrots

TUESDAY

Tandoori Butter Chicken with Wilted Baby Spinach

WEDNESDAY

Steak Bearnaise with Home Made Chips & Simple Salad

THURSDAY

Chicken Fettuccine Carbonara

FRIDAY

Cook's Night Off!

SATURDAY

No Packet Tuna Mornay and Creamy Mash

SUNDAY

Chicken Parmegana & Salad

LUNCHBOX

Home Made Muesli Bar Slice

Meal Plan Monday (or Wednesday!)

Do you Meal Plan? Weekly, fortnightly or monthly? In a later blog post I will expand on the virtues I have found of meal planning. The benefits (especially for working mums) range from budget to time, reducing waste and more. But for now, here is what we are having (or have had) this week. Please check back as I will be adding recipe links and photos over the next few days.

MONDAY

Individual Creamy Chowder Pies

TUESDAY

Chicken Ceasar Salad with Home Made Dressing

WEDNESDAY

Grandma Smith's Hai Tai Minh

THURSDAY

Pine Nut Lamb Cutlets with Tuscan Style Salad

FRIDAY

Bangers Pepperonata

SATURDAY

Nachos Supreme

SUNDAY

Chicken Parmegana