Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Menu 1 of 2010, week 1-3

I decided to combine my shopping to a fortnight this time around; the roads are treacherous and there were a few good 2 for 1 bargains so it made sense to go for two weeks worth instead of one. The shopping came to £102, £2 being for a Children in Need shopping carrier bag so we're bang on target of £50 per week. I shall scan the receipt once I remember where I put it, but 5 minutes ago. Ah, the memory loss that happens as you get older....not joyful...not joyful at all.

What was I talking about? Oh, yes......

Meals:
Dinner x 14

Lamb Escalopes with curried rice, potatoes and chick peas, roasted tomatoes and lemon and mint yoghurt sauce.

Mince and Tatties

Roast Chicken with vegetable cous cous, petit pois and broccoli

Spinach salad with roasted goats cheese, pine nuts, onion confit and a lemon and herb dressing

One pot beef stew and potatoes

Baked haddock and mash with wee peas

Spaghetti and meatballs

Chargrilled artichokes with Parmesan

Chicken salad with sesame seeds and soy dressing

Lentil & Vegetable Soup with Homemade Bread

Sausage & Mash

Vegetable Curry

Spaghetti Carbonara

Fry up

___________ Lunches x 14

Lentil & Vegetable Soup

Chicken noodle Soup

Tomato soup

Chinese Noodle Soup with ginger and spring onions

Spinach and leek soup

Carrot & Ginger soup

Sandwiches

Pasta

Toast and beans

Hearthbread

Egg Salad

Croissants

Mini quichelets

Homemade bread and jam
__________
Breakfast:

Cereal

Croissants

Pancakes

Pikelets

Scrambled Eggs

Toast

Sausages and tomatoes
____________
Snacks:

Fruit

Fruit Salad

Crisps

Pikelets

Shortbread with chocolate

Cookies

Toasted almonds

Caramelised pecans and almonds
_____________________________
I'd made a vegetable curry the other day using chick peas, potatoes and onions.

I quickly stir fried some spices including dried chilli, fenugreek, cinnamon, cumin and coriander and then added a chopped onion, some peeled and chopped potatoes and then drained and washed chick peas. I stirred and left for a few minutes before adding a tin of chopped tomatoes and some vegetable stock. I brought it to the boil and then simmered for around 15 minutes, until the chick peas and potatoes were almost soft. I then added a cup of washed basmati rice, topped up with a little bit more stock, brought it to the boil again and then simmered for a further 10 minutes until the rice was cooked. It looked delicious and tasted lovely. The rice had soaked up the flavour nicely.



We had the curry with some homemade flat bread and there was lots of curry leftover so tonight, it was reheated and served alongside lamb escalopes, roasted tomatoes and a lemon and mint yoghurt sauce. The escalopes were dusted with smoked paprika and a grinding of black pepper. They were cooked for a few minutes each side until nicely browned and then wrapped in foil to rest for 10 minutes. Plain yoghurt was given some chopped mint, a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of sea salt as a quick and tasty sauce accompaniment. The tomatoes were virtually tossed into the oven and roasted with no further adornment except for a little touch of salt when they were ready.

The entire dish took about 6 minutes to prepare. There are leftover escalopes as there was 6 altogether, enough for three people; I'm sure it could be added to a salad or for a snack on a bun with some caramelised onions later!

Talking of caramelised onions; I made this bread and then topped it with slices of camembert and onion confit....




Cooked...and delicious!


This one is baked brie, caramelised onions and caramelised pecan nuts.
Looks messy, sounds odd...but mmm mmmmm!

15 comments:

Sumandebray said...

Always got the best laid plans!
Before I started to visit our blog, I did not have any idea that such detail budget, planning and schedules can be implemented in day to day life!!!
Like Tagore said ... the longer I live the more I learn! (this is the best I could do to translate to english form Bengali)

Helen McGinn said...

Ah, Sumandebray, the more I save, the more I get to spend! And of course, plans can be changed. :O)

mimbles said...

That vegetable curry sounds good and your breads look absolutely scrumptious.

I'm going back to doing weekly menu plans, our grocery and eating out/takeaway budget had got way out of control towards the end of last year - time to rein it in!

JudyH329 said...

I should know never to read your posts when I'm hungry! Now my stomach is growling! Have you ever listed your bread recipe? It looks so good! We're expecting snow here in Alabama on Thursday. I feel that it will be ice. So I stopped on my way home tonight and bought a few things that could be prepared should the electricity go off. I don't want any more snow! Fourteen inches over Christmas in Oklahoma was enough!

Claudya Martinez said...

I want to have my way with that bread.

Zuzana said...

I am amazed that you can buy groceries for the family that will last two weeks. I am alone and I barely manage with once a week.
The bread looks amazing, I simply have to try that.;)
xo
Zuzana

Janice said...

Excellent bread, it did look a bit weird uncooked but the finished loaf looks divine. Do you have soup for a main course some days? I would never get away with that!

Helen McGinn said...

mimbles, it was tasty and filling. I recommend it.

Judy, you'll find the basic hearthbread recipe here:
http://feedingfiveforfifty.blogspot.com/2009/07/shopping-list-24th-july-2nd-august-2009.html
It is a good flat bread for all occasions.

Unknown Mami, that bread is quite partial to you too... ;O)

Zuzana, I cook quite a few of the meals beforehand and some things, such as fresh meat can be frozen. I do have to pick up milk and the odd basic from time to time of course! :O)

Janice, thank you! We do have soup for main course some days but we have a huge loaf between us all with it and then a nice dessert and fruit or cheese. Lovely.

Melissa B. said...

Oh, Sausage & Mash...I remember this dish from the last time I was in your neck o' the woods. Happy 2010!

It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere

Debbie said...

Messy food is delicious food! You have made me starve with this post!

Carolyn @ My Backyard Eden said...

May I come live with you? You even make leftovers delicious. I cooked lamb for New Years. Living in California, we can barbeque all year so I cooked it outside. It was yummy. I'm going to have to go look up escalopes.

Happy New Year!

Unknown said...

I'm coming to eat at your house! :)

Helen McGinn said...

Melissa B, we like our gnashers n' mash! ;O)

Debbie, the messier the better sometimes.

Carolyn, I love bbq'd lamb! Escalopes are thin fillets of lamb which cook really quickly and are very low in fat. Yummy.

Marianna, there is always plenty so come on over! ;O)

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