Back to Basics

The shopping cost for the week came to under £40 (see receipt below); we have lots in the freezer and fridge and I think we should manage well for the next 10 days with £10 for sundries.

The menu this week:

Recipes to follow!

Lunches will be coked ham, cheese, homemade bread, soup, salads and egg and cress sandwiches.   Desserts will no doubt involve lemons, since I bought a huge bag of them...I'm thinking lemon meringue pie and lemon cake, brownies, cupcakes and pancakes.

Some dishes from the past month......

First attempt at Whoopees, so called because when the Amish men in America discovered them in their lunchboxes, they'd cry "whoopee!"; tasty but not quite the way they were meant to be.   They're supposed to be half cake, half biscuit but they resembled giant gypsy creams and were definitely more cookie than crumble.  Not that the kids complained!   I made the first batch for Val G and they went down rather well at her hoose.   They don't keep well though.   I'll make another batch with the added addition of baking powder and post the recipe if it works. 

Yet another tasty Salad

Chicken Pie

Mini Chicken Pies!

Helen is Happy With Her Chicken Pie.   Can you tell?

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!