Meal Planning Monday...
Joining in At Home with Mrs M.
January meals are usually stripped back, I have to find a fresh balance against the excess of Christmas. Not a diet this year, but a plan to eat well and healthily and if I lose any weight as a result, that's just an advantage.
Monday; Aldi meatballs and pasta. This works out as a really easy and economical meal, with meatballs at £1.89 for 20. Two packs does a hungry family of five, so with a 60p pack of pasta and a £1 pasta sauce it really does give us bang for the bucks. And less than 20 minutes to prepare!
Tuesday; Fish Pie. I saw Jamie Oliver make a curried version on TV last week, but this is the first fish pie I have attempted so I'll keep it more traditional; white fish in a white sauce with creamy mash topping. I haven't finalised any recipe yet. I'm not working on Tuesday afternoon so I have a little time to play!
Wednesday; Toad in the Hole. How traditional comfort food is this? And I know strictly speaking it's not healthy but it is actually lower in carbs than many dishes, so with a side helping of red coleslaw it should be a good meal.
Thursday; Meatloaf with chilli pasta sauce. The meatloaf is based on Jamie Oliver's from Save with Jamie, with twists. The chilli sauce is basically a tomato sauce with chilli powder and dried chilli flakes added. With a pile of green broccoli, it's a family favourite.
Friday; Home made pizza (made by the children) and then risotto for the grown ups. We eat separately most Fridays, with the 'children' going off to bed at 9.30 ish and we eat after that. Candlelight, our alcoholic drinks of the week and a film to snuggle to. We used to eat at 8pm, but thetime gets put back as the kids get older. We know we could change our routine, but I think we're holding out in hopes that the kids will leave home before we really can't send a 30 year old off to an early bed....
Saturday; Meal at Ma's house. The last few weeks Ma and Pa have eaten at ours, so it's nice to be asked back. I will probably end up doing part of the cooking, which is why it's easier to have them to mine most weeks now. Like Friday, it's a tradition that we need to adapt as circumstances change.
Sunday; Roast pork with rosemary potato squares, red cabbage and carrot batons. We like roast served with stuffing, bread sauce and apple sauce. And there must be crackling. Lots of crackling.
We like a large piece of pork and very often save a third to eat the next day either for lunch or tea as a pulled pork wrap. It works well with hoisin sauce, spring onions and cucumber!
January meals are usually stripped back, I have to find a fresh balance against the excess of Christmas. Not a diet this year, but a plan to eat well and healthily and if I lose any weight as a result, that's just an advantage.
Monday; Aldi meatballs and pasta. This works out as a really easy and economical meal, with meatballs at £1.89 for 20. Two packs does a hungry family of five, so with a 60p pack of pasta and a £1 pasta sauce it really does give us bang for the bucks. And less than 20 minutes to prepare!
Tuesday; Fish Pie. I saw Jamie Oliver make a curried version on TV last week, but this is the first fish pie I have attempted so I'll keep it more traditional; white fish in a white sauce with creamy mash topping. I haven't finalised any recipe yet. I'm not working on Tuesday afternoon so I have a little time to play!
Wednesday; Toad in the Hole. How traditional comfort food is this? And I know strictly speaking it's not healthy but it is actually lower in carbs than many dishes, so with a side helping of red coleslaw it should be a good meal.
Thursday; Meatloaf with chilli pasta sauce. The meatloaf is based on Jamie Oliver's from Save with Jamie, with twists. The chilli sauce is basically a tomato sauce with chilli powder and dried chilli flakes added. With a pile of green broccoli, it's a family favourite.
Friday; Home made pizza (made by the children) and then risotto for the grown ups. We eat separately most Fridays, with the 'children' going off to bed at 9.30 ish and we eat after that. Candlelight, our alcoholic drinks of the week and a film to snuggle to. We used to eat at 8pm, but thetime gets put back as the kids get older. We know we could change our routine, but I think we're holding out in hopes that the kids will leave home before we really can't send a 30 year old off to an early bed....
Saturday; Meal at Ma's house. The last few weeks Ma and Pa have eaten at ours, so it's nice to be asked back. I will probably end up doing part of the cooking, which is why it's easier to have them to mine most weeks now. Like Friday, it's a tradition that we need to adapt as circumstances change.
Sunday; Roast pork with rosemary potato squares, red cabbage and carrot batons. We like roast served with stuffing, bread sauce and apple sauce. And there must be crackling. Lots of crackling.
We like a large piece of pork and very often save a third to eat the next day either for lunch or tea as a pulled pork wrap. It works well with hoisin sauce, spring onions and cucumber!
You're so organised. It's roast beef and Yorkshire puddings for us tonight. We rarely have a Sunday dinner on a Sunday so we have it on a Monday instead.
ReplyDeleteAnd always with a Yorkshire pud! Love it, and I love the idea of having a roast midweek, it's so decadent!
DeleteGosh, I try so hard to menu plan for the week but I rarely make it to week 2!!! Tonight it's emergency bacon and cheese pasta with whatever salad I have left. Curry tomorrow but then I falter. I am too unconfident when it comes to cooking - I could bake til the cows came home though. I will look forward to your Monday posts from now on to see if I can join in the habit too!!!
ReplyDeleteI send Mr AJ shopping every Sunday and he NEEDS a list so I NEED to plan what we're having. If it were I shopping and not him, I'd probably wing it every week. But I'm in the habit now, and it saves me money (both because he pays and I don't buy excess food!)
DeleteThat is one delicious menu...might hunt out some of those Aldi meatballs when we do our shop! I'm keen to try a fish pie too, hope yours goes well :) xx
ReplyDeleteThe menu at your house this week sounds delicious!! I wish that I was invited for tea! xx
ReplyDeleteHope the fish pie on Tues was a success. I couldn't cope if I didn't menu plan, although there is always a pack of fish fingers in the freezer for those emergency times!
ReplyDeleteAs to the record, he has kept it, like he said the price isn't likely to go down so may become more valuable.
Lisa x
Love your meal plan - all sounds fabulous. Thanks for joining in x
ReplyDelete