Meal Planning Monday: written through bleary eyes

Last week we 'discovered' cluster feeding - meal plans, meal times and at some points eating went royally out of the window in favour of Wimbledon on the telly and vast quantities of water. Being an eternal optimist (or something) I'm thrilled that this resulted in another 100g weight gain, and trying to avoid looking at my dark circles, or the bottom shaped dent in the sofa.

With M being back at work, Harry and I are learning together how our days go, we have no routine as such, but feed when he's hungry, try to get out for a walk every day, and try not to let the house descend too far into chaos. Too far. I'd like to say I know where the time goes, but life with a newborn seems to absorb the hours and I honestly don't know where they go.

This week is M's birthday - and I think for the first time ever I'm going to buy him a cake. Baking one isn't too taxing in itself - I just am entirely sure that my ability to balance doing that with feeding and entertaining Harry may not work. So no judging please, unless you want to send me one.

Breakfasts: I'm keeping up with the oat based breakfasts to supplement my milk - porridge, granola and oatibix (a new discovery on M's part - the man is a genius) with fruit.

Lunches: Halloumi salad for a couple of days, fishfinger sandwiches (so sue me) or leftovers - pretty much anything that can be eaten with one hand in case Harry's feeding. Lots of fruit through the day as well.

Dinners:

Monday: I made a chilli con carne today so we'll have that with either wraps as burritos, or tortilla chips as nachos.

Tuesday: Chicken-y burger things in buns with salad and potato wedges. I'm going to try making them based on an Annabel Karmel recipe I've seen online and adult-ify them as I go. If they work I'll blog them.

Wednesday: Chicken kiev, chips and peas/ sweetcorn

Thursday: Chicken curry - frozen pre Harry (thank goodness for my brief moments of organisation before the baby came)

Friday: Pasta carbonara (M's choice as it's his birthday)

Saturday: We've actually got no plans next weekend so I think just something quick and easy out of the freezer on Saturday - pizza maybe.

Sunday: I'll try and do something similar to the chilli that I made this week - maybe a casserole or similar as the easy suppers for a couple of days are a new mama win as far as I'm concerned.

So that's us - don't forget to pop on over to At Home with Mrs M to see what the other meal planners are up to. Have a good week.

Filling the freezer

Auditing, emptying, defrosting and refilling the freezer is something I try to do at least annually (my life is just that exciting!) and whenever I do it, I reluctantly declare that I should really do it more often. I regularly subject M to 'freezer surprise' dinners which on some days are wildly successful, and on others mildly perturbing - stewed apples with pasta anyone?

In advance of the baby arriving I felt that I should really get on top of the random contents of the freezer and try to organise them a bit more fully in order that we might have a good few weeks of being able to get something quick and easy for dinner out of our stocks.

As part of this planning, I've been going through my recipes and noting what would work best either doubled up, or cooked with leftovers portioned off and frozen. So far I've made and frozen the following:

• Lasagne
• Cottage pie
• Chicken and butternut squash casserole
• Chicken and spinach curry

Last week when I gave M another 6 carefully labelled takeaway containers he asked if we should get another freezer. I'm hoping that by the time the baby comes (9 weeks) ours will be nice and full of things that will see us through. I'm also planning a new currency whereby I swap cuddles (with bubba, not me) for roast chicken and salads. There are no flaws in this plan.

I've never posted my recipe for lasagne, and despite being sure that anyone actually Italian might want to kill me merely on sight of it I thought I'd pop it here as it's a long held favourite of ours - it's not changed that much since uni... OK well it has a bit, but it's very similar in essence.

Lasagne

2 cloves garlic
1 red onion
2 sticks celery
250g (ish) chestnut mushrooms
2 large/ 4 small carrots grated
350g minced beef
1 tin tomatoes
1 glass red wine
Dried oregano
Bay leaf
Splash of milk
Tomato puree
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Worcestershire sauce

30g (ish) Equal quantities butter & flour
300ml (ish) Milk
Nutmeg
Grated cheddar cheese
Parmesan, grated
If you're feeling flush - add some mozzarella too

Lasagne sheets

 Put some oil in a nice big pan, cook down your onion, garlic and celery until soft over a medium heat
Add the minced beef, and brown this off too
Add the grated carrots and chopped mushrooms and stir to combine
Add the tomatoes, wine, oregano, bay leaf, tomato puree and milk. Stir to combine and leave to simmer gently for about 30 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
This can stay over a low heat simmering gently (if it starts reducing too much add a wine glass of water - or more wine - and put a lid on) until you're ready for it.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat (if you're using a non stick saucepan and want it to stay that way use a non stick whisk. Don't wreck your pans like I do) and whisk in the flour.
Once they've combined to make a sticky paste (roux) add your milk slowly, whisking as you go
Add the nutmeg and bring to a gentle simmer whisking as it warms through
As the sauce starts to thicken add the grated cheddar and switch to a wooden spoon - the sauce should thicken quickly now

Get a nice large, but shallow square dish
Line the bottom with a third of the meat sauce
Cover with lasagne sheets
Add a third of the cheese sauce
Then the meat sauce, then Lasagne sheets... and so on until you've used the final lot of cheese sauce
Top the lasagne with the grated parmesan - and if you're feeling flush some torn up mozzarella too

Put it in a preheated oven - about 180 for 30 - 40 minutes until the top is crunchy and if you stick a knife in it the pasta sheets feel cooked.

Serve with lots of red wine and good company.


What are your ideas of dishes to cook to stock your freezer up in advance of a big event?

Meal Planning Monday: an easy one

I managed to spend last week on enforced bed rest - the sort of thing that when running around hell bent on organising myself, M, Brownies and Guides I thought would be a wonderful break from always having 'just so much to do!' It wasn't. It was painful, dull, scary as hell, tiring (who knew?) but most of all quiet. Faced with my body genuinely needing a week of rest I wasn't prepared for how difficult and painful something as straightforward as making a risotto might be. We ate from the freezer a lot, and I gave thanks for the food processor a lot.

This week doctors orders are to 'see how I go' so with one eye on my expanding waistline I'm declaring a slower version of business as usual.

We are without baked goods this week as the prospect of standing up and baking just felt painful this weekend, but neither of us will miss out I'm sure.

Breakfasts for me this week are yoghurt and granola with chopped banana.

Lunches are salads - with feta and olives in the first half of the week, and with halloumi in the latter half.

Dinners:

Monday: Cottage pie to my usual recipe

Tuesday: As it's my first day back at work and I'm not sure how I'll feel, one of the emergency packets of filled pasta with sauce, garlic bread and raw veggies

Wednesday: Baked potatoes with bolognaise from the freezer and grated cheese

Thursday: Chicken kiev, sweet potato chips and veggies

Friday: Homemade chicken curry - with naan bread

Saturday: we have some much looked forward to tickets to see Avenue Q in Greenwich (M missed it when it was in London so I've been hoping for a tour for a while now). We're planning on eating out as a treat - any suggestions on places to eat in Greenwich would be gratefully received.

Sunday: I'm going to say a roast - possibly my slow roast pork depending on what's on offer.

So that's us, a quieter week (in theory). What meals do you turn to, when you want an easy week? 

Meal Planning Monday: with love from the new Mrs R

After all those months of panicking, writing lists, budgetting for all we're worth we finally did it. At 3pm on the 22nd March M and I said "I do" and started the next step of our lives together. We had a lovely honeymoon in Carcassonne last week, and this week have returned to the daily grind of working, volunteering, cleaning, shopping, ironing (How much ironing?!) and, of course, blogging. It's not that much of a grind really - we're doing it together, and just occaisionally we remind each other that "we're married!"

I will blog a bit more about our day - but for now it's back to the usual (late) Meal plan for the week.

This week, we're both at home, and as busy as ever. I say that but it's my last night at Guides tomorrow before I step back as leader - I'll always be on hand as an extra pair of hands, but my time in charge is over and I'm thrilled to be handing over to someone as lovely and as capable as Hayley.

Breakfasts: I need to make some more yoghurt tonight to get back onto that wagon, but have been keeping going courtesy of bagels and peanut butter with a banana chopped up on top.

Lunches: Today I had a wonderful salad of feta, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, radish, and some seeds for crunch. Hopefully the week will herald more of the same although I finished the feta so it'll be my favourite chilli grilled halloumi instead.

Supper:

Monday - I accidentally de-veggied my courgetti spaghetti by adding chorizo to it, and cooking it down much slower with tomatoes.

Tuesday - I'm having pizza with the guides so M is having leftover courgetti and chorizo pasta

Wednesday - Chicken and spinach curry

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - we found a pizza in the freezer so that will be our quick and easy supper

Saturday & Sunday - I've not quite decided yet, but as next week's a busy one, something to set us both up for the week ahead.

So that's us - be sure to have a hop on over to At Home with Mrs M and see what everyone else is up to.

Meal planning Monday

How does it get round to being Monday again so quickly? I'm writing this on Sunday evening, surrounded by chaos and the smell of wet paint as we prepare to head back to work after a weekend of trying to set the house to rights.

We're busy again this week (when aren't we?) Although M is quite gleeful about the fact that he forgot that this week existed so everything he thought he was doing this week is next week instead. Confused? You should try being me.

Breakfasts: In an epic fail in meal planning terms I forgot to buy myself any cereal or any almond milk so cereals and smoothies are off the menu. In their stead will doubtlessly be porridge - I had it this morning with pools of dark brown sugar melting into little treacley puddles. And enjoyed every mouthful

Lunches: I blame my mother for this. Entirely. She introduced me to Seriously strong smoked cheese spread *ahem* applied liberally to toasted crumpets. I suspect this will now take up pride of place as it's own food group for the forseeable future.

Dinners:

Monday - Slow cooker chilli con carne with brown rice, avocado and grated cheese (post to follow on Tuesday)

Tuesday - Leftover slow cooker chilli con carne before Guides for me

Wednesday - excitingly I've been nominated for a Jack Petchey for my work as a Guide leader so we'll be at the presentation on Wednesday night. I will retrieve a couple of tupperwares for a freezer surprise dinner in advance.

Thursday - I'm at Brownies, but I think we've got a pizza in the freezer

Friday - Now I know it's St Valentine's, but it's my birthday on Saturday which far eclipses that. Plus we celebrated on St Dwynwen's back at the end of January, well we swapped gifts as we were up to our eyes in lining paper that weekend. I quite fancy curry at the moment so I might make a chicken and spinach curry and have that with some naan bread and dhaal. Curry was the first thing I ever made M.

Saturday - as it's my birthday we're going out for a family lunch at the potential venue for the wedding reception to sample the menu. I've also kindly been sent a bottle of non-alcoholic fizz to celebrate with.

Sunday - I have a small brisket stashed in the freezer, so I might treat us to roast beef again. So soon!

That's us. Busy again, but getting through the week in a haze of freezer surprise, and peanut butter kitkats (just me?)

Meal Planning Monday: a thrifty week

It's a bit of an odd week in the pantry - I just don't really know what's going on. As usual I'm busy: Brownies, Guides and a catch up with a friend take out all but Monday and Friday. By the time I've added a swim imto that mix, it'll just leave Friday. At least I'm starting the week with a tidy house I guess.

I am however in need of a big shop - I've been on half pay because of the forty two day migraine of doom for a bit now, and am holding out for this payday as I'm back on full pay. Simple basics are what I'm out of: pasta, olive oil, and those other basics. That said, I've still got most of this week to get through so I'm hoping as it's veg box week, that plus freezer gubbins will do us.

More excitingly however, I have just started up a new sourdough starter - having lost Mabel, and Herman bread not quite working have meant that I've been thinking about doing this for ages. Fortuitously I popped on to twitter, and saw the hashtag #sourdoughtweetalong Run by Baker and Loaf it's a day by day guide to starting a starter. I've done Day one, and am looking forward to nurturing my new baby over the next week. Fingers crossed for some success and longevity this time!

So, onto actual meal planning.

Breakfasts for me will be fruit, or poached eggs. I'm trying to stay off the dairy products, although I have had a tiny spot of cheese today. M will have cereal and toast.

Lunches, houmous and carrot sticks for me, if the weather gets any colder I'll be raiding the freezer for soup.

So, dinners:

Monday - leftover roast pork (from the freezer) purple sprouting broccoli and some roast potatoes

Tuesday - last week's pantry pasta as I froze the leftovers

Wednesday - sausages in what I suspect is a tomato based sauce. There's some green lentils in the cupboard, so I may cook those in with both the sausages and tomato sauce.

Thursday - M is at Welsh and I'm at Brownies, so something quick and easy for me - there's a tupperware of leftover curry so I think I'll tuck into that

Friday - I have what is labelled (it's the only thing that is) as bolognaise, so that with pasta for M and just a big bowl of it for me.

We actually have no plans next weekend so I'm going to roast a chicken as I don't feel like I've had a 'proper' roast in an age, and am hoping to have some time to potter.

Baking wise: I promised M some homemade flapjacky/ granola bars for his packed lunches about a month ago, so I'm going to try and make those - possibly tomorrow after swimming.

Be sure to pop over to At Home with Mrs M to see what everyone else is up to this week

Also - this is your last call for entries to the Asda Extra Special Hamper giveaway as it closes next week.

Here the goose is cooked: Quick and easy chicken curry

Apologies for the state of the bowl, I only noticed after I had finished eating. That's what a meetings tastic Monday will do to you readers. Avoid!

Goose? Chicken? It's all poultry, and I was really struggling with lyrics involving chicken. Well no one writes a musical about roast dinners do they?

So, another episode of my series 101 ways with chicken. Leftover chicken curry. Much like most of these recipes this can be done with fresh chicken, but these days I just find the cost of that prohibitive, so chicken dishes only come around when there is leftover to be used up.

This is another dish with fond memories, my Dad introduced me to it years back (I'm sure somewhere along the line it came from a recipe book, but it could be entirely invented) and I must say everytime I cook it I think back to his love of cooking. Very much a seasoned cook, prone to just chucking things in, it was his confidence that rubbed off on me after university and encouraged me to be more creative.

So, quick and easy chicken curry

Splash of flavourless oil
Garlic, chilli and ginger to taste
2 onions, finely diced
4 or 5 tomatoes chopped
1 tsp garam massala
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
Shredded or chopped leftover roast chicken - about 200g
Bag of spinach or a good head of spring greens - shred the greens
100ml of double cream
150ml of water

Naan/ rice to serve

First off, shred your greens (if you're using bagged spinach skip this step) and put them in a colander. Pour a kettleful of water over them to start the wilting process.
Using a big pan, heat the oil with garlic chilli and ginger, I use a couple of red chillis, about a thumb sized piece of ginger, grated and 2 or 3 cloves of crushed garlic - but that's just to suit our taste buds, if you like spicy curry - go for it.
When this is sizzling add your onions and cook slowly until they're really soft (at least 10 minutes)
Add the chopped tomatoes and continue to cook down until they go pulpy
Add your spices and cook out their rawness for at least a couple of minutes
Put the chicken in the pan and continue to cook until it's heated through(if you're using raw chicken, cook this for about 8 minutes or until it's cooked through)
Add the cream and allow the heat to let this down and make a creamy sauce. Add the water to let it down further, and stir in your (wilted) greens
Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary

All in all if using leftover cooked chicken this takes about half an hour to forty minutes. This quantity serves four, but you could bulk it out by adding extra onions and greens.

This works brilliantly with Greek Yoghurt - the regular one, not the 0% fat, as it needs the stability the fat gives to it - instead of cream. Equally if I'm being really abstemious I just add a couple of tablespoons of cream and use vegetable stock to make up the rest of the liquid

I serve this with plain supermarket naan, wrapped up in baking parchment I've run briefly under the tap and scrunched up. It goes into a 180 degree oven for the time it takes the curry to cook - this makes lovely fluffy soft naan, as otherwise I find supermarket naan bread to be a little leathery.

Again if you want it to serve more, serve with rice as well.

Meal Planning Monday: The Leftovers edition

Every day in every way I'm getting better and better. Truly. Cast off, headaches diminshing (albeit slowly), the sunshine and glorious spring weather are definitely helping. Finally this week I'm back in the classroom which I think will be the clear indicator about how much better I really am. Fingers crossed it goes as well as I hope.

Last week in the Pantry was a busy one - did you see my giveaway? Did you? Did you enter yet? Go on, you know you want to.

We have a four day week at work, so in theory less to think about, and we're off to M's parents at the weekend. I had hoped to recreate my Christmas success with a slow roast shoulder of lamb for Easter Sunday, but as we have M's house on the market, and you can't swing a cat in my house for fear of hitting the rocking chair or wardrobe - it was clearly the logical decision.

For some reason I have leftover roast chicken and roast pork in the fridge, so need to use those up this week. My natural instinct for roast potatoes and steamed veggies only goes so far.

Breakfasts, for me will be yoghurts and fruit (fresh or frozen). Although I do have some sourdough left over from my treat breakfasts at the weekend that I may sneak in there.

Lunches, I got some lovely rocket in last week's veg box, so that with carrot and pepper sticks and houmous.

Baking, I want to finally get those individual simnel cakes in the oven this week - as I've got neither Brownies nor Guides to get to, I'm hoping I'll be more successful. If I've got some spare time for a really slow rise after all of that, then some hot cross buns, using Scottish Morning rolls as a basis for the recipe, but sweetening the dough with dried fruit steeped in some form of alcohol (or tea if I'm feeling abstemious).

Dinners:

Monday - Chicken and spinach curry (my Dad's recipe which I have still never managed to blog) with brown rice/ naan

Tuesday - Leftover slow roast pork with baked sweet potatoes and steamed cabbage

Wednesday - I've got half a chorizo to use up so Chorizo, pepper and butternut squash chilli

Thursday - let's hope for leftovers of the above. With greek yoghurt to take out any heat.

Friday - I'll be doing parental IT for the day, so fingernails with a side order of gin? I'm sure Mum will sort out something lovely.

Be sure to pop over to At Home with Mrs M to see what everyone's up to this Easter week.

Meal Planning Monday: A truncated week take 2?

Well last week was, what I think is called in the industry, a complete and utter unmitigated disaster! Those of you who follow me on Twitter will be aware that on Tuesday night I came down with a migraine, and pretty much as soon as I took my sumatriptan had a seizure, and then another one whilst still post ictal. This meant an admission to hospital and poor Mark had to take the lead on cooking.

So we're going to try and do better this week at Pantry HQ, I have rested all weekend, and apart from baking and some pottering, done very very little in a bid to boost my energy and general wellbeing.  I don't know if it's going to work, but I'm exercising, eating healthily and resting - what else can I do?! Answers on a postcard please.

Right, where was I? Oh yes, meal planning

Monday: Chicken and spinach curry (still to be blogged)

Tuesday: Well, Tuesday is my slightly belated birthday present (my fault, I just couldn't get organised - there's irony in there somewhere) so we're off for Afternoon tea at the Ritz, I suspect we won't need or want dinner.

Wednesday & Thursday - I re-embrace the joy that is a Beefeater.

Friday: I think I'm going to do my Fusion Taste Team challenge of Tom Yum rice that was ousted by an Indian takeaway that I nearly fell asleep in this week.

Saturday: We're out with friends

Sunday: We're at my Mum's so I'm hoping for her roast beef

I'm sticking with lots of raw foods, so salads and fruit at lunchtime, and yoghurt, fruit, grape nuts and raw honey for breakfast.

Oh and lots of satsuma and cardamom drizzle cake, and Iced buns to eat too! Oops...

Meal Planning Monday: Wandering free...

Last week's Meal Planning Monday post remained in draft all week - it was just that successful. This week I'm going to try and do better, so I'm starting by writing it on Sunday and for once, after I've done a shop. I know, wonders will never cease.

This week, is another busy week for me at work, so it's really only a part week of planning, but that said - some is better than none, so here goes.

Monday: Was going to be courgetti spaghetti, but we were at Mum's today helping around the house and have the leftovers of a roast chicken to use up. We'll be having a curry, that my Dad taught me how to make, it's a quick cook, chicken and spinach. And there's a recipe for lentil daal (or is it just daal?) in this month's Red Magazine that I'm going to try aswell. Blogpost to follow. Promise.

Tuesday: I'm at Guides, so I'm going to whack some potatoes in the oven (a la Delia) to bake and have them with leftover chicken, salad and some veggies. I've got a fennel bulb to use up, so could do with something nice to do with that to go with. *Googles*

Wednesday & Thursday: I'm working away from home so no cooking will be taking place - I'll be taking my own fruit supplies though, as I'm still finding opportunities to eat fruit or veg are severely limited when staying in hotels.

Friday: We're off to M's parents so will be eating with them when we arrive.

Lunches will be - chicken salad for me, and sarnies for M.

Breakfasts will be - fruit, yoghurt and grape nuts. Although this morning was so cold I made up some oatmeal porridge with the bag of coarse oatmeal I had popped in the pantry for Parkin making. It made really tasty, more textured porridge, so I'll pop the recipe in a post this week.

I also need to make the chicken carcass into stock, but if I don't get a chance, I'll pop the whole thing in the freezer and do it when I do have some time.

A bit of a mad dash through the week there. Be sure to pop over to At Home with Mrs M to see what everyone else is up to.