Our Family Meal Plan For This Week - Back to School Edition £56

It's back to school for my 3 girls on Tuesday which means a return to normal routine.  I will miss them loads as we have enjoyed spending time together and relaxing over the holidays.  Because we will all no doubt be a bit tired and grumpy getting back into routine, this week our Meal Plan is a simple one with dishes that are easy to prepare and will be eaten without anybody moaning.  The kids are having school dinners this week so there are no school lunches for me to make.

My daughters requested a roast chicken for dinner the night before they go back to school as a treat, therefore that is what we will be having - with all the trimmings of course.

The cost of our 36 grocery items from ASDA on 06/01/2013 was £56.54, using My Supermarket to compare the prices, my shopping would've cost £63.43 from Sainsbury's and £72.16 from Tesco.

Breakfasts will be porridge with fruit compote or cereal with a piece of fruit, there will be pancakes  on Saturday and boiled eggs with toast on the Sunday.

Weekend Lunches will be Baked Potatoes with Baked Bean and Cheese on Saturday, Sunday will be homemade pizza using up any the leftover meat and veges not needed for dinner on Sunday.

Dinners

Roast Chicken with Roasted Root Vegetables, Yorkshire Puddings and Steamed Greens

Leftover Roast Vegetables and Chorizo Frittata

2 cups leftover roast vegetables, cut to 2cm dice

1 chorizo sausage, diced

1 onion, finely diced

8 eggs

Fry the chroizo in a large frying pan over a moderate heat so the lovely flavoured oil starts to run, saute the onion in the flavoured oil until it has softened and the chorizo is getting a little crispy.  Crack the eggs into a large jug and beat well.  Add the roast vegetables followed by the beaten eggs.  Turn on your oven grill.  Lower the heat and cook the frittata for about 5 - 10 minutes.  Once the frittata is set around the edges put it in the oven under the grill until it is completely set and golden.  Be careful not to burn the handle of your frying pan.  Serve immediately.  We'll be having ours with steamed beans and cauliflower.  Leftovers are great the next day for lunches.

Lemony Pasta with Leftover Chicken

500g pasta

350g leftover chicken, shredded

1 Tblsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

juice and zest of 1 lemon

bunch of flatleaf parsley, finely chopped

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions, when you drain the pasta keep half a mug of the cooking water.  Put the cooked and drained pasta back into the saucepan and add the chicken, oil, garlic, juice and zest of the lemon, parsley and enough of the cooking water to coat the pasta.  Serve immediately topped with some grated parmesan if you have any.

Lentil and Vegetable Curry

2 tsp oil

2 onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 cups green lentils

2 Tblsp curry powder

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1.5 litres vegetable stock

2 cups mixed root vegetables, peeled and diced

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a moderate heat and saute the onion and garlic until the onion has softened.  Add the spices to the pan and stir for a minute or two until they are fragrant.  Add the lentils, stock and vegetables then bring to the boil.

Simmer for around half an hour until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has mostly been absorbed.  Serve with cooked rice.  We add some steamed spinach on the side for added veg content.

Leftover Curry Pasties

Leftover Lentil and Root Vegetable Curry

2 sheets puff pastry

Preheat your oven to 200C

Cut each sheet of pastry into thirds.  Put mounds of leftover curry on one half of each pastry third.  Fold over the other half of the pastry third and crimp with a fork to seal the edges.  Prick each pastry parcel with a fork so steam can escape during cooking.

Put on lined baking trays and cook for 20 - 25 minutes until the pastry is golden and crispy.  Serve with mango chutney and steamed vegetables.

Fish Stew

1 Tblsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 onion, finely diced

1 pepper, finely diced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

400g can chopped tomatoes

450g white fish fillets, cut into chunks

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Saute the garlic, onion and pepper until softened.  Add the cumin and paprika and cook for 1 min until fragrant.  Pour in the tin of chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil.  Turn down the heat, simmer for 5 minutes before adding the fish.  Simmer for 5 - 10 minutes until the fish is cooked through.  Serve with crusty bread.

Macaroni Cheese

Shopping List

Cost of 36 items from ASDA on 06/01/2013 was £56.54.

Packets and Cereals                                                                  

1x   ASDA Wholegrain Scottish Porridge Oats (500g)               65p

1x   Asda Tagliatelle Paglia e Fieno (500g)                               50p

1x   Asda Wholefoods Strong White Bread Flour (1.5Kg)         60p

1x   ASDA Easy Cook Long Grain Brown Rice (1Kg)          £1.78

1x   ASDA Chosen by You Wholewheat Fusilli (500g)             50p

1x   ASDA Ready to Roll Puff Pastry (500g)                        £1.00

1x   Asda Home Baking Easy Bake Yeast ( 42g)                       64p

1x   ASDA Wholefoods Brown Bread Flour (1.5Kg)           £1.28

1x   Great Scot Green Lentils (500g)                                    £1.29

Tins, Jars and Cooking                                                              

1x   ASDA Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce (4x410g)            £1.24

1x   ASDA Smartprice Chopped Tomatoes (400g)                    31p

Frozen                                                                                          

1x   ASDA Smartprice Mixed Vegetables (1Kg)                       75p

1x   ASDA Chosen by You Haddock Fillets (400g)             £2.00

Dairy and Eggs                                                                           

5x   ASDA British Semi Skimmed Milk 4 Pints (2.27L)      £5.00

1x   ASDA Free Range Mixed Weight Eggs (15)                 £3.00

2x   ASDA English Mature Cheddar (200g)                         £2.54

Fruit and Vegetables                                                                  

2x   ASDA Smartprice Pears                                                £1.88

2x   ASDA Spring Greens (500g)                                         £1.94

20   ASDA Smartprice Apples by Weight (100g)                 £2.00

20   ASDA Bananas by Weight (100g)                                  £1.36

1x   ASDA Lemons Loose                                                          30p

1x   ASDA Green Cabbage Loose                                              50p

1x   ASDA Cauliflower Loose                                               £1.00

7     ASDA Red Onions by Weight (100g)                                  63p

2x   ASDA White Potatoes (2.5Kg)                                       £3.00

10   ASDA Butternut Squash by Weight (100g)                     £1.07

5     ASDA Sweet Potatoes by Weight (100g)                            64p

1x   ASDA Garlic Loose                                                            30p

1x   ASDA Smartprice Peppers (700g)                                  £1.38

1x   ASDA Spinach (350g)                                                    £1.50

1x   ASDA Carrots (1.2Kg)                                                   £1.00

1x   ASDA Parsnips (750g)                                                   £1.00

2x   ASDA Green Beans (240g)                                            £2.00

1x   ASDA Extra Juicy Oranges (1.8Kg)                               £2.00

Meat, Fish and Poultry                                                                     

1x   ASDA Extra Special Chorizo Casero Sausage (225g)  £2.00

20   ASDA Free Range Whole Chicken by Weight (100g)   £7.96

Prices and special offers reflect those of the online grocery websites according to My Supermarket, and are correct as of 6 January 2013.  Prices may vary in different in-store locations.