Our Family Meal Plan for this week 04/03/2013 - £62

This week will be a rather busy one with me in London a couple of times and there's also a couple of evening meetings and after school events to take into account as well.  We're all home for dinner on Monday night so that will be a family favourite of roast chicken with all the trimmings.  The rest of the week is made of up low faff meals that I know my family will eat, hence the slightly eclectic mix of dishes.

Breakfasts will either be cereal or toast with fruit for afters.  I'll be leaving early a couple of mornings this week so breakfasts will need to be especially low faff but also filling.  We'll have eggs and soldiers on the weekend and probably pancakes or crumpets.

Lunches for the adults will be leftovers.  Kids will be having cheese and chutney swirls or egg salad sandwiches on wholemeal bread with crudites, a pot of yoghurt, baked treat and piece of fruit for their lunches.  Weekend lunches will be baked potatoes with beans and cheese or potato wedges with salad. 

The cost of our shopping this week was £62.63 and I purchased the items online using the Asda section of My Supermarket which handily compares the cost of my shopping had I purchased the items elsewhere.  If I'd shopped at Sainsbury's my groceries would've cost £76.83 or £79.31 from Tesco. 

Dinners

Roast Chicken with Roast Vegetables and Yorkshire Puddings

Chicken Pasta Bake

500g pack of pasta

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 peppers, diced

3 cups frozen mixed vegetables

400g leftover cooked chicken

2 carrot, diced

1 cup grated cheese

1/2 cup milk

Heat oven to 180C.

Boil pasta in large pot of water until just tender, following the directions on the packet.  Heat a non-stick pan and spray with a little oil.  Cook onion, garlic and peppers until soft.

Stir the mixed vegetables into the onion mixture and heat for a few minutes.  Add the leftover chicken, milk, and half the cheese.  Gently stir to combine.

Add the cooked pasta. Gently stir so pasta is coated with the chicken sauce mixture then pour into an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Bean burritos

8 tortilla wraps

3 tins chilli beans

3 fresh tomatoes, diced

1 cucumber, diced

1 lettuce, shredded

small pot of soured cream

150g grated cheese

Heat chilli beans in a pot whilst tortillas are warming in the oven.  Put chilli beans onto tortillas and top with tomato, cucumber, lettuce, a little sour cream and a sprinkling of cheese.  Fold over and serve.

Stir Fry Beef with Rice

2 Tblsp each soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce

1 Tblsp tomato puree

juice of ½ a lemon (use the other ½ lemon in a G&T)

1 clove garlic, crushed

400g rump steak, thinly sliced

1 Tblsp oil

1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced

500g greens, shredded

Put the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, lemon juice and garlic in to a bowl.  Mix well then add the thinly sliced steak, toss to coat in the marinade and leave to infuse whilst you prepare the vegetables.

Heat oil in a frying pan or wok over a high heat.  Add the steak and sear well, remove from the pan and set aside.  Pour the leftover marinade into the wok and heat for a minute or so before adding the spring onions, greens and steak.  Stir fry for 5 minutes or so until the greens are tender-crisp and the steak is cooked through.  Serve over cooked rice.

Crustless Quiche

3 cups mixed vegetables

1 cup cheese, grated

4 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup self-raising flour

good grinding of black peppe

Put the vegetables and ¾ of the cheese into a greased ovenproof dish.  Lightly beat the eggs and milk together in a jug.  Sprinkle over the self-raising flour and mix well, ensuring there are no lumps.  Pour egg mixture over the vegetables and grind over some black pepper then sprinkle over the remaining cheese.  Bake at 200°C for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and set.  Serve either hot or cold.

Slow Cooker Meatballs

500g beef mince

½ cup uncooked long-grain rice

¼ cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chives, oregano, marjoram, etc.)

1 large onion, finely diced

1 pepper, finely diced

2 carrots, finely diced

1 stick celery, finely sliced/diced

500g homemade or store bought pasta sauce

375 ml beef stock or water

Turn the slow cooker on to low to preheat whilst you chop all the vegetables.

In a bowl, mix together the mince, rice and fresh herbs with a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Roll tablespoonfuls into balls and set aside for a few minutes.

Put the onion, pepper, carrot and celery Into the slow cooker. Mix together the cook-homemade pasta sauce and beef stock then pour into the slow cooker. Stir to mix thoroughly with the vegetables.

Put the meatballs on top of the sauce in the slow cooker and then cover with the lid. Cook on low for 6–7 hours or on high for 3–4 hours. Serve with mash/pasta/baked potatoes and steamed mixed vegetables.

Vegetable Cobbler

2 tsp oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 large onion, finely diced

1 pepper, deseeded and diced

2 sticks celery, finely sliced

3 large carrots, finely sliced

200g broccoli florets

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

75g rice

2 Tblsp cornflour

400ml vegetable stock

seasoning to taste

Cobbler

150g self raising flour

45g butter

1 free range egg

1 Tblsp milk

1/2 cup grated cheese

Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas mark 4.

Heat the oil in a large oven safe saucepan and cook the garlic, onion and pepper for 3 minutes before adding the celery, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli.  Stir fry the vegetables for 3 minutes then remove from the heat.  Add the chopped tomatoes, rice and vegetable stock.  Mix the cornflour with 2 Tblsp of water and stir it into the stew so that it thickens slightly.  Season to taste bring to the boil then cover and bake for 25 minutes.

Whilst the stew is in the oven, make the cobbler.  Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.  Beat the egg and milk together before adding it to the flour mixture.  You should have a soft dough, add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky.

Knead the dough lightly then roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 2cm. Use a cutter, or glass to cut out rounds about 4cm in diameter.  Re-roll the trimmings so that all the dough is used.

Take the stew out of the oven and increase the temperature to 200C/180C Fan/Gas Mark 6.  Arrange the circles of dough on top of the stew, sprinkle over the grated cheese,  and bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until the cobbler topping is cooked and golden.

Shopping List

38 items: £62.63                                                                          

Packets and Cereals                                                                                                                                        

1x   ASDA Chosen by You Wheat Bisks (48x18g)               £3.08     

1x   ASDA Smartprice Cornflakes (750g)                               46p  

1x   ASDA Chosen by You Fusilli Twists (500g)                   50p   was 95p

2x   Asda Wholefoods Strong White Bread Flour (1.5Kg)   £1.60     

1x   ASDA Smartprice Self Raising Flour (1.5Kg)                45p  

1x   ASDA Smartprice Long Grain Rice (1Kg)                       40p  

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

2x   ASDA Wholefoods Brown Bread Flour (1.5Kg)             £2.56     

Tins, Jars and Cooking                                                                     

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

3x   ASDA Chosen by You Chilli Beans (290g)                    £2.04     

1x   ASDA Chosen by You Onion Chutney (280g)              98p  

1x   ASDA Smartprice Mayonnaise (500ml)                          45p  

1x   Dolmio Sauce - Extra Onion and Garlic (500g)             £1.00     

Frozen                                                                                                                                                                

2x   ASDA Smartprice Mixed Vegetables (1Kg)                    £1.50     

Dairy and; Eggs                                                                                                                    

1x   ASDA Soured Cream (300ml)                                          £1.05     

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

1x   ASDA Smartprice Salted Butter (250g)                           98p  

3x   Suffolk Farm Medium Free Range Eggs (6)                  £3.00     

2x   Cathedral City Mature Cheddar (350g)                           £4.00     

Fruit and Vegetables                                                                                           

1x   ASDA Spring Greens (500g)                                             £1.20     

1x   ASDA Salad Tomatoes (750g)                                          £1.00     

20  ASDA Smartprice Apples by Weight (100g)                   £2.40     

20  ASDA Bananas by Weight (100g)                                    £1.36     

1x   ASDA Lemons Loose                                                         30p  

3     ASDA Broccoli by Weight (100g)                                      75p  

10  ASDA Red Onions by Weight (100g)                              90p  

2x   ASDA White Potatoes (2.5Kg)                                          £3.50      2 FOR £3.50

5     ASDA Butternut Squash by Weight (100g)                    50p  

2x   ASDA Whole Cucumber                                                    £1.00     

3x   ASDA Round Lettuce                                                         £1.71     

1x   ASDA Celery                                                                        89p  

1x   ASDA Garlic Loose                                                             30p  

1x   ASDA Smartprice Peppers (700g)                                    £1.77     

1x   ASDA Spring Onions                                                         75p   any 3 FOR £2.00

1x   ASDA Carrots (1.2Kg)                                                         £1.00     

Meat, Fish and Poultry                                                                                                        

4     ASDA Beef Rump Steak Large by Weight (100g)         £4.40     

1x   ASDA Butcher's Selection British Beef Mince (500g)  £2.00     

15  ASDA Free Range Whole Chicken by Weight (100g)  £5.97      

Prices and special offers reflect those of the online grocery website My Supermarket, and are correct as of 3 March 2013.  Prices may vary in different in-store locations.

Please visit At Home WIth Mrs M to discover more Meal Plans with her Meal Planning Monday linky.