Our Family Meal Plan Week Of 10/06/2103 - Back to normal edition - £61

Our Meal Plan this week was hastily written by me whilst suffering from a heavy cold that had been brewing for over a week but suddenly pounced over the weekend.  It is a fairly low faff Meal Plan as it is once again a busy week for us all.  

I’m out two evenings at meetings/events so hubby will be dishing up dinner those nights.  I’m also working two nights as usual so have allowed for quick dinners then too.  My 3 girls will be back on packed lunches this week, much to their relief, and my youngest is off on a school trip to the seaside one day this week so will get a bit extra in her packed lunch as it will be a busy day for her.

Packed lunches will be either egg salad or cheese and salad pittas or wraps (homemade), crudités, a pot of yoghurt, a piece of fruit and a small baked treat.  Breakfasts will be muesli and milk with a piece of fruit for afters.  Weekend breakfasts will be homemade crumpets and pancakes.

The cost of my groceries from Asda on 09/06/2013 was £61.25.  I used My Supermarket to compare the cost of my shopping and had I shopped at Tesco it would’ve cost £70.76, or £70.82 from Sainsbury’s.

Dinners

Spicy Rice with Chickpeas and Spinach – Meatfree Monday

1 ½ cups basmati or long grain rice

1 Tblsp olive oil

3 carrots, roughly diced

1 pepper, roughly diced

1 leek, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp turmeric

2 tsp mild curry powder

400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

400ml vegetable stock, made with 1 stock cube

300ml water

200g spinach (fresh or frozen)

2 Tblsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

2 Tblsp chopped fresh mint leaves

Put the rice in a sieve and rinse it under cold running water until the water runs clear.  Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.  Add the roughly diced carrots, pepper, leek, garlic, raisins/sultanas and spices.  Cook, stirring it occasionally for about 8 – 10 minutes or until the vegetables, especially the carrots, are tender.

Once the vegetables are tender add the chickpeas, rice, stock, and water.  Bring everything to the boil.  Reduce the heat to low and cook everything with the lid on the saucepan for 12 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and put the spinach over the top of the rice.  Replace the lid on the saucepan and stand for 8 minutes.  Uncover the saucepan again and add the chopped fresh herbs.  Stir everything together until well combined.

Mince in Lettuce Cups

1 Tblsp oil

500g lean beef mince

2cm piece fresh ginger, chopped or 2 tsp prepared ginger

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 spring onions, chopped

2 Tblsp soy sauce

2 Tblsp sweet chilli sauce

500g mixed stir fry vegetables

1 head iceberg lettuce

4 cups cooked rice, to serve

Heat the oil over a moderately high heat in a non-stick pan.  Add the mince and cook it with the ginger, breaking it up as it cooks, until the mince is evenly browned.   Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two.

Add the spring onions and sauces then cook for a few minutes.  Add the stir fry vegetables and cook for 3-4 minutes or so.  You want the vegetables to still be a little crunchy.

Break up the lettuce into leaves.  Serve the mince in large lettuce leaves accompanied by cooked rice. 

Baked Rice with Salmon

1 onion

1 Tblsp chopped fresh oregano, or 1 tsp dried

400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 pepper, diced (any colour will do)

1 stalk celery, finely sliced

200g tin salmon, drained

310g tin corn, drained

1½ cups rice

500ml water

Preheat your oven to 180C. Dice the onion, celery stalk and pepper.

Put the oregano, onion, rice, water, tomatoes, celery and pepper in an ovenproof baking dish.  Stir everything together.  Cover with foil or a lid and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the rice is cooked.

Use a fork to fluff up the rice then season with pepper.  Stir through the salmon and sweetcorn. Leave for 5 minutes to heat through.  Serve immediately.

Lentil Bolognese

This is so versatile! It can be served with pasta, baked potatoes, polenta or homemade gnocchi. I sometimes made double because it freezes well and is great to have in your freezer as a quick fix meal option. If you really have to you could add some beef mince or soy mince to bulk it out more.

1 cup red lentils, uncooked

2 Tblsp oil

1 onion, diced

1 pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

2 Tblsp tomato paste

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp dried mixed herbs

salt and pepper to taste

Pasta and 2 handfuls of frozen mixed vegetables (cooked), to serve.

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Pour in the lentils and stir them around to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Boil the lentils for 8-10 minutes or until soft.

Heat the oil in a medium pan and sauté the pepper, onion and garlic until softened. Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and herbs, then stir in the lentils. Season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes until the flavours develop.

Serve with pasta cooked according to packet instructions. When the pasta has about 3 minutes left to cook toss in a handful or two of frozen mixed vegetables.

Slow Cooker Meatballs

500g beef mince

½ cup uncooked long-grain rice

¼ cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, etc) or 3 tsp dried mixed herbs

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.

Homemade Pizzas

Chicken Traybake

1kg chicken drumsticks

2 large potatoes roughly chopped into chunks

300g squash chopped into chunks

1 head of garlic, unpeeled and in half widthways

2 tsp dried mixed herbs

125ml chicken stock

Preheat oven to 200ºC. Put the chicken in a large baking dish along with the prepared vegetables. Sprinkle over the dried mixed herbs.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Pour over the stock and bake for another 5 minutes so a gravy forms. Serve with rice or mash and steamed greens or vegetables.

Shopping List

40 items: £61.25
Packets and Cereals
1x	Jordans Natural Muesli (1Kg)	£2.98
1x	ASDA Chosen by You Fusilli Twists (500g)	50p
1x	Asda Wholefoods Strong White Bread Flour (1.5Kg)	80p
1x	ASDA Basmati White Rice (2Kg)	£2.92
1x	Great Scot Red Split Lentils (500g)	£1.28
1x	Asda Home Baking Easy Bake Yeast (6 per pack - 42g)	65p
1x	ASDA Wholefoods Brown Bread Flour (1.5Kg)	£1.28
Dairy and Eggs
1x	ASDA Chosen by You French Set Yogurts Assorted (6x125g)	£1.00
4x	ASDA British Semi Skimmed Milk 4 Pints (2.27L)	£4.00
2x	ASDA English Mature White Cheddar (500g)	£5.00
1x	ASDA Chosen by You Low Fat Peach, Pineapple and Mandarin Yogurt (6x125g)	£1.00
1x	ASDA Chosen by You Low Fat Strawberry Yogurt (6x125g)	£1.00
2x	Suffolk Farm Medium Free Range Eggs (6)	£2.00
Tins, Jars and Cooking
1x	ASDA Wild Pacific Pink Salmon (418g)	£2.17
3x	ASDA Smartprice Chopped Tomatoes (400g)	93p
1x	ASDA Smartprice Sweetcorn (326g)	32p
1x	ASDA Chick Peas in Water (400g)	62p
1x	ASDA Chosen by You Tomato and Chunky Vegetable Pasta Sauce (500g)	£1.00
Frozen
1x	ASDA Chosen by You Oriental Vegetables Stir Fry (500g)	£1.11
2x	ASDA Smartprice Mixed Vegetables (1Kg)	£1.50
Fruit and Vegetables
1	ASDA Root Ginger by Weight (100g)	21.1p
1x	ASDA Salad Tomatoes (750g)	£1.50
20	ASDA Bananas by Weight (100g)	£1.36
20	ASDA Carrots by Weight (100g)	£1.60
3	ASDA Leeks by Weight (100g)	74.1p
10	ASDA Red Onions by Weight (100g)	80p
1x	ASDA White Potatoes (2.5Kg)	£2.00
5	ASDA Butternut Squash by Weight (100g)	50p
3x	ASDA Whole Cucumber	£1.50
2x	ASDA Round Lettuce	£1.14
1x	ASDA Celery	89p
2x	ASDA Garlic Loose	60p
1x	ASDA Smartprice Peppers (700g)	£1.65
1x	ASDA Courgettes (3)	£1.00
1x	ASDA Spring Onions	74p
1x	ASDA Spinach (350g)	£1.00
1x	ASDA Juicing Oranges (1.6Kg)	£2.00
2x	ASDA Smartprice Apples (500g)	£1.96
Meat, Fish and Poultry
2x	ASDA Butcher's Selection British Beef Mince (500g)	£4.00
1x	Banham Poultry Chicken Drumsticks (1Kg)	£4.00

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Prices and special offers reflect those of the online grocery websites, and are correct as of 9 June 2013.  Prices may vary in different in-store locations.

Don't forget to check out other Meal Plans on the Meal Planning Monday linky on At Home With Mrs M.