Our Meal Plan for this week - Salads and BBQs

Our usual Meal Plan complete with shopping list will return next week.  I'm very much in need of a rest this week and as the weather is warming up slightly I decided that we would have a low faff, salad based Meal Plan  We have lots of fresh salad greens from our allotment which will supplement the other salads.  All the salads will be served with either grilled fish, falafels, grilled lean meats or grilled haloumi cheese.

Breakfasts will be really simple, either cereal with milk or toast and spread, with fruit for afters. As my 3 daughters will be having school dinners, lunches for my husband and I will be leftovers from dinner the previous night. 

Dinners

Salmon Bake

1/2 cup plain flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

4 free range eggs, beaten

500ml milk

100g butter, melted

415g can pink salmon, drained 

1 onion, finely chopped

70g grated cheddar cheese

1 tsp fresh chives, finely chopped

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, pour in the eggs, milk and butter. Then add the drained salmon, finely diced onion, grated cheese and chives. Mix everything together until just combined. Don’t over-mix it.

Grease a large ovenproof dish then pour the mixture in. Cook at 180ºC for about 45 minutes until the egg has set. I’ll be serving this with a green salad and chopped tomatoes.

Couscous Tabouleh

300g couscous 

Boiling water/vegetable stock

2 Tblsp olive oil 

1 small clove garlic, crushed 

4 tomatoes, roughly chopped 

1 yellow or orange pepper, deseeded and diced

1 handful fresh mint, chopped

1 handful fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped 

3 spring onions, thinly sliced 

2 Tblsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 

salt and pepper to taste

Put the couscous into a heatproof bowl and pour in enough boiling water or stock to cover the couscous. Cover the bowl with clingfilm wrap and set it aside for 5 minutes. 

After 5 minutes uncover the couscous, add the oil and garlic, then fluff it up with a fork. Leave the couscous to cool for 10 minutes then add the tomato, mint, parsley, spring onion, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve immediately or put in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.

Carrot Salad

5 large carrots, peeled and grated

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 Tblsp sultanas or raisins

Small handful chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Dressing:

6 Tblsp lemon juice

1 Tblsp tablespoon olive oil

1 tsp honey or sugar

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

Put all the salad ingredients in a bowl and mix them together. Put all the dressing ingredients into a screw top jar. Shake to combine and then pour over the salad just before you serve it.

Roast Vegetable Salad

400g butternut squash, peeled and cut in 1 inch dice

500g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in to 1 inch dice

1 pepper, deseeded and cut into 1 inch strips

2 red onions, cut into 8ths 

1 Tblsp olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

350g spinach

420g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

200ml natural yoghurt

2 tsp paprika

Preheat your oven to 200°C. Put the squash, sweet potato, pepper and onion onto a large baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Drizzle them with the oil and make sure they are all covered then season with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables for 15 minutes then take the tray out of the oven, turn the vegetables over, and roast for a further 15 minutes.

Put the spinach, roasted vegetables and chickpeas into a large salad bowl and gently toss them together. Mix the yoghurt and paprika together. Put the salad on to the serving plates then drizzle some dressing over the top. 

Asparagus and Quinoa Salad

500ml vegetable stock 

200g quinoa, rinsed and drained 

500g asparagus, woody ends snapped off then cut into 1 inch lengths

1 large pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped 

150g crumbled feta 

2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced 

1 handful chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 

Dressing:

2 Tblsp fresh lemon juice 

2 tsp honey or sugar

2 tsp olive oil 

1 tsp paprika 

2 large handfuls of spinach

Put the stock and quinoa into a saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed. Transfer to a large bowl and leave to cool.

Lightly cook the asparagus in boiling water or in the microwave until tender-crisp. Add the asparagus, pepper, feta, onion, parsley and rocket to the quinoa.

Put the dressing ingredients into a screw top jar. Shake to combine then pour over the salad. Toss everything together then serve.

Fruity Rice Salad

1 cup long-grain rice (white or brown) 

4 Tblsp olive oil 

2 Tblsp cider vinegar 

1 large lettuce 

3 large eating apples, cored and roughly chopped 

3 celery stalks, trimmed and thinly sliced 

large handful or two of raisins or sultanas

Cook the rice in a saucepan of boiling water, following packet instructions. Drain and then leave to cool. 

Put the oil and vinegar into a screw-top jar. Season with salt and pepper, put on the lid, then shake to combine. 

Roughly chop the lettuce and put in a large bowl Add the apple, celery and sultanas. Pour over the dressing, toss to combine, then serve.

Potato Salad

700g small new potatoes, unpeeled

2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered

125ml mayonnaise 

1 Tblsp cider vinegar 

3 spring onions, thinly sliced

Cook the potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water for until tender. Drain then put in a large salad bowl and leave too cool.

Mix the mayonnaise and vinegar together in a bowl. Add to the potatoes and toss to cover the potatoes in the dressing. Sprinkle over the spring onion and hard-boiled eggs. Serve.

Don't forget to check out all the other Meal Plans in the linky on 

At Home With Mrs M

2 comments Basics, BBQ, Lunches, Meal Plan, Meatfree Monday, Rice, Salad, Vegetarian