Our Family Meal Plan for this week 13/03/2017 - £65

Apologies for the lack of meal plan last week, toddler boy was poorly most of the weekend and for the first half of the week, then 10yo was poorly for the second half of the week.  I am rather knackered but we did have a meal plan and stick to it, I just didn't have the time or energy to blog it. 

This week I am tired, uninspired and needing an easy time.  I've deliberately chosen meals that are simple and quick, and that my family all like.  Lunches are a fairly easy option too, and I have once again chosen family favourites.  I'm sure everyone has weeks like this when you're pretty much over it all and just need an easy time for a week or so. 

Breakfasts will be wheat biscuits with fruit or homemade wholemeal toast with spread.  We'll have pancakes on the weekend, and homemade crumpets.

Lunches

Pasta Salad, cooked wholewheat pasta and mixed vegetables with a fresh herb, mayo and yoghurt dressing. Lunches will also include cucumber sticks, a piece of fruit and a baked treat.

Savoury Bread Swirls served with herbed yoghurt dip, cucumber and carrot sticks, a piece of fruit and a baked treat.

Weekend Lunches

Root Vegetable Soup

1 onion, diced

1 Tblsp oil, butter or margarine

1 potato, peeled and diced

4 cups chopped vegetables (or a mixture of vegetables)

stock or water to cover

alt and pepper

Saute chopped onion in oil in a large saucepan until soft but not browned. Add around 4 cups of peeled chopped vegetables and the chopped potato. The starchiness of the potato improves the overall texture of the soup.

Gently cook the vegetables in the saucepan with the lid on for about 5 minutes over a moderate heat, then add water, stock or a combination of both to just cover the vegetables.

Simmer with the lid on until the veges are very soft, then process using a stick blender until smooth. Add extra liquid to adjust the consistency of the soup. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.

Red Lentil and Vegetable Soup

2 cups of red lentils

2 litres vegetable stock

1 onion large, diced

3 sticks celery, finely sliced

3 carrots, peeled and finely sliced

1 tsp oil or margarine

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cumin seeds

1 tsp ground coriander

2 cups root vegetables (pumpkin, potato, swede), peeled and diced

fresh chives, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil or margarine in a large saucepan over a medium heat and saute the onion, celery and carrots for 10 minutes, you want them softened but not coloured. 

Add the spices, lentils and stock with the diced root vegetables. Bring everything to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes until the vegetables are cooked and very soft. Serve the soup chunky or blend until smooth with a stick blender but be sure to taste the soup and adjust the seasoning before serving.

Dinners

Vegetable Pie

Spaghetti Cabonara with mixed vegetables

Roast Chicken with roast vegetables and Yorkshire puddings served with steamed mixed vegetables

Beef Slow Cooker Casserole

1kg casserole beef

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 peppers, diced

2 Tbsp plain flour

2 Tbsp tomato paste

250ml beef stock

400g tin diced tomatoes

1 Tbsp dried oregano

400g can cannellini beans, well drained

Cut beef into 2.5cm-3cm pieces and season the beef with salt and pepper. Brown the meat in a frying pan over a high heat and transfer to a slow cooker.

Put the onion, garlic and pepper in the slow cooker as well. Stir the flour, tomato paste and beef stock together to make a smooth paste and pour over the beef. Add the tin of tomatoes and oregano then cover. 

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-5 hours. Add the cannellini beans, stir to mix through and then heat for another 20 minutes or so before serving.

Chicken and Bacon Stew with Dumplings served with steamed greens

Beef Casserole Pasties - leftover casserole from Thursday made into pasties and served with steamed mixed vegetables and mash.

Chicken Stir Fry

Shopping List

46 items: £64.62

Packets and Cereals

3x   ASDA Smartprice Wheat Bisks (24x18g)                         £2.07

1x   ASDA Wholewheat Spaghetti (500g)                               50p

1x   ASDA Strong White Bread Flour (1.5Kg)                         95p

1x   ASDA Wholemeal Bread Flour (1.5Kg)                            £1.20

1x   ASDA Smartprice Plain White Flour (1.5Kg)                    45p

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

1x   Jus Rol Shortcrust Pastry Block (500g)                           £1.25

1x   ASDA Good and Balanced Wholewheat Penne (500g)   50p

1x   ASDA Good and Balanced Red Lentils (500g)                75p

Frozen

3x   ASDA Smartprice Mixed Vegetables (1Kg)                     £2.31

Tins, Jars and Cooking

2x   ASDA Chopped Tomatoes in Tomato Juice (400g)         58p

1x   ASDA Cannellini Beans in Water (300g)                         40p

1x   ASDA Smartprice Mayonnaise (500ml)                           40p

1x   Rajah Paprika (100g)                                                       60p

1x   Rajah Jeera Whole Cumin Seeds (100g)                        60p

1x   ASDA Double Concentrated Tomato Puree (142g)         35p

1x   East End Ground Coriander (100g)                                 £1.10

1x   ASDA Stock Cubes - Beef (12x10g)                                50p

1x   ASDA Stock Cubes - Chicken (12x10g)                          50p

1x   ASDA Stock Cubes - Vegetable (12x10g)                       50p

Dairy and Eggs

4x   ASDA British Semi Skimmed Milk 4 Pints (2.27L)           £3.96

1x   ASDA British Whole Milk 4 Pints (2.27L)                         99p

1x   ASDA Free Range Large Eggs (6)                                  £1.00

1x   ASDA Smartprice Low Fat Natural Yogurt (500g)           45p

1x   ASDA Butter - Unsalted (250g)                                        £1.09

1x   ASDA Smartprice Mature White Cheddar (830g)            £3.98

Meat, Fish and Poultry

1x   ASDA Smartprice Cooking Bacon (500g)                        57p

1x   ASDA Butcher's Selection Whole Chicken (1.25Kg)        £3.33

2x   ASDA Butcher's Selection Diced Beef (475g)                  £6.67

Fruit and Vegetables

30   ASDA Grower's Selection Bananas                                 £2.38

3x   ASDA Grower's Selection Carrots (1Kg)                          £1.50

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection White Potatoes (2.5Kg)          £2.50

1     ASDA Butternut Squash by Weight (1.2Kg)                     £1.08

2     ASDA Sweet Potatoes by Weight (500g)                         £1.00

4x   ASDA Grower's Selection Whole Cucumber                   £2.20

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Celery                                     55p

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Sweetclems (1.4Kg)               £2.25

1x   ASDA Rainbow Vegetable Stir Fry (450g)                       £1.00

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection Brown Onions (1Kg)               £1.48

6x   ASDA Smartprice Apples (500g)                                     £3.00

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection British Parsnips (500g)           59p

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Mixed Peppers (700g)            £1.09

2x   ASDA Grower's Selection Plums (750g)                          £2.00

Ready Meals

1x   ASDA Grower's Selection Egg Noodles (410g)               £1.00

1x   ASDA Sweet and Sour Stir Fry Sauce (230g)                 £1.00

Drinks

1x   ASDA Italian Roast and Ground Coffee (227g)               £2.00 

Prices and special offers reflect those of the online grocery website My Supermarket, and are correct as of 11 March 2017.  Prices may vary in different in-store locations.

We purchased our shopping online on 11/03/2017 via Asda, had we shopped elsewhere our groceries would've cost:

£68.98 Lidl

£74.27 Tesco

£78.05 Morrisons

£79.43 Sainsbury's

How do you Meal Plan when you are exhausted and uninspired? What are your family favourite low fuss dinners?