Our Family Meal Plan for week of 12/03/2018

I need an easy week this week, a busy weekend has left me rather more tired than usual.  Our youngest two are poorly again, especially our 3yo.  He's been really clingy and not sleeping well due to being poorly, I'm really knackered.  There's no shopping list this week with our Meal Plan because I'm exhausted and wanted to get the post up for you all.  Hopefully everyone will be fit an well in a few days.

I'm also feeling homesick and missing my Mum, mainly because it was Mothering Sunday today, and it's her birthday this week as well.  We'll have a good natter on the phone tomorrow and all should be right again.

Breakfasts will be either homemade microwave porridge/overnight oats or wholewheat toast with spread.  Both options will have a piece of fruit included.  I will make pancakes and crumpets on the weekend 

Packed lunches will be Caramelised Onion and Cheddar Swirls with crudites and herbed yoghurt dip or Super Quick Chickpea and Couscous Salad, both options will be accompanied by a piece of fruit and baked treat.

Super Quick Chickpea and Couscous Salad

3/4 cup couscous
3/4 cup boiling water
1 tin of chickpeas, well drained
juice and zest of 1 lemon
small handful of toasted walnuts or hazelnuts, whole or roughly chopped
2 Tblsp olive oil
2 cups salad greens (roughly 2 large handfuls)
2 Tblsp chopped dried fruit (apricots, dates, raisins)

Pour the boiling water over the couscous in a heatproof bowl. Cover the bowl with a plate or clingfilm and set aside for a 5 minutes while you chop up the other ingredients and open the tin of chickpeas.

After 5 minutes, fluff the couscous with a fork, add all the other ingredients and toss well to thoroughly combine. That's all there is to it! Pack it into lunchbox containers, refrigerate until needed or serve immediately.

Dinners

One Pot Mince in a Hurry

450g beef mince 

1 onion, peeled and diced 

1 pepper, deseeded and diced

2 sticks celery, finely sliced

2 Tbsp oil 

2 tsp Vegemite (or Marmite) 

1 Tbsp flour 

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

375ml water 

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 

3 cups frozen mixed vegetables 

Cook the onion, pepper, celery and beef mince in the oil in a large saucepan for 5 minutes until the onion has softened and the mince has browned. Break up the mince with a spoon as it browns.

Mix together the Vegemite, flour, tins of tomatoes and water and pour it all over mince. Stir in the sweet potato, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sweet potato is almost cooked. Add the frozen mixed vegetables and stir to mix them through. Cover and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste then serve with a homemade wholemeal roll to soak up the sauce.

Bangers and Mash with gravy and mixed vegetables

Macaroni Cheese with mixed vegetables

Vegetable Curry

500g pumpkin, peeled and diced
2 Tblsp oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 can of coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
2 handfuls of frozen mixed vegetables

Put the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onion, garlic and spices. Add the coconut milk and chopped pumpkin. Bring everything to the boil and then lower the heat so the curry can simmer until pumpkin is only just tender. Add a couple of handfuls of frozen mixed vegetables and simmer for another 5 minutes or so until the vegetables are heated through and the sauce has reduced. Serve with rice and homemade naan breads.

Vegetarian Shepherdless Pie

1 Tblsp oil 

1 onion, diced 

3 carrots, diced

2 sticks of celery, diced

2 peppers, diced (any colour)

2 tsp dried mixed herbs

200ml red wine 

400g tin chopped tomatoes 

2 tsp vegetable bouillon 

410g tin green lentils 

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 

100g cheddar cheese, grated

Heat the oil in a frying pan, then sauté the carrot, celery, onion and pepper until the carrot and celery softens slightly. Add the dried mixed herbs and the wine along with the tomatoes and half a tomato tin of water. Sprinkle over the stock cube, stir everything to mix thoroughly and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the tin of lentils, don’t bother to drain them, then cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the sweet potatoes until they’re tender. Drain them well and mash them, adding butter and seasoning to taste. Put the lentil and vegetable mixture into an ovenproof dish, then spoon the sweet potato mash over the top. Sprinkle on the cheese and then either chill in the fridge to cook later or bake for 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 190C/170C fan/Gas Mark 5. If you are cooking this dinner straight from the fridge, cook for about 40 minutes until it is piping hot all the way through and the cheese is bubbling and golden.

Quick and Easy Nachos 

Homemade Fish and Chips

Apologies for the lack of shopping list.  Normal service should resume next week, hopefully all the lurgy would have left our house by then.  

My lovely blogging buddy Ciara from My Fussy Eater has created a fab Meal Planning Facebook Group so we can inspire each other.  She also has a book coming out in April which you can pre-order here. 

And Katykicker, and Naomi from The Organised Life Project have a Meal Planning Linky full of fabulous Meal Planning posts with lots of tasty ideas.